Worcester, Mass. – A burrito is not a sandwich.

That’s the culinary ruling of a judge, ending, for now, a food fight between Panera Bread Co. and Qdoba Mexican Grill, based in Wheat Ridge.

In issuing his decision, which blocks Panera Bread’s attempts to keep the burrito maker off its turf, Worcester Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Locke relied on testimony from Cambridge chef Chris Schlesinger and a former high-ranking USDA official, not to mention Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.

The burrito brouhaha began when Panera, one of the country’s biggest bakery cafes, argued that owners of the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury violated a 2001 lease agreement that restricted the mall from renting to another sandwich shop. When the center signed a lease this year with Qdoba, Panera balked, saying the Mexican chain’s burritos violate its sandwich exclusivity clause.

Not so, Qdoba countered, submitting affidavits from high-profile experts in the restaurant and food industry.

“I know of no chef or culinary historian who would call a burrito a sandwich,” Schlesinger said in his affidavit. “Indeed, the notion would be absurd to any credible chef or culinary historian.”

In his ruling, Locke cited Webster’s definition of a sandwich and explained that the difference comes down to two slices of bread vs. one tortilla. “A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans,” he wrote.

Panera spokesman Mark Crowley declined to discuss the matter or say whether the St. Louis company planned to appeal the ruling.

“We were surprised at the suit because we think it’s common sense that a burrito is not a sandwich,” said Jeff Ackerman, owner of Qdoba franchise group, known as Chair 5 Restaurants, which plans to open the eatery next year. “We’re just delighted that the experts and judge saw it the same way we did.”

Qdoba opened its first restaurant as Zuma on East Sixth Avenue and Grant Street in Denver in 1995 – three years after Chipotle got its start a mile away on East Evans Avenue. Jack in the Box purchased Qdoba in 2003. Qdoba opened its 300th location early this fall.

It’s not the first time Qdoba has been involved in litigation over descriptions. In 2004 Qdoba sued competitor Moe’s Southwest Grill over its use of the word “naked” to describe its tortilla-less burritos. In a 2005 settlement, Moe’s agreed to stop using the term.

Denver Post staff writer Kristi Arellano contributed to this report.