Let me start off by saying that I love Panera Bread. Whenever my friends and I are hungry after a long day of shopping, Panera is one of our go-to places. Its atmosphere and taste is unparalleled to some of the other restaurants around. With that being said, I am just going to review my dining experience that I had on Sunday, May 4, 2014.
Panera is set up into two sections- the bakery and the restaurant area that serves soups, sandwiches, salads, and pastas. It has something for everyone. While walking in, the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was delicious. It smelt like cinnamon and fresh-baked bread. The lighting of the restaurant was also pleasant, and was not too dark or too light. There seemed to be a good mixture of booths and tables. They even have some nice outdoor seating, so there is enough seating for everyone.
When I went to Panera it ended up being around three in the afternoon. Since that is right between the lunch and dinner rushes, it was not too crowded. I did, however, end up waiting a fairly long time in line. There was only one cash register open and about four people in front of me. My friend and I ended up waiting in line for about ten minutes before our order was taken, which seemed a little ridiculous to me. The girl who took my order was impatient and never looked me in the eye, which made me feel uncomfortable. After a minute of deciding, I finally settled on the tortellini alfredo. Every time I go they tempt me with a ninety nine cent bakery item, and every time I seem to take the bait. I usually end up picking one of the cookies they have in front of the cash registers, which is really strategic on Panera's part since it makes more people buy the bakery items. All in all, I bought the tortellini alfredo, a cookie, and a soft drink. The total came out to be around twelve dollars, which seemed a little overpriced to me but not too outrageous. After I paid for my meal, the cashier gave me a buzzer to know when my food was ready.
By the time I filled up my drink and sat down at a booth, my friend and I talked for about five minutes before we heard the loud buzz that indicated that our food was ready. Panera is usually pretty quick at preparing your food, and today was no exception. My tortellini alfredo was a work of art. It was presented in a beautiful orange bowl with half a French baguette. When I bit into the French baguette, the first thing I noticed was how hard the bread was. Not from being stale, though, but from being crispy. While I usually do not like plain bread, I quite enjoyed Panera's bread. The tortellini alfredo was delicious as well. It featured soft, cheese-stuffed tortellini noodles drizzled with a creamy alfredo sauce. The ratio of cheese to afredo sauce was perfect, and there was not too much cheese or too much alfredo sauce. Not only that, but I got quite a bit of it as well. I would recommend it to anyone.
One of the greatest attributes of Panera is that it offers free Wi-Fi. This is great for college students wanting to take a lunch or dinner break and get some homework out of the way, for anyone who wants to eat a nice dinner and not want to drain their data plan while doing so, or for people that want to have a working lunch or dinner. While eating dinner, I noticed that quite a few people were working on their laptops. It was quite loud though, so if you do not like loud noises while studying I would recommend finding someplace quieter. There was a nice mix of people eating there, both young and old, so Panera is a great place for everyone!
If you are looking for someplace nice to eat that is not going to drain your checking account, Panera is definitely the place to go. It has great food, a nice atmosphere, and not to mention free Wi-Fi. Other than my cashier, I really enjoyed going to Panera! read more