This Panera is a hit or miss for me. I come here a lot during the week before work and I can normally have a good experience here. This location is like all the others in that there can be some great customer service and other times it is just ok service. I realize that this is not a fancy restaurant but a lot of these restaurants are becoming a lot more enjoyable to go to. I really like that they have the self-service kiosks in the front corner right when you walk in. I usually go for this option if the line is really busy in the morning or at lunchtime. This alternative is fast if you know how to work the system. The first time I tried to use it I had to ask someone how to work it, but now it is pretty easy. The other great option is to order online before going to this location. I really like the Panera app and it is simple to just go into Panera and pick up my order. Once you order your food you can sit down and it will be brought to you. I really like this new system that they implemented, it is fast and usually pretty reliable. I really like getting the egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches on an asiago bagel. You can choose to have a over easy egg or a scrambled egg to go on your breakfast sandwich. I really like how they are adding different options and really catering to the customer. I also love the egg soufflés that they have in the early mornings. The pastries are great, and I love the 99 cent pastry deal when you get your lunch later in the day. I find that the customer service is lacking with some of the staff working here. When your food is brought to your table they are sometimes rude when you have something go wrong with your food. At a lot of the other locations I do not have this but for some reason this east side location is one that I have had trouble with. Overall I will still come back here as their breakfast sandwiches, bagels and pastries are wonderful. read more

The manager Rebecca doesn't understand the menu. No one cares that my curbside order was incorrect, picked up, drove home, was shorted half of my order, called, was on hold for over 15 mins, my husband drove back up there , had me on speaker the entire time, no apologizes, no eye contact- this location is a joke. My husband returned home and my call was NEVER answered. Calling corporate tomorrow BEWARE read more

This has to be the worst Panera bread lovation. I have EVER been too. On my third visit here I am told there will be a 25 minute wait on food before I even place my order. Then I'm told soup is not even ready until 10:30. By a very snarky woman!! I will never return. Your employees need to be trained in proper customer service! A month ago I visited. To my dismay I encountered yet another snarky employee who started laughing at me when I came in at 8:30am for soup. She laughed hysterically telling me they don't serve soup until 10:00am. Every other panera bread in Chicago serves soup in the am! Panera bread in Appleton, Wi serves it also for breakfast. The first time i visited the East Madison location, I waited 25 min for a cup of Broccoli soup in the evening. I will never return to Panera bread read more

I have been craving a grilled cheese sandwich for weeks. I went to Panera today for a grilled cheese sandwich. When I received it it just looked like a cheese sandwich. There were no grill marks there was no Browning of the bread and eat slice of bread was almost an inch thick with maybe one slice of melted cheese in between. This was not a grilled cheese this was pieces of bread stuck in an oven for a few minutes. It was absolutely terrible. I mean just terrible. read more

Line was to the door so I used the rapid order kiosk. Food was ready within five minutes; I customized a salad and it was right, all of the greens were fresh. Also got the autumn squash soup; it was still hot when I got back to my hotel. Staff was friendly. read more

I have ordered from here twice and both times my food was freezing cold and down to my coffee I have tried to call to report my issue and no one ever answers the phone. I would like a refund for wasting my money on this place. read more

First time ever trying Panera bread. Was pretty good. I had half of a Strawberry poppyseed w/ chicken salad and half a roasted Turkey Apple and cheddar sandwich. The salad was ok. The chicken had a strong seasoning on it I didn't care for. The sandwich was real good except the arugula was tuff. All in all not a bad experience. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Very disappointed. Today 4/2 I made an order for Rapid Pick up. I selected to get a text when done but did not get a text but noticed it was ready from the app. They had a big sign for the rapid pick area and nothing was there. I noticed an employee carrying a bag to somewhere in the back so I got in line. Had to wait behind 2 people making orders. Only 1 person was upfront taking orders. When the employee was about to help me another customer came in the store and walked up to the counter and asked for his Rapid Pick up order. When I told the employee that I was there first, he ignored me. He got the other man's order first. I don't know what kind of system they have here but it is BROKEN!!!! Bad management. Employees are very stupid and should be better trained. read more

Still slowest lunch on eastside. 15min and counting wait for a BOWL OF SOUP! Are you kidding me?!

To start off when I walked in the door all I saw was dirty tables. I then went to pick up my food at the counter and brought it back to my table, that I had to clean myself, and realized my sandwich was made wrong and my knife was dirty. Overall the food was average and not worth the price. There is 6+ employees and only one has been nice to me so far. read more

I ordered a salad one of the seasonal strawberry and fresh mozzarella and a turkey bacon avocado sandwich online so it was a rapid pick up for lunch when I opened the salad I thought hmm not exactly what I envisioned but it's lunch I'm at work and I'm hungry when I started to eat the salad I noticed rusty limp lettuce after a few bites I realized the entire salad looked like old nasty lettuce after all the e-coli reports I decided not to chance any more and ate my half sandwich but I thought for $10 that salad should have been fantastic and fresh it was neither so Panera for lunch probably never again read more

Great service and awesome food. It gets to be very busy so sometimes the wait will be a little longer, which is to be expected.

This was THE DIRTIEST FILTHIEST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TOO!!! First they forgot our order, then when we finally got it, it sucked!!! The manager comes over and throws a cookie on the table and gives us his sob story, how he has staffing issues and blah blah blah.... ugh don't waste your money!!!! read more

Literally the worst bread known to man. Sometimes it feels like you'd be better off buying a loaf of white bread and bringing it to the store. The WiFi is good so there is that. Subway is down the road though so save a few dollars and possibly your will to eat bread read more

Used to love this place. Well not today. All of the shredded chicken was only one one half of the sandwich, the sandwich was super salty, the bread was rock hard (especially around the edges). I know tomatoes are out of season, but these were not ripe at all. Not the quality ingredients I expect from Panera. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Food good, service not so much! I don't live here was in town for business and walked in to a couple people in line. We all stood there for 5 minutes while the one cashier at 7am on a Wednesday morning was packing up a bagel order. The other employees walked out saw the line and walked away including the manager. I ordered my soufflé and iced coffee got a buzzer and went and sat down. 10 minutes later wakes up to find my drink sitting on the counter. Buzzer never went off, never called my name. I mentioned that and they started at me like so! I stated I had a soufflé as well and one of them told me I was suppose to get that at the front. Well the cashier didn't give it to me and now it was my problem. Yikes! Got my drink and food but the place needs some better management direction and customer service training. read more

Couldn't even wait to get out of the restaurant to write this review. The staff cooking the food currently is making inappropriate jokes in front of customers (very loudly at that-talking over the customers in the restaurant). My boyfriend ordered a blueberry pomegranate smoothie and we had to go up not once, but twice to remind them-and someone had gotten the same one before us who had ordered awhile after we had. The only positive thing I can say about this panera experience was that our cashier was very polite. Don't plan on coming to this location again. Update: finally got the smoothie 15 minutes after we finished eating. read more

After the sandwich I ordered had just a single slice of turkey on it, I showed it to the line manager who indicated that she was willing to put alittle "extra turkey". The extra turkey came with a little extra attitude that I could have done without. I know that this restuarant thrives on portion control so it can keep prices down, but ... come on now! read more

They have an acoustics problem here. It's horribly loud in there, and everything feels rushed and crushed together. I had some vegetarian sandwich, it was mediocre and gave me heartburn supreme. Blah. Also there was an article on MSNBC that revealed that Panera uses additives in their bakery items that cause hyper activity in young children. So if you are looking for a place that's crowded, loud, has mediocre food and pocked with spastic, hyper active children who will gnaw on your leg, go here. read more

This Panera would have gotten 5 stars a few years ago when I practically lived there the month I was finishing up my grad school portfolio. But those lovely leather armchairs that I so loved so sit with a drink and a pastry are now gone. Lounging around all day is no longer encouraged, it would seem. That being said, this Panera is still a pretty great one. Quick service, friendly faces, always clean. You really can't go wrong with soup in a bread bowl. read more

I am literally typing this review at a table in Panera. I've enjoyed grabbing a table everyone now and then, and sitting on my laptop while people watching. Panera as a company has quiet restaurants, good food, and free wifi. However, I have been to this location twice, and the first time I ordered soup and bread, and they forgot the bread, and this time I ordered a bagel, and it came to me raw. Turn-up your toaster, no one wants a raw bagel. Kinda wrecked the 1 thing I came to order (just like last time). The coffee is good though.... read more

Panera is a chain so the food stays pretty consistent. The service here is phenomenal! Bussers during lunch to keep things clean and make sure the tables turn over. I appreciated that there was a good number of baked goods. Not to mention, the line moved quickly. If you plan to go to a chain, head over here. read more

A 35 min wait for a steak egg and cheese sandwich and a hot mocha. I recieved a sandwich with the top an everything bagel, the bottom an asiago bagel. It had a hair in it and an iced mocha with an extra pump of chocolate read more

Love the sour dough bread...they make great grilled cheese. The bagels aren't too bad......they will make due until the next time you get to New York. My favorite bagel is a fresh asiago cheese with tons of cream cheese. Yum! The broccoli cheese soup is also very tasty. I love that they have cage free eggs and antibac free chicken. I appreciate that they are starting to care more about the products they are serving. The only question I have is this...are the chickens free range? This Panera is rather loud and always busy. read more

Their food is always very good! I love their season salads with the strawberries in them. Wish they were always available. Broccoli cheese soup is my favorite. Con: This place is always insanely busy. read more

Panera Bread - Turkey with cheesy broccoli soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

One of the worst Panera Bread experiences that I have ever had, Service was poor and the food not made correctly or appetizingly. Stopped here so we could eat outside because we were traveling with our dog. They do have outdoor tables and a nice patio. That accounts for the two stars, everything else gets zero. I went in to order our food and a very sloppy dressed girl call me over to take my order. I step up and she immediately turns her attention to two other employees who are having a discussion that doesn't concern her. I couldn't get her attention back to me. It literally was minutes before she was ready to focus on her customer. How rude. I ordered the turkey and avocado blt. There was no bacon on it. I thought that maybe I had misinterpreted what the sandwich was but I look it up online and there was supposed to be bacon. Hubby wanted a ham and cheese which they don't actually have so she ordered a a turkey and cheese. It did come with the requested ham substituted but she had asked if I wanted a whole or half. I said whole - evidently a "whole" turkey and cheese is actually two sandwiches. We didn't need or want that. Would have been nice if that had been explained to us. Then they stuffed the sandwich with red onions. It was basically two onion sandwiches with a bit of ham and swiss. I don't think this is the quality or standard that Panera strives for. I want to believe that this experience was location specific. We won't be stopping at this location again. read more

Great place to ger coffee, food and try to Limit dinner here. I mix their dark roast with hazelnut., seriously good flavor Coffee. Bagels ofcourse, most of them come there for that. Good all round food, good ambience., crowded at 11:30 and things settle down after 8:45 in the morning. read more

I really enjoy Panera's rewards program and their baker's dozen bagel special on Tuesdays. I feel like I'm getting a special reward every other week. I would recommend splitting their family-sized soup for 2 or 3 people. read more

Worst access I have ever ever experienced. The doors not only don't have a handicap assist but they are angled making it even more difficult. None of the drink supplies like lids and straws are reachable and stuff pretend your not there. I actually had a staff member step over me as I was struggling to get drinks to the table. Would never recommend for anyone who is otherwise abled. read more

Out of this, out of that.. inappropriate dialogue between staff and not very attentive. I dont know what else to say.. i had a not so pleasant experience. Not to mention my mediocre sandwich and salad totaled out to be $21 i shoulda went to red lobster.... hahahahaha read more

The food is okay, but the employees here are always grumpy and not very helpful. If you are just looking for a bagel or sandwich, I would order ahead just so you don't have to deal with them. I really wish I could get a little bit of a smile with my coffee or an intelligible response to my question than just a grunt. Very disappointing. read more

I come here all of the time. Seriously though, my tip for EVERYONE is if you're starving and it's your lunch time, you're better off ordering for pickup. That way you get your food, have your lunch ready, and then you'll be on your way. I don't recommend you coming here around the lunch hour unless you have time to spare. But I'm never disappointed. I always get the pick 2! The Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken and a Chicken Noodle Soup! It's always delicious and never disappoints me. I really like their pumpkin spice latte and the green power smoothie! I've also had their broth bowls. If you're looking for broth bowls... try to avoid the Asian style one it's way too sour and it's really not good... I did not enjoy it. Their flat breads and paninis are good and their Honey Walnut cream cheese spread is DEEEELICIOUS!!! Also, if you come here often, get a Panera rewards card! Trust me! Last year I had free chicken noodle soup for an entire month! It was AWESOME! Don't forget they deliver in the Madison area!! Which was the best idea ever!!! read more

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Really seems to be going downhill. Quite dirty. Service very slow. Manager seems uninterested. Addendum: time stamp on receipt: 1:35; food delivered to table: 2:05 read more

I stopped at Panera about 6:20 am to grab a power sandwich. One glance and I could see the stocking that should have taken place BEFORE opening did not. There were five people behind the pastry/bagel counter, lots of scrambling and not happy faces. At one point I heard one of the more senior staff quietly asked the manager, 'can I ask why nothing is stocked?' Clearly I was not the only one with this impression. I have noticed this in the past, and I have adjusted my schedule to accommodate. I try and stop a bit later than the 6 am opening to avoid waiting the extra time it takes for staff to get the food out of bins etc. before they can prepare it. What I do not expect is to be treated rudely. After 4-5 minutes of standing at the register unacknowledged I finally asked if I was at the wrong register. There were no less than five people behind the counter at this time, and not a single one acknowledged my presence. The person closest to me, the manager, replied abruptly, while he continued to stock, 'the two girls are filling an order for multiple bagel packs'. No 'sorry to keep you waiting', or 'someone will be with you a moment'. Or maybe he could have taken an order himself? When someone did finally take my order, there was no apology for the wait. I later called Panera and spoke with the manager Dennis. He took the opportunity to tell me how many years he has been a manager at Panera, twelve I believe he said. Apparently if you are employed a long time, that entitles you to be rude and indifferent to customers. He did offer words of apology; however his voice tone and attitude were not at all apologetic, and clearly it was not genuine. The food here is decent, but I'm not sure the disorganization, wait time, and poor customer service is worth the bagel. read more

The experience here completely depends on which employee you end up dealing with. Most of them are fine, but there are a couple surly teens who obviously do not want to be there and a couple special needs people who work *extremely* slowly. The food is ok, pretty par for a fast casual sandwich shop. I'm not sure if it's general policy (so people will take "prettier" Instagram photos?) or what, but with lunch sandwiches they pile all the ingredients at the cut part of the sandwich so it looks really nice and full...but the back half has nothing in it. So when you pick it up, it's weirdly unbalanced causing stuff to fall out. You can obviously just push stuff around to make it more even, but it's still weird and a little annoying for those of us who don't feel the need to document our food. One serious "con": The bread and bakery is totally unprotected and there is always at least a fly or two buzzing around in summer. I've also seen a couple customers reach right over the shield in front of the bakery to poke and touch the goods... read more

My first time here and the food was good. I had a raspberry muffin, chipotle chicken sandwich, and a hot chai tea. The hot chai tea was delicious. read more

Good food and service. Horrible parking, freezing temperature and overly loud music. The business people that take calls on their computers, speaker phones and conduct business meetings loudly at their tables with no regard for anyone around them are jerks. So annoying. read more

Two words: Come early. If you want to get any variety of baked goods, you've got to be there before 3pm. The quality of food is about what you would expect from a McDonaldized bakery. Most people don't know that they don't literally bake there; things come either half-baked and/or frozen and are finished in the store. Not terrible, just know what you're getting. The service for me is hit or miss. read more

Wanted to compliment the service at this Panera. My husband ordered the incorrect menu item and when I brought it up to them they went above and beyond to get me what I truly wanted, a Mediterranean Grain Bowl, which was delicious! read more

There is a reason this place has a 2 star rating. 1) The furnishings are in need of replacement; torn booth fabrics, nicks in wood, etc. 2) The place is an absolute mess during the lunch rush 3) The place is in need of a fumigation. Ants walking across my booth table This place has to be one of the bigger Panera's in the country. How management can let this place get so neglected is truly unbelievable. Not returning any time soon on a future Madison visit. read more