5 Ordering Tips To Get The Best Panera Bread Sandwiches

Since its inception back in 1987 as the St. Louis Bread Company, Panera Bread has been a staple casual chain that boasts a menu full of classic comfort food. From the Mac and Cheese to the Bacon Turkey Bravo, there's no shortage of options at Panera, and the chain is always coming out with new products to keep us on our toes. 

Despite Panera's ubiquity, many long-time fans miss the chain's old school days, when fresh-baked bread and higher-quality ingredients gave it an edge. In recent years, complaints about the chain's declining quality and higher prices have been common, too. But at the end of the day, it remains a reliable spot to sit down and enjoy a sandwich, soup, or salad. 

If you've been a loyal Panera fan for a while, you likely have a go-to sandwich order. While Panera's sandwiches are solid as-is, you should know that the chain is surprisingly lenient when it comes to customizations and changes. So, if you're looking to breathe some new life into your favorite sandwich, consider giving your typical order some flair on your next trip. All you have to do is ask. 

Every Panera Bread sandwich comes on a different type of bread. The Mediterranean Veggie sandwich comes on Tomato Basil Miche, the Spicy Fiesta Chicken comes on Ciabatta, and the Grilled Cheese comes on the Classic White Loaf. Each type of bread works well with the sandwich's corresponding ingredients, but if you're looking for a subtle change to your favorite sandwich, start with the bread.

While you can absolutely swap your bread for a different variety, try ordering your sandwich on a bagel instead. It will cost an extra 60 cents, but it could be worth it for the added texture and flavor. Just like the chain's bread, Panera's bagels are par-baked in store. But even though they aren't as freshly-baked as they once were, they're still pretty solid — and make for a great bread substitution.

This ordering tip might also get you extra food. According to some fans on social media, if you order a whole sandwich on a bagel, you'll get the sandwich on two separate bagels. This is allegedly because Panera's ordering system recognizes two bagels as two slices of bread. While we can't confirm this, two bagels for the price of one sandwich sounds pretty sweet.

If you're looking to turn a meat-based sandwich vegetarian but don't want to make a million customization requests, this free ingredient swap is for you. Avocado typically costs around $1.89 extra to add to a sandwich or salad, but when you remove the meat, Panera won't charge you extra for it. Instead, they'll just sub the meat with the avocado, giving you a more filling and veggie-forward sandwich — even though it's technically a fruit.

According to a Redditor on the Panera Bread subreddit, if you order a sandwich that already comes with both avocado and meat, like the Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT, you double the existing avocado for no additional charge. According to other self-proclaimed employees on Reddit, a whole sandwich features half of an avocado, so in theory, you could get an entire avocado if you swap the meat out. We haven't tried this ordering tip, but it's definitely worth it if you're an avocado fan.

If you're looking to eat more veggies, you'll be delighted to know that extra veggies (sans avocado) don't cost a cent — and Panera Bread has a pretty solid lineup. You can order extra cucumber, red onions, peppadew peppers, mixed greens, pickled red onions, sliced tomatoes, basil, cilantro, caramelized onions, arugula, roasted corn, romaine, and sliced pepperoncini. You can also ask for a lighter amount of the veggies, if you prefer.

If you decide to order additional veggies that don't typically come on your sandwich, keep in mind that the Panera Bread ordering system will only allow you to add five free additional items. However, this still gives you plenty of freedom to get creative with your sandwich.

The Mediterranean Veggie is a good place to start. One vegetarian employee on Reddit suggests ordering this sandwich on focaccia, removing the hummus and feta, and adding cheddar, mozzarella, lettuce, peppadew peppers, avocado, and aioli. Another suggests starting with the Toasted Garden Caprese and adding pickled red onion, roasted corn, and peppadew peppers. Whichever way you go, if you're a veggie lover, you're bound to be satisfied.

Panera Bread has an impressive assortment of cheeses, including mozzarella, American, provolone, Asiago, Parmesan, white cheddar, and feta. While your instinct might be to keep the standard cheese on your sandwich, swapping for a different variety is a great way to give your sandwich a subtle but exciting new flavor profile.

If you order a Toasted Italiano (which we think is better than competitor Italian subs), you'll notice it comes with provolone. However, if you'd rather add Asiago or mozzarella, you can request a cheese swap for no extra charge. If the Grilled Cheese is more your speed but you don't love American, you can can swap it out for white cheddar — or whatever cheese suits your fancy. Keep in mind that if you decide to add a new type of cheese and keep the original cheese, you'll be charged around $1.49 for the additional slice (or slices).

In addition to cheeses, Panera Bread's menu is also full of different sauces you can utilize to customize sandwiches. However, unlike cheese, you can order up to five extras sauces for no additional price (this also applies to salad dressings, if salads are your go-to Panera Bread order). The lineup includes Balsamic Glaze, Basil Pesto Spread, Apple Cider BBQ, Bravo Sauce, Salsa Verde Spread, Chipotle Aioli, and more.

If your favorite Panera sandwich is the Bacon Turkey Bravo but you aren't a fan of its signature Bravo Sauce, you can swap it for mayonnaise for a more classic BLT vibe. Or, if you want to seriously take it up a notch, add some Basil Pesto Spread. If you have never tried adding basil to your BLTs, trust us: it's the unexpected herb your sandwich is missing. Whether you go light or heavy on it is up to you, but the customization is completely free of charge, so why not give it a try?