Have you ever eaten at Panera Bread?

Not cheap. but I love good bread, and they have a nice menu.

I have a lot of lunches there, mostly because there are so many more lighter, healthier options than other places in the same area. Their “pick two” offerings are pretty good.

I go there occasionally. It’s OK. They don’t have many vegetarian options, so I have to eat the same thing pretty much every time. They have very tasty black bean soup that is vegetarian. I don’t know if they still have it, but about a year ago, which might have been the last time I was there, they were trying out these new Asian noodle bowls which sounded very promising. Unfortunately, even after trying them twice just to make sure it wasn’t some sort of bad day for the chef, I realized that they don’t know how to cook or season noodles. The noodles were actually crunchy, as if they hadn’t been cooked at all. The broth was not very spicy or nor did it have much of a taste at all. It looked good, but it was awful.

I eat there about once per month. I’ve noticed that women outnumber men 2 or 3 to one.
Interesting.

Really, @Kardamom? One of my kids is vegetarian and she has lots of options. Sometimes she asks them to hold the chicken (or whatever) and they are always glad to do so.
Maybe the menu differs in your locale.

I love Panera. Nearly every time I go I get their broccoli and cheese soup in bread bowl. My son loves going there too because they have “fun cups” (bread bowls). And it’s great finding something he likes as that since it’s healthier and more filling than a majority of other places. More bang for your buck.

Great tomato soup! I prefer “not chains” but they are a fairly good chain.

Lots of times.

I don’t like it as much anymore; they stopped selling my favourite sandwich (Tuscan Chicken on rosemary onion foccaccia) several years ago, and the broccoli cheddar soup isn’t as good as I remember. But their breakfast souffles are delicious.

I used to go there often cause I had a gift card. It is pretty expensive, and they don’t offer many deals. That “you pick two” thing is not a good deal if you do the math.
Also, the “My Panera” card that I got only gives you a reward after 10 visits or so, and the money you spend makes no difference. That is, if I spend $8 or $80, it only matters that I used it on the visit, and the counter goes down by 1 (“n-1 more visits until your next reward”). I tried using it consecutively, and that doesn’t work, either. And the reward? A free pastry or $2 off a sandwich. SUCH a deal. ~
So, the cost-to-calorie ratio is not that good but the quality of the calories is great. For me, it evens out. I go there about once a week. I buy the ham and swiss sandwich with chips almost every time. It’s just under $7, and I try to average just under $6/meal.
It tastes good, too.

The local one here just isn’t that good (meaning they don’t know how to cook or season, as @Kardamom points out.)

However, the first time I encountered a Panera was on the Thruway between here and Pa. and it was such a relief to find something other than a McDonalds or the like (with truly execrable food. ).

The soup was delicious and the sandwich was good as well. So that was quite a memorable relief.

But until they get better people in the kitchen who know how to prepare food, I’ll pass up the local one in favor of the local diner.

No, I tend to avoid chain restaurants like the plague I assume they carry. I did notice a lot of them on my last driving trip through the US. Are they only in the eastern states?

No. But I don’t think they have them here.

I’m not much of a fan of chain restaurants, but there’s a Panera near me (in San Jose) and it’s been a convenient choice a few times. Although the food hasn’t been terrible, I always end up feeling that somehow I’ve just missed having something good.

I haven’t yet made sense of their menu or found something I liked. It’s dumb that most of their soups have pasta since the bread bowl is kind of the point, and it’s dumb that a totally average cookie costs 99¢.

I like Jason’s Deli better.

I go there every now and then. Lemon chicken orzo soup in a bread bowl—that’s the best.

I love their shortbread cookies. Also enjoy their soups.

Yes, regularly. Two locations are within driving distance of my house. I like their bagels, breads, salads, soups, sandwiches and breakfast items. Just today I received a $25 Panera gift card which I plan to spend this week.

I love sitting near the fireplace in the Winter. Hazelnut coffee and something sweet. Peaceful to read and – chill. No pun intended.
Summer it just too busy to sit very long. A Dr. Browns- celery flavor soda. Add a fresh scone and see ya…..

It has been a while – I used to work down the street from one; now it’s a drive and not worth the effort.

I always thought that food/break was good but overpriced.

So far all I’ve gotten was the Asian chicken salad and grill cheese. Since I know that I like it, I’m hesitant to get something else and be sorry. I’ve not been there for breakfast yet but I hear they have good sourdough bread.

I love their macaroni and cheese. It’s white cheddar and it’s so good!

Yes. I think of the place as being in the league of quality fast food. Chipotle is another chain in that category. A couple of years ago, I had this fixation on a particular pastry of theirs that I would grab on my twice monthly trip to the town of Millbrae. The Panera outlet shares a lot with an in & out burger shop, so there’s often a tangle of cars and no visible parking. Fortunately, these conditions can be assessed from the street, and I just cruise on by. I’ve had lunch there a few times. Usually a salad/sandwich or soup/sandwich combination. The pastry would come home for the following morning. In San Francisco itself I can think of only one Panera & it’s very problematic (as are most destinations) with regard to parking. They’re up against fierce competition when it comes to the availability of quality food, and even more so for baked goods.

The Panera I go to is on the end of a big shopping plaza so there’s a lot of parking.

I read somewhere recently that their mac and cheese is full of salt. Just a word of caution, @misspegasister28.

The first few times it was good, then one of their patio umbrellas flew off and knocked my husband out. Really. It took a few minuets for him to wake up.
We still are there but the food started going downhill. One time we got food poisoning and haven’t been back.

It’s like Starbucks with an expanded lunch menu. Meh.