Subway

Footlongs in T4 when you’re done with curry for the day

By the time you reach Terminal T4 departures at Chennai (MAA), Subway is one of the few fully familiar Western chains left in the food mix. It sits airside in T4, so you need a boarding pass to get to it, and it runs through most of the main departure bank rather than closing early with the landside cafes.

Menu is the standard Subway playbook: 6-inch and 12-inch sandwiches, basic salads, cookies, and fountain drinks. Expect a 6-inch veggie or chicken sub to land around typical Indian-mall pricing, not airport-extortion Hong Kong or Dubai levels, though it’s still pricier than eating in T1 or outside the airport. You pick your bread, fillings, and sauces at the counter and watch it built in front of you.

Veg options are strong by default in India, and T4’s Subway keeps that pattern: Veggie Delite, Aloo Patty, and paneer-based subs usually sit right next to the chicken tikka, roasted chicken, and occasional meatball trays. Staff are used to handling separate veg and non-veg pans, but if that matters to you, watch the line and ask for fresh gloves before they start.

Lines spike roughly 60–90 minutes before big international departures out of T4, especially for late-night long-hauls. Expect 10–15 minutes in the queue around those waves, versus 2–3 minutes in the slow afternoon stretches. Seating is mostly the shared gate-area chairs nearby; plan on carrying your tray to the closest empty row facing your actual gate.

For a quick baseline: a 12-inch sub plus drink can easily run close to the cost of a mid-range restaurant thali outside the airport. If you care about speed more than value, Subway T4 still beats waiting on made-to-order mains elsewhere. Tip: order a 6-inch and skip extra toasting when your boarding time is under 25 minutes, so you’re not sprinting with a hot sandwich in hand.