Panera Bread - nasty or decent?

[Anonymous]

I had Panera today for the first time in probably five years. Frontera chicken. It was actually a really tasty sandwich and I like that they will put tons of fresh spinach on sandwiches for no extra charge. However, the bakery items look pretty gross. And the stores seem really weathered. I grabbed a small cup of coffee to go and it was actually pretty good drip coffee. I'm on the fence if I'll return anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

They have a good espresso.

I like the green goddess salad

[Anonymous]

Toasted sandwich I had is called *Frontega Chicken, not Frontera

[Anonymous]

It seems like almost all of their bakery items and breads use palm oil or some other cheap oil instead of butter or pure olive oil.

[Anonymous]

There are so many better fast casual restaurants in downtown areas of cities, but Panera is one of my top go-to's when travelling in the American suburbs. That and Chipotle.

[Anonymous]

In before all the "Panera is hospital food" posters.

I like the breakfast egg souffles.

[Anonymous]

I like a lot of items at panera- fresh salads, good hazelnut drip coffee, good sandwiches on tasty bread. If you don't like- don't eat there.

[Anonymous]

I think it's gone way downhill. I like several things on the menu, from the coffee to the cinnamon crunch bagel to some of the grain bowls. But it used to be much fresher and more natural tasting. A couple of times, I've gotten the tiniest amount of filling on a sandwich, or a cardboard-tasting bagel.

[Anonymous]

Gross

[Anonymous]

I miss some of their old items, like the black bean soup. But in general its usually good when I'm on the road.

[Anonymous]

I've never eaten there, but the smell totally turns me off from wanting to try it. My DD used to like their mac & cheese.

[Anonymous]

Here to say that I like Panera too! It's widely available, so when I'm comparing it to the usual suspects on a road trip...it's an easy choice.

DCUM has a particular hatred of Panera that I've never understood. It's fast food that tastes better than Sbarro. They don't poach chefs from Michelin star restaurants.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s fairly good for relatively inexpensive fast food. And nice it’s not a burger. I also really like the frontega chicken sandwich! The bakery items are super caloric but not bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never eaten there, but the smell totally turns me off from wanting to try it. My DD used to like their mac & cheese.

I don't think it has a smell but I believe you because I can't eat at Subway due to the smell. My DD loves the mac & cheese at Panera, and it's a dependable choice on road trips/in unfamiliar areas. We just went last weekend after a soccer game an hour away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never eaten there, but the smell totally turns me off from wanting to try it. My DD used to like their mac & cheese.

I don't think it has a smell but I believe you because I can't eat at Subway due to the smell. My DD loves the mac & cheese at Panera, and it's a dependable choice on road trips/in unfamiliar areas. We just went last weekend after a soccer game an hour away.

LOL - I confess to also hating the scent of Subway bread.