Why Employees Say To Think Twice Before Ordering Bacon At One Sandwich Fast Food Chain

Bacon isn't a major protein at Jimmy John's but it certainly features in enough of the sandwiches that it could make or break an order. And, while Jimmy John's makes no secret about using premium ingredients — locations whip up freshly baked bread throughout the day and slice provolone cheese and deli meats in-house — the sandwich chain still buys its bacon in precooked.

While, in theory, this could work out fine (lots of fast food places buy in precooked bacon), the precooked bacon served at Jimmy John's is known for being low quality. Even Jimmy John's employees warn customers to steer clear of it with one commenter on Reddit noting that a batch of bacon they'd received looked seriously unappetizing and might even have been raw. Another said, "I hate our disgusting bacon, and am ashamed to serve it." Yikes.

Jimmy John's also makes the strange decision to serve the precooked bacon — which is temptingly described as "applewood smoked" — cold. While a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the restaurant chain, claims that this is "the only way to do it so that veggies don't get yuck," this approach seems to be part of the problem. According to some concerned JJ customers, as well as being rubbery and cold, the bacon is sometimes coated in a white, congealed layer of grease and fat that looks anything but mouthwatering.

This isn't the first time The Takeout has had a run-in with Jimmy John's bacon. In 2024, our reviewer named the Club Lulu and the Jimmy Cubano as some of the worst sandwiches at Jimmy John's. Both of these include bacon as a central filling, and the reviewer noted that the subpar bacon brought down the overall quality of these sandwiches. In the case of the Jimmy Cubano, the bacon just didn't pull its weight as a flavor. Meanwhile, on the Club Lulu — and even the J.J.B.L.T — the cold bacon had a mushy texture. Our reviewer noted that the sandwiches would benefit a lot from being toasted and, in 2025, Jimmy John's did launch a toasted sandwich line, so perhaps the chain is paying attention. 

So, bacon lovers need not despair just yet — and, beyond this, the non-toasted sandwiches Jimmy John's does well are worth sticking around for. In particular, our reviewer rated the Italian Night Club (a trio of thinly sliced deli meats combined with crunchy salad and tangy vinaigrette) and the Hunter's Club which could give Arby's a run for its money thanks to the hefty amount of roast beef stacked inside the sandwich. While these are ideal choices for meat lovers, unfortunately for vegetarians, Jimmy John's veggie offering was ranked as a total miss. On the bright side, at least those ordering this veggie sandwich don't have to worry about being served subpar bacon.