We Wouldn't Want Our Worst Enemy To Eat This Chain Restaurant's Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is one of those dishes that should be nearly impossible to mess up. Bread, butter, and cheese — it's a straightforward formula. But as Daily Meal found in a recent taste test of six fast-food grilled cheeses, some fast-casual chains still manage to miss the mark. Ranking them on factors like bread quality, cheese flavor, melt consistency, and overall cohesion, we set out to find the best (and worst) option. Panera Bread's take didn't just fall short — it landed in last place for a reason.

On paper, it seemed promising. The sandwich was the largest of the group, stacked with thick slices of classic white miche bread and gooey American cheese. But size wasn't enough to save it. The bread, rather than being buttery and crisp, had a noticeable charred flavor that overpowered everything else. And while grilled cheese is supposed to be all about the cheese, this one barely delivered. The American cheese tasted dull and lifeless, lacking the richness that makes the dish satisfying. Instead of melting into a creamy, indulgent bite, the texture was stiff and unappealing, failing to bring the sandwich together.

If Panera's grilled cheese had been a budget-friendly option, it might have been easier to overlook its shortcomings. But at $8.39 before tax — and over $11 in some locations — the price was almost as unpalatable as the sandwich itself. For that kind of money, you'd expect something that at least delivers on the basics: Quality cheese, well-toasted bread, and a satisfying bite. Instead, Panera's version felt like a premium price tag slapped on cafeteria-quality food.

And customers have noticed. One Reddit user balked at the cost, pointing out that for the same amount, they could buy a full loaf of bread, a block of cheese, and butter — enough to make an entire week's worth of sandwiches at home. Another called it "the saddest excuse for grilled cheese" they'd ever seen, while others agreed that the sandwich was bland, dry, and overpriced. Panera's bread is usually a selling point, but here, it worked against them — the tough, charred crust and uninspired filling made it feel more like a missed opportunity than a meal.

For a chain that built its reputation on soups and sandwiches, you'd think they'd have a handle on something as simple as grilled cheese. Yet this sandwich fell flat in every way that mattered. Maybe Hawaii and Alaska lucked out as the only two states without a Panera. The rest of us? We're better off making a copycat Panera fontina grilled cheese at home.