Panera’s mac and cheese has a loyal and dedicated following. From college students to shopping mall flaneurs, many praise the creamy cheese sauce and smooth shell pasta as one of the highlights at the soup and sandwich chain . Loving Panera’s mac and cheese is like accepting McDonald’s has the best fries ; there’s an unsaid understanding that these menu items are best in class. But also, nobody is under any illusion that Panera mac and cheese is a culinary masterpiece. And if they were, they certainly aren’t now.