Subway Customer Overhears Man Order Tuna Footlong, 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies. He’s Shocked By His Next Move

It’s generally accepted that Subway is a healthier option than a drive-thru burger. But all the Subway options aren’t healthy, either. There are probably as many opportunities to “cheat” on a healthy diet at Subway as there are at a burger joint.

And one TikTok creator has receipts. Or, perhaps anthropological observations is the more appropriate term. Hank (@hankyspankyyyy) says he was in line to order his own lunch when he noticed another guest’s order.

‘No Hate For Subway Or Their Cookies’

Over a video caption that says, “I will accept no hate for Subway or their cookies in the comment section,” Hank spills the details.

“The guy in front of me ordered a footlong tuna sandwich and four chocolate cookies,” he explains. It’s an unusual order but certainly within the restaurant’s ability to fulfill.

Then, the customer Hank is observing makes a startling proclamation. When the cashier asks him if he wants chips with his order, he purportedly proclaims, “Nope. I don’t need any of that processed s—.”

Hank gets it though, noting (with a smile), “I guess we all have a line somewhere.”

Tuna Lovers Speak Out

Subway tuna stans came out in defense of their go-tos.

“Lmao a tuna sub, 1 cranberry white chocolate cookie and a Diet Coke was my subway order until I turned 35,” @lizzwithtwozsandac said.

Another Subway customer wrote, “Nah tuna on Italian herb n cheese with the harvest cheddar SunChips is hidden ball knowledge. Is the tuna real? We also don’t know, but still.”

But the best comment award might go to Dee Dee (@deandraalexis1) who makes the comparison that subbing cookies in for chips is like “drinking only alcohol and water because soda is too unhealthy.”

What’s With All The ‘Tuna Is Not Real’ Jokes?

Others couldn’t get over a whole footlong of tuna.

“A foot long tuna is diabolical,” one of the top comments reads.

“Tuna from subway is already nefarious, but a whole footlong tuna is dastardly,” another said.

“Not the FUNA,” a third wrote.

In 2021, Subway’s tuna was commanding headlines in legacy newspapers like the Washington Post and the New York Times. Two women, Karen Dhanowa and Nilima Amin, filed a class-action lawsuit in California alleging that there was “anything but tuna” in Subway’s tuna mixture.

According to an investigation conducted by the Times, the samples that organization sent to a testing lab contained “no amplifiable tuna DNA.” Therefore, the lab was unable to identify the species of fish purportedly used. This matters not only because it does suggest that there’s no fish in the mix but because, in 2021, Subway claimed that the restaurant only used skipjack and yellowfin tuna.

But it is more complicated than the simple “there’s no tuna in that tuna” explanation suggested by the lawsuit that made the claim. According to that same source, as a protein, tuna is already very affordable. So there’d be no real reason to substitute another product in.

Labeling Mishap?

“Seafood may be mislabeled as often as 26 to 87 percent of the time,” reported Oceana, an organization focused on ocean advocacy. Another reason the test might not have returned a positive tuna result? The canning process itself.

Typically, tuna is canned on the boat, then sent to a facility where it is cooked. From there, it gets processed and heated one more time. It’s possible that the meat is so processed that the tuna DNA gets denatured. Therefore, “the fish’s characteristic properties have likely been destroyed,” per the Times. The other option is that there was no tuna in the sample.

So a gray area, but not necessarily a great sandwich conspiracy. Furthermore, in an updated filing the plaintiffs revised their complaints. Now they were claiming Subway’s tuna was not “100% sustainably caught skipjack and yellowfin,” wrote the Times.

In 2023, the lawsuit was dropped, and Subway issued a statement: “Subway serves 100% real, wild-caught tuna. The lawsuit and the plaintiff’s meritless claims, which have always lacked any supporting evidence, resulted in the spread of harmful misinformation.” The sandwich shop then requested that Amin’s lawyers be sanctioned for bringing forth the class-action lawsuit.

Hank’s video has been viewed over 107,000 times. That’s a surprising amount of sandwich-adjacent curiosity. But perhaps it affirms Subway’s claim that the lawsuit “caused damage to Subway franchisees and the brand.”

Either way, who’s suddenly hungry for a sammie?

BroBible reached out to Hank via email and TikTok direct message and to Subway via email. We will update this article if either replies to us.