I'm pretty sure that having the
"Boy in the Plastic Bubble" over
for dinner would be less of a PITA!

I stopped in here today for lunch. As it was well after 1:00 p.m., the pickings were slim on the sandwiches. I opted for a chicken and bacon sandwich and got a small lentil soup.

The soup was very good, almost a lentil stew -- lots of pieces of carrot and potato, and very nice flavor. I will go back for this over and over again. The sandwich was okay. I will say that the bread was extremely fresh, as were all the other ingredients.

I intend to get there earlier the next time I venture in that direction and hope to have a better selection of sandwiches.

Suzy

I have to agree about the underportioning of tuna in the tuna sandwich. But I spoke to one of the employees, who told me that all of the ham and chicken is free range and organic. I'd keep paying a few extra bucks for that.

jygach wrote:I'm excited about this as I am a big fan of the Pret sandwiches in London.

I feel the same about it. Eager to try the Chicago outpost and see what they're serving.

lemoneater wrote:I have to agree about the underportioning of tuna in the tuna sandwich.

Is this possibly in keeping with the "English" (or "British"--I don't know what the proper word would be) style of sandwich in general, which puts a whole lot less of everything on a sandwich than we would?

Maybe Pret is looking to differentiate themselves from their American competition in that way, to create an "English" sandwich experience. I'm not saying it's a good thing (or a bad thing), just that it may appeal to a certain segment of the market, if that's what's going on with the underportioning.

I'm generally in favor of smaller sandwiches - I'm trying to lose a little weight and its tough when everything in the loop is giant-portioned (and I'm 6 feet tall). I'd be happy to get 70% of the sandwich for a little less money and if I need a little extra I can get some kind of fruit or snack to fill me up if needed.

I'd be happy to get 70% of the sandwich for a little less money and if I need a little extra I can get some kind of fruit or snack to fill me up if needed.

I noticed today that they are serving half sandwiches for half the price, which gets me over the hurdle of "Why pay for 60% the price for 50% the food?" The shrimp cilantro sandwich with a small soup (carrot ginger, nicely thick and spicy), and I was golden (pun intended?). The baguette was flaky, and I don't know if they slathered on more filling, but it was not dry like my previous egg sandwich.

Half sandwich and small soup was about $6.25. Soup comes with a roll. Pretty good deal IMO. The haddock chowder was tasty. Can't imagine it will be a big seller though.

teatpuller wrote:Half sandwich and small soup was about $6.25. Soup comes with a roll. Pretty good deal IMO. The haddock chowder was tasty. Can't imagine it will be a big seller though.

I just went today and came away happy. I had a sweet chili shrimp sandwich that was nicely packed with shrimp and served on wonderfuly crusty bread. I thought about the haddock chowder, but instead went with the Italian wedding soup which was good but a tad greasy. I'm perfectly happy adding Pret to my regular lunch rotation.

Something weird is happening inside a Pret A Manger sandwich shop on Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/busin ... ref=dining

I didn't realize they've added a third location on Monroe:

100 N. LaSalle
(312) 660-9494

211 W. Adams
(312) 546-8270

73 W. Monroe
(312) 260-4301

http://www.pret.com/us/menu/sandwiches

TomInSkokie wrote:I didn't realize they've added a third location on Monroe:

It's a smaller location with a more limited selection. Right by Italian Village.

I just wanted to say that I ran into Pret today to get some of their delicious lentil soup and instead found myself ordering their bean with bacon stew instead. Oh. My. God. This is seriously good stuff. I practically licked the container clean.

Suzy

for those familiar with both chains, would Pret A Manger = Brioche Doree ? (in regards to food quality/experience)

I haven't had a chance to eat at one of the Chicago Pret locations yet, but I became a fan of theirs last time I was in London.

I have to say, though, I'm disappointed that they didn't bring over all of their menu items from across the pond. Their Hoisin Duck Wrap (http://www.pret.com/menu/baguettes_wraps/hoisin_duck_wrap_PUK1765.shtm) was great. Really wish I could get it here!

Take a look through the rest of their UK menu and I'll bet you'll see a number of things that, if you like Pret in general, you wish you could order here, too.

I've had lunch here the past two days, and while it may not be evryone's idea of spectacular, I thought it was very good. First day I had the Vietnamese baguette. The bread was very fresh and delicious, and the filling was very good. I could eat this everyday. Yesterday I had the salad nicoise -- all very very fresh (unlike Corner Bakery where it often seems like all the ingredients are a couple days old). I appreciate that they post calories, so I don't discover later that I've eaten 1500 calories for lunch. This is the best quick salad and sandwich place near my office, and I look forward to trying the soup and more sandwiches (though I liked the one I had well enough to eat it several more times before venturing further).

I've eaten at multiple locations several times. What's really good about them is the freshness; the sandwiches are always freshly made on fresh breads. As noted above, the salads are fresh and decent (I haven't had salads at Corner Bakery, but I think the ones at Panera are at least as good). I've had their croissants (separately, not for sandwiches) and they're excellent. I also like the flexibility, for example the ability to buy half a sandwich. What's not good: They are really skimpy when filling the sandwiches. For example, I had a shrimp and avocado sandwich without much shrimp or avocado in it. I had a soup and it was nothing special. And the flavorings can be overly bland (toned down "for American tastes" from the ones abroad, perhaps?).

As a place for sandwiches and salads for lunch, I'm not sure it offers anything over Panera, Au Bon Pain, or Corner Bakery. As a place for great croissants, though, I like it!

nsxtasy wrote:...the flavorings can be overly bland (toned down "for American tastes" from the ones abroad, perhaps?).

It's a British chain, so, um, yeah... no. Blandly, K_E

nsxtasy wrote:As a place for sandwiches and salads for lunch, I'm not sure it offers anything over Panera, Au Bon Pain, or Corner Bakery.

As a person who has eaten quite regularly at Corner Bakery, and who has now had lunch three days in a row from Pret, I have to say, I perceive a serious difference in quality for only slightly more money at Pret. Everything I have had at Pret (two Vietnamese sandwiches and the salad nicoise) was fresh and flavorful and not skimpy. The baguettes are crunchy and tasty, which can't be said of any bread I have had at CB. Maybe as I branch out and try more items, I'll see that it is all actually disappointing, but for the moment, this seems like a place that is a cut above the usual sandwich/salad quick food place.

I'll see if I can gather some documentary evidence: photos of tomatoes in the salad nicoise from Pret and in the Asian salad from CB -- believe me, there is no contest. (Of course, this means buying another Asian salad, and now that I have a better alternative, I don't know that I can bear to...)

I have to agree with Judy. While Pret is by no means a destination for lunch, it's a major step up for those of us who have to deal with eating lunch in the loop everyday. I actually like that their sandwiches are on the smaller side. Most sandwiches are too big anyway.

Judy H wrote:I'll see if I can gather some documentary evidence: photos of tomatoes in the salad nicoise from Pret and in the Asian salad from CB -- believe me, there is no contest. (Of course, this means buying another Asian salad, and now that I have a better alternative, I don't know that I can bear to...)

Take photos and compare the Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad at Panera Bread with the comparable salad from Pret a Manger. You'll find that there is indeed no contest. Sorry, Pret.

Also, take photos of the sandwiches showing how little they're filled with. They may be fine for those who prefer their sandwiches without much inside them, but I'd rather have sandwiches with more of the good stuff, relative to the bread.

This was the sandwich I had for lunch today.



No, it's not an oversized monster from Perry's. But this with a medium Italian Wedding soup made for a tasty lunch that came in at about 600 calories. No complaints here.

Stopped by for lunch last week. As I am presently unable to eat cold cuts, I found the selection somewhat lacking, although plenty of the off-limits sandwiches did look appealing. I settled for a crunchy vegetable wrap, though I would have been much happier with some sort of baguette. The wrap tasted...healthy. And kind of wet. So not really any distinguishable flavor profile at all.

I ended up going to Crumbs to counteract all the roughage with a cupcake the size of my head.

Hi- I just noticed yesterday, that they are opening up a Pret in downtown Evanston, on the corner of Sherman and Church, where Clear and Barnes and Noble used to be. they don't say when they are opening, but they are looking for help right now. According to the signs on the window, they call themselves a natural food emporium, with organic coffee.

BTW- They will be right across the street from a Panera bread, which I really like, and a block away from a Cosi, which I don't care for as much.

Does Pret have a lot of healthy and low fat stuff as Panera does? When I go in Panera, I usually order half a turkey breast sandwich on 12 grain bread, and tell them to hold the mayo. I then have a bowl of what ever low fat soup they have that day, such as black bean or chicken noodle. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Does Pret have a lot of healthy and low fat stuff as Panera does?

Here's the menu - http://www.pret.com/us/our_food/

Hi- It looks like they have a few low fat soups on the menu. Has anybody ever tried the turkey chili there? That definitely sounds promising. They don't even have the Evanston location listed on their website yet. It will be interesting to see how much Panera Bread's business will be hurt when Pret opens up across the street. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Does Pret have a lot of healthy and low fat stuff as Panera does? When I go in Panera, I usually order half a turkey breast sandwich on 12 grain bread, and tell them to hold the mayo. I then have a bowl of what ever low fat soup they have that day, such as black bean or chicken noodle.

Stick to the slim sandwiches at Pret - they are half the calories of the regular (a lot of the regular sandwiches are loaded with mayo).

The banh mi sandwich is surprisingly good here, in a unique way. The new side-salad cups they're doing are also great. Especially the spinach feta orzo balsamic thingy with fresh arugula.

It's not Xoco, but there's nothing else quite like this place near Willis Tower.

A new Pret A Manger is under construction inside 225 N. Michigan. No indication as to when it will open, but work appears to be moving along nicely.

Hi- The Pret at Church and Sherman in downtown Evanston is now open. I went in there for a few minutes yesterday just to look around, and I noticed that all the sandwiches and salads were premade. Is that the case in all of there stores? It was really busy in there yesterday, but it was probably because the place is new.

This store is right across the street from a Panera Bread, and the soups look interesting, but I would rather go to Panera, and have them make a sandwich from scratch. At Panera, I can tell them to hold the mayo on my turkey breast sandwich. Hope this helps, Nancy