The Chain With The Hands-Down Best BLT Sets The Standard For Perfectly Balanced Sandwiches

The BLT is a simple sandwich. As the name implies, all you need is bacon, lettuce, and tomato, (although some might insert all kinds of extra toppings from eggs to avocados). Yet as Chowhound found when we taste tested and ranked eight chain restaurant BLTs, there are still some right and wrong ways to stick three ingredients in between some bread. We rated the sandwiches based on how well everything came together (and whether any extra ingredients fit in). Rather than looking for a specific ratio of, say, bacon to tomato, it was all about finding the sandwich with the best balance of ingredients, and ideally, some degree of value for money.

And the top-ranked sandwich? The BLT at Jersey Mike's Subs. This sandwich kept things classic, with only bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, no extras, and it was perfectly balanced. No ingredient was in excess or lacking, and most importantly, they tasted good too — the bacon was well seasoned, the tomatoes juicy, and the lettuce crunchy. Even the bread (a weak spot of Jersey Mike's, according to some) worked perfectly, striking the perfect middle ground between fluffy and yet firm enough to hold everything together without making a mess.

It's hard to nail down a consensus on what everyone else thinks of Jersey Mike's BLT. Although there's no shortage of people out there who have ranked Jersey Mike's menu items, the BLT is often just left out completely (although to be fair, such rankings typically only cover a portion of the menu). Where it does appear, it gets a thumbs-up, but not top position.

Similarly, when people are polled about their favorite Jersey Mike's items, the BLT is sometimes mentioned, but often with the caveat that you should add extras to it like cheese or cherry peppers. Most notably, the chain's BLT got some viral attention from a TikTok trend where it was dubbed the "pregnancy sandwich" (likely because some pregnant people avoid uncooked deli meat), but this version also featured a host of added ingredients. So while plenty of people swear by it, they are giving a stamp of approval to a modified BLT, not the classic one.

That said, those who do try the unedited BLT seem to generally approve of the sandwich. It's praised for having a generous hit of bacon (some have reported over 10 strips in one sub) and generally being a well-done classic. Some say it would be better if it could be toasted, but overall it's seen as good, even though many would say it only becomes great with add-ons.

And if you're wondering which chain's BLT to avoid? That would be Panera Bread's Grilled Chicken and Avo BLT — a mess of too many elements between bread.