Came in during the middle of the day when it wasn't very busy and had a pleasant experience. The staff was very friendly; the cashier was patient when I kept entering the wrong phone number for my "My Panera" card and another woman who was sweeping kindly got me a new cup when I accidentally dropped my empty one on the floor. I only had an "Autumn Squash" soup, but it was delicious and the bread served with it was fresh. The seating areas are kept clean and there are several different spaces so the noise level of people talking is moderated. The only weird thing is the new procedure of having the food brought to tables by the staff. Not sure when this was implemented, but it was never a problem to pick up food at the counter. Now, they give you a numbered pager device (like at Cheesecake Factory and other popular restaurants), but they never ring it. Instead, someone walks around the room shouting your name and order details. Kinda weird and annoying. Maybe the system was broken today? Overall, I will be back. The location is convenient and parking is easy. read more

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I look at Panera as a hit or miss. If its a hit, the food is good and the location is roomy and has adequate seating for the crowds that pile in. However if it is a miss, like this location, nothing helps. In this case, the location is so small and set up so weird, that seating is impossible. It is shaped too narrow or something because the counter runds down the length of the inside and the seating is off to the side following the same narrow length. The location gets so crowded, and the rooms are so split, you almost have to dodge people and trays in order to get a seat. Plus, the food is just only sometimes good and so expensive, it is not worth the fight for a seat. I look at it this way, if Panera wants to earn my business they will stop trying to be something they are not, gourmet. Stop trying to keep up with gourmet creative lunch cafes and just stick to basics like soup and sandwiches. The steak balsamic sandwich I ordered tasted like garbage and the chicken stew was bland and just downright horrible. Plus the parking at this location was a mess and people were killing each other to find a spot. Skip this place and travel farther down Highland and you will hit about 6 other places that are better food and that provide better seating choices. read more

This is literally the worst parking lot in the history of parking lots. This parking lot should be used to teach teenagers how to maneuver through difficult situations. I circled 8 times and almost got hit twice before illegally parking next door. Otherwise it's your standard Panera fair, overpriced food and understaffed probably underpaid employees who have to work too hard. The avacado in my sandwich was brown and tasted bad. The food runner gets 5 stars tho he was working his a$$ off! read more

Same food quality as every other Panera. The knocks on this place are the terrible parking lot and the fact that is always over crowded no matter what day or time you go. I suppose thats good for business, but I don't like having to fight for a table. They do have a very friendly staff at this location though. read more

Terrible. They just misplaced our order and no one knew what happened so had to remake it when we came asking. There is nowhere to sit because people are holding classes and just stationing themselves at tables for the whole day. Also the food wasn't that good. Just ok. Just about anywhere is better than here. read more

Sooo disappointed. Took our grandson to Panera as his choice for a birthday dinner take out. His most important choice of cookie for dessert was not put in bag, broccoli cheese bread bowl and no choice of bread, pressed turkey disgusting and the two identical ordered chicken sandwiches not prepared as ordered and each made with two different kinds of bread. What happened to this Panera bread? Is it the night shift that just doesn't care as much?! Very disappointing birthday dinner experience choice for our nephew and grandson. One and done and sad for him! read more

Of the Paneras close to me (Brookline/Coolidge Corner and Watertown locations too), I like this one best. Plenty of FREE parking, and more comfy seating in this particular location. I love the cozy fireplace, and there are plenty of booths. Food is same at all of them, but I like the service here better. The manager never bothers me/us, even if we've been there for hours scouring over our various projects. Having spent lots of time at several locations, I can comment on breakfast, lunch/dinner, but it's pretty standard fare. I recommend getting the "you pick two" for the uninitiated Panera goer. During the winter months, the bread bowl soup option is always a good idea! read more

I think this is the worst Panera I've ever been to. I've been here several times, and I can always count on them messing something up with my order. When I politely point out that something's not right, they are sometimes rude when trying to fix it. And for some reason, they always seem to give the wrong (or no) silverware. Oh, you wanted a spoon with your soup? Today was the worst. I got a soup and a sandwich. The sandwich was very sloppy and some of the meat smelled spoiled. The onion on it was rancid. I took two bites and stopped eating it was so gross. The soup was lukewarm at best. read more

Another first to review! Anyone else as excited about getting those or do I just have too much time on my hands? I've been with this Panera since its conception. I used to go to the manicure place that was torn down to bring in it (over a year ago) and it's been a long, long wait, especially when I had to see that "Panera Coming Soon" sign every time I 'drove' down gridlocked Highland Ave to get to the same, boring lunch spots -- with the exception of the soup place that's worth the annoying trek. I watched its construction, placed a bet on when it would finally open, lost the bet, and then waited a few more weeks to actually go because so many other locals were also chomping at the bit. I stopped by yesterday morning (and again this morning) to see if the wait was worth it. It is just a Panera, but you don't know... When you eat at the same places for years, any new restaurant looks like gold. I did have a little moment when I walked in, too, with the sunlight shining in through the windows and all the employees nice as could be (they're still new, of course they're happy). Today's visit was a tad more realistic: earlier morning disorganized crowd, two machines out of coffee, several bagel bins empty and a slightly delayed order. Everyone was still nice though! This Panera is also wifi ready, which the smart patrons have begun putting to good use. One more note: They've got great cream cheese. read more

VALET PARKING, WHAT?!? This Panera is just like all the others, same food, same crowdedness, same elderly population. But this one! This one has complimentary valet parking, which makes my lunch hour so much more enjoyable and makes me feel like a lady who lunches. Even if I only lunch at Panera. Disclaimer: Give yourself an extra few minutes to retrieve your car from the valet. They brought me the wrong car once. I probably should have just taken it; it was way nicer than mine! read more

Sure its a chain, but I was hungry and needed to eat. The food here was the same as all the others, but the service was fantastic and they have a room you can reserve for business meetings. My only complaint is that I was there at 11:30 for lunch, it was not crowded and all of the tables were dirty and they were out of French Bread, a little strange for a place that calls itself a Bakery. read more

Asked for two salads, received different ones. Since it was 'to go' I only found out when back home. It should close at 10pm, but 9:45 they were not very eager to serve us even for take away. read more

What a joy for Panera to finally come to Newton. This branch is technically in Needham, but right on the Newton border. It is located at a very busy intersection right by I-95, so when they first started building it, I cursed the traffic that it would surely bring. However, I take it all back. Having a Panera so close is convenient! The real reason that I am giving this branch 4 stars is the service. Every single time I go in there, I am greeted with a smile. That's not true of every branch (hello, Watertown Panera! I'm talking to you!). Everyone from the manager to the high schoolers working there are friendly. They are great if you have food allergies or are just high maintenance. The best thing about Panera is the wide variety of the menu. Everyone can get something they like there. Soups, salads, sandwiches; they have it all. In addition, if you look at their nuitritional information on the website, you will be pleasantly surprised. read more

If I didn't have a gift certificate I would NEVER go here. And if you have a gift card don't bother trying to place your order online because when you get to the end on the site it will inform you that you can ONLY pay by credit card. And don't bother calling your order in ahead of time... because every single time I've called my order in they haven't had it ready when I arrived to pick it up. Terrible customer service. Subpar food. Just a few more reason why we need more food trucks in the area. read more

This place is awful. Probably the worst Panera ever in business. I had placed a delivery order from the Panera app the day before for a family meal. The family who was supposed to be receiving it texted and said it never arrived. So I called the store. When talking to the manager on that night the first mistruth he said was that it never came through. I said no, it did because your store called me about it the day before to clarify something. He then said "well I wasn't here that night" he then wanted to hang up to call that manager and blow it off. All the while, he refused to identify himself when I asked him his name and wanted to cancel the order instead of fixing it. He said that he called that manager from the day before and there was no answer. I asked him to make the food and have it ready by the time he got there because I would make the delivery myself. He again refused, insisting that the store has been busy all day and that if I did show up he would talk to me. When I got there it was dead, maybe 2 customers around, and the manager came out and started with the excuses again and also blamed the manager on duty the night before. I reminded him that he said that the store has been super busy all day but it appeared slow, which he did not have a good answer for. Seeing how I made it clear that I was not going to leave without the food, he reluctantly made the meal. He also made the store look terrible after trying to refuse to help me in front of other customers. He kept saying "be nice" over and over again because I told him he wasn't being truthful or helpful. He also said he had already cancelled the order that evening before I arrived. It has been a few days and no refunds have been posted to my Visa card yet. When I called the Panera customer care number they confirmed that he did not cancel the order, so that is probably the 10th lie he told. I just can't see how this place can be profitable with this kind of thing going on. Outright refusing to do anything but argue and ignore the phone is just plain laziness. Blowing someone off thinking they are just going to let go of a 50 dollar meal is plain foolish. read more

I ordered a Greek salad. The tomatoes were pale and mealy; they did not put much dressing in the salad. The Dr. Pepper soda was flat, the carbonation having slowly left the bottle under the fountain. read more

Food is always served in a timely manner and always fresh! Salads are delicious!! Lisa at the front end has the nicest personality, super helpful and great with people. read more

This location is managed poorly and treats their customers even worse. They often ignore you when you are trying to get help. If they are busy you will not get what you ordered. I go to Panera often but strongly recommend avoiding this one. read more

So I knew going into this... lunch would be late. It's lunchtime on a Thursday. I used the delivery service and an hour later it wasn't here. So I called and asked if they were busy. I can understand. But what I can't stand is the attitude the delivery girl gave the woman I work with! And then mumble sorry I'm late. That's not how you get tipped. Gtfo I've given Panera so many chances. I'm just done. There's other places to get lunch. I wish I could give zero stars. read more

Orders always ready on time. Never had an issue. Nice staff. This place has their act together.

The manger Katelyn helped me get food even though they were technically closed. I had a long Travel day and there was nothing else around and I was starving. Truly appreciate her going above and beyond. read more

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the cleanliness of this Panera. There were no napkins anywhere, and so many dirty tables (I have to clean my own). Gaby, the cashier, was super friendly but the person making the smoothies was rude. It wasn't busy, and there was enough staff but not sure the manager was there as the staff didn't seem to care about cleaning the tables or the floor. Food was good, but again the place was not clean. read more

We were in Needham ...needed lunch and have had excellent experiences eating at Panera's in NH. It felt like we were in an alternative universe here. Nothing has changed reading other reviews...which we should have done! Young woman taking our order...texting as she took our orders. Never have I seen this...anywhere. Grounds for firing!! The women's restroom was a disgrace...Paper towels all over the floor. Better yet...the floor was so sticky my feet stuck to the floor. Good enough food didn't make up for any of this. We will never return to this location. Corporate should make a site visit and train management and other staff ...starting at customer service 101! read more

Panera in general is a good place to go for breakfast type foods, sandwiches, soups, and pastries. I hadn't been to this location before and didn't know what to expect, but thought I'd stop in since I was in the area and in need of using a daily coupon. They sent me a coupon for a free bagel every day of the month; definitely sign up for MyPanera if you plan on even coming here somewhat frequently (you can do so on their website). They constantly send lots of good coupons and offers. Anyway, so first of all, take caution of the parking lot. It's small and frequently jam packed. Not going to really penalize Panera, but just something to take caution of. Secondly, no drive thru! Sad..... my favorite feature, exhibited in the Walpole and Brockton locations could not be accomplished anywhere around here (curse those high-up people in Needham and Newton who have banned the drive thru's and plastic bags!!!). Either way though, I was still looking on the upside for this place. And for that matter, the inside isn't actually THAT clustered or small. Decent amount of tables, chairs, and room to move around. It was dead when I showed up (late afternoon); however, it seemed it wouldn't be too problematic in the morning either (when Panera is hopping!). What was SO disappointing about the Needham location was the staff. Normally, I don't have issues with employees, but when MULTIPLE employees are on their phones while they should be helping a LINE of customers at the pay area, that's not ok. I literally saw one girl filling a drink and texting at the same time. Seriously unacceptable. The line just kept getting longer while two guys in the back of the cooking area were doing who knows what on their phones. Should not be tolerated and extremely unprofessional (not something that would ever happen at the Walpole Panera, which I go to very frequently). Disappointing. And for just that, they have lost two stars. Decent enough cafe, but don't expect the best of service. Due to the fact that most other Panera locations I have received better service at, 3 stars is sufficient. Guess it's alright for this area..... most other locations are better though! read more

I saw a sign on the highway, but there should have been another one at the bottom of the off ramp. By the time I saw the store I was in the wrong lane and had to do a U-turn. You also have to take a side street to get to the parking lot, so it is not easy on/off the highway. The food was good and arrived quickly. I like the chain but will look for more convenient locations in the future. read more

So... I don't generally come to Panera but I was turned on to their Kitchen Sink Cookies and that was a dangerous thing!! OMG these things are huge, chock full of everything and the sea salt on top just makes them even better!! A few days ago, I ordered 3 doz for an event on Sunday, to pick up today. I paid for them and said goodbye. I called yesterday to say I would be a bit late so if we them around noon. The young lady said no problem! I walked in at 12:30 today and they told me my friend had already picked them up! Huh?? I had told No One about this purchase so there is no way anyone could have. They were shocked as was I. They said she used my name and said she was here to pick up for me They could not have been nicer about this whole thing. They are baking me new ones right now and gave me a free ice coffee while I wait. The look on their faces was enough to break my heart. This was a very expensive cookie order and now someone came and stole them from Panera and ME!! I really want you all to keep coming here because they are good folks who didn't deserve a theft like this! read more

So much for trusting the staff to get your order right. Ordered 2 different soups and got 2 of the same. Didn't think I had to check in the store before leaving. So frustrated! Never going to that location again! read more

Went in to order a peach blueberry smoothie with almond milk. They gave my smoothie to someone else who had ordered a strawberry banana smoothie and couldn't tell the difference. I was short on time so I grabbed the strawberry banana smoothie. The place was clean and the servers were friendly. Parking in back was easy. read more

The food at Panera Bread is quite good. It is the service that is terrible. I have ordered for rapid pick up and mistakes have been made in both orders. Most recently I called the Panera Bread on Highland Avenue in Newton/Needham line and the person answering sounded rushed and asked if I could wait, then the phone line went dead. I called back and said I wanted to put in a take out order and he put me on hold. I waited and waited. This was in the afternoon - not at a rushed time. Finally after a few minutes I called back again and this time said I wanted to put in an order and did not want to wait as this was call # three. The person on the other hand took my order but had to ask me several times for the number on my credit card. I asked if it would be ready in 15 minutes and he said yes. I ordered 2 different salads with chicken, both one of their salads they offer, nothing different. I arrived about 20 minutes later and the order was not there. The person stood there and at first did nothing. I said I had paid for it and expected to get it. He looked like he still did not know what to do. He asked for my name. He said he did not have it. I asked for the manager who came over and said that they would have to put the salads in again on my card (so they did find my order). I noted that I already paid for it once. She said there was nothing she could do as it did not go through. I noted that I had company coming and needed the salads. She took down my card number again. I said I was not happy and that I was in a hurry. She said that she was spending time talking to me instead of making the sandwich (there must have been at least 10 other people that she could have had make the sandwich). It was clear in her tone and attitude that she really did not care. The place was disorganized. It was chaotic and service was clearly not a a priority for them. This is a shame as the food is quite good. I do wonder if those running Panera Bread know about the sub-service that the Panera Bread offers at their Highland Avenue location. I will try to find better service somewhere else. I will miss the food. read more

A very negative and disturbing experience at Panera Bread on Highland Ave. I stopped by Panera to pick up a coffee to go. At approximately 1:30pm, there wasn't a single parking space anywhere to be found in the entire parking lot (NOT an exaggeration) with the exception of 2 "live parking" spots right in front of their front door. All the handicapped spaces were already taken up by non h/c cars, but whatever. Since I was only planning to grab a cup to go, I pulled into the live parking space. Before I could even get out of the car, a Panera employee appeared and informed that I couldn't park there since I didn't call ahead and wasn't picking up an order. I said I'll be very quick, and proceeded to go in. As I was walking in the door, the aforementioned employee was calling someone on the radio. When I walked in, there was only 1 person ahead of me. I got behind them, and watched as another "manager type" employee appeared by the front door. The first employee was pointing at me with a disgusted look on his face. By this time, I was at the register placing my order for 1 cup of coffee. The manager type walked up to the register and glared me. He explained again that I can't park in the live parking spots. The cashier removed her hand from the cup she was planning to give me. I asked if they're seriously not going to serve me because of where I parked. Then I explained to Steve the manager type that they're only wasting their own time right now by not serving me and that if they didn't engage in this charade, I would have gotten my coffee and been gone already. The answer was a fake nervous smile from Steve, the manager type. He was clearly too cowardly to say anything else. I turned around and left. Needless to say, I will not be patronizing ANY Panera anywhere ever again. Or maybe I'll just go back and park in that spot, get on the phone, and count the employees that come out. For the benefit of intelligence-challenged employees and executives who came up with this "policy", maybe you should take some chess lessons and practice predicting outcomes. Although I applaud your superior parking patrol skills (which I'm guessing were not in the job description), the overall picture leaves one wondering where common sense has gone. read more

I usually like Paneras, until this less than impressive experience. Tried calling in an order from the office. Phone call #1. Busy. Phone call #2. Still busy. Phone call #3. Guy finally picks up the phone, possibly having mistaken 1:20 with 420 I put in the order, and promptly embarrass myself by having to order wonderfully cutesy things like "tomesto" on behalf of my coworkers. My favorite part is that guy on the phone tells me that I can't use my credit card right now. Because the electricity was out. Yesterday. (Am I the only one who thinks those credit card machines are sort of either on or off?) And due to this outage yesterday, it would take 2 minutes for it to get processed. Um, ok. I ask why I can't wait the two minutes and he says it'll take too long. And it will be faster when I get there? No. It'll probably take longer. (There was logic in there somewhere that I was missing. I was going to wait to do it later so that I could wait longer...) In any case, it's ok. There was food when I got there, and lunch was had by all. My sandwich was good. But not worth that phone call. read more

My post isn't really about this particular Panera. I used to be a frequent customer and always had a great customer service experience and generally enjoyed the food. My problem is with the whole chain, it's claim that it cares about its customers when my experience says otherwise. I recently bought several gift cards expressly because my purchase came with a bonus card good for a future purchase. Not realizing the fine print said the bonus card was only valid for a very limited period. Due to circumstances I wasn't able to use the card before the expiration. Contacting Panera Cares customer service thinking if they truly valued me as a long time customer perhaps they could do something like replace the cards or extend the expiration date. I essentially got a "sorry but you're screwed" response. Since the reason I bought the gift cards in the first place was the bonus card offer, now having a useless piece of plastic has left me unhappy with the whole organization particularly since it makes the claim that it cares about its customers. Apparently not true read more

Our family dines regularly at Paneras all around the country. We frequent the Needham, MA location at least once per week. Because we appreciate wholesome, fresh food, we receive numerous rewards via our email accounts. About a month ago, we encountered a hiccup with one of the on-line rewards and brought this to the attention of Ryan Moosie, GM of the Needham, MA. Ryan responded swiftly and graciously. He not only ensured that the issue was corrected, but demonstrated sincere personal concern to ensure a positive solution. We love the salads...last nite we enjoyed the large Cobb Salad that is chock full of eggs, bacon, greens, avocado, a refreshing dressing as well as lots of tomatoes. The large served for two meals! We also enjoyed the Strawberry and Chinese Chicken Salads as well....filled to the brim and full of flavor and fresh ingredients. When you consider what passes for salads at chain fast food restaurants, for similar price, Panera's offerings are just superior. Of course, any review that missed the Mac N Cheese would be insufficient. Our grand kids have consumed this on every visit for over nine years now!! They love it! It beats any other Mac N Cheese hands down including the box brands, canned or frozen! Ryan's associates (Nidish, Manager and Ralph, Supervisor) played key roles in rectifying the issue and ensuring our total satisfaction. Thanks to the entire staff....see you in a couple of weeks! Best...Ed read more

What's that Yoga Berra saying? That place is so popular nobody goes there anymore? Something like that applies to this new outlet of Panera. It is mobbed. Go any normal lunch or dinner time and expect to wait. Otherwise, it's the slightly upscale, slightly Italian fast food place you've come to know and love. read more

If I could give it zero stars, I would. I went there last night for a sandwich and soup. My French onion soup had no cheese, and the avocado on my sandwich was so unripe it was crisp and very bland. To top it off the place was gross and the bathrooms were pretty bad. I usually think Panera (in general) is a nice, quick meal but I will reconsider going there in the future, and definitely not be going back to this restaurant. read more

Poor management. I ordered a sandwich and it never delivered to table over 20min. There was not busy at all and I had to remind employees. She found mine immediately but the quality of the sandwich was awful. They put trash like ham on my sandwich and it was half size. They charged almost $6 for that. Never go back this place again. read more

I like Panera Bread. Yea, it's a chain, but their salads and sandwiches, even soups are really good stuff! You can change the bread, if you want Honey wheat and not french. You can have an apple, baguette, or chips. Haha. The salads are a good portion, with the side of baguette, and you'll be good until dinner. Coffee is really good. I'm a fan. Free refills too! Nice! One during the meal, and one to go. Haha. The people who work there are always friendly. read more

This Panera is below their standard in service. Went their at 6:45 pm on a Thursday and they were out of all Panini's except for one type. Had to order something out of my usual. Then as I am waiting to pick up the order the girl at the counter says they ran out of the bread that my sandwich comes with. How can you be a place that boast about your bread and run out if everything on the menu? read more

Menu, food, prices are obviously just like any other Panera. I always find this Panera Bread to be very crowded and sometimes impossible to find a place to sit. Parking in the afternoon is very difficult. Its a small lot which is shared between other stores and pulling out of the parking lot at one of the two exits is almost impossible when there is traffic. They do provide outdoor seating but I do find the indoor seating to be crammed together and its worse when a lot of people are there. They provide quick service especially if you get your meal to go. If you've never eaten at Panera, I would recommend the "Bacon Turkey Bravo". The bread is the best part of the sandwich. Overall, its just like any other Panera but just take note that in the afternoon, finding a place to park is gonna suck and the traffic in Needham/Newton just never seems to disappear. read more

I ordered a Caesar salad. Lettuce looked meh, but I didn't want to be a bother and started eating it. After about 6 or 7 bites (and picking out several inedible brown wilted pieces)I couldn't do it and asked for a new salad with fresh lettuce. They returned MY ORIGINAL SALAD TO ME JUST RETOSSED TO LOOK NEW - do they think I am an idiot? After I refused the salad, the manager came over saying all the lettuce is like that....so your restaurant only has old stale wilted lettuce? Very disappointed with food quality and customer interaction. read more