There are subs that are fine. Perfectly acceptable. You eat them, they do their job, you move on with your life. Then there's the Italiano. The sub people drive across Palm Beach County for. The sub that shows up at offices, at job sites, at tailgates, at kitchen tables on a Friday night when nobody wants to cook. If you've ever been to Town Hero, you know exactly what we're talking about.
It's our most-ordered sandwich — and it's not close. Here's the full story: where it came from, what's in it, and the two ways to eat it that completely change the experience.
What Makes the Italiano Different From Every Other Italian Sub
Walk into any chain sub shop and you'll find something called an Italian sub. It'll have the same five meats thrown on bread, some oil, done. What you won't find is what we put into ours: care about the details. The difference starts at the slicer. Our meats — ham, capicola, salami, pepperoni — are sliced fresh when you order. Not yesterday. Not this morning. Right now, while you watch.
When meat is sliced fresh, the fat hasn't had time to oxidize. The moisture is still in the meat. You taste the difference immediately — it's brighter, more savory, more alive. Pre-sliced deli meat that's been sitting in a tray for 24 hours has already started its slow decline. We refuse to serve that.
Breaking Down Every Ingredient
The Italiano is a layered sandwich. Each component earns its place:
- Ham — The foundation. Sweet, salty, pink. It carries the whole sandwich.
- Capicola — Hot or sweet depending on your preference. This is the Italian deli's secret weapon — silky, spiced, and underrated by everyone who hasn't tried it.
- Salami — The funk. The depth. The thing that makes you say "wait, what is that" in the best possible way.
- Pepperoni — Spice and fat. Not pizza pepperoni. Real deli pepperoni, sliced thin, overlapping, doing work.
- Provolone — The cheese that's actually doing something. Sharp, slightly aged, holding everything together.
- Parmesan — The finish. A dusting of aged parm adds a nutty, crystalline bite that no other sub shop bothers with.
- Italian Dressing — Not bottled. Applied with intention. The acid that cuts through all that fat and makes every bite bright.
"Five meats, two cheeses, one dressing. Built in the right order. The math is simple. The result is not."
Pressed vs. Chopped: Two Completely Different Experiences
The Italiano can be served three ways: cold, pressed, or chopped. Most people don't know about the third option and honestly, we feel bad about that.
Cold: Classic. Every texture distinct. The provolone is firm, the meats are cool and bright. Great for lunch when you want the ingredients to speak for themselves.
Pressed: The bread gets buttered and put on the panini. The cheese melts into the meat. The fat from the pepperoni renders slightly and coats everything. The bread gets golden and crispy. This is the version that makes people drive 20 minutes out of their way.
Chopped: The South Florida way. Everything goes on the cutting board — meats, cheese, toppings, dressing — and gets chopped together until it's an integrated mass of flavor. Every single bite has everything. No more pulling out a slice of salami because it slipped. It's commitment. Ask for it. You won't go back.
What to Pair With the Italiano
We're not overthinking this. The Italiano is a complete meal. But if you want to push it further:
- Cape Cod Chips — The kettle crunch against that soft bread. A natural.
- Italian Pasta Salad — Doubles down on the theme. No shame in that.
- Fountain Drink — Something cold and carbonated to wash down all that glorious fat. The bubbles are doing structural work.
If you're going pressed, get napkins. You'll need them. That's a feature, not a bug.
Why the Italiano Is Palm Beach's Most-Ordered Sub (Not Just Ours)
We've been watching search data, talking to customers, and paying attention to what people actually drive somewhere to get. In Palm Beach County — and in Lantana specifically — people want the Italian sub experience done right. The chains have watered it down. The grocery store deli is fine but it's not special. The Italiano at Town Hero fills a specific gap: the Italian sub made the way Italian delis used to make it, with real ingredient quality and real technique, served fast.
That's why it's number one. And that's why people who try it for the first time look up from the first bite and go quiet for a second. That quiet second is the whole goal.
ORDER THE ITALIANO TODAY
Available at both Lantana and Lake Worth locations. Ask for it pressed. Ask for it chopped. Just don't ask for it without trying it first.
ORDER NOW — FROM $12.50