It's been a while since I've been to Panera Bread. Last time I went was back in 2023, and a review was written for that visit. Actually, it was one of the first places I'd ever reviewed (5th overall review). Do I still stand by my statements from back then? Mostly. Let's talk about it. Now the atmosphere of the place is something I'd previously said was suitable to some but not to all. That statement and everything it stood for still stands. That was a review that summed up 14 years worth of visits to this location, and the was definitely more of a place to eat if we want to get something done, but didn't mind it being dirty. The only really big change was that now you have to get a code if you want to use the bathrooms here. Other than that, this is still the same old Waterbury Panera Bread that I've been going to for a while now. My thoughts about the service hasn't much changed either. I still recommend not ordering on the app and just going in person. It was much less stressful since that was how I approached today's order. The friendliness of the place hasn't gone down or up since the last time I came. But hey, at least this time they didn't go leaving things out of my order that I had paid for like they did the last time around! My opinions of the food is still the same. I had the bacon Mac & cheese in a bread bowl this time around. The bread was hard to get through like normal, but I could definitely taste the sourdough. The Mac and cheese is still good. They do now have Asiago Bread Twists as a side, which is what was a part of my lunch today. Honestly, it's not a bad taste, but the bread was cold the more I ate it. So, all in all, nothing about my rating has changed from 2023. It's still the same Panera Bread location 3 years later, and thus is still a very weak 3. read more

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First off, I just want to say that the cashier was courteous, kind, patient and helpful when placing my order. And the restaurant was clean and cozy. With that said, my only complaint was the food. I ordered the Philly cheese steak baguette and the steak salad. Both items weren't bad, but I have to say 'Panera Bread uses way too much sugar.' There's just no reason for food to be that sweet. That's a review. read more

Very bad services, the person in counter (woman) Has a bad attitude.she didn't want to do the order the way i ordered, rolling her eyes when i ask her. read more

Racist owner refused to service a lovely woman there recently. I've also ate here before and I must say, the food is bland and tasteless.

Can I give a 0! You all need to stop. When a person orders door dash you don't think a customer will pull up and bring this crap back. Get it together !! I ordered a full bowl and o get some type of half eaten looking crap. I'm shocked you all aren't closed. It's getting horrible. Treat all orders and customers the same !! read more

Goto place when u are hungry and feel like eating quality food. There new section on online ordering and delivering just in time we arrive called "Rapid pick up" is excellent !!! I used this feature and it was great. read more

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I asked if I could get half a sandwich but not a two for two deal she said yes. But then proceeded to charge me for a two for two meal which was $9.39 for a half of sandwich! At that rate, we will go broke! She should've explained that a half a sandwich is part of a two for two meal and allowed me to get the other one to go. She was nice but short and on her phone.. won't be back read more

I really enjoy a certain sandwich from here. I usually order online because the lines and customer service can take a while. I also get my sandwich customized so it's easier and more time efficient to use the app. The people can be friendly. read more

The food was very fresh and tasty. The portions were extremely generous. The service was attentive and courteous. When our waiter heard that it was my birthday he brought out a delicious piece of cake with a candle and did not charge us for the cake. We have eaten at almost every one of the so called better restaurants in Ridgefield and never received the attention and courtesy that we received at this diner. Can be spruced up a bit. But rings a loud bell on food. read more

This was a really nice Panera. My friend was visiting in town and we ordered and were served our food in under 5 minutes. I tried the new chicken Tuscan sandwich and it was delicious, I'd highly recommend it. The employees were very nice, although the guy taking the orders was a little bit flighty. If I'm hungry and in the area again I'd stop by for a bite. :) read more

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DO NOT ORDER FROM THE WATERBURY PANERA STORE! Here's why: tonight I ordered from Panera through Door Dash. I ordered 2 salads: the Cobb Salad with Chicken, and the Greek Salad; both came with a piece of a VERY STALE baguette/bread. The Cobb Salad was wilted but tasted just okay (very small for $13.49). The Greek Salad was supposed to have tomato, red onion, lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini. What I got was wilted lettuce, croutons, FATTY TURKEY, and PINEAPPLE CHUNKS for $8.89: THAT WAS IT (and there's NO salad on the menu like this)!! So I called Panera, and got the standard recorded "if you ordered from Door Dash, call Door Dash". I probably won't call Door Dash: it's not their fault that Panera messed up. I haven't eaten at Panera in years because of a bad experience, and will make a mental note to never, ever get food from there again. I should have read the reviews before I ordered. $32.00 Lesson learned. read more

I can't believe they actually thought someone would eat a burnt grilled cheese with one piece of cheese on it. Totally inedible. Had to throw it in the trash. And the worse part about it was that it was over $7 bucks. Yeah you read that right. Unbelievable!!! read more

Panera Bread - Seriously??? I wouldn't have even fed this to my dogs. Went directly in the trash. - Sandwiches Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

Let me say: impressive. I love me some Panera...and I love my my frontega chicken paninis. Normally I pair it with a chicken caesar salad and that is divine. Today I switched it up and got the barbecue chicken salad. Uh-mayzingggg. Now it's easy to assume, hey, this is Waterbury, everything in the dirty water BLOWS. Let me tell you...no. I have never had a bad frontega chicken. However the one I had today (see posted pic) was one of the best I'd had...EVERRRR. It was a perfect harmony of every ingredient in the right amount...and crisper bread than usual. The BBQ chicken salad, which I had never had before today, was amazing. It's not dressing-laden...the you pick 2 version is sub 300 on the calorie scale. The lettuce is their usual romaine base and meh, but the chicken, onion, roasted corn, beans, and tortilla strips (crunchy, not stale and borderline soggy) drizzled (and I mean drizzled, not bathed) with sweet and smoky bbq sauce amped up the flavor immensely. Screw the chicken caesar, this is my new go-to salad. I don't know if tonight was a fluke or they stepped up their game (I've only been to this particular Panera once prior to this) but I don't remember my frontega being this awesome. Tonight, they earned every last damn one of the 5 stars I gave them. read more

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tuna sandwich is not very good. too many chicken items on the menu ordering and pickup is at different spots??? wait til you are called when order is ready read more

The place is usually not clean. They sometimes give takeout containers when you eat in and you get far less soup than asked for. I haven't been pleased with this spot lately. read more

The customer service is horrible at the Waterbury store. This is not the first time I entered the store and was not greeted, not acknowledged, stood there while 4 workers behind the counter were talking and complaining about what another worker did or did not do. Never offered service at all . There was only one other customer in the store at the time so being busy was no excuse. read more

My fav breakfast is hazelnut coffee n vanilla roll I drove 10 mins to the Waterbury location she gives me the cup then tells me she has to refund me FR the roll cuz there's no icing manager came out asked FR my card and not one time offered another option so as we speak I'm driving frm Waterbury to southbury cuz they hve better service read more

When visiting today, my party ordered four you pick twos. The cashier walked away halfway through us ordering and another cashier came to finish it and take our payment. When we went to pick up our food, we were only given two pick twos and two half sandwiches and when we asked for the rest of our order we were told we were never charged for it. We were so frustrated after waiting several minutes to order only to have the cashier walk away and subsequently leave off half our order that we didn't even bother asking for the rest of it to be made. Also, at the register we were told things weren't available such as croutons and certain soups but both were visibly available at the pick up counter. read more

Not a good experience...put order for breakfast online the night before to make sure it would be set aside. paid for it. next morning go to pick up...1/2 order is not there....no egg souffle this morning! out of ingredients omg no eggs/cheese lol u have it for other breakfast u make... such B.S. so just got sandwich that was ordered. get home, wrong sandwich!! have to drive all the way back. get new sandwich (the correct one) & the guy asks for 1st mistake sandwich back. Lol what they gonna do with it? throw it away anyway! why ask for it. already put us out, no egg souffle, had to drive there twice. the freakin' least they could do is let us keep the sandwich for our trouble. wont' go to waterbury one again...pathetic pos ppl....they suck read more

Panera Bread strikes me a lot expensive. I bought a small steak sandwich and an iced tea and it set me back over $10. Honestly, I don't see why people go here, other than making it a meeting place like Barnes and Noble. The sandwich was good, and it came with a skimpy bag of chips. Wowza! The iced tea wasn't all that either. Then you have to go with a liquid sugar to sweeten it up. Not impressed. Too expensive! read more

Have always had nice experiences at Panera Bread. The food is always fresh, the place is always clean. And the service is always good.And this one checked all the boxes. We orders online and the pickup was ready exactly at the listed time. Keep up the good work read more

Always consistent quality and portions! Friendly service! I always enjoy a meal in their location or take out!

Me and my Bestfriend go on after school lunch dates together we love there food and the green tea is very good read more

Panera Bread - Grilled Chicken Caesar Steak & White Cheddar On French Baguette - Sandwiches Near Me - Waterbury, Connecticut

First of all we waiting 20 minutes after our curbside pick up time. We had to call to get a very rude young lady to finally bring them out. We only ordered three lemonades. Clearly they had sat for a long time because the ice was mostly melted and they were very watered down. Note we did not come at a busy time either! Not coming back to thus location for sure. read more

Normally I like Panera. HOWEVER THIS ONE IS AWFUL. They gave me the wrong order (inputted wrong) and I called cooperate AND they didn't do anything!!!! They refused to refund me. They literally stopped talking to me on the phone. NOT OKAY! I even emailed and all they responded was a surgery. I wanted broccoli cheddar soup but it inputted as Mac and cheese. I DID NOT WANT IT!!!! Do not go to this Panera unless you're looking to check out immediately then leave. read more

ZERO STARS really lol Panera bread is one of the most disgusting joke of a fast food chains I have ever been to. Recently tried it again after years and still amazes me that this place stays open. The food is inedible, I honestly feel bad for those who can enjoy Panera bread. Your taste buds deserve more than that, please do better. The pure disgust when I found out most food is boiled in a bag - might as well be in jail . Panera the only thing I can eat from your establishment is the brownies and green tea. That tea is the only thing keeping you alive please do better. read more

I honestly believe this particular location needs proper cleanliness training. Every time I've gone to Panera to grab a bite to eat I see an uncomfortable amount of fruit flies flying around the bakery/dessert foods as well as by the beverages. It is very disgusting and only makes me wonder what the back of the kitchen looks like. Granted the food is good.. however the fruit flies have made me question how truly clean this restaurant location is as the workers tend to ignore the flies that are typically there everyday.!! read more

Very good and always consistent. My go to is the spicy Thai salad chicken, and chicken avocado sandwich. My son likes the grilled cheese and my wife likes the broccoli cheddar soup. read more

Food was not that good ..uhhhh I think the salads are awful..u can tell they are bagged and taste like plastic. Then the turkey is rubbery...yuk. I think the soups are still ok, but their sandwiches are gross. read more

I'm yelping Panera's with the help of a guest critic, my 90 y. o. mother, Marie. Because she's a diabetic, we went to lunch at 11 am, so the restaurant was not crowded. The woman taking our order was friendly and polite. Marie ordered French Onion Soup (making it the 100th time in a row) and I ordered the Thai Chicken Salad (the 2nd time in row.) "HEY MOM, HOW WAS YOUR SOUP?" (I am talking loudly to her because she's almost deaf and won't wear her $3000 digital hearing aids because she thinks they make her look too old.) "My French Onion Soup was very good. It was nice and hot and I've got to have my soup hot. It had a lot of onions in it and the broth was nice and rich and yummy. But I didn't get a lot cheese this time and I'm surprised because all the other times it was very cheesy but in a good way. The grainy roll was good. But without the cheese, it's only 3 stars." My salad bowl was filled right up to the top with all the ingredients they've used for years. The chicken was tender and the dressing was mildly tangy, just right for an early lunch. Tasted just like my first Thai Chicken Salad, and that's what I expected. And the "grainy" roll was good. I rated it 5 stars and so our average is 4. We'll be back. read more

damani great energy wonderful smile charming reminded me of my rewards read more

I've been to this Panera Bread many times. Staff were patient and respectful. The tables and booths could be cleaned more often, sometimes the only available tables are uncleaned ones left with dishes and food from previous people. Recommend the Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice. Have experienced a few inconsistencies with orders, getting the wrong food or whatnot, but all were fixed. read more

Very friendly and respectful. Clean and Organized restaurant. If you want a quick bite and fresh, this is the place to go.

Ok this Panara is def not as nice as it used to be. Worn down.... The kitchen had trash and food on the ground... Things just looked like they needed to be wiped down. The bathroom was not super clean as well . I ordered a cup of soup and when I asked for a baguette... They said they were all out and were substituting a slice of bread... And they weren't kidding ... I got a half a slice of bread with my soup... I felt it was a tad unprofessional and just untidy. The soup was still great ... Just the experience and atmosphere was lacking. read more

Horrible horrible place. If you want burnt food, melted drinks, terrible service, and to hear inappropriate coworker gossip, this is the place for you. If not, you might want to find another Panera. I live in the area and I haven't gone once and not had an issue. read more

Panera bread is one of the best spots here in the city. I spend hours and hours here studying on the weekends during school and love it. The food is always clean, fresh-tasting, and fair in price. The staff is always friendly and kind when customers come in which is always nice to see! The other day the girl working gave me 2 chocolate chip cookies instead of one for my birthday and it made my whole night! One suggestion: it's a tad too cold, turn the heat up please! Other than that, love the food and place and always go back. I'll be updating with photos when I pay another visit. read more

This particular establishment in Waterbury, Ct. is awful and I am disappointed to have to give it such an extremely negative review. My last three experiences were horrible. The service is a complete disgrace lately as far as the college aged kids they have working there reason being is that they gossip lengthy with one another about their Professors and studies. They are completely incompetent and clueless of their basic duties. I used to like this place but the service as a whole is pathetically bad! My last three times there has not been good for example these three things keep reoccurring during slow periods in there. They take forever to attend to you because their gossiping with one another is more important, then whenever I order just one or two items they never get it right, for instance I order just a WHOLE Napa Almond Chicken salad sandwich and without fail I pay up front for the "whole size" price and add tip for courtesy cause I am a considerate person, then proceed to wait for it to be made at all three times it has either been ridiculously skimpy on chicken and all lettuce and tomatoes because normally the way it supposed to be made there is a generous amount of meat after all you're paying over 9.00 for just the sandwich. Next visit same thing ordered whole sandwich 9.00 and I get only a half after the fact I noticed cause it was bagged for take out! Third visit was order a whole and got a half different type of sandwich again take out so unfortunately you have to treat this place like a McDonald's where NEVER LEAVE WITHOUT CHECKING your items because these workers are terrible! College students too...God help us if this is our future! I will never return here and do yourselves a favor and avoid it and or never tip because this experience is highly unjustifiable! read more

My girl suggested we go here. I have never been to one before, and will never go again. I had a customized sandwich made and it just looked so bad, the lettuce looked fake, the bread looked disgusting, everything about it looked unappetizing. I paid somewhere between $10-$15 and i didnt even touched it. Left it right on top of the garbage and left. Never again. read more

This is a great location. The order was placed accurately and was delicious. I have a carrot and tree nut allergy and they were diligent with making sure no cross contamination took place so that I wouldn't have an allergic reaction. They went as far as to read the ingredients for dressings and sauces in order to make sure that they were safe for my choice of sandwich and salad. read more

I would give it five if it wasn't such a meat locker in there. Last two times I had to order coffee just to stay warm and it's July! I do love this place tho. It's next to my gym and a healthy option. I leave there feeling full, energized, and healthy, not bloated and guilty like most restaurants I go to. If the place was warmer I'd go everyday. Now I just go if I REALLY don't want to cook or eat bad. Please for the love of God turn down the AC. read more