Every Panera Bread Salad, Ranked and Reviewed by a Food Editor Who Tasted Them All

• What It Is: mixed greens and romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in green goddess dressing and topped with grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, avocado, applewood smoked bacon and hard-boiled egg
• Price (half): $9

The basil notes of the dressing were very intense when eaten solo, and the rest of the salad’s components only tamed it so much once it was mixed. But if you’re a fan of the herb, this one is surely worth a try. The grilled quality of the chicken played well with the other ingredients, but the bacon was far too chewy (although it did offer plenty of vibrant salt). The pickled onions were missing, and I wouldn’t have minded some cheese. I wonder if Panera Bread will ever put cheddar on a salad—why should feta have all the fun?

• What It Is: romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in Greek dressing and topped with grape tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, salt and pepper
• Price (half): $6

Visually, this standard looked less than pristine. The tomatoes were wrinkly and overripe, and the olives looked kind of sad and shabby, too. That said, the flavors were all there. It’s what you want in a Greek salad, like sharp onion and a triple-dose of brininess from the peppers, olives and feta. The dressing was silky and kissed with oregano, but I found it too oily. Ask for it with chicken for more bulk.

• What It Is: mixed greens and romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in Greek dressing and topped with whole-grain blend, hummus, feta cheese, red onions, zesty sweet peppers, cucumbers and shawarma seasoning
• Price (half): $7

They did *not* skimp on the hummus. It and the shawarma seasoning made this Panera Bread salad what it was—sort of like an amped-up version of the Greek salad with more substance, in the form of red rice and farro, and less acidity (zingy pepperoncini and olives were swapped for sweet peppers). The vegetarian version is higher in plant-based proteins than others, but you can also order it with chicken.

• What It Is: mixed greens and crisp romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in ranch dressing and topped with grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, applewood smoked bacon, feta cheese and hard-boiled egg
• Price (half): $7

I didn’t mind the flavor of this one (read: I’m a total sucker for pickled onion), but the texture of the bacon kind of ruined it for me. It looked really crisp and well-done, which is how I prefer it, but it was chewy and tough to eat. The feta and egg offered protein and richness in their own ways, but the real gem was the ranch dressing. It was thick, black pepper-forward and very herbaceous. It’s the kind of ranch you’d want on pizza, IMO. (Oh, and the tomatoes were missing, but I could live without them.)

• What It Is: romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in sesame vinaigrette and topped with grilled chicken, crunchy wonton strips, sesame seeds, sliced almonds and cilantro
• Price (half): $8

I don’t have any research to back this up, but I feel like folks love this one, so my expectations were high. The savory, nutty smell of the dressing smacked my senses the moment I opened its container. It was sweet, acidic, fatty and just salty enough without being overwhelming. I mostly liked the texture of the wonton strips (some were a touch stale); their flavor was on point. The almonds offered nice additional crunch, but this salad, although solid, felt less substantial than others on the menu.

• What It Is: mixed greens and crisp romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and topped with whole-grain blend, cucumbers, pepperoncini, avocado, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds and green goddess dressing
• Price (half): $7

Red rice and farro made for a more toothsome grain base than, say, cauliflower rice or quinoa. They held their texture against the double dressing. (On that note, I wish the green goddess had also come on the side; instead, the salad was tossed in it and only the balsamic came on the side. If the point was for the greens to retain their crispness, why one and not the other?) I wouldn’t have minded more pepperoncini and cheese in the mix. I also thought this one was a bit harder to eat than the others because of how large the avocado slice was and the extra-long greens. That said, I loved the varied textures of the crisp veg, soft cheese and crunchy seeds, and the balsamic played well with the rest better than expected. P.S.: This one can be ordered with chicken for more protein.

• What It Is: mixed greens and romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in sweet white balsamic vinaigrette and topped with grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, red onions, toasted pecans, feta cheese and apple chips
• Price (half): $8

The dressing was delectably balanced between sweet and tart, and it was delightfully thick for a vinaigrette. It emphasized the apple-y taste of the fruit chips beautifully. The feta paired really well with the dressing, too. I could’ve done without the tomatoes (sorry) and would’ve loved if the pecans were candied or spiced. But all in all, this salad was varied, satiating and tasty.

• What It Is: romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in Caesar dressing and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and black pepper-sea salt croutons
• Price (half): $6

This one can be ordered with chicken, but it made no difference to me—the star was the sharp, slightly crystalline Parmesan cheese, like always. The Caesar dressing was thick, rich, not excessively salty or cheesy, garlicky and black pepper-y. I also detected a distinct, fish-like umami from the anchovy that I adored. The croutons were a touch stale, but their flavor and texture still got the job done.

• What It Is: romaine and lettuce blend, tossed in ranch dressing and topped with grilled chicken, avocado, grape tomatoes, roasted corn, cilantro, blue corn tortilla strips and chipotle aioli
• Price (half): $9

Texturally speaking, this salad was flawless. The tortilla strips were crunchy, the chicken was moist, the avocado was buttery and the produce was crisp. I was sad to see that the corn was missing, but I knew in my soul it would have paired with the spicy aioli and the grassy, citrusy fresh cilantro (which I adore on everything, BTW) like a charm. Like the Balsamic Greens & Grains, I wish both dressings came on the side, but I honestly would’ve been fine with just the chipotle aioli instead of that and the ranch. However, if you’re spice-averse, you’d likely prefer the combination.