Panera (Mostly) Finds Redemption With Its 2026 Summer Menu

I used to work at Panera during my college years. Back then, it had many more bagel and bread options, but now the company has expanded its menu to include frittatas, bowls, premium salads, new iced and frozen coffee concoctions, and beyond. A whole slew of options were added to the menu as of June 17, so I placed an order to try them out for myself. 

The results are a bit of a mixed bag, but the successful items are quite enjoyable. Rather than taking you item by item, I'm grouping them by category so you can see everything at a glance. Next time you go to Panera and see a bunch of new items, you'll be more than ready to narrow down what to get and avoid after you see my insights. I'll give you my thoughts on the menu additions and a bit of my insider knowledge on why they may or may not work.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer. Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

I scheduled an order in the Panera app and picked it up via the drive-thru. This makes ordering very easy and streamlined, particularly for large orders where you don't want to get anything wrong. When the app notified me it was ready to pick up, I drove to Panera, then went back home to take photos and test everything. 

My general thoughts are based on the flavor, presentation, and delivery of the food and drink options. It's Panera, so I'm not expecting a Michelin-starred meal. My expectations are appropriate, and I have relevant background knowledge as a former employee.

Clearly, Panera is trying to compete with places like Sweetgreen with these beautiful bowls. The presentation on everything is excellent, and all three come on a hefty bed of arugula and herbed brown rice. 

The All-In Veggie Market Bowl costs $9.99 and includes glazed sweet potatoes, feta, cucumber, grape tomatoes, roasted corn, pickled red onions, blue corn tortilla strips, and the zesty, smoky lemon vinaigrette served on the side. (All salads and bowls have the dressings on the side, so you can add as much or as little as desired.) The tortilla strips seem a little stale (this goes for all the items I tried with the tortilla), but everything else is spot on. I prefer the next two because of the added protein, but this could be good if you want something meat-free.

Sesame Ginger Chicken Market Bowl costs $13.99 and comes with grilled chicken, edamame, red cabbage, cucumber, grilled broccoli, candied black pepper almonds, and cilantro. The sesame ginger dressing is wonderfully complex with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar, umami from soy sauce, and tang from rice wine vinegar. I think the grilled chicken makes it all the more flavorful, and the other toppings add flavor and texture — I especially love the crunchy, sweet candied almond bits. The grilled broccoli is a bit overcooked, but I like the addition.

Carnitas Elote Market Bowl is the most premium-priced bowl at $15.99. It's topped with slow-roasted pork, roasted corn, avocado, feta, pickled red onions, cilantro, and blue corn tortilla strips, and comes with a side of Greek yogurt with creamy garden herb dressing. I really enjoyed this bowl. The delicate pork is a standout, but the other fresh ingredients pair quite nicely. This is my favorite of the bowls and could be something you'd get at a restaurant, but the chicken one is a close second.

If you want something a little lighter than the bowls, Panera has three new salads to pick from. The salads swap rice and arugula for romaine, resulting in a crisper, more refreshing meal. The Ultimate Garden Steak Salad is $15.99 and features mixed greens and arugula topped with tender, marinated sliced steak, roasted corn, glazed sweet potatoes, grilled broccoli, grape tomatoes, cilantro, pickled red onions, and crispy onions, finished with a creamy garden herb dressing. It feels a bit light on the steak, but at least it's flavored well. I like the pickled and crunchy onion duo to create a striking textural balance.

The $11.99 Farmhouse Crunch Salad is a fantastic meat-free salad bursting with flavors. You'll get romaine, glazed sweet potatoes, a hefty amount of shaved parmesan, avocado, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds, those candied black pepper almonds I love so much, and farmhouse ranch dressing. This is a well-made vegetarian salad. There's so much going on that you won't miss the meat. The avocado and parmesan add richness, while the other veggies and nuts make it colorful and filling. And it doesn't hurt that it's a few bucks cheaper than the meaty salads. 

Shrimply Baja Salad costs $14.99 and includes romaine lettuce, shrimp, shredded red cabbage, avocado, grape tomatoes, cilantro, roasted pumpkin seeds, feta, blue corn tortilla strips, taco seasoning, and a drizzle of zesty, smoky lemon vinaigrette, with creamy garden herb dressing. This is my least favorite of the salad trio I tried. It's not that it's bad, it's just that I don't necessarily want to go to Panera for seafood. Still, each salad offers fresh, quality ingredients, with a bright, appealing presentation. I'd call the Farmhouse Crunch Salad and Ultimate Garden Steak Salad the best, but I might get the Farmhouse just because it's more affordable.

If you're in the mood for brekkie, Panera Bread has your back. The frittatas are only available for breakfast, which means you have a strict 10:30 a.m. cut-off. These two creations seem like a crust-free version of Panera's breakfast soufflés. They are very rich, soft, creamy, and eggy. In fact, the egg almost seems to fall to the wayside with all the other dairy additions. Each costs $7.29, which seems far too expensive for how small and thin they are.

Broccoli Cheddar Frittata has a "savory egg mixture" and five cheeses: Neufchatel, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and asiago. There's a bit of grilled broccoli thrown in, but I feel like it could use more. This might be difficult based on the frittata's overall size, though. Five Cheese & Bacon Frittata has the same five cheeses, but substitutes applewood smoked bacon for the broccoli. It's bacon, egg, and cheese, a well-known combination. Call it a good option if you don't know what to get at Panera for breakfast.

Both of these are pretty tasty and decadent, but I'd probably grab a more filling option from another fast-food or fast-casual chain for a similar price. They begin to feel a bit one-note after a couple of bites. I remember people loved the soufflés when I worked at Panera, though, so I'm sure these will have their fans. If you like egg bites, the frittatas are like a larger version. They're a safe bet.

I tried three new iced coffee drinks, each priced at $4.99 — although you can get a blended version if desired. Well, as you can see, they are totally watered down. I noticed the ice was mostly melted right as they handed them to me during pick up. I have to assume they were made right away and then sat around for 45 minutes until the rest of my order was ready. Someone might have poured piping-hot brewed coffee over the ice and called it day, rather than allowing the coffee to cool or using a cold brew. Although there are some ice cube tricks to reduce watery iced coffee, its unlikely the employees have the bandwidth for this.

Rocky Road Iced Coffee uses dark roast coffee, rocky road syrup, sweet cream cold foam, and white fudge coffee topping. This merely tastes like a nondescript sweetened iced coffee. I'm not too sure what rocky road syrup is supposed to taste like. It's okay, but this was my least favorite of the three coffee drinks. The Snickerdoodle Iced Coffee uses the dark roast coffee, snickerdoodle syrup, sweet cream cold foam, and cinnamon sprinkles. I'd prefer cinnamon mixed into the drink, as something here tastes slightly burnt.

Hazelnut Mocha Iced Coffee uses Panera's dark roast coffee, chocolatey hazelnut-flavored syrup, sweet cream cold foam, and hazelnut fudge-flavored bark topping. I like hazelnut coffee, and am surprised Panera doesn't use its hazelnut brew instead of the dark roast for this drink. It's hard to say what this is supposed to taste like, but the bark topping had mostly sunk to the bottom by the time I got my drink. This isn't a Panera-only problem, though. Still, this was the best iced coffee of the three.

The Island Mango Energy Refresher offers a dose of caffeine, around 48 milligrams in a 20-fluid-ounce beverage. The drink costs $4.99 and features a blend of mango, guava, and pineapple flavors, creating a tropical, sweet concoction. I can't pinpoint the individual flavors; it seems more like a mixed tropical drink, but I can appreciate the idea and think it's generally quite flavorful, if a bit sweet. It has dragon fruit pieces to add a little bit of whimsy. I think it's a fun drink with a lovely ombre appearance, but personally, I wouldn't drive to Panera solely to order it. It could be worth it if you're already placing an order for co-workers or picking up lunch.

The Blackberry Hibiscus Herbal Iced Tea is perfectly okay; it's merely an unsweetened iced herbal tea. I truly appreciate a non-sweet option, and this could be good for summer. But, like the Refresher, I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it, nor do I think I would buy it again. I have a ridiculous amount of herbal tea at my own house. If I were to purchase one of these two new bevvys, I would go for the Refresher just because it's more intricate, and I don't have the flavors to replicate it at home. Alternatively, Panera's Dragonfruit Sunset Energy Refresher ranked very high in a Refresher tasting, so that might be the one to get instead!

The food was overall quite solid. I preferred the bowls for their arugula and rice, rather than a plain lettuce base. The former seems more hearty and offers better flavors and textures. The bowls are rock-solid and a fantastic competitor to other bowl brands, especially because Panera tends to be more widely available (at least in my area).

The drinks, however, were subpar. I think the coffees might be better if ordered in-store. However, in addition to the time sitting around, the melting may have something to do with the lack of barista training. I remember working there as a cashier and moonlighting as a barista anytime someone ordered a coffee drink that wasn't self-serve. I had more than one job, and I assume that's the case here. 

I wouldn't go to Panera for these drinks, and don't really like its coffee in general. I used to be an Unlimited Sip Club member, maybe a year or two ago, and found the coffee varied day to day — sometimes burnt, others watery. Thus, I ultimately ended the membership. The general sentiment is mirrored in a previous Tasting Table ranking of Panera drinks; coffee was not in the top three, while the bottom three were all coffee or espresso drinks.

The frittatas and teas are fine. Nothing offensive, but nothing to shout from the rooftops either. The Carnitas Elote Market Bowl is my top pick out of everything, but I'd say you could find a tasty option from the Market Bowls or Premium Salads based on your preference. Happy eating!