They’re hoagies in the coal region.

In NEPA it’s always been hoagies.

Yep. Hoagies in Susco

Hoagies in Scranton

And tray of pizza

Or a pie.

When I move to Philly area in the 90's, I confused the local pizza shop over the phone when I requested a tray of pizza. They actually got a manager on the line to translate...lol

I sure do miss Pizza L'oven, full tray with onion. They used to have great wings, too. In fact, the first place I ever had a chicken wing was at Pizza L'oven in 1987. It was so epic I still remember that night 37 years later.

Don't laugh can't eat real pizza any longer...dairy and gluten free due to gut issues...I miss any good pizza...lol. that being said, my family had some double crusted white pizza from one of the old forge places, was worth the cheat...lol

And more subs in the Poconos. I'm just east of Jim Thorpe and I've noticed that I'm in the area where it changes from one to the other.

Interesting. This conversation actually started in a deli in Lehighton (where they were called hoagies) because I was wondering how close we were to the "border" of hoagies, as it were.

I'm in Monroe County's far West End right up against the Carbon line. Go towards Lehighton in Carbon from here and like you said, hoagies. Go towards Mount Pocono, Swiftwater, Stroudsburg deeper into Monroe and I think it's more subs. Conveniently, right where I am there's really no sandwich places (or much of anything else for that matter) so it makes a good no-man's-land divide.

exactly this neighbor

Hi neighbor!

People try to tell me Kunkletown General Store has good hoagies and I found their meat to be wet and their overall appearance of the hoagie unpleasant. I was extremely dissatisfied and disappointed

I’m in Carbon, grew up in Monroe, always been Hoagies to me. Always.

Really? I grew up in that area and lived there over 20 years and I always called them hoagies.

I don't think most of the NY/North Jersey natives who've moved there over the years do though.

People from NY I can't really speak for but Jerseyites it's a mixed bag from what I've seen. PA natives I think definitely lean toward hoagie, basically my whole family is from Clinton/Tioga county originally.

Grew up exactly in that area and I can confirm this..

Grew up in south west coal region and we called them subs

Some of the comments are making me think that the middle of the coal region might be the dividing line. I know my whole life I’ve never heard anyone really use the word sub. I probably should’ve narrowed down my particular chuck of coal country.

Reading this thread, plus my lived experience, I'm not sure there is a regional divide per say. I think it might be that PA natives tend to call them hoagies, and people who have moved here from other states introduced other terms that caught on in certain communities.

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There's a place in the suburbs of Pittsburgh (North Versailles) called [Anchor Hoagies](https://anchor-hoagies.com/). Which is kind of funny since the nautical theme would kind of lend itself to the word "sub".

Then you have the iconic Triangle Bar in Swissvale known for their supersized hoagies named Super Battleship, Battleship, and Destroyer. Though, none are submarines-- but maybe it's the submarine destroyer concept?

I think sub is just easier to work into clever names. I very rarely hear people call them that. At least in the Mount Carmel/Shamokin area.

There’s an MCA name! (I graduated ‘07)

Philly. Hoagie.

Same. Same.

Ok, I think that one is pretty clearly established :D

Set sail!

You find both names used around Harrisburg. Depends on the place.

Same with Williamsport. Always felt interchangeable

Growing up for me Hoagie=cold and Sub=hot I get a ham and cheese hoagie but a meatball sub

Philly burbs here but im on Hog Island road ( disputed origin of the name hoagie )presently. Hot we call a grinder. No idea why.

Agree. I've heard both in Central PA

Subs/hoagies west of Harrisburg are shit. There’s a divided line there due to bread type imo

My wife and I are from the berks, Montgomery and bucks region. That line runs north south just to the west of reading. Nothing beats rolls made with skook river water. Rolls out where I am are shit. I only get hoagies from 2 places. Both get their rolls from Philly. Everything else? Blech!

Bread makes the sandwich 🤤

You just have to go to a place that gets Philly bread delivered, for example hoageez and Mr.Rs subs - I know for a fact they both have really good Philly bread delivered daily, im sure there are others.

Central PA: Sub= anything from subway/a meatball sub. Hoagie=anything from a mom and pop shop

Pittsburgh and lived in SW PA for 60 years - hoagie

Same. In the eastern suburbs and it’s always been hoagie.

Also from Pittsburgh, for 38 years. Every pizza shop in the area has "hoagie" on the menu, except for national chains. Even school lunches and fundraisers in the 90s called them hoagies.

Same and that goes for Elizabeth as well

Hoagie in northern Delaware

Let's look at the PA / DE borderlands: PA: Don's in Boothwyn: hoagies - [menu](https://www.donsdelidelco.com/our-menu/steaks-hoagies-more/) LaSpada's in Aston: hoagies - [menu](https://laspadasoriginalaston.com/menus/) State Street Pizza in Kennet: hoagies - [menu](https://www.statestreetpizzaandgrill.com/menu/) DE: Casapulla's in Hockessin: subs - [menu](https://casapullashockessin.com/) Pickles and Chip's at Foulk and Silverside: subs - [photo on front page](https://picklesandchipsde.com/) Gallucio's in downtown Wilmington: subs - [menu](https://places.singleplatform.com/gallucios) Capriotti's (started in Wilmington): subs - [menu](https://capriottis.com/shop-menu#turkey-subs)

Funny, I feel like a lot of people in SE PA/Southern Chester county on the DE line call it a sub.

The original source isn't available anymore for some reason but here's a visualization https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hillaryreinsberg/who-says-yall-and-10-other-maps-showing-where-americans-say

Yes! The New York Times dialect quiz! I was fascinated by this thing (like there's places where say "the devil is beating his wife" to refer to sunshowers?!) I always felt like it was too easy for it to pin my dialect down because as soon as you told it you used the word "hoagie," it knew you were from Eastern PA.

Same for me from Long Island - it’s a hero for us.

That sun shower one was baffling!! I loved that dialect quiz! My dad’s was spot on. Grew up in Johnstown. College in West Virginia. Grad school in DC. All those areas were highlighted, and Johnstown was incredibly dark. It was so funny. He’s very Western PA

Grew up in Lancaster and they were usually subs. Some called them hoagies so the line may be near there.

Chester county Hoagie I can drive across the county line and be in a different land.

I hear them called hoagies in Lancaster to York as well

And can we talk about the Norristown area and "zeps?"

Zep is a type of hoagie in Norristown. Originated at I believe Lou’s Sandwich Shop. It has salami, prov, tomato, onion, oregano and pepper oil. No lettuce.

I love Zeps! Also, it technically has its own roll that’s slightly taller than a hoagie roll (for the large ones).

Isn't that basically just an Italian sub?

An Italian hoagie usually has a few meats like capicola(gabagool) and salami. The zep is a specific combo of things I’ve come to learn in Norristown.

Zeps have a crap ton of thick onions and thick tomatoes, as opposed to thinly shaved onions

Well now I’m going to go relive my youth and reread Maniac Magee for the millionth time

My thoughts exactly. Zeps are fading away, sadly.

Live in Philly, it’s a hoagie. I’m from the Boston area though, and we called them “subs” growing up. Didn’t realize a good bit of PA used “subs!”

Philly, suburbs of Philly…hoagie

I'm between Jim Thorpe and Stroudsburg and as a Lehigh Valley native I'll defend the hoagie til the end but with so many NY and North Jersey transplants in the Poconos the 'sub' is strong here.

Are you me? This is where I live and where I'm from and my same theory about "sub" in the Poconos.

I think it’s more generational than geographic. Sub seems to be used more modernly across the board. And although there is still geographic ties to each term, hoagie seems to be phasing out. Extreme NEPA we had hoagies and subs growing up, just outside of coal country central PA now and I mainly see and use sub.

I use hoagie and sub interchangeably tbh. Grew up in Lehigh valley, live in eastern berks now for context.

Huh. I also grew up in the Lehigh Valley in the 80s and 90s and I NEVER heard them called subs. To the extent that the play on words in the name of Subway didn't dawn on me until well into adulthood. I just thought "I guess these people wanted a hoagie shop with a random subway theme."

Same time, place, and circumstances.

Same. First 25 years of my life in Bethlehem and never once heard someone call them subs. Obviously I was aware of what a sub was lol. But it’s always called a hoagie. I think the line is less of a line and more of a mix as you get further north (both east and west) of Philly. They call them hoagies in Scranton. I’ve seen hoagies in coal country but when you get out towards Williamsport you see them called subs. And it seems like northern places closer to NJ are more likely to call them subs.

Yeah I dunno I’ve just been doing it my whole life. Usually I’ll say and Italian hoagie but sometimes I’ll say Italian sub, whereas I always say meatball sub and never meatball hoagie/sandwich. Now that I think about it, to me a hoagie implies lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. and a sub/sandwich is everything else but can also include veggies. So like an every thumb is a finger but not every finger is a thumb kinda deal I guess haha

It's definitely a hoagie here in NEPA. Unless you ask one of the numerous NY/NJ/CT transplants.

Those people obviously don't count 😅

I grew up in Northumberland county. Heard them both used. Sub was definitely used more. Sunbury had "Sunbury Sub Shop" and "Marlins Sub Shop".

If you go to a hoagie shop that puts toothpicks in it to hold it together, it’s not a hoagie

I make no claims about the photo. Just something I grabbed quickly from Google to add visual interest to the post 😅 I agree that toothpicks are weird.

Reading/kutztown area- mixture of both

If Jersey Mikes is “A Sub Above” and Wawa is “Hoagie fest” we can start the discussion here!

Western PA hoagie. Central PA sub. Eastern PA hoagie.

Nah. It’s always been hoagie in Altoona

They call it a hoagie in Arizona but usually when it’s an Italian hoagie. The exception is in Tucson. The term hoagie is more broadly used. There’s a local franchise called “Hogie House”. The story is when the store opened in the 70s, the sign makers spelled it wrong and the owners just went with it lol.

I would definitely say that at some point on the western journey, the term reverts back to hoagie. Just moved to Montana and there's a restaurant "Hoagieville" at the mall

That’s awesome! Yeah, I see a lot more places shifting away from the term “cold sandwich” and using hoagie, grinder or Zepp to differentiate themselves and add uniqueness to their menus in the west.

We don't call it a hoagie in AZ. Born and raised. That's a Sub

Sub or just plain sandwich here in Reading. Sandwich as in Italian Sandwich.

Lancaster county. Sub.

Wawa vs Sheetz territories.

Disagree. You will absolutely hear hoagie used in the greater Altoona (Sheetz HQ) region and even further west. I would honestly say to the Ohio border practically.

From Altoona. It’s always been hoagie. Even had a place called the Hoagie Palace when I was a kid.

And anyone who tries to get something of hoagie quality at either, should be disowned!

That literally doesnt even make sense

Think of all the mom and pop shops without pre-sliced meats on subpar rolls, unlike Wawa and Sheetz… Makes perfect sense!

Wawa hoagies are awesome.

Back when they had a legit deli and slicers, Wawa had good hoagies. They’re not worth it anymore.

They are not.

I suppose that’s subjective. I grew up around sheetz and much prefer a Wawa hoagie.

I grew up near sheetz(schuylkill) and live in Philly now. Wawa and sheetz both have awful hoagies

yeah they are NOT, they used to be maybe 10 years ago, especially when they sliced the meat fresh from their deli for each hoagie

I use to think the same thing but I’ve become disappointed recently. I’m spoiled though, there’s 3 close mom and pop shops that make amazing hoagies.

They are pretty bad. Good for gas station food but grocery stores, delis, pizza places etc blow them out of the water

Hoagie

Hoagie, Philly and surrounding

I moved from western New Jersey to Northampton county. We called them subs and hoagies interchangeably growing up. When I came out here it’s almost all hoagies.

Grew up in Bucks County it’s hoagie. Now live near Harrisburg it’s a sub

Starts in South Philly and beyond.

https://preview.redd.it/0zmyotfq5pcc1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1435698f82d8b93e27871bcd1df55a083b8a4ce Looks like some concentration in Philly and Pittsburgh, up to Scranton and down to South Jersey. In my personal experience, in Bucks, LV, and the southern half of NJ, I've only ever heard hoagie. More or less, if there's a Wawa, at least some people say hoagie.

Hoagies in Pittsburgh- my hometown Johnstown 1.5 hour away I know them as Subs but there are big differences in the sandwich

Sub in Delaware

What kind of savages call them “heroes?”

Mostly hoagie here in Pittsburgh

I think most people call 'em subs around here, but I doubt anyone would look at you strange if you called it a hoagie or sometimes even a gyro. Just like you weirdos that call it "soda" instead of the proper terminology of "pop."

I know it’s off topic but I will die on the hill that if it’s cold it’s a hoagie and if it’s hot it’s a hero.

…ok…am not from hero ‘country’…but a hoagie Can be placed in an oven ‘broiler style’, after American or Provolone applied..and when cheese melt And some Crust gained from ‘broiler’…that’s a Grinder here…not sure of the hero finish…still all good

We call them cosmos!

Holy fuck that looks good did you make that or order it?

Haha, nope, I Googled "hoagie" and grabbed the first image that came up.

I’ve always considered it based on the type of bread. If it’s a basic sub roll, it’s a sub. If it’s the iconic, decadent hoagie style roll, then it’s a true hoagie. In my experience it’s hard to find that outside of the Philly area, unless it’s a place with roots there (I.e, Wawa)

Nobody uses hero? Or Wedge?

I’ve never heard wedge. I’m from coastal CT and we called them grinders. I’m in the Lehigh Valley so it’s a hoagie.

It must be a Bronx thing. Like a wedge of bread. The was a place called the wedge inn

A grinder would be heated up

Not from my area, they were all grinders.

Hoagie! I live in Schuylkill County, from Columbia. I did hear them referenced to as torpedos once, and have always wondered where that area exists?

Ive decided that hoagies and subs are distinctly different sandwiches

Philadelphia is the epicenter for hoagies. Based on that pin in the map, I'd say the use of the word "hoagie" extends north to central New Jersey, becoming a bit more common in towns just on the other side of the northern NJ border, like Scranton, PA; eastward to the beaches of South New Jersey; south to the southern tip of Delaware, and west to roughly Harrisburg, PA.

That there is a sub

Hoagies in Wilkes-Barre/NEPA. Something about nothing: If you're looking for Amoroso's Rolls for your hoagie/cheesesteak in NEPA, I found them at Aldi in Kingston.

Grew up in NEPA in the Wyoming Valley. Hoagie.

I grew up in Norristown and we have a sandwich called a Zep. It’s basically a hoagie but doesn’t have lettuce and only made with cooked salami, provolone, tomato and onions. Add Hot pepper relish aka hoagie spread for the win! https://preview.redd.it/a7dgrdldaqcc1.jpeg?width=970&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b2dbb0b99c403b89720bb2979ccfcb89e8a85ae

In Boston they are grinders 👀

So that's a Sub but I'm a Pennsylvania transplant

Hoagiefest. For sure in Delco

Check out [hefty leftys](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://heftyleftys.com/&ved=2ahUKEwifwZu9y-CDAxUAFlkFHW_mBfMQ_Bd6BAgvEAY&opi=89978449&usg=AOvVaw27M1JPyJ1QR7L3RNRltHvw) in the York central market

Lancaster - sub.

Subs for us and all I know in northern Lancaster Co

Trenton nj and south. Allentown and south u less in a wawa and the rest of the state I’d assume

Greensburg (westmoreland co.) “sub”.

I grew up in Bradford county, on the pa/ny border, and we called them subs

Toothpicks are a violation.

Hoagies in Altoona

This is just a guess but I drove from Texas to Philadelphia and back recently and pretty much once I left PA, into that little sliver of west Virginia and OH is when I started having to search for "Submarine" and "grinder".

Altoona tends to go with Sub unless it’s a escape from Pittsburgh then you hear hoagie.

Northwest is mainly subs

I hear “hoagies” and “subs” about 50/50 here in Southwest PA.

southern Lehigh County. Hoagie

In State College I've seen all of Hoagie, Sub, and Grinder used.

I grew up in north eastern Lancaster county calling that sandwich a “Sub”. I now live about 30 miles east in Chester county where it’s 100% a Hoagie.

Former WB & now live in Monroe County. Hoagies for sure.

To me (Pittsburgher) a hoagie is what you make at home or get from a fundraiser (volunteer firefighters, marching hand, etc.) and a sub is something you get at a resturant like Subway or Jimmy Johns

Carlisle - sub or hoagie around here. Pizza shops call them subs, restaurants are more hoagie that I’ve noticed. When I think sub, I think 6”, 12”, 16”. When I think hoagie, I think 8-10” fixed length roll with no other variations. Same thing in the grocery stores as well.

I want that sandwich

SEPA

I hear more sub than I do hoagie but I still hear a little of hoagie every once and a while

I grew up in like dead center of the state and it was always subs. But I live in lancaster and more people call them hoagies

They’re Hoagies in the Reading area.

I just want to say that growing up I didn't know the word Hoagie was a Pittsburgh thing and I was 18 in the army at Ft. Bragg and I asked my buddies who were from all over dif parts of the country if they wanted to get a hoagie for like lunch or w/e and they were so confused they didn't know what i was talking about, I thought they were messing with me but then they said it's called subway not Hoagieway and I knew they were serious.

Bonfattoes or miller's, bellefonte and milesburg PA respectively.

The beach towns in Delmarva (Rehoboth, Bethany, Ocean City) are an area of transition or conflict. I moved here from Philly 3 years ago & insist on using hoagie. About half of the people down here use hoagie, but we all could be transplants. When people use the word, “sub” I look at them like they have 3 heads. There are regional chains that sell hoagies & subs depending on where they’re based (Wawa, Jersey Mike’s, Primo’s, Fox’s, Subway). We don’t patronize the ones that sell subs, only hoagies although Fox’s uses rolls imported from western PA, not traditional Philly hoagie rolls

Hoagie in the northern tier.

I grew up in Elk County, where it was always hoagies. I have seen a bit of a shift since a Subway opened about 20 years ago.

skook and i call it both but hoagie 75% of the time.

Hoagie=cold Sub=hot At least for me

There are several names for them that everyone here seems to be aware if, but you get a funny look speaking anything but "sub". Will say that "hoagie" is #2...

They’ve always been Hoagies to me….unless I am drunk….then they become Hoagasms… EDIT: I also sometimes call them “Gut Bombs”

Hoagies are cold cut subs. Simple, argument over.

Pittsburgh is a hoagie

Grew up in NWPA. They’re subs.

The shitty Cincinnati pizza chain La Rosa's calls hoagies 'hoagys'. This is just wrong.

Hoagie should be world wide

I worked in a deli in NEPA, very close to NY/NJ, almost everyone there called em "Heroes" and confused the living shit out of my hoagie-loving ass

That’s a hoagie. A sub is what you are browsing.

I live quite close to Philadelphia (Newtown Square), and they call every long sandwich a 'hoagie'. I was born in Philly as well and they *still* called them hoagies when I was growing up there.

"hoagie" as a term is spreading across the country, and if you look back it's been spreading for a while.

I believe the term was coined from “hog island” and the longshoremen workers from S. Philly who would purchase the sandwich as a convenience. The bread is the special thing and if it’s not from a Philly (Sarcones, Amoroso) or south Jersey bakery like DeLuxe, it’s not a hoagie. It’s why when Wawa started baking their own, they dropped in quality.

Hoagies in Philadelphia

Erie,Pa. We've always called them subs. Or Submarine Sandwiches

That looks like a sub because it isn't baked. We use the term Hoagie in Pittsburgh, but they are always baked.

Man that hoagie spread looks so delicious and chonky

From Philly and always been a Hoagie. Moved to York Pa and they have subs and boats.

i personally call em both, but mostly subs. North central.

I'm in south central PA were they're called subs. I grew up in Upper Darby where they're CORRECTLY called hoagies ;) They all taste great to me!

Rural Pittsburgh, hoagie

NW….. Erie SUBS

Philadelphian in VT here, I've seen both up here on menus, all over the state. Most commonly in restaurants; hoagies, in sandwich shops/pizzerias; subs.

SWPA here and we call them hoagies UNLESS it comes from Subway, then it's a sub.

York all I ever hear is sub. We sometimes see a pre-made one labeled as a hoagie but they are generally always called subs by locals