Love this Panera, delicious sandwiches, salads and bakery. It's a drive for us but once a week we go to OAK RIDGE Panera. Clean, nice employees and good food! I order our food on app during drive, as a passenger, I customize our food at times and it's always perfect and ready or within minutes when we arrive. We haven't used it but nice to know they HAVE a drive-thru! read more

Ordered food from home and drove the 15 minutes to get it. Waited 20 minutes when I got there before it finally arrived. When I got home I found that they had already put the croutons in my tomato soup and it was a thick clump of soggy bread in tomato. I couldn't eat it. This happens frequently here. Never again. Horrible restaurant. read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Once a week when I'm working oak ridge I get the bacon double take on ciabatta I don't like the focaccious salt and pepper bread. Every time I get food from there there's always a problem. Now this is supposed to be a bacon double take which is supposed to have double the bacon on it and it usually does but this one has one and a half slices of the very thinnest bacon you could ever find. Also, I picked up a cinnamon crunch bagel for someone who asked me where the cinnamon crunch was and it wasn't even a bagel because there was just an x on top and not a whole like a bagel and I had to check my bag before I left because they didn't even give me the cream cheese to go with her bagel. Service has gotten worse and food has gotten worse. I wouldn't waste my money. There were seven cars in the Drive-Thru so I went inside and I stood there for probably 5 minutes before someone would wait on me and there were two people behind the counter not waiting on anyone one was on a ladder and came down and asked if they could wait on me and he said when he was done and he just kept doing whatever he was doing. And then he couldn't figure out my order it was very difficult for him and he had to have help. I ordered an everything bagel with cream cheese and a cinnamon crunch bagel with the honey walnut cream cheese and an Americano and the double bacon sandwich read more

Panera Bread - Cinnamon crunch bagel I don't see a hole in the middle it's just a hump with a little bit of cinnamon crunch on one side - Sandwiches Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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I haven't been to a Panera in years. Thought it would be nice to try again on 1-22-26 at 2:40 pm. Emma took my order. I ordered a blueberry lavender lemonade and chicken salad sandwich. Paid for my meal and was given a cup. Went to the drink area and nowhere was there any blueberry lavender lemonade. If you are going to have an item on the menu and you don't have it, wouldn't you say something? I requested a specialty drink and was not given one. Had I not been pressed for time, I would have said something but I shouldn't have to. This is what happens when staff are not trained. My chicken salad sandwich was good but I probably won't be going back. read more

I cannot believe people pay for the inadequately made sandwiches. I bought the ciabatta cheesesteak and there were more onions cheese and peppers than meat, literally thumbnail size bits of steak in not even a full layer. If I didn't have a gift card I would never go back. It's outrageous! read more

Panera Bread - Ciabbatta Cheesesteak. - Sandwiches Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Waited 30 minutes for someone (and only one in line) to actually come to the register, ordered, waited another 30 minutes, got the order, started to drive away, and it was nothing what I ordered AT ALL. Went back and put the sandwich down and was furious. Wasted an hour. The manager, instead of saying sorry, was more about, you can't act upset, we don't need to hear that - in other words, they did not want the other customers to know how angry I was. Asked for a return of my money, and they shorted the return by 10 cents. REALLY!!!! That female manager seems to not be able to count, use a register, or help with customer service. Will NEVER go back there. read more

I've been a loyal Panera customer for years, but unfortunately, this location has steadily gone downhill -- and after giving it chance after chance, I can confidently say it's no longer worth it. Pickup orders take far too long, even when the store is nearly empty. On my most recent visit, I placed an order at the self-serve counter computer, was handed my drink cups, and then stood waiting for nearly 20 minutes. Staff watched us create the order but made no move to prepare it. Would go to the front and ask they would tell me to wait in the back, would go to the back they would tell me order will be in the front. It took me talking to multiple staff members by time anyone realized the food hadn't been made. I was told it was because I used the counter computer which "doesn't really route orders properly." If that's the case, why not put an "Out of Order" sign on it? Why was only part of the order, the drinks filled, just seems like carelessness or lack of attentiveness of the employees, again the store was not busy at this particular time. The store itself is in poor condition. The floors are dirty, the tables rarely look wiped down between guests, and when you walk in, you're immediately hit with a bad smell -- a mix of burnt cheese, spoiled meat, and the stench of old food being repeatedly scorched in the microwaves or toasters. It's disappointing to see a place like Panera go so far down hill. read more

Sometimes, you just want something with fresh, healthy ingredients, as opposed to other greasy chains. Panera tends to be pretty consistent and predictable, with the exception of serving portions. They have a great app that makes ordering easy and highly customizable. They clearly post nutrition facts, which is helpful in making choices and comparing options. This location also has a drive-thru, outdoor patio, and a pick-up shelf for pre-ordered items. This location often asks you what you want to drink with your meal without disclosing that it isn't included (even with the kid meals), as a heads up. My kids enjoy the mac and cheese and usually get the apple as a side. Be sure to ask for it sliced if your kiddos are too young to bite a whole apple. My own go-to items include: -strawberry poppyseed salad (bummer...but it's seasonal). I add tomatoes, cucumber, and feta and it is perfection! -chicken wild rice soup -butternut squash soup (also seasonal) -chipotle chicken avocado melt sandwich -SW chile lime chicken salad Did you know that they offer family meals at an affordable price? They have flatbread meals, sandwich/soup/salad meals, and even breakfast sandwich meals, all at $30 and under, which to feed a whole family Panera is pretty dang good. We plan on trying one of these for our next family night. read more

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We used to go to the Oak Ridge, Panera Bread using the drive thru. Then we went inside the building. We have stopped going to this restaurant all together because it's super disgusting looking at the filthy walls, equipment, and dinning area. We just couldn't subject ourselves to eat there again, seeing our food being prepared in the middle of gunk and grime. Oak Ridge has minimal options but we've cut out Panera. read more

I had a bad experience at Panera, Oak ridge. I ordered breakfast online and went through the drive-through to pick it up. I later went to eat my sandwich and it was not the right order. I drove back to the store and told them that what I ordered was not what I got. I even brought back the entire sandwich to show them that I hadn't even taken a bite. They asked me if it was all right if they just reimbursed me and I said yes. They gave me the money. It was like seven dollars and change. The man did not count out the money. He only handed me the folded bills and change. I took it and left. I got to my car. I opened my wallet to put the money in and looked at my change and I had three $1 bills and change. Obviously, I should've gotten a five and two ones not three ones. I got out of my car once more and went inside and told him about the mistake. He gave me my five dollars. He didn't seem surprised. I'm an old, gray haired lady. I don't know if this is relevant or not but I can't imagine making that mistake I won't be going back to this restaurant ever again. read more

I wanted something light to eat and ordered the Strawberry Poppyseed Garden Salad with grilled chicken. It was refreshing and very tasty. Romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapples with pecans and light vinaigrette dressing. It was delicious! read more

Panera Bread - Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken - Sandwiches Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

fantastic experience. food was excellent. i got the mac and cheese bread bowl and it was so yummy

Back in May of 2022 we started going to this Panera Bread after my wife found out about the unlimited Sip Club. For many years we rarely got food from there as the prices had gone up a little and several items we liked were taken off the menu. Over the course of the last few months we went there three to five days a week. We usually got our drinks and would order food to go randomly. Many times we used the app to preorder as our schedules are very busy. The rapid pickup option was always a problem. Many times they were able to leave me cups out for me to get and fill up myself. However food orders were always a problem. Sometimes they didn't get the order. Sometimes they ran out of things before we schedule the pickup. They would not check and reserve the items in a timely fashion. When we complained, we got different excuses. Now the management has barred us from returning ever again. I don't know what their problem. If they have issues with Panera corporate promotions, then leave us out of it. read more

Horribly slow service in the drive thru. Waited over 10 minutes while the line didn't move at all. Won't return.

In the picture below, you will find what you get for $25. The food is decent, but the items are grossly overpriced for what they are. The half portions of mac n cheese, which taste like they've been sitting out for hours, are $5 each. The half portion of the steak and arugula sandwich, which h I proceeded to eat in 3 bites, was nearly $7. I used to be a true panera lover, but it seems their buisness model has changed to value extra profit over customer satisfaction. My wife and I have made a promise to save the money and never eat at Panera again. I will miss you old friend. I will not be seeing you again. read more

Panera Bread - This is the amount of food you receive for $25. - Sandwiches Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Food tasted good even though my sandwich was basically all bread and my salad was super small. The mac and cheese was supposed to be enough for 4 people and was only enough for 2 bowls for my kids... read more

I seen a commercial on tv for the new sandwich, toasted pepperoni mozzarella melt. So my wife and I went there to try it. We went to the Illinois Ave, Oak Ridge , TN location. For two sandwiches and two drinks, it was almost $30! Which is about the going rate, if the sandwiches were worth it. They weren't! The sandwich has absolutely no taste. The red sauce had more water than tomatoes in it. The mozzarella cheese was like unflavored rubber. The only thing I really could taste was the low grade pepperoni. The bread wasn't bad. I would suggest going to a local restaurant and skip these over hyped chain restaurants. read more

Obviously the roof leaks as a section was taped off and the ceiling tiles are missing. Ordering up front requires patience and a clear Southern accent otherwise your repeating your order over several times. In the back are three men and a woman. Of the three men, one is chewing gum!, one has long hair and is not wearing a hair net and the last one is making fun of customers. Larry, Curly and Mo I'll call them. The sole woman is working harder than all three of them. The piped in musak is chaffing, its a sort of generic elevator music that is way too loud. read more

On accuracy of orders I give it a 2. I usually place a $35 order and always have to ask where my last item is. The receipts says I can tell an associate and get a free treat, but who has time to track them down.? I came here to this Panera in Oak Ridge because I made several attempts to go to the Panera in Knoxville in the Turkey Creek shopping center, but they closed their dining room months ago because of lack of employees. Today this Panera in Oak Ridge is out of my favorite the The pecan braid. it's only 8:15 am and they are out. Usually the Hazel Nut coffee would make up for it, but not today. The coffee was not good. They were out and I had to wait. When they finally made it, it tasted like it had vanilla in it or something. It's usually very good. read more

Wish I could give a zero star review. But I can't. No food pictures to show because three people working behind the counter acted as if I didn't exist and did not take my order. Never have I been treated so rudely in a fast food restaurant. They outright ignored me even as I tried to get their attention. I could almost understand if I looked homeless or it was busy. I was dressed in a polo and kahki pants. It wasn't busy - there was only one other person waiting for food. Oh, and as I sat with the other guy who showed up before me and did get to order and receive his food, I heard your staff shit talking customers. Wouldn't bother me to see you folks close down. Won't be back. read more

Wish I could say something spectacular about this restaurant but I can't. Can't say anything bad either. Typical franchise chain operation. OK but a lot better than the "other" well known coffee chain. read more

Wow - just wow. Husband's You Pick Two sandwich was so small. I just don't see how they could classify it as "half a sandwich." The soup bowl wasn't even half full. Spoke to the on-duty manager and he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yep, that's it." read more

Like most chains, Panera isn't a mystery to most of us. You know the concept -- bakery stuff, sandwiches, salads, etc. Indeed, I used to protest whenever anyone wanted to eat at Panera. So, why even bother with this review? I feel Panera has evolved from its basics (many of which were boring and expensive, in my opinion). It's now more focused on serving all natural, healthy entrees. Many of the items are much more interesting than previously. For example, they now have a beet, quinoa and citrus salad. There's also a new "bowl" which is a cross between a soup and more hearty entree. The breakfast menu also has some creative options, such as Avocado, Egg White & Spinach. The push for new variety is a welcome development. Many of us don't want bland fast food anymore (if we ever did). Also, Panera seems to be innovating with technology as well. You can now order on your phone and they'll have it ready for quick pickup. While Panera has come a long way and I go there often, they are not perfect. Here's where they fall behind: 1) Price -- You're looking at around $10 for lunch if not more. That said, the quality is often better and you don't have to wait. 2) Iphone app -- Pretty cool features and easy to use. But, they need to fully implement the feature where you can order from your phone while sitting at a table. That way, you could avoid the line (which can be long at lunch). 3) Gluten-free -- I know it's hard for a bakery to be "gluten free." But, they have almost no options right now. Even Which Wich has lettuce wraps! 4) The Coffee -- Their espresso drinks are just okay. I've ordered drinks and, about 20% of the time, they come out bad. They could step up their game and win customers. So, in conclusion, I'm mostly cool with Panera now. And for those of you who miss having a white bread sandwich with American cheese, I'm sure they still have some. read more

This Panera Bread is an absolute embarrassment and a disgrace.. no lie I sat in the drive thru for 40 mins and they had 10 employees in the kitchen.. wasted an hour of my day thank you Panera you guys actually suck so bad read more

Like I said before, Panera is fundamentally a fast food outlet, but that's far from the whole story. This location is unbelievably popular in the community. There are regulars who gather here every morning for a daily koffee klatsch. On a Sunday evening there might be a church youth group holding a meeting. At any given time, there probably are a couple of intense business meetings occurring in the quieter corners of the restaurant and a few people sitting alone using the free Wi-Fi. And always the booths will hold people who came here for food and conversation with family or friends. The popularity may be due in part to the fact that service here is fast, friendly, and accurate -- that's not my experience at every Panera location I've sampled, but it's consistently true here. Two innovations that have increased my loyalty to Panera are (1) the calorie counts displayed on the sandwich and salad menus on the wall -- information helps me eat more sensibly and (2) the chain's loyalty card -- it gives a new meaning to "checking in" when my name is on my receipt, but I do enjoy the occasional freebies I get from using it. read more

Panera is good quality food, no doubt. The salads, sandwiches, and soups are all good. My only complaint is that I never get full there and spend over $10 per person easily. I love the soup in a bread bowl but it is just so bad for me. My wife loves the place so I'll give it a four. read more

Who doesn't love Panera right? Well let me just start by saying I have always loved it. However, the the Oak Ridge, TN location is absolutely the worst! The portions are extremely small for the price you pay and something is alway amiss. Then you have the hassle of dealing with getting what you paid for unless you're like me who had takeout and lives minimal 25 minutes from location. Then you just get to be hungry and aggravated for wasting your lunch hour to pick up food. read more

Got the Grilled Mac and Cheese and it was cold in the middle. I took it back and they made another one. It was cold in the middle. They didn't care. No one apologized or checked up after having to make it a second time. read more

ALWAYS SLOW - Drive through staff rude and immature. Waited 10 MINUTES between ordering and getting to the window with ONLY 1 CAR AHEAD OF ME! When I got to window the only words the girl spoke were my total - no good morning, no thank you or even an apology for the wait. NO WORDS! Food was cold - COFFEE WAS COLD. Already waited too long- had to go-drove away and immediately called in. Held 6 minutes to talk to a manager. When I told him this was the 3rd time I had this type of service, he said "Well, I hope you will reconsider" Really??? Not - "that's not what we expect from our staff and I am truly sorry"? Not - "that should never happen" -- I can say that I am not surprised that there are several complaints about their drive through and staff. They need to clean house! read more

I walked into the Panera bread ... And this very fine young man with gold earrings greeted me with joy. I wish I had gotten his name. He had very nice hair and a blue rainbow on his hat. I had been extremely depressed for the better part of the year. However, this young man lifted my spirits out of the gutter. He was the most kind and gentle young man I've ever met. He even offered me a hug. He saw me crying and said he would give me a blueberry muffin. I think he deserves a raise for being so nice and respectful to me and helping me feel better. His shirt also looks very nice on him. If anyone can tell me his name please do. Thank so much. read more

If I could leave a no star I would. My boyfriend and I decided to try this restaurant for the first time and we are absolutely disappointed. Spent almost 30$ for food we one couldn't eat or was stale! I am highly disappointed the only good thing was the smoothie and even the smoothie is slimy! Smoothies shouldn't be slimy! We will not be back... read more

Not particularly friendly at this location. Also they do not stick enough breakfast souffle. Don't understand why this 8s a regular thing. Saoads are served in a huge bowl that is hardly full. read more

I know this place is a chain and I have had great Panera Bread before but my last visit here was bad. The portion sizes are small and it tasted like my flat bread was put in the microwave. For the price they charge I expected better. read more

Came to this location for breakfast. The one star is solely for their internet access. The bagel was simply not good. Not chewy, pretty tasteless. I thought this place was called Panera BREAD? What a joke. The coffee was equally bad. read more

I love that they Carrie vegan plant based food yes it is pricey but my food has always been done on time and I love that they even deliver now and the people have been polite and on time . Hope they will keep.tje delivery and the vegan.food since it is hard for vegan to go out to eat . we don't always want to eat a salad . read more

This was an incredible place with incredible food there workers were very nice and the food was top notch

I am basing this review on several visits (most drive-thru), but we always purchase the same item: Cinnamon Crunch Bagels. The bagels are always fresh, delicious, and good quality. We are always asked if we would like the bagels whole or sliced -- we generally do half sliced for those of us who like cream cheese and the rest whole for those who eat these like doughnuts. The service is fast and friendly. We keep saying, "If they don't have the Cinnamon Crunch, we'll try something else." But we never do. read more

Date visited: Saturday, July 28 Time of day: 10:30ish Items ordered: Me: Med Veg, large unsweet tea (half acai/half unsweet) We arrived at the Panera right about 10:30 on Saturday. It seemed like it was going to be a standard Panera write up...until I opened the front doors. From the moment I stepped foot in that Panera, something felt off. The service was extremely slow. But there was something else. I didn't figure it out until it was my turn to order, when I asked the cashier, "Where's the music?" To which the cashier said, "Huh, you're right. That's weird." Indeed it was weird. A Panera without the classical music blaring is like a painter without paint. A drummer without a drum. A dog without a bone. Ok, you get my point. It was eerie. And the people at this particular Panera were borderline Stepford. Was it just the lack of music that created such a debacle? I guess we will never know. I am fairly certain that no one noticed the lack of music. BOLD DECLARATION: The Oak Ridge, TN Panera is the oddest Panera I have encountered. read more

I purchased my food via drive-thru, so unfortunately I didn't notice this until I was at home. I took a bite of my sandwich, and my bite was only bread, so I opened up the sandwich. The cheese was only on 1/2 of the slice of bread, and there was barely any chicken on it. Then I moved on to the mac and cheese. The bowl was on it's side by the time I got home, and when I saw what was in the bowl, I checked the bag to see if perhaps the lid had come loose and some had come out into the bag. It had not. As you can see in the picture, the container was literally 1/3 full! And I paid $11.60!!! In the past, the bowl has always been full, but this is pretty normal for the sandwiches at this location. I don't do reviews, but I was so disappointed in this experience, I felt that I had to share. To pay so much for so little is unacceptable. read more

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Food is always good and fresh! The environment is nice but the only complaint I have is a couple of the employees here are kind of rude.