Is Jersey Mike’s Tuna Real Tuna? Getting to the Bottom of the Tuna Sub Debate

Tuna fish has been a staple sandwich filling for decades, prized for its flavor, protein content and versatility. While tuna salad is easy enough to make at home, sometimes it’s convenient to grab a tuna sub from your favorite sandwich shop. But is the tuna you’re getting real or just a concoction of mysterious fish bits? This question has surrounded many tuna subs, but especially the popular Jersey Mike’s tuna sandwich. Let’s investigate whether Jersey Mike’s tuna is the real deal.

The Controversy Around Chain Restaurant Tuna Sandwiches

Over the years, several fast food chains have come under fire for alleged issues with their tuna sandwiches. In 2021, Subway was sued by customers in California who claimed the chain’s tuna subs contained no actual tuna fish. Subway vehemently denied these allegations, but the plaintiffs pointed to a New York Times investigation that was unable to pinpoint distinct tuna DNA in Subway’s tuna subs.

While the Subway tuna controversy made headlines other beloved sandwich chains have also faced doubts about the legitimacy of their tuna subs. Quiznos which offers a popular Tuna Melt sub, was targeted with a lawsuit in 2009 accusing it of falsely advertising its tuna as fresh when it was allegedly frozen. The chain settled the suit in 2010.

Most relevant to our investigation is Jersey Mike’s tuna sub. With over 2,000 locations across the United States, Jersey Mike’s has become a favorite stop for custom subs But is its wildly popular Tuna Fish sub truthfully advertising its ingredients?

Inside the Jersey Mike’s Tuna Sandwich

Jersey Mike’s offers customers a few tuna sub options, but its standard Tuna Fish sub features the chain’s popular white albacore tuna salad. According to Jersey Mike’s own description, this tuna salad is “made right on site with freshly chopped celery, mayo, and a dash of pepper.”

When you order a Tuna Fish sub at Jersey Mike’s, you can expect these key ingredients:

• White albacore tuna salad
• Celery
• Mayonnaise
• Black pepper
• Sliced provolone cheese (optional)
• Onions (optional)
• Lettuce (optional)
• Tomatoes (optional)
• Jersey Mike’s “juice” – red wine vinegar and olive oil (optional)

The sub can be customized with extra veggies and condiments, but those four base ingredients – tuna, celery, mayo and pepper – make up the core of Jersey Mike’s popular tuna salad.

So Is It Real Tuna Inside That Sub?

With only four main components, Jersey Mike’s tuna salad does appear to be a relatively simple and straightforward tuna fish filling. According to the company, it’s made fresh in-store and contains no textured vegetable protein, soy products or other filler ingredients sometimes used to mimic tuna texture and protein levels.

Jersey Mike’s states that its Tuna Fish sub contains white albacore tuna from Canada and other select global sources. Albacore is considered a premium tuna variety praised for its mild flavor and tender meat. If the sub ingredients match the company’s promotional claims, then real albacore seems to be the likely protein source for Jersey Mike’s subs.

Taste testers reviewing the Jersey Mike’s tuna sub have generally agreed that it has an authentic, recognizable tuna flavor. “Tasted exactly like I remember tuna tasting as a kid, so I’m convinced it’s real tuna,” wrote one reviewer on Influenster.

There’s no smoking gun evidence that Jersey Mike’s tuna salad is a fake tuna imitation. In fact, most signs point to it containing actual, quality tuna fish. Of course, some factors like preservatives and tuna supply chain issues can affect the taste and quality over time. But based on its simple list of identifiable ingredients, Jersey Mike’s popular Tuna Fish sub appears to truthfully contain real albacore tuna.

How Jersey Mike’s Tuna Stacks Up To Other Chains

Assuming Jersey Mike’s uses real tuna as advertised, how does its tuna sub compare to competitors? Here’s a quick breakdown of how some major chains’ tuna sandwiches measure up:

• Subway: Has faced lawsuits over tuna authenticity. Tuna flavor is relatively mild. Uses skipjack and yellowfin tuna.

• Quiznos: Settled a lawsuit over frozen vs. fresh tuna claims. Tuna salad has bold flavor. Uses solid white albacore tuna.

• Jimmy John’s: Offers three tuna sandwich options. Tuna salad is somewhat bland. Uses yellowfin tuna.

• Jersey Mike’s: No lawsuits over tuna legitimacy. Tuna has recognizable flavor. Uses white albacore tuna.

While personal preferences will vary, Jersey Mike’s combination of albacore tuna variety, visible ingredients and house-made preparation seems to put it near the top for freshness and flavor amongst major sandwich chains. It edges out competitors on tuna transparency and quality.

Ordering Your Best Tuna Sub at Jersey Mike’s

Assuming you’re enticed to try Jersey Mike’s real tuna salad, here are some tips for customizing your perfect Tuna Fish sub:

• Get it Mike’s Way: This adds the “juice” plus lettuce, tomatoes, onion and spices for extra zest.

• Add hot peppers: For some heat, have them add pickled hot peppers or banana peppers.

• Extra black pepper: Boost the peppery kick with additional ground black pepper.

• Omit the cheese: Skip the cheese if you want to focus just on that tuna taste.

• Double the veggies: Load it up with crunchy veggies like bell peppers, spinach or sprouts.

• Oil and vinegar: Opt for oil and vinegar instead of Jersey Mike’s “juice” for a bright tang.

• Toast the bread: Gets an extra crunch to contrast the soft tuna salad.

• Skip the sub: Order the tuna salad as a wrap or in a bowl.

Jersey Mike’s offers a quality tuna sandwich that likely contains genuine fish instead of a fishy imposter filler. With the right combination of add-ons, you can make it the perfect tuna sub to satisfy your seafood sandwich cravings.