Au Bon Pain

Fresh baked goods, what’s not to love!!! I go here for their chocolate and spinach croissants, and occasionally get a breakfast bagel with the smaller bread. I love baked goodness so I try to stay away from the City Center to maintain my healthy cholesterol disposition. If you’re in the skyway though, stop here for a visit.

Au Bön Pain is my jam. It is my go-​to spot, my daily habit, my cafeteria. A lot of it has to do with proximity, but the beautiful thing is the food here is actually really REALLY good. I mean, I know it’s no Patisserie 46 or some frou frou French bakery, but the options are plentiful, freshly prepared, and delicious. I come here all times of the day, and have some faves for all meals.
Breakfast: I like their egg whites, cheddar, and sausage either on asiago bagel or croissant. I’ve also had their pre-​made ham and cheese croissant, which is also quite good. Their hazelnut coffee keeps me going, and I appreciate that they have one of those lids that’s completely shut and you peel off to drink. It’s the small things…
They also have a stamp card for coffee.
Lunch/​Dinner: So. Many. Good. Choices. I am a HUGE fan of their salads, particularly the Thai peanut chicken salad and the chicken caesar asiago salad. I love that they make it fresh, and make sure that every piece is coated with the sauce. I know some folks want their sauce on the side so they can control the portions, but you’re missing out man, you don’t get the same coat level as having someone at Au Bön Pain mix it for you. Those salads are pretty hefty, too, definitely a filling lunch without bringing on that post-​lunch food coma. They also come with a side of either breadstick or ciabatta.
They also have many yummy hot sandwiches, and I’ve tried a couple like the chicken pomodoro and their changing specials. They have multiple soup options and even some comfort mac and cheese by the bowl.
I’ve been here at least 20 times now in the last 4 months, but I’ve only really had a few items, which means that those damn things are consistently delicious. But, knowing i’ll be back here hundreds of times more, I should really try other things on the menu. Who knows, I might find my next Thai peanut salad. Did I mention I LOVE that thing?

This is a great place to grab a pastry, bagel and/​or coffee in the morning if you’re in a hurry. There is rarely a line and the service is friendly. I like the self-​service nature of the above foodstuffs.
You know what, forget it. Don’t go here. I want this place all to myself.

Quick access, quick service, quick realization that this place is a gem! I love Au Bön Pain for the simple things in life: chicken salad, croissants, and tea! The storefront is inviting and the café itself is clean!
Check out my picture! A delicious, traditional Chicken Salad sandwich on Country White with Cranberries, Almonds, Mayo, and Romaine Lettuce. Of course, I had to grab a Honey-​Almond Croissant too! Oh the sticky joy of this place!

I am a big fan of Au Bön Pain. Tasty bakery items and great soups. I especially like the build your own oatmeal bar that they have in the mornings.
The staff is always friendly and they even have samples of their bakery items in the morings.

I’ve always walked by this place in the skyway, but never made it a point to stop by for lunch.
This time, we had a team lunch here.
The setup it like a cafeteria. You pick out what you want, place it on a tray and then pay at the register.
I landed on a Thai Chicken Wrap, salt/​vinegar chips and water.
It took me a minute to figure out that you’re supposed to write down your name and item number on a slip of paper and hand it to the crew. I felt slightly embarrassed. The food prep was FAST and the start of the lunch hour was fast approaching.
The wrap was $ 5.50, with chips made it $ 7.40 after paying Uncle Sam. The wrap was a decent size and they didn’t skimp on the ingredients. The peanut sauce was good, not spicy, but had a good flavor. The lettuce was fresh, along with the sliced carrots and it felt like there was peanuts included (I couldn’t tell what the crunch was in the wrap).
All in all, a decent place to grab a quick lunch. It didn’t blow my socks off, but the food is good and the price is just right.

A great spot for when you need a quick lunch-​on-​the-​go or need to bring food back to your office in a hurry.
I am a huge fan of their soup selection (over 10 on any given day!!) which ranges from the usual chicken noodle and split pea to tuscan chicken or lentil stew or mac & cheese! Another plus? You can taste them all for free! I try not to abuse this privilege, but there are times that my indecision has led to numerous samplings such that I am no longer hungry to even buy lunch. Oops! Anyways, now that I know which soups I love, I’m sure the Chicken Florentine will be my go-​to in the upcoming winter blizzard months!
Also, delicious variety of salads. My tip: Check out the pre-​made salads’ signs for nutrition information (calories, etc.) and then go over to the counter and order a fresh salad of your choice!
P. s. Bread included with all soup and salad purchases!

I frequented Au Bön Pain probably once a week for several years, but this reivew gets ONE STAR. Quite possibly the worst lunch I have ever had in YEARS!
Today I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwhich on Ciabatta bread. It was so dry that it was hard to swallow. The chicken BREAST was actually chicken strips, so every piece would fall out of the sandwich. I think I had about two slices of small tomatos on my sandwich (thinking they were roma). Not going to order this again, I was this close to walking it back to ask the sandwich maker what the deal was.
Stick to the Thai Chicken Salad– never goes wrong!

Just ok. Service could be better.
Wish they would bring back the «Automat» style cafeterias!

I really wish they had more locations. Hands down teh best place to grab either a soup, salad, or sandwich if you’re in a rush. Their soups and sandwiches do not disappoint at all. The sandwiches andsalads are made fresh to order, and the soups are made fresh daily as well. They also always have a great selection of fruits, yogurts, and pastries. Definitely a staple for anyone working in the area who wants healthier options.
PROTIP: Line can get a bit long during lunch hours.

If you think Panera is good… you’lll love this place! I only wish they had more within the Twin Cities that were not just in different corporate buildings. I used to get a small soup and Chicken Caesar Wrap here at least 3 – 5 times a month when I used to live in Boston. I miss it… and when the cravings get unbearable I will make the trek dowtown and fight the rush among the business people on lunch.

I am writing exclusively about breakfast as I’ve had it several times, but can’t quite get the time to go here for lunch.
First off, I think the employees really make this experience worthwhile. I’m only in there for about four minutes in the morning, but in that time span, I’m greeted with «Good mornings» and «hellos» from nearly every employee. The cashier is probably the most friendly part of my morning as I’m a hardened employee of the corporate world.
They make sandwiches in less than a minute, and that gives me just enough time to gather up an $ 0.89 banana and yummy french roast coffee. The prices are all very reasonable unless you’re buying expensive Naked juice.
There is a small amount of seating inside, but I usually just do grab-​and-​go, have my chat with the cashier, then plunge into corporate America.

When there is nothing around a person but Subway, mystery grease, McDonald’s and overpriced overcaloric crap road food, ABP is a national chain that puts a smile of relief on my face.
Note: relief. Not joy. But that counts for something. I wish we had like 19 of these.

Pain is what you get in the gym if you eat here a lot.
Nice atmosphere, but it gets very busy during the lunch time. All the corporate money makers come here to get their sandwich and a cookie.
As for the food, I love the brownies, and the cranberry macaroons.
I have a soup soul, I have never gotten a sandwich here, but Ive tried most of the soups and they are solid.
They also have little portions/​huge prices section for those who are watching. Two spoons of hummus and three slices of cucumbers for $ 4. I would not recommend that.
But overall, pretty solid fast food place.

How could a restaurant with «Pain» in its name have anything I’d ever choose, much less BE WILLING to ingest?
Just kidding, I wouldn’t butcher the French. I learned my lesson in middle school when I thought «Gucci» was pronounced «Guckey.» And on to the review…
I get the idea that Au Bön Pain is the Frenchman’s McDonald’s: fresh salads, soups, sandwiches & a delectable dessert tray, all pretty much ready to go!
I like the «help yourself» cafeteria-​style atmosphere. It’s especially convenient if you’re in a hurry, as most downtown lunchers are, and don’t want to wait around (or if you want to fill your soup bowl until it’s dripping down the side without disapproving looks). If you’re jonesin’ for a salad or a sandwich you might have to wait a little bit, but it’s worth it if something sounds good. (No complaints about freshness here!)
There is one woman who works the cash register that is so friendly I wish I could create a Unilocal review for her! (Maybe little-​to-​no service finds the best help?)
The last thing I’d like to applaud them for is the proximity of the dessert case to the window. It helps me determine whether or not I’ll be lunching there that day. Au Bön Joy.

I may or may not have just eaten a chunk of gorgonzola the size of a nine week old fetus. Jaymi M. has been giving me weekly updates on the status of her «little trufflehunter,» so I know this is biologically accurate. Today the mini-​her is the size of a butter coated mango! But I digress. My build-​your-​own salad from ABP was totes loaded with tiny cheese babies, and I downed that leafy beast as if I weren’t acutely lactose interolant. Followed up by suggesting Gorgonzola as a possible name alternative to Trufflehunter. Shot down, but we’ve still got a few months before the mango’s ripe. Here’s hoping.

This place is so close to my office, I have probably eaten here literally over a hundred times. The breakfast sandwiches are a microstep above gas station sandwiches. Really you are paying extra to have someone microwave your sandwich for you, but hey… any port in a storm.
As for lunch, the choices are basically soup, salad or sandwich. The soup is not horrible. I’m pretty sure they pour it out of a bag and water it down when it gets low. However, when it’s 40 below and you stupidly wore a skirt to work, heeray! The salads are nice and fresh and you can get almost whatever you want, so can’t really complain there. The sandwiches are ok depending on what you get. Most of their signature sandwiches are crap. High in fat, calories and sodium and not all that great anyway. You’re better off choosing your own ingredients. One side note: the short bread cookies dipped in chocolate… pure heaven.
Most of the staff is pretty nice. There is one exceptionally surly woman who works there. If you go to this place, more than once, you’ll know who I’m talking about. She seems to get rotated around. She was the sandwich order taker for awhile and I stopped eating sandwiches.

I tried this place because of its French name, but French I did not get. Set up in cafeteria style, you can go to the sandwich, soup, salad, etc. stations to choose what you want. I’m more of a «here’s our menu, this is what you can order and at one counter» kind of girl. So the setup wasn’t for me. But, I still wanted to try the food, so I opted for a sandwich as the French bread is the best and their display in the window looked amazing. Well after sampling and ordering the only turkey sandwich available on the menu, i was underwhelmed when eating it. More of a Mexican-​style sandwich with only standard bread, I probably won’t decide to eat there again or if I do I will try something else. Although, the snap peas on the sandwich were a new twist to crunch in your sandwich which I definitely liked.

Fresh cut watermelon for breakfast!
I think that’s all I need to say, I love watermelon.

Au Bön Pain is a rock of my lunch rotation. Sometimes we will drift apart for a month or two, but without fail we will get back together in the end — like the two lead characters in a predictable romantic comedy.
I’m a soup and bread man, and their soups are actually pretty good. I’m a particular fan of the Jamaican black bean, curried rice & lentil (preach it, Jen!), and corn & green chili bisque. A cup or bowl of something and a hunk of bread will give you more than enough energy for the afternoon. Their made-​to-​order sandwiches and salads are tasty as well, but they feel a bit pricey for what you get (some greens with a light dressing and some dried fruit and nuts should not be eight dollars). They’ve recently started selling premade petit sandwiches — basically a quarter of a baguette with a few different meat-​and-​cheese combos — that are a bit smaller/​cheaper and a nice way to bulk up your lunch a bit.
A cup of soup and a hunk of good bread will run you about five bucks. Sandwiches and salads are about six to eight bucks.