Cosi

I like Cosi. Wish we had it in Oklahoma. There were several lower calorie options for breakfast and lunch. My breakfast wrap was good. My friend’s breakfast also good. The service was a bit slow at this location

Food is not bad (i.e., standard Cosi glorified fast food). However this particular restaurant has the rudest employees I have ever met in my life. Asking for a fork is a huge burden on them for which I must apologize. I am SO sorry I need a fork to eat a salad.
Also the workflow here is weird. They act like you’re a huge idiot for not knowing you order salad at one end and soup at the registers. Signs might help.
Tomato basil was dec though.

I work nearby so I occasionally come here for lunch because there’s not a lot of options on campus for fast and healthy food. Each time I come here, I leave resolving to never come back again. Or until enough time has passed that the fresh trauma of the last bad experience has abated and I’ve run out of other lunch options, whichever comes first.
I always try to get there before the lunch rush starts because at noon, all bets are off. The place turns into a madhouse, and the line system, which is strange to begin with, descends into utter anarchy. You can get into one of two ordering lines depending on whether you want sandwiches and salads or pizza and hope that by the time you get up to the counter someone will let you know you can order and that there is actually room at the counter for you to order. After you place your order, it’s always unclear whether they want you to wait there for them to make it (in which case you end up blocking all the people in line behind you) or go to the register and pay (in which case it’s always a gamble whether or not you will a) hear when your food is up, b) find out that for some reason they didn’t make what you ordered, or c) be told that your food is up but come to find that it’s not even close to what you thought you asked for.) Also, I’m pretty sure that it would be really easy for someone to get their food at the counter and walk off without paying because there is no system in place to verify that orders being made are also being paid for — not that I’m encouraging anyone to try. You would think that management would do something about the chaos, but I guess no one there cares enough.
Generally speaking, Cosi’s food is decent enough. It’s a little on the expensive side for grab and go deli sandwiches and soup, but at least it tastes good. That is, however, assuming the food you’re getting is made the way it’s supposed to be. At this particular location, that’s a pretty big assumption to make and usually not a safe one.

It’s a Cosi. There are lots of them in the area so you may think to yourself «I know what I’m getting into» you’re wrong! This place is terrible! Worse Cosi I’ve ever been to. They manage to somehow always have the worse tasting food AND their employees are the unfriendliest bunch of people I’ve ever encountered! And just in case you needed more reasons to stay away it’s always dirty with the most confusing food ordering system imaginable. It’s not even a system, just chaos.

The lines here during lunch time are always chaotic, and really inefficiently organized. Service is pretty lacking too, just come during a time that is less crazy. Love the Cosi flatbread and squagels. They have a thing called «taste-​two» where you can get half of a flatbread sandwich, and a soup or salad for around $ 9. It’s not bad at all… just really do not come here around 11−12pm.

Turkey avocado sandwich = best thing ever! Always crowded but great food and fast friendly service

Horrible service and store layout. I’ve been to this place multiple times, and each time I have ended up getting someone else’s sandwich. I asked the service staff twice to make sure that I got the correct sandwich, but still they messed up the order. Not going to come to this place ever again.

Healthy and really tasty alternative take on classic sandwiches, salads and food bowls. Price seems reasonable, seeing that they use fair trade ingredients for all their products.

Nice improvements. I had a craving for a flatbread pizza and decided to brave the madness again. The bosses must’ve been reading these reviews because there was more organization to the place. They’ve set up some makeshift aisles for placing an order, with much more clearly defined and clearly labeled purposes. Unfortunately the waiting area is still an open pit where people look as though they aren’t done ordering or confused about what to do with themselves.
I still didn’t see a «pay here» station. I think it would be better if the food preparers direct you over to pay for your order instead of allowing you to stand idly waiting for cashiers to start screaming at you. Not fully there yet Cosi, but nice moves in a better direction. Much appreciated!

First time here at a Cosi. I was looking for something fresh and a pick me up at the gym and this was the best choice I’ve made. I love the choose two options where you can get half of each item. The kettle chips are amazing as well. A very close location and also very spacious, there’s seats outside, first floor and an upstairs! Definitely coming back again :)

If you are looking for a quick bite to grab, Cosi is the place. It’s hard to find other healthy options around the 36^th Street and Walnut area, with Federal donuts right around the corner and the Penn Bookstore café right next door. Service is very quick (depending on the time) although most of the menu is overpriced. Being a regular, most of the staff is friendly to me and always let me customize my orders. If you are looking for a light lunch, I would suggest ordering the bread and one spread. I highly recommend the sun-​dried tomato spread since it is very tasty. With some basil, it makes for a healthy, delicious vegan lunch.

Terrible service, expensive, confusing order and payment layout, ok food.
I’ve come to this Cosi three times already, and each time, I question why I come here again for their terrible service.
The people that work there are highly unprofessional and rude. The hatred of patrons that the people that work at Cosi doesn’t help with the confusing layout of the shop.
You first need to line up (well, there’s a sign to tell you where to line up to order) to talk to the sandwich makers. You have to almost yell since it’s so loud, and they’re often busy making sandwiches which adds to the confusion on who you should be talking to.
After this, you awkwardly walk to the cashiers, whom each time I went, we’re seemingly reluctant to take my order.
Also. Why do I have to tell them my order twice, once to the chef, and once to the cashier?
Also so confusing on where we should be to get our food. Do they go to us? Or do we stand somewhere near the line to pick it up?
The good thing is, the food is pretty good. Their chicken noodle soup is on point.
But yeah. This is probably the most confusing food place I’ve been to. Terrible service doesn’t help it. Avoid. If you can. Since they have a monopoly towards the University City students.

For a time, I came to Cosi every single day and ordered the Signature Salad with chicken. It really never gets old. It’s hard to find healthy options around campus, but Cosi is right near the library and was always reliably quick and yummy. I particularly enjoyed eating the bread samples while waiting in line. I’ve also tried the TBM melt and the BBQ chicken pizza. Also delicious! The bread is baked fresh daily (you can see it from where you order), and I like to treat myself on occasion to the specialty drinks (mojito lemonade, raspberry iced tea). Similar to Panera, but it has its own charm.

Cosi is like a Panera without the good quality sandwiches. The convenience of this place being in the center of Penn’s campus makes it a great option to grab a quick meal to-​go. I’ve gotten their flatbreads here a few times and it has always been a hit or miss with their sandwiches. Sometimes my flatbread would be so scarce with ingredients or the bread would be too hard to bite into to. So I always go with the safer option of choosing their salads. You can also get just a single flatbread for $ 1 if you’re in the mood to just nibble on some bread.
Sometimes the service is a hit or miss as well. I would come here more often if it weren’t for the expensive prices for the below than average quality food and unfriendly service.

The best thing to get here is the flatbread. I’ve had the vegetarian melt — ~$ 7 for a big flatbread sandwich with melted cheese and pickled veggies. I wish the veggies didn’t taste so sweet as they did (the Indian in me wanted to douse the sandwich in hot sauce) but the bread was the redeeming part of the meal and I would come back just to try another sandwich with the same flatbread! Not a bad deal for a huge meal.

Yes, I know I said I’d never go back. I said that after my pervious two– and one-​star reviews. But I can not be held 100% responsible for the things that I do when I am NOT under the influence of caffeine…
So, third review is the charm… I’m pretty sure this location is under new management and for sure they’ve hired some new (super nice! competent! friendly!) staff.
I still only go in for drinks (and usually early a.m. when there aren’t many people in there) but they make them perfect (1-​pump and extra-​shot) every time. Served with a smile & engaging conversation. Side story: one night when I was waiting for the trolley one of the baristas was also at the station and asked me if I had ever been there (to Cosi) & how my experience was!
Way to go Cosi! Tell your morning coffee bar staff how fabulous they are!

The flatbread here is really what is truly exceptional. The rest of the food kind of just falls to the «average» plane. It’s basically a Panera bread, but slightly worse.
I’ve tried the hummus and veggies sandwich, the tomato and mozzarella sandwich, the Shanghai Chicken Salad, and the Lime Chicken Salad. I have a slight preference for the salads over the sandwiches, though both aren’t superb. The prices are average– not too pricey but not cheap either. The portion sizes are pretty averagae as well.
Service is usually quick, so that’s a plus. Don’t expect great tasting food here, but it certainly is not bad!

Cosi is a great place to grab a sandwich, soup, flatbread, or other café-​type meal. It’s a little bit overpriced for what it is, but it also offers a wide variety of tasty options, so that makes it worthwhile.
I really like the soup here, because you can get a regular sized soup and sizeable slice of bread for $ 3.70ish, and if I eat the whole thing, it fills me up. The tomato basil soup is usually my go-​to, it’s really good.
I also enjoy the melts and sandwiches, like the chicken pesto and the chicken TBM. The flatbreads are similarly enjoyable, and are a pretty good value if you get a whole thing.
I really want to try the s’mores they have here during the fall/​winter — they look delicious and you get to make them yourself on mini fire!

I love Cosi — it’s fast, convenient, and delicious! While I agree that the concept and feel of the restaurant is very similar to Panera, I would say that the variety of food at Cosi is very different. I REALLY enjoy Cosi flatbread, which is definitely their signature product. There’s something really special about their flatbread, and for some reason I just can’t put my finger on why I think it’s so flavorful. They give a piece of flatbread with every salad, and it’s a fantastic, crunchy, and fulfilling finish to a meal. Other Unilocalers say that it would be great with some sort of spread or dip, but I think it tastes amazing alone as well.
In terms of the other food, I’ve only ordered the salads and have found the staff to be very helpful and willing to accommodate for any dietary restrictions or preferences. They very easily switch out chicken for salmon in my salad, so that’s definitely a wonderful option for me since I adore eating fish. Plus, it’s difficult to find dishes with fish in University City without paying a fortune. The workers are quick and efficient (which others may interpret as cold), but I really appreciate the speediness of Cosi, especially when rushing between classes throughout a busy day.
I guess the only negative aspect of Cosi that I see is that many of the other items on the menu are pretty pricey (many are around $ 8 – 10) for the food that you get (mainly sandwiches…), so I haven’t been too adventurous with trying out different options since I know I can get the best bang out of my buck with the salad that I consistently order.
Oh, before I forget — COSI SERVES S’MORES. It’s great. For around $ 8, they provide graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate and skewers for two with a cute, mini-​burner, making such a wonderfully unique and interactive end to a meal with that special someone. You definitely can’t find this experience for this price anywhere else in the area. Recommend you try the s’mores, for sure!

Like other people have said, it’s like another Panera but I do enjoy Panera more. Cosi is conveniently located near UPenn campus and could be a good study spot. They have an upstairs, which is more isolated and quiet so you could get more studying done up there.
I’ve gotten food twice here and occasionally drop in to just buy a drink. I’m not too big a fan of their flat bread sandwiches. The last time I had it, the bread was really hard and just hard to bite into. I’ve recently gone there as a quick stop for breakfast and ordered a squagel (square bagel), and I really enjoyed that! I ordered the club squagel, which consisted of eggs, cheddar, bacon, and tomato. I chose to get the basil parmesan squagel out of many other choices you have. It was a solid quick breakfast at a very reasonable price! The other thing I really like about Cosi is their selection of drinks that they offer in the afternoons. I’ve gotten the grapefruit apple, raspberry mojito, and some other form of their mojitos. It’s light, refreshing, and delicious.