What’s the Difference Between a Hoagie, a Sub and a Grinder?

A hoagie is a bread roll sandwich piled high with deli meats, cheese, fixings and dressing, and is usually at least six inches long. The term ‘hoagie’ is most commonly used in Philadelphia and South Jersey, and has several possible origin stories. 

One explanation for the name is its popularity with the Italian immigrants who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, also known as ‘Hog Island’. The workers and their favourite sandwich were known as ‘hoggies,’ which changed over the years to ‘hoagies’. An alternative explanation also has the name starting out as ‘hoggies,’ but this time because you had to be a hog to eat such a big sandwich.

Hoagies are usually served cold, and because of their association with Italian American culture, they tend to be made using Italian ingredients. Italian bread rolls, salami and provolone cheese are all popular.

Sub

Probably the best-known of the big sandwiches, the sub sandwich gets its name from its submarine-like shape. The name is used throughout the country, and even if you’re firmly Team Hoagie, you’ve likely still heard the sandwich referred to as a sub. Subs can be served cold or toasted, and they’re not associated with any particular culture, so in terms of fillings, anything goes. One of our favourites is the meatball sub.

Grinder

‘Grinder’ is a New England term, used to differentiate sandwiches with hot fillings (i.e. meatballs or sausage) from those with cold fillings, which are typically referred to as subs. In Philadelphia, a grinder is a hoagie that is heated after assembly, whether the filling is made up of traditionally hot ingredients or not.

Like the hoagie, the grinder may have its origins among Italian-American labourers, this time in the dockyards of New England. ‘Grinders’ was Italian-American slang for dock workers, who spent much of their time grinding the rusty hulls of ships for repainting, and it is thought that the sandwich may take its name from them. Another origin story is simply that the crusty bread rolls were hard to chew, leading to much grinding of the teeth.

Hero