Sub Port Giant New Jersey Submarine Sandwiches

Having grown up in Tampa there has always been only one place worth visiting for a submarine sandwich… Sub Port. A Tampa staple this New Jersey style sub shop has been serving up some of the best sandwiches in the entire country for more than thirty years now. Always fresh and built with the best ingredients these simple torpedo shaped delicacies possess a rich flavor profile that chains like Jersey Mike’s can only on their very best day hope to come anywhere near.
Having had a few relations around northwest Tampa over the years (USF, Temple Terrace and Carrollwood) the current location at the corner of Fletcher and Bearrs avenue is sort of between Carrollwood, USF, Forrest Hills and Lutz. Eclecticly appointed the Sub Port has been a haven for nautical themed memorabilia my entire lifetime. The owner Alex has a vast interest and collection of items from the grand transatlantic ocean liners of the early to mid twentieth century… and it shows. Comfortable and casual, flat panel tv’s abound often showing older movies that represent a perfect throwback to the 80’s and 90’s when I first starting eating here. Cantankerous, knowledgeable and a general hoot to talk with the owner Alex is everything you would expect from someone who has been making some of Tampa’s best sandwiches for more than three decades. The rest of the staff is equally personable if not as humorously cantankerous and serve to round out an expedient, friendly and welcoming dining/​take-​out experience.
The sandwiches here are the main attraction though… and at a hefty 18″ in length there is little wonder why. Made with fresh bread hand-​chosen by Alex years ago to perfectly compliment the flavors of his very select deli meats you really can’t go wrong. If you like bread… you’ll love these. The meats are all high-​quality and deli sliced to order assuring that fresh and delicious flavor. The most popular and my personal favorite is the #5, an Italian super sub with Capicola ham. If you’ve never been start here. On your second visit try the roast beef… it’s fresh tender, juicy and excellent. On visit three, give the «Battle Ship» burger a try. They cook these thick-​burgers fresh on-​demand and to your preference so it’s well worth the wait. Finally on visit number four, give the #5 salad a shot. It’s a delicious light alternative to the excellent #5 sandwich.
Subport is a local eatery that has been helping the Tampa Bay economy for more than three decades, don’t walk in expecting Subway… walk in expecting quality and excellence. These qualities do not come cheap but sometimes spending that little bit of extra money on what you eat is exponentially worth it and keeping people like Alex in business is what makes our Tampa Bay culinary scene so amazingly diverse and excellent. Well worth your visit and whole-​heartedly recommended.

A Sub Port Haiku:
Grumpy older guy
enemy of mayonnaise
slicing awesome subs

Subs the way i remember them from up north. I grew up in PA vs NJ. But the bread simple veges and freshly sliced meat reminds me a lot of subs from the northeast. Not a great «10 on the richter scale» type sub, but way better then most sub joints in tampa such as subway, blimpie or jersey mikes.