This Panera is unique because of its location. Right off of a highway exit on the frequented I-94 stretch between Chicago and Detroit, makes this a convenient half-way point for a bathroom break and guaranteed quality food, unlike those sketchy gas station diners. Beware of long lines, which typically form because of all the commuters. However, the popularity of this specific Panera allows it to kind of try out what the rest of the chain could eventually inherit. For example, this location was where I received my Panera frequent customer card and I did not see other Paneras promote this until months later. On this most recent visit, I was treated to "table side service." The cashier informed me that this and a couple other locations in Michigan began offering the ability to serve food at the table rather than having the customer pick it up at the counter. Food is predictable, as it is and should be with a chain, except for seasonal specials. I personally always go for the U pick 2 because I like variety. I also opt for the whole grain bread or apple on the side instead of the French baguette and ask for the dressing on the side to make a healthy meal. For this particular visit, I ordered the turkey apple Fuji salad with creamy tomato soup and an apple. I realized (after the "server" left) I needed to go back to the counter to get the forgotten salad dressing that I asked to be on the side, but other than that, the food was as expected - fresh yet quick. read more

The food is fine - same as at any other Panera. The main issues with this location are the service and timeliness. Items are regularly left off of orders, and you better check to go items so you don't realize things are missing at home. The drive thru is even worse. There seems to be only one person doing anything, so you often wait 10-15 minutes before you can even put in an order. This morning there were 4 cars in the parking lot and only one ahead of me in the drive thru and it still took 20 minutes to get coffee and some bagels. read more

Recently went here to grab some breakfast. I ordered rapid pickup and it was ready when I got there. The issue I had was when I got to work and realized my egg breakfast sandwich had no egg on it at all. Not even sure how this happens. read more

I've stopped at this Panera in particular several times now driving from Chicago to various areas on MI. Overall it's clean, has a nice amount of outdoor seating and the food is your typical Panera food. For a place off the highway-- this is better than 90% of your options. read more

A Panera is a Panera, right? From place to place, you know pretty much exactly what to expect, from the menu to the decor. I generally like Paneras -- the free wi-fi doesn't hurt. When you're on the road or in a hurry, you know you can get some decent soup and a sandwich or salad that's at least OK, and a lot of times just plain tasty. But why bother to write about a specific Panera? Why would this particular one get 4 instead of just 3 stars? Well, because it's a haven for road-trippers just like myself. The location of this particular Panera (off exit 27 on I-94) is just about perfect. If you're coming from Ann Arbor or East Lansing on your way to Chicago, this is a little bit more than the halfway point on your drive. Sure, there are truck stops aplenty along this corridor, but I wouldn't really want to get a salad there. Would they offer quick and free wi-fi? Maybe. Clean bathrooms? That's a bigger question mark. I've done this circuit many, many times, and so knowing that there's a little glowing beacon of hot chai with a clean bathroom is a great comfort. It's a perfect place to do the ol' driver-switch. It nailed that extra star by serving as a welcome shelter/break from sliding through "lake-effect" snow on a particularly treacherous drive last winter. read more

So we were driving back home from Michigan and decided to pick up a couple of salads. Called it in for rapid pick up as were 20 miles out. Picked it up and continued on our journey. I had ordered a classic salad with chicken and my wife got the Thai chicken salad. Well, the lettuce was limp and the chicken was still frozen in both the salads. So disappointed that we had to discard the salads. We make this drive from Chicago to Ann Arbor at least 10 times a year. We will not be stopping at this Panera, ever. Hope the manager is reading this. Please improve your restaurant. read more

WEIRD and CREEPY. No pastries No fruit Nothing fresh. Everyone in the store was looking at my husband and I like we had 3 heads.... Dirty dishes piled everywhere (no bush tubs in sight) Truly felt like I was in the twilight zone. read more

Always friendly at this location. Last time I went there it was 30 minutes before close. The poor kitchen was slammed. Even with that, the team members were smiley and friendly when picking up the food order. Food was yummy like always. read more

Arrive one hour to close and they were almost out of everything. Every employee were already cleaning and getting ready to go, this is the third time that it happens when arriving within the hour of closing. Carafes were emptied and replaced with empties. Looked like everyone were getting anxious to leave the place. Quality of service has been declining from my point of view. read more

Literally the worst Panera I've ever been too. I have had nothing but issues and this place is not cheap! I had complained about a month ago and was contacted by a manager and they said to make it right they would send me certificates. It's been over a week now and no certificates. I ordered lunch from there on Monday. Ordered a Strawberry chicken salad.... no strawberries on the salad. Ordered breakfast this morning. Ordered a bacon egg and cheese on brioche... no bacon. Out of any restaurant in the area, I have never had issues like this. Get your shit together Panera! read more

We stopped in for a quite bite to eat as we were traveling through. It's your pretty standard Panera Bread restaurant, but it had mostly ups with a few random downs. Ups were that it was very clean with plentiful seating and our food selections (turkey sandwich and Thai chicken salad) came out as the standard thing we order, nothing crazy, which was good and the food hit the spot. The slight downside is that service at the counter wasn't exactly phenomenal. I give them some credit, it was a busy lunch hour on a Saturday afternoon. It was a little difficult to hear but that was out of our control and I don't think it deserved the eye rolls or the annoyed "what?!" responses we received. Overall it wouldn't stop me from coming back, as this location continued to serve the expected, good quality and great tasting meal that we were craving. read more

I'm such a fan of this joint. It's just an overall great place for so many reasons. The drive thru option, the rapid pickup, the table service, the reward perks, and the list goes on. The staff is usually friendly and most importantly my food tastes like food: fresh and good. My favorites are the breakfast soufflés and the Mediterranean Veggie. I also enjoy the smoothies but depending on who makes them and the ratios used it can be a hit or miss. I've been here a bunch of times and I'll be back again. read more

I go to Panera a few times a month, but there are quite a few flaws. They are incredibly slow, it once took a half an hour to get a sandwich. They also have overpriced food. They do have good food, but they are slow and a bit overpriced. read more

Worst Panera ever. Always out of things. Waited forever for two coffees. Need a Starbucks at this exit please.

This is the worst Panera I have ever been to. Been here 3 times and each time have had to wait more then 30 minutes just to order. Went to the drive thru today and it was worse! Not enough staff and time management is not a priority, clearly. Won't ever go back to this one. read more

We just stopped here for a quick lunch on our way to the U.P. The manager was amazing in helping us select items that didn't have dairy (since our daughter has a dairy allergy- so thank you, we really appreciated that!!) Food came out quick and was good as always. Hope this review helps you since they deserve more than the 2-stars they currently have ;-) read more

What a disappointment! We walked in to a dirty restaurant with trash on the floor and on the tables. The bathroom was out of toilet paper. We went to order, and they were out of Mac and cheese, avocado, flatbread, and only had 2 bread bowls. My family has 6 people! We ordered soups and salads. After we ordered, he told us he was out of baguettes! This is Panera BREAD! The cashier was friendly and smiley. Whomever is in charge of restaurant inventory, needs a talking to immediately. We did get a complimentary asigo bread after we kindly complained. Again, the staff was kind and friendly. read more

Ok seriously hit or miss they have a nice manager but rude evening staff. They are always out of bread which is funny they're called "mother bread" ....? Also Chrystal who took our money and order was already rude through the drive through then when we wanted a refund for the sandwich we paid for she had a nasty look on her face and said she's has to grab a manager. So we waited and then realized I'm not just gonna leave without my mom getting anything so we added another sandwich and Chrystal rolled her eyes and and was like ok.. thank you for making my mother and I feeling so awkward and slamming the window shut after saying the fakest "have a nice day" ...... like what the hell for just wanting two half sandwiches. Wow read more

Panera is one of our family's favorite places to eat when we're on vacation, so we've eaten at several across the country. This was by far the worst one for several reasons. 1. The dining area was not well kept. 2. The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting - trash all over the floor, urine all over the seats, a roll of wet toilet paper in the sink, etc. 3. The young lady that took our order was friendly but the women behind the counter were very rude when we told them they got our orders wrong (all 5 of them). 4. Not only were our orders incorrect, it took over 30 minutes for our food to be ready. 5. I'm usually very full when leaving Panera. I always get the pick two with mac and cheese and the Fuji apple chicken salad. I had no more than 8 bites of my salad and it was gone. The portion size was extremely small. Unfortunately there aren't many options, as far as dining, in the area. Even still, we would never go back and would warn others about going as well. read more

Love the tomatoe soup

Raise your hand if you have NEVER gone to a Panera Bread. If you are a person to agree, then you MUST go and visit one ASAP. Panera Bread has always been a favorite spot of mine for a cafe. It has never failed me in times when I needed a simple fix, a quick in-and-out, or even speedy coffee service. Not only can you walk in and place some change into a tin to get some coffee, but service there is quite pleasing. When you first walk in, you instantaneously notice the serene atmosphere of this cafe. At this specific location, a co-worker and I had to make a pit-stop as we were heading to Lansing, MI for work. I went to try for the first time a Frozen Caramel.ooOOoo *Drool* The advertisement not only made me get it even more, but it was a nice hot sunny day as well so why not?! Let me tell you, Starbucks Frappuccino has got NOTHING on this drink. Plus, it's cheaper than Starbucks. The other thing that I love about Panera is that when you're trying to do a quick in-and-out just to get coffee, they have the best system (not sure if they still implement it or not). They have a tin can that you can just deposit $1.50 in, and grab the cup (sitting outside) and just get your coffee. Though this entails you to be on the honest system, why would anyone have to cheat the system here? Anyhow, my quick fix for that hot sunny day has made me realize that I'm always going to revisit Panera Bread all over just to get a Frozen Caramel on any day throughout the summer. I also added a Chopped Chicken Cobb salad, again, a first time. It was wonderful. The ingredient inside were fresh and that's one thing that I've always noticed and enjoyed. Forget McD's quick salads! read more

Panera Bread - Panera Bread Logo - Sandwiches Near Me - St Joseph, Michigan

This is the nicest Panera I've ever been to. Giant building, stylized outside and great service. They actually bring you your food (unlike at other Paneras where you have to pick up your food at the counter) and ask if you need anything else, then bus your table. It's a bit of a combination between a restaurant and a deli in this regard. My dining companion has food sensitivities and the staff here was happy to accommodate the restrictions. Also, the outdoor seating was lovely. read more

This is the dirtiest, filthiest place. Dirty dishes every where. Soap dispenser laying on the sink. Garbage over flowining in the rest room and lobby. Very disgusted. Shame on you Panera read more

And we have reached the last straw Panera. I order at the drive thru and your clerk tells me to pull around. I do only to have her (Tej) tell me that they couldn't make my drink cuz the the thing was down. I told her to make it a coffee with milk then. My bagel was suspose to be untoasted and unsliced. So it wouldn't get hard if I didn't eat it right away. Tej handed me my bag and said have a nice day. I had to ask for my coffee that was sitting right there. She rolled her eyes at me and grunted. Sorry, Panera we are done. Too many screw ups, unsanitary practices, and rude employees. read more

I absolutely love treating myself to a meal here! I love the fact that you can order on your phone or online and have delivered to your table. It makes lunch breaks a breeze and it seems like I'm always eligible for a free treat. I recommend if you're Uber busy and would like something refreshing to eat or drink. read more

Gross. Clean up your restaurant. It's nice to have the drive thru but took forever. So went inside and food all over the floor and uncleaned tables. Really need to improve the cleanliness because this is gross. Bathrooms actually were clean, however. Panera is going downhill. Many of the restaurants are dirty. It's becoming clear that some control has been lost with the rapid expansion. read more

Love the Asiago bagels. Can never get enough. Great place and right off the highway too. Would go back. Friendly staff too

Seriously. Starving. But I don't eat meat and ordered a veggie sandwich. It was dry white bread with chicken and bacon. And the other person in the car ordered a steak panini and there were two tiny pieces of steak. That was a waste of $17.36. So now we have nothing but a long drive ahead. read more

This is a sad excuse for a Panera. I would consider myself pretty knowledgeable in the Panera world because I go there at least three times a week. I stopped at this one on my way through Michigan, and let me tell you they are really struggling at this location. To start, I have never seen a line so long at Panera, nor have I ever waited so long to order and so long to receive my food. They brought my brother's food out before the rest of ours, and he finished his entire meal before we even got our food. Next, the drinks. They barely had any options for fountain drinks since some were out of order, and I was surprised to see that there was no green tea out by the fountain drinks and black teas. Not that big of a deal, but I was curious because I haven't heard of the green tea being kept behind the counter in a couple years. I asked a worker (the younger girl with the pig tails) if they had any and she looked at me like I was stupid and said "uhh did you order it." Again, not a big deal that they didn't have it out, but her attitude was uncalled for. Next is the food! Once it finally came, it was mediocre compared to my normal experiences at Panera. My bread was SO HARD. And my mom's grilled cheese wasn't cut in half, there was barely any cheese on it, and the cheese wasn't fully melted. However, whoever made the soup today did a great job and deserves a raise, because the soup was the only good part about both of our meals. And finally, I would like to add that the employees need to do a better job of cleaning the tables. Someone at the table next to us asked where the garbage was and the worker said "oh we take care of it all for you" very confidently like they had people ready to clear tables. Well, the entire time I was there, I didn't see one table get cleared. In the section I was sitting in across from the counter where you pick your food up, every table that was open was not cleaned. C'mon guys... please get it together! read more

Dirty and Slow. I love panera food, but this place is just a huge disappointment. Dirty on the inside and it took me 22 minutes in the drive through for a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich. And saw three cars drive off. I live in the area and I keep coming back thinking it will change. Maybe the only way things will change is a call to the health department and/or to corporate. read more

Stopped for a quick snack while traveling. Quite possibly THE WORST Panera in the country. Service was terrible, order was wrong, and customer service-well, it must not exist there! Stay away! There are other stops along this stretch of highway you can choose instead. read more

We come here almost every time we travel to Michigan from Chicago and order their coffee. Recently, their coffee started to loose its taste and was difficult to drink. And when we use their washrooms, 100% of the time they are over stuffed garbage cans and missing any paper towels to dry hands. Staff should monitor the bathrooms at least once a hour, if not more often. read more

We frequently eat at Panera Bread and we love their soup and sandwiches. But this particular restaurant at Saint Joseph Michigan always out of my all time favorite cream of Chicken and wild rice soup. So we end up having available soups on their menu. Hope after reading this review they will improve on services. read more

The chain itself is good but this location is horrendous. My order has never been correct. The service is getting progressively worse through the years. I've even had cashiers who don't know how to make change. As a local, I really wish they were better. I think their continued business is due to travelers recognizing the name because locals increasingly avoid them read more

The drive thru takes FOREVER. I'm a local and I would say 90% of the time I am in the line over 15 minutes when there is one one or two cars ahead of me. The associates are unfriendly the majority of the time. When I go inside it's typically decent service. read more

I love Panera Bread and the location is perfect for a quick and healthy lunch for my kids and I before going to the beach but, unfortunately, this particular Panera Bread is a disgrace to the franchise. I will not be returning. I have tried going three times through the drive-thru and every time it's taken at least 20 mins to get my food. Today, we ordered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a salad and I waited for 30 minutes. My kids were restless and I was irritated. I could have packed a lunch myself quicker than that. Furthermore, the staff is extremely cold and unwelcoming. I will return if I find out that the restaurant is under new management which it desperately needs. Please do something about this, Panera Bread! read more

I've been coming to Panera for several years and I'm a local st joe native. I've had several bad experiences at this location. This morning my oatmeal taste like onions because who ever cut the strawberries was using the same gloves they must've used for handling onions. This also was a rapid pick up order that was eight minutes late. read more

This place is great! It has a great environment, and a drive through for those speedy meal days. I go every time I'm in Michigan and I love it! My friend could not be happier, she gobbled down her entire bread bowl in one bite under 5 min. (This is no lie) I would recommend this place to all my peers and anyone else who looks for a great hardy meal. read more

Panera Bread - Dos mangos smoothies - Sandwiches Near Me - St Joseph, Michigan

This place is the worst . Every time it's the worst experience. For example rude workers who rarely give you the correct order . The drive thru worker Cindy was extremely rude because I added a pick two on the order SHE prematurely ended. I will boycott all Panera locations due to too many bad meals . Please eat somewhere else . read more

My summary review is: Oh, c'mon, guys: it's not THAT bad! Get a grip! Knowing what I do of the area, this Panera is in a good position to present itself as an alternative to hamburger-based chains for people traveling along I90, in an area that, quite frankly, hasn't got a lot to offer beyond the Burger King-Culver's range. In that context, Panera's a godsend. The food's decent--healthy and tasty for just-off-the-freeway fare. The coffee's drinkable. You can sit down to eat your meal in a comfortable place that offers wifi. As long as you don't ask more than that, you're fine. My experience: I stopped here for a takeaway sandwich three times over the past six weeks. All three times, I ordered as a walkin at the front order point, rather than trying rapid-order. All three times, my order came up within a reasonable time (10 minutes or less) and all three times, my order came up correctly. The only hiccup, and it was a humanizing one!, was that the third clerk had just moved down from Traverse City and had to double-check that my area code was 269. Now for the disclaimers: I had a gift certificate for Panera. i'm a local. I'm inclined to either grab a sandwich on the fly to eat at my final destination (Subway) or stop at a local stand-alone venue (Mason Jar or La Perla) for a more leisurely meal. But none of that's Panera's fault. read more