Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

What I saw...

On a recent road trip to Virginia, I happened upon a Bob Evans. OK, truthfully, the roads were littered with them, but due to hunger and convenience, we decided to venture in to see how the "Southern" half lives.

It was upon entering, that I saw that Bob Evans offered an assortment of baked breads for purchase. They came in assorted flavors like Banana Nut, Blueberry and the well advertised Strawberry Bread with Icing (there was a  2 x 3 banner up displaying a blown up image of a delicious looking slice of the aforementioned pastry). A man can only be so strong...

The Attraction

Aside from the "subtle" advertisement touting the heights of ecstasy you may reach when you consume a slice, I am a huge fan of freshly baked goods..even more so if the baked goods contain strawberries (or the essence of).


..what I got

The Review

The first thing I noticed was that the strawberry loaf was the only flavor that had icing on it. I immediately began to wonder to myself, "Is that because the bread isn't sweet enough on it's own? What if the bread is too dang sweet because of the icing and will cause me to instantly fall into a diabetic coma after shotgunning one of their sweet teas with the bread?"

Like every snack review pioneer before me, I knew what I had to do. This bread was bigger than me, bigger than any one man's glycemic index. I threw caution to the wind and moved onward...

I wisely opted to wait until I got back home to try a slice of the bread....and it was worth it. Just opening the bag that the bread was wrapped in revealed the smell of strawberries. I had to quickly cut a slice to see if this baby was as advertised.

Soft, but striking the careful balance of not being too airy like a cake, nor too dense like a scone, the texture was just right. The essence of the strawberry came through even without an assist from the cream cheese icing.

The Sweet

The consistency was perfect. It was able to convey a bit of a "home made" vibe, without bringing some of the common pitfalls of home made baked items (slightly overdone crust, cracking, uneven consistency). The strawberry flavor was present without overwhelming you with sweetness or having the flavor punch you in the mouth.

The Bitter

The icing isn't really necessary. I could have done without it. The sweetness of the bread can hold up on it's own, although I can see how the addition of icing could attract more interest and may please some more stubborn palates. To my understanding, the strawberry version of the bread is also only available seasonally.

Individually, each loaf sells for between $4.99-$5.99 a piece or $10 for 3 loaves. That pricing is fair, but works out much better if you opt to go the multiple loaves route.

Even with the addition of the "unneeded" icing, I would still gladly seek out this product. Making it a seasonal item may only add to it's allure.

I don't know if my travels will lead me to another Bob Evans, but should I begin to see those yellow and red signs along the highway again, I will look back at my experience not unlike that of a lost love or an old flame...a love in which perhaps the final chapter has not yet been written...