Panera's Summer Menu Brings Back 2 Lobster Favorites Fans Wait For All Year

Lobster is not something you see on the menus of many fast casual chains, but for years Panera has attempted to bring it to the masses. The bakery and sandwich chain first introduced lobster as a seasonal offering back in 2019, although it had been available as a regional menu item in the American Northeast for some time. That release was a success, and lobster has become a recurring summer offering along some parts of the East Coast. Today, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Panera is bringing back its fan favorite Lobster Roll and Lobster Mac & Cheese for another go around.

According to Panera, these lobster meals will once again be limited by geography to locations in the Northeast, although there is no specific information on how many restaurants will get them. The recipes for both are the same classics fans have come to love over the years. The Lobster Mac & Cheese features the typical Vermont White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese coupled with a buttered claw and knuckle lobster meat. The whole thing is topped with seasoned Panko breadcrumbs.

Likewise, the Panera Lobster Roll offer diners the same meat mixture, but the whole thing is dressed it up in a lemon-tarragon mayo. It's then served on the standard New England-style lobster roll split bun. As always, these will be limited time offerings, so if you want some (relatively) affordable lobster, get moving.

The one thing fans may take issue with is the price of the Panera Lobster Roll, although anyone who loves them knows they are going to be expensive anywhere. According to the press announcement, the roll will be priced at $23.99 on average (though that will vary by location), marking a $2.50 jump from last year. The lobster mac & cheese, however, is priced at $12.99 on average, which is a surprising $10 drop from when we reported on Panera's lobster comeback last year. Perhaps the serving size has gotten smaller, but Panera has not yet confirmed any reasoning for the price cut.

Of course, $24 for a sandwich may be tough to swallow for many, but that's not that bad for lobster these days, especially as prices have skyrocketed. At local spots in the Northeast where lobster is normally more affordable, lobster rolls typically cost between $30 and $40 on average. That dollar sign climbs even higher in cities like Boston. The price increase has been driven by a declining lobster catch in the Northeast, as warming water drives the sea creature north. In 2025, the lobster catch was the lowest on record since 2008, and down around 30% from 2021 (via NBC Boston).

So, seeing a $22.99 lobster roll might make you wonder if Panera is skimping on the actual lobster meat, but, at least in previous years, that hasn't ever been the case. Reviews noted that the amount of meat was actually surprisingly generous, even to the point of making it difficult to eat. Maybe Panera thinks selling lobster this cheap is a great loss leader?