Takeaway Truth is an occasional Lifehacker feature where we compare marketing images against what you actually get served. On today’s menu: Subway’s Beef Teriyaki sub.
Subway has endured a bit of a bumpy ride on Takeaway Truth. The highest score we have ever given one of its products is a decidedly average 6/10, while the worst offender managed to top last year’s Hall Of Shame reader poll. In other words, while the company’s food is relatively healthy, its marketing department could probably use an ethical workout.
This week, Subway launched a new Taste Of Teriyaki range headlined by the Beef Teriyaki sub. The hero ingredient is diced Australian steak marinated in a sweet teriyaki sauce (natch). Customers are then free to create their own “oriental taste experience” using whatever salads, sauces and cheeses they like.
Here’s the official teaser advertisement:
To test the Subway Beef Teriyaki sub, we ordered one from an outlet in Blaxland, NSW and asked them to make it identical to the advertisement. This featured lettuce, tomato, cucumber, Spanish onion, carrot and spinach.
Here’s how the finished product compared to the marketing image:
I think we can all agree that the sandwich artist didn’t do a particularly bang-up job. So, no change there then.
Even if you overlook the squashed bread and sloppy assembly, there are still some significant discrepancies. For starters, the meat is a completely different shape and colour. The real stuff is much darker and decidedly lacking in sauce. As per usual, the advertisement’s vibrant green lettuce is also AWOL; instead, a bone-white iceberg variety is used. Tch, eh?
All in all, this is another disappointing result from Subway. It would seem the company’s Photoshop minions got a little carried away with their artistic interpretation. On the plus side, it tasted reasonably yummy: just don’t expect it to look anything like the poster.
Truth Verdict: 4/10
Which fast food franchise or menu item would you like us to tackle next? Let us know in the comments section below.
Comments
7 responses to “Takeaway Truth: Subway Beef Teriyaki Sub”
Pretty sure that IS iceberg lettuce in the actual pic, they’ve just used the green outer leaves, while you’ve gotten the crappy white stuff closer to its heart.
But otherwise, yuck, shame subway shame.
I tried one a few weeks ago, and the meat taster pretty awful to me.
I even went to the good subway, although it was a particularly crowded time.
Why did they use chinese themed music for a japanese themed sub?
I’ve been a fairly regular Subway customer for years and I have never been served anything as sloppy as that thing in the second picture.
The sandwich artist who made that must be going through their abstract phase.
Apparently you want a $6 made by a minimum wage employee to look like it should be in a commercial, you must be a special kinda stupid. Internet food reviews are the worse form of media by far.
That piece of meat on the side bears an uncanny resemblance to the poo my cat does in the morning. Looks like someone’s been huffing a sneaky sub while we’re all asleep
Eurgh. I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing that.