Typical, Good Panera We are fans of Panera because of the fresh ingredients and the fact that when traveling it's possible to get a driving break without spending a huge amount of time. This Panera was typical, and met the high standards we associate with the chain. It's one of several in State College. We are fans of the Take Two soup and sandwich combination. read more

A couple weeks ago, my mom and I went to this Panera for lunch. When we were done eating we went to go put of dishes in the bin. A girl with long black hair was practically "guarding" the station and wouldn't give us any room to throw away our food. As we tried to move around her she gave us nasty looks and started to get closer to us. When she was approaching us we tried to move away and then spilled our soup. We offered to help her clean up and she told us " no just go away" craziest experience I've ever had. Will not be coming back. read more

Worst Panera experience ever. Slow as molasses. One member of the team was moving at Mach speed and everyone else seemed to have their feet stuck in concrete. One gal was just standing staring into space literally for minutes at a time. I could tell because I was standing waiting for over 30 minutes to get a salad and a drink. They had some kind of expediter who was doing some sort of checking, but apparently was mostly just looking harassed and irritated. The gal in front of me was missing part of her order. Mine looked ok until I got back to my hotel and realized they forgot salad dressing. On the plus side, the salad was still good, even though it was a little dry with no dressing. Although Panera is usually a "go to" while traveling for breakfast and lunch, I will find someplace else to eat tomorrow! read more

Slow, your order time is never ever accurate and you will sit there waiting. Employees have no sense of urgency

Today was the third time I've ordered online for quick pickup that ended up taking an hour or more. This location is simply not equipped to serve their customers at peak hours. read more

Why is it that Panera wants to play a game of "find your food" with the Rapid Pick-up orders? There is a shelf labeled "rapid pick up". When you order, they tell you that your food will be on this shelf. But sometimes it is on the ordering counter. Sometimes it is on the pickup counter for eat-in orders. All they have to do is change the sign. First world problem, I know...but so easy to solve. read more

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Service !! Outstanding! Food was incredible! I like my soup hot ! Served hot , with a lovely piece of Baguette ! The strawberry salad was so fresh ! I understand this is seasonal , a must try ! ( I'll be back before it goes away ) We sat on the patio .. very nice ! read more

wait time was 20 minutes longer then the estimate i was given, had to get stranded at panera because my boyfriend was going to be late for his appointment. i would not have gone there if the wait time estimate had been accurate. it also would have been even longer of a wait if i did not ask them to put my order in the cue after not seeing my name on the screen. read more

Slowest service ever. Won't give you your cups to get your drinks while you wait 30 + minutes for your order. This used to be a well run location, but not anymore. It's dirty inside and the service is terrible. Won't be back. read more

Pictures are worth a thousand words. I ordered the New southwest chicken melt. When I asked why there was very little meat and very little seasoning I was told that my sandwich contained the right portion control. I will not be back. read more

Panera Bread - Southwest Chicken Melt - Salad Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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Huge delay plus shrimpy portions. Never again. Left once before because of 45 minute wait. Chronically understaffed. A full green goddess salad filled less than half the bowl; person behind the counter said they were short on salad. Oh yeah, waited for 20-25 minutes before my order was ready. Sounds like poor management with inadequate staffing and supplies read more

I just waited almost 50 minutes for a half of a sandwich and a small Mac and cheese. My sandwich looked like this... read more

Panera Bread - Sandwich - Salad Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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I go here way too often, spend too much here. Tonight, I was getting a lid for my drink, but bin was empty. I waited to speak to an employee, but everyone was too busy, avoided eye contact. I stood there, saw they have a dry erase board, said their goal was $9000 for today or something. Anyhow, I opened the little cabinet below the counter and took out a drink cover. This woman came out of nowhere, started yelling at me, said she would appreciate if I wouldn't get a cover for my $4 drink by myself. I should wait. Looking around, this store is filthy. Dirt and crumbs everywhere. They seem to never vacuum. Not during store hours. Oh well, probably not a public health problem. At least they can make their goal totals. They love to scream out that there is now a 45 minute wait. People standing next to your booth, waiting for their food. Half the time, the self serve ordering computers are broken. Probably the worst Panera I have been to, and have visited many. Food tastes ok, but way overpriced. And customer service is in the gutter. read more

i ordered soup and it was cold, everything here is so confusing and the tables were dirty, the service was not the greatest,

I usually like Panera but we got stale Bagels. In our to go bag was two bagels, a small bin of cream cheese and butter, no napkins, and no knife. Wow! read more

I love it here. The staff is so friendly and kind. They always go above and beyond to make sure a customer's order is correct. Today, my app glitched and it charged me for two orders. I didn't think I'd be able to get refunded so I was about to leave until a crew member asked me if I meant to place two orders. I told him no, and he cancelled the second order right away. This isn't the first time a crew member made my visit great. I suggest going to this location if you're ever uncertain about where to go! The last time I ordered from there, there was dried food in my bowl of mac and cheese and I stopped eating Panera for awhile because of it. read more

Like most other places in State College, this place astounds me with the total lack of care that their food preparation demonstrates. Given that the interior has been dirty every time I've visited, with crumbs on seemingly every table and booth seat, I mostly order through their rapid pick-up service. Though I order the same one or two items every time, there is no consistency with how my items turn out. The level of mac and cheese I receive in my order, for example, is never the same and is often miserably underfilled. When brought to their attention, they insist that the mac and cheese servings are standardized and that it would be impossible to receive less in one order, rather than just adding more or replacing the item. The side baguette or chips is frequently missing from the order. Orders have taken significantly longer to be prepared even when I've already received a text notification that my order is ready for pick-up. In my experience, adjustments to items are rarely actually done. Even standard items have been egregiously incorrectly prepared -- we once received a chicken salad sandwich instead of a tuna salad sandwich, which, as pescatarians, we could not eat. I've received an open and moldy container of cream cheese for a bagel -- the only container of cream cheese in the bag, mind you. When I have driven home before noticing missing or incorrectly prepared items and called to request a refund, I've been told they "can't refund items from the order," have been promised a coupon in the mail in place of a refund, and have never once received said coupon. I have resigned myself to double-checking my order each time -- to the extent of opening up sandwiches to check the ingredients -- and asking them for the missing items nearly every time. Today, my partner offered to pick up our order, and when he returned, the Green Goddess dressing I had requested on the side of my Green Goddess Caprese Melt (so that the sandwich didn't get soggy in transit) was nowhere to be found in the bag. Come on! It's in the name of the menu item! At this location, I have experienced both continual oversights in order preparation as well as an unwillingness from the team to resolve these oversights, which is completely unacceptable, even if it is "just" a Panera. edit: Forgot to mention that they regularly misread modifications to coffee. They incorrectly read "2 shots of decaf *instead of* the standard 2 shots of regular espresso" as "2 shots of decaf *in addition* to the standard 2 shots of regular." Same with the syrup: so asking for less syrup results in them making an even sweeter drink than normal. This has happened to me multiple times at this location. Please learn how to read the modification instructions correctly. read more

Mobile ordering and rapid pickup is the best and fastest way to go! New flatbread pizzas get the ok from my kids, my wife loves the broccoli soup, and I'm generally happy with whatever I have. Breakfast wraps are pretty tasty too. read more

hicken noodle soup was more water and downed by water. and the bacon avocado sandwich was like mush and not toasted on the out side. with minimal avocado that you could not find it. someone needs to close this down or get a new manager. The one in atherton is wayyyy better this. why it get a a zero if they had one read more

The first thing I noticed upon entering was: It was crowded. This was on a Saturday afternoon and this location is brand new so that was to be expected. The next thing I noticed was the feng shui of this place is completely off. The moment you walk through the door there's a small display table and BOOM, you're at the counter. It was semi-circle shaped and cramped and just seemed all wrong. On a busy day with bad weather that line could turn into a hot mess. They were fully staffed so the customer service aspect of things went well. Our orders were taken and our food came out quickly but the pick up counter was also placed in the direct flow of foot traffic for the dining area and soda machine. Just funky and weird in terms of comfort. All walk ways were just awkward and narrow and all paths to the food counter, condiments, soda machine and tables required you to kind of do the side-ways slide-by with someone who was invariably going in the opposite direction. I'll tell you though, the creamy tomato soup and turkey sandwich that I got made all the yuckiness of the layout fade completely to the background. Panera can make a solid sandwich! In closing: Funky Layout- Solid Food! read more

Went into this Panera for what I thought was just going to be a few minutes, I ordered two toasted bagels with cream cheese. 38 minutes later I got my order, which was not only burnt but cold. The two bagels where unwrapped, chucked into a bag, with napkins stuck to the actual bagel making it impossible to eat since it was covered in napkin bits. Granted it was a busy morning, but that doesn't mean you can throw out the serve safe rules with dealing with to go food. Very disappointed. read more

Uh. Since I'm in the mood for reviewing chain restaurants that I normally like, let's talk about this Panera. I'll start with the layout...modern Paneras, at least the ones I've been in, tend to be open, spacious. This one, you're fighting your way through a densely packed forest of seating and tables. And the interior is deceptively small. The people working there that I dealt with didn't seem to care anything about the food the served or the customers. It was "just get your order done with". The food I had was standard Panera fare (Should it get 2 stars because the food was ok? I don't know. Maybe 1.5) but it took longer than usual to get to me, and when I did walk up to the counter, no one was even paying attention so if there was confusion about whose food was up (by the way, Panera...listen up, some of us are too short to peer over the counters to fully see our food. This seems to be a problem with all paneras! I have to get up on my toes, and I'm actually not all that short!) you couldn't get anyone's attention. The coffee though? Way worse than Panera's usual par. I was getting ready to travel for a few hours so I had my trusty travel mug with me but by the time I had been on the road for four hours I had just about 3/4 left. Four hours is usually 2 mugs of coffee for me but I just couldn't stomach it. It was overbrewed but weak, almost as if they had reused the beans. I'm not saying Panera coffee is usually "great" but it's tolerable. I don't know. This was way below my average Panera experience. I wouldn't go back. read more

This location is up to overall Panera standards for food. The complaint I'd have is that it doesn't stand out in any one area as being a "good" Panera. It's just another Panera, but with faults of its own. What I've tried and what's good here... Breads: All Bagels, Muffins, Cookies, and the Strawberry Rhubarb Cake. Hot foods: Chicken Noodle Soup, Black Bean Soup, Tomato & Mozzarella Panini, and various sandwiches. Things that are bad here: Coffee. Yuck, way too acidic. The light roast is tasteless and the dark roast is too bitter, so I end up mixing the two. Otherwise avoid the bread loafs here, as I have a feeling they've been sitting around too long. They weren't super fresh when I bought one. You'll find that they do not keep condiments stocked well, like Sugar in the Raw and Butter packets. I almost always have to ask them to refill them or just grab some from an employee. That's inconvenient when you're in a rush in the morning. The cleanliness of the store was great when it first opened up, but is now not quite as good. Still relatively clean, but not in top condition. The layout of the store is one of the worst I've ever seen. Very narrow and long floor plan means the walkways and overall flow is cramped and uninviting. The biggest problem is finding an AC socket to plug in your laptop, etc. They're only on the big booths in the back, and then haphazardly scattered around the place at inconvenient locations. Worse is their wifi at this location: painfully slow and completely inaccessible (down) on most days. I used to meet up with a friend in town to conduct private tutoring on SQL and other tech topics. We always had issues with the wifi. It was so bad that I just ended up using my phone as a wi-fi hotspot for his laptop. Another complaint would be customer service. It can be fine at times, then have its hiccups. For example, I was waiting in line one day when a man behind me came around to look at the pastries. A new cashier walked up and looked at this man and said "can I help you?". She completely ignored me as the next customer, waiting in line. That's unacceptable. read more

Amazing customer service across the board! Everyone just wants to make you a happy customer and they will do anything to achieve that. Highly recommend this location! read more

We just waited 45 mins for a toasted bagel and a breakfast sandwich. While there most of the bagel flavors were gone and they ran out of coffee!! Really? 9:00 on a Saturday and no bagels or coffee? read more

Had the best customer service today when I messed up my order online. When I went to pick up my order, it did not process through but Courtney (the manager) and Aaron worked quickly in resolving my issue. Their quick turnaround and courtesy was so wonderful. I will no doubt be visiting weekly now! Thank you! read more

This place is a mess and the service is awful. We ordered a regular coffee, an espresso, and a bottle of water. First, they had no sparkling water of any kind (Pellegrino, Perrier - nothing). Secondly, they only had ice-cold bottles of still water --- we paid for it, we didn't get it, and we're never refunded. It was 45 degrees and raining; who could want frozen water? To top it all, they serve you espresso in a huge paper cup --- they do not have small ones! And their menu does not include any gluten-free options. Stay away: Panera is hardly ever nice, and this location is just dreadful. read more

This is the BEST panera I've ever been to. The entire place is extremely clean and the workers are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I'd definitely come back here if I visit College Park again. Thank you for a wonderful experience! read more

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT go during a busy period. 30 minutes for a cold sandwich is just ridiculous, especially when they tout the new automated ordering system as FAST Lane. read more

Attempted to eat here on a Friday evening around 6:30 with a family of 4. So many larger tables are occupied by one person on their phone or by staff members completing trainings. Is it really necessary for a new hire to be watching video tutorials at a 6 person table in the middle of the dining room at 6:30 when my family and I are crowded into two of your two person tables? I expected to actually be able to enjoy my meal when spending $50 for soup and sandwiches, but unfortunately that did not happen. I'm not asking for someone to 'police' the dining room, but could these common situations at least be addressed or taken into consideration for improvement? read more

This location closes at 10 pm, and after a long day at the library, I came in at 9:30 pm for a quick to-go salad. After ordering from one of the screens, I hear two female employees loudly saying "I'm so tired!" And "Yeah SO tired" after seeing my name pop up on the order screen. Pretty crazy that they had to work during work hours....... *sarcasm* There were only two orders that needed to be made at that time, so how hard is it to get a half salad order right? Very hard apparently. They didn't put avocado in my salad. I feel gipped. Crap employees who love to complain but can't do their jobs right. Good job, Panera. read more

Just don't come here. They burn your bread and mess up your order. 0 star if I could. read more

Panera Bread - Salad Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

We were glad to find out this Panera had later hours, since the downtown location was closing soon. We walked in, & felt a little confused by the layout. There were kiosks, a small order area, pick-up was around the corner, but no one behind the counter. We waited, walked around, saw staff in the kitchen, but no one in front. Others filed in, & eventually, someone showed up. We placed our order, & got it to go. Disappointment set in right away. The frozen Watermelon Strawberry lemonade was melted, not even icy. In the bag, we found 2 apples with our bowl of soup & large entree salad order. What, no bread? We weren't even asked if we wanted fruit or chips, & forgot about those options. Overall, not the usual service & attention we're used to at other Panera locations. read more

Service here is great! The place is always clean and incredibly fast. I love ordering on the computer and having it delivered basically by the time I pick a table. read more

This is the perfect place if you want to eat frozen chicken! I mean that literally. The general manager Aaron shockey was on duty working and unable to train his associates to know what frozen chicken was. My salad came with rock hard frozen chicken on it. This tells me one simple thing. They seem to want to mess with the food. Why would anyone serve you rock hard frozen chicken unless they got a good laugh out of doing so. It's pretty horrible to have something like this happen with the general manager on duty. read more

I've experienced both good and extremely poor service. Unfortunately, I can say the same about the food...sometimes good and sometimes bad. I used to enjoy going to this location, but the deteriorating service and food quality have led to a change of heart. read more

So-so. I come to Panera bread a few times a month. They are usually great with customer service and food. The sandwiches and soup are always as they should be. The sammies are put together well and the soup is a good temperature. I like the consistency. I can count on getting the same thing every time. Why didn't I give 5 stars? The customer service has majorly failed a few times. The last time I was here was on a Sunday. I arrived at 12:02pm. I knew this because I walked through the door and there was a long line. I texted a friend to let her know I'd probably be a while.(That's how I know what time I arrived). Since a few people in front of me didn't know what they wanted, I ended up at the front of the line. I ordered my half chicken salad sammie, cup of soup, and a large iced green tea. I got the food in about 3 minutes. At 12:33, I was still waiting for my tea. I politely asked the girl behind the bevvy counter if it was ready and she very rudely told me she was waiting on lids. I told her I was in a hurry and needed the drink now without the lid and she replied with a, "fine, whatever". Ouch. read more

I like this location. Its new, away from the over crowded location down town. Good service, nice and clean.

Was at Panera today (Sunday) got there around 11:54 am or so. I stood in line for 5 or 6 mins when I went to place my order the cashier told me that I was a min too late to get breakfast it was 11:01. I simply left. I understand there are cutoff times for the switch from breakfast to lunch but her complete lack of understanding of customer service or even customer recover was disappointing. I will be back, but hope that the management can take some time and do some retraining. read more