Au Bon Pain

This place need’s to hire some good employees. This is located in the heart of the city and people like us who come here and are able to work in this city come from places that have standards. Therefore this place should have standards. Employees are not only rude, but think they are doing us a favor. HELLO news flash IT’S YOUR JOB! I made a simple request, before starting my sandwich to change gloves, and OMG did I just hit a nerve, cuz the death stare I got made me pee in my pants… Like really, some people can have allergies, or some are vegan, etc etc. and I thought it was Au Bön policy to change after each sandwich. But whatever this place sucks and has very rude customer service.

Came here every morning while I was staying in DC for a week near Gallaudet for DC Capitol Pride. It’s very spacious and clean, and open. Iced coffee tastes good, and cheap for a large size, around $ 2.40. I got their croissant and pastry every morning, they tasted kind of bland and dry. Wifi is extremely slow and spotty, and the guy at the cashier had an attitude. Good location, next to Red Line station.

This is the only spot for coffee right off of the Metro for two huge government office buildings. One would think that between 8am-​9am they would have staff at all counters as it is the busiest time of the day. Not the case. Bonus? Everything is ALWAYS empty– the hot coffee, iced coffee, milk, half and half, soy etc. The lines are always slow and long. The set up for the coffee is all wrong as well. To break up the hords of people on top of each other trying to get coffee/​milk you should set up a more streamlined process for the morning rush. Perhaps set up two coffee stations and make sure that staff is around that busy hour to keep things full.

Great spot for breakfast or lunch! Their bread is always fresh. They also have a wide variety of soup if that’s your desire. Their salads are pre-​packaged OR made to order. They also have made to order sandwiches that are good and fresh too!
Pretty good food quality for your your dollar!

This place is conveniently located one minute away from the Noma metro station and offers some good lunchtime options. For around $ 7, the salads are pretty delicious and fresh and come with a breadstick (I recommend the Asiago cheese breadstick). I ordered a chicken caesar salad and I thought it was very fresh and filling (surprisingly, since sometimes salad places skimp out on ingredients).

Perfect location, steps away from the Metro station exit. There’s an outside seating area, though it was not set up in February.
For someone who’s never been to this location before, it was just a little confusing. Better the second time, once I realized where one orders (if you don’t want something from the pastry shelves which are self-​help), where one pays and where one waits are three different places. But hey, that’s okay. I know for next time.
I went with the egg and cheese on a bagel, which was delicious. Two eggs and a whole lot of cheese on a toasted bagel gave me a full tummy for the rest of the morning. It’s too bad that my eyes drove my feet over to the pastry counter where I also selected a chocolate croissant that is probably illegal in seventeen states.
Self-​serve coffee (or order an espresso-​based drink) with the usual fixings. The coffee was nice and strong and plenty hot.
Wi-​fi worked well.

As you enter this Au Bön Pain, located in the so-​called «up-​and-​coming» (run-​down) neighborhood known as NoMA, you will first be greeted by the smell of urine outside, filth, and all sorts of homeless and crazy people milling around by the metro station.
Once inside, however, the staff are extremely professional and courteous, and prepare food quickly and efficiently, and always try to please customers. The bakery section is quite good. They have a selection of bagels, cookies, and lots of chocolate treats.
That said, there are still some issues that all Au Bön Pain’s suffer from, in my opinion:
1) Most of their main food is cold. They mostly do cold salads and sandwiches. It’s definitely not a place where they grill or cook food (with the exception of soups). In addition to being cold the ingredients are not tasty.
2) The soups are hot, and pretty good, but due to self-​service, there are always people who «fish out» more than their share of meat, for example, so the Chicken Noodle soup won’t have any meat. If you’re unlucky you’ll have a bowl of soup which is basically just water.
I only go to this place for the baked goods for breakfast.

Not too bad. They’ve fixed the layout of the store so it does not get as bottlenecked during lunch. The sandwiches are just ok, but the pastries and coffee are better than you’d expect from an ABP.

It is painful to hear people mispronounce the name of this place. That aside, we went for breakfast one morning as it is just down the block from the Marriott Courtyard hotel. We got bagel breakfast sandwiches which were hot and tasty and came with a $ 1 cup of coffee each. I can’t figure out why the DC area doesn’t seem to offer any non-​dairy creamer at any place that serves coffee, but at least they had soy milk. it isn’t as good as soy coffee creamer, but at least it was something.
The service seemed to be fine and the seating area was bright and friendly. Finally, it was nice and warm inside which was hugely welcomed after the bitter cold of the outside.

The Wasabi Salmon breakfast sandwich on an everything bagel is a sufficient treat while I wait for the always-​tardy 92 bus. The coffee is decent here – not overly brewed, yet not watered-​down either.
The bagels could use a bit more flavor, though. My «everything» was more like a «something.»

Great place to grab lunch and pastries! They have good salads, bagels and sandwiches made fresh. It’s quick, easy and not super cheap but good quality. Big fan of the chocolate croissants, turkey sandwich and toffee cookies. Beats Subway for sure!

I’ve visited this branch of Au Bön Pain several times while interning across the street back in the Spring of 2011. The food is neither bad nor is it to die for. I remember having a club sandwich and a cup of soup. It’s a good alternative to their fast food counterpart ‘Five Guys’ which is only a couple paces farther down the street. The portions were satisfying — nothing too meager, nor was it large enough to induce a food coma Thanksgiving style. Prices are fair and the service is meh. I’d return if I ever found myself in that area again.

I had my first au Bön pain exp here. The Thai peanut salad I had was fresh and so enjoyable. The wild mushroom/​oyster soup tasted exotic. I loved it here

First things first, I’m kiiiiiiind of a big deal at this particular ABP. So much so that they’ve memorized my salad order and have it ready for me most days when I stop in. +1 star for that because hey, who doesn’t want to feel like a VIP.
Once upon a blue moon, I was an angsty teenager that scraped by on minimum wage shifts at my neighborhood Dunkin Donuts. As a result, I like to think I am more closely acquainted with the flavor profiles of microwaved sausage and egg sandwiches than most of the general population.
Today, I’m a well-​adjusted, though still slightly rebellious member of society making a decent salary. Contrary to what my friends think, I am not an evil, fat-​sucking, overpaid contractor that demands beluga caviar and small children for breakfast. Most mornings, I am still drawn to the distinct taste of fresh bagels/​croissants paired with your choice of microwaved protein.
Things that are delicious at ABP: all things breakfast, salads, and soups. I typically order the Chicken Caesar with a cup of Tomato Basil or Mushroom Bisque when they have it. If nothing else looks appetizing to you, get a cup of soup. They have close to a dozen flavors a day and they’re pretty much all winners.

Blah. Right of the metro stop, so I sometimes stop there for a coffee or a baked goodie. And while a lot of the servers are friendly, it can sometimes get so crowded in there that they mess the orders up. Plus you’ll prolly end up having to buy your food to go because there won’t be any space available in rush hours.

This Au Bön Pain almost seems out of place… for now. This part of NoMa is a bit up and coming, so the shop should fit in soon. The coffee is good as is the service, but the space is a bit cramped in here.
Convieniently located right off the NY/​FL Ave Metro, you can get a quick fill-​up before heading to work.

Located just steps from the opulent Marriott Hotel, this fine establishment boasts a broad array of tasty pastries and do-​it-​yourself sandwich selections. But you probably already knew that because it’s a big, souless chain and everyone’s eaten at one at some point in their miserable life…
The Good: It’s a brand new store filled with new employees who are actually kind of nice. I guess they haven’t had their will to live crushed yet by working there for years on end. Give that time though. The dining area is immaculate with only the occasional fruit fly to spoil your fun. That’s not a big deal because fruit flies don’t eat much anyway. The afternoon sandwich guy is very cool… he has a Rainman-​like memory and can always remember what you ordered the last time you were there. Or maybe he’s just stalking me…
The Bad: Like «Meryl K» has mentioned, they sometimes have issues with their soup not being good as it could be. The soup guy must run his kitchen like Wesley Snipes in «New Jack City» because they’re all seriously cut down with water. I’ve never personally had the «tepid» experience, but I’ve also never been brave enough to eat soup in the «evening» (which has been sitting there all day).
The Creepy: Get this, the manager guy spends a lot of time loitering in the dining area with his laptop. I don’t know why that bothers me but it does. And he always takes the best seat in the place. Just sayin’…
All in all, this is a nice place to grab a semi-​healthy lunch at a decent price. If given a choice, I’d choose the Five Guys across the street every time, but I don’t want to become a disgusting fatbody. Once a month is good for me.

Ate tepid, unseasoned southwest tortilla soup one evening. Laid helpless in bed vomiting constantly for the following two days. I prefer my soup piping hot and without a side of probable food poisoning, thankee.
Avoid. Go across the street to Five Guys. Your healthy gut flora will thank you.