Atlanta Bread versus Panera...round 2 (Hilton Head)

I've written about it already, but it's worth discussing again...Panera Bread vs. Atlanta Bread. It's no contest. Panera Bread is far superior. Clearly I am biased on my viewpoint, but I would challenge anyone out there to tell me how or why Atlanta Bread Company is superior.

I spent this Labor Day weekend in Hilton Head, SC. Many of you know, I used to live in this area. And based on the fact that I have a blog about food, you could guess that I enjoy food. So it's no surprise that my visits to Hilton Head revolve around my favorite restaurants. Many of these restaurants are not the most popular, but for whatever reason, I love them. Apparently I have an emotional attachment to them.

Just for the fun of it, here's a list of my favorite Hilton Head/Bluffton, SC restaurants, in no particular order:

• Wild Wing Cafe: A classic fixture on the south-end of the island. Excellent wings. Awesome wraps. Amazing ranch dressing. My favorite past-time at Wild Wing's involved watching the Buckeyes on a Saturday with some cold Miller Lite and The Boss wings. 
• Sippin Cow Cafe: Nice little deli in Old Town Bluffton. I always make sure I visit this place.
• Kobe Japanese Steakhouse: By far the best sushi I have ever had...and I have searched high and low to find an acceptable replacement. My fav is the angel roll. Amazing.

The Angel Roll from Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. Delish.

• Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill: I hated this place at first, only because I foolishly ordered the quesadilla. This place rocks, however. I personally enjoy the gringo chicken soft taco and the chicken taco salad. They have an amazing avacoda ranch dressing. They also have a salsa bar, which is always a plus. 

I like taking Fiesta Fresh to-go for the beach.

• Big Bamboo: Didn't make it there this trip, but it's worth mentioning. They have an excellent happy hour. Food and drink specials. Plus free popcorn. 

When I arrived on Thursday, I stopped at the Atlanta Bread Company to catch up on some work and to grab a bite to eat. In my pre-Panera days, I used to enjoy my visits to the ABC. Maybe I have gotten spoiled with Panera, or maybe this particular ABC has just gone downhill. Whatever the reason, this most recent ABC visit has solidified my love for Panera. It's just so much better.

My meal at Atlanta Bread Co.

Here's a bullet point list of things I disliked about ABC versus Panera:

• Veggie Sandwich. ABC's was disgusting. It's not even in the same league as Panera's Med Veg. Not even close. 
• Tea. I am a big iced tea fan. I'm borderline neurotic about my tea. ABC had a good tea back in the day. But they tried to fancy things up, and now they have a new tea line featuring flavored teas and your standard black iced tea. Tried them all, and they all suck. Nothing compares to Panera's Acai Tea and regular Iced Tea. Nothing.
• Staff. Obviously this could have been a fluke, but the staff at the HHI ABC was awful. I learned a lot about their love lives and home lives as I forced the veggie sandwich and iced tea down. 
• Music. No music was playing. Isn't that one of the nice things about visiting a cafe like ABC and/or Panera? I find the music relaxing. It also helps to drown out nonsense chatter. 
• Salad. I didn't get a salad this time around, but I vividly remember the greek salad at ABC. It was a standard order for me back in the day. I didn't like that the dressing came on the side. Panera mixes the dressing for you. Giving the salad full coverage of dressing. Key.  

Due to my disappointment at ABC, I wanted to sneak in a Panera visit. I was able to do so on Sunday morning about 10ish. With me on this visit was the Pope's: Brian, Amanda, and their 4-month old Camille! Brian was skeptical about the Panera visit. As I have written before, most men aren't Panera fans, by nature. He was concerned that he wouldn't get a substantial meal. I consulted with Brian before we got to Panera and we decided that the Cuban Chicken Panini would be the best choice.

Camille's first visit to the south-end Panera!

Me: Med veg pick 2, with chicken cobb salad. Amanda: Sierra Turkey Pick 2 Chicken Cobb Salad Brian: Cuban Chicken. Then later...Tuna Salad. Dessert: We split a brownie. Not bad!

Unfortunately, the Cuban Chicken Panini was not enough. Believe it or not, he was still hungry. Brian, being the problem solver that he is, took matters in his own hands and ordered a tuna salad sandwich. After eating the Cuban Chicken Panini and the Tuna Salad sandwich, Brian was full. I mention this because I don't think Brian will ever go to Panera again on his own. (See my previous post on Why Men Don't like Panera) Just as 70% of the men you see at Panera are not their by choice. Look around. The men that are there are being dragged their by a woman. What would make Brian and the rest of the 70% of men go back to Panera on their own? A man menu. Steak. Cheese. Bacon. Hoagie. Sub. Double Meat stacker. Phrases like that will bring in the men...unforced.

Note: They put Brian's 2nd sandwich order as a to-go. Assuming he was going to eat it later or it was 

for someone else.

Regarding the Hilton Head Panera. It's on the south-end of the island and features a drive-thru! Perfect for grabbing a sandwich before you hit the beach or a coffee on the go. 

One other point to ponder that Brian brought up during this visit:

• Panera seems to have more people in workout clothes than any other restaurant. Great observation. It's worth noting.

The show down: Panera vs. Atlanta Bread Co.

The entrance to the HHI Atlanta Bread Co.

I lived in the Hilton Head, SC area for about four years. During my time at HHI, I became accustomed to the casual cafe bakery chain...Atlanta Bread Company. Not being aware of how strong my true love for Panera Bread was at this time, I always enjoyed my ABC visits. It was ABC that we would frequent after church on Sunday, for an early morning breakfast, or even for a meeting with potential customers for lunch. Yes, ABC was always a good time. My menu item of choice was the "Half & Half", the ABC version of Panera's "Pick 2". I would typically order the ham and cheese sandwich with a greek salad, and the unsweet tea.

I can recall going to Panera on some of my visits home to Ohio and thinking that Panera was way better than ABC. I always wished for a Panera to come to the island. That dream came true, only a couple of months before I moved back to Ohio.

My dog, Boomer on the ride home. He is really good in the car,
but for some reason always looks so pathetic.

This past week, in one last attempt to escape Ohio's winter I packed up the car along with Deb (my mom) and my 4-legged friend, Boomer! I already warned Deb of my plans to review the HHI Panera, so she was fully aware of the inevitable Panera visit. What I neglected to warn her about was the fact that I needed to visit ABC from the eyes of a "Panera Addict".

On the very first morning in HHI, I steered off course and drove to the HHI Atlanta Bread Co, located on the north end of the island. Immediately upon walking into the establishment, I felt a sense of comfort. This ABC represents a fun time in my life...and now represents the fact that I am on vacation when I visit.

Despite this sense of initial comfort, my critical Panera Addict eyes soon awoke. The overall atmosphere of an ABC is far less superior to ANY Panera. It is hard to explain how this is so, I think it just comes down to the fact that Panera's seem to be decorated so much warmer. ABC's are decorated very plainly...white walls, brown floors, natural wood tables. In a word, "blah". I never noticed this "blahness" until my finely tuned "Panera Addict" eyes took over...so I really doubt many other people notice this. I do challenge you to compare for yourself. You might be surprised.

The items ordered. Note the "Pink" magazine. I usually pick up a
copy when I visit the ABC to read up on all things HHI.

I ordered half of a ham sandwich and the black bean and corn salad, with an unsweet tea, of course. Deb opted for a cinnamon raisin bagel and a coffee. Comparing the food is much more difficult than reviewing the overall look and feel of the cafes. On one hand, I enjoyed the options available at ABC. But on the other hand, the sandwiches and salads at Panera are much better. One of my favorite surprises was the black bean and corn salad. It was 9AM and I wanted something with a little substance, and I remember from experience that the ABC breakfast sandwiches are nothing to write home about. But I didn't want a full lunch meal. I was happy to see the "half-sandwich" option...and even happier to learn that it comes with my choice of either: Chips, cookie, potato salad or the black bean/corn salad. And I think it was priced around $4. What variety!! The black bean salad was AWESOME.

For all of you sweet tooths out there...Deb's experience confirms that Panera is still King of the bakery. In an effort to find a suitable substitute to the Panera cinnamon crisp bagel, Deb settled for the cinnamon raisin bagel. And "settle" she did. It was no match for Panera. In further conversation, Deb also acknowledged that the Panera bakery items are way better than ABC.

Let's recap:
FOOD:
ABC has some interesting options on their menu, like the black bean and corn salad. When it comes to food quality, however, Panera is the winner.

ATMOSPHERE:
Hands down Panera is the winner.

PRICE:
The ABC "Half/Half" was $7.19, and it doesn't come with the option of chips, baguette or apple. Panera's "Pick 2" runs about $6.59.

In the end....
Panera 2.5
ABC 0.5 (I give them half a point because of the black bean salad)

Panera wins!!!