Review: Is Publix's New Peach Heat Pub Sub Worth The Hype?

Publix Pub Subs, especially the chicken tender variety, hold a sacred place in Floridian hearts. We even dedicated an entire story to the top seven Pub Subs this year. So, when the grocery chain announced its new "Peach Heat Chicken Tender" Pub Sub last month, the collective excitement was palpable, especially on TikTok. Sweet peach meets spicy heat on crispy chicken tenders? Obviously, we had to try it.

The "Peach Heat Chicken Tender" sub comes loaded with Publix's "Peach Heat" chicken tenders on white bread, topped with chipotle gouda, coleslaw, and crispy jalapeños. On paper, it sounds like a winner. The reality? That's another story.

My husband and I decided to order one whole sub online to put this (maybe?) limited-time offering to the test.

First Impressions Were Not Great

Our first hurdle came at pickup. Unlike most Publix locations, this store lacked a dedicated window for online orders. Getting through the regular deli line just to ask about our sub took way longer than expected. The sub was supposed to be ready at 7 p.m. Five minutes later, they realized it hadn't been made yet. Another few minutes passed before we finally got our hands on the goods.

When we finally got our sub and unwrapped it, our expectations took an immediate hit. This thing was supposed to be saucy and drippy, but it looked disappointingly dry. The "coleslaw" was clearly just shredded cabbage with one lonely piece of red mixed in. Our best guess is that some new employee probably got sent to grab coleslaw from the produce section, bought a bag of coleslaw mix, and just dumped it on the sandwich without mixing in any dressing. That's not coleslaw. That's just expensive garnish.

Orange Chicken Energy

The first bite delivered more confusion than satisfaction. The "Peach Heat" flavor reminded us of orange chicken or General Tso's without the heat. There was a hint of sweetness, but it tasted more like honey than peach. The promised heat? Barely detectable.

The chipotle gouda brought nothing to the party. Gouda is a lower-moisture cheese that congeals quickly when exposed to temperature changes, and since we ate this 30 minutes after it was made, the cheese had already started to solidify. The crispy jalapeños were there in theory. We could see a couple scattered throughout, but they added no meaningful heat or crunch.

A Florida Local's Pro Tip

Here's where seasoned Publix customers have an advantage. When ordering chicken tender subs coated in a sauce, smart customers know to ask for the chicken to be "tossed" rather than "sauced." The difference is huge. Tossed means they chop the tenders, put them in a plastic bag with sauce, shake it all up, then pour the pre-sauced chicken onto the sandwich. The regular method just dumps sauce on top of dry chicken.

We suspect our online order got the lazy treatment, which could explain the lack of flavor coating on our chicken.

The Final Verdict

I found myself somewhere between mediocre and disappointed, while my husband was less forgiving, giving it a four out of ten. The sub wasn't terrible. We both kept eating it, but it fell way short of what it could be. With proper preparation, this could easily be a seven.

Would we order it again? He'd give it another shot, but only with in-person supervision of the preparation. Me? I'm not convinced it's worth a second chance when there are so many better Publix sub options available, even just within the chicken tender category.

The takeaway was that it was fine, but could have been really good. Sometimes, anticipation beats reality, and this "Peach Heat" Pub Sub proves that point perfectly. (We still love you, Publix.)