Grabbing a bagel at Panera is a treat for some and a ritual for others.
Among its manysoups,salads, andbaked goods galore, the chain has a huge variety of bagel flavors.
From sweet to savory to cheesyoh, yes!Panera’s got the variety you crave.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Which bagels are the best at Panera, and which should you skip?
To find out, I purchased every bagel on the Panera menu for a taste test.
I sampled each bagel on its own with no spreads or toppings.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
I didn’t toast the bagels and tried each of them as they came in the name of fairness.
The bagels were priced at $1.89 each, plus tax.
But tasting the bagels at Panera turned everything I thought about bagels upside down.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
Read on to get my hot take on Panera’s bagels, ranked from worst to best.
Blueberry
Oy vey.
When it comes to bagels, blueberry doesn’t work.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
This fruit should be reserved for muffins.
Still, in the name of fairness, I bit into this bagel with an open mind.
The look:This somewhat shiny, misshapen bagel had a nice brownish color.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
Small blueberries were dotted throughout, and one of the blueberries looked a little oozy, which was appealing.
Panera says there are “blueberry flavors baked inside,” which to me means not real.
Cream cheese won’t save this, so skip it.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
The taste:Oh no!
This bagel was hard and bland, and the chips were so tiny you could barely taste them.
If you’re craving chocolate, take a pass on this bagel and find a chocolate chip muffin instead.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
Rating:2/10
Everything
Everything bagels are usually one of my favorite bagel types.
The look:When I saw this bagel, I was suspicious that the seasonings were only on top.
To my eye, the seasonings looked sparse.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
All I tasted was white dough, and the seasonings were too scant to make a difference.
The onion, though, was overwhelming.
Everything seasoning should be a medley of spices but that onion hit the wrong note.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
The look:This perfectly round bagel was nice and fluffy with a good coating of sesame seeds.
The taste:This bagel was perfectly fine but nothing special.
It was a middle ground between everything and plain.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
Rating: 3/10
Plain
A plain bagel sounds basicand in many ways, it is.
But when done right, it’s the perfect base for any spread or topping.
The look:This bagel appeared very shiny on the outside.
Based on looks alone, I would have opted for any of the other flavors.
The taste:The inside of this bagel was chewy, and the outside was crisp.
Panera says the bagel is “lightly sweetened with brown sugar,” but I could not taste that.
The plain bagel was indeed basic but surprisingly OK. And why not slather this baby with butter or cream cheese and call it breakfast?
The look:This “bagel flat” looked more like a small sandwich roll.
I liked the nice brown color and that it was topped with oats.
The taste:This item was nice and chewy inside and a good alternative to a traditional bagel.
I could see myself getting this as a bagel flat sandwich.
The crunchy looking topping was tempting, and swirls of cinnamon made me think of a cinnamon bun.
The taste:I was surprised by how delicious this was.
I think of this more as a pastry than a bagel, but it was yummy.
Panera says this is a sourdough bagel swirled with cinnamon and cinnamon-flavored chips, brown sugar, and raisins.
The look:I liked that this bagel was darker in color, and its asymmetrical shape was appealing.
The taste:Wow, the dough on this bagel had a nice flavor.
There were just the right amount of raisins.
This bagel would be great with some cream cheese.
Who knows, I could be a cinnamon raisin convert!
I was curious as to why it was popular.
The look:This fluffy, roll-like bagel was plump and had melty cheese baked on top.
It didn’t look like any typical bagel.
The taste:Holy cow!
This was one savory, delicious bagel.
The inclusion of the Asiago cheese had me going back for second and third bites.
I could see this bagel being a great vessel for a salad like tuna.
I never would have tried it, but I was so glad I did.
