Paradise Bakery & Cafe

I realize this is a chain but I can't help but admit I have a little crush on the Chase Tower location of Paradise Bakery & Cafe. The employees are extremely cheerful just when I need them to be (bright n' early in the morning). When I think of a chain bakery I wouldn't picture the pretty muffins, scones and cookies that are perched behind Paradise's glass case. I'll vouch for the coconut chocolate chip cookies - pure genius - I believe it's time for me to branch out to the zucchini muffins that look crazy moist. They are healthy when the recipe includes a vegetable ingredient, right? I started today off right with the Mediterranean egg sandwich: sinless egg whites, basil in its best form - also known as pesto, sun dried tomatoes and spinach. nom nom nom.

Their prices are on the high side, so I stick to a breakfast splurge every here and there - for example, when I feel like celebrating a Tuesday or Thursday and such.

Definitely a lunch time fave for me here in Indy! I'm all about the choose two option, and the employees here are always super friendly which makes stopping in for lunch a pleasant break from the work day.

My go to is the broccoli cheddar soup with a salad, but now that they have the autumn soups in town, watch out, your taste buds will be beside themselves with joy!

Some turn their nose up at Paradise because it's a chain or because it's a tad more expensive than other lunch spots downtown. To this, I say "so what?!" I will give you the expensive thing, for the sandwiches at least, I'm not sure you get your money's worth on those, but as far as the salads and soups are concerned, Paradise gets an A+ from me.

I frequent this place for both breakfast and lunch. Some mornings, if I can't get my act together before leaving the house, I head here for a quick breakfast - their chai lattes are great and I'll never pass up one of their bagels. They're the same as Panera's - that may either be a pro or con for you, but Panera asiago bagels readily available in the morning? Pro for me.

Lunch time can be hectic - but also worth it. The large salads are in fact, LARGE, and I can never eat the whole thing. The fire roasted tomato soup is delicious too, and if you get the opportunity to pick your own cookie with your meal, don't even think, choose the coconut chocolate chip.

Overall, I think this is a fine alternative to other lunch spots during the work day downtown. They get people through the line quickly and there are more than enough tables.

My work has also used them for catering and they delivered to our downtown office, which was super convenient for us.

Lunchtime is always packed but service is quick -- tons of people behind the counter taking orders and preparing orders. There are soups, salads and custom-made or pre-wrapped sandwiches to choose from.

It's a bit pricey and portions are moderate (they won't leave you starving) but, depending on what you get, it's as good as or better than Au Bon Pain. On the plus side: they open at 6:30am for breakfast and have a meeting room and (I think) free wi-fi! One down side: they're only open weekdays.

At times the music can be so loud it makes conversation at a normal talking levels difficult, but it works wonders as a mid-day wake-up!

Definitely check out the cookies/baked goods! One thing I've eaten there but nowhere else is the tomato-pineapple pesto -- yummy!

I enjoy the sandwiches and chocolate chip coconut cookies with the fresh iced coffee. This place consistently has fast and friendly service which is perfect for a work lunch.

Paradise Bakery is across the street from where I work, so I eat here often. They deliver large orders and have become my go to place for quick catered-in lunches for my employees. If you are dining in, the ordering process has recently been changed so that all of the sandwiches are made fresh when you place your order. It's a nice change.

Since being purchased by Panera, many of their menu items are the same at both restaurants. Paradise has lunch combos with varieties of soups, salads and sandwiches. There are several new pasta dishes on their menu which I've yet to try, but my friends say they're very good.

I love the cookies, bagels, chicken walnut salad sandwich and the Thai chopped chicken salad.

The food is consistent and the service is always quick and efficient.

New management has resulted in a MUCH LOWER quality level of employes. Compared to just a year ago, the place is dirtier, the dining room is used for storage, the drink station is frequently out of tea, or forks, or straws, etc. The Salad prep area is a disaster: dirty, food all over the floor, using towels to wipe off utensils, etc. More than anything, it is a low level of CARE by the employees. Some seem illiterate. One guy, Chris, is a keeper and a good quality guy. All the "new folks" with the new manager are merely walking bodies there to pass the time until their shift ends. I rarely go these day. I always pay for my entire crew when we go and even they say "no way".

Kind of pricey compared to similar dining choices like Panera - but different and great food. Love the cookies and the many different varieties of tea!

Attempted to use a gift card to get a coffee refill. Didn't realize my gift was about out. I was short about 20 cents. The cashier (who may have been the manager) was gracious enough to comp me the rest of my refill. Simply requested I pay it forward. Great service!

I like Paradise Bakery downtown as an alternative to the chain coffeehouse whose name will not be written here. I also like Paradise Bakery as an alternative to the stand-alone coffee shops that cannot quite offer consistent product and service. Paradise Bakery makes a competent if not outstanding breakfast. And when struggling with blinding snow or rain or cook-where-you-stand heat, that extra few blocks over to you-know-where can seem an eternity! But what I like most about Paradise Bakery is that it offers a nice selection of coffees and pastries. Sometimes, I'm craving a strong coffee to keep me awake into next week and sometimes the delicate flower that I am requires something lighter.