Panera Bread — Restaurant in Denver

I'm heard so many good things about Panera and how healthy it was, so decided to give it a chance. Having a gift card also helped.

Upon arrival, you are met with kiosks to place your order. Other customers came up and went straight to the counter to make their order. I wish I had known this. The kiosk worked, until trying to get the gift card registered. Trying with the strip and manually entering the number. No luck. Had to call help øver. After numerous tries, the employee was able to get it to work.

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Ciabatta Dipper. It came with some creamy tomato (very bitter, took one dip and no more) and chips (which I didn't eat either). The sandwich itself. Literally all I could taste was salt! I could not believe how salty it was. When I got home, I went online to see if I could find the nutritional information. 2,450 mg of sodium!!!! Daily allowance is less than 2,300. Definitely not too healthy in my eyes and this info confirmed what I felt about the sandwich.

Cost was about $13.50 for this six inch sandwich. Fairly standard, but have to admit I could have gotten twice the sandwich for about half the price at Subway.

Don't think we will be returning to this place any...

Visited newly opened Panera Bread on Tower Road in Green Valley Ranch for lunch on a Tuesday.

Menu is always hard for me to understand.

The girl taking my order could not explain the Pick 2 menu so I gave up and ordered just a sandwich. She did not let me use my discount/phone number, said it could be used only if I ordered Online. I stood back from the ordering counter to wait for my name to be called. Somebody handed me a buzzer. When it went off I didn't see my order. Another customer directed me to go to my left. Eventually I found my order.

(Panera Bread personnel on East Colfax would give me a marker to put on my table and would tell me someone would bring my meal to the table when ready.)

The amount of tuna on my sandwich was like a thick smear of butter on one side of the bun. Two very thin slices of tomato. A few pieces of small green leaves. The bread was the most generous part of the sandwich.

Both the tuna and bread were fresh and delicious. Next time, however, I think I will skip trying to understand the Pick 2 and order a Sourdough Melt.

Two employees in the dining area constantly kept the tables, chairs, and floors sparkling clean. Peaceful atmosphere with no...

If you are getting your order "to go"

I suggest sitting by the pick up window. They don't give you a buzzer and no one calls your name.

Everything is just set on the counter and it's up to you to figure out that it's there!

They do at least put a stopper in your hot beverage. I ordered the signature hot chocolate and definitely was not impressed. It did not have much flavor. For a "signature drink" it didn't deliver.

However the hot bagel sandwich was scrumptious! I can't recall the name but it was the first chicken bagel sandwich on the menu.

They also changed their chili recipe. However their previous one was on point and didn't need to be updated, so I was disappointed with the chili as well.

I don't choose Panera often as an out of state transplant I have been trying to discover local restaurants.

This experience didn't cause me to believe that I was missing anything by choosing other locations. Once my gift card is completed, I don't...