7 Panera Bread Sandwiches You're Better Off Avoiding, Based On Reviews

When it comes to Panera, the bakery/cafe commands a selection of sandwiches that's nearly unrivaled in casual dining. Hot, toasted paninis, a plain-Jane turkey — there's always a solid variety. While this is something we can all appreciate, we can't dismiss how sometimes, it churns out a sandwich that's just... not up to snuff. Is it the pivot to par-baked breads? Uneven toasting? Wonky cheese resembling plastic? We wanted to answer these questions by zeroing in on the handhelds facing the most scrutiny, according to diners themselves.

Chain eateries are bound to screw up; there's no two ways about it. Yet these sandwiches have frequently displeased guests, whether out of inedibility, a decline in overall quality, or both. Our findings weren't picked at random, either. Diligently, we scoured consumer feedback to see what choices aren't worth buying, helping you save money as well as your sanity; you can find our methodology in more detail later. Even with a Sip Club membership, reviews stand by avoiding the following — or risk a ho-hum lunch you'd rather soon forget.

In April 2024, Panera cleaned shop, scrapping a bunch of items. Fans were shocked to discover one of the victims ended up being the much-loved Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich. The chain has since unveiled the Cranberry Chicken Walnut Sandwich as a sort of peace offering, but the feedback attests what many say is a step in the wrong direction.

Primary complaints target the mushy filling (it apparently resembles cat food, per Reddit comments), and the unappealing shade of purple it turns from the dried fruit. Bizarrely, the nuts and berries don't seem to help much — one reviewer lamented how dull the salad's flavor was (though the bread, admittedly, was solid).

Word on the street is that the prior recipe, with its plump grapes and shaved almonds, was mixed by hand. Employees now say it's delivered bagged up, and the quality suffers for it. "I couldn't even tell you if I was eating chicken," recalled a baffled Facebook user. "It is so mashed, smashed, blended. Would not recommend if you were a fan of the old version." At the moment, it's a limited-run launch; only time will tell if it lasts the next purge. Though with the verdicts above, we're not holding our breath. 

Broad swaths of people absolutely despise the grilled cheese from Panera. In fact, we struggled to dig up positive words about it — for Panera menu items, have said it's the bottom of the barrel. Complaints tend to zero in on the reheated quality. It misses the buttery, grilled character with flimsy bread and — bizarre enough — American cheese that's plastic-y, barely melted, and devoid of flavor. In some circumstances, it might even have burnt splotches (but only on the cheese, one Yelp reviewer found).

This is an old-school cafeteria lunch that should be in Panera's wheelhouse, but its failings have lead to a strange — and questionably edible — cartoonish-looking sandwich. "I've had that grilled cheese and honestly, it's giving abstract art more than comfort food," remarked one commenter on Facebook. Another point of contention is the size. Many find it perplexingly small — and super expensive given the basic-ness. Save your $7, instead — you'll be grateful you did.

One sandwich failing to dazzle guests is a newer entry in Panera's recipe book: the Tomato Basil BLT. For starters, there's a disappointingly low quantity of bacon. People expressed disbelief towards receiving one, maybe two strips, at best, with mostly the lettuce and tomato taking over. Heck, one order a Yelp reviewer placed at their establishment featured zero — yes zero — meat whatsoever.

Other misfires, based on the reviews we saw, factored in the presentation. Like we mentioned, the cold garnishes tend to overcompensate, but some restaurants really pile them on, which skews the proportions. One decision that was a head-scratcher was failing to give the slices some crunch — the un-toasted bread really incensed people. As a whole, it's too inconsistent — never mind that it's not cheap enough to shake off. If the chain hopes to seek redemption, it might want to take advice from the following customer. "A BLT should have, at the very least, double the bacon it did to even start to try and justify the price," they posted on Facebook.

We might forget how active mornings are for Panera. When the bakery chain serves breakfast, expect a welcoming array of pastries, soufflés, and savory handhelds fit for the taking. The Chipotle Chicken, Egg & Avo Breakfast Sandwich (on ciabatta) sounds good, but online, negative feedback has been spiking as of late.

Besides finding the flavor unremarkable, a Yelp reviewer took the chain to task for bare-bone amounts of — hold please — the chicken and avocado. These are core toppings, they argued, and the less-than-generous portion was not a good look. "I think if you order a sandwich and one of the ingredients is avocado then you should have a nice amount of avocado in there," they said (point taken). For another diner, the avocado didn't look too fresh, making them question how it was allowed to leave the kitchen.

Cold salads are not one of Panera's strong suits, as far as recent reports go on the Tuna Sandwich. Skimpy filling, by far, exceeded the share of complaints online. Most encounter bread and veggies, with the teensiest, tiniest glob of tuna salad imaginable. One Redditor who shared photographic evidence said recent purchases have arrived exactly as such. "It seems they are afraid to put the tuna salad on the sandwich," they wrote.

Evidently, it's not the most flavorful sandwich, nor is it enticing to look at. Loads of commenters find the consistency repulsive, and on many occasions call it watery, pasty, and gross. For the relative simplicity, many rightfully feel bamboozled by the price. One Yelp reviewer, despite getting a decent sandwich, was still aghast by what they ended up shelling out. "It was small and cost like fourteen dollars. I could have duplicated it for two dollars at home."

Many comment about not liking the sandwich as much as before, which might mean one thing: the recipe changed. If you really adore this lunchbox favorite, maybe skip the chain's and make an unbeatable sandwich yourself. We guarantee it'll taste better (and save money).

In terms of execution, the Ciabatta Cheesesteak clearly aims for an elevated build, boasting zips of sweetness and umami with its range of toppings — grilled onions, peppers, a garlic-infused aioli spread, and provolone cheese. Sadly, it's a bait-and-switch. A common occurrence shows diners remarking on how tasty it looks from the photos, only to bite into pure mediocrity.

Bread wasn't so much the issue here — it was the steak. Diners claim there's barely any of the carved meat, which constantly leaves them wondering why they even bothered ordering one. Not that the protein is anything special, noted a critic on Google, "The meat was greasy and of such poor quality that I questioned if it was even beef." One person disliked the sloppy arrangement, and found the "extremely sweet" bell peppers threw off the balance.

We'll admit, wrangling an old-school Philly Cheesesteak was always going to be a tall order for Panera. When Chowhound assessed chain restaurant cheesesteaks a while ago, the cafe's rendition landed in the middle of the pack (garnishes, again, outweighed the steak chunks). And it is pricier, which is why we just can't recommend it.

Heads up, BLT-lovers. In case you were hoping the Tomato Basil version was the sole flop, its Grilled Chicken & Avo counterpart isn't much better. Photos online indicate the sandwich is well-stuffed, teeming with loads of bacon, sliced chicken, and avocado. But is that the reality? Not in the slightest. Most of the reactions are mixed as a result, with vocal dissatisfaction towards the sparse toppings. And the flavor, generally, is pretty underwhelming — even generic.

Stacking the sandwich up with plain, room-temperature bread earned a lot of ire, as well. Getting the bread nice and crispy prevents a soggy texture, and Panera, to its detriment, is leaving out this non-negotiable step. "Isn't it pretty much sacrilegious not to toast the bread on a BLT?" inquired one Facebook user, that, coincidentally, echoed intel divulged by an employee in a Reddit discussion, "from its name, so many new customers get pis**d it's a cold sandwich."

For context, this might have filled in for the now-retired Turkey & Avocado BLT. Despite similarities, the consensus is clear: It's an obvious downgrade from the original, and just not top-notch in its own right.

To examine the Panera Bread sandwiches disappointing guests overall, we took stock of comments on review platforms and social media. Trip Advisor, Yelp, Facebook, Reddit, and Google were the primary sites. Low grades needed to be consistent, and up-to-date, which is why we narrowed our search to reviews only written within the last year (basically, any feedback provided between March 2025 to 2026 was fair game).

In our criteria, problems needed to be existential. Sandwiches that performed poorly constantly, meaning they exhibited similar shortcomings at more than one restaurant, strengthened the case against ordering it. In addition to personal opinions, we considered objective information readers would find important to know, like portion size and cost.