8 Things Floridians Should Order at Publix’s Deli but Don’t

Don’t hate us, but we might knock your beloved Chicken Tender Sub out of first place.

Behind Publix’s deli glass sits a whole menu you keep walking right past.

Here’s what Floridians should be ordering but aren’t.

Brisket Subs

Brisket showed up at the Publix deli, and the Chicken Tender sub finally has competition.

Publix spent decades letting that one sandwich run its whole menu.

It’s hard to blame them.

But 2026 brought a lineup of new brisket subs, chasing the devotion the Chicken Tender sub has held since its 1992 debut.

Picture a half-pound of smoked brisket on buttery brioche, sticky with Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce.

Want heat?

The Spicy Brisket Sub answers with jalapenos and crispy fried onions.

Prefer it classic?

There’s a brisket BLT and a Southern-style sub layered with cheddar and dill pickles.

New, good, and still flying under the radar. Order one before that changes.

The Mojo Pork Sub

Two feet from the Chicken Tender sub line waits a sandwich with history behind it.

Publix slow-roasts its mojo pork in a bright citrus marinade, a nod to Florida’s deep Cuban roots.

Tampa has laid claim to the Cuban sandwich since 1906, and mojo pork is its beating heart.

Publix’s marinade lands bright and garlicky, nothing like the sleepy deli meat you brace for.

Ask for it pressed, and you’ve got a Cubano for grocery money.

Many Publix shoppers reach for the plain rotisserie chicken, the one every chain spins under a heat lamp.

But Publix brushes its mojo rotisserie chicken with the same garlic-and-citrus marinade as the pork.

Same price. Double the flavor.

One chicken covers dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and a pot of stock by Sunday.

Grab the mojo and leave the plain version for shoppers who don’t know better.

Soup of the Day

When did you last order soup at a grocery store?

Thought so.

The Publix deli ladles a soup of the day that shifts with the store and the calendar, chicken noodle one afternoon and broccoli cheddar the next.

Yes, it’s 95 degrees out. Order it anyway.

Crank the AC and pretend a cold front rolled in.

Pair a cup with half a sub, and lunch costs less than a fast-food combo.

Get there early, because the good flavors run out by mid-afternoon.

Smokehouse Ribs and Pulled Pork

This is the order that makes guests ask which barbecue joint you hid in your backyard.

The Publix smokehouse case holds ribs and pulled pork, slow-smoked over wood chips and kept hot beside the subs.

You don’t own a smoker.

You don’t want to mind one in July, either. Trust us.

Let Publix log the eight hours, and you take the credit at the table.

Two sides and a sleeve of King’s Hawaiian rolls turn a plain Tuesday into a backyard cookout.

Whatever pulled pork survives the night becomes tacos, sandwiches, and one glorious loaded baked potato.

The Baked Chicken Tender Sub

Loyal fans of the Chicken Tender sub keep missing the twist.

You can order it baked, not fried.

You still get Publix’s hand-breaded tenders and the fresh-baked roll, with a lighter finish for a hot afternoon.

This is the sub you can eat at noon and still function by two.

Plenty of Publix counters keep it on the board and never say a word about it.

Order it for the lunch crowd, and you’ll look like the one who reads the fine print.

Ask for your Chicken Tender Pub Sub baked, and watch the deli staff nod like you passed a test.

Fresh-Rolled Sushi

Eating grocery store sushi sounds like a dare.

We think you should accept that dare at Publix.

The deli rolls its sushi in-store, from shrimp tempura to spicy tuna to a tidy California roll.

Publix is no Nobu, and it doesn’t pretend to be.

But for the price of a sad desk lunch, you get fresh fish and something worth looking forward to on Wednesdays, when Publix runs sushi discounts.

Grab a spicy tuna roll and a cold drink, and you’ve packed a beach picnic in under a minute.

A Party Platter

Hosting an event on short notice?

The Publix deli builds sub, meat, cheese, and veggie platters that look like you fussed for hours.

Graduation, viewing party, beach day: the Publix platter is the easy yes every time.

A Florida summer comes with two rules to prevent food poisoning, though.

A cold platter shouldn’t sit out past two hours, and that window shrinks to one hour once the heat climbs above 90.

So, keep it on ice, and nobody will lie awake at night regretting the potato salad.

Order It Ahead

A long wait at the deli is the reason many shoppers avoid it altogether.

But Publix already solved that problem, and not enough people take advantage of it.

Both the Publix app and website take deli orders ahead.

Some subs are even ready in about half an hour.