Panera Bread

Absolutely sick and tired of burgers we came here! It was sooo nice to get well seasoned kebabs and…read morewraps. The pilaf was lemony and refreshing also! Loved coming here as a pit stop and will definitely come back if we drive through this way!

Since living in the Central Valley I have struggled to find good falafel. My husband and I ordered…read morethe falafel appetizer and shared a combo plate. It was more than enough food for us both. The combo plate was excellent and the falafel were the best I have had in 22 years! The service was extraordinary, like service used to be when I was a kid 40-50 years ago. I usually avoid going to Merced, but now have a reason to visit.

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Outside

The Papaya Lady

4.8(165 reviews)

1.6 mi

When my sister went to school in Merced, we always made sure to stop by Papaya Lady whenever we're…read morein town. Since she has graduated, I won't be in town anytime soon, but I highly recommend them for some good Thai and Laotian bites if you're ever in Merced! They have a selection of delicious dishes and I have loved everything that I've tried. My go-to orders are the Papaya Salad and Khao Poon. The papaya salad is a must and the spice level was the perfect amount. The Khao Poon is a coconut curry based noodle soup that is so flavorful. I've also come to really enjoy the Nam Khao (Laotian crispy rice salad), each bite is crunchy and absolutely delish. Your Asian comfort food cravings will definitely be satisfied here. Wishing The Papaya Lady continued success!

I had the Papaya Lady bookmarked for a long time when I finally had the opportunity to try them on…read moremy way home from Merced. Located off on the corner of 16th Street and G (same plaza as Little Caesars), the Papaya Lady is actually tucked away inside a carniceria. The aisles of the market nearly block the counter to this little kitchen. It's the neon sign of "The Papaya Lady" buzzing that guides you to the back. We came in the late afternoon on a Saturday and they were already out of the fried chicken and sticky rice (next time!). We ended up ordering: Papaya Salad (extra spicy) - The little peppers in this gave the dish a nice kick. Super refreshing on a hot day. Nam Khao (crispy rice lettuce wrap with pork skin) - I highly enjoyed this one with all the crunchy textures and flavors. Will 100% get again. Khao Poon (noodle soup) - This broth had a subtle peanut flavor which was delicious. Wished it had more toppings. Nam Vanh (tapioca drink) - My drink seemed to lack the other jellies that I saw in other pictures and only had the lil tapioca balls, sweetener and coconut milk. It felt like it was missing something for sure. The owner is so nice and friendly. I don't know if it's a psychological thing, but every time he acknowledged or spoke to me, he used my name. It just felt automatically more warm and welcoming lol The price per portion is also legit. You get so much for what you pay. Our order kept me and the SO fed for almost 3 days. So nice to have some good Asian food in the Central Valley. Will definitely be back!

Nam vanh

Nam khao

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Nam Wan

Toni's Courtyard Café

4.3(784 reviews)

1.2 mi

Wow! That was delicious! We were driving through town when hunger striked which led us to Toni's…read moreCourtyard Cafe. We came on a Monday morning and the crowd was light as expected being a weekday. We were seated right away. They have both indoor and outdoor seating options but the tables are a bit tight so probably not the best place for parties over 4-5 people. I had the salmon scramble with a slice of pumpkin bread and subbed the potatoes for a fruit cup. I don't know if it was because I was extra hungry but it tasted delicious! There was a lot more salmon in the scramble than I expected which was a bonus! The fruit was great and the pumpkin bread was a nice unique twist to the classic breakfast side options. My fiancé got the breakfast burrito which was huge and filling!

Came here for brunch on Sunday morning/ ordered coffee, the salmon scramble with breakfast potatoes…read moreand pumpkin bread. Everything was delicious! The restaurant had a cozy vibe/ definitely will be back!

Wall arts

Taco salad

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Front of view.

Jantz Cafe & Bakery

4.2(563 reviews)

1.0 mi

Nice place to have breakfast or lunch serving American/mexican fares. Roomy and clean booth and…read moretables setting. Coffee and pies are extra. Super nice service staff. You can have value menu for light eaters. Plenty of parking. Nice deco. We ordered 3 shrimps tacos, avocado toast and mini breakfast burrito for a quick breakfast. Food came out rather quick. The toast is small and excellent but the tacos and burritos are just ok.

This is my friend's favorite bakery and a must-stop any time she's in Merced. I was with her and so…read moreI had the pleasure of visiting for a late lunch. I wasn't very hungry, so I opted for a bowl of soup with a side of cornbread and a slice of pie to go. The soup was hearty and plentiful. I could have gone for a cup instead, but instead took what I couldn't eat to-go and enjoyed it later. The corn bread was delicious--slightly sweet, and moist enough to not fall apart when I cut into it with my fork. I usually love butter with corn bread, which they offered me, but it didn't need it. I wasn't sure which pie to get-they have so many to pick from. Checking out the options in the bakery case didn't help because they all looked so beautiful. I ended up selecting peach, and it was amazing. The peaches were perfectly caramelized but still maintained their texture. The bake of the pie brought out their ultimate peachiness. The crust was just the right thickness. Even though it was a cold slice, the crust remained flakey. The cafe had ample seating. Service was attentive, but not overbearing. Pricing is on the high end, but I'm not sure how much that is because food is so expensive now-a-days. I was a bit surprised to see sandwich combos (with a side) all starting at around $20, and going up from there. It was after 2 in the afternoon, so the bakery had several 50% off boxes of baked goods to select. Four large cookies for I believe $12 or so (I could be wrong). There weren't too many options left in the bakery cases. I would love to see what this place offers when it first opens. Stay tuned for an update once I get that chance.

Baddies cooking area

Italian panini, salad, and fruit!

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Menu 4/26

Bella Luna

4.0(655 reviews)

1.3 mi

Decided to take family out for dinner on saturday night to bella luna. The greeters were very nice…read moreand seated us shortly after.the food was absolutely delicious. We order calamary,caesar salad,capellini and italiano pizza which was outstanding. Service was ok, our server jasmine was very short with words and seem to be in a rush, we did not kept us from enjoying our food. We will definatly be back to try other pizzas and pastas.

Bread is freshly baked and yum but not complimentary. Meatballs appetizer is tasty, comes with 4…read morebig meatballs. Combo: half salad and half sandwich are limited to a few options only. Asked the waiter if I can pay extra to select a different salad on the menu and they said No. Pasta is great, salad is average, the beet salad plate was cold, seems like it came straight from the fridge. Pizza took very long to make, it came towards the end of our meal. The waiter gave us some free fries and soups to make up the long wait time. Overall it's not a bad experience, I would go back for pasta dishes only.

Best Seat in the House

A Place To Bring a Friend

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Book for Private Events. Contact : banquets@bellalunamerced.com. Tuscan Room. Seats 80.

The Mainzer

4.1(393 reviews)

1.2 mi

Came across The Mainzer while staying next door for the night and of course I was curious thinking…read morethis was a German place based on the name. Apparently the owners might been from Mainz but that's about it. The ambience and food were great and so was their beer! Cheers

Fun place to hang out for beer and tacos, maybe onion rings too. There's an actual movie theatre as…read morewell as a game area with I think skeeball and some other stuff that we didn't check out. Vibe felt like they'd put some money in to the remodel and upkeep, leading to a bright, contemporary vibe that managed to preserve the original feel. Was here for a vendor event, where the extensive beer selection, accessed by self-service RFID cards, worked better in theory than reality. They measure the pours at each machine and it's quite interactive, but it felt like a bunch of the kegs were empty (so the corresponding dispensers were not working), and there were definitely some issues with the RFID system that they, to their credit, did get sorted out. Chips and guac are good and hard to mess up, the carne asada tacos were very good, the chicken tacos were pretty forgettable. 3.5 stars. Tempted to rate higher but they seem to promise a bit more than they delivered.

Sold Out Concert! Photo Credit: Indigo Rain

Tomato Brunch Cast Iron

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Smoked Turkey Club

Table 59

4.2(202 reviews)

1.1 mi

Family-owned & operated

Catering service

Our first visit to Rainbird in Merced this past Saturday was a wonderful experience! We met family…read morefrom out of town for lunch, and the pleasant atmosphere, exceptional food, and warm hospitality made it a perfect place to catch up. Our server, Soichi, was attentive and delightful. Alyssa, the Food & Beverage Supervisor, was extremely helpful with food recommendations and seating accommodations. Both helped make our afternoon feel special. The bruschetta and burrata were superb, with beautiful presentation. Our family raved about the Rainbird Club, while my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Millionaire BLT--what a flavorful experience! We also appreciated Rainbird's commitment to seasonal ingredients and local farms. After lunch, we moved over to Native Son Cafe for a scrumptious dessert and some righteous drinks while continuing our conversation. It was the perfect finish to a memorable afternoon. Thank you, Soichi, Alyssa, and the team, for making our first visit such a pleasure. We will definitely be back!

It was our first time going to table 59 and we will definitely be back.Food was really delicious…read morevery fresh also the service was really great!

Salt, Lime, $5 Margaritas. That's the vibe ‍ Every Wednesday's celebrate in style

#ScampiEnergy

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Creamy Cajun sauce Pizza topped with shrimp, onions, bell peppers, and spinach drizzled in Cajun sauce.

West Coast Sourdough - Merced

3.4(80 reviews)

1.3 mi

This place is no longer a West Coast Sourdough unfortunately. It's now Cali Joe's and not as good…read more The menu is smaller. The bread isn't as yummy. Service is slow. The sandwiches were ok, but nothing to rave about. I miss West Coast.

When this place opened, it was so good but unfortunately has gone downhill. Not just in food but in…read moreService too. I love their clam chowder in the bread bowl, but that's about it. And I even when I'm craving it , I struggle with purchasing it. Just because it's so over priced. Everything in here is over priced for being mediocre at best. I don't really recommend this place. If you want sandwiches, go to lovers deli. And for soup I would probably go to Jantz.

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Native Son

3.8(61 reviews)

1.2 mi

I went into Native Son's coffee before a movie. 1) I love how late this place is open and how cute…read moreit is inside. 2) I need to shout out Adriana, not only did she make our drinks delicious and I mean amazingly good, she recommended us to go enjoy the music playing in the courtyard. She was so patient with me and my friend and provided suggestions for drinks. I would for sure come back again.

Staying at the hotel & stopped in for a glass of wine upon check in & then matcha the following…read moremorning. Both were great/ the strawberry pistachio matcha was the BEST I've ever had!!! They also offer pistachio milk which is so good & not that common to find. Adriana helped me both times & she was great! She was super helpful, friendly and gave me tips for the area. Ambiance, decor, drinks, service-

Such a cute bar area!

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Breakfast burrito with coffee, it was delicious!

Deli Delicious

3.6(114 reviews)

0.5 mi

We've ordered from this spot multiple times. And I'm not sure why people say it's expensive, it's…read moreonly a bit more then subway or togos but the quality (at least in Merced) is soooo much better. Plus they have other options on the menu then just sandwhichs, like sweet potato fries and chicken sandwhiches. The only thing I can say is check your to go orders, sometimes they aren't right.

A great place to get a sandwich. Quality ingredients, nice soft bread, friendly service. Every time…read moreI'm there, the tables are clean. When they aren't busy crafting sandwiches, they are cleaning tables, soda machine, windows, etc. The bathrooms are also very clean. My go to sandwich is ham and turkey on white. I'm not crazy for the specialty sandwich's with cream cheese, but maybe you will like it. I typically get the medium size and save half for later. Nice size sandwiches.

4in tuna, avocado and sprouts in wheat bread

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Super crunchy fries....perfectly made

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Barbara G.

10 years ago

Not sure how many stars to give this place. Panera bread was busy, with lots of cars outside, so I thought it would be really good. I found this dive to be overpriced, and the food was below average. I got soup, and a sandwich. The portions were too small, and it looked trendy. I got the feeling that folks go here because it's trendy, but I found the quality to be lacking. It felt like a franchise, and the Pastry's may have been fairly fresh, but nothing to write home about. Probably cooked earlier in the day, cause mine were cold. Not too excited about this place. read more

Krysta L.

13 years ago

I love Panera in Turlock so I was even more excited that it was coming to merced! First they messed up on my salad and gave me a small, I took it back and they replaced it with the wrong salad. I didn't have time to wait another 15 min for a salad. Shorted me chips and a cookie on a to go order as well. Very disappointed that this was my first experience at Panera In Merced read more

Eric P.

4 years ago

not sure why this dump cant get an order right but the idiots behind the wheel want a person in a wheelchair to get on the bus and drive down there to resolve an order because they are too stupid to manage it the first time. whatever you do do not order a drink from these people as you will not get it crap food + crap service = crap review. get it together read more

Dick K.

5 years ago

Where do I start, can do a good order correctly, management are untitled know nothing's, ripped me off for months of coffee subscription I never used and it only got worse with the pandemic. Save your money and slap some crap in a bowl and call it a salad. Not worth it at all read more

Chris W.

9 years ago

This location is amazing. Placed a rapid pick up order today. They didn't have the correct bread for my sandwich. They called me and took care of the problem before I even arrived to pick up my order. Zero wait time. Awesome location. 5 star for sure. read more

E P.

5 years ago

its like beating my head against a wall. i keep giving them a chance and they mess up my order every time. im disabled and their solution is to come in and unfortunately i'm not able to drive so i dont bother even calling them about it. read more

Moon S.

12 years ago

Employees here are seem to hate what they are doing and therefore treat you like they hate you. They have messed up every single order I've gotten, and I am now done trying. read more

Alice M.

12 years ago

the cashiers were generous and the line did great on my order didnt miss anything! loved the atmosphere the place had. Great job will come again soon (: read more

Laurie L.

12 years ago

It's the only decent place to eat in Merced. Hope because is it is corporate the quality does not go down after one month like most diners.

Kathleen E.

11 years ago

If I could give less than one star I would! My boyfriend brought home take out and there was hair in his food!

Sally H.

11 years ago

Overhyped.

Panera Bread - sandwiches - Updated October 2026

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The reviews for this restaurant will kind of mixed. Either people thought it was really great or…read morepeople didn't like it. We took the risk. We had a great experience. Restaurant was very clean, the employees were kind and helpful and the food was fresh and delicious. We very much enjoyed it subs. We recommend!

First timer @ a Delicious Deli! Loved that the location was clean and well kept! The staff here was…read moregreat as soon as we walked in we were greeted and helped within minutes! Jose was great as we mentioned it was our first time & we needed a little time to decide what to get! He was very patient and friendly when we were finally ready. Good was great! Will be back for sure!

TOGO'S Sandwiches

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The was delicious and fresh as always and Hector who made my sandwich is always helpful and does…read morehis work with a smile. The resturant was clean and well stocked as always, I have eaten at Togos since I was a child and will alway, thank you for excellent foods and service!

This place is very clean and you are greeted right away whether the employees are working on other…read morepeople's sandwiches or not they acknowledge you and they give you the best service and if they don't know what you said they ask you again and it just works very nice people very clean and good good sandwiches

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

3.0

(339 reviews)

July 25th 2026. We arrived and the table we like to sit at…read morewas not clean yet. The hostess asked us if we mind waiting until she could get someone to clean it. We agreed with no problems. Maybe 2 minutes later it was clean and ready. Yay!! Our waitress Vickie S. was super nice, super friendly, super helpful . She also offered us two types of salad dressing. We thought OG only had one style. We opted for the Ranch to try something new. It was fire. So delicious . Our food arrived fast, hot and absolutely delicious. Everything we ordered was on point. My cocktail was fire as well. We ordered some pasta to go and left very happy. Oh!! I forgot to add our waitress also brought us plates for our salad and appetizers That never happens. We always have to ask for plates. We were so happy that we didn't have to ask for plates. As time went on Vickie got real busy, but, the quality of her service never went down. She is 5 star allll the way. Thank you Vickie Hope to see you next time

Wife and I had dinner here mainly because of their never ending pasta bowl special. We tried four…read moredifferent pasta/sauce combinations. Their crispy shrimp fritta, meatball, and sausage protein toppings were all good. Each of those add an additional $4.99 one-time cost to the special, but they are worth it in my opinion. I liked their Alfredo and standard meat sauces, but wasn't impressed with their new spicy Alfredo sauce. Our waitress (Jordan) was awesome! As usual, Olive Garden doesn't disappoint, but it is not on par with non-chain Italian restaurants in town, something we knew before hand. My wife said their Black Tie Mousse Cake was awesome.

Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop

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Yeah, couple months have passed and the owner didn't even reply to my negative review after…read moreoriginally having given a 5 star review, and try to make things right with me. However, she replied to other customers in the meantime. I feel as if that lets you know a lot about her as a business owner. She doesn't want to be confronted on a $66 mishap, and be burdened with attempting to make things right with a very loyal customer. I find that to be rather shameful. God bless this restaurant, but I don't think I'll return to this unethical establishment. -KA

Brah.. not all pickles created equal! From the awesome girl who took my catering order & helped…read morepick my sandwiches to the guy in pic getting it together & packing me up. Order was on time & ready to go I will definitely use this location again great stuff.

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Best Sandwich in Town! Found this place on Yelp and I'm so…read moreglad I decided to stop in. Only one person ahead of me, and while all the tables were full, it didn't matter since my order was to-go. I went with a roast beef on wheat with everything except jalapeños, plus chips and a bottled water. I was a little worried it might take a while since there were people still waiting for their food at the tables--but that wasn't the case. My order came out surprisingly fast. And wow... this has to be one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. The wheat roll was soft, the roast beef portion was generous, and the flavor was spot-on. All the fixings--lettuce, tomato, red onion, wax peppers, pickles, mustard, mayo, vinegar, and oil--came together perfectly.

The sandwiches are huge and always have the freshest ingredients! The service is fantastic friendly…read moreand they usually know my order when I walk in. I love that the sub shop recognizes our local schools on the walls and the prices are great. I have been coming here for over 25yrs. It has changed hands but the quality has not changed!! See you next week!

Black Bear Diner Merced

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We sat at the bar- got breakfast and a show! Like hibachi! Two servers were arguing over who the…read moreice belongs to. It was great! Food was even better and the service was excellent. Everything was clean too.

Waitress was super friendly, great customer service! Vibes…read morewere alright here, I don't know how to feel... I love Eggs Benedict, I get Eggs Benedict every where that has them. Unfortunately, these poached eggs were not as i'm used too... they were more like boiled eggs sadly. Hopefully the chef can fix this for future orders. I ate the food any way, didn't have time to wait for them to remake it as we had somewhere to be.

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