Round Roll or Long Roll? The Cheeseburger Sub
A cheeseburger sub is a burger built on a sub roll instead of a bun. The roll you pick changes the sandwich more than the toppings do.
A cheeseburger sub is exactly what it sounds like: burger patties and melted cheese, served on a sub roll rather than a hamburger bun. It is a pizzeria and sub-shop staple across South Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and it barely exists anywhere else.
The choice that matters is the roll. A round roll behaves like a conventional burger. A long roll turns it into a sandwich.
| Round roll | Long roll | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Bun-like | Sub-length |
| Eating | Handheld, compact | Handheld, longer |
| Bread ratio | Lower | Higher |
| Toppings | Stack upward | Spread along |
| Travels | Well | Less well |
Why it exists at all
Pizzerias in this part of the country already stock sub rolls, a griddle and sliced cheese. A burger on a sub roll is what happens when a kitchen built for sandwiches is asked for a burger.
That is not a compromise. The long roll is sturdier than a soft bun, holds more without collapsing, and does not go soggy as quickly under a hot patty.
Round roll or long roll
A round roll is closer to a standard burger bun, though usually firmer. Everything stacks vertically, so you get a compact sandwich where each bite has all of it.
A long roll spreads the same fillings along its length. Patties are laid end to end rather than stacked, and toppings run the length of the sandwich. Bites vary more, and you get more bread per mouthful.
Neither is better. They are different sandwiches that happen to share a filling, and people tend to have a firm preference once they have had both.
Bread to meat is the real variable
This is what people are actually choosing between, even when they describe it as shape.
A long roll carries more bread. That is an advantage if the filling is rich — melted cheese and a griddled patty are heavy, and bread is what makes them manageable. It is a disadvantage if you want to taste mostly meat.
The fix on a long roll is more filling rather than less bread. Two patties along its length brings the ratio back and turns it into a substantial sandwich.
What holds up and what does not
Wet toppings are harder on a long roll, because there is more surface for liquid to soak into and the sandwich takes longer to eat.
- Works on both: cheese, fried onions, cooked peppers, bacon.
- Better on a round roll: fresh tomato, raw onion, anything dressed.
- Ask for it on the side: mayonnaise-based sauces on a long roll, unless you are eating it straight away.
Lettuce is the usual casualty. It wilts fast against a hot patty, and on a long roll it has further to go before you reach it.
Why the patty is griddled, not grilled
Pizzeria burgers are cooked on a flat griddle rather than over an open flame, and that is a genuine difference rather than a shortcut.
A griddle puts the whole face of the patty in contact with hot metal, so the surface browns evenly and develops a crust across its entire underside. A grill only touches the bars, which is why grilled patties have stripes and griddled ones have an even brown face.
The other consequence is that rendered fat stays in the pan rather than dripping away. The patty cooks partly in its own fat, which keeps it moister and carries more flavour back into the meat.
It also means cheese can be laid on while the patty is still on the heat and melted properly, rather than draped on at the end and left to soften.
Which to order
Order the round roll if you want a burger. It eats like one, it travels better, and the ratio favours the filling.
Order the long roll if you want a sandwich, if you are adding plenty of toppings, or if you are eating it at the table rather than in the car.
Ray’s lists all three under Hamburgers — a plain Cheeseburger, a Cheeseburger Sub on Long Roll and a Cheeseburger Sub on Round Roll — so the choice is made at the counter rather than assumed.
If you are ordering for a table, a burger sub sits alongside pizza better than a second pizza does, for the same reason a side that cuts richness works better than more of the same.
Pizza Questions, Answered.
What is a cheeseburger sub?
A cheeseburger served on a sub roll instead of a hamburger bun. It is a regional pizzeria and sub-shop item, common in South Jersey and around Philadelphia.
What is the difference between a round roll and a long roll?
Shape, and therefore the bread-to-filling ratio. A round roll eats like a conventional burger; a long roll spreads the same filling along a sub-length sandwich.
Is a burger sub the same as a patty melt?
No. A patty melt is built on griddled bread, usually rye, with onions and cheese. A burger sub uses a roll and is closer to a standard cheeseburger.
Which travels better for takeout?
The round roll. It is more compact, holds its shape, and there is less bread to absorb moisture on the way home.
The short version
Same burger, different bread, genuinely different sandwich. Round roll for a burger, long roll for a sandwich, and match the toppings to the roll rather than the other way round.
All three are on the Ray’s menu, and the shop is open daily 10:30am to 9:00pm if you would rather call ahead.
Ray’s Pizza Team
Ray’s Pizza & Sub Shop is a neighborhood pizzeria at 95 Woodstown Rd, Swedesboro, New Jersey, serving pizza, stromboli, hot and cold subs and dinners seven days a week from 10:30am to 9:00pm. These guides are written by the people behind the counter.
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