Ariana Losch
It’s Uncle Sam(wich) week here at Sporked! All week long, we’re celebrating Independence Day by highlighting the best regional sandwiches and all the ingredients you need to make them at home. For more tasty sandwich fixins, see the full collection of rankings, product recommendations, and more.
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The best hoagie rolls are plump and sturdy, able to hold all of your deli meats, cheeses, sauces, and fixins. They should be soft and spongy on the inside and crisp on the outside. We’re looking for that signature crescent cut across the top—without that, is it even a hoagie? No-gie.
Obviously, hoagies play a huge roll, pun intended, in American sandwich culture. The term “hoagie” is most popular in Philly and South New Jersey, but long deli sandwiches go by many names: sub rolls, grinders, heroes, zeppelins…the list goes on. But a hoagie roll’s purpose remains the same. These bulky bread buns are meant to hold a lot of cold cuts, cheese, and toppings. They’re also essential to regional staples like a New Orleans shrimp po’ boy and the simple New York spiedie, which consists of marinated meat on a fresh hoagie roll and nothing more. Talk about the power of a good bun and some slow-cooked meat.
Ideally, the best hoagie roll bread from the grocery store should rival what you’d get at a good local bakery. But I’m a realist, living in the real world, and the reality is: There actually aren’t that many brands of hoagie rolls out there. I know, I’m just as shocked (and outraged) as you. Why can we find dozens of hot dog buns and only a handful of sub rolls? Thankfully, with the help of Uncle Samwich himself, we managed to uncover a couple of solid options. Here are two of the best hoagie rolls you can buy nationwide, depending on your preference.
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- Francisco International French Sandwich Rolls
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Francisco makes our all-time favorite hamburger buns, so it’s no surprise they would offer up some of the best hoagie rolls, too. These “french sandwich rolls” (they are basically hoagie rolls okay) are a good overall choice for your next sub sandwich fix. They aren’t as soft as our #1, but for those who like to pile on the meat and condiments, that might be a good thing. These are on the toastier, firmer side. Our biggest criticism: We wish the two sides were cut more evenly. In a pack of six, we found two or three that were unevenly split down the middle. The devil is in the details! You can’t be the breadwinner if you don’t bring your A-grain. ‘Nuff said.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Kroger White Hoagie Rolls
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Like a baby cloud in swaddling clothes, Kroger’s White Hoagie Rolls are pillow-soft and seriously squishy. These are a pleasure to eat on their own as buttered rolls—but if you don’t make a fuss over hoagie bread needing to be too firm and sturdy, consider these the best sub rolls you can buy from the grocery store. The bread cuts neatly down the middle. They have a lightly sweet flavor to complement your savory cold cuts. If you’ve got a hankering for an Italian sub—or, hey, maybe your own homemade spiedie—you can’t go wrong here.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Sturdy
Best Soft
Other products we tried: Alfaro’s Artesano Bakery Bread Sandwich Rolls, Safeway Famous Bakehouse Sandwich Sourdough Rolls
Gwynedd Stuart
Jessica Block
Vinz Karl
Philly born & bred as well. Noticeable differences in the types of sandwiches; a hoagie is a hoagie and that’s that. A sub roll (often incorrectly described as a hoagie roll in most grocery stores (or supermarkets)) are sliced through, where you get a top & bottom roll (somewhat akin to burger buns). Where the hoagie roll is just that A Roll, which is NOT sliced through. Actually, it is not sliced at all and when cut, one unfolds it as you do not slice through. (When unfolded it’s, ironically, akin to a hotdog bun). A grinder, in Philly, is basically a “toasted” hoagie. That is, a hoagie tossed into the pizza oven for a few. (Long before Quizno’s or the “toasted sub” concept). Heroes and zeppelins aren’t hoagies either, although a hero comes pretty close. And a zeppelin is closer to (and may actually be another name for) a Po’Boy.
Haven’t been home in decades and came here looking for suggestions on “grocery store” hoagie rolls. But I’ve found no answer here as any “French” roll would defo be too hard or rather crunchy (it’s to what I sometimes have to resort) and the Kroger brand are obviously sub rolls advertised as hoagie rolls. Thanx anyway.
Philly born and bred. A hoagie roll is never big to accomodate lots of ingredients. Hoagie rolls are more narrow than a typical sub or sandwhich rolls, and often are “scooped.” Scooping refers to pinching out some of the inside bread to accommodate the ingredients, and not overpower what’s inside. Sourdough anything is not as popular on the eastern seaboard as elsewhere, especially the west coast. I like sourdough with some sandwhiches, but not a hoagie. For a hoagie, sourdough would overpower the other ingredients. I’m sure the rolls you suggest would make great sandwhiches otherwise.
An original hoodie roll is not salt. It’s nice and crispy on the outside. That gives you a nice wonderful crunch that blends in with the meats and the vegetables bottom line. I started making number when I was 8 years old. Yes, and I know what I’m talking about. And the best way to do it is put oil on the bread first a beautiful Italian roll with oil and then the meat, you have a wonderful, wonderful hobby enough of the other b******* We’ve raised more than a $1000. Thank you
Clearly no one from Philly was consulted for this… Amoroso’s Italian rolls or nothing!
YES!! Used to live in West Chester PA where I was a deli manager at ACME markets & these were our best selling rolls & the only brand I bought.
This, from what I’ve heard, is no longer the case. Yes, Amoroso’s was indeed ONE of the ‘go-tos’ but I’ve heard they’ve fallen-off since moving out of the southside of WP. This, IMO, makes the other ‘go-to’ the new default – Sarcone’s. Unfortunately, Sarcone’s isn’t sold in any grocery store afaik. Defo not here (Tx), but neither is/was Amoroso. Not sure when they’ve moved the bakery to somewhere in Jersey, but I haven’t ordered any rolls from them for about the last 20 years or more. (After I’d received what I thought was a bad batch, until speaking with my cousin).
Edit*
I haven’t ordered any rolls from them for about the last 10* years or maybe more.