Firehouse Subs

I normally don’t bother to take the time to rate fast food joints. What’s the point? That said, I had a weird experience here, and felt it worth the time. A colleague had suggested I try a sammich at a Firehouse Subs. When I walked in at 5:30pm, the place was absolutely empty of customers. Now I know why.
The only difference I could surmise between this and every other Subway, Jersey Mike’s, Potbelly’s, Jimmy John’s, etc. is the walls have firefighter murals. Whoopie. [sarcasm]
I walked up to the order station, and the eager-​faced young employee stared expectantly at me as I pondered the menu that looks like like every other Subway, Jersey Mike’s, Potbelly, Jimmy John’s, etc. The sammiches are named after firefighters. Whoopie. [more sarcasm]
I ordered a sammich, and was met with the expected response: what type of bread, white or wheat? I requested wheat. Here’s where things get weird. The employee, still staring intently at me, says that wheat bread is not available for me. I looked puzzled, and asked why she would offer me a choice of white or wheat only to tell me seconds later my choice was not a choice I could make. Instead of a simple explanation, she now says she can make me a sammich on wheat bread if I order a different style and/​or size of sammich. Again, I struggle to process this response.
I ordered a sammich painted right there on the wall next to the hook and ladders, fire hats, and hoses. Now I couldn’t get it unless I ordered it on the choice of bread I didn’t make or I ordered another sammich I don’t want. I finally had to look at her and say this was going sideways fast, and she was making it far too difficult to simply order a sammich. I turned and walked out.
I tweeted my experience, and Firehouse social media responded by asking me to fill out a complaint form that would do a Philadelphia lawyer proud. It was like a police affidavit asking for times. locations, names, and other tedious specifics. I am sure they want to hammer some poor, confused teenager trying to explain why I couldn’t get wheat bread with the sammich I ordered. Hey, guys, if I can’t handle a crazy exchange in an empty sub shop, you think I feel like filling out your HUGE form about the incident? Well, it looks like I did anyway…

I like olé’ Firehouse. As Jeff S. mentioned the owner/​GM or whoever he is always greets you when you walk in (as do the other employees), and always ask how things were when you are leaving. I always say «good» b/​c that is the case!
I always get the number 4 (Italian), with the way it comes naturally (no special orders for me here). My subs are always hot and delicious, and I like watching Sportscenter while I eat them :-)

When I review a chain restaurant, I like to talk about the things that make it an individual business: the location, employees, service, etc.
I personally really like the Firehouse Subs’ food — I’ve been getting the ‘hook n ladder lite’ — which is a sub 500 calorie sandwich, pun intended.
But onto the other things…
+ the store GM is almost always there, he and the staff consistently greet folks as they walk in AND as they leave
+ they always get my order right, and i always have them remove the mayo and add the hot peppers
+ they’re pretty quick, but not fast. If you want fast, go to Jimmy John’s
+ they have the super-​cool Coke machines
+ parking is easy
+ there’s outdoor seating, which I really like when eating alone. I like to people watch and get some sun since i’m indoors all the time for work
+ the store’s clean, and they’re always playing sportscenter on the TVs if you’re alone and bored

Very good subs, nice atmosphere, excellent employees. They also have the Coke Freestyle machine.

Always a great experience! Love the staff and food here! Even my picky child loves the meatballs. It’s a little pricey but well worth it!

I usually don’t like to review chains, but I have been going to this Firehouse so many times I felt like I had to review it. This store is right around the corner from where I work and is a very common lunch place for me. Their staff is pretty good most of the time. The sandwiches can be tasty but at the same time can be pretty heavy. If the prices were a little cheaper I would probably do back more often, but I don’t see paying $ 10 for a sub.

I have no complaints. After co workers raved about this place, i decided to try one. I had the meatball and it was one of the best out there. I am looking forward to my next visit.

Firehouse Subs is quickly becoming one of my «go-​to» sandwich shops in Cary. Sadly, I usually end up getting the absolutely scrumptious, but probably less-​than-​healthy meatball sub when I go there … but when I do branch out and try the other subs, I’m rarely disappointed.
The only real downside is the rather complex soda dispenser. It has a touch screen control that baffles some people. It’s especially frustrating when you just want water, but the baffled patron in front of you stares at it confusedly for a few hours while your meatball sub gets cold.

I live close by, but had never been here… so one day, when we didn’t know what to do for lunch, my boyfriend & I tried it out. Absolutely wonderful. I had seen Firehouse Subs before, but had never been to one. We’ve been back many times since & continue to enjoy every experience we have there. It has quickly become one of our favorite places. We each got a large sub & took a half of each, so we got to try different subs and just absolutely delicious.

I will admit, I have a soft spot in my heart for this Firehouse as I helped open it back when we were the first Firehouse in the area. Working for Patrick was great.
Unfortunately it’s been a few years since I was able to come in here! I went out of my way the other day because I was just craving that meatball sub so badly. Just as delicious as I remembered. The fresh-​baked-​daily chocolate chip cookies haven’t changed a bit either.
What IS new is that fancypants coke machine with 120 drink options! Boy I wish we had had Diet Dr. Pepper available when I worked there!
On second though, I really don’t need help feeding my addiction. I should probably SEEK help. haha.
It’s a shame it’s so inconvenient for me to get out this way, but when I’m in the area, this is definitely where I’m stopping for a bite to eat!

Firehouse subs is Great. I’ve eaten at this particular location multiple times and have always received friendly and fast service. I particularly enjoy their honey wheat bread and if you are a fan of hot sauce they’ve got at least 20 to choose from ranging from mild to Firehouse burning hot. They’re own sweet yet mildly spicy sauce is also a winner. My subs have always been just right with the cheese melted and the bread warm but not crusty or soggy. Although I enjoy my occasional subway and quiznos, I find Firehouse to be a notch above those places. I admit they dont have the best vegetarian selection in subs but if you’re a carnivore or omnivore this is a place worth visiting.

My boyfriend and I stopped in after my best friend from NY was RAVING about Firehouse Subs and how great they were when she lived in Florida. We were not disappointed.
The wait staff was super friendly, and the service was pretty quick. The quality of the sandwiches was excellent. The bread tasted fresh, and the sub wasn’t soggy.
There’s also outdoor seating available**
I’d say that FS is comparable to a Quiznos or Jimmy Johns, except that the service is quicker and the sandwiches taste better. We’ll definitely be back :)

***VEGETARIANS AVOID***
I’m a vegetarian, and I was extremely disappointed at this place. Well, sort of… I used to love their «The Veggie» sub sandwich. It was gooey, full of vegetables, and tasted good (not better than Subway’s, though). With a name like «The Veggie», it had to be vegetarian… or so I thought. Out of curiosity, I went to Firehouse Subs’ website to see if it was REALLY vegetarian. When I clicked on the allergen section, under «The Veggie», fish was an allergen. I thought to myself, «That can’t be possible. Maybe some hidden meat by-​product, but definitely not FISH!»
I sent an email to Firehouse Subs Customer Service (who, by the way, is very helpful) to confirm the status of the sub. To my dismay, the customer service person emailed me back saying the peppers and onions were cooked in an Au Jus sauce, which in turn contains Worcestershire sauce, which contains fish.
To call a menu item «The Veggie», it better be vegetarian… or not.
–A Cautionary Tale

My boyfriend and I stumbled into Firehouse Subs one day while we were waiting for a movie to start. I had never heard of the sub place which was apparently «started by firemen» but it was one of the few places open (that we could agree on) when we started looking for places to eat.
I was actually pleasantly surprised in the quality of their subs. I’m usually pretty picky with my sandwiches. I got a meatball sub from firehouse and really enjoyed it. My sub was pretty substantial (more than I could finish myself) and well worth the price I paid for it.
I might not make this a destination. But if you’re hungry and close by it’s an excellent place to pick up a quick meal.

In the wake of the meteoric rise of the ever popular Subway and Quizno’s chains there have been spawned dozens of bastard children. Some of these shops are arguably better than Subway, and then some are worse.
Firehouse unfortunately falls into the latter category. My visit for lunch was marked by an empty store, hard, spongy bread and a lackluster sub. I understand that there’s not too much that a sub shop can do with a veggie sub, but I’ve seen some damn fine ones made (Jimmy John’s does an awesome job adding avocados and bean sprouts) but the sub I ordered from Firehouse was passable at best with sad looking mushrooms and wilted lettuce.
There are tons of other options for quick sandwiches, and I think that in the future I’ll continue investigating them rather than return to a place like Firehouse.