Panera Letdown

Went to Panera Bread in Torrnce on Crenshaw Blvd. last Thursday.  We had just come from the gym. My friends Amy and Nako go there once a week with another group.
Amy always has just a piece of toast with butter and some jelly. It's hard to screw that up. Nako ordered a blueberry muffin which he said was o.k.

I ordered a breakfast sandwich (I've never had any of them before). Rather than read from the menu, I just asked what kind they had and when I heard egg with bacon, I stopped her and ordered that.  I had pictured a croissant with either fried or scrambled egg with some bacon. While waiting for my sandwich, I headed over to the table with jugs of different types of coffee.  I have always gotten their "dark" coffee and though not the best, it was strong and good enough. This time, as I pushed on the top of the thermos, the coffee that poured out had a light color. Maybe it got switched with the "light"; mistakes happen...so I took some from the light and it was indeed light. Went back to the pseudo dark and as soon as I poured the half and half, it looked like an "albino" unlike the rich color it should have had. I didn't complain.

The sandwich came and it should have just went!  The picture below pretty much speaks for itself. A fried egg that had no yolk (rubbery) and the pieces of bacon just slapped on like someone was in a hurry to leave for their break. I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, right? It was totally dry. I did not finish it as I didn't want to waste my calories on something terrible.  I went back and ordered a carrot cake muffin.  The outer edges were so dry it was unbelievable.  The middle section was better as there was a cream filling inside.  Again, this was almost as bad as the sandwich. Didn't finish that either and for me not to finish something, you know it had to be bad.

I went back to the girl that helped me and just told her that I though the sandwich was not good.  I asked her if they have had other complaints and she said: "No, in fact a lady just ordered 8 of them."  She also said she would pass it on the manager.

On our way out, we spoke to 3 gentlemen that go there everyday. They mentioned that their coffee is usually hit and miss; something they didn't understand as usually these things are measured or at least we all thought that.

The only thing you can depend on being always delicious are the egg souffles; at least for now.