Few dishes are held in higher regard by Americans than the humble sandwich. But social media has exploded the popularity of one particular sub comprised of meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments piled high on a crunchy pickle.
This year, the watermelon pickle sandwich has spread like wildfire across TikTok, and the brand Grillo's Pickles has prompted public discourse about preserved cucumbers. But to get to the heart of the pickle phenomenon, look no further than New Jersey.
Several local spots, such as Elsie's Sub Shop and Lenny & John's Subs, consistently catch the attention of online content creators who, year after year, create viral videos about their pickle subs. So far, these shops have yet to slow in converting first-time visitors into fans.
At Elsie's Sub Shop in Red Bank, New Jersey, owner Tish Reddington has mastered the art of transforming kosher dill and half sour pickles into sandwiches.
The shop first opened in 1959 and changed ownership a few times before Reddington bought it in 1989. She estimates that she began serving pickle subs several years before the Covid pandemic hit in 2020.
Reddington didn’t initially advertise her creations, which she largely sold to customers in search of gluten-free and keto options.
“I started making Sub in a Tub—and make subs on pickles, cucumbers, anything that wasn't bread,” Reddington said.
She says her pickle subs are lighter and healthier alternatives, which are especially refreshing in the spring and summer months.
Then, in 2019, a social media influencer posted a TikTok video about her pickle subs, and they became an internet sensation. “It really took off from there,” Reddington said. “In the last five years, pickles have just become such a huge thing.”
Her operations remain small. Only Reddington, her son, and her brother-in-law work there, plus a seasonal employee. So, when business peaks after the occasional viral video, the atmosphere in the shop is “insane,” Reddington said.
After visiting Elsie’s Sub Shop, TikTok influencer @megthings_ said in an April 30 video, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Your life will be changed.” Her post has since garnered over 800,000 views.
Patrons’ favorite subs to put on pickles are the Italian, made up of ham, salami and cheese, and turkey, with mayonnaise and cranberries.
Reddington has noticed other sandwich shops offering their own pickle variations. “You can't blame them for it,” she added.
Although Elsie’s Sub Shop’s Instagram page touts that it’s “home of the original pickle sub,” Reddington doesn’t want to claim ownership of the trend.
Instead, two former pickle sandwich aficionados, Katherine Cohen and Chad Jordan, say they invented it, although the couple has since retired from the business.
“It’s definitely trademarked,” Cohen said. “We’re happy to have provided other businesses with the launching pad that they need.”
Her pickle sub journey began in 2016 at New Jersey’s former Linwood Market, according to the blog Philly Grub. There, Cohen made pickle sandwiches for her mother before a curious customer put in a request for herself, she said. “It just kind of blew up from there.”
This was just before the 2018 launch of TikTok, so coverage in newspapers and other print outlets helped spread the word about Cohen’s pickle subs, but the Linwood property was sold soon after.
Then, in 2019, Cohen and Jordan opened their own pickle sub shop in Haddon Township, New Jersey. Its original name was Elsie’s—unaffiliated with Reddington’s brand—before the owners changed it to Peace Love Pickles, which Delish visited in July 2022.
It garnered plenty of attention on social media, with 54,000 followers on Facebook, 29,000 followers on TikTok and almost 23,000 followers on Instagram. The shop videotaped its inner workings for its online following, showing employees making pickle sandwich roll-ups topped with Flamin' Hot Cheetos and doused in sauce.
“There were days when there were lines around the block,” Jordan said.
The pair expanded to open two other locations across the state, in Northfield and Atlantic Highlands. Their sandwiches featured a type of proprietary pickle that was available exclusively to them.
“It's a nice alternative for people that want to cut carbs, but still enjoy a sandwich,” Cohen said, “and for people that just simply love pickles.”
However, in 2021, tragedy struck. Jordan was injured in a horseback-riding accident. While he healed, he couldn’t fulfill his responsibilities in the shop’s daily operations.
By the end of the next year, all Peace Love Pickles locations had shuttered for good, so the couple could focus on their daughter, who is now 12 years old.
“In the restaurant industry, a lot of the times, you have to make sacrifices,” Cohen said. “We just weren't willing to sacrifice any more of our time with her.”
Today, Jordan works as a creative director, and Cohen has her real estate license. Pickle sub hopefuls still contact them about sandwiches, but reopening isn’t an option at the moment.
Cohen enjoyed interacting with all of her customers and providing the beloved subs, but “I made a conscious choice to focus more on my family than pickles,” she said. “It was a grand adventure, but it's over now.”
