It’s a hot dog. It’s a sandwich. It’s a…SubDog.
But some suggest the sausage looks more like a real-life submarine, asking, “Why is it gray?”
Subway Canada is hoping its new SubDog — a nearly half-pound all-beef hot dog served on the chain’s signature bread and loaded with customizable toppings — will settle the age-old debate over whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
Instead, the limited-time menu item has gone viral for its decidedly unappetizing appearance, with social media users fixating on the frank’s grayish hue rather than its sandwich credentials.
Launched just in time for peak hot dog season, the SubDog features an all-beef Schneider’s hot dog nestled inside Subway’s fresh-baked bread, with customers able to customize it with the chain’s full lineup of vegetables, sauces and toppings. According to the sandwich chain, the launch was designed to put a fresh spin on a summertime staple, declaring that a hot dog “can do more when it thinks like a sandwich.”
But the internet had other thoughts.
“It looks very unappetizing, and the color seems very dark,” the Wall Street Apes account wrote on X while sharing a food blogger’s review of the new item.
Others were even less charitable.
“That looks absolutely repulsive. They aren’t known for using REAL food. It’s a chemical mess,” wrote another user, who went on to make some vulgar phallic comparisons, which, of course, wasn’t the only one.
“6 inches was more than enough if you ask me,” wrote one user on Reddit.
Of course, someone had to make a phallic reference.
“That’s what she said,” responded another user.
Subway claims that, with the limited launch of the SubDog, “they’re not just joining the conversation,” an ironic choice of words given the fodder that cascaded from the initiative. The brand claimed that the beef hot dog “can do more when it thinks like a sandwich,” but most people seemed more interested in its ingredients than in the idea of it “thinking like a sandwich.”
The criticism quickly expanded beyond the hot dog’s color. Wall Street Apes took note of its array of processed ingredients — not atypical for a highly processed meat — including beef, water, corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, sodium erythorbate, garlic powder, spice extractives, sodium nitrite, and smoke.
That list, albeit concerning, was not nearly as offensive as those who gawked at the roughly $13.00 price tag for what many described as little more than “a hot dog on Subway bread.”
Another Reddit user claimed to have tried the sandwich and said the novelty wore off after the first bite.
“Guys, I just had it and it was actually awful. It’s literally a 12-inch dog on a sub bun. No traditional toppings, just replace the typical meat from a sub with a hotdog and then use the other toppings like lettuce, tomato and onion. Anyways, it honestly could’ve been good, but the quality of the hot dog itself was just bad.”
Despite the online speculation, the unusual color may not be as alarming as it appears.
Many consumers associate hot dogs with a bright pink hue, but the color can vary depending on the type of meat, curing process, and how the product is photographed or cooked — leaving some all-beef franks looking noticeably grayer than their heavily cured counterparts.
Still, that explanation has done little to quiet the internet.
The SubDog debuted Monday at participating Subway locations across Canada for a limited time. As part of the promotion, customers who purchase one through Aug. 31 will receive a PIN for a chance to win weekly prizes and a grand-prize trip centered on a Toronto Blue Jays game.
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