Today, we are reviewing the Cancro Special from Jersey Mike’s Subs. Named after the founder, Peter Cancro, the sandwich dates back to the early days of Jersey Mike’s. According to the company, in the summer of 1974, a Pepsi delivery man requested a sandwich with an unusual combination of provolone, roast beef, and pepperoni. Peter Cancro’s brother, John, enjoyed the sandwich so much that he gave it the family name and a spot on the menu. For a while, the Cancro Special was considered a hidden menu item, but it has recently become a regular offering. On the Jersey Mike’s menu, the Cancro Special is designated as sub #12.
Jersey Mike’s traces its history back to 1956, when it opened as Mike’s Submarines, a sandwich shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Michael and Marie Ingravallo founded the store. Peter Cancro started working there at age 14 in 1971. In 1975, at age 17, Peter heard that the owner was planning to sell the store. With a loan from his football coach, who was also a local banker, he purchased the shop and rebranded it Jersey Mike’s.
The Construction
The Cancro Special was ordered with all of the default options. I also added an optional topping of bacon. Other customization options include various bread options, mayonnaise, banana peppers, hot pepper relish, jalapeño, and mustard(s).
- White Bread (Default)
- Oven Roast Beef Top Rounds (Default)
- Pepperoni (Default)
- Provolone Cheese (Default)
- Mike’s Way (Default)
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onions
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Oregano
- Salt
- Bacon (Optional)
- Size: Regular
- Sandwiches Eaten: 3
- Length: 7 inches
- Weight: 12 ounces
- Location: Mint Hill, NC
- Price: $14.10 (including Bacon)
Most condiments are available as a Mike’s Way option, which is the option I chose. This includes lettuce, tomato, onion, “the juice” (oil and vinegar), and spices (salt and oregano). This was a default sandwich for the #12 Cancro Special.
The Appearance (*)
As for how the Cancro Special actually looks, the sandwich doesn’t look bad (see thumbnail at the top). However, compared to the advertised/promoted photos, it isn’t even close. The staged photo makes the sandwich look much more staged, and it doesn’t have the squished look of the actual sandwich. Even the bread in the staged photo looks baked to perfection. One interesting thing is that the staged photo shows a little lettuce that has fallen off the sandwich, as well as vinegar drippings.
Comparison Assessment: Fair
(*) This is not factored into our overall assessment rating but is included for reference.
The Experience
When we evaluated the Cancro Special, we assessed the bacon and cheese as condiments. This is a standard way we now assess all of our sandwiches.
- Meat: 4 points
- Bread: 2 points
- Condiments: 2 points
- Intangibles: 2 points
Meat
The meat component includes the roast beef and pepperoni.
The roast beef was average. It had a slightly processed feel. It also had a mild beef flavor, and it definitely didn’t have as much savoriness as I prefer. At the same time, it wasn’t overly chewy, and it was sliced to the right thinness.
On the other hand, the pepperoni was quite good. Its flavors were still mild, but it had a good level of saltiness and savoriness. This pepperoni also wasn’t a huge spice component.
Score: 2.25 out of 4.00 points
Bread
The bread used on the Cancro Special is a hoagie/sub roll. I rate Jersey Mike’s rolls as average. They lack a notable sourness or sweetness. The bread itself is quite light and airy. It has a thin crust with a split top. The crust is not as crusty as I would like. It’s not bad bread, but it needs to be denser and have more character.
Score 1.00 out of 2.0 points.
Condiments
Here’s a breakdown of the condiments on the Cancro Special. Most condiments are listed individually, except for four items under the Mike’s Way umbrella.
- Bacon: I added bacon for a reason. First, we know bacon makes everything better. At Jersey Mike’s, their bacon is a little sweeter than smoky, but it’s really good. Most importantly, it’s well-done, and it adds a nice crunch to a sandwich.
- Lettuce: The lettuce is shredded, which is a plus. The lettuce was slightly wilted, but honestly not as wilted as I’ve seen from other franchises. It brings a mild vegetal flavor to the table.
- Tomato: The tomato was ripe. It brought a nice sweetness.
- Onion: These are raw onions. They have a nice mix of pungency and sweetness. Sometimes the raw onions on a sandwich can be too pungent, but not in this case.
- Provolone Cheese: This cheese has a smooth, milky flavor. The flavors are mild, with a slightly nutty taste to it.
- Vinegar/Oil/Oregano/Salt: This is the mix of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and oregano. This creates a slightly sweet, acidic dressing with herbs and saltiness. It adds moisture to the sandwich, and it’s a major upgrade over something like mayonnaise.
Score: 1.25 points out of 2.00 points
Intangibles
As always, we look at how the ingredients complement one another and whether or not the sandwich delivers an elevated experience. The Cancro Special is probably one of the more interesting sandwiches I have had. First up, it is mostly mild in flavor. It’s not overly savory, and it’s certainly not spicy. The cured pepperoni and the mild meatiness of the roast beef complement each other nicely. The cheese adds a layer of smoothness. Most of the condiments, especially the bacon and tomato, add some sweetness. Finally, the vinegar will be noticeable on this sandwich given the mild foundation. At the same time, it’s not pungent or harsh. All in all, with all of this going on, this is an elevated experience. However, I still feel this sandwich is too mild for what it could be.
The regular sandwich is 7 inches long. It’s a little short. The next size up is the Giant, which is 15 inches (and a little too long). Ideally, Jersey Mike’s needs a classic 12. You could order this with extra meat and cheese, but you shouldn’t have to. Jersey Mike’s should do better on its proportions.
As mentioned when we did the appearance comparison, some of the lettuce will fall out, and a small amount of vinegar may drip. Overall, it wasn’t too bad.
Score: 1.25 points out of 2.00 points
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The Cancro Special is one of the more interesting sandwiches I’ve tried, primarily because a roast beef and pepperoni combination is quite uncommon. The good news is that this foundation works to some extent. However, I believe it could have been even better. The sandwich lacks the boldness needed to showcase these two meats fully. While their flavors do balance each other, I feel the meat should take center stage.
At over $14 (with the added bacon), the sandwich feels a bit small for the price. For just a couple of dollars more, I could get a larger and more satisfying sandwich from Primo Hoagies. Ultimately, the Cancro Special is an average offering that has real potential. If you’re at Jersey Mike’s Subs, it’s worth a try, but it isn’t something you should go out of your way for.
Summary
| Meat (4) | 2.25 |
| Bread (2) | 1.00 |
| Condiments (2) | 1.25 |
| Intangibles (2) | 1.25 |
| Total (10) | 5.75 |
Score: 5.75 (out of 10 points)
Value: Average
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted
