It was late one night, and I was looking for a good time. So, as anyone would do, I went to Panera. I spotted something sweet that I liked and took it home that night. At first I was really enjoying myself, but along the way things took a turn. When I woke up in the morning it was still there. That thing that looked so delicious last night now repulsed me. That thing, was Panera’s Kitchen Sink Cookie.

I tried this cookie over a month ago, but I just haven’t been able to sit down and write this review. Not because I didn’t have the time, but because I was unsure about how to rate it.

You see, the first bite was incredible, the second was also great, but by the third I started to feel sick. The density and richness of this cookie makes it impossible to finish without getting a stomach ache.

This has been my dilemma: do I grade the cookie off the fantastic first bites? Or do I give it a terrible grade since I couldn’t even finish it?

After pondering these questions for a month I decided it would be best to grade the cookie based on both of these questions and combine the grades.

So, here we go, the Panera Kitchen Sink Cookie review.

After my last experience with a Panera cookie I thought I’d never go back. However, when I saw the name of this cookie the emotional walls that I had put up to protect me from Panera came crumbling down. With a name like ‘Kitchen Sink’ I knew I had to give this cookie a try.

The first bite contained a glorious concoction of chocolate, caramel, pretzels, and salt.

For a moment I thought Panera had redeemed itself. I thought this might be an A-tier cookie.

So, with excitement I took another bite.

And another.

By this time I already felt some discomfort in my stomach. I tried to tell myself the ache was just in my head, but by the fourth bite I knew the discomfort was real.

I was forced to do something I’ve never had to do before, put a cookie down. I couldn’t eat it all. It was too rich.

I set the cookie on my dresser, and went to lay in bed. I then closed my eyes and waited for the stomach ache to pass.

Accidentally, I fell asleep, and when I awoke I felt hungover.

As I laid on my side that morning, I stared at the half-eaten cookie still sitting on my dresser. The other half I could still feel sitting in my stomach.

I was slightly angry at this cookie, but I tried to appreciate it for what it was.

In the end, I can’t give it a high rating due to it’s extreme density and richness, but I will say that the first few bites were exquisite. I recommend sharing it with a couple friends.

Rating: C+

I can’t keep these cookies off me! Today at work Nick bestowed upon me another cookie to review. I joyously accepted, and stuffed it into my mouth.

At first glance this is a very basic looking cookie, but I wouldn’t expect much else from a gas station cookie.

When I broke off the first piece I realized this was a clean cookie, no crumbs. This is a sign that the cookie will be moist and have a nice texture.

And it was moist, but unfortunately it had no taste.

Nick agreed with me on this point. After his 4th bite he exclaimed, “This cookie needs more sugar.” I then gave him a nod of approval and a wink.

One thing I did enjoy was the chocolate chips. However, these chips were Nestle Toll House morsels, as the packaging promoted. I am a firm believer that the cookie must be completly original to take credit it for it.

If I was reviewing Nestle Toll House chocolate morsels this would be an A-tier review, but I am reviewing a Sheetz cookie. So, I must give it a sheety review.

Nothing was terrible about this cookie, but nothing was great. I might as well have been eating air, because this cookie tasted like nothing. It was a waste of calories and time.

Rating: C-

This is a bit of an unconventional review. This cookie was not from a store, nor a restaurant. This cookie was not under the influence of corporate greed. This cookie expressed itself honestly. This cookie was baked by my good friend Cassidy.

At first, I was apprehensive about reviewing a cookie that could not be purchased from a store. I was worried my readers may be upset that they themselves could not go out and purchase this cookie. Then I realized I hardly have any readers, so I said, “screw it, I’ll eat this cookie.”

I was supposed to eat this cookie this past Wednesday, but then Cassidy explained that she had no eggs to bake the cookies. To this explanation I said, “ever heard of a grocery store?” but alas she hadn’t, and so I had to wait till Friday to eat the cookie. I guess eggs are more readily available on Fridays for some reason.

Anyways, this cookie ended up being worth the wait.

Just like the Potbelly’s cookie that I reviewed, this was an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, one of my favorite kind of cookies.

At first glance the cookie seemed like a perfect size, if not just a little bigger than the average cookie. Normally I like a cookie that I can fit in my pocket to carry around as a snack for later, but it didn’t bother me much because this wasn’t a cookie that I’d eat later, it’s a cookie I’d eat now.

The first bite of this cookie brought back memories of baking cookies with my Mom on a snowy day when school was cancelled. It has that classic homemade taste, which I find to be desirable.

On the second bite I noticed the pleasant texture that the oats added to the cookie.

On the third bite I noticed there was a good ratio of chocolate to cookie material. Sometimes bakers will add an excessive amount of chocolate to cover up the fact that the rest of the cookie sucks. But this cookie put itself out there. It said, “this is me, every part of me, eat me.”

By the fourth bite I had gobbled up the entire cookie.

Now, even though these cookies were baked for me from a friend, I must still be completely honest. If I start praising every cookie that is handed to me then the people will never know the truth.

Luckily, there isn’t much bad I can say. My only issue is that they were not as moist as I would like. An easy fix to this would be to add more butter. When I eat a cookie I like to know that I’m consuming at least 2 sticks of butter with each cookie.

Nonetheless, I would eat this cookie on a train. I would eat it on a plane. I would eat it in the rain. I would eat this cookie anywhere. Therefore this cookie joins the ranks as the second ever A-tier cookie.

Rating: A-

If you haven’t heard of California Tortilla it’s similar to Chipotle, just less Mexican. The food they serve is pretty average, and that includes their cookies.

Right off the bat, one negative for this cookie is that it is pre-packaged. You can clearly see that the cookie was not baked fresh that day. Having to rip your cookie out of a plastic wrapper really puts a damper on the whole cookie eating experience.

Nonetheless, I persevered and held the cookie in my hand. This is one of the most generic cookies I have ever seen. It was like I did a google search for “cookie” and this thing came up . This is not necessarily a negative, but thought it was worth mentioning.

I took a bite, and it was actually pretty tasty at first. Then as I chewed, the texture and taste became more and more unsatisfying. The cookie is very moist at first, but it seems like it goes through some weird chemical process in your mouth that makes it grainy and dry.

Due to the cookie being pre-packaged, you can read the ingredients list on the back of the package. There were probably 20 ingredients in that thing, and most did not seem necessary for a basic chocolate chip cookie. Who knows what’s going on in that cookie.

I can’t completely bash this cookie. One thing I did enjoy were the chocolate chunks. They weren’t too fudgy nor too hard, this cookie had some really nice chocolate in it.

It was also a clean cookie, meaning it won’t make a mess of crumbs when you eat it.

Overall there are some good pros and some bad cons, making this cookie slightly below average.

Rating: C+

I walked into work today and was presented with a pleasent surpirse. My co-worker and biggest fan of the blog, Nick, gave me a cookie to review. Nick was very clear that this must be an honest review, he didn’t want the kind act to influence my decision. So, I won’t hold back.

Ridgetop is a local coffee shop here in Northern Virginia. If you are located outside of the area, then you probably have never heard of the place, nor will probably have the option to try the cookie. Regardless, my reviews are almost as good as the cookies themselves so stay tuned.

This cookie is small, but dense. The first word that came out of my mouth when I saw the cookie was, “thicc.”

The next thing I noticed was the smell. The smell fills the air and makes you feel like you’re at Grandma’s house being forced to bake cookies even tough when you said you wanted cookies you meant that you wanted her to bake the cookies, but she wants to make it into a whole bonding thing, so you’re hiding out in the guest room till the cookies are ready.

The cookie looked promising so I took an eager bite. As I disected it in my mouth I was a little turned off by the startchy taste of the cookie part. It didn’t ruin the cookie, but it tasted like Grandma had messed up the flour to sugar ratio.

The chocolate was very dense in this cookie, very fudge like. It made me want a glass of milk with it, but unfortunatley I suffer from a slight intolerance to lactose. Luckily, the intolerance doesn’t seem to affect my intake of cookies.

I could see this being a good cookie to eat even after it’s cooled off. And due to it’s diminutive size it would be a good one to stick in your pocket for a snack later on.

The looks and smell of the cookie give it the potential to be an A-tier cookie, but the taste and texture bring it down a grade. If you live in Northern Virginia I’d say stop by if it’s on your way, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for this cookie.

Rating: B-

I first came across this cookie while I was visiting a friend in Austin, TX. We were strolling through the city when we came across a Potbelly’s. My friend told me I had to try one of their cookies, as they were some of the best he’s ever had.

So, we picked up two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and ate them as we continued on our stroll. At the time I was a bit distracted by all the sights I was taking in of the city, but some time later on after that day I remember thinking, “Wow, that may have been the best cookie I’ve ever had.”

It would be a while till I stopped at a Potbelly’s again, but when I did I knew exactly what I was getting.

This time I sat down with the cookie, I examined it, I picked it apart, I tried to decipher just what made this cookie so delicious.

First off, these cookies are big. Some may find them too filling after already eating a sandwich, but not me. The bigger the better is what I always say when it comes to cookies. Now the only caveat to this would be if the cookie didn’t cook evenly, however Potbelly’s is able to get their cookies to cook perfectly all the way around.

After the size of the cookie, the next thing I noticed is the softness. Boy do I love a soft cookie! Now don’t get me wrong, it is by no means mushy, just soft, like it’s fresh out of the oven. I slid the cookie out of the paper packaging and gently broke a little piece off. Most cookies would create a mess of crumbs when being broken, but not this cookie. This is a clean cookie, one that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to eat anywhere.

As I bit into the piece I desired nothing else from this world. Everything I needed and more was provided to me in that bite.

What’s interesting about this cookie is that it is an oatmeal chocolate chip, not an oatmeal raisin, as is commonly found. I’m sure one exists, but as far as I’ve seen, Potbelly’s is the only place that serves oatmeal chocolate chip.

If you are not a fan of oatmeal raisin, I still highly encourage you to try this cookie because it’s something else. The oats add such a satisfying texture, and the complementing pockets of gooey chocolate make for a holy experience when consuming this cookie.

There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about this cookie. It’s a perfect size, it’s a perfect texture, and based on how good it tastes they probably fit five sticks of butter in each one, but who cares! Life is meant to be enjoyed, and you can’t fully enjoy life till you’ve tried this cookie.

Rating: A+