Fast Food Critic - Reviews, News and Nutrition Information about Fast Food.

The roast beef icon also serves good chicken sandwiches.

If you remember my review of the Crispy Chicken Bacon and Swiss Sandwich from Arby’s, you know it made a great impression on me. The chicken filet is tender, juicy and well seasoned, topped with delicious thick-cut peppered bacon, Swiss cheese and honey mustard. On a good day, with everything fresh and cooked just right… it’s one of the few chicken sandwiches that can approach the same level of satisfaction as my beloved Chick-fil-A. If you have an Arby’s close to you, drop by and try it.

And, if you like the Crispy Chicken Bacon and Swiss, you’re probably also going to like this Chicken Cordon Bleu. There’s two differences: the bacon is replaced by slices of ham, and the honey mustard is replaced by mayonnaise. The chicken filet, Swiss cheese and bun remain the same. Although the two items share the same base ingredients, the different ’secondary’ meats and sauces do a good job of creating fairly distinct sandwiches. In the end, the chicken breast filet is juicy and delicious on both, and I think ‘total’ satisfaction depends on your preference of bacon or ham.

I would say the taste and texture of Arby’s ham puts it in the same ‘class’ of meat as their roast beef. You won’t mistake it for a top quality freshly baked honey ham, but it’s on par with many packaged processed meats at the supermarket. The Swiss cheese has a smooth subtle flavor and provides a healthy amount of real cheese goodness. The chicken breast is moist and flavorful inside, with a light crunchy breading outside. A hunk of real breast meat with natural layers that tear away with each bite.

I rate the Ham/Swiss combination slightly lower than the Bacon/Swiss, because I feel Arby’s peppered bacon makes a bigger, better impact than their ham. That being said, the ham tastes fine. It has a decent flavor, slightly sweet, it’s tender and sliced very thin. The classic combination of Ham and Swiss is usually a winner, and it doesn’t disappoint here. The mayonnaise is certainly not a problem, but after several times eating the Cordon Bleu I decided to try ordering it with honey mustard instead, and they were happy to oblige. It was excellent — an improvement in my opinion.

On the whole, from store to store, I’ve found Arby’s quality control and consistency to be above average compared to industry competition, but you’re still more likely to get a bad sandwich there than a place like Chick-fil-A. Of course Arby’s has a bigger menu to maintain, including over 20 different sandwiches. Chick-fil-A has only 3 sandwiches. Considering the exceptional success and high quality of CFA, it makes a person wonder if some fast-food menus are too crowded, with the focus and resources of the companies spread too thin. Oh well, that’s another topic for another time.

The Chicken Cordon Bleu from Arby’s is a very good sandwich. Arby’s is best known for their Roast Beef sandwiches, but their current line of chicken products are worthy of sharing space alongside offerings from traditional chicken kings like Chick-fil-A, KFC, Popeyes and Church’s. Depending on what part of the country you’re located, Arby’s may also offer a “Grilled” version of this sandwich with less fat and calories.

Price: $3.19 / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

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Nutrition Facts - Arby’s, Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich (Crispy).

Calories - 590
Calories from Fat - 232
Total Fat - 25 grams
Carbs - 48 grams
Saturated Fat - 5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 76 milligrams
Sodium - 1986 milligrams
Protein - 37 grams