Brutal service. Run extremely poorly The last two times I have come here it has taken 20-30 minutes for a 1-2 person order. Lot of workers/people standing around Try another location or different restaurant. read more

Staff is so amazing and attentive. This is the only Panera location in my area that I love going to.

Christine is amazing!! I wish I could give more stars than 5. If I could I would give a million. That's how much I absolutely love my service from your manager Christine. Outstanding. I will continue doing my large orders here because of her. Thank you Christine for your outstanding service and recommendations on my order today. I appreciate your time and we enjoyed everything. read more

Please change closing time to 8:30pm. We walked in at 8:40pm on Saturday Night. We were told we could only order carry out because they close at 9:00pm. I wanted to sit and eat, so we had to take our business elsewhere. Very disappointing that a manager is turning business away to make sure the employees get out as soon as they can. read more

I would agree with other reviewers that parking in this sub-urban development is bad. But beware when you see empty parking spaces at this Panera -- I feel it is not safe to eat here. Locals may know to steer clear. My experience was as follows -- take it under advisement. I stopped by here on a recent morning because the lot was entirely full at the nearby Burnt Toast Restaurant -- not a single space left. I felt as if I had won the lottery when I walked into this Panera and it was not busy. No waiting! Now I know that I should have been on my guard from the start. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and a mocha latte with extra espresso. I paid for it and sat down at a window seat to wait patiently. Fifteen minutes later, the staff tells me they don't have breakfast sandwiches (because it was after 11 a.m.) and that I could order another sandwich at no cost. A sever takes my order and manager Aimee refunded my sandwich purchase. I sat back down by the window with my drink and wait patiently. Twenty minutes later, my name hasn't been called, so I go up and ask about my sandwich. It turns out that no one has made it yet. It wasn't important enough for them to MAKE the sandwich they needed to make in order to make up for the one they sold me that was not available. (Stay tuned: This is not the worst part by a long shot.) Manager Aimee tells me "well, at least you didn't pay for it." I replied to Aimee: "I would pay any amount of money to get a sandwich and to get out of here." I had appointments to keep and this quick stop for food and a coffee drink was taking entirely too long. About 15 minutes later, a "cook" handed me a steak sandwich that was warm on the outside bun but was cold, red and bleeding on the inside. I am not exaggerating. There was blood on the bun and on the plate. It was not rare. It was raw. The steak was cold to the touch and unsafe to eat at any cost. This is my second bad experience at a Panera. The other was in Michigan. If other Panera locations provide the level of service I have experienced here, then I have no idea how Panera stays in business AND how they keep from making customers sick. This location needs to be closed and the staff should be retrained. It is that bad. I view this Panera location as a ServSafe learning opportunity -- not a place to which the public should be invited to eat. http://www.servsafe.com/ read more

What in the heck happened to you? Today your coffee is so diluted! Tastes like water. Are you watering it down now because of your new $8.99 a month unlimited coffee deal? We did not buy that deal-. Just wanted a nice cup of joe. Fail! Won't be back. Probably will have to go next door to Starbucks from now on. read more

Standard Panera fare. Busy location.

Panera is typically my go-to lunch spot in Elgin, mainly because I'm not from Elgin and don't really know what other good places are around. The one time I decided to go exploring through the town, I got lost and it took me about 20 minutes to find my way back to work. Needless to stay, I stick on the main roads now. Anyway, this Panera location is ALWAYS busy during lunch. If you come between 12 and 1, you'll be circling the parking lot for a while until you find a space. There's parking by Sushi Station, but I don't want to risk parking there if I'm not going to eat there. Also, if you do end up finding a parking spot, finding a table becomes another problem. They have tables outside, but that's not really an option during the winter. The busy-ness is my only complaint, and that's not really Panera's fault, though the lack of parking may be. As for the food, it's always good. It's like getting a homemade lunch, which it kind of is because everything is made right there. Their soups are good. Check out their website to see what day they're serving which soup. I always miss out on chicken and wild rice day which sucks because that's my fave. I'm a big fan of their tomato and mozzarella panini as well as the mac and cheese. The latter is a bit on the fattening side, but sometimes I just don't care. Their salads are huge! It's probably too much to eat for one sitting, so I recommend getting the smaller portion, or doing the You Pick 2 option where you get a half portion of either soup or salad and a sandwich. Price goes up if you're picking a signature item. For always being super busy when I go, the service is great. The cashiers are attentive. Even if they have a line and you order a lemonade or green tea, they make sure they get it for you right away. Focus is always on the customer in front of them. Even when I'm sitting down eating, they'll sometimes come by and make sure I'm doing okay or take your plate when your done. I just have to come at 1 to save my sanity. read more

Probably the worst tuna sandwich I have ever had. It's a slow line to get through and not worth the trouble. This place gets the two stars because the manager was nice. Skip this place, there are far better sandwich places than this with better pricing. read more

Panera Bread - Messed up looking PB&J for a one year old. Should be fun... - Sandwiches Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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How I long for the Panera Bread of 18 years ago. Back then the food was fresh and flavorful. Today it was bland and wilted. I'm sad to say, I think I've visited them for the last time. read more

Place is super clean! I got my food right away, well since its just a sandwich so it didnt take long. The price is spot on with the quality of food! read more

Panera Bread - Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt - Sandwiches Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

It's been over a decade since I've last had Panera. I stopped by this location for lunch yesterday. As expected it was super crowded as everyone was on their lunch break, but I was able to place my order within minutes. The sandwich I ordered was alright, I believe it was the turkey bravo from recollection. I should have ordered something else with more flavor but overall it was pleasant and the serving was light. Nothing about the food or the atmosphere stood out for me so I am giving a three star rating. read more

Sllloooowwwwww. There were literally 3 employees standing and talking instead of making 3 orders including mine. I'm even able to type this review up as they continue chatting. One girl dropped a roll of bread and looked around to see if anyone was looking.... read more

It's remarkable how this location has been in business for so long and still cannot get it right. The service is too slow. I've been to this location probably dozens of times for my family and coworkers and have waited 20 minutes at times just for a sandwich for myself. Orders are almost always wrong and for the life of me I don't know why people keep flocking to this establishment. Probably the worst Panera in the area. I could go on and on about how this location is garbage but I'll save you some time - DON'T GO HERE! I feel like a Corner Bakery nearby would run this place out of business or at least force them to fix their mistakes. I remember going to Panera when I was younger and wish it was still as good. They used to have the best chicken noodle soup and then replaced it with another recipe that leaves a funny taste in your mouth. It's essentially overpriced fast food now! read more

It never fails....we've given this place 3,4, even 5 times to make it right! But they ALWAYS get our order WRONG! We normally order to-go and once we get home we notice we're ALWAYS missing a soup, a sandwich or even a salad!! The location is convenient but the service is very poor! We have gone home with our order and when we're missing something, we speak to the Manager Mike but have never gotten compensated for anything!! What a waste of time and money!!!! He expects us to drive back and pickup our missing item! I wish we've learned our lesson after the first couple times but we're too forgiving and expect them to change. We are done with this place!!! I will definitely pass this on to my friends & family read more

Broccoli BUG cheddar soup?! Generally, Panera is ok food. Not great, but ok. HOWEVER, when I was halfway through eating my soup from my $100 to go order that I picked up for my family, in my broccoli cheddar soup I found a black beetle type bug dead and floating. First time I've ever found a bug in my food and I've eaten and some questionable places in my 40 years on this earth. Needless to say I wanted to vomit. How many bugs had I eaten before I noticed this one?! Absolutely disgusting! For the money I paid, I expect to be able to eat my food! Incompetent employees... keep the lid on the soup! I'm really irritated right now. read more

Obviosly nothing has changed since my last review, I wish there was another Panera on my way to work and I wont have to put up with this one. Everytime I see a new manager I would be so hopeful but 2 months later that new manager has done nothing but repeat what the old manager was doing. It takes 20 minute to grab a coffee, because the coffee station is always missing something. After I get their attention for the empty coffee container I will have to bring them an empty creamer pot and wait for that too. The worse happened 3/17/22 at 10:30 am were I did a rapid up order from my app that clearly stated "Pls do not put the extra sauce on the side" becAuse someone did last time and my sandwich just fell apart while puttin the sauce driving. After ordering this sandwhich for years someone decided to put the extra sauce on the side, so I couldnt take it anymore I went back in there pointed out the instructions I left which also shows on their receipt to not put sauce on the side but here it is. I handed then back the sandwhich and told them to fix it. I think it was a manager that said "oh no we cant take that back, were gonna make you a new sandwhich. Im like ok. Im already late 20 minutes at this point. they build the sandwhich and for the most epic insult of all the lady that handed me the new sandwhich takes back the old sandwhich! As if I was there to get an extra sandwhich!! I was the one that said they can fix my current sandwhich how dare she try to imply that my complain is in order to score an extra sandwhich! This insult is what encouraged me to leave this review. These people cannnot even follow their own rules! They say no we cant take your sandwhich then 3 minutes later someone breaks policy wow, this is the reason why this franchise cannot match up with the others. I realize now the managers are not the problem, but many of the people that works here! Theres like 2 good employees here. 1 young asian girl in the morning and another young lady at night. I swear if I didnt like panera so much and there was another place closer I would never be in there. I ended up at another branch yesterday and it was beautiful. Pls somebody fix this place. Its the nearest one to me. I will be copying this message to corporate. read more

First time here this AM and I like it. Delicious bacon and egg sandwich and very good service. The manager was very professional and attentive to everything. Busy place, but I'll be back. read more

This panera is very clean and the staff is friendly. They are fast with the order too. Love the soups! The bread bowl is good.

I have been coming to this Panera since 2011. I was wiling to try again because they have a rapid pick up option now. Lesson for all: always always always check your order here. They have messed up 3 times. They are always willing to ask you to come back so they can give you the food but that's not the point. The most important thing is to do it right the first time. Well, I have them a few tries, today the 3rd time is the charm. Even though it's close to my home and job it's not worth the frustration. read more

I love their baked goods (bear claws are delicious) and their drive-through is really quick. I can't comment on the inside of the location as I only do drive trough. read more

When it comes to inconsistency this Panera bread location takes top honors. During lunch service, the meals are decent. Anytime after 6 PM hour it's a tossup of decent and I'm going to rush to make your order because I really don't want to be here. read more

Panera is one of my favorite places to drop in for a breakfast sandwich and a couple of mugs of coffee. This one is conveniently located right off the tollway. It had ample parking, was clean, and the staff was friendly. My breakfast sandwhich was cooked promptly and was delicious. Had to remove one star however, because this location, just like others struggles to keep the coffee pots filled. Three of the four varieties were empty and I had to go to the counter to alert them. read more

Management greeted me right away which was nice. But the broccoli cheddar soup I got was very watery. Unfortunate that it wasn't made properly. The location Is nice and clean though. read more

i ordered a bagel w/cream cheese. the center of the bagel wasn't cooked all the way, it had that gross soft mushy dough taste. the cream cheese looked like it was almost expired. i had to stir it a LOT to make it look like cream cheese. i love panera but i won't be going to this location again. thank goodness there's tons of other locations. read more

Don't come here at lunch hour. Never a place to sit and so busy. Catering is fast since we use them for work a lot. They have a rewards program but I'm not sure if its still applicable. read more

Service was friendly and professional, even on a busy night. The only criticism I have is they took off my favorite sandwich, the turkey artichoke panini. Why remove something that is perfect. Bring it back panera read more

Pretty disappointing. We had to take the clam chowder back because it was like warm at best, my "grilled" cheese might as well have been called a "microwaved cheese" sandwich and the prices just seem high for what you get. Decor and tables seemed shabby and service was so so. Not sure if it's just this location or the whole chain, but doesn't make me want to return. read more

We came here to pick up lunch and we have no complaints. The service was friendly at the register and relatively fast to prepare. I had the baked potato soup in a bread bowl, which was delicious even with our order being take out. My boyfriend had the steak and cheddar which was also good. The steak was good quality and the flavors were good. read more

This location is soooo slooow! I literally waited for over 15 minutes for a bowl of soup. I don't think they know what they're doing there. They have a bunch of workers and one guy looks like he's doing all of the work. They need some job training on working quickly and efficiently. I've been to a lot of different Panera locations, and this one is by far the slowest. They need to pick up their pace. read more

They no longer make iced coffee, solid move.... So I order a smoothie and of course they can't make that either but did charge me for it before saying they couldn't, Oh and 10:45am is too late for breakfast. I walked out... Keep the money. Starbucks is next door and has electric outlets and doesn't turn away customers. Dumb dumb dumb read more

This place is so bad they didn't even have soup spoons. When I asked, I was told they had been very busy earlier. This is unacceptable. They didn't even care about it which made things worse. Never going back to that dump. Hire adults instead of children. read more

I've never been to a Panera before today. I was excited to try it since I have heard so many good things. I ordered a half steak and arugula sandwich, which was so small. Also, they should tell you that the steak is cooked rare and served cold. As far as the arugula, there was one lead on my sandwich. The corn chowder would have been good, had it been served warm. Mine was cold and the potatoes were crunchy. Sorry, Panera. I won't be back. read more

My biggest complaint is running out of particular bagels in the morning before 9:00...you are known for bagels...how can you run out that early in the morning? Other than that the food is great. read more

The GM Lisa was very helpful on the phone. She was so nice and made sure to repeat my order back to me. Everyone there is super wonderful! Love this location. It is always busy for a good reason - great food and even better service! Peace! read more

Bought tomato soup from this location. Started eating it and found the plastic from the utensils in the soup. Disgusting to say the least. read more

Panera Bread - Utensil plastic in the soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Great customer service. Love the food. Parking sucks. The pick two is my favorite. It is awesome that you can spend time with friends, do work or just eat in peace. The delivery to our office is great too. read more

Wait times for food are longer than any other panera I have ever been to. They also had the nerve to call my name to tell me only half of my two pick twos were ready. read more

I ordered a 1/2 salad for rapid pick up which turned out to be only half full so it was really more of a 1/4 salad. The "tomatoes" that were served on my salad were small skin pieces and ends. I would think these pieces would normally be discarded but somehow they passed as edible by the person preparing my salad. After three weeks of emails back and forth with Customer Care, I still haven't heard anything from the management at this location. I give up! read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I am a big fan of Panera. This is a pretty average Panera -it's not too big and everything is how you would expect. The food is delicious, and the vibe is always good. I like to sit out on their patio. Their bread bowls are awesome. So, if you like Panera, this one is good for you. read more