Panera Bread

Panera isn’t my choice for a lunch out, I’d much rather go to a corner bakery… but when your guy has a gift card, you don’t turn down free food!
They continually update their menu, and I tried there new (er) Mediterranean kale/​quinoa salad and a half tuna salad as part of their ‘you pick two’ deal. The half salad for this meal was enormous! I enjoyed it much more than anticipated too. It had quality ingredients. The tuna salad sandwich was a-​ok too, with a generous portion of the salad on a wheat bread. I was very satisfied with the meal overall.
This site is pretty busy at all times, and it showed with the cleanliness of some of the open tables. The food still comes out pretty quickly, though so I would come back again in a lunch pinch!

Please tell me how a place that serves breakfast consistently runs out of brewed coffee?! Seriously. Not only at this Panera but others. Put a timer on the canister that beeps when it’s low so staff knows to start brewing another!!! And please don’t excuse your lack of coffee with «oh, we had a big order.» Not my problem. It’s like McDonalds running out of hamburger meat!

I eat here a lot as this is not my hometown, and it’s a consistent quick meal near my office. However last night had me deciding that this is off my list. I ordered a panini. They were out of the bread it normally comes on. Fine. I switched to a different bread. Dude behind the counter with gloved hands starts making sandwich. Then with same gloved hands starts cleaning his (currently) filthy work station. Stuff spread everywhere, trash, etc. Throwing out trash with same gloved hands. Wiping counters down with same gloved hands. Then he takes my panini out of the press (before he used a spatula. Forgot the lettuce, and with the same very dirty gloved hands is putting lettuce on the sandwich. I tell him I’m not taking the sandwich. The manager apologizes and just goes right away to the register to refund my money. Now, a refund is in order, but her lack of caring about the unsanitary prep of food is of MASSIVE concern. If I ever go back there, which I probably won’t, I will be watching my food prep like a hawk. I do have a good mind to call the health department and have them spot check.

Great friendly staff. Really polite and patient. I’m a creature of habit so I get the soup most of the time. This location is busy but super fast. It’s the closest Panera to my work just off expressway so easy to get too.

3.5 stars rounded up. This Panera has gotten better since last year when I went there a few times and gave up (because the sandwiches were not prepared well, it was understaffed, and had a bit of a dirty vibe). I have gone a few times recently to see if I liked it any better, and so far I do. Most of the staff is helpful and the food, while still not fantastic, seems to be prepared a bit better — soup not quite as cold, sandwiches not as burnt. And like most locations, this Panera has a nice atmosphere — good for reading or surfing the net while having a bowl of soup. I will update if this location takes a turn back for worse, but so far, they seem to be doing a better job.

Stopped in the other night for a late night snack. It was about 30 minutes til closing. I wanted a turkey sandwich with apple but was informed they no longer make that. One of the ladies working there said she could cut up and apple, then she thought for a moment and told me they don’t have the cranberry sauce to recreate the sandwich they use to make. Whatever, no big deal. I opted for the tn salad. When asked if I wanted bread, chips or an apple I asked for the apple. I got a meal deal where you get half a sandwich and a small bowl of soup. I chose the chicken and wild rice soup. The iced tea wasn’t bad. It was right before close and the tea did not taste stale like it had been sitting there for hours. We got to chose from the bakery items that were left and get them half off. I got a toffee cookie. We took our food home because we didn’t want to make anyone stay late on our account. When we did get home and our food unwrapped, I ended up with bread instead of the apple I wanted. This turned out to be better because the soup was awful and if I hadn’t got the side of bread I would have been starving because I just had that half of a tuna sandwich. The tuna salad was pretty good. I wish I would have got a full sandwich, but now I know. The bread I got on the side was pretty tasty too. Overall, I would go back and order a full tuna salad and skip the soup. I’m also a fan of that toffee cookie. I don’t usually come here for lunch or dinner. I always stop in and buy the cinnamon crunch bagels with walnut honey cream cheese. That’s a seriously legit bagel! I’ll be back.

Way to much money!
This was not bad but prices are WAY to high!!!

Great sandwiches. Love the tuna sandwich, soups are notable. Ambiance is decent as well. Great location!

I have been there a few times now & each time the staff is very pleasant & fast. It is clean but as most paneras, it is almost always full of the annoying laptop people. My only complaint was that I bought a scone which was not fully baked (the center was all stretchy-​gooie with uncooked dough). I didn’t return to complain because I was not going back out in the cold. I will quietly inform them when I go back. I’m sure others went back & complained.

Overpriced and over-​processed. uuuggghhhh — typical crappy panera — people who like Panera really need to go and explore

Fail Panera …2−3 years ago… I was a frequent customer. You really irked me when your holiday bread was offered .and as the season went on. became harder or impossible to buy… Fast forward to today. I was about to hop over to Starbucks for lunch, when I see many signs for your holiday bread. Figured since the store is wallpapered with signs advertising the holiday bread. certainly there must be an abundant supply! Ok Panera .you have your second chance. As I am waiting in line, I am scanning everywhere. where is the holiday bread? The pictures are enticing .and I am fantasizing about having a loaf on hand this weekend as we decorate for the holidays… behind the glass? No… on a special table? Nu uh… maybe on the wall next to the other loaves? Nope. …well there must be a holiday loaf safe .to ensure loaves for all and without risk of them getting in harms way. I order my lunch for here .and a loaf to go. I am told that there are no loaves available for sale. I assured the person behind the counter, that there is plenty of signage pointing to the contrary… surely I cannot be duped again …“COME FOR THE HOLIDAY LOAF” the signs scream to get me in the door then. ooops we don’t have any?! Say it ain’t so Panera… a bread company out of bread? I had the informer of grim news… retract his earlier statement of no bread .and search. search until the bounty of holiday bread is recovered! He looked hi and lo (I witnessed this) and he then reinstated his claim there, in fact, was no holiday bread .not even a crumb… So when my wife and children come running into the kitchen Sunday morning .I will not be serving up slices of Christmas. no I will be offering up my famous burnt pancakes instead… maybe in a few years my beloved family… maybe then, Panera can offer bread .and follow through by actually having the bread …
btw …the buzzer never went off, and my lunch went to waste. I got my money back for that… and left: (

I eat here all the time.
The best part of this place is that the drink machine is right where you pick up the food.
I’ve been to some Panera’s where you have to walk across the room just to get your drink.

Strolled in for breakfast on Tuesday around 9am. Not much of a line and I got to pick my seat at my leisure.
I like this location better than others (Fox Valley and Bloomingdale) because of those reasons. But the service is a little slow considering there was no line and I saw at least 4 employees bustling around.
Food is the same as always since it’s a chain. Seems like it’s getting more expensive though. Either that or I’m getting poorer.

We all know the food is great (if a bit pricey), but what I hate about this location is they can never seem to clean off the tables; they always have trash on them and look gross.

Overall this is your standard Panera Bread. Food is consistent and fairly fast even when they’re busy. They have a friendly staff and they’re always willing take your tray when you’re finished.
Gets crowded on weekends @ lunchtime.
The dining room is somewhat smaller compared to other locations. And of course like every other place that has free WIFi, you have people that stay at tables way to long and only buy a drink.
I usually get bread from here a few times a month and the freshness and variety are what keeps me coming back.

I can’t speak too much on the restaurant section. Those sandwiches have got to be pre-​made and frozen at some facility, and then heated up here. This review does not cover the restaurant portion.
I sometimes stop by Panera for bread or coffee from the bakery/​café. While I would love to give my business to a local independent bakery, there just aren’t many around and they rarely have the same convenient hours. Panera gets a lot of traffic, which means the bread is always fresh. Nothing like grabbing a quick french loaf to take home to my girl and enjoy with some olive oil & fresh parmesan.
Of all the Paneras I have been to, this is the best staff with the best attitude by a looooong shot. Always nice to do business with happy, smiling people.

This Panera is okay. It’s really busy, so sometimes during lunch, you have to wait a while to order your food. When you do get to order your food, the service is great as usual and the food tastes the same as any other Panera. This one gets a bonus star for having an outside dining area. Not many of them do, so it’s really nice to eat outside on a beautiful sunny day.

Here’s the thing: why is every Panera understaffed?
Seriously, there are 3x as many people working at a Jimmy John’s as there are in any given Panera. I like Panera’s food well enough – it’s nothing mindblowing, but good enough for soup and a sandwich – but they always have about three people behind the counter. And, the counter people also have to mix coffee drinks, which slows down the service significantly.
Panera Corporation LLC, or whatever your name is, stop pinching pennies and put a few more people on shifts behind the counter. And while you’re at it, stop pushing that My Panera card on everybody who walks through the door.

They are way over-​rated. Their food does not look healthy at all. For my Thursday lunch i got a tuna salad-​sandwich and it was impossible to eat. It was some tuna mess in between two peaces of bread that were really tough. Everything was falling out of this «sandwich».
The bagel i got for dessert was bit better. Still too sweet for me and it all comes down to 3 stars.

Love this place! Fresh bread, soups, sandwiches and salads! The new strawberry salad is fantastic for a summer special!
I have not eaten there for breakfast but I will soon when the occasion arises. The servers and people working at this particular location are all so very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend for a delicious lunch or casual dinner.