The Discontinued Panera Smoothie We Never Want To See Back On The Menu

You can't spell "passion" without "pass on," and Panera Bread demonstrates why. In Tasting Table's lineup of 17 items to avoid ordering at Panera, the chain's skippable Green Passion smoothie made the list. Luckily, the smoothie flavor has since been discontinued, and we aren't jonesing for a comeback any time soon. As we mentioned in our review, the Green Passion smoothie consistently leaned "bitter with a funky texture and large ice pieces. You may think that this could be fine as long as it's a healthy smoothie to start your day, but it still boasts 50 grams of sugar." Lacking in both taste and texture, we'd hoped this smoothie could still deliver on the nutrition front. Alas.

Elsewhere, in our broader ranking of the 20 best Panera menu items, we noted that the Green Passion smoothie could be a smart choice for "those days when you feel like you really need to consume something healthy but just aren't feeling a salad," but still gave the smoothie a low 13th place. Even as we praised the drink's utility, we disclaimed, "Panera isn't known as a smoothie place, so you should keep your expectations in check." In another beverage-specific menu roundup, we ranked 13 drinks at Panera Bread, and the Green Passion smoothie similarly clocked in at a dismal 10th place, trumping only the cloyingly sweet Caramel, Chocolate, and Madagascar Vanilla Iced "Lattes" that more closely resemble ice cream shakes (no thanks).

Considering it was discontinued, Panera seems aware that its Green Passion drink was less-than-remarkable. Although, arguably, the chain is not aware enough. Currently, on the Panera website, there is a very similar drink with the name "Tropical Green smoothie," which the site describes as comprising "guava and mango puree concentrates, with white grape, pineapple, and passionfruit juice concentrates blended with spinach and ice." At a location in Chicago, the smoothie costs $6.59. Considering Panera's retired Green Passion smoothie was made with mango and peach purees, white grape and passionfruit juices, and a handful of fresh baby spinach (your reporter once served as a Panera employee many years ago), this Tropical Green smoothie seems to be an apparent updated version, and not much has changed. In fact, fans seem to think the drink could use more R&D.

A Reddit thread posted by an alleged Panera employee asks, "Has anyone tried the new green smoothie? We tried it today and think that it tastes like soap. What a horrendous replacement for the Green Passion." Patrons and associates alike agree, commenting, "[S]aw they had a replacement and was thrilled. I ordered it and it was terrible!" and "I couldn't even bring myself to drink the whole thing and had to dump it out. I'm glad I'm not alone in this." We advised skipping Panera's now-discontinued Green Passion smoothie, and we also recommend avoiding the similarly disappointing Tropical Green update that stands in its place.