New Bedford Feast Sparks Debate: Cacoila in Pops or Sub Rolls?

If there’s one thing I look forward to every summer, it’s feast season.

Endless food, flowing vinho, live entertainment, and most importantly, no dishes to clean. The 2025 Senhor de Pedra Feast in New Bedford checked all those boxes, but this year, something stood out: the bread.

A Hoagie Bun vs. the Classic Portuguese Pop

Tradition usually calls for cacoila sandwiches to be served on Portuguese pops (papo secos), just like at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. However, the Senhor de Pedra feast used soft rolls to stuff the cacoila in, and I was instantly in love.

At first, it felt almost blasphemous.

Pops are part of the feast identity. Yet, after one bite, I realized I might actually prefer the hoagie bun or sub roll or whatever it was.

You see, it’s all about structure. A fresh pop is unbeatable, but if you don’t eat it right away, the bread can give out under the juicy weight of the pork. The hoagie roll, on the other hand, holds everything together. It soaks up the juices without falling apart, making it easier to walk around with, and even easier to wrap up and take home.

The Great Facebook Showdown

Curious if others shared my opinion, I posed the question to my Facebook friends.

The verdict was overwhelmingly in favor of the traditional pop, to the point where only three people out of 150 agreed with me, but I bet if they saw and tasted what I had over the weekend, they might have different views.

READ MORE: This Portuguese Papo Secos Saved Gazelle over a Thousand Dollars

Still, after this year’s feast, I’m officially converted. For me, cacoila tasted better in a hoagie or sub roll.

Breaking Down the Details

Beyond the bread, cacoila itself can be a point of debate. Some prefer it shredded to perfection, while others like thicker, chunkier pieces for a heartier bite. At the end of the day, every family, every feast, and every cook has their own spin on it.

A Feast Worth Feasting

Regardless of where you stand on the bread debate, Senhor de Pedra delivered another memorable weekend of food, music and culture. For me, it was proof that sometimes a small change, like the roll under your cacoila, can spark a heated conversation.