Anonymous wrote:I haven't been in a while, but it was always our go to for quick fast food when travelling. Easy to eat reasonably healthy meals and pretty consistently decent.

That's how they get you.

Just like Chick-fil-a, they make you think that what they're offering is healthier than McDonald's, Burger King, etc. but it's not. A Big Mac has 540 calories. Only 5 of the sandwiches offered at Panera have under 540 calories. A small french fry has less calories than all but 1 soup on the Panera menu. A Big Mac and small fry will give you 1110mg of sodium. Just the lightest calorie soup alone at Panera gives you 1400mg of sodium. They can tout their antibiotic free and cage meats all they want and serve the food in bowls and on plates, but they're fast food and their food isn't any better for you than McDonald's.

Anonymous wrote:Then, don't go??

I will honestly never visit Panera again. It's trash.

Panera food is disgusting.

Three great things on their menu and that's all I will stick to-

Coffee (I think it tastes good and they make a good latte)
Greek salad- best thing they have
Veggie panini

Anonymous wrote:It used to be sooo much better. It started to go downhill with really bland food starting in maybe 2012-2013 and it’s even worse now. Now the only things that are good are the creamy tomato soup and the Fuji apple salad.

Yeah it has definitely gotten worse. I remember maybe 10 years ago, they were a good catering option, but their quality has plummeted and there are more alternatives now that offer a better product. I see their stuff a lot less at lunches.

The original saint Louis Bread Company was SOOO good.

They slowly changed original menu items and dropped items when they bought out Panera as they adopted many parts of the Panera menu.

Supposedly StL Bread Co did this because Panera had national recognition and they were just a local, then regional chain.

They should have kept everything as St. Louis Bread Company: name, menu, preparation (locally prepared fresh every day). They did a lot of direct charity in the local community too when they were Bread Co, like donating end of day food to local food pantries.

Panera is fine but they would be so much better if they had kept it StL Bread Co.

It used to be sooo much better. It started to go downhill with really bland food starting in maybe 2012-2013 and it’s even worse now. Now the only things that are good are the creamy tomato soup and the Fuji apple salad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually love Panera and probably get it once a week. Their baked potato and chicken and wild rice soups are so yummy and I love their salads. I don't find them expensive at all. My husband and I will get two "you pick two" items and 2 drinks and it's around $25?

It's garbage empty calorie not fresh at all fast food. The meal you paid $25 for isn't worth $5.

Sorry but again, I don't find $25 expensive for two meals and drinks.

So in addition to their calorie fat & sodium bomb meals, you take their sugar bomb drinks too. Yikes.

Anonymous wrote:Every time I go there for lunch or on weekends, it's MOBBED and you can barely find a seat. So clearly they are doing something right.

Americans are just dumb?

I wonder that to

Every time I go there for lunch or on weekends, it's MOBBED and you can barely find a seat. So clearly they are doing something right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually love Panera and probably get it once a week. Their baked potato and chicken and wild rice soups are so yummy and I love their salads. I don't find them expensive at all. My husband and I will get two "you pick two" items and 2 drinks and it's around $25?

It's garbage empty calorie not fresh at all fast food. The meal you paid $25 for isn't worth $5.

Sorry but again, I don't find $25 expensive for two meals and drinks.

It ‘s the new Au bon pain.

The sandwiches we were catered appeared to be a high end offering. The bread was garbage wheat you'd find in any supermarket, the cheese was two cold flavorless tiny rectangles, few pieces of wilted (see: NOT fresh) greens, rubbery cold flavorless turkey (previously frozen?)...

Honestly, ruined my day.

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Everything, even baked goods, is prepared in regional factories, frozen and shipped. The baked goods are thawed and finished at the store.

Can't do that with salads. Maybe stick to those?