A definitive ranking of every single Bakery 164 sandwich

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Situated opposite the Parkinson Steps, Bakery 164 is a student hotspot, renowned for its ciabatta and focaccia sandwiches with a wide range of fillings, which it’s been serving since 1994.

As big fans of the gourmet sandwich shop, we tasted almost every sandwich so you know exactly what you’re getting. It’s worth noting we tried all 18 sandwiches un-toasted to ensure we paid attention to the fundamentals; however, we strongly advise toasting!

Here’s our definitive ranking of all Bakery 164‘s sandwiches:

Chicken, Bacon & Chilli Mayo: 7/10

For a basic, this is pretty great. The chilli mayo is the perfect level of spice, and there’s just enough of it to compliment the other fillings, like the saltiness from the bacon. Although, it’s worth nothing that the bread is quite heavy, so it’s a good filling option if you’ve got an afternoon of lectures and need something simple.

Chicken, Chipotle and Guacamole: 6.5/10

This one has a great amount of sauce. I know guacamole is just glamorised avocado really, but it really adds something. This is basically a fajita sandwich, and it takes a minute to get over the fact you’re eating focaccia and not a wrap. Although, probably a combo that someone’s student kitchen has seen before. 

Chicken and Chorizo: 7/10

The illuminous yellow mayo was surprising at first, but once you realise it’s a Gen Z take on on a classic coronation chicken sandwich it gets less confusing. The chicken was perfectly spiced too, adding a little extra alongside the chorizo. These two are a texture match made in heaven. It’s got the sweet and the salty, enough to tingle your tastebuds.

Chicken, Bacon & Avo: 7/10

This one is basically a Leeds-ified BLT and we’re here for it. It would make a great breakfast sandwich for when you’re running late to a lecture and need filling up to avoid those embarrassing stomach grumbles. 

Falafel, Houmous & Tamarind: 6.5/10

A good balanced sandwich, and a viable veggie option; however we’re not sure we’d want a whole sandwich worth of it (we only had half). It was slightly on the dry side, but as a first-time falafel trier, Eleanor really enjoyed it. If you’ve got a gruelling 12-hour shift in Eddy B, this sandwich will definitely keep your stomach lined for a while.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella & Pesto: 10/10

From our resident Italian, Eleanor describes it as “unbeatable,” while Corey, a verified cheese hater, also loved (tolerated) it. The flavours work in harmony, with the pesto adding that extra added kick, pulling everything together. This would be an insane toastie. What could you do to make this better? Nothing. Therefore, it’s a solid 10.

Bacon, Brie & Avo: 8.5/10

A material girl alternative to bacon, brie and cranberry. Rather than the sour-ish notes of mozzarella, the buttery brie adds something a little more to an otherwise basic combination of bacon and avocado. It also would, like every other exceptionally cheesy sandwich, be brilliant toasted. 

Chicken & Sweet Potato: 8.5/10

Sweet potato in a sandwich, what?!? I must say, don’t knock it ’til you try it, because this was quite possibly one of my favourite sandwiches. The sweet potato was soft but crunchy and was covered in an amazing array of spices, furthered by the tasty focaccia.

Chicken & Chilli Mayo: 6.5/10

This sandwich gives off major Henry Price vibes. By that we mean it’s part-and-parcel, it gives you just enough to survive with, but you kind of wish it gave something a little more. The chilli adds something a bit different to this basic, and it’s perfect for the picky eater looking to venture out a tad with their choices. We’re proud of you!

Satay Chicken & Peanut Butter: 4/10

Our mouths were very confused by this one (but not in a bad way!). We see where they were going with this pairing, as Satay chicken is fried in peanut oil. It’s very much a match made in heaven for any peanut lovers, but we found it a little weird.  Definitely fits the edgy Leeds vibe. 

Chicken, Bacon & Piri Piri Mayo: 6/10

This is basically the chicken, bacon and chilli mayo for Nando’s lovers. Though not too interesting or out of the box, we enjoyed this one. It arguably needed more filling, but the spice was the perfect amount.

Sausage, Bacon & Tomato: 3/10

We’re very confused by the cheese in this sandwich. Sausage and cheese?! Also, the rogue chutney was another strange surprise. This weird combo definitely came from a James Baillie kitchen. Goodness knows what you’d find going through that accommodation, and that’s exactly what each bite of this felt like. However, this is the perfect hangover cure when you really, really need to settle your stomach.

Chicken & Applewood Cheese: 7/10

This sandwich is nice and light, so it’s not going to weigh you down, which is a good thing, when you have deadlines to do that already. Applewood cheese is just boujie Cheddar, so this is a glorified chicken and cheese sandwich. Whilst as a sandwich it’s definitely missing a sauce, as a toastie this would be a blessing. 

Chicken, Sweet Potato &  Bacon: 8/10

We were pleasantly very surprised by this one. Mentally, you’d expect potato and bread to be the carbiest, weightiest meal you’d ever consumed, settling as sludge in your stomach. But it’s not like that at all, the sweet potato is a lovely little addition and it was surprisingly light. Only criticism is we fancied a bit of greenery inside it.

Mozzarella, Courgette & Cherry Tomato: 6.5/10

This would be incredible toasted. It’s basically your go-to student pasta, but slapped inside a couple slices of bread as an alternative carb. The mozzarella was slightly over-powering untoasted; however, the bread was delicious.

Houmous, Peppers & Sriracha: 6/10

This was more spicy than we were expecting! I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have to pop downstairs to LUU Co-Op for some water. It’s a great veg option, but we did feel it was missing something more substantial inside. This is the sandwich equivalent of when you go veggie for the first time and don’t know what to cook without meat. But overall, a great light sandwich!

 

Chicken & Bacon with Caesar Dressing: 7/10

For people who want a Caesar salad, but need something substantial to get them through the day. This one is definitely for the toaster though, as it had slightly too much cheese that needed melting.

Tuna Mayo and Jalapeño: 5.5/10

On our Instagram poll, 61% of you said you wouldn’t try this sandwich. However, it actually kind of works. Imagine basic tuna mayo, but with a little bit of *spice* (literally). Actually, spicy tuna rolls are a fab sushi option, and we feel like this is where B164 got their inspiration from for this one. Very cultured, and we kind of love it. 

Overall, we left incredibly full, having consumed a lot of chicken. We remain huge fans of Bakery 164 and we were thoroughly impressed with the friendly staff and wide sandwich selection. If you could create a new Bakery 164 sandwich, what would it be? Let us know on Instagram!

Check out our TikTok for a video of our tasting session!

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