Ranking Grilled Cheese From These 7 Restaurant Chains

Arguably one of the best comfort foods around, grilled cheese sandwiches are nothing short of delicious. They may be simple, but, oh man, do they hit the spot. While some people think ordering one from a chain restaurant is a waste, if you snag one from the right place, it will not only live up to homemade glory, but quickly assuage your hankering for the dish. This, of course, begs the question: Which restaurants are the "right place" to grab a grilled cheese sandwich? Well, in an effort to find out, I tried and ranked a handful of popular chain restaurants' offerings.

As you might expect, not all of the restaurant chains' grilled cheese sandwiches I sampled lived up to the price tag attached to them. Don't fret, though. Quite a few did, and those are the ones you should opt for the next time ordering one is on the agenda. As for my ranking criteria, I focused on perceived quality, textures, cheese-to-bread ratio, overall flavor, and price-to-value ratio. I'll explain more at the end, but all you need to know right now is that the best restaurant grilled cheese sandwiches are tasty enough to turn some heads. Let's find out what they are!

As far as restaurant chain grilled cheese sandwiches go, Potbelly's is one you can skip. It's a shame, too, because I tend to like Potbelly's sandwiches as a whole. Unfortunately for the grilled cheese, though, it is lackluster at best.

Potbelly's Grilled Cheese Sandwich is available in three different bread options: White, multigrain, and flat. I went for the default setting when I ordered mine online, which just so happens to be multigrain. While this shouldn't be an issue, it is bread intended for more of a sub-like sandwich. As a result, it didn't get any semblance of a crispy exterior — someone should give the brand some tips. Instead, it was dry like the Sahara. Honestly, I'm not even sure any butter went into the equation. Maybe it's my mistake for not changing the bread selection to flat, but hey, I just went with the standard order. Regardless, the cheese-to-bread ratio was also off, i.e., there wasn't nearly enough cheese to balance out the abundance of thick bread. Ugh. At least it was nice and melty.

To make matters worse, Potbelly's Grilled Cheese is one of the priciest I sampled. More specifically, at $8.99 before tax, it's tied for first. So yeah, it's a failure all around. Sure, the use of cheddar cheese and a better-than-decent bread was nice, but the elements didn't come together as they should. If you're craving a gooey, crispy grilled cheese sandwich, this isn't the one.

Next up is Which Which's Grilled Cheese, and while it is much tastier than Potbelly's (in last place), I can't give it a wholehearted recommendation, either. I hate to say it, too, because it was actually pretty tasty and the quality was there as well. As for bread-to-cheese ratio, Which Which also knocks that out of the park. The Grilled Cheese Kidswhich is made with provolone and cheddar cheese, and plenty of it. You can also choose between white or wheat bread, and both make solid options.

That's quite a few positives, so why didn't Which Which earn a better ranking? Well, just like with Potbelly, the bread is more of a sub roll, so it's impossible to achieve a crispy, buttery exterior. Another issue with Which Which's Grilled Cheese Kidswhich is that it's small, like really small. I know it's a kids' meal, and it comes with chips and your choice of drink (milk, chocolate milk, or a juice box), but I almost ate the entire thing in four bites. Just saying. Even so, it only costs $6.50 plus tax, making it the least expensive option of the bunch. So that's another saving grace, but all things considered, Which Which isn't the place for a super satisfying grilled cheese sandwich. For that, you'll want to go to one of the upcoming restaurant chains. Consider yourself warned.

If you're looking for more of a classic grilled cheese sandwich, this is where my ranking takes a turn for the better. Hooray! Starting with Firehouse Subs' Hot Grilled Cheese Combo, I would happily order every sandwich again, no reservations about it. As for Firehouse's offering specifically, it costs $6.99 plus tax, and it comes with a drink and a cookie, so it's not too bad, all things considered. What really makes it a solid choice, though, is the sandwich itself.

Firehouse Subs' Hot Grilled Cheese is made with white bread and cheddar, two standard picks that won't steer you wrong. After opening my to-go box, I knew right away that it would beat the two lower-ranking recipes. Not only did it look crispy, something they couldn't achieve due to the type of bread they used, but the cheese melted beautifully as well. After getting a taste, I confirmed my suspicions were right. It was deliciously crispy on the outside and nice and soft in the middle. I also detected a yummy butter flavor that brought the entire sandwich together.

Positive traits aside, Firehouse Subs' Hot Grilled Cheese Combo isn't going to wow anyone. It will certainly satisfy a craving for the humble comfort food sandwich, but it won't leave you wondering when you can get your hands on another one. It's more than good, but we can still do better, as you'll learn coming up.

Five Guys has been family-owned since 1986, and I'm a sucker for its French fries, so I had high hopes for the Grilled Cheese. Fortunately, it didn't let me down. At first sight, I was a bit disappointed with how small it was, but one taste and I knew it was right on the money.

Five Guys' Grilled Cheese Sandwich is made with American cheese (a classic pick), but it offers something no other restaurant chain does — an inside-out sesame seed bun. When I placed my order, I wasn't sure how that would translate to a grilled cheese sandwich, but let me tell you: It was downright drool-worthy. Thanks to Five Guys flipping the burger bun around, you get an uber-crispy exterior and a pillowy soft interior that is hard to beat. The American cheese inside was nothing if not gooey, and there was plenty of butter as well.

My main complaint with Five Guys' Grilled Cheese is that I wanted more of it. While I reveled in the rich flavors and textures, the small size was a serious letdown for me. If it had cost $4 instead of $6.59 plus tax, it could have gone all the way. Or better yet, if Five Guys gave you two for the same price, it would have easily taken my number one spot. Alas, that's simply not the case, so fourth place is where it lands.

The first sandwich to breach the top three is none other than Starbucks' Grilled Cheese. It costs $6.95 plus tax, so it's a bit on the pricey side (especially since you don't get any drinks or extras with it), but it more than makes up for it with premium quality and flavor. Oh yeah, you get a whole sandwich too, so you can forget about wishing there was more of it. Actually, scratch that, it's good enough that that will probably still happen. It just won't be based on a restricted size in the first place.

Starbucks' Crispy Grilled Cheese on Sourdough is made with sourdough bread, and it tasted pretty freaking fresh to me. It also boasted a premium quality flavor, and the grilled texture was nothing to scoff at. Deliciously crispy yet still soft inside, it was fried to perfection. The ratio of bread-to-cheese was excellent as well. Additionally, it featured both mild cheddar and baby Gouda, so there was no lack of flavor. Compared to everything that ranked lower, it felt like an adult pick. Not that kids would not enjoy it, but it was more sophisticated, and my palate loved it.

There are quite a few Starbucks secrets you'll wish you knew sooner, and I guess you can go ahead and add remembering that the grilled cheese sandwich is killer to the list. Even so, it didn't have what it takes to surpass the two upcoming picks. They boast more classic flavor, and they come with extras.

Coming in hot in the number two spot is Modern Market Eatery's Kid Grilled Cheese Dipper. It may be a new menu item, but something tells me it's going to stick around for a while. After all, you already know it's a banger since it earned such a high ranking.

Modern Market Eatery's Kid Grilled Cheese Dipper costs $6.95 plus tax, and it comes with scallion ranch dipping sauce and a bag of Kettle Brand potato chips. As for the sandwich itself, it is made with sourdough bread and a blend of mozzarella (the meltiest cheese scientifically) and parmesan. While this doesn't necessarily sound all that groundbreaking, I can tell you that it led to mouthwateringly delicious results. The bread was cooked perfectly, and there was an abundance of gooey cheese. I could tell Modern Market didn't hold back on the butter, either.

As far as grilled cheese sandwiches go, Modern Market Eatery's Kid Grilled Cheese Dipper gave me all the nostalgic feels. It may not be as sophisticated as Starbucks' (in third place), but it boasted a classic taste anyone could love. There's no denying it comes at a better value as well — the two sandwiches are priced the same, but Modern Market's comes with extras — hence its higher ranking. Still, the grilled cheese that earned number one had it beat. Not by much, but the textures and flavors were slightly better.

Without further ado, the restaurant chain to earn the award for the best grilled cheese is Panera Bread! It may be tied for first when it comes to the priciest option of the bunch ($8.99 plus tax), but it also comes with a bag of chips, and it tasted so freaking good that I couldn't care less. Uber-buttery, crispy, and cheese-pull for days, it put the competition to shame.

Panera Bread's Grilled Cheese may not be fancy — it's made with American cheese and white miche bread — but the elements come together in expert fashion. From the extra-thick cut of the bread, which leads to pillowy softness and crispy perfection, to the abundance of cheese and butter, it is a showstopper for sure. The American cheese was super gooey and flavorful as well, proving once and for all that the best grilled cheese doesn't require multiple types of cheese. Plus, there was so much of it that it was oozing out over the sides of the bread. Finally!

Instead of going out of the way to make fancy upgrades, Panera Bread focused on the grilled cheese basics with its recipe, and it resulted in a phenomenal classic flavor that won't be denied. As I said, it may be a bit more expensive than most of the other sandwiches I sampled, but when it comes to texture, flavor, and quality, there's no doubt in my mind that it had to come out on top.

As a lifelong lover of grilled cheese sandwiches and all things cheese, for that matter, I couldn't wait to give the popular restaurant chains' recipes found above a try. I mean, yes, please! So, after driving around and acquiring the goods, I quickly rushed home and dove right in.

When it came down to ranking such a basic (yet darn near perfect) dish, I chose to focus on perceived quality, textures, cheese-to-bread ratio, overall flavor, and price vs value. The grilled cheese sandwiches that made it to the top of my list were extra cheesy, buttery, and boasted classic flavors for days. Of course, they were cooked just right as well. Translation: The bread was crispy on the outside and still pillowy soft on the inside. They also tasted like they were made with premium quality ingredients and came at the right price. Or, at the very least, came with something extra, like a bag of chips or a drink. 

So, if you want the best of the best — which, obviously, you do — I recommend sticking to the top four restaurant chain grilled cheese sandwiches and writing the bottom two off your list of potential purchases for good.