Panera Bread — Review by Daym Drops
Not specified, United States — Fast Casual American
Daym Drops reviews new Panera Bread items and finds the experience disappointing despite spending $60. While the cinnamon croissants and baked potato soup have merit, the French dip sandwich quality has declined, and several items fall short of expectations. Overall, he criticizes Panera's high pricing relative to the quality and taste of their food.
What was great: Cinnamon croissants (without glaze), baked potato soup, quality of toasted ciabatta bread
What could improve: High prices, French dip sandwich quality decreased from previous visits, peanut butter and jelly cookie grape filling tasted off, sweet glaze on croissants had strange orange taste, bacon in soup tastes like bacon bits, New England lobster roll flavor and appearance (pink color)
The Dishes
The reviewer ordered several items totaling around $60. The ciabatta French dip arrived well-toasted with properly melted cheese and moist bread, but the beef quality disappointed him. He noted it used to be "150% Forest Whitaker eyebrow worthy" but has declined - the beef was still tender and thin-sliced, but lacked the wow factor, earning a 3.5 out of 5. The peanut butter and jelly cookie appeared promising with a Fig Newton-style design, featuring a soft peanut butter cookie exterior with grape filling. However, the grape filling tasted oddly tart and off, not like real grape flavor, receiving a 2 out of 5 rating.
The mini cinnamon croissants shone as genuine standouts. By themselves, they earned a perfect 5 out of 5 - small, poppable, with real cinnamon sugar and excellent texture. However, Panera's sweet glaze accompanying them contained a mysterious orange peel flavor that detracted from the experience, dropping the overall rating to 4 out of 5. The baked potato soup with bacon proved hearty, chunky, and flavorful with good seasoning, but the bacon bits tasted artificial and cheap, preventing a higher score. He gave it 4.8 out of 5, noting it could be perfect if they improved the bacon quality. The New England lobster roll appeared pink and suspicious, featuring cold lobster with vegetables on good bread, but the mayo flavor seemed off and unidentifiable, making it taste confused and unappetizing. This earned the lowest score at 2.8 out of 5.
The Experience
The review was conducted in his car, where a Tesla attempted to reset during filming, briefly interrupting the tasting session. The reviewer handled the disruption with humor but emphasizing the need to complete the video. No specific atmosphere or service details were mentioned since the food appeared to be ordered for takeout.
Value and Pricing
Price was a major point of contention throughout the review. The total spend of $60 for the items ordered frustrated the reviewer significantly. He repeatedly emphasized that fast food pricing has become "ultra ridiculous" and noted the irony that healthy food from Panera now costs more than typical fast food. He expressed dismay that you can no longer "get everything for the dumb low anymore," indicating that Panera's pricing strategy has escalated beyond customer expectations.
Notable Moments
"I when fast food literally costs more than healthy food, it might be time for my black behind to go healthy. Not that we're going to do it, but it might be time to think about it."
"You were good, but you weren't great, boo." (regarding the French dip)
"Y'all need to hit up Annie Pretzels and find out where they get their sweet glaze from."
"Your bacon is straight butt cheeks. It is wild buns and we can't get jiggy with the bacon."
"I never seen a pink lobster roll before."
The Verdict
Daym's overall sentiment toward this Panera Bread visit was negative. While a few items like the cinnamon croissants and baked potato soup showed promise, the majority of the menu items disappointed him, particularly when considering the premium pricing. He criticized Panera's apparent decline in quality while maintaining elevated prices, making the value proposition poor. The French dip sandwich disappointed most since it was previously a favorite that has now declined in quality. This restaurant would only appeal to those willing to pay premium prices for inconsistent quality and occasional hits among mostly mediocre offerings. The reviewer suggests that Panera needs to either improve their ingredient quality across the board or reconsider their aggressive pricing strategy to remain competitive.