Panera Bread Menu 2026: Prices, Calories & Full Menu Guide

Panera Bread is the bakery-cafe that built a national chain on two things: bread baked in-house every morning and a soup that people cross town for. Founded in 1987 as the Saint Louis Bread Company in Kirkwood, Missouri, and renamed Panera Bread in 1997, the chain now runs more than 2,100 bakery-cafes across the United States. The signature order is the Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a sourdough bread bowl — $8.98 at the cafes checked in November 2026, 930 calories once you eat the bowl — and the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is the highest-protein sandwich on the board at 46 grams. This guide covers the full current menu with prices and calories, checked in November 2026.

Panera Bread publishes no national price list, and franchisees set their own prices, so what you pay can differ by a dollar or two between cafes. The prices below are November 2026 figures checked against Panera’s online ordering menu at four cafes on November 7, 2026, with tracker ranges shown where cafes disagree. Delivery through DoorDash, Uber Eats or the Panera app typically runs 15–30% higher than the counter. Calories come from Panera’s official US nutrition guide, effective September 2, 2026; where trackers disagree with the guide, the range is shown rather than picking one. The full item-by-item nutrition breakdown is in Panera Bread nutrition guide, the off-menu builds are in Panera Bread secret menu guide, and the current offers are in Panera Bread coupons and deals guide.

Hot Sandwiches & Melts

The hot side of the sandwich board is where Panera’s prices and calories both peak. Everything here is toasted to order on artisan bread, and the range is wide: the Toasted Italiano is the heaviest sandwich on the whole menu at 1,330 calories, while the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is the most protein-dense at 46 grams. Two figures to flag: the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is listed at 930 calories in the official guide but 1,000 in a second tracker checked in late October 2026, so the range is shown; and the Toasted Steak & White Cheddar is listed at 940 calories in one source and 1,050 in another, so that range is shown too. The Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT has no verified price at the cafes checked, so it reads Varies — its 860 calories are from the official guide.

The Toasted Italiano is the outlier on this board in both directions: the most calories (1,330) and the most sodium (4,110 mg in a whole sandwich, per the official guide) — more than a full day’s worth in one sandwich. The Bacon Turkey Bravo is the better everyday order: 830–860 calories, 47 grams of protein, and the lowest price on the hot board at $11.49–$12.49. If you want the most protein per calorie, the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is the pick at 46 grams for 930–1,000 calories. For how Panera’s sandwiches stack up against the other big sandwich chains, see the Subway menu, the Jersey Mike’s Subs menu and the Jimmy John’s menu.

Cold Sandwiches

The cold board is shorter and lighter. The Mediterranean Veggie is the lightest whole sandwich on the entire menu at 520 calories, and the Turkey & Cheddar is the cheapest sandwich on the board at $9.89. The Tuna Salad Sandwich has no verified price at the cafes checked, so it reads Varies — its 590 calories are from the official guide.

The Grilled Cheese is the toasted outlier on this board: at 810 calories it is 30 calories lighter than the Turkey & Cheddar and $2.10 cheaper, which makes it the value pick if you do not mind the fat (42 grams). The Mediterranean Veggie is the only whole sandwich under 600 calories and the cheapest cold sandwich at $7.89. Half sandwiches run about half the calories — a half Mediterranean Veggie is 260 calories, the lightest sandwich portion on the menu.

Soups

Soups are the lightest entrees at Panera, and the pricing is the simplest on the menu: every bowl was $8.29 at the four cafes checked on November 7, 2026, and the bread bowl adds $0.69. The Homestyle Chicken Noodle is the lowest-calorie hot entree on the menu at 120 calories a cup and 180 a bowl. The bread bowl is what changes the picture: upgrading a soup to a bread bowl puts most of them between 770 and 930 calories, because the sourdough bowl itself adds roughly 510 calories.

The Broccoli Cheddar bowl is listed at 420 calories in the official guide and 370 in a second tracker, so the range is shown — either way, the bread bowl version at 930 calories is more than double the bowl. The Rustic Baked Potato soup appears on some cafe menus but has neither a verified price nor verified calories at the cafes checked, so it is not listed here. For the soup-and-sandwich chains, see the Chipotle menu for the other big fast-casual board.

Salads

Salads look light but vary a lot. The Green Goddess Chicken Cobb is the standout: 530–580 calories with 40 grams of protein — the most protein of any salad — though it also carries 1,980 mg of sodium. The Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is seasonal (spring/summer) and its price varies by location; the 270-calorie figure is without chicken and 350 with chicken. The Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is 530 calories whole, or 440 without the nuts.

Two figures to flag: the Green Goddess Cobb is listed at 580 calories in the official September 2026 guide and 530 in a second tracker, so the range is shown; and the Greek Salad at 630 calories is heavier than the Cobb despite having only 8 grams of protein — the feta and the dressing carry most of the number. The cheapest salad is the Caesar at $8.59, and the half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken at 290 calories is one of the lightest half portions on the menu.

Mac & Cheese

Panera’s Mac & Cheese is the heaviest thing in a bowl on this menu. A bowl is 980 calories with 32 grams of protein, and the Bacon Mac & Cheese bowl is 1,050. The cup is exactly half the bowl at 490 calories, which makes the cup the sensible order if you are pairing it with a sandwich.

The Bacon Mac & Cheese bowl has no verified price at the cafes checked, so it reads Varies. The Mac & Cheese is also the base of the most talked-about Panera hack — the Chili Mac & Cheese — which is covered in the Panera Bread secret menu guide.

You Pick Two & Mix & Match

This is how most Panera orders are actually placed. You Pick Two pairs half portions of any two qualifying soups, salads, sandwiches, macs or flatbreads at a bundled price starting at $9.50, and a side is always free with it. Mix & Match is Panera’s value menu, launched in February 2026: pick 2 to 10 different items at $4.99 each, in half-sandwich, half-salad or soup-cup portions, with one free side per order. A 2-item Mix & Match order runs about $9.98. The old Value Duets were retired in October 2026 — Panera’s official menu no longer lists them, and Mix & Match is the current value offer.

The best low-calorie order at Panera is a You Pick Two: a cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup with a half Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken is about 410 calories and 30 grams of protein. The standard You Pick Two meal typically ranges from 500 to 900 calories depending on the pairing.

Breakfast

Breakfast runs until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. The Steel Cut Oatmeal is the cheapest breakfast item at $6.19 and the lightest at 330 calories. The Garden Avo and Egg White Sandwich is the lightest sandwich at 350 calories, and the Steak and Wake gives you 32 grams of protein for 520 calories. Bagels run $1.99–$2.29, and the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel is 430 calories.

The Garden Avo and Egg White Sandwich, the Steak and Wake and the Classic Avo Toast have no verified prices at the cafes checked, so they read Varies. The bagel with cream cheese is listed as two separate items on Panera’s menu — bagel and spread — so no single price or calorie figure is shown. For the breakfast chains, see the McDonald’s menu and the Starbucks menu.

Bakery

Everything in the bakery case is baked in-house, and the prices are the lowest on the menu — $2.99 to $4.19. The Chocolate Chipper Cookie is $2.99 and 390 calories. The Cinnamon Roll is the heaviest bakery item at 580 calories.

The Pumpkin Muffin is seasonal. MyPanera members get a free bakery treat on signup, which is the cheapest way to try the case — see the Panera Bread coupons guide for the current offers.

Drinks

Coffee is the cheapest drink on the menu at $3.19 for a 16 oz Cafe Blend, and it is also the lowest-calorie item on the whole menu at 5 calories. Panera removed its Charged Lemonades in 2024 — they are no longer on the menu. Most self-serve drinks are covered by the MyPanera+ Sip Club, which now costs $14.99 a month with a 30-drink cap per billing period.

Smoothies have no verified price or calorie figure at the cafes checked, so they read Varies. Sip Club members can redeem a drink once every two hours and get free refills while in the cafe.

Kids Menu

The kids menu is short: a cup of Mac & Cheese at $6.79 and 490 calories, and a Kids Turkey Sandwich at 310 calories with no verified price. Both come as part of a kids meal with a side and a drink.

Catering

Panera catering runs from a $7.69 boxed bagel to a $309.99 sandwich platter for up to 20 people, at roughly $5 to $11 per person for breakfast and $11 to $18 for a boxed lunch, before fees. Boxed lunches are the most common format: hot boxes run $10.99 to $16.29 and cold boxes are mostly $12.89. The four boxed lunches below are the ones with verified prices and calories.

Allergen Information

Panera publishes a full allergen guide alongside its nutrition guide, and the chain flags the eight major allergens — milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish — across the menu. The risk points are the ones you would expect: the Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich carries tree nuts, the Caesar Salad carries fish (anchovy in the dressing) and egg, and nearly every sandwich carries wheat and milk. Items may come into contact with common allergens in the bakery-cafe kitchen, so if you have celiac disease, a wheat allergy or another serious dietary restriction, confirm the latest allergen and ingredient information directly with Panera before ordering. The full item-by-item breakdown, with sodium and protein for every item, is in the Panera Bread nutrition guide.

Nutrition at a Glance

Panera publishes a full nutrition guide for its US bakery-cafes, effective September 2, 2026, so every item below can be compared before you order. The spread is wide: the lightest hot entree is a cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup at 120 calories, and the heaviest sandwich is the Toasted Italiano at 1,330 calories with 4,110 mg of sodium. The most protein in a single item is the French Ciabatta Dipper at 66 grams, followed by the Chicken Pesto Ciabatta Dipper at 59 grams — both cost over 1,000 calories. The best balance is the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken plus a cup of chicken noodle soup: 50 grams of protein for 700 calories. Sodium is the number to watch at Panera: most whole sandwiches carry 1,900–2,400 mg, and the Toasted Italiano alone is 4,110 mg. The full tables are in the Panera Bread nutrition guide.

Hours

Most Panera bakery-cafes open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m., though hours vary by location and franchise. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Drive-thru hours are typically shorter than dine-in. Check your local cafe in the Panera app before heading out, especially on holidays.

Reviews

Panera holds a middling aggregate rating of about 3.8 out of 5, based on an editorial analysis of public Google Reviews, Yelp and Reddit posts — slightly below the 4.0 average across the chains that analysis tracks. The most common praise is the Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a bread bowl and the Mac & Cheese. The most common complaints are that Panera is expensive for fast casual and that portions have shrunk over the years. No per-reviewer star ratings are published in the sources checked, so this guide carries the aggregate and the themes rather than a star slider.

Panera Bread Menu Facts

1. Panera Bread began in 1987 as the Saint Louis Bread Company in Kirkwood, Missouri, and took the Panera name in 1997.
2. The chain now runs more than 2,100 bakery-cafes across the United States.
3. The Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the signature item — and the bread bowl version at 930 calories is more than double the 370–420 calorie bowl.
4. The sourdough bread bowl itself adds roughly 510 calories to any soup.
5. The Toasted Italiano is the heaviest sandwich on the menu at 1,330 calories, with 4,110 mg of sodium.
6. The lightest whole sandwich is the Mediterranean Veggie at 520 calories.
7. The lightest hot entree is a cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup at 120 calories.
8. The most protein in one item is the French Ciabatta Dipper at 66 grams — but it costs 1,240 calories.
9. The Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is the highest-protein sandwich on the regular board at 46 grams.
10. You Pick Two starts at $9.50 and always includes a free side.
11. Mix & Match, launched in February 2026, is Panera’s first true value menu: 2 to 10 items at $4.99 each.
12. The old Value Duets were retired in October 2026 and no longer appear on Panera’s official menu.
13. Panera removed its Charged Lemonades in 2024 — they are no longer on the menu.
14. The MyPanera+ Sip Club costs $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year, with a 30-drink cap per billing period since August 19, 2026 — and Panera has removed “Unlimited” from the name.
15. Panera has no official secret menu. The “secret menu” people talk about is a discontinued 2013 Hidden Menu plus employee-built hacks.
16. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays.
17. The Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is seasonal, running in spring and summer.
18. Panera publishes no national price list — franchisees set their own prices, so the figures in this guide are November 2026 cafe checks, not a promise.
19. The Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken carries 40 grams of protein — the most of any salad — but also 1,980 mg of sodium.
20. A cup of Mac & Cheese is exactly half the bowl: 490 calories against 980.

Panera Bread Menu FAQs

What is the cheapest thing at Panera Bread?

The cheapest items are in the bakery: the Chocolate Chipper Cookie at $2.99 and bagels at $1.99–$2.29. The cheapest entree is the Steel Cut Oatmeal at $6.19, and the cheapest sandwich is the Mediterranean Veggie at $7.89.

How much is a bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup at Panera?

$8.29 a bowl and $8.98 in a sourdough bread bowl at the cafes checked in November 2026. The bowl is 370–420 calories; the bread bowl is 930.

What is You Pick Two at Panera?

You Pick Two pairs half portions of any two qualifying soups, salads, sandwiches, macs or flatbreads at a bundled price starting at $9.50, and a side is always free with it.

Does Panera have a secret menu?

No. Panera does not publish or promote a secret menu. What circulates online is a discontinued 2013 Hidden Menu of six high-protein items plus employee-built hacks made from regular ingredients — covered in the Panera Bread secret menu guide.

How much is the Panera Sip Club?

$14.99 a month or $119.99 a year, with a 30-drink cap per billing period since August 19, 2026. Promotions can lower it: HALFSIPS gives $7.50 a month for 5 months, and SIPCLUB99 gives a full year for $99 — both valid October 15 to December 31, 2026.

What are Panera’s hours?

Most cafes open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m., with breakfast until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Hours vary by location.

Conclusion

Panera is the bakery-cafe for the soup-and-bread-bowl crowd, and the prices in this guide are the November 2026 reality: most entrees run $8 to $14, soups are $8.29 a bowl, and the value is in You Pick Two and Mix & Match rather than the full-price sandwiches. Order the Broccoli Cheddar in a bread bowl if that is what you came for, pair a cup of chicken noodle with a half Cobb if you want the lightest real meal, and check your local cafe’s prices in the app before you go — Panera sets them by cafe, not nationally. For the off-menu builds, see our Panera Bread secret menu guide; for every item’s full nutrition, our Panera Bread nutrition guide; and for the Sip Club and current deals, our Panera Bread coupons guide.