Line kind of long for an off time (2:30), but they did have the tomato basil bread we came for. Next time I will try that chicken salad that I had at another location, maybe they can edge up to a 4 star. Good that it is here to give folks a reason to go to Spanish Springs, the oldest of The Villages town square, who future vibrancy is in question. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Lady Lake, Florida

I really want to like this Panera. But the store layout so bad. Food comes out at 2 different areas as does the coffee and soda. Ordering is an ordeal. The dinning room table placement is a disaster. Is anyone managing the staff? This morning was mass confusion, staff running around like chickens without their heads. Franchiser, you got a great opportunity here. Time to make an investment and fix your set up, or turn it over to someone with the passion to make it what it could be. read more

Wonderful staff and food ...although husband a bit disappointed in his cinnamon bun. However, after he microwaved it for 30 seconds it tasted much better. Place is clean which is greatly appreciated. I especially appreciate one of the woman cashiers. She's a little lady with tons of personality and seems to truly care about her customers. Always smiling and welcoming! read more

Dined @ Panera in Spanish Springs yesterday... UGH so disappointed!! I should've checked their Yelp rating (2.5) - definitely wouldn't have wasted my money! Ordered the "strawberry chix caprese" and Greek salads. I thought Panera claimed to be this healthy restaurant? The caprese salad had LUNCH MEAT for the chix... gross! And it looked slimy!! And the lettuce in the Greek salad was disgusting. The restaurant was mostly clean and the staff were accommodating. It also took quite a while for the salads to be made. I remember why I stopped going. Sooo very sad - used to be a favorite restaurant for me!! read more

Panera Bread - Nasty lettuce... - Sandwiches Near Me - Lady Lake, Florida

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This is an excellent Panera bread location! We stopped in after shopping and enjoyed a fresh lunch. Entire restaurant including bathrooms was very clean. My grandma and I shared one of their new items - a blt sandwich. It was perfectly done and well stuffed with bacon lettuce and tomato. Their fresh lemonade is delicious. Employees were so friendly and efficient. There was a decent amount of people in here and the staff handled it excellently. Lots of parking nearby! read more

Big business meeting, where people spent thousands to get there, and I ordered coffee and some pastries from Panera. I get a call 10 minutes before the meeting that the pick up person forgot to take the coffee. me: WHAT? So you are going to send her back right? Lady Lake Panera - "Well, you have to call the delivery company" me: "Huh? I ordered from you." After some major loud talking about how unhappy I was she said, "I'll try." What? Me: "What?" We all walked over to a coffee shop and I bought. Oh, the coffee did show up. And this was a legal meeting that was being recorded and transcribed. The coffee made the transcript. See attached. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Lady Lake, Florida

Walk a mile to get a take out green goddess salad. Should've checked whether they included the dressing. And a fork. And napkins. Now I'm a mile away with none of the above. Gave him a phone call. No answer. SIGH. read more

I guess the Villagers here aren't very active on Yelp because this location does a ton of business but has so few reviews. They're voting with their feet and wallets instead, because this place really gets packed! I love everything about this store. There are a few things on their menu I can have without cheating on my prescribed diet and without spending much; I can count on Panera using cleaner, healthier ingredients as that's something they're known for; it's spacious - plenty of seating inside and out - a front and a side patio; some outlets for charging devices; a beautiful location and warm atmosphere; and good to great service. read more

Service/staff: I visit a LOT of Paneras across the state, this one needs many more order takers: 1 with 20+ people waiting is terrible, wouldn't take an order for just pick up & go from the bakery (didn't need the line to prepare anything). The food is similarly good as the rest of the chain. read more

Today we stopped by for lunch and I ordered the chilly bread bowl. When they called.my name I was served a bowl less than half full. When I questioned the amount the server became indignant and said it has the proper portion. I pointed out that is not what the picture advertised. She said it's the proper portion. Instead of arguing I walked away as she started bitching loudly about me. The manager said to her it was OK he just wanted what he paid for. She continued complaining for about 5 minutes loud enough for me to hear I sat on the other side of the dining room. read more

I like this location (Spanish Springs) much better than the one at Sumter Landing. They always have cranberry muffins. Sumter Landing is always out. The service and management is vastly better, too. The crew actually spends some time cleaning the tables. With respect to the atmosphere, it's typical. All in all, it's a decent place to sit for awhile. read more

Panera Bread - Cranberry muffin - Sandwiches Near Me - Lady Lake, Florida

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We stopped for dinner here. Very good service and the food was fresh and well made, proper temperatures and tasty. The young man who took our order was very polite and patient. Us older people can be extra particular about our food orders. He washed his hands numerous times helping other people and before getting food after handling money. I appreciated the extra effort. Not all servers do this and it was nice to see his conscientious concern for proper food handling. I would recommend this location. read more

I think 1 star is too much. The only good thing was that the Door Dash driver delivered the order in a timely manner. I ordered a Greek salad and a cheese flatbread and I can honestly say that the meal was inedible. The lettuce was old, tomatoes mushy, etc. Too many things to mention. On a positive note, I called the manager and voiced my concerns. He was very apologetic and offered to refund my money. I was very impressed at how well he handled this situation. read more

I've been back to this Panera bread at least a half dozen times- I've had my order wrong more than half of those times. It has slow service paired with overpriced, poorly prepared entrees. Only visit if you want to see inside of a Panera from 2005, but save your money to eat somewhere else. read more

1:35 in the afternoon and no hazelnut coffee, only two types of bagels and of course no hand sanitizer in the strategically located dispensers. The employees were very curt and could care less if we were there or not. Once our bagels were ready they set them on the counter and never advised us. I finally went and asked...they pointed and I had to put them onto the stacked plates to separate the orders accordingly. Tables were dirty and the entire place seemed to be in disarray. With 50% capacity seems it could have been kept clean and ready for people to spend money! Brooklyn water bagels will get my future business in this area!! read more

We ordered two breakfast sandwiches. We originally wanted a soufflé, but by 10 AM they had sold out of soufflés. One of our breakfast sandwiches came out literally 10 minutes after the first one. Just poor service, needs better management and flow. read more

I love PB, but I may be done with this location. I've had several subpar experiences here. Today I returned for a pick two of creamy tomato soup and chipotle chicken avocado sandwich. I originally chose baked potato soup, only to learn the sign was wrong. Oops! When I got the tomato soup I immediately noticed it was a dark brown appearance that looked more like Chili than the pinkish color I'm used to at Panera. I assumed either they changed the recipe or gave me the wrong soup. When I tasted it, I realized it was burned creamy tomato soup. It seemed curdled too. I went to the pickup counter and mentioned this, and two workers peered into the tomato soup pot and quickly decided to replace the entire pot. They kindly gave me a chicken and wild rice replacement and I returned to my table to continue eating. I then took a bite of my sandwich to find it barely cooked, it was less than lukewarm. My visit to the pickup counter took less than a minute or two, and I had barely tasted the soup, so the sandwich should have been much hotter. I always eat my soup first, then my hot sandwich, and the sandwich never has time to cool. This sandwich also didn't appear "pressed" as it normally does. It's obvious they gave it short shrift in the griddle. I didn't finish my sandwich or soup and left the building. In the past I've twice been served food on blackened/sooty/dirty plates, and on other occasions I've been served the wrong items, or lukewarm food. This place needs a new manager IMO. The workers seem nice but aren't trained correctly. read more

Panera Bread - Burned and curdled "creamy tomato" soup. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lady Lake, Florida

I am a fan of Panera. I usually get the Modern Caprese sandwich and it is delicious. This is the second time I have been to this location and was disappointed. The first time they were out of bread?! Panera Bread ... out of BREAD. Still, I gave them a second chance. This time they were out of tomatoes. What the? Sandwiches just are not the same without bread and tomatoes. Oh wait, without bread and tomatoes a sandwich cannot you make. If they would have advertised BYOB I would have brought a bun in my pocket. I will probably return to Panera, just not this one. read more

We visited on 2/27/21. Tried the Pepperoni Flatbread and it was delicious. It could have probably used a bit more pepperoni, but that mozzarella cheese was awesome! I had a cinnamon roll to take-out because the young man who waited on me didn't know what a pecan braid was. So maybe they have been discontinued. The cinnamon roll was so dry even the micro-wave couldn't bring it back from the dead. I had to toss it. Very disappointing and it never should have been sold to anyone.-TM read more

I generally like Panera Bread. The food is consistently good. The U Pick 2 is probably one of my favorite quick lunches. I usually get the French Onion soup and the Sierra turkey sandwich on tomato basil bread, which still counts as a cafe item. I love the muffies (tops of muffins only, an amazing idea) and the bear claws. The green ice tea is quite thirst-quenching on any day. The clientele at this Panera is very different from Paneras of my past. Most usually have students scattered throughout on their laptops utilizing the free wifi, people grabbing lunch on their breaks and some just chatting over coffee.. But this one seemed more like an old Italian deli that you might find on a street corner in Little Italy. The outside tables (especially in the morning) usually have older men hanging outside smoking cigarettes and talking about the old days. It makes this Panera a little more charming and different from you regular run of the mill Panera. read more

Love the quick service at Panera Bread. I really like some of their items like their bagels, Quiches and orange juice, but to be honest, I don't like the taste of their coffee, it must be the type of coffee beans they use. I thinks it's kind of bitter. I love coffee, but I like a smooth cup of coffee. Another problem I have with Panera, and I know they are all about bread, but holly cow, how much bread can one have? I usually opt for the spinach and artichoke quiche. It's actually my favorite item on their menu. The BIGGEST reason I am a fan of Panera Bread however, is for the free Wi-Fi. You don't have to use up your data while sipping your cup of joe, now that's the way to relax. read more

This Panera is pretty busy at noon. The bagels are soft, flavorful and abundant. You can choose from delicious soups to great sandwiches. They also have plenty of beverage choices from hot to cold tea, soda, coffee or lemonade. Plenty of parking in the back. Open air seating outside. read more

My husband and I visited this store while on vacation. The amount of roast beef on my half sandwich consisted of two tiny pieces - barely anything. Panera is pricey; this meal certainly wasn't worth it. Also, we noticed when paying that we were prompted by the checkout system to leave a tip! We were appalled and declined. I don't understand how restaurants like this think it's now appropriate that order takers at counters are now entitled to tips. And now they practically insist on delivering your food to the table - again, for tips? I'm good; I can carry my food. Don't try to be something you're not. read more

I was shocked at the toxic environment here. Staff arguing, name calling, and insulting each other in front of guests! Wow! I've been in the industry for over 15 years and this complete failure by management (who were active participants themselves!) is just mind boggling. Corporate, you better get in here and do some damage control. You've quite nearly lost my loyal business. read more

If you have FOOD ALLERGIES, going to this Panera is like playing RUSSIAN ROULETTE/ SUICIDE BY FOOD, eating here might be the death you were looking for. Unlike other Paneras I have been to, this one does not double check your food to verify it was made correctly. Checking to confirm all the right food is there is one thing, but now before leaving you have to confirm correct ingredients were and were not included in your food. This is rather disappointing. I would not recommend this one. read more

The food is ok, not a great value for your buck, the food it's a hit or a miss, service needs improvement....

We like Panera...unfortunately, there isn't a WORSE example of the "tweenagers" run facilities in The Villages...It amazes us, how and WHY the owners put a bunch of minimally-trained kids in charge of multi-million dollar investments and expect something good to result? Most of the menu items are prepared from frozen supplier stuff...which is OK, just nothin great...Service is non-existent. Coffee was acidic because it was so old. We watched the hired help playing grab ass in the back while we were there. The ONLY reason Panera survives is because of their hours and location. read more

Rough day at Panara... Out of most of there soups, no butter for my roll, not even any pastries... Moving on to another restaurant... read more

Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner -- there's always something new and delicious at Panera Bread in the Villages. It's casual and inviting and the coffee is excellent! Great place to meet friends to catch up! read more

Always loved this place! French Onion soup and Bacon Turkey bravo sandwich!

Really pricy. The coffee is not as good as Dunkin donuts. I have found yesterday's pastries on top and in the front of the rack.

I found the staff at this location to be warmer than at the location in Lake Sumter, but that's not saying much. Last trip there I ordered a large salad and a hot chocolate and after searching the place high and low for some butter, finally got to sit down amongst the loud and rude village people in the dining area. The salad was tasty, but I wondered if it might have been a small salad rather than a large. In my haste to get out of there, it didn't even dawn on me at the time that I never got my hot chocolate. Not impressed. read more

Panera Bread in Spanish Springs has gotten a little ahead of themselves. They do plenty of business and have the nerve to charge extra for additional piece of bread. It's not the money but it's the principle of charging extra considering it probably only cost 10 cents to make. Sorry they have to take advantage of people and nickel and dime us. Food is overrated. read more

I have been going to Panera's for almost 10 years, around the state, and when they opened one here in the Villages, i go at least twice a week. The bread is out of this worly, and soup and sandwitches are great. I have noticed in the last 6 months, or even longer the coffee has changed and not for the better. Either they changes brands, or they are making it weaker, and that is all the coffee options, might someone tell me its just me, or has anyone else noticed it? Paul read more

I LOVED this place for years, in Florida and outside the state. I went so often I bought one gift card after another, but the decline that began about two (?) years ago or a little more, has accelerated to the point where it is stunning. Most recently, even the wonderful cinnamon rolls have been changed to strictly grocery store quality, actually that is an insult since we have one area grocery that has cinnamon rolls that give home made a run for the money. Panera once had excellent coffee, not so anymore, Dunkin so much better. Soups filled with so much salt that is all you can taste, more than half the time served cold, and three days in one week attempted to order chicken & noodle soup which (true story) had 7 pieces of noodle in a weak broth. When I took it back, the young teen started, stuttered, and said "ah, well, THAT IS our chicken noodle soup". No "would you like something IN the soup, or would you like something else ?". I now get sandwiches which say "avocado" and the pictures on the walls show beautiful, bountiful avocados sticking out of the bread, and my sandwich comes with brown avocado, 2 very thin slices, with pure BLACK around the edges ? I've ordered sandwiches with NO avocado and when I question this, was told "we ran out". Again, no apology ? No chance to order something else ? Just so so sorry that no matter where you were in the USA at one time, you could go into this chain and count on consistently good food, coffee, and baked goods. You could count on sharp employees and a clean environment with soothing background music, cool jazz, soft classical. Place is a mess (though they finally got rid of the dog feeding that went on for quite awhile. I LOVE pet, especially my dogs but I certainly don't take them for dinner and allow them to lick soup bowls or sit on my lap and eat, but.... that's more a matter of basic decency, not Panera. The finally stopped it, but the food and baked goods have deteriorated I finally used up the last of the $50 cards I bought on a regular basis, and now lunch at alternatives. Not to mention that a Pick 2 lunch can now cost $10 and just measure the ounces in a "cup" of soup, think it is really 8 oz. ? At least instead of complaining on Yelp, customers can "vote with their feet" if they don't think they are getting a fair amount and quality of food! That's the good part. read more

Realtor had given us some gift cards for Panera, so we made our first stop at a Panera for lunch. I ordered the Italian sandwich, then the order taker asked apple, chip, baguette. Huh? I had no idea what she was asking ,plus a thick northern accent made it more difficult for this southern boy to understand. I said what? Then she repeated those same three words two more times. Finally we came to understand these were side options that came with my order. I really didn't want any of them but since I was apparently going to pay for them I chose chips. Enough about ordering issues, the woman was nice we just didn't communicate very well. So now I have my Italian sandwich and unwanted bag of chips ( apparently they only offer Panera branded chips). The sandwich was okay but had some funky taste and an unpleasant pepper relish. I appreciate the gift card, but Panera doesn't fit my appetite. I prefer the Italian at Subway to this sandwich. Believe I'll stick to a greasy burger and chili joint........or maybe some Q. read more

this review does not concern the food, but rather the facility policies. We visited this restaurant for a private luncheon after a funeral. They have many outside tables arranged along a couple of sides of the building, as well as a patio for outside eating. I sat at one of the tables along side the building with my dog while my husband went inside to give our condolences and grab something for me to eat outside. While sitting there eating a sandwich an employee came up and told me I had to leave as "no dogs were allowed on the patio" - I started to protest, but realized that the employee was only repeating what she had been told and therefore we left. I was left with a sour taste for both that facility and the entire chain, especially since the evening before we had been to dinner in a neighboring restaurant which welcomed our party as well as the dog. Won't be visiting any Panera breads anytime soon!!! read more

I eat breakfast here frequently when I visit The Villages. Good food, great service and always clean.

Normally a good place to eat and enjoy. Not in the villages though. The teens run this with reckless abandon which means quality sucks most of the time. We've tried at least a hlf dozen times and get the same result. The last time was breakfast. They forgot the cheese on the egg/cheese sandwich. Seems hard to do, but normal for these guys. read more

Panara bread is one of my favorites. I feel like every time I go the food is always on point. On top of that it's very filling! Their macaroni and cheese and cream of broccoli soup are my favorite. And it also seems that every panara bread I have been into has good and polite employees. read more