This Elevated BLT Is The Best Sandwich You Can Order At Panera Bread

Panera Bread is a great choice for those looking for a quick meal that goes beyond the typical fast food burgers and fries. Rather than the usual suspects found at McDonald's or Chick-fil-A, the quick-service restaurant offers everything from soup, salads, and sandwiches (even spicy sandwiches) to smoothies, cookies, and bagels. If it's a sandwich you want, there are options like the Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich and the Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt Sandwich. However, when we ranked 16 sandwiches from Panera Bread, we were most impressed by its Bacon Turkey Bravo.

"This simple yet satisfying sandwich comes on the tomato basil bread, and at first glance, it really just looks like an elevated BLT," our reviewer explained. In addition to the usual suspects (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) were slices of turkey and white cheddar cheese. As we ranked Panera Bread's sandwiches, paying close attention to the bread-to-filling ratio, the balance between the bread and fillings, and how well the ingredients interacted with each other, we found the Bacon Turkey Bravo to be "familiar yet unique at the same time."

We also found that the sandwich's breakout star was the Bravo sauce, for which this meal was named. Like standard mayo, this topping offers a creamy boost, but with a tang reminiscent of ketchup. No wonder we consider it one of Panera's best menu items.

While the $12.29 sandwich may not have looked quite like the advertisement, there are options to bulk it up if you'd like something more substantial. It already comes with a free side — either chips, an apple, or a piece of a French baguette — and you can add extra bacon for $3.39 or an avocado for $1.79. Additionally, you can upgrade your side to a fruit cup for $2.39.

On social media, the only complaint people seem to have about this sandwich is the use of white cheddar cheese. Although it seemed like a fine option to us, the Bacon Turkey Bravo used to feature Gouda, and frequent customers weren't too keen on Panera changing its recipe. "Without the Gouda, it's garbage," one Reddit user wrote. Another suggested the restaurant had gone downhill in recent years, complaining that, "My sandwich came without Gouda." 

The original Bacon Turkey Bravo might be a discontinued Panera item that should return for some. But for us, it's perfect as is.