Meatball Sub Near You

Why is it Called a Meatball Sub?

A meatball sub is a sandwich made of a hoagie roll, meatballs, and cheese. Meatballs have always been a big part of Italian-American cuisine, so when sub sandwiches took over the scene, a cheese and meatball sub was a natural combo.

The sandwich is called a sub because of the shape of the hoagie.

Is Meatball Sub Italian or American?

The meatball sub itself is an American invention, even though meatballs are considered Italian. However, it's important to note that some people believe that meatballs didn't really originate in Italy.

As any dish out there, meatballs are also a part of a few different cultures. If you look up the origin of the meatball online, some sources just state The World. That's how widespread the meatball really is!

Still, the two most popular schools of thought round it up to two and believe that either Persia or Italy are the true source country.

Persia

Persia was located in what we know today as Southwest Iran. It lasted from around 559 BCE to 331 BCE. At its height, it stretched across Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Some scholars believe that Persians began the meatball trend and passed it over to the other Arab countries. A recipe for meatballs can be found in some of the earliest Arab cookbooks ever found.

Italy

The other school of thought cites the Roman Empire as the true meatball source. Cookbooks from that time include various meatball recipes using different ingredients.

If the Persian meatball was mostly pork or lamb, the Roman meatball could also be made of fish, chicken, and many other meats. Both the Persian and the Italian meatballs had additions like rice or lentils in the recipes.

No matter which country started the meatball trend, it's a fact that this meaty goodness has been ruling the world for centuries. Recent times have also produced non-meat "meatballs" made of zucchini, lentils, rice, and so on.

Although the history of the meatball is a bit unclear, the history of the submarine sandwich is pretty straightforward. This sandwich is definitely an Italian invention that got popularized by America.

It's believed that the first submarine sandwich was brought to the US in 1901, while the shortened word "sub" was invented in Connecticut.

Fun Facts

• Meatballs in Persia were called kofta. Today's version of the dish is made in cigar-like shapes, although they can still be found in a round shape

• In Italy, the word for meatball is polpette. These meatballs are way smaller than the ones we're used to in America, although similar in ingredients

• Things like rice, parsley, or spring onions are often found in meatball recipes around the world

What Do You Put on a Meatball Sub?

Meatball subs are very DIY-friendly. In fact, you can put almost anything on one and still love it! However, the most "traditional" version includes a hoagie, meatballs and cheese, and sometimes, extra marinara sauce.

The meatballs that go on a sub are usually made in marinara sauce, so your sandwich won't be dry. Still, some people just want that extra bit of flavor in there.

Garlic butter is another popular addition to this sub, which gives it a little kick and makes it tastier. However, you can skip it and stick to the basics.

The cheese included in meatballs subs is usually either mozzarella or provolone cheese, with mozzarella cheese being slightly more popular. The choice of cheese usually depends on where you're buying your sub from and where that restaurant is located.

Some people also like to add vegetables and leafy greens to their meatball sub recipe, making the sandwich a true full meal. Of course, things like salt and pepper always make the cut as well.

Meatball sub sides are usually fries, tomato sauce, and other dipping sauces.

How Many Calories in a Meatball Sandwich?

A meatball sandwich will be as calorie-high as you make it. It usually starts at about 450 calories and can climb up to a thousand or more.

However, a marinara meatball sub on white bread without any toppings has 458 calories, 20g protein, 18g fat, and 54g total carbs.

Adding cheese as well as other ingredients to the mix will increase the calorie count. For example, 100 grams of mozzarella cheese has about 280 calories, while provolone has 352.

Even though you probably won't include as much cheese in your sub, you can get an idea of what the increase will be. Any side will also spike the calorie count, especially if you get something fatty like ranch.

All in all, if you're looking for a low-calorie sub sandwich, stick with plain marinara meatballs and a veggie-heavy dipping sauce. You can also customize the bread to add nutritional value.

Meatball Sub Restaurant Recommendations

If all this reading got you feeling hungry, we have some great recommendations for you!

If you're in Vegas, definitely try Boss Pizza's meatball sub!

To those in Boston, we'd like to recommend Woody's Pizza.

Finally, if you're in NYC, visit either Bardolino Pizza or King's Pizza of Harlem. They're both amazing choices with super-delicious meatball subs!

If you didn't find your city on our short list, you can look up meatball sub restaurants near you on our website. Just enter your location or the dish you'd like to try, and we'll give you some great recommendations!