Panera Bread

I absolutely am IN LOVE with Panera. At around the same price as a McDonald's Value Meal, I can get a delicious, healthy lunch.

I go pretty much once or twice a week, and have been doing so for about two years now and HAVE NEVER had a problem with my food. They are consistent, which is very hard quality to find in chain restaurants.

I only have a few complaints -- one, sometimes the line is VERY LONG. I've learned to avoid this however by calling my order in ahead of time and standing in the "phone order" line, which is always a lot shorter. My other complaint is that their menu changes A LOT - sometimes, I'll fall in love with a sandwich and call to order it and they've discontinued it. Their soups are also fantastic. My two faves: A bacon turkey bravo sandwich and their broccoli cheddar soup (get a baguette on the side and dip in the soup! delicious!)

We've been going to the Panera Bread on Spit Brook Road since it opened whenever we're looking for a quick, delicious, healthy lunch and good coffee for a very reasonable price. The service is always fast and we've never had anything to complain about. We sometimes buy a loaf of fresh bread (the cheese bread is especially a favorite) or a couple bagels to go. The light lunch described actually only cost about $13.00 including tax.