What to order · Updated July 2026
What to Order at Panera: Every Item, Judged
Panera occupies a strange spot: fast-food speed at sit-down prices. A sandwich and a drink can clear $18, which means ordering well matters more here than almost anywhere. Prices below are national averages.
The rule of thumb: the soups and a couple of the salads carry this menu. Most full-size sandwiches are portion-light for what they cost, and You Pick Two is only a deal if you pick the right two.
Every item, judged
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Order itThe item Panera is famous for, and deservedly. Rich, consistent, and the thing first-timers should get. In a bread bowl it becomes an event — just know the bread bowl adds ~600 calories of very pleasant regret.
You Pick Two
Order itThis is how you order at Panera. Two half portions cover the menu's biggest weakness, that no single item feels like enough food. Pair a soup with a half salad or half sandwich and you've built the best meal here.
Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken
Order itThe best full-price item on the menu: real substance, good dressing, actual protein. One of the few Panera orders where you won't be hungry in two hours.
Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
DecentThe best of the classic sandwiches — sweet, crunchy, reliable. But at full size it's pushing $11, which is why it belongs in a You Pick Two, not on its own.
Bacon Turkey Bravo
DecentA good sandwich trapped in a bad price. The tomato-basil bread and sweet-smoky sauce do real work, but nearly $12 before a drink is sit-down restaurant money for a deli sandwich.
Mac & Cheese
DecentKids love it and it tastes like it. Creamy, comforting, and wildly caloric for its size. As a side in a You Pick Two it's a treat; as a standalone meal it's $9 of beige.
Sourdough Bread Bowl (add-on)
Order itAs pure value, turning a cup of soup into a meal for two dollars is one of Panera's few genuine bargains. Not a health decision. A happiness decision.
Toasted Baguette Sandwiches
Skip itIntroduced with fanfare, priced like a flagship, and mostly bread. The fillings-to-baguette ratio doesn't survive contact with the receipt.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Skip itThin, salty, and outclassed by a $2 can from the grocery store. At Panera prices, order the soups only Panera can make — this isn't one of them.
Cinnamon Crunch Bagel
Order itThe best thing in the bakery case and one of the cheapest. Sweet enough to be dessert, sturdy enough to be breakfast. A rare sub-$2 win at Panera.
Charged Lemonades & Sip Club
DecentA single drink at $4+ is a skip, but the unlimited Sip Club subscription flips the math — go twice a week and it pays for itself. Mind the caffeine on the charged drinks; they're no joke.
Frequently asked
Is Panera's You Pick Two actually a good deal?
Only when you pair high-value halves. Soup plus half salad or half sandwich runs $11–14 and makes a complete meal. Pairing two premium halves can quietly cost more than a full-size item, so check the total before you commit.
What is the healthiest meal at Panera?
A half Green Goddess Cobb with a cup of ten-vegetable soup lands around 400 calories with solid protein and fiber. Most full sandwiches run 650–850 calories, and a bread bowl adds roughly 590 on its own.
Is the Panera Sip Club worth it?
At $14.99/month, it breaks even at about four drinks. If you stop by weekly or work near a Panera, it's one of the better subscription deals in fast casual. If you visit monthly, skip it.