All right, Panera, I can finally return the favor you've been doing me for the past five months. I love to try new places and try my best to avoid chains. I hadn't been to a Panera in months since I was in California last, but one day popped in. Since then, I've eaten there anywhere between one and four times a week. Typically, I get their Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich, which is normally served on Sesame Semolina bread, thick and puffy at the same time. I've found that substituting tomato basil bread is EVEN better which is pretty hard to accomplish. The odd thing is, the first two times I was in Panera-- the sandwiches were just "meh!" I couldn't even tell you what I had. I think what kept me coming back was the unsweetened iced tea in ginormous to-go cups. I don't even like chicken salad because 99% of the time, it's all pureed together so you can't even hardly identify different ingredients. At Panera, the separate ingredients have a nice, hardly messy sauce that binds them together, and among those ingredients are grapes and almonds. Very Yum! My favorite days to come in are the days they have black bean soup. That's, I believe, every Tue/Thur/Sat. It's low-fat, and vegetarian. The alternative days they have some garden vegetable which to me is too salty and just kind of disappointing compared to the black bean. I wish they had more alternatives, or at least made the black bean soup permanent. Let's see, what else-- the bathrooms have always been clean, the workers there are very helpful, getting utensils or butter for you or bussing your table if you haven't had a chance to bus it yourself. I also like that there seems to be a wide array of people employed there, from a range of different ethnicities and cultures, as well as age-ranges from teenagers to people who must be grandparents. I don't know-- I just think that's kind of cool. And since I've gone so much over five months I can tell that there doesn't seem to me to be a lot of turnover, which makes me happy. Whenever I have a sweet tooth, I tend to get their cinnamon crunch bagel, although there are a lot of pastries that are also really good. I think the only thing I wouldn't get again there was some twisty cinnamon roll knock-off thingy. And their french bread is stellar! Definitely worth getting a loaf of to take home. read more

I love Panera Bread but do not recommend this location. Took my wife for lunch today and we waited 45 minutes for our food. Asked multiple times for an explanation but got nothing, no manager, no apology, just a bunch of no answers. I typically give restaurants the benefit of doubt as my family is in the business and I know how it is but this was a little ridiculous. read more

Picture this: Sunday at 9:30 AM No cinnamon crunch bagels. It will be 2.5 hours How about the egg soufflé? Nope. No ETA offered. This is a recurrent problem. I haven't been in almost a year because of this. I see it hasn't improved. The employees NEVER have a clue. I can't believe the corporation allows this. Not going back anytime soon, as they don't seem to care about selling product. read more

I don't get to go to Panera as often as I'd like, considering how good it is maybe I should go out of my way more often! The staff is pretty solid. I don't know his name but there is an older guy with an accent who works there and he is always particularly friendly and helpful. I usually get a salad, they have great fresh seasonal salads. I also like the chicken noodle soup when they have it. I ALWAYS finish it off with one of their chocolate-filled croissants. They do get busy but they have a lot of seating, including some pretty comfy chairs and couches. They also have big windows that let in a lot of natural light, AND free wifi. Makes me wish I was writing a novel so I could just come hang out for hours! 1 star down for: Kind of pricey for what it is (soup/salad/sandwiches), always busy (meaning at least a couple minutes' wait even if you're just ordering pre prepared food like soups or pastries. read more

I love Panera, but this location is probably the worst in the country. No matter if it's a week day or the weekend, you are going to find a long line to order. The pagers don't work, so you might get cold food because your food was probably on the counter for a long time without you noticing. Then, when you get your food it might be in disposable tiny paper cups and of poor quality. Overpriced, bad quality and bad service. Skip it. read more

I've always had a good experience at this particular Panera Bread. The customer service is great. The food is delicious and on point. It's always refreshing each time they I eat here. The bread bowls are always good. I've always underestimated the sandwiches but they are super delicious! A great go-to place for soup and bread. read more

Everything here seems way over priced. I got a half sandwich and small side of mac and cheese and it cost over $11. They ran out my bread while making my order so I substituted it for a three cheese bread but when I got my sandwich it was just plain white bread. My fiancée ordered a panini and that was a total fail. It had barely any marks from the panini press, only on one side, pieces of chicken were on top of the sandwich when we got our food, cheese wasn't melted, and it lacked chicken inside. And it was loaded with the chipotle sauce which made the bread soggy. I always love the mac and cheese but at this location it didn't seem to taste as good. Kinda bland. I have been to panera in NY, here, in the mountains, let's just say a ton of Paneras and the Mac and cheese has always been excellent! But not here. I would go back but to a different location. read more

My fiancee and I used to frequent this Panera branch, but we will not be going back after our most recent visit. I ordered the "You Pick Two" with a Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and the corn chowder soup. He ordered their BBQ Chicken Salad (which has recently returned to the menu). It was about a half an hour before closing, so we were one of only about three or four tables in the place. We took our pager outside and awaited our food. And we waited, and waited. We considered going in to check on our food, but decided that we didn't want to bother them or seem impatient. Finally, I went in to discover our food had been sitting out on the shelf for much of that time. I kindly tried to point out to the server that it seems that their pager wasn't working. He motioned to me that I should drop it in the basket among all of the others anyway. Assuming that I hadn't been clear initially, I said "Oh, but this pager clearly isn't working. Shouldn't I set it aside?" Again, he motioned that I should drop it in the basket and that "Sometimes they just don't work". Then he said "I called your order three times," and I repeated that the pager wasn't working and that we were outside. He shrugged, as if to say it was somehow my fault for not checking up on it. He repeated that he called the order three times. I took the food and we ate it. For a moment, I genuinely felt badly that I didn't check up on the food. This guy clearly expected me to. Then I realized it is really not my responsibility to check up on it. After dinner, I asked to see the manager. I explained the situation, thinking that he might take action right away. He also explained that "sometimes the pagers don't work because the batteries are run down." And I said, "but don't you have a PA system for the customers outdoors?" and he too shrugged and said "Sometimes we don't use it." I was pretty amazed. We will definitely not be going back. Also worth mentioning -- none of the chains serve the French baguette as a side anymore. They've replaced it with a "soft dinner roll", which is definitely inferior. read more

I love Panera. I always mix and match and get the half sandwich with soup or a salad. Tonight I mixed it up and had the autumn squash soup with a salad and it was delicious!! It was so perfect. I more than loved it. Panera's food is always good. I have never gotten anything that I didn't like. The restaurant is always clean and the staff is always friendly. Definitely one of my favorite places to eat. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Where I lived before in myrtle beach there wasn't any panera. Even all the Atlanta bread co had closed!! But I dropped off my kitty at pet smart banfield vet this morning and popped over to panera for a little breakfast. Waited in line for jut a moment, but as I was new to this menu, I needed a minute to look anyway, so that was fine with me. Got a simple egg and cheese on asiago cheese bagel. And a coffee. Sandwich pressed and cheese melted deliciously. Coffee fresh and the condiment stand to dress the coffee was properly stocked. Sitting outside to enjoy it in the mild temps before it gets too warm. Lots of business professionals meeting or handling business while grabbing a bite. Beautifully decorated inside. Wifi struggled to connect (might not be strong enough to reach me sitting outside). Little birdie flitting nearby wanted some of my bagel. :) I can't really review much more than that at this point. Will have to return more for some lunch and/or to try other options. Decided I was in the mood for something sweet and a refill in my coffee before I left. Bakery case had so many yummy goodies inside. I chose a triple berry scone and a pumpkin muffin top to take with me to nibble on later. The manager or maybe proprietor of this location grabbed them for me, then told me he'd take care of it. For no reason at all other than to just be nice! Some of the coffees had run low and were being brewed, but a nice man working the counter offered to take some of our cups to fill them up so we wouldn't have to wait. That was both nice and very efficient, as it helped clear up the space of people standing around waiting, too. Saw some pictures of some of the bowls for lunch. Will make it a goal to get here to try one soon! read more

It's a Panera. Nothing you already know if you like it or not. I do. I've been going there for years. Right next to my house. Great location. read more

I typically prefer to go to local coffee shops to study, but when I want to stay closer to home, Panera is totally fine in a pinch. On the most recent day I went, perhaps three girls' soccer leagues came in at the exact same time, so I used the ipads near the front to order - totally fine, except that the machines were SO slow. It took much longer than it could have, and it probably would have been easier for me to order at the front or if I had gone immediately to a table and ordered via their wifi (another option, more convenient). Other than that, my broth bowl was decent and just what I was looking for at the time, the coffee was fresh, and I was able to get several hours of work done, undisturbed. Not my usual place to study, but I'll happily go back when it's not busy and order at my table. read more

This Panera is great! They made 11 grilled cheese for kids and were super helpful. Divided all the bags, reviewed the order to make sure we had everything and included extra butter and silverware. Very thorough! They are great! read more

Placed a delivery order for a very important client meeting. I was extremely disappointed. They forgot my chips, fruit, baguettes and plates/utensils which delayed the start time of my client lunch. The service seemed completely off that day. Very unorganized and I'm not sure I would trust this location for any future client meetings. read more

Ordered $60 worth of food, including a $19 group soup of the chicken and wild rice. They sent the wrong soup. When we called, the person was extremely rude and basically said refund or come and pick it up. What about people that order food for delivery because they are unable to leave the house?!? We ordered through them. (Not a third party page). Panera is already expensive. Not worth it anymore. There was no reason for them to be so snotty and rude. read more

Super friendly and accommodating staff! One of the most welcoming Paneras I've ever been to. My croissant and BBQ Chicken Salad were both delicious. read more

This place just isn't as good as I remember... Went here at an odd time one evening (it was past 8pm) and the place was surprisingly packed and loud. The wife and I ordered a couple of sandwiches and drinks. Staff was competent, but largely disinterested in anything. Sandwiches were OK, but nothing special. And it seemed a little expensive for what you get. I wouldn't go out of my way to go here again, but since there are much better options within the same complex, odds are low I'll be back. read more

I really like Panera. Truly. I've spent enough time at this location and other's that this could easily be a four and a half star review. What bugs me is that they keep selling Horizon Milk when it's not actually organic. I know it's a corporate thing, and bringing it up to the management, I probably shouldn't have expected to make a difference, but still: HORIZON is NOT ORGANIC. Stop selling shit that isn't what it's labeled. Pretty simple. Other than that, I love subbing tomato basil bread onto any of the sandwiches I get, and their Black Bean soup is super tasty. read more

Great food but not very clean. I have been eating at this location for about 4-5 years. I have always enjoyed their salads but lately I haven't received the cleanliness that I have in the past. Recently my salad bowl had a large about of dust and hair on the edge of the bowl. I have had dirty silverware 3-4 times, and I've had to start using plastic dinnerware. I must say I have been disappointed in the decline of their commitment to cleanliness. read more

The food and the atmosphere of this place is literally the definition of "meh". I have come here multiple times where I found picees of little hard plastic wrappers in soup and cheese, and cold middles of food. It's so obvious they take it out of a wrapper and heat it up, then sell it to you for 5x what it's worth. Heck, I'm convinced even I can make a better grilled cheese than panera makes. so not worth your money. read more

Wow, I am truly shocked! Having been to several Panera Bread locations in Virginia and Maryland where I most recently worked, my opinion of their food was clearly 4-5 stars on a consistent basis. I had never been to the Cary location on Walnut St. Today my wife and I had lunch there. She had a good salad while I opted for the Italian 1/2 sandwich and a cup of soup. I have had the same 10-12 times at other Panera locations. The soup, chicken noodle was decidedly weak, watery and had minimal noodles. The sandwich was almost funny. The meat must have been cut with a laser, thin and a total of 6 slices of meat that was almost recognizable. My wife was also taken aback by the lack of portion. We both said it must be addressed. As I made my way back to the counter a server or manager asked if there was a problem. I immediately showed him the lack of meat on the sandwich. He looked , counted the slices and said that is the right portion. I couldn't help but laugh, ( I worked in food service at one time). He then offered this "because the sandwich was heated, the meat had SHRUNK." He offered no replacement or apology..... I left and told my wife we just made our last trip to Panera! read more

Easy to see why there was a line out the door at opening. Easily the friendliest staff I've ever encountered at a panera. Clean, organized, and doesn't smell like burnt bagel like every other location I've been to. Other locations should be taking notes on how this panera is run. I wish I worked in this area more often, I would be a frequent customer here! Keep up the great work! read more

I got the nappa chicken sandwich and I swear I haven't stopped craving it since it is actually unbelievably good like I wish I didn't like it so much lol going to get another one right now read more

Panera delivery and their rapid pickup are ideal for a working person like myself. The tomato basil soup will make you feel all warm on the inside. The salads are really delicious and fresh as well. I've always had a good and timely experience at this location. read more

I had made an error and overcharged myself when I used self kiosk and didn't even realize. When they brought out our food, they let us know and corrected it for us - without even having to ask. Appreciate the respect they have for their customers. Always fast and friendly service. Will be back to this location! read more

Good open locating with lots of available seating. Always seems to be extremely busy and we'll crowded with patrons so not the quietest place I've ever eaten lunch, but certainly one f the moor cheerful locations I have visited. I enjoy all of the soups in bread bowls and it's almost exclusively what I or rider when I go to any panera bread. Has some very generous outdoor seating for both pet friendly and outside eaters as well, an excellent family location for sure! read more

Usually Panera is my go to!! Always alittle overpriced but good food makes up for it but the experience today was not okay. I went at a very unbusy time (2:00) but my two pick twos took well over 25 minutes, even though on the screen it said it was complete? My chicken frontega panini was made completely wrong (big glob of mozzarella, not the right kind) and missing ingredients (the basil and mayo) literally just chicken and a big nasty blob of cheese(looked like a big over easy egg)! My other sandwich was a simple grilled cheese that was not even toasted. Was already 20 minutes gone when I realized it. When you get the same thing every time, you hope for consistency. Probably won't come back to this location! read more

Pros: Food was what I expected from Panera - very tasty, excellent bread. Cons: The layout of tbis store is terrible. The pick-up, bathroom entrance, and drink kiosk are basically on top of one another, extremely frustrating. read more

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad with NO APPLE ! Got a "to go" salad on a Saturday afternoon a few weekends ago and when I got home realized that not only the full size salad didn't even got to the middle part of the container, not as shown on their adds ( they put in ALMOST all the toppings but very little greens- salad ???) but also DID NOT come with the apple chips, which , by the way are on the salad's name ! Very disappointing ! If this was the first time it happened, I wouldn't say anything ( any company might be subject to a bad employee once in a while), but on another occasion I got the same salad with NO CHICKEN ! I will try another Panera store and if it happens again, I'll give up on this chain. Also, the Crossroads store needs a update: furniture all chipped, walls banged, horrible bathroom: sad atmosphere ! Looking forward to the new Panera on 55 ! read more

The staff here are what make this location unique and worth going to over other bread and coffee shops. They renovated this Panera about a year back and has the same quality atmosphere as other locations. They are personable, friendly when they are not rushed by a lunch or dinner crowd. The outdoor seating is great for the summer, but they don't have outdoor heating for the winter, so stay inside. Also they don't have blinds during the summer, making window seats a rather hot spot and not in a good way. I have been here when they will pass out free baguettes, something that is so nice of them to do at random. I have a number of colleagues who come here to work, and it is somewhat conducive to meetings and working breakfasts, brunches and lunches. read more

Panera and I go way back. I believe that I may be one of the few people who has ever "closed down" Panera. Panera does indeed have a last call, by the way, and I have tested it. Way back, I was working on a project too underfunded to get me a local office to work from, and thus I spent many MANY days soaking up the free WiFi and the smell of baked goods (this is back when WiFi wasn't part of mainstream coffee shop culture). No one ever asked me to leave, or even gave me a weird look as I sat there hour after hour working. The lattes are usually pretty good, the pastries are fine and the sandwiches are pretty good too- and you should take me on my word, I've tried them all. I swear I still have a few articles of clothing that even now smell like bread. I will never be able to ingest another Panera item, I have evidently hit some sort of biological threshold, but you all enjoy on my behalf. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Always fresh and healthy selections. One of the better chain sandwhich/coffee shops. Clean and fun layout. The only thing to complain about (and it's not their fault) is the clientele. Much like a Starbucks, there are huge amounts of people there buying one coffe and spreading out on a four topper like the place is their personal office. Making loud calls to clients and generally oblivious to all around them. They have one large meeting table and every time I have come in there it's got a large group of people that are having what appears to be a real estate board meeting with the boss lady getting up and walking to each of the 10 laptops on the table and going over data with employees. She even stood up at one point and clapped her hands to get all their attention and yelled 'listen up'! To which almost everyone in the dining room turned around to see. She just kept speaking to them all and walking around like it's the personal boardroom of her business. Generally getting in the way of all the people trying to find a seat or go get drinks from the soda fountain. ANNOYING! Rent an office or go to a hotel lobby somewhere. read more

My first tip off walking thru the door should have been the 93.5 Sanitation Score placard. Then with about 4 teenagers milling around the register and one cashier with a growing line it was clear this place isn't run very well. To my surprise the dining room tables were actually clean. Most Paneras I have been in it looks like a bread crumb bomb went off. Then one of said extra teens steps to the register and I step up and she somewhat rudely says "You thought I was going to take your order?" Yeah I did, silly me! I thought to myself - no worries those little tablets by the door are slowly replacing you underworked teens who are in need of an attitude adjustment which probably won't come bc parents now think their snowflake is just so special. Well my salad arrived and it looks edible. One success! ;-) read more

No cream cheese and one plain bagel. Maybe check your business model. Staff was pleasant about but didn't offer a comp.

We never have and a bad meal at Panera and especially not this one. Service here is great and fast, always alot of people here. Would defiantly recommend the Grilled Cheese, Broccoli cheddar soup, and Salads (mostly Green Goddess, Asian Chicken Salad... just to name a few). Overall great food, and great place to whenever you want a quick bite or to if you want to do your work here and eat. read more

Never again. I am done giving Panera Bread chances to produce a product worthy of my money. I have been to stores all over the country in different cities I've lived in and they screw up my order or give me disgusting food 9 times out of 10. Last week was no different. I ordered a Greek Salad with chicken as part of a You Pick Two meal. Not only was the salad barely a "side salad" it wasn't even what I ordered. I received a salad with quinoa and no chicken. To top it off, the menu signs in the stores don't have any descriptions of what the food is and the cashiers have no idea what is in each item. They've changed the menu so many times recently I'm not sure how they would ever remember. I think this is the 6th time I've had a less than decent meal at a Panera. It will also be my last. read more

Great location and away from all the commotion. This is a top choice for me as it is always great for business meetings. It has a very open seating arrangement compared to other Panera Breads. The service is nice and very quick. read more

Stopped in tonight at 6pm. Line was almost out the door, but only 2 of the 5 registers were open. After waiting about 8 minutes to order, I fibally reached Michael at the counter. He was very friendly, and had all of the customers laughing and smiling. He turned a not so pleasant experience into a great one. I paid and moved on to the pickup counter where the manager was. The customer in front of me asked if he could swap the roll for chips. No big deal, right? Well the manager immediately snapped back "Who checked you out!? They didn't ask you what you wanted?" The customer was obviously taken aback, and said something like "the young man helped me, he was very nice. Not a big deal..." The manager said "he's KILLING me!! It's not the first time he's done this tonight!" And stormed off, presumably to berate the very nice cashier who was giving exceptional service and making irritated, hungry customers leave with a smile. I found the manager's actions to be extremely unprofessional. Michael, you should be a server, and probably at a place where they appreciate your hard work! Aside from this incident, food was delicious as usual! read more

Generally Panera is very consistent wherever you encounter one, but this one is not up to the standard. Food quality was lower than the average experience. read more

Panera Bread the chain has gone done significantly. I remember when the chain, although was pricey, it used to be a clean, friendly service, and great quality of foods. Now I think it's gotten so big that all these factors have gone down. I always wanted a way to order my food on my phone or online and just go pick it up at PB. And they finally created Rapid Pickup! But it is really flawed, especially at this particular location. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check your food order before you leave here. On Rapid Pickup, if the location doesn't have an item, they won't tell you although you've already been charged for it. And then you have to somehow cut the long line to get a reimbursement or replacement item. It's a hassle. And they don't make your drinks until you've gotten there and again you have to somehow "cut the line" for an order you placed 15 minutes ago. The staff here is unorganized. The cooks slap sandwiches together. This location has really gone downhill although it stays busy. I come here for the soups and salads only now. They're still pretty tasty. My go-to breakfast item is the mediterranean egg white sandwich. But if you make any changes to it, they assemble it really sloppy. My fav soups are the turkey chilli, cream of chicen & wild rice, and baked potato soup but only when its piping hot. I always get the greek salad. The bakery is always running out of something (pumpkin muffies!). read more