We Tried Every New Arby’s Chicken Cheesesteak

You probably saw our report on the new Arby’s chicken cheesesteaks. Arby’s is no stranger to trying new and interesting things and a chicken spin on their cheesesteak is just their newest innovation. Now that they’re out, we went ahead and tried them for you so you know whether they’re worth the trip to Arby’s or not. 

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To recap, there are three versions of the cheesesteak: the classic with just chicken and cheese; the deluxe, with chicken, cheese, lettuce, and tomato; and spicy, which has the chicken tossed with a spicy glaze for a kick of heat. So which is the best? And are they even worth getting? Let’s get into it.

Chicken Cheesesteak

Pros: I will say, this delivers what it says on the tin. It is a sandwich of chicken and cheese. And frankly, it was in fact a good cheese and there was plenty of it. The chicken itself was tasty and surprisingly not overcooked for how thin sliced it was. Honestly? It was kind of better than the regular cheesesteak.

Cons: I will say, the proportions were a little off. I could have done with a little more chicken to fill out the sandwich. And the bread was a little thick―which, if there was more filling, would have been more in balance. But honestly? That was really the only con I could find. 

Deluxe Chicken Cheesesteak

Pros: Well, the pros of this are pretty much the same as the regular sandwich. Though I will say, the added veg did make the sandwich feel a touch more balanced in terms of filling to bread. It was just lettuce and tomato, so it didn’t add a ton in terms of special flavor. But it certainly filled the sandwich out. 

Cons: Now the cheesesteak purists are already up in arms about chicken being used. But adding lettuce and tomato, too? You take this to Philly and they’ll kick you out. And honestly, this isn’t a sandwich that benefits from lettuce. Because the meat and cheese is warm and oozy, it wilts the lettuce incredibly fast. Which would probably be fine with good lettuce, but this is fast food lettuce and it’s already going to be a degree of wilted. So you just get soggy, warm, sad lettuce on your sandwich and warm, watery tomatoes. It’s not worth it.

Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak

Pros: Now I’m not one to usually stray toward the spicy chicken. I’d rather do it myself and get the perfect spice level. Restaurants tend to have too much fluctuation in spice for it to be consistently good. But this was a pleasant surprise. Because the cheese sauce is so rich and creamy, the spice provides a perfect balance, bringing what was a fairly heavy sandwich into something that you could eat really fast and not feel gross and bloated. 

Cons: The only real con is going to be for people who don’t like spice. And that’s fair. Spice isn’t for everyone. And this isn’t overly spicy, but I can’t report on everyone’s tolerance without making this article so long that you’ll feel like your reading a novel (neither of us want that, trust me). So, while it wasn’t a punch-in-your-face spice, if you don’t care for heat, you may want to steal clear.