When picturing a cheesesteak, many things come to mind. The first might be ribbons of steak. The second might be a generous cover of Cheez Wiz or melty American cheese over steak and chopped onions. The third might be the hoagie roll holding the whole thing together. As long as there have been cheesesteaks, hoagie rolls have been the bread of choice — a no-nonsense roll that provides the perfect balance of sturdiness and squish.
Panera entered the cheesesteak game in mid-2024 with a curious offering: the ciabatta cheesesteak. While the use of ciabatta bread may raise a few eyebrows from cheesesteak traditionalists, the entry is part of a “New Era” menu and includes a ciabatta roll drizzled in garlic aioli, melted provolone cheese, zesty sweet peppers, caramelized onions, and marinated sliced steak.
We got our hands on Panera’s cheesesteak during a menu tasting and were surprised by what it brought to the table. It doesn’t have the straight meaty, cheesy punch of a traditional cheesesteak, but the peppers are a game changer. They offered a little bit of heat, tang, and sweetness to balance the traditional meat-and-cheese pairing. The sandwiches came, went, and were replenished quickly at the testing, proving to be a big hit among testers.
An artisan take on a classic
Those familiar with Panera’s menu know the company’s lineup of sandwiches starts with the bread. To that end, Panera uses a variety of breads in its sandwich lineup, including French bread, Miche, Focaccia, and ciabatta. While Panera doesn’t give a specific reason for using ciabatta for its cheesesteak, the Panera menu lists the bread as “artisan ciabatta.” So it’s likely the bread of choice for an artisan take on a classic everyman sandwich.
Panera’s cheesesteak scored big points with us, but it’s apparently not a hit with all customers. Redditors have lauded the taste but noted the uneven ratio of meat to bread — as in too much bread and too little meat. Customers have noted that the taste of the meat isn’t good, and that they’ve asked for a double scoop of meat or the addition of vegetables to make the sandwich more filling. Some note the sandwich isn’t worth the price tag (around $13.49) and that it doesn’t look as appetizing as advertised.
Panera’s take on the cheesesteak may not be “traditional,” and will still carry with it a variety of opinions. But, customers looking for a rustic, artisan version of the classic sandwich may, at the very least, be intrigued by the addition of new flavors like the garlic aioli or tangy peppers.
