This place is the perfectly centered meeting point for my friend and I to meet up for lunch in the Loop. Â We really tried to like it here.
The Thai chicken salad is pretty darn tasty, but I am not impressed with the quality and price ratio. Â I usually spend just under $10, but for Au Bon Pain's mediocracy it's just not worth it anymore. Â Their soups are often alright, but once again expect to pay quite a bit. Â Now I understand that eating in the loop isn't cheap - HOWEVER, I have come to find that there are definitely hidden delicious deals and lunch specials everywhere around here, you just have to know where to look. Â
I always envision the idea of Au Bon Pain to be a little bakery, making salads and sandwiches to order, where everyone knows your name. Â It is a creepy assembly line version of this. Â When you walk in, someone squaks hello in a panic - the made-to-order things are done in a frenzied sloppy mess, and the checkout is a line of frantic employees trying to move people through.
The charm that it tries to create isn't real. Â There are still places that have this and I intend on supporting those.
I love their soup selection. Â There are always 8 options and always a veggie option, a couple hearty, some low cal. Â Add a nice baguette and you're set for a filling lunch. Â Not cheap - large soup with bread will cost about 7.50. Â Although I've come to expect this in the Loop. Â Lots of seating here.
Review Source:I like the Thai Peanut Chicken Wrap. It's delicious, and the vegetables, unlike other fast food sandwich shops who shall not be mentioned (cough Subway cough), the lettuce and veggies actually look appetizing. It's a good thing I like it because according to the menu, it's pretty much the only tasty-looking thing under 600 calories.
I go to this Au Bon Pain frequently as my office is a block away, but my biggest complaint about this location is that they are CONSISTENTLY understaffed, even at the lunch rush. Today they had two people behind the counter. It took 15 minutes for me to get in and out the door, but the entire time, there was someone standing in front of the counter taking orders like a maitre'd. Sandwich makers can only make one sandwich at a time....Imagine how much faster they'd go if each sandwich-maker took their OWN order, and the wanna-be-garcon actually chipped in?
Typically come here for soup at lunchtime. Â They usually have about 8 varieties, only some of which are remotely healthy. Â Some tend to be cream based and loaded with calories, which I attempt to avoid. Â As a regular it's disappointing that they've done away with (or reduced the appearances of) many of my favorities from yester-year such as the Tomato Cheddar, Pea and Ham, Gazpacho and the Curried Lentil. Â Regardless, unlike Pret a Manager who continue to serve those stodgy white pretzel rolls with their soup, at Au Bon Pain, you get to select your bread of choice. Â This for me is the differentiator becuase if I wanted a stodgy white bread roll I wouldn't be stood in Pret a Manager in the first place. Â As a regular I've noticed how quickly they turnover their staff, which doesn't bode welll for the L&A going into my prepared food. Â Regardless, I haven't found a more convienient place for bread and soup in the city.
Review Source:Really boring. Â I'll just convey that I had a club sandwich here and it was blah. Â Suzy pointed out that they do two things well, Soup and Pastries. Â As I've had neither (and honestly, it's unlikely I'll go back for either), I can't comment on that and will refrain from giving it 1 star. Â
Au Bon Pain: Â I don't get it. Â Disorganized line and filled out an entire piece of paper to simply say that I wanted a club sandwich. Â The paper was a half sheet, and in general, it seemed that the line had no idea what they were supposed to do. Â Were we in line? Â Do I wait? Â Oh, that woman behind me just put her piece of paper on the counter to get ahead of me? What? Â I don't get it. Â Seems like a lot of work for a club sandwich.
Look, when I get a sandwich, I want it crafted. Â I want options. I want fresh ingredients with great flavor. Â This was seriously boring. Â Worse then a midnight trip to the fridge sandwich with cold cuts from Jewel. Â And it cost $7.50. Â Boo. Â That. Â
That said, the space they have has high ceilings and is very clean. Â I imagine it's OK for a very quick lunch. Â As long as you stick with a cup of soup followed by a pastry.
ABP does 2 things well: soup and pastries. There used to be an ABP in the first floor of the building where I work, and I took it for granted. On days when it was too cold to go outside, I would wander down and buy a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, a dinner roll, and a shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate. I never really appreciated that it was tasty. It was just convenient. However, then the ABP in my building shut down...oh the horror! All of a sudden, there was a dearth of good soup places around me. Soupbox in Ogilvie has soup, but those soups aren't as tasty as ABP soup. If you work by an ABP, be grateful and try the soup. Get a cookie. Appreciate what you have. Now I miss my ABP.
The sandwiches aren't amazing. Sometimes they're overly complicated and pricy and they aren't that filling. Soup and pastries are what they do best. I also like the breakfast muesli with the chunks of apple in the refrigerated case. Yum!
I ran here with colleagues for lunch midweek. Â The black bean soup was perfect for vegans. Â The store was super clean, the service was super fast. Â We were able to park across the street because someone was waiting in the car for us but even that was risky. Â I would suggest paying for parking in a garage or valet if you plan or just do what we did if you plan on taking a trip to this lovely little place. Â I should add that they also have fruit, salad, bakery type goods, sandwiches, and other meat items at very affordable prices.
Review Source:I stepped in here today, as it was extremely hot (95 degrees) to cool down with some tea and get some quick emails sent out.
Well, it was NOT quick. I was surprised that such a large Au Bon Pain with so much seating space was completely empty! Â Once I opened up my laptop, I realized it took me a good 5 minutes to find which wi-fi name was theirs (surfonin). Â Soon after that, the internet was so in and out, that it took a full minute from the moment I clicked "send" to the moment that it read "message sent." Â This may not seem like a lot, but I suggest timing it next time you send out an email.
I was highly disappointed and will not be returning. Â I will not sway away from my beloved Argo Tea again.
I shouldn't have done it. I don't know why I did. Macaroni and cheese. Yeah, you heard me. Sister lunches can be quite dangerous and well, when creamy mac and cheese is an option and staring you in the face, it's hard to get anything else. The macaroni and cheese was good but the noodles were a little overcooked, I definitely didn't even come close to even finishing half of it.
So Au Bon Pain has great cookies, which is the main reason why I even bother stopping in here. The Hazelnut Chocolate Dream is just what mama needs in the middle of a hectic work week. Chocolatey, gooey, bits of hazelnut...the center is like a brownie and then I'm like hey, wait! You're a cookie. Well played Au Bon Pain, well played!
Stops in here are few and far between simply because there are a lot of other places I'd like to lunch. A-OK just as Yelp says.
That cookie though is top notch and the staff is very friendly.
Meh, this place is all right, but I've definitely had better grub than this. For one, it's pretty expensive for what it is. You can get cheaper stuff elsewhere. The salad bar is ridiculously expensive. The soups aren't all veggie friendly (at least they're honest in that they post little cards near the soups listing the ingredients) and the coffee leaves much to be desired. I might be spoiled by the delicious chocolate croissants over in San Francisco, so my opinion might be biased, but these croissants just weren't good. The chocolate was hard when the chocolate should be melty and smooth. If I wanted hard chocolate, I'd get a candy bar!
I guess it's okay if you're on a time crunch and need to gobble something quick, but otherwise, you'd do best to try better restaurants elsewhere, preferably in the neighborhoods surrounding the loop (there's some good food up in the Andersonville hood and there's a pretty good Indian Restaurant near Belmont and Clark).
Caution veggies: ABP's mac and cheese is NOT veggie friendly!
I made the mistake of ordering it today and noticed from the first bite the distinctive taste of chicken. The website confirmed it too. Boooooo!
In their defense they do label the veggie menu items, I just never thought to question mac and cheese, my mistake. Well, that's one way of sparing myself some needless fat and caloric intake.
I am dropping this place a star for one reason, the annoying sandwich ordering process; it is NOT designed for the picky eater. The other half of my lunch also ended up in the trash after my sandwich was not only slathered in mayo (yuck), but the wrong kind, regular instead of chipotle (double yuck).
Au Bon Pain is one of my primary lunch spots downtown. Â As a Vegan I have to hunt for good places to eat, luckily Au Bon Pain caters to Vegans as well. Â They make a great soup and they generally have a Vegan one every day (they rotate soups daily). Â My favorites are French Moroccan Tomato Lentil, Vegetarian Lentil, Tomato Curry Rice, and Black Bean - to top it off, these are all low fat (less than 2g of fat!). Â The breads are also Vegan and good. Â This location is huge too, so if you're meeting people for lunch this place should be able to accommodate you.
Review Source:In defense of food...
Au Bon Pain has been my downtown lunch staple for the last year and a half. Why, you may ask, if the salads are soggy? If the roll-ups are pre-rolled? If it'll cost you $11 for something you realize you didn't want in the first place?
Because of all the great options they DO have. I've been there like 5 hundred bazillion times and tried it all...and then I get totally OCD and stick to the best stuff and eat it all the time--like their soups. Ohh, don't ignore the soup line. Just because it's 12:30pm and people are hovering around the soups like buzzards, you need to swoop in and sample some for yourself! They've got yer creamy, your spicy, your vegan, your low-fat, low-sodium options, they even have mac 'n cheese (stick to the soups, here). I like to get a spicy soup with a tomato base, pick up a southwest cornbread mini-loaf and call it a day. It's filling, sweet, spicy, tangy, and delicious, and the loaf pretty much always ends up in my to-go bowl...but with good reason!
So therefore, fellow Yelpers, do look over the soggy salad bar, congealed meats aren't good for you, but take the time to find the diamond in the rough.
Perhaps the worst food I've consumed in at least a decade...if not my life.
The salad bar is $.54/oz. I thought that seemed like a pretty stellar deal, until I realized they should be paying me to eat it. For serious...soggy, wilty, yucky stuff. Heavy, watery toppings that were congealing left and right, just glomming on to their containers in hopes that someone would take pity on them (like me?) and add them to their bed of gross greens. Not good.
The "iced coffee" was in such a state of disrepair, that upon first sip I threw it in the garbage. I'm not one to waste caffeine...EVER. This was...not drinkable. And this is coming from a girl that would drink straight black tar w/ splenda and think it was pretty average. So, my backup? Diet...PEPSI!? Sick. I hate Pepsi. With a passion.
Ok, so maybe I will grab something out of this weird cooler with lots of side dishes. Turkey rolls with asparagus and cranberry something-or-others. Ok...but not so much. It tasted..."off." I never want to eat processed meat products that even hint of "off." These were about as appetizing as the salad...almost.
I'd guess the upside to this place is the bread...it's pretty good, and since that's about all I ate, I'll give that one star.
Better for hot coffee/cookies/special sandwiches/bread/pastries I'd imagine, but this was Au Bon Painful, pun intended and directed.
I, too, had a favorite item at Au Bon Pain that was discontinued, the hazelnut monkeybread. Â So delicious. Â Probably better for me that it was discontinued. Â But when I asked the manager if it was coming back she said no, but they're now introducing the "white chocolate toffee bagel braid", bleh. Â I know it's just my opinion, but they get rid of good stuff, keep old boring stuff, and introduce wacky new stuff that does not appeal. Â And the coffee is only average.
Review Source:There is a sandwich that Au Bon Pain used to make that made me want to cry it was so good. Â It literally is the only prepared food item I have ever mourned the loss of for such an extreme amount of time. Â (I think they stopped making it in 1992? Â omg, maybe...? what the hell is wrong with me)
Anyway, this sandwich, which consisted of a warm chicken breast with a peppercorn coating, herb Boursin-style cheese and lettuce on french bread (and was probably 9,000 calories) was so good I never ordered anything else anytime I went into an Au Bon Pain. Â
So, they discontinued it, and I cried and wrote letters and threatened to picket (no...not really...hmm) but then I moved away from any of their locations and so it became one of those crazy urban legend things that when you are 90 you tell small children and they go off shaking their heads saying "yup, the old bat is totally off her rocker".
Well, I had an appointment in the building this particular ABP is located in today and half of me wanted to go in and just get a coffee, but the other half secretly hoped The Sandwich was back on the menu. (the answer: no) But I did like the little tiny snacky serving-size things they sold as well as the oatmeal/soup bar and the wide selection of items to choose from. Â The layout is kinda jacked though, its not really clear whats where or if there is any sort of traffic flow. Â I'm sure if you go more than once you can figure it out though.
But the coffee by the way is damn fine and i recommend doing a half and half combo of the French Roast and the Morning Blend. Â
Actually, please dont bring The Sandwich back, ABP. Â I have a feeling that things from the early '90's need to stay tucked in the past, along with Paula Abdul's music, fades, the Chevy Chase show and flannel shirts. Â Besides, I dont need the calories.
Made a pit stop at Au Bon Pain after the Chase Corporate Challenge run to get some "replenishment" in the form of some kind of sugar. Â That some kind of sugar turned out to be a blondie.
From 7-8 pm, there is a 50% off bake sale, but 8-9 pm, you're screwed. Â I vote for bake sales until closing!
P.S. Â The blondie was good, but nothing to write home about.
It's a hop, skip and jump from my place of work so I am a fan. They have a great soup selection...Vegetarian Chili is my all-time fave...and they provide all nutritional information on their website (even bigger fan). I haven't really tried many of their sandwiches...it is the soup that brings me here. Bonus, their bagels are very fresh.
Review Source:totally dig the HUGE (when I say huge, I think I mean 8?) selection of soups. Â some creamy, some brothy, some low fat, some veggie. Â You have to give 'em props for all the options. Â
A girl like me loves options. Â It just brings a smile to my face, when I see one type of item, in a multitude of variations!!! Â I will say the same for the selection of breadsticks! Â You've gotta check it out. Â You'll be impressed.
I don't really know about the sandwiches. Â Minus 1 star for not having crackers (only breadsticks for sale). Â UMMM, at least have them for sale!!! Â jeeez.... "MINUS 1 STAR FOR YOU!!!"
Pretty certain I've been to a different Au Bon Pain than this one, but let's pretend for now that I went to this one, shall we? (as I had trouble finding the address of the exact one I've been to on yelp)
Anyway, I like going here on occasion, though it's appeal has gradually decreased for me over time, due to the fact I now realize(unlike years ago) how expensive the food is. To drive this point more, I once was not careful enough when I went here and ordered several items, that my bill was(yeeeech) $15! And for this reason, I can't give this place more than 3 stars.
However despite their prices, I still will go here occasionally, as it isn't a bad option for a quick meal in the Loop(and miles better than going to a McD's, Wendy's, or pretty much any fast food chain for a quick lunch). And like others said, it's a pretty reliable bet that you'll find at least something on the menu that isn't bad, whether it's a sandwich, wrap, soup, bread bowl, etc.
Probably counts for something I don't think I've ever had a bad meal going here, even though I can't recall if this place has a problem with table cleanliness and/or odors. Definitely beats Corner Bakery's sandwiches and soups, and gives them a run for their money on desserts. Only negatives is that I'm not sure if they're open on weekends, and that they all but don't have any locations outside of the Loop and on a few college campuses(i.e. University of Chicago).
Have you ever played Clue? Or, for that matter, seen the movie Clue? It's a murder mystery- determining who, from a shady group of characters, committed a murder and using what weapon in what room. It's fun.
Playing Clue at Au Bon Pain to determine where the skanky smell is coming from, however, is not so much fun. It's more terrible in the, well, skanky smell way. See, upon entering Au Bon Pain today, my coworkers and I were bowled over by an odor straight outta Hell. It was so bad that one of my coworkers, a usually very polite person, couldn't help but comment out loud. Repeatedly. About the stench.
While we did what we could to get our lunch and get out of there as quickly as possible, we did manage to play a little game of "Is that from an old mop?" "Is it cheese?" "Do you think it's a cooler?" "Could it be the maintenance guy?". And all the staff did was stare- they didn't look for the potential culprit, or get their manager, or even acknowledge that they smelled it, too, and apologize. You're in food services- smells are BAD! Get with the program and figure it out.
The food is okay, but I have to admit that I was more than a little turned off by the olfactory experience. Uggghhh.
Lovely to have 8-10 soup options in the cold months, with at least three of them vegetarian. (Have to agree with Lauren H., though: They ALWAYS add sausage or beef/chicken broth to soups that should remain vegetarian.) And I'm dumbfounded that they don't offer crackers for your soup, but they want you to buy their stupid breadsticks instead (and I never do). The large soup is $4.60, I think.
Sandwiches are okay, though most of their menu items are over my $5.50 budget. They do have the option to create your own sandwich, and if I start with a cheese sandwich, I'm charged $3.99. I can add hummus, roasted peppers or guacamole for an additional .79 cents each. Their Mediterranean wrap is $5.49 and has field greens, kalamata olives, feta, roasted red pepper hummus and cucumbers and is pretty darn good, too.
Steer clear of their mac & cheese; I tried it once and found it very gummy.
I went to lunch last Friday with the lovely Lara W., and because our original destination was closed for remodeling, we decided to just stop in ABP b/c it was cold out. Â The soups looked good (though why did they have to ruin the cabbage soup with sausage so I couldn't order it?) but I opted for a portabello and goat cheese sandwich. Â It sounded good in theory. Â In actuality, it looked like a biscotti with a few pieces of lettuce on it--it was pretty small and not much substance. Â And for me to not be raving about something with goat cheese, well, that tells you everything. Â For the price, there should have been more to the sandwich.
Too many other lunch options in the loop, I don't plan on going back.
I usually avoid chains like the plague, but since this one is in the building it becomes my default lunch choice when things get busy.
Nice selection of sandwiches, salads, and soups. Â I also like their oatmeal bar in the am.
Service is usually prompt and the quality is good. Â It can be a bit of a cluster**** from 11:30 - 1:30, but otherwise you're in and out pretty quickly.
It wouldn't be my first choice, but its a better choice than the Mickey D's across the street.
I love the Harvest Turkey sandwich in the fall.
A word of warning. Â It can get pricey in a hurry. Â A sandwich + fountain drink gets up to $9 - $10.
I don't usually review chain type restaurants, as they're all the same and what else is there really to say about a place that everyone has already been to? Â
However, my lunch at Au Bon Pain left me needing to share...
1) I like this place because they have so many options-- wraps, bowls, sandwiches, salads, soups... pretty much everyone is going to find something to like.
2) Â Their chicken sandwiches are REAL chicken, not that weird semi-processed version you find in Lean Cuisines and at Corner Bakery.
3) And this is what made me want to write a review--they have started serving these little 120-200 calorie snacks that are both nutritious and tasty. Â Choices include hummus and cucumbers, stuffed tomatoes, asparagus with almonds, cheese and crackers... Â Perfect for taking the edge off without polishing off a pastry (or two).
I eat here once or twice a week. Â In the fall they have HARVEST PUMPKIN soup which is low fat and tastes awesome. Â There's at least 8 soups each day, I am a big soup fan so this is awesome! Â Their tomato basil bisque isn't as good as Cosi's, but then again its WAY lower in fat/calories than Cosi's so its a trade off. :) Â OOh and the thai salad is awesome, i ask for it light on the dressing and there's still a lot on it but it tastes really good. Â
The cashiers are friendly and/or sarcastic (in a good way) and remember us, so its a nice break from the other faceless places in the area.
_____________________________________
Edit: Their chicken in the thai chicken salads is so spongy - why is that?? Â I usually eat around it because its so gross, but I accidentally ate some a minute ago and - yuck.
A solid choice for a work day breakfast or lunch, this is a solid Loop Lunch Location member. I have always liked the soups from Au Bon Pain. They provide a wonderful variety of classic, eclectic and vegetarian options for soups. My personal favorites, in no particular order: Tomato Basil Bisque (v), Wild Mushroom Bisque, Mediterranean Pepper, Vegetarian Chili (v) and Beef Barley.
They have some prepared wraps, sandwiches and salads if you are in a hurry. Otherwise, you can wait in line and order a fresh one or one to your liking. They have a decent selection of bread to go along with your soup and salad. As for other supplemental items, you can get things like yogurt, pre-cut fruit, hard boiled eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice among other things. There is also a tasty pastry section that I usually try to ignore. It's more of a love-hate relationship...love taste...but hate it when I realize that I have just eaten my entire daily recommended calorie intake for the day.
I've had oatmeal here for breakfast and I found it to be quite satisfactory. They have the usual suspects to adorn your oatmeal, such as brown sugar, maple syrup, granola and even unsweetened chocolate chips.
Their coffee is serviceable, but not one of my favorites at all. In fact there is a Starbucks in the same building.
The seating at lunch time can get busy, but it's not impossible. When the weather gets nice, they provide outdoor seating.
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