Firehouse Subs

I’ve seen their commercials for months, and always said «I wish we had one here so we could try their subs». Never bothered to go online to find the closest location, and ended up being shocked when I was over by Barnes & Noble and noticed their sign. Excellent!!!
Unfortunately, as far as my husband and I were concerned, the product didn’t stand up to all the hype. We picked up two specialty subs today and were extremely disappointed in our lunches.
Our subs were «to go» and had to travel for about 10 minutes to make it home. Didn’t think this would be a problem, except that when we went to eat our sandwiches they were nothing but meat/​cheese/​veggies between two layers of soggy bread. The meat and cheese on one of the sandwiches ended about 3 inches before the end of the bread, leaving just soggy bread. Yum!!! I’m completely confused by the soggy bread since these are toasted sandwiches. Why not toast the bread too? Or toast the whole sub. We lived in Massachusetts where hot subs (grinders) are popular. Never had a soggy sandwich there. Seriously guys, at least throw the top part of the roll in. Unwrapping a sub only to find a soggy hunk of bread is not appetizing at all. I’ve had several subs from Jersey Mike’s, all made the ride home without turning into mush. Even though their subs aren’t toasted, the rolls still had a nice crunch to the crust.
For the price paid, we were extremely disappointed and won’t be going back. To be honest, even if the sandwiches were half the price we still wouldn’t go back — the sandwiches just weren’t any good!

One big success, the subs, but one big failure, the friendly but awful «to-​go» service. I’m sure they are excellent if you eat there, but the «to-​go» service is a mess.
We’ve tried this place twice and both times the subs have been excellent. We loved their specialty subs, the Hook & Ladder and New York Steamer were delicious.
After seeing their TV ad, we went online, chose subs, used their online ordering system to save time, turned up and they had no clue we existed. We showed them our copy of the online order (thankfully we still had it on our phone) and they still couldn’t find any record of us. So we waited and eventually got our subs. Time is precious to us, that’s why we order ahead of time for pick-​up to take home.
A week or so later, we decided to give them another chance as the subs were good. But not trusting the online ordering system due to the above, we decided to phone it in (again, to save time). We called in 30 minutes ahead of time, and were told by a very friendly staff person «no problem». Arrived to get our subs and, yes you guessed it, no one had even processed our order. We had to wait again and were offered a free soda or bag of chips to make up for the error.
Such a shame: I would rate this ⁴⁄₅ stars on the food (taste and quality) and two stars for the «friendly but inept» service.

First time eating at Firehouse subs and it was pretty good. I have one of their specialty salads, it was fresh and tasty. The place is clean and it is decorated with Escondido fire department stuff, which is pretty cool. The staff is friendly and the prices are very reasonable compared to other sub shops. The only down side was the wait to get my order, it was a bit long even though it wasn’t that busy.

There menu is ridiculous, bad sign when the menu has way to much to chose from. Keep it simple and do that great. Sandwich was blah, processed meat prepackaged not freshly sliced. Shredded lettuce is horrible on any sub. Opened up the wrapper sandwich fell apart. Would not recommend.

Their menu was kind of a pain to look at with everything just a blah. It took me a minute to read it and see what I wanted. They are a bit on the expensive side but I do like that I can round up my purchase to help support the firefighters. Always a good feeling.
The subs were alright. I got a simple turkey, avocado and bacon sub. and a Capt. Sorensen’s Datil Pepper Grilled Chicken. The turkey honestly needed a lot more meat. It felt like it was slacking pretty bad on it. The grilled chicken was actually really good, I just felt like the only reason it was even below 500 calories wasn’t due to it being «healthier» but because they make them so small!
The service was slow, especially considering I was the only person who ordered any food at that time. No one even started working on my order for a few minutes because I saw them all talking in the back. Not sure if they were all on a break or what but it was kind of lame to sit there with no food being made and then to have my sandwich made really slow.
Overall, I feel like there’s so many better sub places out there. After my experience and the food, I really don’t think I’ll be headed back here.

Awesome Food. The price is a little more than the average Sand Which Shop. However they provide some proceeds to charity which makes you feel a little better about dropping the dough.
Although I am very impressed by the quality of the food. I’m a little taken back by the cleanliness of the bathroom. From a men’s point of view it is little useful beyond the need to #1
Other than the restroom issue. All is well.

I just want to say that I have never felt so important at a sandwich joint before.
It was my first time there and there were many sub options that all looked great. Jesus first ask me if I needed any help ordering. I just needed more time and he didn’t bother me till I was ready. When taking the order i had to specify the size. I couldnt quite visualize the size… Then he showed me the actual buns. I was going to share the sandwich and a salad with my mom and eat at the table, but knowing we won’t finish it all I ask for it to go. When we sat at the table Jesus brought us baskets to put the sandwiches in so it will be easier for us to eat. On top of that, he brought sample cookies. I chose his favorite… Choc chip and it was perfect after my BBQ sandwich. Mom had the lemon and she loved it, too.
I just want to thank Jesus for making it such a wonderful experience coming there. Great service and great food. I will definitely go back again.

I wound up at this place because I was craving a good sub. My family and myself entered and we were immediately happy that the football game was on the TV (brownie points) we ordered and a few minutes later we were ready to go. Got home and the food was good. I gave this place 4 stars because they need to come up with a better carrot method for their pickles. Over all good subs! I even got a fire hat :)

Been there a few times. Have had about 4 different sandwiches. Tried the beef and cheddar one today. A little pricey for how much meat was on it but still delicious.
Minus one star because the cashier was really grumpy and seemed like she did not wanna be there, and was kinda annoyed that I wanted the second sandwich to go and if she could wait about 10 minutes to make it.(Also a little rude to the customer before me) Not 100% on her name (Can contact me if it is needed). Didn’t really get a good look at her tag

Awesome employees and awesome food. This place is super swell. #subwaysucksincomparrison #freecookies

Oh, how I love the meatball sandwich here!!!
First time we tried «Firehouse» was in Palm Springs and I was sad there wasn’t a location in Temecula, but Escondido is a half hour drive and totally worth it! Yes, we DO have some decent sandwich shops in Temecula but this place is a cut above. I really love the meatballs, sauce, cheese, roll and herbs on the melted cheese. I am a fan of the Subway version but Firehouse Subs is even more tasty!
I have not had any other sandwich yet but my fam who usually dine with me say that the «Hook and Ladder» is also a primo sub. The service we got at the register, bringing out our order and checking up to see if we were happy with our food was very friendly and professional. A nice change from some other sandwich shops.
Since we have family nearby the location on Valley Parkway we will definitely be back soon. This location is celebrating their one year anniversary of opening on July 5 and 6^th and having raffles and giveaways of free stuff. Can’t wait!

First time visiting Firehouse. Quite impressed overall. Clean restaurant. Quality staff.
Ordered the #1 eight inch sub and was interested to see what steamed meat and cheese on a toasted bun would taste like.
They did a good job of separating the various elements. Meat and cheese seemed to remain warm longer than a sub from Quiznos would. Veggies were fresh and delish and the pairing worked great. The only niggles were that next time I would ask for more toast on the bun… and the deli mustard is way too sweet. It wasn’t bad or anything and I still liked the sandwich overall. Next time I will ask for yellow.
There will definitely be a next time.

Came for the first time and totally loved it! Food was delish, fun atmosphere, and super friendly staff. Added bonus we happened to come on Sunday when kids eat free

Jenny’s or firehouse? They are close to each other and it was time to check this place out.
Restaurant
I came into a this clean and well stocked place on a quiet Sunday. The service was friendly and clean. Their televisions brought life to this larger than expected. The sandwich preparer brought me the small bag to my table. I was impressed. I had not had this service at the other similar joints that start with… well all of them!
Food
I am shocked! My experience with sandwich «meat» is typically dry and chewy. The brisket was surprisingly fantastic. It was tender and the medium sandwich size was just enough for a late Sunday. The surprise was the pickle. The custom sandwich ordered (e.g. Turkey, avocado, xtra mayonnaise…)
Tips
1. Medium is just right if you are hungry late night and want to sleep! Well if I was younger large would do!
2. Your bread will get a tad soggy if you plan to eat it later… more than 45 min will compromise a small portion of the bread.

Food is good, However the staff at this store is great, Jesse walks around making sure everyone is doing good, and asking if there is anything else he can do to make their stay any better, He’s done this everytime I go here, he also is willing to explain anything to any body how the menu works for their first time visiting. He is an excellent employee.
I will be returning here since the customer service and staff are great.
Thank you Jesse! Keep up the great work!

3.5 stars for me as I’m stuck on the fence with it really being 4 stars, due to the really expansive menu, or 3 stars because the taste experience wasn’t as different as other sub places I’ve gone… So there we go with 3.5 stars.
I admit I’ve passed this place by many times being near the Barnes and Noble shopping area and wondered if I should go in and support local firefighters (the company is owned by first responders) or eat somewhere else. The one time I have gone in was when a coworker said «hey let’s eat here. I’ll drive. It’s pretty good and you might like it». Okay. Sounds reasonable enough.
We went in and the place is pretty cool looking. Murals painted of first responders, actual fire gear, and a menu that will make you speechless. It’s got specialty subs (hot and cold variety, classic subs, sandwiches, among a plethora of other menu choices and even a kids menu. You can have your combo be a medium or a large (which I think is either a 6″ sub or 1′ long), drink, and either a cookie or chips. Yup a lot like other sub places I’ve gone to. And yes you can even customize your own sub.
I was particularly hungry that day and it was going to be a long day, unknowingly when it came to our lunch hour. I was torn between two hot subs (Hook and Ladder, and their Engineer) but went with the Engineer Sub because of the sautéed mushrooms; I’m a sucker for sautéed mushrooms. The deli mustard was a little too much for me in flavor so next time I’ll opt out.
The Engineer sub was enjoyable, and I scarfed that sucker down, but it was okay. Next time I’ll try the Hook and Ladder which I hear is one of their customer favorites.
The Coca Cola Freestyle machine is a nice touch for choices and I picked Barq with Vanilla. Heavenly.
I’ll try it another time with a different choice sub and update my review.

Firehouse Subs’ sandwiches come hot as the standard. Given the name and association with heat, I suppose that makes sense. The only sandwiches listed as «cold» are the chicken and tuna salads.
On my first visit, I got the Turkey Bacon Ranch, which was good. Somehow my mind associates hot sandwich ingredients with toasted bread, so it was a little incongruous when biting in. I also concluded that it was too ranchy and cheesy for me to try again. It was good, but perhaps I’ll get the Club on a Sub Fully Involved next time and request it cold. They do have a long sauce rack with different heat levels, but the house-​made hot sauce has a nice barbecuey flavor to it that I wouldn’t mind pouring on the food.
The service was decent, though it seemed like some of the staff were still going through training. The place was clean and there are plenty of seats, both inside and on the patio. I do really like the Firehouse theme and décor inside, from the signage to the dalmatian speckled tabletops. I look forward to trying other items on the menu, especially since they have a loyalty program.

Meh, it was OK. Every sandwich chain has their own subtle variation on the sub sandwich. I would contend that people have different favorites based on how they like those variations. In my college days, I probably would have loved Firehouse Subs… The subs are meaty and saucy, have a lot of calories, and go well with the spicy sauce rack.
These days I watch my calories just a little more closely and try to get my taste’s worth. I doubt that makes any sense to anyone else, but I’ll explain. The sandwich was a little over-​sauced for my tastes, the meat and bread didn’t seem to be anything special, and I didn’t find myself super satisfied afterwards. If I’m gonna splurge on a heavy meal, I’d better LOVE IT. The hot sub on not-​toasted bread also made the bread a little soggy (I got it to go and ate it 10 minutes later).
Nothing about it was bad, but I don’t know that I’ll be back. There’s a half-​dozen other sandwich shops within 5 miles that I do like.

Firehouse subs is a nice change to the increasingly general «Sub Sandwich» choices around town. The staff here were fantastic, quickly seeing that it was our first time, offering us additional menus and even a «fireman» helmet for our daughter.
The sandwiches were very good. They specialize in hot «east coast» style sandwiches, but didn’t blink when we asked that one of ours be cold.
Both the Italian and the house specialty MeatBall subs were very tasty, however a bit high on the price scale for me. The selection of hot sauces and «out of the box» toppings such as cherry peppers and olives was a great touch to a very tasty sub experience.

This Firehouse, with it’s larger than Subway or Jersey Mike’s dining room, makes dining-​in stress-​free. That’s a good thing because eating inside offers the customer some fun options like having tons of bottled hot sauces at your disposal and a Coke freestyle machine.
The Taste — The sandwiches seemed bland to me (perhaps a result of them steaming their meats?). Keep in mind that others at the table really enjoyed their subs, especially the ones with Honey Ham. A medium sub, their standard, should feed a normal person, but could be split between two people looking for a light meal.
What’s to like here?
— Coke Freestyle with their own Cherry Limeade (even a light version).
— They have so many bottled hot sauces to try out. Worth coming here once to check those out.
— Kids menu is 3.99 and includes a small 2 – 3 inch sandwich, small rice crispy treat, soda, and a red plastic fireman’s fire hat. You can’t beat the small price, but be aware that it’s a small meal too.
— Firehouse is better than Subway
What needs work?
— No mustard available without asking.
— In general, the subs here just don’t pack the same punch as Jersey Mike’s.
Worth trying at least once? Yes!
Would I try it again — Yes.