It is with such a heavy heart that I frequent the Americanized version of my old sarnie standby in London. When I heard Pret was coming to Chicago, I was hopeful that they'd keep the English menu (I'm seriously nostalgic, what can I say?) I just want a Mature Cheddar & Pret Pickle or a Wild Crayfish & Rocket, even a Cracking Egg Salad. Indulge me, Pret! Instead, it's fairly boring sandwich fare. Not terrible, mind you, just not the same...(insert sadness here.)
But, I'm a fan of the salads. My new fave is the chicken avocado and I like that they have a "skinny vinaigrette" that is very lemon/mustard-y. It is what it is.
The food is bland; it's not cooked to order so when I opened my sandwich that was probably sitting there for hours the tortilla was burned to the paper. There wasn't much dressing so it was dry. I don't understand how this place is in business and I really don't understand why people would choose to go here with so many other great restaurants/quick healthy lunch spots in Chicago. I hate giving bad reviews but I'm never going back.
Review Source:Hahaha, this place is dumb, but I eat here like every other day. Everything is prepackaged - who gives a spurting peptic ulcer burp if it's "made fresh earlier that day?" You're basically getting the same experience as grabbing a cellophane-wrapped sandwich from 7-Eleven except you're paying the same $7+ for it as you would at somewhere like Panera or Cosi for them to make it for you on the spot. Ignorant! So ridiculously overpriced for pre-packaged stuff that's been rotting on the hot roller or cool shelf for hours and hours. Who cares that they donate it at the end of the day? WHO CARES? Meaningless. All is dross and glamour.
I still come here every other day, though.
This east coaster likes seeing a little reminder of home in Chicago. I've been coming here a lot more lately because of a much needed change of pace and the increased prices at Market Creations.
Everything I've had here so far is good. It's nothing that will blow you away but it's more than adequate. I've gone during the lunch rush peak but there are several people working at check-out so the wait has never been too long. I don't like that the products are not labeled though, you have to look at the sign to choose what you want. But if you were to pick up lunch for others it may be hard to distinguish what is what.
Also, you can get a roll with your order at no extra charge but you have to ask for it.
$3.29 for half sandwich, come on! Â For another dollar, you can go to Subway or Jimmy John's and get more. Â Average sandwich prices are $5.99 - $6.29, bowl of soup $3.99, Salads $6.29 -- all food made hours ago. Â There are plenty of other choices in the pedway that are cheaper, fresher, and tastier. Â Go explore!
Review Source:- really like the salads
- love the staff behind the registers, so friendly
- tasty sandwiches (at least the ones I've tried)
- easy & fast, even during rush hour
- delicious zucchini bread & cookies (recently discovered)
However:
- not loving some of the management... grabbed the Last sandwich in the "turkey-cheddar" section, got back to work and it was the wrong sandwich. Obviously it had inadvertently been placed there but it was the wrong one & didn't really care for it.
I called Pret to let them know what had happened and the 2nd in command (no mgr. available) was pretty apathetic and said almost verbatim "what do you want me to do? You can come back and get the right one " ... this he said AFTER I mentioned I was already back at work.
Wow, really?
1. I was really surprised at the response b/c I always thought Pret was so customer oriented (staff always so friendly, was overcharged once and girl fixed it right away and was very apologetic)
2. I've worked in the service industry & my immediate reaction would have been more along the lines of  "I'm sorry, that must have been annoying, please come back soon and pick up your sandwich on us."
Maybe it was extra irritating b/c it was 2:30, was hungry and was looking forward to eating... eating the sandwich I wanted to eat! Anyway, I gave it away.
I'll be switching back to Pastoral!
Oh yeah, the guy said he'd make a note of this so I could come back and get the right sandwich, on Pret... I guess? I'm not even sure b/c he really had no opinion, no POV, didn't seem to care... and now, I don't really feel like going back to Pret.
The food is made fresh with fresh ingredients daily; nothing is left overnight or is old. The food tastes very delicious: sandwiches on baguettes, hot and cold wraps, the soup is phenominal (meditteranean lentil), fruit cups are overpriced but it's a restaurant not a grocery store, and the baked goods are delicious. The fair trade organic coffee isdelicious. The lunch line (noon-1pm) is quite long but moves smoothly. The staff is always friendly and competent!
Review Source:C'mon son, a 5 star review for Pret? Look up "average" in the dictionary and see a picture of Pret A Manger: bland food with quality better than Subway (a low threshold) but not as good as Hannah's.
Pret has a number of sandwiches which are not available at other sandwich restaurants (e.g., Parmesan & aioli), so it is a change of pace from lunches you might be sick of elsewhere. I'm sure that when the novelty wears off everyone will hate Pret as much as everyone hates Jimmy Johns and Potbelly.
Let's get this out of the way, in case you're a provincial midwestern hick like me that never had no overseas learnin:  It's pronounced "pret ahh manJHAY."  No less an authority than the Oxford English Dictionary says so:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Foald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com%2Fdictionary%2Fpret-a-manger&s=79280135c688e786ec503def07a9b282fa9d3d1a7bc0872a2461d742ac9caded" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://oald8.oxfordlearn…</a> (includes both English and American pronunciation files)
That said, Pret a Manger is a British sandwich chain, which has expanded to NYC, Washington and Chicago. Â The concept is pretty simple: They offer pre-made chemical and preservative-free sandwiches, with the caloric info displayed right on the rack. Â Everything is made fresh in the morning, and anything that isn't sold by close gets donated to charity. Â They're said to treat their employees exceptionally well, by fast food standards. Â I can't independently verify that, but there are tipping slots designed right into the counters for the cashiers, a nice touch, and something I've long thought should be standard at any fast food place. Â The employees certainly seemed peppy when I visited, as opposed to the folks taking orders at places that serve the pink slim.
Definitely worth putting on your rotation if you work near Aon/Prudential Plaza. Â Between this place, Hannah's Bretzel, Pastoral and the various roving food trucks, there's really no reason to ever be reduced to Subway at lunchtime around here.
Finally came here because the convenient location and well, they're popping up EVERYWHERE. My friends have had the original in England and say that they aren't impressed. But, I had to try it out anyways. After all, I'm nosy, too curious, and well, I wanted to just see for myself.
I came here looking for breakfast since I missed the free sandwich they gave away on opening day. In a mood for egg, I tried the egg and roasted tomato baguette. Interesting.... They gots some baked goods, they're own cafe, and some salads. All pre-made so pick up and go! I dunno, think I gotta try some other ones before I'm convinced.
I understand the concept: I spent the first 20-something years of my life in the UK eating pre-made sandwiches and being hungry all afternoon.
I've spent the last four in the United States learning what a sandwich can be, and the last two in Chicago exploring the sandwichy delights of the pedway. Pret now pales by comparison.
Within a hundred yards or so, you can get outstanding, creative, large, and made-to-order sandwiches at Hannah's Bretzel, Sopraffina or Potbelly. You can get serviceable sandwiches on soft bread with lots of meat at Halsted Street Deli. Hell, you can even go Jimmy John's or Subway if you must.
Or, you can get a sandwich made several hours ago from two slices of dry bread, smeared with mustard, a couple of slices of meat and cheese, and some funky-tasting potato chips.
Prêt à manger means "ready to eat", a play on "prêt-à -porter" (off-the-rack clothing) and the fact that their sandwiches are grab-and-go. The name works another way too: I ate lunch there 15 minutes ago, and now I'm "ready to eat" again.
This would be a welcome addition in the food wasteland of O'Hare, but it really doesn't need to exist in 225 N Michigan. I'm sure it will sate the appetites of some of the office building's waifish bulimics, but I was disappointed.
I was thrilled that the newest Pret A Manger opened right where I worked. They only opened last week, and I've already eaten there 3X! I'm a vegetarian who tries to eat healthy, and they have so many options I can chose from. I recognized some of the faces from the LaSalle street store, and everyone seems very friendly and helpful! The portions are just right for lunch and reasonably priced for the quality ingredients. I loved the Pret A Mangers in London, and now I can enjoy this unique concept as often as I want!
Review Source:The pret has finally opened! The day of the grand opening they were giving away free sandwiches and goodie bags! I got to taste some of their organic popcorn and orange pop. Very good!
I've tried 3 different sandwiches here so far:
- Spicy shrimp wrap
- vietnamese baguette
- mozzerella and artichoke hot wrap
All so good! freshly made. I want to come back and try all of their sandwiches.
The sandwich/food area is pretty close to the register so it gets alittle crowded and choatic. I've always taken a late lunch but I'm sure lines are crazy long.
eh, not too impressed. Â Went for lunch today and got a Chicken Mozz sandwich and a bag of chips for under $10 bucks and I am still hungry. Â The Balsamic Dressing they used was outstanding, but the sandwich just needed more to it. Â maybe some Tomatoe or Lettuce. Â
Nice place though and big, better the Ponte Fresco. Â Just not a fan of the layout. Â Besides moving between customers to grab sandwiches, you also have to move around the employees restocking the shelves. Â You would think they would have the system set up so the employees could restock the shelves from behind, since they did construct the store completely different the Ponte Fresco.
I'll give it another try, but with some many other options in the pedway here, we will see if this place lasts
Finally the brand new Pret A Manger is open in the old Ponte Fresco space! I was sad for that to go, but excited for this to open!
Talk about patronizing a new business - I had breakfast, lunch and dinner at Pret today - on its first day of opening!
They have a wide selection of sandwiches (wider than PF), a lot of seating in the back, spacious layout, enough counters for quick check-out, good morning menu for coffee/tea/hot chocolate and bakery items too.
Very friendly and sharp staff and an energetic smiling manager greeting people. I like the fact they have nutrition information listed.
One quick small feedback - the cup sleeves aren't great quality because my hands were still burning from holding my chai latte; the chai was good - not too sweet.
For lunch, I had half a pesto mozzarella sandwich and half a grilled cheese sandwich. Both were interesting and not bad.
My favorite though was my dinner item - it was an artichoke mozzarella wrap, which I greatly enjoyed! Â
Plenty of vegetarian options, including 3 different vegetarian soups.
I also appreciate this food option being open until 7pm (they also open early in the morning at 7am).
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