Arby's Loaded Italian Review | Coalition Eats

Today, we review the Loaded Italian sandwich from Arby’s. This is a limited edition offering from Arby’s. The Arby’s Loaded Italian is a sub that is served hot. The Loaded Italian was first introduced by Arby’s back in 2015 as Arby’s “take” on an Italian sub. In 2016, it was introduced to the regular menu, but by 2021, the Loaded Italian was discontinued before returning for a limited run this year. Along the way, there have been tweaks to the components used on the Loaded Italian, but at its heart, it revolves around three meats: salami, pepperoni, and ham.

Forrest and Leroy Raffel founded Arby’s in Boardman, Ohio. Today, it is a part of Inspire Brands and has 3,472 restaurants in the U.S., as well as many in Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Turkey. Arby’s was originally founded as a fast food chain focused on offering items other than burgers, although they do have one today. Their signature menu item is the hot roast beef sandwich.n the 1970s, they used the slogan Arby’s – America’s Roast Beef, Yes, Sir.

The Construction

The following are the components used on the 2025 edition of Arby’s Loaded Italian. This sandwich was ordered “as-is” with no changes to the default options.

Salami
Pepperoni
Ham
Swiss Cheese (Default)
Toasted White Bread Bun
Lettuce (Default)
Tomato (Default)
Red Onions (Default)
Banana Peppers (Default)
Garlic Aioli Spread (Default)
Sandwiches Eaten: 3
Location: Indian Trail, NC
Length: 7.5 inches
Weight: 9.5 ounces
Price: $7.19/sandwich

When Arby’s first debuted the Loaded Italian in 2015, it also included red wine vinaigrette and melted Swiss cheese. For a while, the Swiss cheese was replaced by melted provolone cheese. The 2025 version now goes back to melted Swiss. In addition, the 2025 iteration also uses a new garlic aioli spread.

The Experience

The following is the scoring that was used for this assessment. I used a similar algorithm to the one used for most sandwich assessments on Cigar Coop. As we have done recently, the one difference is that now we score cheese as a condiment.

Meats: 4 points
Bread: 2 points
Condiments (Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Banana Peppers, Garlic Aioli): 2 points
Intangibles: 2 points

Meats

The Loaded Italian sandwich features a combination of three types of meat: salami, pepperoni, and ham. However, details about the specific varieties of these meats are not provided (for example, is the salami Genoa or hard?). While the meats are not terrible, they don’t stand out as much as I would have liked. They have a somewhat processed taste, and I typically prefer a bit more spice in my meats. Additionally, the meats are heated, but I generally find that this does not enhance the overall experience of an Italian sandwich.

Score: 1.75 points out of 4.00 points

Bread

The buns used on Arby’s sandwiches have generally not impressed me. The one on the Loaded Italian had decent flavor, and I appreciated the split top. However, like most Arby’s sandwiches, the roll is too light and airy. Given the substantial amount of meat on this sandwich, I felt that the bun detracted from the overall experience of the Loaded Italian.

Score: 1.0 out of 2.0 points

Condiments

Let’s break down the condiments one by one:

Swiss cheese: I thought this had good flavor. It was well melted, bringing a mild nuttiness and subtle sweetness to the table.
Lettuce: I was expecting a significantly wilted lettuce – especially with a hot sandwich, but it wasn’t wilted. I also like how it didn’t overpower the sandwich.
Tomato: There was a good level of ripeness and sweetness. I have had riper and sweeter, but this still satisfies.
Red Onion: This had a good balance of pungency and sweetness.
Banana Pepper: This was the best condiment. These brought a little kick and had a slight amount of sweetness as well.
Garlic Aioli: On the flip side, I did not like this at all. It was not as savory as advertised, and it definitely had more of a mayonnaise component than a garlic component.

Score: 1.25 points out of 2.00 points

Intangibles

One key aspect I always consider is whether the overall sandwich experience surpasses the sum of its components. In this case, I can confidently say that it does. The condiments contributed positively, with the only exception being the garlic aioli, which I did not enjoy. Additionally, I would say that the amount of meat on this sandwich was appropriate, and there was a good balance between the meat and the condiments.

In general, I think Italian cold-cut meat sandwiches perform better cold than warm. While I’d still prefer if the Arby’s Loaded Italian were not served warm, it still did well here. The Swiss cheese performed well, but I also think Arby’s missed the boat by not using provolone cheese anymore.

Score: 1.25 points out of 2.00 points

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

When it comes to Arby’s Loaded Italian, I would basically say this is an average sandwich for the cost. As mentioned, I think this would be better served cold with provolone cheese.