If you love the taste of fresh Italian ingredients, like pesto, mozzarella and prosciutto, then we’ve found the sandwich of your dreams from Mendocino Farms. This casual restaurant chain, which opened its first store in Los Angeles, features a popular sammie on its creative menu that’s a true symphony of Italian flavors: the prosciutto & chicken.
The winner in our list of 13 Mendocino Farms sandwiches, ranked worst to best, this sandwich was super scrumptious as it had several layers of tasty textural ingredients that created the perfect bite. The hearty chicken and salty prosciutto were balanced with mellow mozzarella while the crushed honey-roasted almonds provided crunch and sweetness that easily elevated this sarnie into first place. Along with the premium textural ingredients, came the herby flavor of basil pesto and a balsamic glaze drizzle, which made this sandwich sing. Finally, the panini-pressed ciabatta perfectly complemented the texture of the stuffing inside this harmonious Italian-centric hoagie.
Mendocino Farms’ prosciutto & chicken sandwich has 45g of protein in total making it a highly satisfying menu option with great macros. The only sammie with a higher protein content at 46g is the chicken parm dip, which has a similar Italian vibe courtesy of the parmesan cheeses, pomodoro sauce, and Italian basil layered up with the crispy chicken.
The prosciutto & chicken sandwich is generously filled
The prosciutto & chicken sandwich has been a key player on Mendocino Farms’ menu for over a decade. In fact, all the way back in 2014, a reviewer on Trip Advisor wrote that the “Chicken & Prosciutto plus extra almonds plus mendo krispies is the BEST SANDWICH EVER!!!,” highlighting its consistent appeal. We reckon requesting extra almonds and Mendo krispies (“a one-of-a-kind crunchy, herby, buttermilk-polenta topping,” per Mendocino Farms’ website), as the reviewer suggests, would turn this sammie up a notch, boosting its satisfying texture and crispy, flavorful crunch even further.
The bulky size and generous fillings in this Italian-style sammie means you could easily share it with a friend if you toss in a couple of bags of chips. While it isn’t available on Mendocino Farm’s 1/2 sandwich combo online menu (where customers can enjoy either a soup or a side with half a sandwich), you could simply order your preferred item separately to make a two-course lunch for two.
The loser in our taste test was the Peruvian steak. While this offering featured all the best bits of Peruvian flavor, such as amarillo peppers and Oaxacan cheese, the combination just didn’t work. The intensity of the heat from the peppers overwhelmed the sandwich and masked the milder taste of the aioli and delicate veggies. Plus, the potato bread was soft, which didn’t provide the texture and body that the sammie was crying out for.
