Review: Is New Publix Dolphins Pub Sub Somehow Worse than the Team?

Publix loves a seasonal Pub Sub almost as much as Floridians love debating which one is the best. Earlier this summer, we tried the "Peach Heat" version, which promised fiery-sweet glory but ended up tasting more like honey chicken with a personality crisis. It was edible but forgettable, proof that hype doesn't always match reality.

So when Publix announced an official Miami Dolphins sandwich, expectations were tempered. Could this be the comeback sub? Or was it destined to play like the team it represents? (However, we're still rooting for a 'Fins win on Thursday, September 18, against the Buffalo Bills.)

Ordering Woes

Walking into the North Miami Publix, the sub was impossible to miss. A big sign at the entrance hyped up the new Dolphins sandwich like it was going to change the game. Yet, when I got to the counter, the deli staff had no idea what it actually was. They looked at me blankly, started to prepare last year's Cuban-inspired version, and only got back on track after I read the ingredients off to them. Not exactly a strong opening drive, and in hindsight, a preview of how the whole thing would go.

The "Miami Dolphins Pub Sub" is composed of Publix Deli chicken tenders tossed in sweet sriracha sauce with spicy three-pepper cheese. That's the entire playbook. If you've had the "Sweet Sriracha Tender Sub" before, you've essentially had this one, just dressed in teal and orange packaging.

The Flavor Problem

To give it the best shot, I ordered it tossed and chopped, which at least ensures the tenders are coated in sauce rather than having it drizzled lazily on top. That helped, but the sandwich is still overwhelmingly sweet. There's supposed to be a balance of sweet and heat, yet it mostly tastes like a sticky honey glaze with only the faintest kick. Some bites hinted at warmth, but nothing that stuck around long enough to matter.

Onions brought a touch of tang, though not enough to cut through all the sugar. Lettuce wilted quickly against the warm chicken, turning the sandwich into a soggy stew if you didn’t eat it immediately. The cheese, stacked thick with at least half a dozen slices, didn’t add much beyond heft. Even the bread struggled to hold it all together, soaking up the sauce until it threatened to collapse in my hands.

The Dolphins Parallel

All of it feels a little too on the nose for something named after Miami’s football team. A lot of hype, a splashy rollout, and then a performance that falls flat. The whole experience started with confusion, had a brief flicker of promise, and ended in disappointment. Just like watching a Dolphins season that never quite comes together.

Is this the worst sandwich I've ever eaten? No. But it's not one I'd go back for unless I suddenly developed a serious obsession with honey chicken. It's, as the kids would say, "mid" at best: edible, but uninspired. Which, in a way, makes it the perfect Dolphins sandwich. Publix may have nailed the branding after all. At least the sandwich only cost me lunch money, not a season's worth of hope.