What Happened To Subway's Meatballs? Why Customers Think They Shrunk - Tasting Table

"Regular Subway customers have taken to Reddit to complain about the reportedly smaller meatballs as of late (though employees say they skip the sandwich altogether regardless of the meatballs' size). There are several threads dedicated to the topic of Subway's meatball size. On one, a recent customer said: "Wow, went for the first time in years today (mainly because the prices are so high now). But I really was craving a good old meatball sub. The meatballs are tiny!! Not only that the bread was small too!""

"On another thread, one person complained, "Their meatballs might as well be used to fill the cracks in the sidewalk." Some fondly remembered the massive meatballs that Subway served in years past. "They used to be massive, almost tennis ball sized. Definitely smaller," said one commenter. Over on Instagram, someone commented on a video of a meatball sub: "Remember when Subway used big meatballs?" And someone replied, "twice the size for [$5] too lmao.""

"According to Subway commercials we found via YouTube from the 1990s, the sub did look a bit different. For one, the cheese was added to the bun underneath the meatballs, and the marinara sauce looks more brown than red. However, because of the up-close shot of the meatball sub that the chain preferred to use in commercials, it's hard to get a read on the size of the meatballs. In the styled photo from a 2026 Subway press release of the meatball"

Subway’s meatball marinara sub has been a menu staple since the early 1990s, featuring Italian-style beef and pork meatballs covered in marinara sauce, paired with optional vegetables, and typically served toasted with melted cheese. Recent customers have complained that the meatballs are tiny and that the bread portion also feels smaller. Other comments describe the meatballs as too small to be satisfying, while some long-time customers remember much larger meatballs from earlier years. Subway commercials from the 1990s show a different presentation, including cheese placed under the meatballs and marinara appearing more brown than red, but close-up commercial shots make meatball sizing hard to judge.

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