REVIEW: Firehouse Subs lacks flavor in some subs

By Ashley Han,
Bluedevilhub.com Editor-in-Chief–

Firehouse Sub’s “firefighter” concept does not live up to its flavor. Despite the fact that firefighters extinguish fires and save lives, they are also known for their cooking skills and savory chili recipes. With that in mind, one would expect subs bursting with flavor; however, the Turkey Bacon Ranch sub tasted mild and bland.

Don’t fret. There are many other subs to choose from at Firehouse Sub such as the Sriracha Beef, which hopefully packs a bigger punch in flavor but after tasting one sub, it was similar to a mediocre chain restaurant like Quiznos. The bread lacked body and blended in with the cheese and turkey. Although some people may enjoy a soft hoagie, a sub should have different textures to it. The only distinguishing texture in the Turkey Bacon Ranch was the lettuce.

Firehouse Sub in Davis also charges 60 cents for water. It may not sound like a big deal but most restaurants offer separate (free) water cups for people who do not want to drink other beverages. At Firehouse, the water cups are simply small sized fountain cups, so one should definitely just buy a large fountain drink than pay 60 cents for water.

Speaking of prices, Firehouse’s combo, which comes with a sub, drink and a bag of chips, costs around ten dollars. Compare that to four cheese burgers and two fries at In-n-Out for a little over ten dollars; just food for thought.

Finally, the customer service desperately needs friendliness and efficiency. With only two cash registers and newly trained employees, the time in line was unnecessarily long even though there weren’t many people actually in line. They should take several orders at once and bust out subs in the back since they don’t need to ask each customer what they want on their sub. Nonetheless, after receiving the combo, the waiter hastily mentioned that customers get to pick their bag of chips after they pay, which the cashier failed to explain beforehand.

Firehouse Sub isn’t amazing or terrible. While it may not the ideal place for college kids to gather together on a Friday night, after observing the customers eating in the restaurant, it’s a great place for older people or families to eat an ordinary sub in a clean, quiet environment.