I try to stay away from reviewing chains, but this place is oh so gooooood! Just stick to the baked goods though, everything else is a hit and a miss. what not to order: -salads -fruit cups (taste watery, like McDonald's apples.) What to order: ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THE EFFIN' OVEN. read more

I've only been here twice and twice was two times too many. I've been to Panera before in Millbrae and I never really had a bad experience there. How silly of me to think that a chain restaurant would be consistent across the bay. I had to go to training in Hayward and needed a quick breakfast, so I figured I'd stop and grab a bagel or something. I grabbed a bagel with cream cheese and a cherry pastry and left around $8... FOR A FREAKIN BAGEL AND PASTRY! WTF? I came back the next day, figured I'd give them a second chance. Mistake! Second day, before 9am they had RUN OUT of bagels. Seriously?? I mean, really? How do you run out of bagels before 9am on a Wednesday? I settled for a breakfast sammie (egg, cheese and sausage) and a fruit and yogurt thingy. Again, left around $9. I took a look at my take and I wanted to throw it back and get my money back. The breakfast sammie was hardly bigger than a business card. Again, WTF? I will never go back to this place. Even if someone else was buying. In fact, I'd tell them to buy Panda Express instead to get consistent chain food that won't break the bank. read more

Panera Bread - This is what nearly $9 bought. A small parfait and a sausage egg and cheese Sammie not much bigger than a business card - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

As much as I love Panera, I have been constantly disappointed whenever I order the Tuna Sandwiches. I have been to this location and the Fremont Location many times and it seems they ALWAYS end up throwing in some plain chicken inside the tuna sandwiches whenever they "run low" on tuna and they don't even tell you... maybe they don't think we will realize that chicken has a different texture and tastes different than tuna. It sucks when you pay $10 for a sandwich, get home and see that your "tuna" sandwich has a bunch of chicken. If I wanted a chicken sandwich, I would have ordered one. I guess Ill stick to Subway tuna. read more

I absolutely love the broccoli cheddar soup. I also really like the turkey avocado bacon sandwich. I like how you order at the counter then you go sit down and they bring your food to you. My favorite part is the rapid pick up I can order it on my app on my phone and then pick it up in 10 minutes there's a bag there with my name on it in the cubbyhole I grab it and go. read more

Panera Bread - Broccoli cheddar soup delicious - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

Not the worst, but not the best version of Panera Bread. Cookies and the breakfast are the best part. Lunch time gets crowded with local college students. read more

The cashier really wouldn't let me leave a tip! Kudos to her loyalty to the company but BOO to the company that won't let their hardworking employees receive a reward every now & then. I never realized how busy this location was til I came during lunch time! Got our food fast, line wasn't too long. Can't really complain. Food was as a chain is. read more

Sooo good. I'm a big fan of bread (despite my doctors telling me to lay off the carbs). I've wanted to go into this place for some time, but never had anyone else who wanted to go in until yesterday. It was SO GOOD. We stopped to have lunch and it was heavenly. I had their broccoli cheddar soup, which was excellent. You could taste the freshness of the broccoli in it... wonderful. And a half grilled cheese, which was also incredibly yummy. The staff was all super nice, down to the guy who was vacuuming the floor while we were eating; chatty and jovial. My companions were both really pleased with the sandwiches they chose, and we stopped to get some dessert on the way out. Their pumpkin muffie (it's basically a muffin top) was SO good, and I took some bagels home. So far I had the French Toast bagel for breakfast this morning and it was GREAT. Just the right level of cinnamon and little pockets of like maple syrrupy goodness. MMM mm! The prices were totally awesome too. The combo we got, which included the soup and half a sandwich, was less that $5, and the soda didn't add more than $1.70 to the total. I will definitely be back, whether to have a pleasant lunch, chill for awhile (they offer free WiFi), or just to pick up some bagels! read more

SOUFFLES. I've been to panera bread a handful of times, but I just experienced the souffles this morning. Man oh man, perfect start to the day. I've associated souffles to quiches and the only quiche I've had are the frozen hors'dourves kind from Costco. The crust was doughy and the filling was gross. But not their souffles. It's perfection; the flaky crust encompasses the fluffy eggs, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's about the size of a big coaster. They make a limited amount in the morning so get there early; I went around 7am and there were 6 left so you know it's good. read more

Breakfast sandwich + OJ right before my CA optometry law exam? Yum! The ciabatta was really nicely toasted, and you can't really go wrong with egg+cheese+sausage. OJ tasted great and fresh-squeezed, and service was fast. Makes me wish I had a Panera Bread closer to where I live :[ read more

All the things wrong with this location: 1. I ordered food online and I went to go pick it up and had to wait 50 min. I asked for a discount on my order because I had to wait for so long and they said no and were extremely rude to me. 2. I got back to my work with the lunch orders and realized half of them were wrong or missing. 3. We tried to call and correct the issue and they refused a discount, refund on the items that were missing or help us in any way. 4. This location does not answer their phone at all!!!!! 5. The day I went in there was a lady asking if they could wipe the tables themselves because all the tables were dirty, and the worker said "we don't have rags here to wipe tables, you will have to use a napkin." Stay away from this location!!!!!! read more

Always great food and salads and with the best chicken soup and bread, we really like this place is always been good and the service is also Good. read more

Chips, apple, or bread? Add a cookie for $.99? For here or to-go? ...I love all the offers that Panera presents! Free wi-fi during off-peak hours, a nice patio dining area, a fireplace to keep warm, and a quiet corner to do work without distractions...what's not to love?! I L O V E the staff at this Panera! Christine, Rochelle, and Candice are the COOLEST managers EVER! Eddy gives the fastest service, Sonny always has a huge smile on his face, Delandro and Gigi make the cutest couple, and Patrick has the sexiest "8-hour smile". You could tell that they are one big happy family here! Panera is a healthy alternative to fast-food when you're on the go. Chow down on soups and salads without all the guilt. My personal favorite is the "you-pick-2" chicken ceasar salad with creamy tomato soup. And if i have room for dessert, a cheese pastry warmed in the microwave hits the spot! Great service, healthy food, clean restaurant...two thumbs up!!! read more

Disappointed on my first visit, they were out of breadbowls and i special ordered 2 sandwiches, 1 sandwich was missing cheese and mayo. The other sandwich was not made the way we asked and to top it off they used 2 ditfferent types of bread and did not mark the special sandwich so we're pretty much opening them both up to figure out what was what. What a waste of $35. read more

I've always had good luck at this Panera. Solid sandwiches, quick service, good soup. I like that you can get an apple or some yummy bread instead of chips (the chips are tiny, anyway). My favorite soup is the cream of chicken with wild rice. Prices slightly high, but I'm willing to pay the premium for decent food (and you aren't paying a big tip like you would at a sit-down place, so that evens it out anyway). They were nice enough to make an egg sandwich for me when technically it was past the time for them to serve them. It was okay, but I'd stick to the sandwiches, breads, and pastries. But thumbs up for customer service. read more

There always burning the dam bread ive gone here many times and all those many times never FAILS to have at least one burnt piece of bread its good they have the fast self service because these lines are beyond ridiculous. read more

This place is ok. Is it bad that I am taking 2 stars off because the name is idiotic? Panera Bread. So a Panera, is like, a Bakery. Bakery Bread. Stupid. If it's a bakery, we should be able to assume there will be bread. I wish they had more veggie sandwiches or would just let me create my own. Also you may pick an apple, some bread, or chips. With this I never win because I always want the chips. I usually get the apple and it doesn't hit the spot like chips would. If, I did, however choose chips, I'd be too full and mad about it later. I never even consider getting more bread, in addition to the pieces holding my sandwich together. You just can't win. The staff is always really friendly, the wireless is trusty, my best friend studies here a lot now. It also has good coffee and cookies. So there you go, have a so-so sandwich, wrestle over the apple/chips things, hog the good booth, and treat yourself to a cookie towards the end so you leave on a happy note. Maybe the key to my happiness lies in the unexplored soups? read more

Okay it's a chain "foo-foo" place but they get 5 stars for their black bean soup. It is perfect if you love beans. I was hooked on the chicken tortilla soup until i decided to try black bean coup and now I am at Panera every Tuesday, Thursday for sure and Saturday and Sunday if I am in Hayward. Update: Minus 2 star for not having the black bean soup hot and then asking me if I would like him to microwave it? wha...wha..wha..what? I wanted to kick him in his shin and then say "...roadhouse" ugh! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by much bigger the Panera is from the inside compared to how it looks from outside. There is a wide variety of different things that you can order here. Ranging from coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, soup and so on. I ordered the pick 2 and choose the tuna salad on honey wheat and clam chowder, and chose an apple as my side. The tuna salad was pretty good, but the size of it was on the small side. The clam chowder was pretty good though, and it wasn't too salty or creamy. I came with my family, and judging off the size of their proportions, their half sandwiches were a little bigger. It might just be that the half tuna salad sandwich is smaller than the others. My mom ordered the apple salad which was also delicious. The apples sprinkled over the top really set off the salad well. She also ordered a cup of coffee, which you refill as many times as you want. All of the food that we ordered came relatively quick. They messed up on one of our orders, but happily fixed it and all was fine. read more

This is a review for the great service from their manager John. As promised to the other customer who withness the incident, I put my review here on Yelp to praise his greatness. I ordered a scone and a cup of Caramel latte as breakfast on my way to work. Upon walking out the door, the door slightly tipped my right albow and the cup of latte felt to the ground and onto my feet. The top of my feet was exposed to the coffee as I was wearing ballet flats. My first reaction was that I couldn't believe my coffee is gone, not that my feet are wet or hurt. A nice customer (also on her way out the door) suggested that I can get help from the manager, which I first was skeptical they would give me another coffee. But once John noticed the accident, he promised he will get me free refill right away. And the next think he asked is if I'm ok. I truly appreciate the fact that there are still nice people around who care for others. Thanks John for being a great manager at Panera bread! And thanks to the lady who asked for my well being while I was focusing on my lost coffee. read more

Food is yummy been coming for years! But this locations is never clean in the sitting area. So grab bagels to go! I have seen Mcdonalds cleaner than this place and I don't even eat there. read more

Panera Bread - sweet & tart lemonade - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

They mess up my order twice, And rather than being sorry they only show attitude. Manager Carlos is a total jerk. Worst customer service. If there was an option for zero star. read more

I love Panera bread. I get the seasonal greens salad and add chicken and pair it with Ken's honey mustard dressing, so good!! I also get their tomato soup and it's to die for!!! I would highly recommend trying Panera if you haven't before!! The staff is nice and they get the job done well and fast. read more

I always cater from here. They have boxed lunch sets and you can even do half sandwich half salad if you want to try to cut down on the carbs. Service/staff is always friendly and speedy and delivery is always on time. The food here is also always fresh and looks good. I've tried several things here already. My favorite would be the Chipotle Chicken Panini. This is probably the best sandwich. Italian Combo and Asiago Steak are very meaty. Napa Almond Chicken is a weird combo of sweet and savory. Turkey BLT tastes too healthy.. Jk. It leaves me craving for me. I wish the bacon was more crisp on that. I don't like the cafe sandwiches much just because I personally am not a fan of the more ordinary traditional sandwiches. As for salads, the fuji apple and strawberry something.. was pretty delicious. The veggies are always fresh and crunchy. Only downside is, eating here everyday can get quite costly especially because I'll be hungry within an hour after having a salad. Maybe 2 or 3hrs after a sandwich... Oh yeah, the cookies are HUGE here! Be careful if you're on a diet... read more

Panera Bread - Turkey blt - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California

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Not everyone is perfect... ...but this place is close! The customer service is great here. This is the first Panera I've been to and I'll have to remark on the positive customer service every visit. I come from school to study, or relax on my laptop and it's very cozy. Their food is fresh and made with great care. I have no complaints about anything! Often times it is very busy, but there are many times you can find this place perfect for studying or having a quiet place to chat with a friend. Again, the food is great! The only time I had a concern was when I ordered a smoothie and it took them awhile to even start making it. I think the two girls making stuff were new high school kids. The regular employees looked like they were ticked off with them too. It turned out they waited to make my smoothie last and I almost got late for work so I had to leave. I came back a few hours later to pick it up with the receipt I kept. One of the regular employees apologized profusely, personally made the smoothie for me and even gave me a free cookie. I used to work customer service and that's what I would do! Thank you! Hopefully those high school interns of yours don't ruin your stores good name! read more

Wow....so disorganized here. Staff arguing (asking for space to work) and over 10 minutes to get a sandwich to go. Manager has no control and no respected. Never coming here again. read more

I am soooooo not coming back here... they make you wait for 45 mins just to get your egg sandwich and it's not even a busy day.. i like panera, but it's just sooooooo frustrating.. read more

Try everything!

I had breakfast here on Sunday. Food was really good. Luckily they had a few eggs left to make me & my son a breakfast sandwich. The sandwich was very tasty. I thought the fresh bread was the best part of the meal. They also have dessert pastries, other breads, soups, and coffee, tea, drinks here. They also have a half sandwich with soup or salad combo. I think that last one is around $7. My wife loves this place so I'm fairly certain we will be back soon. read more

5 weeks in a row and they screw up my simple order every single time. Miss sausage on a sausage sandwich. Miss egg on an egg sandwich. 3 ingredients on a sandwich and they can't seem to get it right . Management & corporate don't care a rats a$$ either. Done with this place. read more

That's a Panera, that's a BAD PANERA. Parked my car at 8:50pm, walk up to door with guy who just parked his car...it's 8:51pm. Lights are on, employees are in there, people are eating at the tables. Doors locked. Neither one of us get fed by Panera. That's a BAD Panera!! 9 minutes to close. Thanks Panera for excellent customer service. Clean your counters AFTER close. But, actually a real thanks for not being open as I found a kickass taqueria in the same shopping center, and I would rather support local business that understands what store hours are. read more

I've only been to this location around breakfast-time, but I've been happy with my experiences thus far. The coffee/espresso drinks are good; and, of course the bakery section is on point. There's a bakery case FULL of temptation (try to resist). Recently, I tried the sausage & egg breakfast sandwich, and that was really tasty; definitely recommended. The service is pleasant--not altogether "friendly" but certainly not dour or impatient either. The dining area is mostly clean. There were some tables that were left dirty for quite a while; but, as a whole, the dining area gives the impression of being clean. Reliable wi-fi too. read more

If I did not have gift cards to use, I would not be coming here. At least not to this location. Very slow.. both of my orders got messed up, I was not the happiest of customers yesterday morning read more

OK, it's really 4.5; the extra half is for the free wi-fi . . . I cannot speak for the bread -- odd, of course, becasue the word "bread" is in the name of the place; you'd think I'd be more attentive. But I will say the pastries are good, and those little baked egg souflees in the morning are awesome! Lunch salads are delicious, though I wish the Caesar was a bit more tangy; the fuji apple chicken salad is also really tasty. The soups are really tasty, and the service is quick (whether to eat in or to go). This is not GREAT food, people. But for what it is, and for where it is, it's another of my regular lunchtime haunts . . . read more

I have to admit, the food here is not bad. it's not amazing. However, for the price I pay, the portions are very small. If u order a 2 of a 1/2 sandwich or Salad or soup.. it's gonna be around 8-9 bucks. and it's not that filling. which definitely makes me sad. I love their broccoli cheddar soup which I know is helllaaa bad for me. lol. but i only get it once in a while. Their 1/2 salad is very small.... =[.. we got just a couple of handful of lettuce. sad face. sandwich is ok size.lol pasteries are not bad... but bad for me! lol Service is good here. read more

The french onion soup was pretty good, the souffle was decent, the roast beef sandwich was bland. I guess that was to be expected? I hear it's not the place to go for food, but if you want to lounge around for hours studying or relaxing, it's great for that. For me that time, I wanted food. It did not satisfy. Maybe when I start studying for my big test in october, I'll try this place again and change my mind. For now, just an a-ok. read more

TODAY is the n-th time Ive come to this place. Sometimes with my cuz after some errands, sometimes with my lola or times by myself after work.. When I feel right and healthy, I go here. TODAY straight from work I had to give my lola a ride after dropping off her van to Cushing's. I think Panera will be one of the places you can find me in if ever I visit this huge string of Fremont stores by Automall exit. TODAY I have again appreciated their salads and the bread although the soup isnt ready until 10 am. Thats fine, they still have a lot of choices from sandwhiches to salads to pastries. TODAY I had the greek salad and the grain french bread. It was big of a serving for me but the corn oil butter had me zap it in no time. I had to fork down the last portion of my sister's 4 cheese Souffle and yes it was so good. TODAY I had to stick to honeyed Green tea (5 sugars please) and how i liked it so hot. Perfect for my tiring shift from work. TODAY and like any other day i went here, i still am pissed off with their ordering style as i cant seem to pair up what i want with how they want to serve customers of their menu . Its like i want to have this and that, but they dont serve this with that and only this comes with.... (the heck... i dont care give me the food i want!!) LOL. just airing out-- well, minus one star for that. I dont know why TODAY, everything I had here seemed to double their goodness to my senses--the dressing, the butter, the crumbs and the most regular tea.....Oh yeah coz TODAY it was free. LOL =p read more

I love Panera. This location is buzzing with people, especially at lunch, but because of that it also sometimes has dirty tables. Great outdoor seating though, and the yummy and delicious food you can count of from a Panera. Kids are so happy here. Great kids menus. read more

There's not much more to say about Panera than others have said. It's a good place to study, good food, employees are generally friendly, polite, and efficient. I just got their new turkey BLT with avocado and it was quite good. Their cookies are TO.DIE.FOR. and are also like a meal's worth of calories by themselves. My bf and I like to come here for breakfast. I always get a scone, usually cinnamon chip, but sometimes I branch out. He gets the everything bagel breakfast sandwich (bacon, eggs, and cheese on everything bagel). Last time I got the blueberry scone and it was good, but slightly doughy in the middle which was a little weird. The cinnamon chip is never like that, so I'll probably stick to that one in the future. But these are legit scones, not like the starbucks ones that are dry and like a brick. We also like to get the chai latte. It's pretty sweet, but also has a hint of spice. We like it, although we do feel as if we are developing diabetes as we drink. Also, no extra charge for soy milk, which is awesome. The price is expensive though, $3.79. But when you include soy, which places usually charge $0.50-$0.60 for, it seems a bit more reasonable. Overall their prices are a bit expensive for a sandwich (~$8 in most cases) but you are paying for good quality and fresh veggies and bread, so it's worth it. read more

Excellent ambiance. The food is delicious, however it is on the expensive side. I highly suggest to try their: -Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad -Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT -Bacon Turkey Bravo -Spinach & Bacon Soufflé -Breakfast sandwiches: Bacon, Egg & Cheese / Sausage, Egg & Cheese read more

I come to this Panera pretty often. It's always a nice place to study and have a light dinner or snack. In general, I find all of Paner'as drinks, pastries, and meals very basic, they're nothing special. Regardless of how their food is, this Panera is really nice. The cashiers and servers are all super friendly and fast. This place is always clean and organized. It's always warm and quiet. It's a great place to study or hang out and get a good meal. This Panera's not only nice for Hayward, but for all Paneras. If you're hungry for a casual cafe franchise, this is your place. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Hayward, California