6 Chain Restaurants Serving The Best Club Sandwiches, According To Reviews

Sliced chicken or turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mayonnaise piled between two (or three) slices of bread make up a classic club sandwich. Of course, some versions add mustard or avocado or swap the sliced cold cuts for grilled chicken, but when you order a club at any chain restaurant, you should expect the same core ingredients. Think of it as a bulked-up BLT sandwich with more protein and toppings.

For a little history, the origins of the club sandwich are a bit contested. Saratoga Club House, which now operates as Canfield Casino, claims it invented the club sandwich in 1894, but others point to its creation elsewhere. Regardless, you can find club sandwiches at many chain eateries across the country today. So, which chain does it best? To find out, we looked at online customer reviews across numerous social media and review platforms to see what people had to say about the sandwich's flavor, value, and quality. Some of these favorites are sit-down eateries, while others are more casual sandwich shops. We strayed from fast-food chains and focused on chains that have at least 10 locations.

The first place that customers claim has a stellar club sandwich is BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, which has nearly 220 locations across the country. The California-based restaurant calls its rendition the California Chicken Club Sandwich. It features chicken, Applewood-smoked bacon, sliced avocado (hence its name), Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and roasted garlic aioli. Unlike some versions of the sandwich, it doesn't have a third piece of bread nestled between the fixings. 

A quick search on Yelp shows customers who think it's a solid choice because of the all-white-meat chicken and the toasted bread. The toasted bread helps hold up the aioli and all of the fixings, which is important for a hearty sandwich. According to other reviews, the unique touches, like the roasted garlic aioli and sliced avocado, make the sandwich stand out compared to those at other chain eateries like The Cheesecake Factory.

You may or may not like a chain diner-esque restaurant like Denny's. However, its club sandwich might change your mind. Coined the Cali Club Sandwich, its version of the club comes with seven-grain bread loaded with roasted turkey breast, ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, sliced avocado, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. The sandwich comes with a side, like fries or hash browns, and you can add seasonal fruit to your plate for a slight upcharge. When it comes to which side to pick, the seasoned fries are crispy and pair well with ranch, per some online reviewers. 

On one Reddit thread about this sandwich, a slew of customers were impressed with Denny's version because it's a classic take and skirts any other frills that would make it look messy (and the photo looked crave-worthy). Fans online also like the combination of the avocado and bacon, which offer a nice textural contrast to the other sandwich components.

Firehouse Subs offers the Club on the Sub, and the online reviews we found say it stands out when doused in Captain Sorensen's Datil Pepper Hot Sauce. On Reddit, customers are also fans of this version of the club sandwich, with reviews specifically calling out the sandwich's generous amount of meat. The original Club on the Sub has smoked turkey, honey ham, bacon, Monterey Jack (instead of the classic Swiss), lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, and mustard on a hoagie-style bun. It comes with a pickle spear on the side, and you can make it a combo with a drink and a bag of chips. You can also order it in various sizes depending on how hungry you are or how many people you need to feed. 

There's also the Firehouse Captain's Club, which kicks up the heat with hot sauce and special sauce. Both of these sandwiches made our ranking of popular Firehouse Subs sandwiches, by the way.

Next up on the list is Jason's Deli, which offers multiple versions of the club. Its Deli Club got a "10/10" rating on one TikTok review, and apparently the cheesecake is pretty solid, too. The club comes with three slices of multigrain wheat bread piled with ham, roasted turkey, bacon, cheddar and Swiss cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. It stands out to customers for having generous portions compared to other chains. 

There's also the Club Royale, which also gets rave reviews on Instagram for the amount of meat you get for the price. Then there's the honey mustard, which fans on Facebook seem to like compared to plain mayonnaise or mustard. It's the perfect tangy complement to offset the richness of all of that meat. Some customers even like to get extra honey mustard, because you can customize your sandwich here like other chains. Jason's Deli also makes a California Club, which adds guacamole and field greens to the classic version of the sandwich.

At Jersey Mike's, there are also two versions of the club sandwich, both of which come as subs. The Club Sub has turkey, ham, provolone cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise. It's all about the crispy bacon, freshly sliced meats, and the tang from the vinaigrette, according to one TikTok review. It also has many other favorable reviews on other platforms, like Facebook, and many customers agree that this is a solid place to get your club sandwich. Some also appreciate that it comes with shredded lettuce, which adds crunch to the sandwich. And with over 3,350 locations across the country, there's a good chance that you'll come across one so you can get your hands on this sandwich.

Meanwhile, the Club Supreme adds roast beef to the sandwich, and customers like the quality of its cold cuts as a whole. The bacon on the Club Supreme is also a game changer, according to reviews — another reason Jersey Mike's made our list. Get it "Mike's Way," which adds onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and salt for even more flavor in each bite.

McAlister's was often recommended on Reddit when we looked for the best spots to get a club sandwich. Reviews on Instagram and Facebook also say the club sandwich is worth a try.

There are several club sandwiches at McAlister's, and the McAlister's Club and King Club are the ones that were featured in most of the reviews we came across. The McAlister's Club has turkey, Black Forest ham, bacon, sharp cheddar and Swiss cheeses, salad mix, mayonnaise, and honey mustard, while the King Club adds more meat. Online reviewers say that the King Club sandwich is massive, though you can always save some for later. Additionally, fans say McAlister's is even better than pricier options, which is a plus, considering how expensive sandwiches can be these days. You can also get a wrap, a version of the sandwich with grilled chicken, or one with roast beef, depending on your cravings.

To figure out which chain restaurants sell the best club sandwiches, we turned to customer reviews on social media and review platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, and Yelp. The reviews needed to highlight the quality of the sandwich, like how much meat or other ingredients were piled between the bread. Other factors included the flavor, whether it was a top-notch version of the classic sandwich, or had a component like avocado that made it stand out. Comments about pricing for the quality or flavor were also considered.

We also tried to stick to the most traditional versions of the sandwich, since there are so many versions. However, certain qualities, like the inclusion of avocado, a different condiment instead of mayonnaise, not having a third piece of bread, or using grilled chicken, were considered, as they are all standard variations. All chain restaurants must have had at least 10 locations across multiple states to be included.