I Tried the Grilled Cheese at 5 Chains & the Best Was Buttery and Perfectly Griddled

Right up there with cheeseburgers and cheesesteaks, a classic grilled cheese sandwich is about as Americana as it gets. A quintessential comfort food, this seemingly simple sandwich is endlessly versatile, which is a big reason why it's so endearing on such a wide scale.

For some, the ultimate grilled cheese is one that treads in gourmet ingredients and ample add-ons, while others still prefer the nostalgia of melty Kraft singles on white bread. Whether homemade or from a popular restaurant chain, there's no denying the stranglehold that grilled cheese has on the American palate.

All of which makes it ripe for a taste test. After recently ranking other staple sandwiches from restaurant chains, like meatball subs and BLTs, I went back to basics on this one, visiting several fast-food chains on a road trip through New Mexico and Oklahoma. With each stop, I opted to keep things as simple as possible, eschewing accouterments and chefly novelties in favor of the most bare-bones options available, all in the service of keeping things even and fair.

With that in mind, it shocked me how dramatically different these seemingly simple sandwiches were in terms of bread and cheeses. After trying five grilled cheese sandwiches at five different chains, here are the results ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall winner.

Schlotzky's

This was my first time at Schlotzky's—and it might be my last. In Oklahoma City, I had heard love-hate mumblings about the chain, apparently known for its fluffy and buttery sourdough buns, but I had my concerns about how this style of sandwich would hold up with a grilled cheese. Turns out, not great! This sandwich cost me $8.79.

The look: Made with two cheeses, mozzarella and cheddar, on their signature sourdough bun with "signature sauce," this thing looked like a bastardization of a classic. The sesame-seeded bun was more akin to a greasy-looking muffaletta, minus any of the good parts of that sandwich. I have to assume this bread makes a lot more sense with some of their composed sandwiches, because the grilled cheese just looked incomplete—like an afterthought item on the kids' menu. The main thing here is that it just looks way too bready, and in addition to not being cheesy enough, the slices of cheese appear to be not melted enough either. Suffice to say I was not excited to bite into it.

The taste: Upon my first couple bites, my daunted assumptions proved correct. It's just as bready as it looks, and not only that, but the bread tastes oddly rubbery and greasy. It desperately needs more cheese, and/or tomato soup, to help counter all that chewy, spongey bread. The cheese, which was indeed not thoroughly melted, also tasted weirdly rubbery. And whatever "signature sauce" they were alluding to was not discernible whatsoever.

 8 Fast-Food Chains That Serve the Best Grilled Cheese

Tom & Chee

Another first-time chain for me was Tom & Chee, which unlike Schlotzky's, specializes in grilled cheese, and particularly "gourmet" versions of the form. So, naturally, I went in with high expectations. Unfortunately, though the more elaborate menu items sounded appealing, the restaurant wasn't able to execute on the simplest level when I ordered a customized grilled cheese with simple American and cheddar on white bread. This build-your-own sandwich cost me $5.49.

The look: While I wasn't aghast like I was at Schlotzky's, I also wasn't impressed whatsoever. For a chain that purportedly specializes in grilled cheese, I expected the most basic and straightforward version of that to at least look appetizing. Instead, this looked limp and uninspired. The bread, which at least made a lot more sense than Schlotzky's sourdough snafu, was nicely toasted and golden brown, but it too looked greasy. The cheese, what little of it there appeared to be, was too neon-orange for my liking.

The taste: It's…fine. The sandwich tastes a bit greasy, but not as much as I expected, and the bread had a nice buttery flavor to it. It needs more cheese, since the ratio of cheese to bread is too out of wack, and it wasn't nearly warm enough, either. Overall, it looks and tastes like a very basic—very meh—version of a classic American grilled cheese.

As an added novelty, I couldn't help but notice the restaurant also served grilled cheese donuts for $3.99 each, so I tried one of those as well, and the results were about as unsettling as I assumed. It looks like a sticky bagel sandwich, with cheddar cheese on a grilled glazed donut that simply clash. Weirdly, both the cheddar and the donut tend to overpower one another, so the end result is just a chewy mass of syrupy cheese.

 The Best Way To Make Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Sonic

The most classic of grilled cheese sandwiches, fittingly, came from one of the most classic of American fast-food chains. Made with Texas toast and American cheese, Sonic's grilled cheese is simple, frills-free, and oddly satisfying. This sandwich, which appears on the kids' menu, cost me just $2.59.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: As expected of a grilled cheese off a kids' menu, this thing is very old-school. It looks like something my mom would make me when I was home from school, for better or worse, with buttery bread that looks undeniably enticing. As tends to be the case with kids' menu sandwiches, this was the smallest sandwich of the bunch, and despite looking almost plasticky-perfect, it looked and smelled pretty solid.

The taste: Right in step, it tastes just as classic as it looks. It won't wow you, or keep you coming back for more, but if it's pure nostalgia you're chasing, this'll scratch that itch. I didn't like how the bread tasted slightly sweet, and was almost marshmallow-soft, but the gooey cheese was everything you want in a grilled cheese. All in all, not too shabby.

 I Tried Every Sonic Burger On the Menu & The Best Was Crispy and Gooey

Panera Bread

The chain I had the highest hopes for was Panera—a brand built on bread, wholesome sandwiches, and soups to dip them into. For the most part, it did not disappoint. But on the other hand, it didn't dazzle me either. I ordered their classic grilled cheese, made with American cheese on thick-sliced white miche, and a side of creamy tomato soup for dunking. A half-sandwich paired with a cup of creamy tomato soup cost me $10.18.

The look: With molten cheese oozing over the edges of the bread, this was genuinely surprising and fascinating. It's clear that they griddled this fresh, and that they allow the excess cheese to spill over and cook on the grill, which was a nice tough in terms of texture. The bread, though, looked mysteriously uncooked somehow, nor was it warm enough. The cheese also had a weirdly waxy look and touch, but I don't exactly expect gourmet presentation when it comes to American cheese.

The taste: Fortunately, this tasted way better than it looked. Aside from the fact that it should be hotter, and meltier, it tastes fantastic. It's like a classic American grilled cheese, but elevated with an ample amount of American cheese to add some enriching heft, and bread that is fluffy and crusty, without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Again, I wish the bread was more toasted and buttery, but it's altogether confusingly good regardless. Especially when dunked into the excellent creamy tomato soup, though for the sake of fairness, I didn't count that as part of the overall taste-test appeal.

 Panera Launches 2 New Melty Sandwiches for Soup-Dipping

Five Guys

The sleeper hit of the bunch, Five Guys has always been a chain that I associate with too-greasy, too-salty french fries. I've had its burgers before, but not the grilled cheese, so I was cautiously intrigued. To my shock and delight, Five Guys is low-key serving one of the most interesting—and unique—grilled cheese sandwiches on the market. The sandwich cost me $6.29.

The look: Made with slices of American cheese on an inside-out sesame seed bun, this was—by far—the most unusual, and most inventive, presentation of the entire bunch. The bun looked amazing, and so well-griddled. It had the perfect amount of buttery sheen, and golden-brown toastiness, without looking greasy at all. The cheese, which was plentiful, looked just as appetizing, with just the right amount of ooey-gooey texture.

The taste: It turns out that inverting a sesame seed hamburger bun is an A+ idea for grilled cheese! The texture and taste were both incredible, adding just the right amount of body and toasted flavor, without drowning out the cheese. I also like that it's moderately sized, and not too decadent, while also not skimping on the cheese. It scratches the comfort food itch, without beating you over the head with it, or leaning too heavily on a greasy griddle or too much bread.

Five Guys might be known for burgers and fries, but the next time I have a hankering for grilled cheese, I know where I'm heading.

Why Trust Eat This, Not That!?
Eat This, Not That! is committed to creating high-quality content that you can trust to be accurate, properly researched, routinely reviewed, and updated with the latest information. Our writers, editors, and medical and/or certified experts consider this to be an unwavering promise we make to our readers in the pursuit of delivering impactful and meaningful content.