This is my go to place to work, study, and enjoy a meal by myself. The staff has been consistently great every time I have visited in the past two years. All the reviews are very old and knock off stars for things the staff cannot control which is unfair. This is the best panera I have been to. I don't go to the Fremont and Union City because I know this Hayward one is by far the best for seating and overall experience. The music is played at a good volume you can work, hear people chatter, and its always good vibes. 5/5 best Panera around. Keep up the good work to who ever is managing this place as each staff member on the team is pleasant and happy at work. They genuinely seem like they are happy to be working here. read more

Panera Bread - You pick two creamy tomato soup and green goddess salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

I go to Panera pretty regularly for meetings and work sessions because it's usually reliable -- good WiFi, plenty of seating, and easy to settle into for a few hours. But this location honestly stood out from the rest. The place was extremely clean, the WiFi was solid, and the staff here went above and beyond. Everyone was friendly and professional, but what really caught my attention was one of the employees actually coming up to check in and ask if I needed anything. I've been to a lot of Paneras over the years and that's never happened before. Didn't catch his name, but shoutout to the young man with the mid-length curly/wavy hair for the great customer service. Small gesture, but it made a difference. Definitely one of the better Panera experiences I've had. read more

Best Panera experience I've had! Their new Cherry Lime Fresca was refreshing and You-Pick-Two deal is always my go to. My group came during peak lunch hour and it was packed, service was quick regardless. Plenty of seating inside and outside. All Panera's have the option to make staff aware of food allergies, but normally they aren't taken seriously (especially other Bay Area locations). This location put in effort to make sure the meals were prepped safely and the same meal I've ordered at other Panera's came out way better quality here. Great location! read more

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Panera is always a good choice for soup, salad and something sweet. The strawberry poppyseed summer salad is delicious. I always need extra dressing tho. read more

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Stopped by here very quickly before the charged lemonade was discontinued. We ordered 1 of each through the app and pick up was smooth and efficient. It was a bit busy since it was around the weekday lunch hour, so the parking can get a bit hectic with people going in and out. Restaurant was clean and despite being busy, the staff was welcoming. Solid Panera by all standards. read more

I had an app reward I wanted to use, so I stopped in here after a visit to the park with the kids. Placed my order before driving, and my food was ready before I got there. The rapid pick up orders at this location are kept behind the counter, so be sure to flag someone down when you get there to claim your order. We got home, and the food portions were alarmingly small. I don't remember them being this small when I used to frequent one of Panera's Market St SF locations, so I was pretty shocked. In any case, Panera's food does lean on the healthier side, so expect healthy (low fat/fat free/low sodium) soups and sandwiches. I would definitely come back here for a lighter lunch, but at $14+ for a you pick two (1/2 sandwich, salad, and soup), I'd consider other options. read more

Panera Bread - You pick 2 - chicken bacon ranch sandwich and Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

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I like Panera bread in general. However, these days I'm noticing serving portions are reduced and that makes me feel not worth the money. We tried : Asian sesame Chicken salad : Taste is good , for me it was too much dressing. May be next time I should request dressing on the side. This is very basic salad (with no fancy grains ) and for the price I wish to have more portion. Tomato Soup: This always works for me. !! Mac and cheese: This is very comforting and cozy. All goodness. Chicken BLT: Warm and filling. This place is big with plenty of seating. We ordered from Kiosk, and can easily track order from screen. There was no table service as such. Overall, Food is good but bit pricey for this self serve type of food chain restaurant. read more

Panera Bread - Bacon Mac & Cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

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I went to Panera this morning and Pamela was so helpful and she answered all of my questions Breakfast was good Thank you Panera :) read more

Unpopular opinion, but Panera is delicious. I know it's overpriced, but something keeps drawing me back. I used to go to the San Jose and Cupertino locations when I lived in the South Bay. Now that I live in San Leandro, Hayward is closest to me. I hadn't been to Panera in over a year until I received an email from them with a $10 off coupon. I always do the "You Pick Two" since I like a little bit of everything. I always order the Asian sesame chicken salad. It's soooo good! Unfortunately, my salad portion at this location was so small. The whole container was not filled. For my second entree, I ordered chicken and wild rice soup. I've ordered this before, and it's usually good, but it was a very thick chowder consistency this time. There are some things to be aware of about this location. All locations I've been to you just pick up the food from the shelf for online orders. At this location, you have to ask someone, and they will get it for you behind the counter. Also they do not provide cups near the fountain drinks for water. read more

Panera Bread - Asian chicken sesame salad and chicken and wild rice soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

earned a star for: 1. friendly staff 2. clean seating area 3. fast service 4. fresh and tasty food 5. price matches portions lost a star for: 1. low stock in bathroom read more

During our visits to various Panera Bread locations, we have noticed some changes throughout the overall process which is a mixed bag to be quite honest. During our most recent visit to the Hayward location near Southland Mall, staff are always kind, welcoming and very helpful. I've noticed the value is a hit or miss, and the wait time for our order at this location was about 15 minutes from the time we placed our order. Those that are in a hurry may find this inconvenient but again, it was during the lunch hour. Quality of the food was spot on though they no longer take certain modifications on a few entrees, possibly to keep costs down and prevent backup within the kitchen. It's always a nice vibe, the place was clean, and the restaurant was packed on arrival. I'd definitely visit again and would recommend this location. read more

Panera Bread - Orange Scone... mmm... - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

I come to this Panera Bread about once a week since I work nearby. They claim to be one of the busiest Paneras in the Bay Area. It does get crowded during lunch or busy mornings, but service is usually quick. Staff are always friendly and helpful. I'm part of the Sip Club. You get free drinks that you can renew every couple of hours, along with regular promotions like $1 off bagels, $2 off breakfast items, or 25 percent off entrees. Great deal! Food here leans healthier. I like the cranberry walnut chicken salad sandwich and the everything bagel. Their broccoli cheddar soup with a baguette is also a favorite. The avocado toast is also tasty. Their bakery is just okay. The bagels are made in-house and are probably the best part. Other recommended bagels are the asiago cheese or cinnamon crunch. The honey walnut cream cheese is a great topping but if I'm feeling cheap one of my go-to hacks is getting a buttered bagel and adding the free honey from the coffee area. Other pastries like the kitchen sink cookie or almond croissant are just average. The pecan bread is fine but nothing special. Overall low to mid tier bakery imo. Their salads and sandwiches are solid. Prices are probably a bit higher than Subway especially when taken into account the portion size, but the food tastes better and feels healthier. They offer a good variety of coffee add-ins like almond milk, 2 percent milk, and half and half. Overall, a solid spot for a quick and healthier meal with friendly staff, lots of parking, and a relaxing outdoor space. read more

Panera Bread - Outdoor seating area - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

Walked in looked around for a Bakery display, looked like a gas station kiosk. Over priced, will not be returning. read more

Panera Bread - Pitiful display, - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

This used to be a reliable place for great sandwiches so I stopped in for their turkey bacon. It was inedible, and served on some sort of dried out orange bread that was ice cold and obviously kept in the refrigerator! Will not be back! read more

Always love coming here great lunch deal reasonably priced. 10$ lunch. Hard to find lunch under 10$ now in these days . And fresh.

Came by today to get a quick take out ...I ordered the Turkey bacon sandwich...I love Panera , but it seems like lately they are putting less meat and just more lettuce to make up the difference and even though you get a little bag of chips along with it, $15 seems overpriced for what you get. The employees though are always very nice here, thus 5 stars for that, but 2 stars for the value and have to think twice about coming back.. read more

They have great food , and that's all cause the service is bad. The tables are all dirty. You have to find someone to clean it . They just leave you alone after bringing your food to you. If you need something from them you have to Actually go look for them all over the place. They do their work half heartily. It's great place if the service dose not get u mad by the time you finish eating. read more

Disappointed that the Panera in Alameda has closed making this location the closest location for me. This location is located in the Southland Mall off W. Winton Ave. Since I was in the area, I decided to redeem my rewards program item, a beverage and I decided to pick up my favorite Kitchen Sink cookie. I arrived around 1pm and the lot surrounding Panera was full and I found a space in the area in front of the building next to it. I ordered through the app and in about five minutes it said my order was ready. I went in the restaurant towards the order pickup area and picked up my order. The restaurant was quite busy inside as many patrons were dining and some were eating at the tables outside as well. The order process and pickup process was smooth and easy. I'll be back in the future if I'm in the area for another cookie and hopefully another rewards perk. read more

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Great service and great tasting food! The employees here are fast and friendly. Our food tasted great and we received it fairly soon. The place was packed but the staff here moves fast. This Panera is big inside and out. There's plenty of parking and seating inside. If you want to grab a quick and yummy bite, come here! read more

I just wanna give a s/o to gabby she was the sweetest i didnt feel my best when i walked it and gave her dry answer and she still treated me with kindness. People like you deserve the world thank you for being kind read more

Hadn't been here in years, was in the neighborhood and decided to give it a shot. I guess my first mistake was it was about 40 minutes before closing. Ordered online and got the Philly cheese steak, they claimed to be out of ciabatta bread so I settled for French roll. Order was ready within 15 minutes, walked in picked it up, restaurant did look a little dirty all be it end of day. Took off and got home to find nothing but disappointment in my sandwich. After paying $18 I would expect just a little more. I'm not a complainer but I could not let this one go, called the restaurant spoke to the manager and was immediately refunded, which was the only good thing that came out of the restaurant. I must say I will NOT be going back, unacceptable that you charge these kind of prices for measured out meat and bread. read more

Panera Bread - Philly cheesesteak - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

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Food 3/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 3/5 Customer Service is priority number one and Estrella who took our order was exceptional. She was patient, knew the menu and answered all questions I had. It's been a looonnnng time since I've eaten at Panera Bread. While eating she came to our table to let us know they were giving away one free cookie to guests which I found very thoughtful. I chose some lemon type cookie to give my son. I ordered half/half chicken Fiji apple salad & tomato soup with a side of chips. I ate 90% of the soup, a few bites of salad and no chips. Took the rest to go. The person I was with ordered half/half also. Deli turkey sandwich & the famous Mac n cheese, side of bread. He finished all his food. We both enjoyed our meals. Nothing super special but good. read more

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My rating for Panera just JUMPED to FIVE STARS! They have an Angel Tree for giving special gifts to those in need. Read the flyer, choose your recipient & bring the item back to Panera. They will wrap & deliver the gifts! Be a blessing, if you can afford Panera try paying a little blessing forward the Season! Kudos Panera! read more

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Stopped by here for lunch on Sunday. This Panera is located in the plaza next to Southland Mall. There is plenty of parking in the area. There's plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating, with the outdoor seats having the option of being under a roof or not. When you go in, you can either order with the cashier or use their tablets. We opted to use the tablets as it gave us time to peruse the menu. Husband and I ended up ordering the Take Two. I ordered French Onion Soup and BBQ Chicken Salad while my husband got the Broccoli Mac & Cheese and half a sandwich. Once you order, you are able to seat yourself and wait for your order to be ready and called at the pick-up area. The food was good; what I would expect from Panera and other similar restaurant. The ingredients were fresh as well. My only gripe is that it wasn't busy at all when we went, but the dining area was a mess. We ended up having to clean a table for ourselves to sit at. I saw an employee "trying" to clean but would take one plate at a time and never completely cleaned an area before moving on to the next. read more

Panera Bread - Take Two: Onion Soup and BBQ Chicken Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

Staff are nice. Food is good. Standard and consistent quality. Plenty of parking. Nice spot for a quick bite. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

Just had an excellent customer service experience at Panera Hayward. I had a large order-16 sandwiches-and at the last minute one of my crew told me he was allergic to mayo. I asked Angel, the employee at the counter. "of course, just give me a minute" and he had it made in literally a minute...and didn't charge me! He made it gratis with such a nice attitude...even though the store was really busy! Thank you Angel! T read more

The food is the same at all Paneras. But the staff at this location are some of the nicest, most professional and conscientious people you will meet. High fives to everyone who works the weekly lunch shift. You guys rock. My only complaint is that this location surprisingly sometimes runs out of basics well before it closes, including certain types of breads, greens, and add-ons such as onions. Weird for a big restaurant chain that should have better inventory controls. read more

Panera in Hayward has a pretty extensive menu that I feel can be confusing. It's a stand in line and order, and either go up and get your food when it's ready OR they may deliver it to your table. I've gone for lunch many times and find the food to be okay. They have a warm Mediterranean type salad that is tasty. The restaurant is usually fairly clean and there can be folks working on their computers in an area. The Women's Restroom has needed cleaning often times when I'm there. read more

Went in this morning got 2 breakfast Sandwiches. The sandwiches look like they were made by a kid. My sandwich fell apart super messy, my husband's sandwich had no condiments at all no flavor. Very disappointing the customer service matched the food won't be coming back here. read more

Love this place friendly and fresh food. Been here so many times food and service always the same amazing. It's so refreshing walking through the door and immediately being greeted every time keep up the good work. read more

Worst prep crew ever!!! I came in after coming from the DMV and seriously spent more time waiting at Panera than I did at the DMV. Their prep crew already had a bunch of orders when I arrived but spent about 15 minutes bullshitting with each other until the baker came out from the back, then they all scurried around as if they were swamped. I watched one girl in particular pace back and forth like she was on the verge of a melt down but wasn't actually doing anything productive. After waiting an entire 30 minutes, my food was finally ready but they didn't call my name even though I had been standing right there. I had to grab someone's attention that my food was bagged and ready even though I ordered from the lobby and they should had called my name. The only good service I received was from the cashier who offered my kids pastries for the inconvenience. Never going back again! read more

11/04/24: Came here on a Monday afternoon (around 1:30 or so) with a friend. Pretty busy for after the regular lunch rush, so of course, quite a bit of a wait for our food. I ordered the 1/2 Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and 1/2 Tomato Basil BLT. The salad tasted ok, but they use dried apple slices, not fresh apples. The sandwich was mostly bread and lettuce, a decent amount of very thin bacon, but only two small tomato slices and no sign of basil anywhere. My friend had a 1/2 sandwich (I don't recall which one), but it, too, was mostly bread. The highlight was the Autumn Squash Soup. Delicious. I live very close to this location, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a meal out. read more

FOOD TO-GO REVIEW ONLY: i always ordered through app and u can do curbside pick up. so wen u get there u check in and they walk out with ur order. Super convenient!! I get my usual: Pick Two: Fuji Apple Salad and but decided to try soup(Broccoli cheddar mac) this time. i took some chicken from my salad and added it to the mac! it was good!! o yea my soup was not filled all the way to the top! yes im watching out for all these things!! lol My hubby got pick two: Sausage and pepperoni pizza and broccoli cheddar soup. He said the pizza was good Only complaint: They only give u a small cup of dressing its not even super big!!! I need two!!! My salad is soo dry without the dressing. Change the condiments size for the dressing. The pizza is large!!! They were so nice a gal name "Kaia" i believe came out and they gave me two cookies for free for the wait. read more

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My BF Chris and I don't come here because I ordered some bagels and shit was like dead old and tasted like bad church. I got money back from Uber eats after a complaint with pictures and their like I'm really sorry you had bad experience but I'm like that's not the expectation why have this place on your app! So Chris and I threw away the everything bagels and got some Noah's which were like tradition is always still better than nostalgia goof! Hah! read more

Just got home and my order is incomplete. I was in a rush and didn't check because I was told my order was ready. This is the second time I have an issue with this store, the first time they didn't get my order correct. Customer Service did not care or bother to listen to my complain read more

This place is amazing to eat breakfast I loved it! Nice bread well cooked bagel and many more ! Loved this place coming back to eat soon read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

Price: 1 star (they could be making so much money if they made the prices more reasonable) Flavor: 5 stars Service: 4 stars (the App said pick up at Rapid pick-up, which is not clear, the shelf has been turned into a trophy shelf, and I had to pick up from the girl at the counter where all meals are picked up) Quality: 5 stars (of course it's good) Location: 3 stars (if you don't live in Hayward or Pinole, it is super inconveniently located). I wish I could give it 5 stars, the people working there and the delicious food would be worth 5 stars, but the company is dragging it down. I want to start by saying that I haven't been to a Panera in a long time. This is mainly because of the super high prices and how out of the way it is. I wish there were more locations and cheaper prices (even a pick 3 or pick 4, because I love a variety). I ordered a bunch. It is in prep for the next three days or so because I do not like having to figure out what to eat for lunch and dinner. (I plan out every dinner so as not to repeat myself unless there are leftovers, and I try to make meals for 2 nights.) I ordered the new Croque Monsieur, and while it was super tasty, I cannot in good conscience recommend it at $10 or $11. It was flat like a grilled cheese on toasted, amazing croissant bread; it was both salty and garlicky (garlic aioli), and if it was around $5, I would definitely recommend it. The flavor was so on point, but the price, ehh. I expected it to be bigger. Of course, I got the Mac n Cheese, it is a staple and my go-to all-time favorite! It does not disappoint. Once again, the price just kills me, which is probably why this is not an everyday instant thought. I got the pick 2 new Strawberry Chicken Caprese salad and the Asian Chicken Salad (my fav), I am looking forward to trying it. I hope it is just as good as the Asian Chicken salad. read more

This is a solid Panera. It's been about three years since I've visited one (my local Panera has been shuttered... RIP), and not much has changed besides the way the food is distributed. I arrived at around 10 am and was excited to try their spicy chicken sandwich. Fortunately, they let me know they could make lunch items in the morning besides the soup. My food was prepared within about 10 minutes. Instead of bringing the food to your table, they call out the order for you to come grab it. I've heard people say Panera's chicken sandwich is a contender in the Chicken Sandwich Wars, but I think it's in its own category. It's like a healthy take on spicy chicken because you don't feel gross after eating it. However, it's also not breaded and deep-fried, so it's not the most satisfying chicken sandwich, but it'll do. The chicken was thick and tender at least. I ended up staying at Panera for a few hours, so I ordered a proper lunch later on through the app. I love how you can easily customize orders on the app... my "Greek" salad ended up being an amalgamation of that plus the green goddess salad (sans protein). In addition, I got a bowl of chicken noodle soup, but the portion doesn't look too diff from a cup (just the serving vessel is diff). This meal met my expectations of what I've come to know and like at Panera. Also, I'm a big fan of the lemonades and how it's basically unlimited refills. Glad I swung by Panera on that particular Saturday morning! read more

Panera Bread - Greek salad and bowl of chicken noodle soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

So, this is the second time ever I've been to Panera. The first time was about 8 years ago and I didn't really like it. Well I ordered online because I had some gift cards and was hungry for sandwiches. When I got there, it was ready. Score! I just peeked in the bag and it looked like everything was in there so I left since I didn't want to food to get cold (I had people to feed). When I got home, one item was missing! What do I do? We all started digging in and I surely didn't want to drive back. They were really busy on this Saturday afternoon. I called customer service and they offered a gift card for the troubles, but I've yet to receive it through email. Anyway, to the food. We ordered: -Pepperoni flatbread pizza - meh 2/5 not great -Spicy chicken sandwich -3/5 not bad but could be much better. -steak and cheese sandwich - 4/5 The best one. I recommend it to all my steak lovers. -Mac and cheese - ? I don't know because they forgot it We also got chips on the side, which were ok. read more

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When I walked in I was nicely greeted by a young man named Kevin. He was super helpful and gave me a glimpse of the menu when I asked him and helped me pick out the right meal. He was even nice enough to direct me to where I can pick up my order. You can tell he is very professional and loves what he is doing. Always positive never negative. read more