This year is quickly shaping up to be a major period of change for one of America’stop bakery-cafe chains.
The lineup includes several new takes on familiar breakfast foods.
There’s a Ham, Egg & Cheese Sandwich.
Photo: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock. Design: Eat This, Not That!
There’s a Bacon Double Take breakfast sandwich with an extra hefty portion of bacon.
And there’s also aSteak & Wake sandwich stacked with marinated, thin-sliced cuts of beef.
They’re effectively breakfast sandwiches that use a warmed cinnamon roll in lieu of the typical bun or bread.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
Both the CinnaScrambles and CinnaTops have alreadybecome a point of contentionamong Panera customers.
This and the other two CinnaTop varieties will only be available for a limited time.
The treat cost me $4.89 at my local Panera in New Jersey.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
This iteration had a thick layer of icing and was covered generously in big Candy Cookie bits.
The taste:This was clunky to eat and an absolute sugar overload.
I couldn’t stomach more than a couple of bites.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
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The treat cost me $4.89.
The treat cost me $4.89.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
The look:Ultra decadent and a bit over-the-top.
The icing was layered on generously and the brownie pieces looked moist, rich, and fudgy as described.
The taste:Of the three CinnaTop varieties, this was by far the most palatable.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
The textures were a big part of what made it so superior.
Unlike the crumbly, sort of dry cookie pieces, the brownies were soft and easy to bite through.
I don’t see myself going back for any of the CinnaTops after this tasting.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
But if you’re dying to try one, the Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop is your best best.
The sandwich cost me $6.99.
The look:A bit messily assembled, but pretty generously portioned.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
There were thick helpings of sliced steak and scrambled egg packed within the golden brown, bubbly ciabatta.
The taste:Not terrible or terribly impressive.
The egg and cheese were tasty enough and the steak had a decently savoryalbeit one-noteflavor.
Zoe Strozewski for Eat This, Not That!
However, the pieces of beef had almost no texture and were way too small for my liking.
Unlike the Steak & Wake, this is a permanent addition to the Panera menu.
The sandwich cost me $6.59.
The look:A little humdrum, especially next to the generously portioned Steak & Wake.
There was only one slice of ham and very little cheese.
Plus, the egg didn’t fully fill out the sandwich.
The taste:Sort of boring, but pretty solid overall.
The ham Ididget on the sandwich was savory and fresh-tasting.
Yet, it was also subtle enough that it didn’t overwhelm the funky aged cheddar.
Even so, every element of the sandwich was pretty generously portioned, from the bacon to the egg.
The bacon was smoky, salty, flavorful, and piled on thick, just as promised.
I did have some issues with the textures in this sandwich.
The bacon was a little tough and I wanted a bit more of a toast on the focaccia.
This one and the other CinnaScramble flavor will only stick around for a limited time.
The sandwich cost me $5.89.
That actually worked in this sandwich’s favor.
The sandwich cost me $6.99.
The look:This was undeniably the most visually pleasing of the Panera breakfast items I tried.
To be clear, this is a hefty breakfast and a lot to handle first thing in the morning.
