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I ordered the same turkey sandwich from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop, and I preferred the cheaper option

I tried turkey sandwiches from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell; Birch Photographer/Shutterstock; Alexander Oganezov/Shutterstock

I ordered the same sandwich from two chains and compared them based on taste and value.
I ordered a turkey sandwich with the same toppings from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
The Subway sandwich was larger and had more sauce, but I liked Potbelly's bread more.

Nothing hits the spot quite like a classic turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and all the fixings.

However, not all turkey sandwiches are created equal. To determine which chain has the best turkey sandwich, I decided to test them from two popular brands: Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Founded in 1965, Subway long held the title of the largest fast-food chain in the world, although it's now second to McDonald's, Food & Wine reported. Still, there are more than 20,000 Subway locations in the US compared to Potbelly's more than 400 locations.

I tried both chains' classic turkey sandwiches on their own and also determined what it would cost to get each sandwich with a drink and a bag of chips to round out the meal.

Here's how the same turkey sandwich from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop measured up.

From Subway, I ordered a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mustard, mayo, and oil, as well as a bottled soda and a bag of chips to complete the meal.

My meal from Subway.

Erin McDowell/Insider

The foot-long sandwich came to $11.89. When combined with the other items, my total meal came to $17.17, not including taxes and fees.

I decided to compare the sandwiches alone since I couldn't order the same drink or chips from both chains.

I ordered my sandwich on multigrain bread.

The turkey sandwich from Subway.

Erin McDowell/Insider

I thought the sandwich was a good size for the price.

It looked promising — I could see the mustard and mayonnaise spilling from the side of the sandwich.

The turkey sandwich from Subway.

Erin McDowell/Insider

The 6-inch sub would have been more than enough to satisfy me for lunch, but I was happy the sandwich was large enough to split with a friend or for me to save the other half for later.

Inside the sandwich, the layers of meat, cheese, and toppings were laid out methodically.

The turkey sandwich from Subway.

Erin McDowell/Insider

It definitely looked like a lot of care went into crafting the sandwich to ensure that each bite contained all of the ingredients.

Overall, I was impressed by the turkey sandwich from Subway and liked the ratio of all the ingredients.

The turkey sandwich from Subway.

Erin McDowell/Insider

As I predicted, I could taste every part of the sandwich in each bite. The ingredients, especially the lettuce, tasted fresh, though I thought the tomato slices could have been a little thicker.

There was a lot of sauce slathered on the sandwich, which I liked, and the mustard added a lot of flavor.

However, I thought the bread felt on the lighter side and didn't have a lot of flavor to it.

I ordered the same sandwich from Potbelly Sandwich Shop, plus chips and a drink.

My meal from Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell/Insider

The sandwich came to $13.69, making it a little more expensive than the sandwich from Subway.

I also added chips and a drink, so the entire meal cost $21.57, putting it at $4 more than Subway's.

Despite being the same price, the turkey sandwich from Potbelly was smaller than the one from Subway.

The turkey sandwiches from Subway (left) and Potbelly Sandwich Shop (right).

Erin McDowell/Insider

The two sandwiches couldn't have looked more different. Whereas the Subway sandwich (pictured left) came on flat-looking multigrain bread, the bread Potbelly used was crusty and appeared to be of a higher quality.

I couldn't see sauce spilling from the sides of the Potbelly sandwich, but I could see large slices of onion and tomato.

The sandwich from Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell/Insider

I was excited to see how the actual taste of the sandwiches would compare.

The inside of the Potbelly sandwich definitely looked a lot less organized than the one from Subway.

The sandwich from Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell/Insider

The ingredients were laid out less methodically, and I worried that each bite wouldn't include all the ingredients at once, which is what I prefer.

Though the sandwich was smaller, I thought the Potbelly turkey sandwich was slightly more dense and each bite more filling due to the thick, crusty bread.

The sandwich from Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell/Insider

There was also a generous serving of lettuce, onions, and tomato that really helped make the sandwich stand out. However, I thought it was a little light on the sauce — I couldn't really taste the mayonnaise or mustard.

Overall, I was impressed by both turkey sandwiches. However, if I was only going to order one again, I would probably stick with Subway.

A side by side of the turkey sandwiches from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Erin McDowell/Insider

The sandwich delivered on price, size, and flavor — and I loved how they weren't afraid to hold back on the sauces.

Read the original article on Business Insider