Stopped here to grab dinner for the family before heading home after an appointment in Novato. Ordered food to go and the cashier must have forgotten to put "to go". The kitchen plated everything and I had to ask them to make it to go. The two women gave me death stares (like I had intentionally ruined their day) and dumped it all in to go containers. When I got home, the tomato soup had all the mushy croutons left in it from when they served it as dine in. Quite gross to have to fish out mushy bread that soaked up half the soup. I ended up not even eating it after digging all the mush out. It seemed like they intentionally just slopped it all in there to punish me, rather than dish up a new bowl to go. The cashier was apologetic but the kitchen gals still acted like I was at fault. read more

First time tried their cafe and it was surprisingly very good and fulfilling and tender meats. My tummy is happy, full and content for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I had the warm Ham & Swiss Baked Egg Soufflé that was a Freshly baked souffle made with our savory egg mixture, ham and Swiss cheese that was 490 calories. It was really good filled with egg mixture contained inside a nice croissant crust. It was yummy and excellent. I was hungry no more until lunch. For lunch I had the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad $ 8.29 which was 550 calories and was tasty. The ingredients were All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, field greens, romaine, tomatoes, red onions, pecans, Gorgonzola, apple chips & white balsamic apple vinaigrette. I got a giant chocolate cookie and bottle of water and that lunch filled me up! :-) My tummy so happy and full and didn't feel like eating dinner later. Who knew salad was so fulfilling! :-0 I would love to come back to try their items again or new items too. I didn't think a place like this would make things actually taste good. Nice surprise. You can't judge the way a cafe looks until you try the food out. I just thought it was just an ordinary cafe, but I was wrong. They do make good quality products. :-) . read more

Panera Bread - Ham and egg soufflé with cheese in croissant crust. So warm and yummy in my tummy! :-) - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

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The Good: Love love love that they have proper outdoor seating and enough room for semi private seating inside! I also really like the Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich and the Broccoli Cheddar soup. Sometimes you go out and get Broccoli Cheddar and it's all watered down, but not here so that's a plus. If you are going for lunch I would defiantly say to make it a meal (order the pick 2) because it's worth it. The Bad: I know that this is a little picky and it won't effect most, but for me the 11am cut off for breakfast is a bit early. Also they will not put cream cheese on your bagel. So let's say you stroll in at 11:01 wanting an egg sando - nope that's a no go so you get a bagel with schmear to go. You then have to grab a knife, stand in the entry to smear your schmear, toss your trash and repack your bagel so you can eat it on the go. Again *"Oh wah poor me"* picky, I know, but avoidable now with this knowledge. The Ugly: Staff training seems grossly inconsistent. For example Sunday morning when I went in there was a blonde young man with a short hair cut who was peppy, eager to help and friendly. However, Frank at the register was short with the customers and outright rude to the other workers. Unfortunately it seems every time I go in there is one rude apple mixed in with the otherwise pleasant fruit basket. read more

Placed $40 order, got home 2 sandwiches were missing. Promptly returned to counter person asking if I was there for 2 tuna sandwiches? They made like it's no big deal. Everything else was home getting cold and ruined! Never offered any even small compensation. Not right! Was better service before! read more

I know, who needs to write or read a review for a big chain like Panera, right? One of my yelp/ irl friends wrote a four star review for Taco Bell like ten years ago and we've been making fun of him ever since. ("Hey guys, I know this great four-star Mexican restaurant to try, right Aaron M.?") The four star review here, however, is for the best customer service I've ever had at a chain restaurant. We stopped by on a cold rainy day while biding time to pick up my daughter from preschool. We had our dog with us, and Panera, so we sat outside under the awning, despite the weather. First, when I put my little order of coffee and bagels in, the woman at the cash register was so solicitous that she checked on my order with the barista and bagel-toaster just to make sure everything was okay. (I wasn't worried). Then, as we sat outside--probably the only people dining al fresco anywhere in town that day--another staff member came out with a plastic bowl of water for our dog. She then showed me where the outside tap was, in case we ever found ourselves around there again and our dog was thirsty. Both women were "of a certain age" and had a warm maternal quality to them. Who knew a chain restaurant could still surprise you with a warm and fuzzy feeling? read more

It's closed down I was all excited to get some salad do some proper eating out and I drive all the way there to see it's been closed since 12/22/22. Now where are all the healthy eats? read more

I hardly ever come here, but when I do I always enjoy my visit! This particular Panera located in the Vintage Oaks shopping mall in Novato is prime. Plenty of outdoor seating with umbrellas to block the sun, and there are ample amount of chairs, tables, and booths inside. Good spot for studying (outlets readily available, people!!!). The nice lady at the register helped me find a gluten-free cookie (the triple chocolate cookie with walnuts). She rang me up, the credit card machine prompted me to leave a tip (I did), and after the lady printed my receipt she said, "Awe, you didn't have to do that!" (referring to the tip I left). I love coming to places where employees are appreciative of tips they receive! I've tried their lunch food items before...it's processed cafe food, nothing amazing. BUT if you're into super cheesy (literally, not figuratively) macaroni and cheese, you're set. Be back soon, finals week is just around the corner... read more

Panera Bread - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

I enjoy the seating options here. Large patio in the summer, cozy booths in the winter. I like that I can enjoy a long conversation in a quiet atmosphere. Bonus my kids love to tomato soup here. Food options are plentiful and staff is responsive. I've tried several salads and customize my sandwich. All decent. read more

Very nice person at register. But the flatbread pizza is a case of false photography advertising. Looking full ti the edges in the pic in store, i teceived a flatbread with about six microscopic pieces of bacon , some odd cheesy white "sauce" an orange swirl of chipotle sauce, 5 wimpy tomatoes a sprinkle of cilantro . Im hunting for some body to this chicken n bacon pizza. Im finding an insipid smattering of slop on a flatbread . read more

Now that it is raining. I was looking forward to the broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl. I know bread bowls are a popular order in the winter, so I thought it a possibility it would be out, since it was padt lunch time. which it was. The side bread it comes with was also out. But their are no substitutes with other roles.. I heard the manager mention maybe the vendor shorted them. Even people not in a business check that there order is correct when they receive their order from Amazon, etc. It's a part of doing business not to pay for your product that you didn't receive. I took the soup home and it wasn't as thick and creamy as it was in the past, so it was disappointing. Also, when I was placing my order, there was a fly in the glass cabinet with the cookies. I pointed it out to the cashier and a a coworker checking on the bread. No one seemed concerned. read more

I love Panera and the service here is always great... however I ordered my new favorite- the Mediterranean bowl via DoorDash and the portion size was tiny! I think I got the half portion instead of the full sized- which I paid for. read more

This is my go to hang out when I'm in Novato. The atmosphere is relaxing they have both indoor and outdoor seating. The food variety is very good: in the morning if you want a bagel some juice you can have that. In the afternoon they have plenty of lunch options including sandwiches and soups. They have a fantastic tomato bread which we will buy it and take home and make more sandwiches with. Overall the menu menu was diversity of thought they could use a few more vegan options. If you need a place to work away from home this place is excellent. The outer seating is very comfortable if you want to sit outside and indoors they have plenty of outlets to match enough table seating and high top tables with plugs near them to make this an excellent work away from home location. It also means if you like to stand and work, do the high top. If you need to spread out do the tables. Another one of my favorite features is the unlimited fountain drinks- which doesn't mean Coke Sprite and Pepsi. They have guava lemonade, green tea and many other very interesting fruit and tea flavors to choose from. When I'm here working for extended period of time I will often go for three or four refills. Overall a comfortable place to hang out, do work and relax. Sunning out back isn't bad either. read more

Panera Bread - A nice little corner "office " - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

We come here time to time, usually for lunch. Their food is consistently good and fresh. Their staff is always nice. I wanted to give four stars, but based on how I felt about today's lunch, I had to deduct one star. I had a half sandwich and soup combination. Both items were very salty. Husband had a similar combination, with a different soup and sandwich. He said they were both very salty. I know Panera's selling point is healthy food. Avoiding too much salt is also an important aspect of eating healthy. Next time I will have a salad (which, I usually choose) and hope to be able to readjust the review, but I really hope the management is reading this, as I noticed a lot of seniors enjoying lunch today. I hope they are not held back on trying to eat within their dietary restrictions! read more

The tyrants that work there mistreat their employees and the dishes aren't entirely clean as speed is more important than efficiency. I quit without notice after a month. I'm getting ready to call HR now that I have free time from Coronavirus lockdown. read more

I like Panera. I go to the San Rafael one and enjoy my experience...however I went to the Novato location day and had a bad experience. Normally I wouldn't write a negative review, but this is the second bad experience in a row for this Novato location. I ordered at the kiosk. We sat and waited at a table. About 40 minutes goes by and we don't get our order. I ask the cook behind the counter who then grabs the manager because he can't find the order. We tell her what we ordered. After a few minutes of searching, she finds our to-go order at the front of the store and admits that's not where it was suppose to be. I'm visibly frustrated, but she offers no kind of compensation other than an apology. When we get home, the sandwiches we ordered were poorly made, the one we asked to be toasted was NOT toasted, and they didn't include one of the side orders that we had ordered. The time before this, I ordered the Mac n cheese that comes with avocado and tomatoes, etc. The avocado went brown VERY quickly, and it didn't taste quite right. I have had it before so I know what it's suppose to taste like. I ate maybe a third of it before I gave up on it. Just tasted really off. Later that day I get very stomach sick. Since I hadn't eaten anything else, I assume it was the Mac n cheese. I think they used old ingredients or something. Again, I really enjoy Panera and love their San Rafael location, but I don't think I'll be going back to the Novato one again. It's just not worth the frustration and potential stomach sickness. read more

My mom and I came here for lunch. Food was great as usually and service from Julie Ann was incredible. She asked how we were doing and if we needed anything several times. Very happy and cheerful! Giving 4 stars because I think the price of the food is a bit expensive for semi-fast food. I got a Pick 2 salad and mac and cheese with a passionfruit green tea and it came out to $17. read more

Ordered a greek salad via app.. added chicken (Paid the extra $) Got my salad, went back to work... NO CHICKEN To be found! Tried calling them to tell them they made an error... NO answer!! Double check your orders folks!! Will not be coming back. read more

Panera Bread - No chicken - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

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Fresh. Fast. Clean. Tasty. So, this is the evolution of fast food and I like it. We have lunch here about once a week, and they do go out of their way to accommodate our requests (hold the nuts, no dressing, whatever) and they almost always get it right. Even better, the odd times they don't, they sure make good on it and fast. We usually get "pick two"s for lunch - soup and salad most of the time. What amazes me is the frequency with which they mix it up on the menu - adding new items and retiring others - the end up is that you try new things all the time! I have a half-dozen favorite lunch combos, most revolving around the french onion soup... As for the breads and pastries - the rye is as good as any you'll find in a NYC deli. Cookies and scones all melt in your mouth. Overall it's a real good place for healthy food and I suspect we'll continue being regulars for a long time! read more

Vicky is awesome Very accommodating manager respectful person I can see clearly why she's in the position she's in turn my day into a great one thank you Panera keep killing it read more

I came by Panera with a friend now for lunch and her lunch is as follows : beautiful Asian chicken salad with half avocado sandwich. It is a bit busy now but the people here are friendly and very nice to each other. The salads are really big served in such nice white porcelain deep oval ir round shaped plates. My salad was delicious and the balsamic dressing is wonderful because is not too sweet and flavorful. I usually order their vegetarian soup and a toasted bagel with cream cheese but Panera has other options to try and I was adventurous today and happy with the results!!! By the way, even though I don't eat chicken my friend told me she fe les better eating the chicken in Panera because is organic and raised without antibiotics , so good to know this bit of information. That shows such responsible and kind concern for the consumers out there that really care about their meat without antibiotics. If you are by the vintage Novato Panera restaurant try these from their menu next time ! read more

My all time first visit was very disappointing. I found the staff to be rude and annoyed that I disrupted their conversation by placing an order. My daughter and I were the only ones in the place and at least eight or nine employees working or should I say playing. The only thing I ordered was broccoli cheddar soup. We sat at a bar table near the register waiting for the soup, after 10 or 15 minutes of listening and watching horse play with the employees I finally asked about the soup. I was told it was at the other end of the restaurant waiting to be picked up. Very frustrated that I was never told the process even though we were the only ones in the restaurant and they knew we were waiting patiently. My second visit was last night and since I have celiac I thought I would see what they offered that was gluten-free, The mature woman at the order counter started looking at the menu and said well I think well maybe well I'm not sure but I think this will be OK or maybe that will be OK. I was absolutely mind blown how a chain like Panera can have no idea on their menu what is gluten-free. Fortunately the manager happened to be standing nearby however unfortunately she was just as clueless about the menu, truly unbelievable. Shame on you corporate for not training your employees properly. I politely said that's OK no problem and my daughter ordered her favorite broccoli cheddar soup. I didn't have my wallet with me and only had $100 bill at which time I was told they do not except any bills larger than 20s I begged the manager to please make an exception since this is the only bill I have with me, she refused and we left without a purchase. Needless to say we will not be returning. However if your looking to work for a place where you can be totally clueless and play grab ass all day and be paid, I highly recommend it. read more

This is a brand new location. I had only been to the one at Northgate Mall in Terra Linda and wasn't very impressed. This one has a very nice outdoor seating area and the restaurant is very tastefully decorated with warm colors, art on the walls, and lots of light colored wood. I had the Asian Sesame Chicken salad, which was very good. You don't get table service, which is ok as the prices are very reasonable. read more

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I had the Cobb salad and would give it a two out of five. Out of bread although there was plenty visible on the shelves. So I bought a bagel that was stale. Service was mediocre and indifferent without any effort to connect with customers. Money better spent elsewhere. read more

I was here for a total of about 10mins. I came in and went straight to the kiosk. The place was a bit empty with only 3 other customers here. I ordered a blueberry scone and a drink. Love that the cups are in front of the kiosk so I don't have to bother the workers or get in line for it. I got the blueberry scone a few minutes later and it was moist, sweet, and delicious. The burst of blueberry perfectly complemented the scone. When I got my drink I had to put it in a hot cup since they ran out of the plastic ones in the front. There also weren't any caps either. Gave my experience at this location 4 stars for lack of supplies. read more

Panera Bread - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

A-OK sums it up! Some of the offerings are excellent and some are not so good. Either way, the value isn't great. However, that being said, the macaroni and cheese is FANTASTIC!!! The salads are very good but expensive. The sandwiches are sparse. I've gotten the turkey with cranberry sauce and there was more sauce than turkey. You get chips or an apple as a combo but even considering that, the prices are way too high. I go here on occasion for some great soup, but honestly, you can have waitress service at other places for the same price. read more

We order for pickup here fairly regularly, but I don't know why we keep returning. The food is fine, but about three out of four times (not exaggerating!), some part of the order is incorrect. Sometimes the salad dressing is missing, or other times a whole soup or sandwich is missing! In the past month we've gone three times, and none of those orders were correct. We've occasionally driven back and received the missing item and sometimes an apology cookie (thank you!), but getting orders correct is critical. And it's not just COVID struggles -- this goes back at least a year or more. We need to just stop going here. read more

It's hard to explain why this store has continually poor service. The food is great as usual due to the ingredients and menu from the corporate kitchen. Rapid orders are never on time, managers are openly mean to workers, typical Marin service business. read more

Like the you pick two at Panera Bread. Salad and soup plus drink as in unsweetened tea. Add dessert for .99 and it's a meal. One thing I have noticed is there is more soup if you eat there than take to go due to their dine in bowl size compare to the to go cups. Not twice as much but noticeable. Salad not always consistent but the service is generally very good and helpful. Still the best place for sandwich and salad at Vintage Oaks. Anyone who still prefers the Subway nearby are only looking for savings over goodness. Like how can you run out of bread at lunchtime unless you forgot to make any once the ones from the day before are gone maybe. read more

Panera Bread - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

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Ever since the pandemic began having lunches from Panera is quick and easy. Panera's sandwiches, salads and soups are fresh and always very, very tasty. My favourite part is the picking up. Never an error. Beautifully packaged and presented. Healthful, delicious and fresh food is so easy with Panera. I've always love the staff. Hard-working employees who enjoy their jobs. read more

I've come here twice since I've been in town and it was pretty good. Both times I ORDERED: - chicken, avocado, BLT - corn chowder PROS: - sandwiches and soups are delicious! - employees are really nice and helpful - variety of non-soda drinks to choose from like teas CONS: - prices are pretty high - it was over $25 for 2 people to have lunch - bathroom stalls are so tight and hard to maneuver in and wasn't that clean when I went in read more

I went to Panera today with too high of expectations. First I asked for my bagel to have the cream cheese put on it as well as the avocado I ordered. I receive my bagel barely toasted with both the cream cheese and avocado on the side. Then I take a bite into my bagel after putting it together myself, and come to find this. read more

Panera Bread - Salad Near Me - Novato, California

Employees do not know what they are doing and language is a barrier for staff. Standing their with my receipt and guy would not give me my food. Receipt prints first name for customer and last name for order. No one seemed to get that. Had to find management to get food who said "it's right here" as if I were the crazy one. Employee did not want me to take it. Stay away!!!! read more

I love going to the Novato location. The food is always good and the service is great. Their employee Julie Ann is always cheerful, helpful and she makes the dining room look great. I will definitely be returning. I also love their Napa Almond chicken sandwich. read more

Refused to give us are order and refused to fix it after countless times of asking. Horrible restaurant DO NOT go here.

Lady with red hair calls herself Maninger was very disappointed I ordered two sandwiches, only gave me one I asked for the other, showing her my order and once I told her I wanted two she only gave me one I asked for a refund she refused and said if I wanted another sandwich I would have to pay. I work in customer service and that was not the way to talk to customers. read more

Disappointed with our visit 2 days ago. Got the "Pick 2" (half sandwich and salad) for my friend and I ordered a cup of soup. It came out to $24 so we asked the cashier if she got our order correct. It was correct, but it just seemed so much more than what we usually pay (we don't go here often; maybe once every 2 months). The cashier said, "Yeah our prices have gone up." When we got our meal the baguette that came with my soup was very hard so I asked if I could get a different one and the guy behind the counter said, "Oh all the bread I have is hard." He did find one that wasn't as hard but it just seemed stale. Panera used to be good even though I knew it was on the pricey side. I'm sorry to say that it seems the prices have gone up while the quality of food has gone down. read more

Love that they are back open but Danielle (Manager) expediting food - please wear a cap or tie your hair back. Flicking your head and hair all over the place.. ugh! Sunday Feb 28 around noon read more

This was our First Panera experience. It was amazing! I got the 2 for U, Mac and cheese and summer corn chowder combo. It was delicious. The Mac and cheese was soooo creamy. And the corn chowder so fresh and light. My boyfriend got the steak panini and Mac and cheese and he absolutely loved it. read more

The service was friendly and informative but then the experience went downhill. I asked if the tuna was good or too much mayo. She brought out the tuna sample indicating it had too much mayo so I passed on it. I ordered Mediterranean half sandwich. I expected them to bring it to the counter and instead I was asked to walk down a long hallway to retrieve it. Tacky. Then I get it and the greens are stale and although the taste was o.k. it cost over $5 for a half sandwich that was not completely fresh. These guys make a point of their freshness and it was lacking. There were many on staff so the failure to bring it to me and for it to be fresh was a disappointment. A bad experience at one site reflects on the entire chain. I would not visit them again. read more

The cashier guy gave me a free cookie which was really impactful to me because I'm homeless so it was a rare treat/indulgence