Corner Bakery Cafe (Boca Raton, Pembroke Pines, Miami)
***** Corner Bakery Cafe, 2240 Northwest 19th Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 417-6060.
Corner Bakery Cafe is a U.S. chain of self-serve cafes that specializes in breakfast stuff, breads, pastries, soups, sandwiches, salads. Last count-about 150 of these joints spread out–Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia. For our purposes, there are 4 Florida location-Boca Raton, Pembroke Pines and 2-Miami. You can check www.cornerbakery.com for locations/menu/prices/photos.
Simple concept-order/pickup at counter.
Can’t really believe it, but Jeff Eats has-never reviewed Panera Bread. For the purposes of this story, I’m gonna assume that you know what Panera Bread is all about. With that in mind, Corner Bakery Cafe looks/tastes/feels/quacks just like Panera Bread does–only difference, Panera Bread has more than 10-times the number of stores that Corner Bakery Cafe does. For those of you who don’t know about Panera Bread…check www.panerabread.com.
As Jeff Eats’ uncle (by marriage) Sam Ting would say…Corner Bakery Cafe and Panera Bread are the same-thing (took some doing to sneak this one in here)-jacks of all trades and masters of none.
Jeff Eats has eaten twice in Boca’s-Corner Bakery Cafe…chicken salad on rye, French toast/scrambled eggs, meatball panini, chicken noodle soup. Now, nothing terrible–but nothing that I would ever consider for a last meal at Attica. Look, I know-this is Corner Bakery Cafe’s story–but just insert Panera Bread where Corner Bakery Cafe is now and vice versa–and you basically got Jeff Eats’ take on Panera Bread…of course, I ate different stuff at Panera Bread’s CityPlace and Mission Bay joints-but like Corner Bakery Cafe’s food, I wasn’t a fan.
To be perfectly honest with you, for the life of me- Jeff Eats can’t figure out why Panera Bread and to a lesser extent Corner Bakery are seemingly so successful. No fooling, their food/service are mediocre at best…same mystery surrounds McDonald’s- but that’s a story for another day!
If you refuse to listen, Corner Bakery Cafe is open Monday-Sunday 7am-8pm.
Sometimes out of desparation I end up in one or the other and the same question always comes to mind—“Why am I here, it is totally mediocre”?
Right on , Jeff.
Jeff,
You are so right that it isn’t even funny. Panera Bread’s food and service are just fair at best. Like you I have wondered why they have so many stores and such a huge following. I haven’t been to Corner Bakery but from its site I can see that it’s just another version of Panera. By the way, I’ve been to Panera 3 times in my lifetime and don’t plan on ever going back.
Jeff Eats,
Panera is a mystery to me. Just like McDonald’s is. The burgers at MCD are terrible yet they sell millions of them a year. Makes no sense but what is, is.
Jeff,
pizza hut, dominoes, papa john’s, all trash. yet people order from them. there are thousands of mom and pop local pizza joints that make far better pizzas yet people still get deliveries from the big national companies. Obama is president. people picked this phony baloney over Romney a real smart man. health care proved that Obama is incompetent and a liar to boot. the point, AMERICANS are fooled by packaging. that’s why they order crappy pizza and elect incompetent men.
Its the same reason people go the Dennys and IHOP they know what they will get its always the same and its cheep
jeff, my exact sentiments. cant figure out why Panera and Corner do so well. their food stinks.
AS H.L. Mencken said, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.”
On the same page.
Can’t understand the success of either chain.