I love my Specialized Dolce. What made it great was (in part) that my LBS really took the time to dial in the right fit. While I have bought other bikes from REI (for myself as well as my family), the fitting service made my LBS stand out head-and-shoulders over REI.

But I think the most important thing is that you fall in love with the bike when you test-ride it. If that happens to be an REI bike, by all means go for it!