Panera Bread

We bought a $ 100 gift card but were not allowed to use it. We were told all the cards sold at Christmas time were frozen due to employee theft and fraud. We asked for a refund told NO, gift cards are non-​refundable.
WTF.
They stole our money?!?

Have been here before but finally getting around to a review. I honestly haven’t had one thing from here that I don’t like. the Mediterranean Quinoa salad is one of my personal favorites right now, which I have been pairing with different Panini’s. Yesterday I tried the Chipotle Chicken with Avocado half sandwich with the half Med. Quinoa and it was a great combo! I love that they have the mix and match cause I always prefer a variety. The chicken reminded me almost of a pulled chicken, it was so tender! That mixed with the melted cheese, peppers and avocado, you couldn’t go wrong.
Of course I had to add a last minute dessert and I picked the Lemon Drop cookie… oh man was that SO GOOD. Perfect tangy lemon flavor with a nice chewy center and crispy edge. Sprinkled with a light dusting of powdered sugar and it was easily one of my favorite cookies now!
I also decided to get a few Strawberry Rhubarb cakes to go after seeing them sitting so delectably in the little showcase. It was my first time trying rhubarb and this was just one of the moistest little loaf cakes I’ve had from a restaurant. Seriously, you must try this cake, has just the right amount of sweetness and perfect with coffee.
Great place for a quiet lunch alone, as they have nice little booths or with a few friends. My only issue ever is just trying to decide which baked goods I want!

Pricy but pleasant. The crew over time will know your name, and they will even remember your food favorites. It is a neighborhood type of place. People from all walks of life come here to hang out. Meetings happen in the main room in the center table, so great for small groups to gather and work.
Sometimes short staffed, but no fear there are electronic kiosks waiting to take your order. I do want to try their different breads one day. I do find the Thai Chicken Wonton bowl tasty and healthy at 250 calories. The orange scorns are worth the bite, especially fresh in the mornings.

Ordered an Italian Combo sandwich yesterday for lunch, man that bread was too tough for my teeth. So I decided to cut it into bite sizes with my pocket knife (it’s a Swiss Army). Well that took a great effort to cut it through and my finger was somehow poked by the pointy sharp edge of the bread. Later on at the night I found out that I had my first «bread cut»!!! I will stay away from the Italian Combo for sure, and PB as well.

Horrible service! I called to place a phone order on my way in. The gentleman who answered the phone had no idea how to process a phone request and passed me on to someone else who proceeded to place me on hold while I was in mid-​sentence. Finally the supervisor Jessica picked up the call. After trying to convince me to place the order online (an online order while I’m driving? Really???), she reluctantly took my order. By the time we hung up, 15 minutes had passed and I had arrived to the establishment. I paid and waited in the queue area while listening to her complain about me to the other staff in the kitchen. Needless to say, I will not be coming back.

1 to 0 vegetarian or vegan options available
Very pricey for half sandwich and extremely small soup combo!
Did not get a bang for my buck and the limited options were upsetting!
Hope corporate gets this message and comes up with some solutions!
Other than that the only stars given are for great service!

Was a bit worried about the low rating. I’m from out of town and was craving Panera so I stopped by. The staff was friendly and at tentative and the manager was always seen attending to customers and helping staff. ⁵⁄₅ from me.

I now go there quite often for their chicken noodle soup and sandwiches. I haven’t found any hairs anymore. They are getting better!

First off, the employees (especially Gina) were very nice and helpful. I had the chicken noodle soup with the fresh baguette and I enjoyed it. My husband had the spinach and bacon quiche, really tasty. He could have gone for two! The pecan roll was a bit dry and looked better than it tasted. The iced chai tea latte was a little heavy on the chai but also good.

This place is always good for lunch or dinner. Food here is always made fresh. The service and staff is always good and friendly. This location is somewhat new in this plaza, very well kept and always clean. Take a look at my photos and check out what i enjoyed, every time i come i try something different. I have not tried something i didn’t enjoy.

There’s a reason this Panera only has three stars, its gross.
Why is it so hard to maintain a clean Panera? Oh, maybe the gross guy who works there. Now, I can imagine what your thinking… «Hey that doesn’t sound nice…» And you’d be correct. It’s unkind of me. However, I’m my defense, I was so skeeved out, I had to leave and couldn’t eat. Here’s the deets;
1. Got there with my dad and daughter. Daughter (she’s 12) and I tried to order from the kiosk, hey don’t judge it was lunch time and hella crowded. So the darn thing is missing a bunch of menu items. This very helpful guy (an employee) comes over to help. Tells us the machines aren’t up to date. (hun, no kidding… Eye roll) so now I get back in line. But hey, I can deal. Did I mention said employee had what looked like a chunk of cheese on his lip? (gagging)
2. Fast forward… Found a table (dirty, like hadn’t been cleaned in days… grime and ew) DD cleans the table and busses it! OK, slide in and my feet are in something under the table… Omg omg omg… its spilled food.
3. Bathroom… gross, walls and floors ave dirt that’s accumulated over several dirty mopping jobs. Floor wax on a dirty floor leaves the gross dried dirty effect. I’m out.
If you can’t do a decent job in your store I don’t want to eat from your kitchen.
And they just friggn shot a commercial there?
Shame on you Panera. If this was the first time I’d encounter such a state of affairs there, I’d be more lenient but COME ON!!!
I’ll be going going to Pasadena or boycotting Panera. Cuz, I don’t need a Chipotle repeat.

Panera bread is the perfect spot for an anti-​social, technology addicted millennial to loiter all day. Panera bread lets you place your order through a touch screen kiosk instead of talking to a live human being. Why interact with humans when you can interact with a computer screen instead? There are 4 spots in the restaurant where you can plug in your electronic peripherals. There is one large table in the front patio with wall plug access. One small table with wall plug access is located at the front entrance, right next to the ordering kiosks. The two booths in the far back, next to the bathroom, have the most room to stretch out. The wifi is free and relatively fast.
So grab a coffee, pastry and sandwich. Then sit in public and shut out the world as if you were alone at home.

2pm on a Sunday, five employees (that I saw with my own eyes), not a single person in line, and a half full dining room. You would think I could locate a clean effing table to sit down at, right? Wrong. Every table that seats more than two people is either occupied or dirty, and I’m not talking one or two tables either. I counted seven tables with food and/​or soiled dishes on them. Funny, considering every employee I’ve seen (with the exception of the girl making a new pot of tea) is literally doing nothing.
I love Panera, but this is just embarrassing. Whoever is in charge here needs to clean house or pay better attention because this is just sad.
I cleaned my own table for my group to sit at, no joke. Took the dirty plates to the trash and wiped it down with a wet napkin. I was halfway through my soup before I saw anyone come and clean the remaining dirty tables.
Food is good, cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired.

It doesn’t have to be a fancy restaurant to be a nice place for breakfast or brunch, or any time of the day actually. The egg breakfast sandwiches on ciabatta bread are delicious, but they stop serving breakfast at 11am. For any and all other times of the day, you can order a whole sandwich or panini, soup, or salad if you’re feeling like eating more of a single menu item, but the You Pick Two combo option is great because you get half a sandwich or panini (my favorites here!) and a soup or salad, or two of each. And however you pair it, your meal comes out to be just under $ 11 ($ 7.29 to 9.49 separately). Fountain drinks and iced teas are $ 2.19 with unlimited refills (iced or hot lattes are $ 3.49 to 3.99). TIP: if you’re getting chips for your side, go for the baked potato chips instead of regular ones because they are so much tastier and less oiler.
This Panera has plenty of tables and seats, with fast free wifi in case I have work or studying to do. They recently added automated kiosks at the entrance so you don’t have to wait in line to order — and seeing my customization options also allowed me to discover new substitutes for my bread and sides — although sometimes it’s still faster to speak to a cashier when you’re the only one placing an order. After you order, you take your buzzer to any table and they’ll bring out the food for you. Friendly is super friendly, and the coffee and drink fountain machine is always stocked for unlimited drink refills, condiments, and utensils. Parking is a bit difficult though, as all the restaurants in the plaza are busy.

I came in to redeem my birthday pastry and chose the Apple crunch muffin. I asked if I could get it warmed and was directed to the microwave below the coffee carafes. Also for the month of September 2015, Panera card holders can enjoy a free cup of coffee and I chose iced coffee which is a serve yourself pitcher-​type next to the soda dispensers. The coffee was on the strong side (Note to self: return during the workweek). My offspring wanted the mango smoothie and maybe I haven’t been to Panera in awhile but I don’t remember the serving size being so small. For $ 4.29 it could’ve been at least the size of my medium iced coffee.
Today’s quick visit was salvaged by 2 things:
1. Gina came around with samples of 2 different kinds of breakfast souffles. I also witnessed her ringing up the customer in front of me and she was very calm, patient and helpful as I heard her efficiently help them with their questions and clearly and professionally repeat back their rather lengthy order.
2. Chris actually came by my table as I was leaving to clear it for me. Also asked how my meal was and wished me a good day. I guess I’ll give him a pass for that Unilocal tip I left. I think he may just be a little awkward and I actually feel bad now…

Great place to grab a bite to eat or to sit for hours. Panera is my go to place to study for hours because I can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner here without feeling like I’m getting kicked out. I love their Asiago bagel, Thai chicken salad, roasted turkey artichoke panini, creamy tomato soup, and Mac and cheese. The customer service here is great too.
We also used their catering services here and they were very thorough with providing cups for coffee carriers, nice portions of cold sandwiches, and a good variety of breakfast pastries. Would recommend Panera for any occasion or just to stop for a satisfying meal.

Long line? No problem! Use their fast kiosk lane!
I personally am a fan of their fast kiosk lane. They have 4 along the wall facing outdoors and two near the cashier. You can easily punch in your own order, make adjustments if needed, grab a number and go! Just follow the instructions and things will work out just fine.
If you’re not into all that new short line and technology business, you can always still wait in line for the cashier (which is facing the cashier that is present… some people were oddly confused about that). Their workers are all very nice. I have had a few cashiers that were on the slower side of taking my order which starts to get irksome especially if you come here during your lunch break.
Other than that, I’ve always enjoyed their food here. I love coming here for bagels. I get the bagel pack on Saturday mornings and bring it to work every once in a while. It’s $ 12.99 for 13 bagels and 2 packs of cream cheese. My personal favorites are the Asiago cheese bagel (this is great with the chive & onion cream cheese) and the cinnamon crunch bagel (which I like with the plain cream cheese)

Sooo Panera Bread is pretty much Corner Bakery right? lol
It’s just your average café/​bakery where you can get a nice quick lunch/​dinner. Nothing out of the ordinary I guess. You eat at one of them, you ate at all of them.
Anyway, I think Panera Bread is just ok. Came with a friend at night for dinner, and I wasn’t that hungry so I went with the soup and salad combo. The «chicken caesar» and the cream of chicken and wild rice soup. The soup was bomb! Also tried my friend’s broccoli cheddar, which was also pretty good. Prefer mine more though.
The salad… well it was just pathetic. I’m positive that it said «CHICKEN caesar» but there were 0 pieces of chicken in it. Not sure if they effed up or if it’s supposed to be like that for the ½ salad deal… but I wasn’t that hungry so I just ate it how it was. Just really wanted some veggies in my body. They got lucky this time. But also the croutons were stale af. So I ate… lettuce and slices of parm cheese with dressing. It was sad.
My friend also had a steak salad with his soup, and that was pretty good. Actually, it was surprisingly good lol. It was piled high with steak! Not bad not bad.
Basically I would come back for the soup lol. I friggen love soup.

We had the Chipotle Chicken Panini w/​bag of chips, Cream of Chicken Wild Rice Soup w/​baguette, and a toasted Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel w/​plain cream cheese. Total came out to be ~$ 16. Nothing too impressive. Standard food and decent service. I have always enjoyed their bagels at company events.

3.4 stars
Excellent atmosphere; laidback, café feel; small portions for high bracket prices but you can definitely feel the emphasis on quality over quantity. We only came here cause we got the giftcard… otherwise, this place a bit too pricey for my liking.
Strawberry rhubarb cake — fantastic streusel, super delicious with real pieces of strawberry in there!
Mac n’ Cheese — cheesy mass of goodness; it tastes as good as it looks.
Internet didn’t work; nice selection of white noise/​music in the background (elevator music – my fave!).