I had a simple salad along with a side of mac & cheese. Both were totally edible but nothing overly exciting. The mac & cheese was kind of bland. I think that it needed some fresh ground pepper, but I assumed that they didn't have that, so I didn't even ask. The salad was pretty good. I prefer mixed greens that don't have Romaine. I am kind of a salad snob. The croutons & balsamic vinaigrette were both very tasty.
Newk's did meet my needs, because I just wanted a quick, casual dinner as I was strolling in Uptown on a Saturday night. Personally, I think that I prefer Newk's over Panera.