I was a little nervous ordering dinner from this Panera location, (LF) as I read some not so good reviews, but let me tell everyone that I am so glad that I did because the food was excellent, fresh, and delicious. No skimping and nothing left off. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!! Julia took my order over the phone and was so patient. I was trying to read my gift card and she was having trouble hearing me and actually thanked me for my patience! When we got home and took all the food out we noticed that she added some cookies which we were so happy to get!! Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies!! Thank you Julia for great service and we will be back!! The green goddess Cobb and flatbread pizza were good. read more

Panera Bread - Pepperoni flat bread yum! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The chicken panini chicken sandwich was good for a lunch meal and done chips it satisfied the lunch appetite read more

Panera Bread - This is the chicken panini sandwich with chips was Great for lunch - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This location has so much potential. It has a drive thru. There's a Starbucks and a Nekter nearby. Despite being a busy plaza, you can usually find parking. BUT, and this is a big one, the workers (almost) never get your order right. They usually forget, on average, 1-2 items. Once they did give me two cookies instead of one, because they obviously wanted to keep their wrong order streak. Hopefully someone who works there reads this and helps fix this problem. It takes forever to go through the drive thru, so wrong orders suck. read more

The food is always good at this panera, but, be careful that your order comes out correctly! My bread bowl soup came out without the bread bowl. Last time, I didn't receive any side with a 1/2 sized fiji apple salad and 1/2 chicken salad sandwich. My meal was also surprisingly pricey! Once they carved me a bread bowl, I was content enough to leave. But, once I got home, I noticed the side of French baguette - that costs a couple bucks - was no larger than my palm- size, about 2 inches by 2 inches. I found both experiences frustrating; especially with my bread bowl, as I ordered it in advance, online. I'm certainly going to keep these experiences in- mind the next time I want something quick and healthy. read more

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Parera's prices are insane. Paid an unbelievable $17 for a plain turkey sandwich and the sandwich was flavorless. Down the street I got a burger, onion rings, coke and shake for the same amount. Never again Panera! read more

Super fast, service and food. I swear it's faster than McDonald's in Del taco lol. Delicious soups and sandwiches. I got the broccoli cheddar soup, it is my all-time favorite. I also got the chipotle, chicken avocado melt and it is delicious, so I highly recommend it. read more

Great customer service! My boyfriend Zachary ordered for us and although we were missing two items the manager was so kind to make it right. Friendly staff members! Delicious food! And a convenient drive thru. I love this Panera sm! Will always come back read more

Not comfortable with this location as one unhoused female sits in a booth (or sometimes at outside table) for extended periods of time. Management needs to do better. Other OC locations much better than this one but this is one of the few that has a drive-thru. Panera, please open more locations! read more

I am giving Panera Bread 2 Stars on the sandwhich. I ordered the Bacon Turkey sandwich and was disappointed with the very small pieces of Bacon. Cmon Panera, you can do better than this. read more

Panera Bread - Turkey Bacon Sandwhich.... Seriously!!!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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It was our first time there and Charlie made it unforgettable. His soft skills and warm welcome made us feel at home! As a minority, we don't always get to be greeted as sincerely as Charlie did for us! The world needs people like you Charlie! Welcoming, sincere and warm... read more

Panera Bread has some good selections. We stopped here not long ago and i tried the Pizza Meal bread. I had the Pepperoni one which was good. Good customer service. I am barely getting established with Panera Bread. read more

I love being part of the sip club here. Coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon. Managers and staff are friendly in the morning. Sometimes if the coffee runs out, they will take care of it promptly. The cafe ambiance is nice and open. There have been some long wait times so if you order ahead, give yourself enough time. read more

I had a small balance on my gift card for here so I dropped in to try a VANILLA CREAM COLD BREW COFFEE. The vanilla was ever present and the half/half and coffee were perfectly balanced. The coffee quality was good too. A good choice albeit the cost is a little high for a 16 ounce cup unless you go light on the ice especially. read more

Panera definitely impressed me as a first-time dine-in guest. This location had a slow afternoon so when I showed up, I used the kiosk to order and the staff there was so helpful to find my order when I was confused about where to find it and how to retrieve it. The staff even took my order to my table and I ordered a soup, sandwich, frozen beverage, and a bakery item to get a good idea of what Panera had to offer. No downsides to the experience! It was such a classic meal, modest in flavor and pleasant to enjoy. I do lament a little the pricing but I can't complain too much since the meal was satisfying and the experience was positive. I first tried the classic chicken noodle soup and it was even better than those Campbell's options you find in a can without the saturation of sodium in them. Pleasant to eat and consume even the broth. I then began to eat my Turkey Sandwich (a basic order) which was also a lovely satisfying bite. I had to save the 2nd half for later since the first half with the soup already had me full (I hold less food in one sitting). I did also drink a frozen strawberry lemonade and I'm sorry @JambaJuice, but this is my new favorite thing. The smoothie-like consistency of it at least made it worth its price and I definitely tasted the fruit and it was ALIVE. (Jamba Juice lately has been lacking in flavor). Lastly, the basic chocolate chip cookie was simply good. I wish it was a little softer but if it was I probably would have eaten it so fast, it would have been too tempted to take my time with it. In total, I paid about $25 for the items (got a free apple with it too) and ate it in the space - it was a lovely inside setup. Well managed and free wifi available to do some work while you enjoy a meal. I will definitely be a Panera regular and while I'm not in the area often, I will be visiting my local Panera back at home more often. read more

Panera Bread - Turkey sandwich left over which I'm saving for later - I removed the tomatoes just because I'm not a fan of them. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Not a fan of Panera. Overall, I think the food tastes OK, the prices are high for what you get and the portion sizes are tiny! The portions may work for some but not me. I came here for lunch one day and ordered the soup and half sandwich with a drink for $13. I got the steak and white cheddar Panini and the broccoli and cheddar soup. I ordered my sandwich with no onions so I separated the bread to check and I find two tiny pieces of meat on the sandwich (see attached photo). I was in disbelief and notified the manager. The manager acknowledged that the portion was small and took it with him to concur with his colleagues. He returned and told me that it was not acceptable. He let me keep what I was served and returned with a sandwich that was slightly bigger. The food was OK but the portions were too small (even the 2nd sandwich) to justify the money. I was happy that manager tried to make things right. I do see a benefit of a place that serves soups, salads and freshly baked bead but I'm more of a meat and potatoes guy. read more

Panera Bread - Where's the beef? ??? - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Thank you to the manager Brandon for being so kind and courteous for honoring the promotion when your store was not participating!!! I have a happy growing 12 yr old boy that can't seem to stop eating!!! Definitely a great way to start the holiday weekend!!! Highly recommend this location over the Mission Viejo store!!! read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

It was an average experience. It was likely a new person training so couldn't really tell me what some of the salads and warm bowls had. Had the BBQ salad and it was ready before we could sit down. Average taste and underwhelming. I did like their hazelnut coffee read more

Due to covid, the parking lot is dangerous to drive into, tight parking because they closed off a portion of it. Best is to order online and have them bring your beverage or food to your car. Very friendly people and fast service! read more

Had my lunch here in a rainy day. Pretty good comfort food under the cold weather. Really liked their Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwich. It might be not very healthy, but already want to try it again. Their Creamy Tomato soup and Agave Lemonade were also great. And Chocolate Brownie, too. read more

Panera Bread - Half Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwich, Bowl of Creamy Tomato soup, and Agave Lemonade. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was in desperate need of a good bowl of soup and salad. Nothing fancy, just those items to warm the cockles of her heart. Enter Panera! The tomato bisque soup and Caesar salad for the bill. What a delight when the meal was served with a fresh baked piece of bread. The perfect modem to dunk into the soup. I am very glad Panera has moved into our neighborhood. Faster food that is healthy is very much appreciated. The end. read more

I stopped to eat at Panera Bread on 23612 Rockfield Blvd. in Lake Forest. This location is right next to the I-5 Freeway which makes it easy for me to get there. I ordered my meal in the front counter. They give you a number that you take to your table. The sever was nice and friendly and brought me the meal cooked to order. Entrée: I ordered: Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich; egg, cheddar cheese, ham, on whole grain bread. A good combination of flavors. I drank a Diet Coke to balance my meal. Dessert: Pecan Roll; baked sweet dough, cinnamon, sugar, and topped with caramel and pecans. Apple Crunch Muffin; bake sweet muffin, apple chucks, with cinnamon & sugar topping. Both were; Super Duperly Delicious. I went outside and took more photos. Then I drove off to find another review. Robert H. read more

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Getting real sick of your ****, Panera. Third time this week that my rapid pickup order has been all sorts of wrong. Ordered steak and arugula today - app states it has steak, arugula, pickled red onions, sliced tomatoes. No tomatoes, but someone got real creative and put cheese on it, lucky for me cheese makes me sick! Picked it off and ate my sandwich while pouting over not having any tomatoes, nor onions. Please stop getting my orders wrong!!! You guys are in walking distance and normally I really like you! read more

3 stars... seems a lot of my favorite places are changing to a new direction. Meaning.. walking into PB with my chick, being the only one in line... was greeted and told.." be right with you" as other employees just looked at us. Is it me or was the only person standing at a register the only one who can take my order.. and the other employees are just there to look on..? After a few times of hearing.."I'll be right with you, I noticed a computer screen where I could place my own order, even though was told, I'll be right with you... how bout, put down the paper, move to an open register, take our order and go back to what you were doing... but instead of voicing that, I used the self serve kiosk.. which took all of 1 min... Ordered the summer poppyseed salad with avocados... which was awesome!!!! Wife got a blueberry scone, I opted for the orange scone, because they were out of cookies at 3:00pm.. with dinner service approaching. Oh I then remembered that Panera has awesome Mac n cheese.. so I added a small size with broccoli.. and a strawberry lemonade.. The restaurant wasn't busy, just us, a family and the few using the free internet. We sat down and with in 45 seconds, I got the call.. here's my take... Pros Delicious Strawberry Summer Poppyseed Salad!! Clean restaurant Fast service after ordering Clean restrooms Pleasant Employees The scones were perfect Cons Poppyseed dressing was not provided- had to go ask for it. Mac n cheese must be made with velveta cheese- it was terrible The MAC noodles were extremely soggy Ordered with broccoli and wasn't added The bacon ruins it and wasted $8 The strawberry lemonade, let's just say put 1/4 water in your cup first, as it's super sweet The bread that comes with.. was flakey/dry and why they only give you one small sliver of butter, blows my mind- yes they will give more if asked.. but still?? No cookies? Really..? They had 3 pairs, but I normally get the dozen.. good thing I asked if they had more or plan on making more- because they didn't and were not. Which is weird because the much larger stores have cookies all day- stocked!! But that's where I began my review- because at other Panera breads over the years.. 5-6 varieties of cookies all day, never running out. Oh.. and they only serve Pepsi Products- Coke not served at this location.. that's why I opted for the super sugary lemonade, which I watered down, heavily... Next time, I'll get the soup/sandwich combo.. when Panera does the Turkey- cranberry Sammy... I know- November.. it's worth the wait, because nothing looked appealing other than the salad read more

I've given this location so many chances but this was it. If I'm going to pay $12-$15 for a salad I want it to be at least decent. Every time I go the salad is missing something, they either forget the avocado, onions, egg or give me a spoiled egg. This time my salad was 50% onions and the other 50% this nasty looking bacon clump. I was so disgusted by it, I ended up throwing it away. There's always water at the bottom of the salad too. They weren't even busy when I went so I don't understand. I will definitely stop spending my money here, this location has made me dislike Panera. read more

Panera Bread - Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Their breakfast sandwiches have gotten better now that they offer scrambled egg options. Also I have realized that if you order your breakfast sandwich on sourdough, you typically get a smaller sandwich than if you order on French baguette or other type of bread. In general, their sandwiches are still a tad smaller than the breakfast sandwiches at corner bakery and they cost a bit more considering that stuff like tomatoes and avocado are extra at Panera. Panera is still a good option for when one gets tired of corner bakery. read more

My friend K raved about the Mac n' Cheese here. Since she had been known for having great taste, I tried it. K was right. Panera's Mac n' Cheese is nice and creamy. My guess is that they use Fontina cheese. There is no mention of what cheese they use on the menu board. I also like their lemonade. It has the right amount of tartness and acidity. The sugar in it is not overpowering. Panera Bread's coffee has disappointed me in the past. Yours truly does not want to order the coffee again. For that, I have deducted one star. Their cashiers offer an apple as one of the sides. Choosing this over chips or bread seems like a smart move. The bread is a small portion of a baguette. In my opinion, the apple is a better choice. What my wallet likes about PB is the lack of a tip jar and obligation to tip. Their servers bring your meal to your table. They also give you napkins and utensils. Coffee and soda fountain drinks are self-serve. I am not crazy about their iced teas, which are also self-serve. I give a 4 Star rating for Panera Bread. read more

Panera Bread - Lemonade. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Now that my hiatus from Yelp is over, can I tell you about my awesome Monday? After an exciting morning, the stomach sure was hungry. A friend and I were at the same networking meeting across the parking lot and decided to head here for lunch. I decided to get the Napa Almond Chicken again and also noticed they were serving something new - Vermont white cheddar mac and cheese. I figured it would taste like a waxy blue box version of mac and cheese with a fake cheese powder taste but it tasted nothing like that. It was rich and flavorful and it's a good thing it came in a small cup with the half sandwich - it's quite filling! Great combo, great lunch, great company. read more

Panera Bread - Napa Almond Chicken with Vermont white cheddar mac and cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I come to this location every time I'm working in the area. It's nice, clean and spacious with plenty of seating and Free Wi-Fi! I love coming here because there's always a sample or two for you to taste while you're waiting in line. Today, they had blueberry bagels and cheese soufflé! Mmmm...The souffle was soft, fluffy and very tasty! I got my usual fix of hot chocolate with whipped cream and a cinnamon crunch bagel (man I loooove this bagel). The crunchy, sugary coating always tastes so good. There's an extensive selection of pastries, quiches and sandwiches, as well. I've had the power breakfast sandwich here and it's quite tasty and reasonably priced, as well. If you're ever in the area and want to get out of the morning cold for awhile, check this place out. It's warm, cozy and the staff is very friendly! Happy Eats! read more

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Came here for a quick lunch. I had never been to a Panera before, but I assumed it was about the same as Corner Bakery, which I love. I ordered a half Smokehouse Turkey Panini, which is turkey breast, bacon, cheddar and mustard on three cheese bread, and a cup of Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. My friend ordered an Asiago Roast Beef sandwich and Mac & Cheese. The food was out quickly. The soup was just lukewarm and the flavor was nice, although I think it could have had less lemon in it. My Panini was tasty, but kind of lame for a "panini." Only one side of the sandwich was toasted, and that side wasn't even that crispy. So, for a sandwich, I really liked it. Panini? Not so much. My friend's Roast Beef was really good, and his Mac & Cheese was delicious! I will definitely not hesitate to stop at Panera next time I am craving a sandwich. read more

Panera Bread - Turkey panini & lemon chicken orzo soup. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Came here about 6 months ago and swore I would never come here again. But lo and behold we came back. And let me say this. They have stepped up there game! I got the chipotle chicken avocado melt and it was amazing. The focaccia bread was soft and flavorful and the chicken tasted great. And the serving was huge! Even though it's a bit on the pricey side, it was still a great meal and I will gladly come here again. Well played Panera. Well played. read more

Staff is always friendly and helpful. Bakery products are excellent. Love the bread selection. However I tried the new big sandwiches and thought they were overpriced and lite on the meats and ingredients. I feel I've had a better sandwich at Subway. Sorry. read more

Tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, behind the Auto Mall in Lake Forest is this Panera. If you drive too fast, you can miss it. Every year I meet my friend Patti (who also does my taxes) for dinner and to do my taxes. Typically mid week the place is relatively empty, you get free wifi, the service is decent, and there's plenty of outlets to plug in. Its not too expensive for dinner, and there's plenty of healthy, carb and non carb choices. My only gripe is this is a pepsi place, but that's my personal preference. I can't have a lot of dairy but ironically my go to choice is their grilled cheese. They press their hot sandwiches like paninis, so its not greasy. Request to make sure the cheese is MELTED though. Usually lthey press it just to have the cheese start melting but by the time it reaches your table, it starts solidifying and you end up with a cheese sandwich, not a grilled cheese that's melted. In this visit, I chose to have the chicken cobb salad, minus the gorganzola. Patti had the Greek salad, her go to item. Presentation wise, my salad looked terrible!. The ingredients were just tossed in the bowl. After moving some key ingredients around, I was able to take a decent photo. Tastewise, it was very good. The chicken was served chilled, and the ingredients were nicely chilled. The lettuce is romaine, so nothing unique there, and the bacon, avocado, tomatoes were just tossed in, not even layered or mixed. Truly a person with non culinary skills or even remote creativity created this salad. I got suckered into adding a 99 cent cookie (it was such a great deal, and, its chocolate chip!) and added a tea. Eating healthy isn't that cheap, as it set me back $12, but it beats a greasy burger and fries... although the calories on the cookie probably was more than a small In n Out fries read more

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1. Small portions for the price. 2. Parking lot is a nightmare 3. They ran out of bagels and it is a BAKERY! 4. Soda fountain area was disgusting! Fungus growing on the side of the Tea area. 5. Everything needs a good scrub down. read more

Panera Bread - Fungus growing on soda fountain area - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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They're clean and courteous and they allow a nice setting for having g a small meeting g or working entrepreneurs too!

This place is close to home plus on the way to work. Great to run in and grab something before my commute or on the weekend. The fact that I scored a free cup of coffee a day for a year is also major cool! read more

I really like this particular Panera bread. I was harsh at their other location but this one in lake Forest is well managed and well kept. I like their service and new salads, will go ahaim read more

Panera Bread - Mediterranean Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great coffee and food. Friendliest service compared to other Panera locations. Sip club is awesome!

This was the weirdest restaurant I've ever been in. There was a woman eating what looked like cold stew out of a pot in the corner, and she was feeding her dog, that was off leash, table scraps on a blanket on the ground. The people working there didn't seem to mind, 5 stars because it made me laugh. Genuinely did gross me out though, definitely didn't want to eat my food after seeing that. read more

I had an not so good experience with my delivery on Uber Eats. Usually, I let it slide, but this time I called Javier, one of the Managers, and found him to be apologetic and asked me to Come in so they could make it right.... A few weeks went by, and I was in the area so I took him up on the offer. I was helped by Tyler who made it up 100%. I can now recommend their salads, iced coffee and their excellent customer service. I plan to Go Again today!!!! Thank YOU GUYS!!!! read more

Amazing food and amazing service! The food was fresh and tasted delicious while the service was extremely friendly and inviting. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! Just found out that there is a drive through opening in September which is extremely exciting! Definitely will be going back soon!! Greg, the manager was fantastic. Truly great at customer service and my my experience great read more

Panera Bread - Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad and iced coffee! Sooooo good and low in calories!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California