Back in August, Fast Food Critic reported the news that Dominos was releasing their own line of Oven Baked Sandwiches. After reading in that article the Dominos people discussing their competitors, I hoped these new items would be prepared just as quickly as sandwiches you’d receive at Subway or Quiznos. However, in the back of my mind I had a feeling they weren’t quite going to be ‘fast’ food. Of the four choices available, the Chicken Bacon Ranch sounded like the best suited for my taste.

The sign in Domino’s window said they’re made with artisan bread, melted cheese (provolone), premium meats, and loaded with flavor. After reading that, I still didn’t have high expectations for the sandwiches, probably because I’ve never been blown away by their pizzas. I like them, but if I had a choice between Domino’s and my local pizza place, I’d usually go to the local pizza joint. When I first went to order my sandwich, they told me it’d be ready in 8 minutes. After 10 minutes of waiting, (it was also 10 minutes the second time at a different location) I had the sandwich in my hands and was headed back to work. Immediately, the smell of bacon was filling my car. It smelled great, and I couldn’t wait to see if it had the taste to back it up.

The first time I ate the sandwich, it was amazing. The bread was perfectly toasted. The outside had a light crust, with just enough buttery oil. The crust wasn’t toasted so much that it was tough to bite into. It was the perfect level of toasting. The inside of the bread was nice and soft, with some of the juices from the meat soaking into the bread. I wouldn’t call the chicken they used “premium”, but I was still impressed with how juicy it was. The bacon was flavorful and not too salty. The provolone cheese had been melted perfectly, getting a little brown around the edges. They didn’t overload the sandwich with ranch sauce. It had just enough to notice it without taking over.

I felt that everything was perfectly balanced. I feared one of the flavors was going to overpower the others, but that wasn’t the case. They all blended together nicely. I’m not sure if you can tell from the picture, but half of my sandwich had good distribution of ingredients and the other did not. However, I still enjoyed the badly distributed side because each bite had plenty of cheese and sauce, and tasted great. Once I got to the end of my sandwich, I needed some dipping sauce for the crusty part left over.

After the first sandwich, I was ready to give the Chicken Bacon Ranch a score of “A”, but I had to try it at least one more time at another location. Sadly, the second time didn’t live up to the first experience. There was barely any chicken. I didn’t mind so much the distribution errors, but at least I received a good amount of chicken with the first one. The bacon was just as good on the second sandwich, as was the sauce, cheese, and bread. Also, I received a cup of ranch dipping sauce, which I had not received on the first occasion. That extra sauce improved the remaining crust.

Overall, the second sandwich was like having one of their pizzas - not awesome but still good enough for a solid “B”, and together with the “A” from the first round, deserving of a “B+” average. You have to keep in mind these sandwiches take a little time to make, so I recommend ordering ahead if you can, and be sure you receive the side order of dipping sauce. Once I got past that waiting period, I totally enjoyed these sandwiches. In the future, if I have time to order ahead, and the choices are Domino’s, Subway, or Quiznos, I’m going with Domino’s new Oven Baked Sandwich.

Price: $4.99 / Website: Dominos.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

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Nutrition Facts - Domino’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.

Calories - 890
Calories from Fat - 400
Total Fat - 45 grams
Carbs - 72 grams
Saturated Fat - 16 grams
Trans Fat - 1 gram
Cholesterol - 115 milligrams
Sodium - 2210 milligrams
Protein - 49 grams