Au Bon Pain - Houston

Compared to other Au Bon Pain restaurants this one seems lacking in a few areas. Staff is slow and seem disinterested. The place is fairly clean but checkout is painfully slow during weekday lunch.

It's good for a quick bite and is better than the hospital room service. The hot sandwiches were pretty good and generally healthy. It's better than many quick service delis that serve most hospitals. Both the chicken and turkey avocado were good onwheat ciabatta bread. Limited cold items and salads.

One downside is that prices can be on the higher side depending on your choices, so keep that in mind. There are plenty of seating options, and the food tastes much better than typical hospital fare—so no worries there! Plus, it’s conveniently located across from Kuu, near a pleasant outdoor area where you can eat outside if you prefer. They used to have dessert specials after 3 PM, where you could get half off, so it’s worth asking if that’s still available, as they close early at 4 PM. The staff may not be the most chatty or cheerful, but they’re polite and professional. Even so, a friendlier demeanor would definitely enhance the experience. I always make a point to visit whenever I have a doctor’s appointment—especially for that chicken soup!

The cashier's attitude is extremely rude, which is really disappointing. She never smiles and treats customers poorly. When I asked her to charge me the correct price for my sandwich, she rolled her eyes, shot me a nasty look, and responded in a sarcastic manner. She refused to correct the price and wouldn't engage with me when I tried to ask her a question. It's unfortunate because the food is good, even if it's a bit overpriced.

This restaurant is located in the Memorial Hermann Tower. I usually only order the chicken noodle soup, but I’ve noticed recently that it doesn’t look very appealing. Instead, I plan to get some English toffee cookies for my husband since he enjoys them. The prices here are quite high; a large bowl of soup—though I’m not sure of the exact size—costs around $8 to $9, and each cookie is priced at $1.79. They also offer salads, fresh sandwiches, and drinks, but I haven’t really checked out the prices or the menu options because those foods aren’t my preference. As for the staff, their customer service is just average—not particularly impressive, but they do their job. The place is clean and has tables for dining, and I believe they close at 4 PM.