The Best (And Worst) Panera Sandwiches To Order In 2024, Ranked

Need a quick bite to eat for lunch? There are plenty of sandwich options from Panera that include fresh taste, balanced flavor, and filling ingredients. Striking a nice balance of efficiency and made-to-order customization, you can rely on Panera for a wide menu that is ideal for lunch — but which sandwiches should be a the top of your list and which are better to skip?

I tried a variety of the most popular sandwiches at Panera, including some that had recently been introduced to the menu, to see which were the best. If you're like me, you might have your go-to sandwich choices but Panera puts its own spin on many classics. The chain also features new combinations and even a signature sauce recipe as a condiment. There were toasted options as well as sandwiches with plenty of veggies and cold cuts, many on different kinds of bread. The sauces and dressings were standout ingredients for many of the combinations, although additions like bacon and avocado also propelled plain sandwiches higher on the list. Of course, you can always customize your sandwich to switch out the bread, add extras, or omit toppings so you can be sure to get something that will make your taste buds happy.

Melted mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, and chopped basil, the combination of main ingredients on the Toasted Garden Caprese, are delicious so I was very excited to order this sandwich. Caprese sandwiches and salads are often my top choice at delis and restaurants. I expected it to have a strong caprese flavor, including zesty basil or pesto, ripe tomatoes, and creamy cheese, but the balance of these three key ingredients and the sandwich has a lot more bread than toppings. This ultimately earned it the bottom spot on this list. The tomatoes are the most plentiful ingredient, but without the flavor pairing with strong basil, the sandwich tastes like it is missing a key ingredient. The romaine lettuce is more plentiful than the basil, which adds crunch, but not the flavor combo that you'd expect on a caprese. Overall, it's a pretty plain sandwich, even with the addition of garlic aioli and balsamic vinaigrette.

Like other sandwiches at Panera, you can add extras like chicken, bacon, or other cheeses. However, these cost extra and you are better off ordering a different sandwich with more flavor from the start. French bread is a good choice to hold the toppings so if you really want to try this option (though I don't recommend it), stick with that bread. 

The flavors on the Chicken Bacon Rancher work well together but there just aren't enough of them on the sandwich to get the best experience, landing this sandwich in second to last place. Like the Toasted Garden Caprese, the ratio of bread to filling is off and the result is a lackluster sandwich. The grilled chicken is a great base for the addition of bacon, ranch dressing, and white cheddar, but the extra thick focaccia bread overpowers just about everything else. Panera uses applewood smoked bacon, which is cut thick and is my favorite part of this sandwich. I recommend adding extra bacon and extra cheese to give the sandwich more substance.

If you swap out the black pepper focaccia bread for something less substantial, the sandwich actually works much better. I recommend trying it on sourdough, but white miche or even a bagel will also work. You can customize with extra ranch or chicken as well if you want to boost the toppings to keep up with the focaccia option. All of these extras add to the cost of the sandwich, however. Consider adding ranch to one of Panera's other chicken and bacon sandwiches, which might be more cost-effective and offer the same flavor combination.

The Mediterranean Veggie is one of the few vegetarian-friendly sandwiches at Panera and is ideal for people who don't want meat on their plate. It has a lot of flavor but isn't as filling compared to the other options on this list. This sandwich works better as a side dish rather than the star of your lunch. If you want something a bit lighter, this is a good choice. Otherwise, you'll probably leave lunch still feeling hungry, putting it lower on this list just in terms of value. I liked the overall flavor, but it wasn't something that I'd be returning to often for lunch, putting it more in the middle of the pack.

The veggies include sweet peppers, cucumbers, mixed greens, tomatoes, and red onions. This adds plenty of crunch to this sandwich but it's paired with creamy hummus as a spread on tomato basil miche bread. You can substitute other bread but the tomato basil miche has the perfect soft texture and works well with the other ingredients. My favorite part of this sandwich is the feta, which is both salty and creamy. Along with the creamy hummus, it adds distinct Mediterranean flavor to this dish. The hummus is the only sort of dressing or condiment, so consider adding extra if you want to avoid any dry bites. This will make the sandwich more filling, as well.

Another tasty pulled chicken sandwich is the Toasted Frontega Chicken. While it's not my favorite sandwich on the Panera menu, the flavors do work well together and there is enough chicken plus toppings to keep up with the thick focaccia bread. In addition to this lean protein, the sandwich includes mozzarella and large slices of tomato. The chopped basil is in short supply and doesn't make a big impact to the overall flavor, which is the main reason this sandwich fell further down on the list than it otherwise might. You can upgrade with more basil but the only option at Panera is small pieces rather than large leaves that would really make the basil stand out.

The extra zing from the chipotle aioli isn't as prominent as the Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt but still adds a little something extra to the sandwich. Sliced red onions and salt and pepper round out the sandwich, which is fully loaded when you add optional bacon and avocado. It comes on black pepper focaccia bread, but I recommend trying sourdough or even French bread, instead. If you don't upgrade your toppings with extras, there might not be enough toppings inside the sandwich to balance out the substantial bread loaf and you'll find yourself struggling to taste anything but bread in most bites.

The subtle heat of the chipotle aioli in the Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt is full of flavor and the best ingredient in this sandwich. This sandwich is very similar to the Toasted Frontego Chicken, but the aioli gives it a slight edge on this list. The sweet peppers add to the spice without being overwhelming, although they are sparingly put on the sandwich. White cheddar cheese helps balance out the flavors with a more creamy element, but it's the chipotle that really takes center stage with this option. Ask for extra sauce on the side to put over your chips, which are a side option included with your sandwich order. Pulled chicken provides a protein base that works well with all of the other ingredients.

You can add extra bacon or extra avocado, although these cost extra. It comes on black pepper focaccia bread, but Panera has plenty of bread choices to select from if you want to change it. The focaccia is a little bit overpowering for the other ingredients, so consider swapping a less heavy bread if you want a less filling lunch or just want to get more of the other ingredients with each bite.

The Smokehouse BBQ Chicken sandwich has the perfect combination for any barbecue chicken lovers. It includes pulled chicken, aged white cheddar, and thinly sliced red onions on hearty ciabatta bread. The inside is slathered with a sweet, smoky style of barbecue sauce. I love barbecue sauce in general, and it's my favorite part of this sandwich, so the standard amount is a little bit light for my taste. I like adding extra sauce to my sandwich, but the flavor combination still works well, even without this upgrade. This is another sandwich that benefits from tasty extras, especially chopped bacon or extra red onions. You can also add more cheese to make it even more delicious, although some of these add to the cost of this option — but don't worry about ordering it as is, since it is delicious without any of these extras.

Ciabatta is a great bread for this sandwich because it soaks up the barbecue and keeps it on the sandwich rather than your plate. Focaccia is another great option but I don't recommend swapping the bread for anything thin like sourdough. This sandwich needs hefty bread to hold all of the ingredients together and to keep the sauce from making a mess.

The Kickin' Grilled Cheese is an upgraded comfort food that has a little something extra from creamy salsa verde. Traditional salsa verde gets its color from green tomatillos but it also includes avocado, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. The Panera version is extra creamy, which helps it blend into the melted cheese even better. This sandwich features two types of cheese, American and aged white cheddar, which is an upgrade from the standard American cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Both this sandwich and the standard grilled cheese at Panera are made on thick slices of white miche bread. This rustic bread is large and it has a substantial crust, which works well with the melted cheese on the sandwich. Both are some of my favorites on the Panera menu and pair particularly well with the soups available. 

I recommend asking for extra salsa verde on the sandwich for some extra kick. The regular amount has just a hint and if you want extra protein, I recommend chopped bacon for some salty deliciousness on your sandwich. The half sandwich is enough for lunch when paired with a soup or salad but if you're just doing a sandwich, order the whole size (it's that good).

Panera's menu includes a couple of tasty bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwiches, BLTs, and the one with grilled chicken is one of my favorites. The addition of the chicken adds protein and avocado adds healthy fats, making it the perfect lunch to keep me full all afternoon, even in the half-sandwich size. Panera uses applewood smoked bacon on its BLTs, which is hefty and crunchy, but still easy to eat without tearing into the sandwich. A traditional BLT includes mayo to add creaminess, but this sandwich features garlic aioli, instead, which you can customize to suit your preference. The standard amount is the perfect balance of creamy mayo with some extra garlic flavor.

This sandwich comes on sourdough, although the white miche is also nice for a BLT. The sourdough adds a bit of extra taste but the miche holds up better as a handheld and doesn't let the ingredients spill out as much. Focaccia and French bread are a bit too tough on the outside to work with a BLT that has a lot of smaller ingredients that need to meld together within one bite without falling onto the plate. I like my Panera BLTs with extra bacon, so having the right bread is key to keeping the sandwich intact.

The Toasted Italiano is Panera's take on a classic Italian-style cold cut sandwich but toasted and with plenty of extras. Black forest ham and soppressata are the base of the sandwich and the best ingredients on it, in my opinion. Sliced provolone cheese melts thanks to the sandwich being toasted and mixed together with garlic aioli and Greek dressing. There's just a bit of crunch from lettuce, red onion, plus heat from pepperoncini peppers. Extra soppressata and chopped bacon are a bit pricey, but worth it if you want to make your sandwich even more filling. It doesn't compare to some of the best Italian subs in the U.S. in terms of size, but it is a great option that's available at a chain sandwich shop.

This is one of the most flavorful options on the menu (hence it getting second place) and each bite is a bit different depending on the distribution of the ingredients. One half sandwich is plenty for lunch, especially if you add extra protein. Adding extra pepperoncini is also a good idea if you like some heat on your sandwich, since it only comes with a few when made the standard way. My only complaint about this sandwich is that because it has so many ingredients, they can be unevenly distributed on the sandwich. You can rearrange quickly before digging in or let yourself be surprised with each bite. Either way, you're going to enjoy eating the Toasted Italiano.

The Turkey Bacon Bravo is one of my favorite cold sandwiches from Panera, and my favorite one I tried in this ranking, thanks to the tasty combo of turkey, bacon, white cheddar, and Panera's signature sauce. This sandwich has plenty of turkey, which makes it filling enough for lunch, even in the half size. The white cheddar works with the turkey but provolone would be a great substitution as well. The Panera signature sauce adds a mustard flavor that upgrades your standard turkey sandwich to something special thanks to the special recipe. I recommend getting extra on your sandwich since it's the sauce that sets this sandwich apart from other great options on the list.

The sandwich is at the top of this list as-is, but consider a few substitutions to make it your own. The tomato basil miche bread adds extra flavor but I prefer to substitute white miche bread to let the bacon and sauce take center stage. That is a personal preference, however, since other people in my family who also love the sandwich stick with the tomato basil miche every time. The texture of both options is the same and you can't go wrong with either one. You can also add avocado for some extra creaminess on the sandwich, which I recommend. This makes it even more filling and adds healthy fats to the dish. Avocado will brown if left out so order the avocado on the side and slice a fresh one the next day for any leftovers.

Nothing compares to a taste test, which is what I used to compile the list of best Panera sandwiches. I also relied on experience ordering Panera for monthly meetups with friends, as well as work catering, to see what got rave reviews. While some lived up to expectations and experience, others that include flavor combinations that I normally love missed the mark. This was often due to one or two ingredients overpowering the others. The top reason that sandwiches didn't work as well as expected was too much bread and not enough insides. I noted when substitutions could make the sandwiches work better, either by adjusting the bread-to-filling ratio or changing the taste or texture — but remember that many of these add to the overall cost of the order.

The best sandwiches had a nice balance, including the right condiments. In my top choices, tasty condiments that worked with the rest of the ingredients were key factors. To determine which sandwiches ranked at the top of the list from among the favorites, I looked closely at how many upgrades or extras I would need to add to the sandwich. Some were necessary to balance the flavors or ingredients while others were just nice to have. Additions and substitutions can add to the cost of the sandwich, which might be a factor especially if you are ordering for a group.