Hoagie Haven

An iconic spot in Princeton -- famous among students and tourists! They're best known for their hot sub sandwiches, which are packed with meat and fun and unconventional sandwich fillers like mozzarella sticks, hash browns, fried eggs, and more. These sandwiches are quite large, so I like to share a full one with a friend. It's not exactly the healthiest meal but it's a savory treat (though I don't think their cold subs are half bad either!) This is largely a takeout place and there's limited seating inside. You can place an order in advance for pickup as well and prices are reasonable. I'll have to give it a five just given what a culturally important place this is for me.

I grew up eating Hoagie Haven so I can't believe this is my first review! I most recently had the eggplant parm sub which was good- I should have asked for extra sauce. No frills, just great food.

Huge sandwiches, cheap prices, healthy ingredients....what more can you ask for? Just kidding about the healthy ingredients. These fat sandwiches are much better than the food truck versions at Rutgers since they use better ingredients. I do think they could expand their fat cat sandwich menu, but the ones they have will satisfy you. Definitely a must have when you're in the area.

My husband and I were visiting his hometown and out of nostalgia, we picked up some hoagies for lunch from Hoagie Haven. It's probably been more than 10 years since we've gotten food from here but it's super popular among the locals. So, I placed an online order for us. For my Italian hoagie, I requested for mayo on the side in addition to mayo inside my hoagie just in case they forget to put mayo in the hoagie. They did not do either. This was the s******t hoagie I've ever seen. This hoagie consisted of two slices of ham, lettuce and tomato. No salami, no capicola. Considering we were driving up from Philly, we could have picked up hoagies there instead of going to Hoagie Haven. Any hoagie in Philly would taste better than Hoagie Haven's hoagies. Just skip Hoagie Haven completely and go to Wawa.

Hoagie Haven was the perfect finishing touch to a beautiful day in Princeton. The iPads to order are super fast and efficient, there's lot of different choices for all different dietary needs, and the sandwiches are amazing! I got the veggie sandwich with extra sanchez sauce and it was quite literally the best sandwich I've ever had! So excited for the next time I'm in Princeton :)

EXPENSIVE SLOP. Cheesesteak = grocery store Steak-umms on STALE 'bready' hoagie roll. The slabs of Steak-umms were clumped on top of each other. They weren't sliced or chopped, as hoagie-style steak sandwiches are universally served. They weren't even fanned-out across the roll. Just thick clumps of layered Steak-umms with intermittent clumps of tasteless cheese. Off-putting front order-taking/service area. No posted menu, had to ask for one. (While waiting for my order, I did see a self-order electronic screen in the corner behind me.) No tables inside or outside. Choice was a town bench or my car. I chose my car. Cheesesteak & Diet Coke just under $18. For a couple dollars more, I could have had a delicious blue cheese & mushroom burger with fries at The Witherspoon Grille. Won't be making that mistake again. Drive or walk by this place. Don't waste your time or your money.

This could be a top of the line hoagie. I went with the Ham/Salami/Provolone. All it needs is a little more meat. The flavors are there. The bread is pretty good, being fresh with a slight crunch. But they are skimpy with the meat portions. A little more will go a long way. I would definitely go back, though.

Didn't know where to start! These hoagies are enormous and delicious. The service was quick can't wait to come back.

Fire sandwich and really unique options. Also very vegetarian friendly and it's in a nice location to walk around after!

TL;DR: For a college town, this is the perfect place to get food with no regard to health. Just drown your academic struggles in the food, and get crazy with it. ________________ I have been here way too many times, but I made my first trip in years to this Princeton establishment recently. Gone are the days where people would line up, and yell over the crowd of people to get your order in when called up to the front. Gone are the days when everyone looked at each other when it was super busy, wondering whose order was being called to get it personalized just the way they want. Gone are the days of going up to the counter to watch the workers make your sandwich. Now, you can order at the counter (I guess if you pay cash) or at the kiosk. You can make any adjustments to the order that you want there. You can also order in advance, and your order will be waiting for you when you get there, reducing the amount of waiting time. Compared to years past, it does seem to have increased the efficiency, with less milling about. A drawback is that about half of the already small interior is cut in half, making waiting there a bit of a struggle. I've only ordered the Hoagie specialties, the ones with too much meat and junk inside. I enjoy them, and I know what to expect. When I order, I come hungry, ready to get full and then promptly regret it once I finish everything. for what it is, it's great. I'll be back here again and again and again, if I'm in the area. Every college town should have a place that's a favorite among locals and students alike, famous for placating the hunger and late cravings of patrons. For this, Hoagie Haven does a great job. The only negative is the reduced hours compared to years past. Please check before ordering. For those cranking out the MR points, this is for you: yes, they accept Amex. For the Ctrl+F people: American Express.

I guess this place is more for nostalgia than anything else. The Sanchez was okay only imo--it was decent on the first bite, but it's essentially just a bunch of fried food in a piece of bread. Nothing that I would go out of my way for. Fyi orders are now generally through Snackpass or kiosk. Some nice benches outside to sit at. Not really any indoor seating.

Overall it's a good hoagie, everything was fresh although it was a little light on the meat. Easy touch screen ordering and friendly staff.

I have LOVED Hoagie Haven for years. But last night we had hoagies with just inedibly bad bread. WHAT happened??!

I stopped by Hoagie Heaven for a quick lunch in Princeton. Their small shop unfortunately has no outdoor or indoor seating, so grab a bench or sneak into a coffee shop. Their subs come in large or small. I went for a large turkey and cheese with lettuce, tomatoes, banana peppers, pepper and oregano. They were a little skimpy on the peppers and oregano, but it was a solid and huge sandwich, probably about 16". The ingredients were fresh and tasty.

4 stars would have been 5 if service would have been better. Came in we were not greeted instead stared at awkwardly so we gravitated towards self service kiosks. They got our order wrong. Asked for no hot sauce and got hot sauce in my phat lady. Their Sanchez sauce is not great. Very bitter and strong. Careful when you ask for extra sauce ($1 for extra sauce) they do not put it on the side like I thought they would.

Oh.my.god!!!! The Sanchez is literally addicting! Succulent chicken cutlets, spicy sanchez sauce, crispy french fries, I removed the mozz sticks, added ranch sauce and swapped American for provologne cheese. Absolute perfection! The buffalo cheese fries are literally thee best fries I have ever had! They are absolutely smothered in ranch sauce, buffalo sauce and I requested Provologne cheese. This is now hands down my favorire restaurant in Princeton and I will be going there on a very regular basis. If youre anywhere near Princeton, or hell even if you arent, if you love fried, cheesy foods as much as I do, you need to go to Hoagie Haven!

Ordered online for pickup and got 1. Capicola, Ham, Salami, And Provolone (Whole) ($11.00) and Sanchez (Whole) ($14.50). The cold sub was the SADDEST sandwich I've ever seen in my life with one piece of each meat & cheese lined up in the sub without a single drop of sauce nor lettuce. There was no option to customize or anything, and the picture on the online order form had lettuce and tomato on it at the very least. Learned my lesson. I'll drive the 30 minutes and go to tastee's sub instead. The Sanchez was okay. Would rather get a fat bitch at grease trucks.

Ordered on a kiosk and the food was ready in around 5 mins. We got the small size sanchez and it was very filling and enough for two people. They have a bunch of interesting combinations and hoagies that sound good!

I returned to the spot where it all began. I went to high School in the area in the 80s and this simply was...THE SPOT. "The Haven" or "the Hav" as we called it back then still exists and it still serves up delicious sandwich after delicious sandwich. There are numerous new things on the menu, but i went back to the OG - the Chicken Cheesesteak, loaded with a bunch of vegetables and of course the iconic hot Peppers. I gave up eating dairy a couple of years ago, but to experience this properly, i went for it. Damn it feels good to be a Gangsta. My 15 year old son was with me. His first time experiencing the glory that is the chicken cheesesteak. So verdict. Hot Damn. HOT DAMN!!!!!!!!!!. The bread was on point. Not too much, not too little. a little bite to it. The meat and cheese blended into a ooey, gooey, mixture of deliciousness wrapped in a little pillow and tucked in with great vegetables and spicy peppers. It was inhaled by both of us and we smiled at each other, knowing that we just had the best sandwich in New Jersey. My wife asked my son about our trip to Princeton. "What was the best part of the trip?" she asked. "The Chicken Cheesesteak from the Hav" was his reply. Man I love that Kid.

I've been coming to Hoagie Haven for so many years, so I definitely have a lot of nostalgia and love for this place. I've contributed to the forever oil stains by the benches right in front of the shop. Never had my photo on their wall but I for sure gave them outs when I was in Boston and now in California. My go to order: Whole Sanchez (typically eat half for one serving) and a side of buffalo fries to share with the fam. They used to even sell the Sanchez sauce in bottles. I would legit put that on EVERYTHING. Haven't been able to recreate their secret recipe yet, but I guess I just have to keep on eating more and more of their sandwiches to hammer it down...

Sure it is just a hoagie shop, but it has been in the community for a very long time. If you lived in Princeton, you know Hoagie Haven. There is always a line and it fed many many students in Princeton. We supposed to order through a touchpad, but they had no problems to take our order at the counter. We got cheesesteak with everything, cheesesteak with mushroom, and chicken cheesesteak for just the two of us. Yes, we fatty. The whole hoagie was about 12 inches and we ate everything. The bread was soft and the meat just melted in our mouth. Don't get us wrong, this was not high quality meat or anything, but it was buttery and tasty. For what it is, it was excellent. Of course we would recommend this place and you should check them out too. Their cold hoagie is also very good.

Back in the they were the best now with the new crew and new service there hoagies are kinda just slap food not good quality like the famous #17 pizza cheese steak hoagie, what happened to quality control folks you most go back to the old way of doing things after all the pandemic is over also; when are u going to star having late hrs like back in the day let's get back to basics and real Princeton hoagies. Have some tiger pride. Princeton pride.

the sandwich I got was stale and dry it looked nothing like the picture and half of it was salty while the other side was just dry chicken. I also found a mini taco inside of it?? That was not apart of my order. Very dissatisfied stoped eating half way plus it was even more expensive than my mom's Philly cheese steak which she said was very good.

Honestly, my expectations were pretty low, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of my hoagie! I used the kiosk to order a cheesesteak with onions and was happy at how affordable it was. That being said, the "artisanal" bottle of water was ~$2.80, so that kind of negated any savings :) The food was prepared reasonably quickly, especially considering how busy they were. Definitely keep your eye on the food that's being put out on the front counter, as sometimes they don't announce when your food is ready (happened to my friend). One minor complaint I had is that they didn't slice my hoagie in half, so it was a little cumbersome to eat. The quality of the hoagie bread was actually pretty darn good - crumbly (in a good way!) and soft. The steak didn't look like it was chopped (just sort of looked like a slab) and probably wasn't super high quality, but the combination of cheese, onions, and steak hit the spot for sure. I would definitely come back here, especially because it's so affordable!

Imagine having a business in a college town, where people come back to visit their old stomping grounds once a year, and running out of bread when you pride yourself on being a local favorite of the college students and alums. Absolute disgrace. A sandwich spot running out of bread. Imagine your water provider ran out of water or your electricity provider ran out of power. Absolute disgrace. I loved hoagie haven and ate it an unimaginable amount of times in my college career. But never again. Running out of bread????? That sounds like a sitcom. Owner should never show face again. They ran out of BREAD on reunions weekend. Anything else is like okay I'll just substitute something else on my sandwich and it'll be fine. But they ran out of BREAD!!!! You cannot have sandwiches without bread. Unbelievable. Legitimately feel embarrassed for them

When you go to a sandwich place is best to talk to the prepared person when you use the in store computer order is not the same!!! I ordered a roast beef with American cheese lettuce tomato Mayo oil vinegar salt and pepper Don't see the Mayo no salt pepper yes Roast beef too dried and I weed cooked roast beef should always medium Terrible $15 dollar sandwich better get subway for 1/2 the price

Not for the faint of heart, this is practically a heart attack in a sandwich. Stuffed with breaded chicken tenders, fries, and mozzarella sticks with a special tangy sauce, I think I can only eat this once. Hoagie Haven is known for their extravagant hoagies filled with everything you probably shouldn't have. There's two kiosks to order inside or you can order ahead on an app. Expect to take your hoagie to go! There are a few benches outside but no seating inside.

Have been coming here for over 25 years. Around 5-10 years ago, something changed. I think they started branding themselves a lot more - food stayed the same great, reliable, comfort food like place. I forget when they started to get the wrapping paper branded to hoagie have - entirely not necessary and just driving costs a little bit up. I go for 5 things - pizza cheese steak, fried flounder, sausage omelet, souvlaki, and... the fries (must with salt, pepper ketchup). Over the years, they have added the phat lady, and some other things that... i'm just old fashion. Was (and I think they are still) owned by a greek family but over the years, there had been some changes. Prices have recently gone up - where a whole hoagie was going for 7 bucks or so but expect to pay 10-15 bucks. Still great quality and i'll continue to come back over and over. Oh, and am sad but understand that they have gone to snackpass for their ordering. Again, i'm just old fashion and miss the days of lines out the door, getting close enough to the glass and hearing "NEXT!", and having to yell out my order. Yes, I have my orange t-shirt and will wear it proud for years to come, as long as HH doesn't change their formula too much.

It was my first time here and I'd say it's pretty average. It was moderately busy around that time that we went in. We ordered on their kiosks and I received a text that our order would be ready in 25-30 mins. We decided to walk around for a bit but soon got a text ~10 mins later that our order was ready. I got a chicken parmesan hoagie (half) while my friend got a gyro and a eggplant parmigiana hoagie. I was surprised by how large the half hoagie was -- I was really hungry but it filled me up pretty well! Overall, it wasn't a bad experience but I don't really get the hype around it.

A great sandwich shop for late night runs. Service here is good! Manager made sure I added on toppings the first time I went and forgot to add anything on top of my sandwich. Would go again!

I'm here to let people know that Hoagie Haven is a GEM! And listen, I'm not saying that about just any place. I know, love and appreciate good food, and I honestly was NOT expecting the quality that I received, so that made it even better. I knew I was gonna be in Princeton this day, so was looking for places to try. A friend of mine who grew up in the area recommended Hoagie Haven and he's a food snob like me, so I knew I could bet on his word! First, the place is just so cute lol. It's a small spot, but really cute with the decor. They have t-shirts and bright colors, which kinda wakes you up a bit! I went in, and saw a well-oiled machine! The guys were all working in unison to prepare these hoagies. I noticed the kiosk and went over to place my order there. Something about ordering from this kiosk just made me feel like a kid lol. I got to push buttons and make decisions! You know, things kids love . There were sooo many hoagie options and they ALL looked so tempting. It was difficult for me to decide, but I landed on the Sanchez hoagie. Girl......girl. Wait, let me rewind. So I ordered it, and it was actually made quite fast. I first laid eyes on it and it was all love. It was also HUGE! I took it outside to this nearby bench and I went to WERK! So, the Sanchez is made with fried chicken cutlets, American cheese (gross, I know, but trust me, girl), mozzarella sticks (yes, I know), French fries (yes, I know) and Sanchez sauce. I meeeeeeeaaaaaan, let's talk about it. First off, for this place in Jersey that I've never heard of, even with a friend's rec, I did NOT think that these chicken cutlets would slap the way they did. They were crispy, juicy and well seasoned! These mozzarella sticks were super flavorful and delivered the cheese pull that I hoped for! The fries were great, the Sanchez sauce was perfect and tangy. It complimented everything so well! Now, I am NOT an American cheese person, but they knew exactly what they were doing with this pairing. The American cheese was perfect! It also just complimented everything so nicely. I'm gonna go ahead and say that if you do order the Sanchez hoagie, to not substitute anything. Don't play yourself! Trust meeeee . Hoagie Haven is a hidden gem. Anyone who lives in Princeton, NJ should be at this spot every weekend! I know I certainly would. I can't wait to get back to try a different hoagie!

This place is kind of overhyped. I think it's a great spot if you're a student or you live in the area, but nothing to write home about. They have a huge variety of sandwiches and we ordered the Sanchez and Mac Daddy because those were other peoples recommendations. It was about a 30 minute wait and honestly a little disappointing. They were ok sandwiches but nothing amazing. I would probably get more sauce if I ever come back as they felt a little dry. Overall it was good to try but I don't think I would get again.

Smells delicious while you wait 30 minutes for your order. Workers move at their own pace, which may be slower than molasses. Don't be in a rush or starving. If you can order online do it , so all you have to do is pick it up. It was ready sooner than 30, so don't let that scare you away from this deliciousness. Well worth the wait.

We order from here sometimes ( at work) I got a half of a chicken cheesesteak with blue cheese and was not bad It's always good to have another option when we order lunch at work

I did a pick up order and they said it would take about 20 minutes and it took 10! The food was super fast and SO GOOD! The Sanchez was unbelievably delicious, definitely recommend with extra sauce! I will be back soon :)

I had the Sanchez Sandwich and it was so good! It has crispy chicken, French fries, and sauce. The place was packed when I got there but it moved relatively quickly. Limited seating area. The employees are nice and pleasant when they took out order.

super delicious, massive sandwich for the price the sanchez is my favorite - add ketchup!

Nope....just nope! First try from Hoagie Haven and I'm done...Never going there again. This place was recommended to me if I were ever in the Princeton area to try their cheesesteak. Twelve dollars for 2 pieces of Steak Umm on a roll is ridiculous. The meat wasn't even seasoned, and I can't even find cheese! I would avoid this place if you're looking for a cheesesteak. LaGalleria in Bordentown makes an awesome cheesesteak, and I'll stick with them.

Excellent sandwiches on Nassau Street. Most college towns have a go-to sandwich place. Hoagie Haven checks all of the boxes. Intriguing ingredient combinations served fresh on excellent bread. Each sandwich is delicious. A half sandwich is quite filling. The online ordering platform with text notifications is efficient and COVID compliant.

Good for inebriated college and HS kids, ever town should have such a spot to sober up before heading home

Solid sub place, everything you'd expect from a hoagie shop. The quality of ingredients is good and their specials are tasty. I ordered a half cold sub and was surprised at how big it was! But it was so good I ate almost all of it which is a surprise because I'm a small eater.

Found Hoagie Haven thanks to Yelp. Needed a quick, high quality lunch and my cheesesteak was all of that and more. Meat was tasty, moist and tender. Bread was as fresh and flawless. Frankly, as good a sandwich as I've ever had. Highly recommend.

One of my favorite sandwich spots in the Princeton area. I wish they have more vegetarian options. The sandwiches are really filling and freshly made. It's really good. I tried the veg phat sandwich too which had mozzarella sticks, French Fries and eggplant parmigiana.

One slice of meat... I ordered a half a cheesesteak, and at any other shop that usually that means half of a full cheesesteak, because it's called a cheesesteak, not a breadcheese or a bread sandwich. The showcase should be the meat and cheese, and the bread is there to hold it together. Unless the bread is that great and this was not the case at hoagie haven. Go to Wawa for a better cheesesteak. I threw out the bread sandwich and I drove 30 minutes from Princeton, NJ to Langhorne, PA to get a real cheesesteak from Jay's Steak and Hoagie. They use a pretzel roll and can somehow pull off having enough meat in their sandwich. Both a good roll and quality steak. Never going back to Hoagie Haven. Complete rip off.

Every time I'm in the area or even close I definitely have to stop by and grab a Chicken Sanchez.

As someone from out of state, I was told this was a must-do in Princeton. I got the Mac Daddy, one of the specialty hoagies. It was fine, but nothing to write home about. Pretty greasy, but that was the point! If you're looking for some great drunk food, though, you've found your spot!

The Shrimp Po' Boy ($13 for a foot long hero) is highly recommended. The shrimp is crunchy and the sauce is on point. However, the Chicken Parm ($10 for a foot long hero) was a disappointment; only a few thin slices of breaded chicken cutlet, there were barely any tomato sauce and a very thin slice of cheese. It wasn't tasty and just bread. Lacked taste and sauce. Hence the chicken parm brought this experience to 3 stars review.

When I'm in the mood for a guilty pleasure, this is my go-to spot. While it doesn't offer seating, the order and pick-up process is swift, usually taking around 10 minutes. The sandwiches are delectable, and the service is efficient. Given that it's mainly a takeout place, you'll likely grab your delicious sandwich and be on your way in no time. It's clean and pleasant... go and try it!

Hoagie Haven is still a place with good and unique sandwiches, but it's tragically lost most of what made it an iconic Princeton institution for so many years. The people running the place have clearly traded charm for robotic efficiency. No longer do people line up in front of the deli counter and get to see the sandwich-making magic happen while conversing with the guys behind the counter. Instead, half the store is walled off from customers, and people have to order on a machine in the front. And while this means less waiting in line, it regularly results in significant wait times after ordering. And to add insult to injury, Haven now regularly closes at 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on Fri/Sat. Considering that Haven had always been synonymous with late-night eats, regularly staying open til 2am or later, this is a pretty drastic and disappointing change. I still feel obligated to give 4 stars because the sandwiches remain very solid. My favorites are the Sanchez extra dirty, the Mexicano with bacon, and buffalo fries. But I really hope Haven can reclaim some of its former glory so I can upgrade to the 5 stars it's deserved for most of my life.