What's up with the lunch line? Are there no other decent places to eat in West Orange? Your standard Panera. Food is just like every other Panera. Service is good - I've never encountered a rude staff there. Really, the only major downside to this Panera is the lunch lines and how zoo-like it can get. If you come during lunchtime, don't expect a peaceful, tranquil cafe dining experience, but more of a noisy hustle-bustle atmosphere where space is limited. read more

Horrible cleaning problems. Bathroom is worse than a portajohn. Dirt and flies everywhere. Nasty.

I go on Saturday and Sunday mornings when I have work nearby. 2 straight weekends they messed up. Last weekend I ordered bacon egg and cheese on a cibatta, I get it on a brioche. The NEXT DAY I order the same thing, two sandwiches this time instead of one, they didn't put any bacon on them just egg and cheese. Today I order the same sandwich bec on a ciabatta and I get the brioche again, I go to return it because I'm really fed up with the mistakes, person asked me 4 times... FOUR TIMES what I wanted I said bacon egg and cheese cibatta and they didn't put any egg on it. Never going here again. read more

It's been a long time since I went to the Panera in the Essex green shopping center in West Orange and I today I realized why! When I walked into the Panera the dining room was dirty and the floor walking in felt sticky. The way they have the lines set up crowds the room and although they have the new kios where people can order their food it seems that no one wants to use them which again adds more clutter into the dining areas. Thankfully I placed my order online at the rapid pick up but when I picked up my order and got to my car with my toddler I realized they did not put any utensils in my bag! I wasn't even offered utensils from the very rude lady placing my food on to the rapid pick up shelves. If your from the area I suggest finding another Panera! read more

Came to Panera when Desert Moon was closed for lunch. The place looked crowed but i was able to place my order fairly quickly as well as get my food and find a seat. The food quaility is just like any other panera. So it the atmosphere. If you like panera there no reason not to come here. If you dont your going to have a similar experiance. read more

Im always seeking a Panera Bread on the weekends... Panera Pan nera era.. lol.. I like the pause on the weekend sitting comfortably on their giant patio and gossiping with the wife.. They always have a combo special to incredibility fill you and its fairly guiltless. I enjoy their seasonal dishes.. right now im living for the Thanksgiving style wrap and Butternut squash soap.. yumm!!!! The seeds in the soap are slightly salty but salt an a contrast to the otherwise smooth soap. The Thanksgiving Wrap.. Its everything Fall has ordered. read more

Panera Bread is a clear choice when I want something refreshing. I usually get a half Chicken Fuji Salad with a baguette and a Hibiscus ice tea and some form of dessert. The salads are balanced with fresh ingredients and the desserts are baked perfectly. I also use the app to order lunch from the Panera on 5th Ave, NYC about 3 times a week. read more

Panera Bread - Apple Fuji Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - West Orange, New Jersey

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**Great place to pick up healthy, food on the go**** I like to write post COVID "stay in place" reviews to help people make the best decision(s) in this "new normal" crazy world. I have been using their curbside pick up to feed myself on a last-minute biz tip across the Country. Staying at the Courtside Marriott in the same "shopping area" that this Panera Bread location is. The food is very good and the prices are reasonable. The curbside pickup has gone off without any major hitches. Id recommend using their own website. When you get there, don't forget to click the "I'm here" button on the email that confirms your order. Once you do that, they have your food out to you in less than 5 min. **Remember to tip your food runner. People are working hard in food service for not a whole lotta $. Each time I have done it, their face lights up and that in itself is worth a few bucks*** The "Kitchen Sink" Cookie is AMAZING. It is huge and I told myself Id eat half for lunch and half at dinner. The next thing I knew, I was thinking I could go back and get another but stopped short when I saw the calories are the same for the salad I had for lunch. It is worth another 20 min on the Peloton. read more

This location gets super busy, so be prepared for that during lunch hours. Tables can be hard to find, especially since people camp out here all day to work or study. So try and finagle a seat, but better yet just take it to go (no crowds!). The food and service are straightforward- have not had any mistakes in my orders and it seems to move pretty quickly given the lines. Eventually they should remodel to deal with the volume they get. Delivery service would be great here, but that only seems to be for newer locations. read more

I've been going to this Panera since I was 13. While I understand the pandemic has taken adjustments, the attitude I received from a server and her manager was disgusting. I used a kiosk to order my food so I could social distance and waited outside until I thought it would be ready. The girls commented she'd already called my name and rolled her eyes as if I was a PATRON of the establishment. It's not that serious I do believe that's what the cubbyholes are for?! I asked for my drinks and for some reason the large iced coffee and Papaya drink came up as miscellaneous food. So instead of giving me two large cups she gave me one and started arguing about the second cup. I didn't create your order system. I frankly don't know why I couldn't have been given a regular cup instead but I'm not gonna argue back and forth because I didn't print a receipt and only the food items come out on there end. That's a huge flaw since you have sizing. But it's not my problem. Spending over $20 to get disrespected over the cheapest part of my order is ridiculous. Turn over is high so I'm sure both of them will be gone the next time I decide I want to go to this location. read more

Fast and friendly service and food is on point. However, this Panera is extremely busy and feels crowded as people hunt for a table even before lunch time. During lunch the line is long and the place is very loud. I recommend getting your order to go unless you don't mind a busy, loud environment. read more

I got the pick 2 - turkey chili soup (current favorite) and the bacon bravo turkey sandwich. My colleagues and I ordered rapid delivery and I was the pick up person. Orders were ready when I arrived, and food was till warm when I got back to the office. I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to utensils or requested condiments not being in the bag. This location never messes up, so I'm able to just grab the food and go! read more

The Panera corporate website says "On weekends (Saturday-Sunday) and holidays, Panera Bread stops serving breakfast at 11:00 a.m. However, keep in mind that hours of operation vary slightly from one location to another. But most Panera Bread restaurants have the same hours for breakfast." I asked for breakfast at 10:37am on the 4th of July and was told they were not serving breakfast anymore. Going forward, I will avoid this location and spend my money at a Panera location that follows corporate policy. read more

I went in yesterday 45 minutes before closing and the staff were all courteous and kind. I've worked in the service industry for 9 years, you want to go home at the end of the night. A lot of cleaning, breaking down things but they all were enthusiastic with a smile. People are people and will still leave trash all over the tables like they have no home training therefore I will go no further. The way you treat people in service is how you speak for yourself, tacky. These people work hard to please. Anyway, someone is always watching to recognize hard work and they make amazing lattes. (coming from someone who made drinks for ten years) Thank you for the warm welcome regardless what time of the day it was :) read more

How can you possibly gather bad service, filthy floors, dirty tables, careless waiters in one single place?? Well, look no more, west orange's Panera bread is the place to go! Believe it or not, I expressed my frustration to the manager and he gave us a good bunch of excuses trying to justify the unacceptable... I'm forced to grant them a star that probably belongs to the customers that still want to enjoy the food baring this hygiene challenging restaurant read more

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Nice enough staff. That's the only good thing about this location. Got a pick two today. Bowl of chili and chicken thai salad with bread. I got a cup of soup and the bread had the taste and texture of 3 day old. Also the free bagel they gave me for my reward was not edible. Asiago cheese bagel tasted like them made it days a go. This is the normal for this location. read more

Talk about slow service. I don't know what Panera is thinking but the way their system is set up really sucks. Before the person taking your order would also get your drinks ready then you'd get your food order at the next station. Now everything is prepared at the same time and the food runners are the slowest people on the planet. They seriously have no care to get your order to your table with any speed involved. When asked why it's taking so long to get our order the one girl said 'itll be ready..." what kind of answer is that???? And when our orders finally arrived the food wasn't hot!! Unacceptable. We we're staying at the Marriott down the street so we figured the first time we went was just a bad day (even though it wasn't really busy) The second time there proved us correct . The same problem. Dysfunctional system with dysfunctional servers. Their serving system is terrible and the servers have no care to be speedy or courteous. Apathetic servers. read more

This Panera is about a mile from my house but I go to the one in East Hanover, about 6 miles away, because the food and service are consistently better. I was reminded of that when I stopped here today out of convenience. Never again.... the soup was luke warm and the sandwich was slapped together with wilted lettuce and tomato -which I'd asked to be omitted. read more

I have always driven or walked past this place and never went inside. As an initiative to eating healthier, my friend and I went after the gym yesterday. This was my first time here and my friend usually eats at another Panera Bread. I was looking at the menu, trying to understand the pick 2 and the female at the register wanted me to get off the line to look over the menu. The polite or courteous action would be to explain my options. She was not on her A-game at all. So I asked for a Chicken Ceasar salad and a chicken noodle soup. I asked her if it was fresh, she made a face and said, "It's hot" Did I ask you if it was hot or if it was fresh. I was so turned off but hungry so I changed the order to a chicken chiptole panini. She appeared to get frustrated but I was a paying customer a and I was always told that Panera Bread was known for their healthy eating. If your not going to provide it, then don't say it. I waited for my order, picked it up and sat down. As soon as I looked at it, I knew it wasn't right. I asked for a Chicken Ceasar and they only gave me a regular Ceasar salad. I went back to the counter and they didn't apologize. The guy took 2 small bags of chicken and poured it onto the salad. I thought there was a better way to handle that bc I thought I may have taken someone else salad. I go back to sit down and then I see the plate I was given was dirty!! I was beyond disgusted and all I could do was shake my head. With the bad attitude I was getting from the cashier and the other server, I just gave up. I will admit that the Chicken Chiptole panini was very good. It was warm and tasted very good. The salad was lacking the ceasar dressing so I had to ask for more but it was satisfying. My friend didn't quite get was she ordered either but it was a learning experience for us both. To go to her regular spot and not always go to the one closest to you. I don't see myself coming back here and if i do, I will definitely have to speak to the manager. I know if your going to serve food or work with people, we, the customers appreciates a friendly disposition and to be told that the food is fresh. I definitely don't want to hear that the soup or the food has been out for awhile or a long time. read more

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Too bad about the service here. It's unapologetically poor. After spending the entire weekend solo parenting I had 45 minutes to myself while I dropped the kid off at a bday party. The line was long, so I ordered a pastry and coffee through their electronic kiosk, picked up my buzzer and had a seat. And sat. And sat. And sat. 15 minutes later, my pastry still hadn't arrived, and my precious window of chill mom bliss was almost gone. I asked at the food pass whether I was missing something and got an, "Oh yeah...we're out of those. Didn't someone tell you?" Nope. How long would I have sat if I hadn't said something? I went back to the counter to get a refund, waited another 5 minutes for the manager to be available to issue my refund. Zero apology or acknowledgment of the total lack of service. At least I got my money back, I guess? I definitely won't return. read more

I love this place until I got a couple of blue berry muffins that was not fully baked. Inside it was still all runny muffin mix. Had to throw it away. I also noticed fruit flies landing on their uncovered pastries and bread. Not very pleasing to see that. I also got a cup of hot water with black dots in it not sure what it was. Showed it to the manager and she apologized gave me new water but never replaced the other hot water container with the black stuff in it. Don't think I'll come back here again even for hot water. Lol. read more

They do a fine job with soups, salads, bread and baked goods. They are done quickly for the most part. This location is kept reasonably clean. There are several kids options as well. The coffee lingers in those huge carafes for a bit too long. When it's fresh, it works, when it's not it gets quite stale. They have a nice gated outdoor area that is a great spot for lunch in the warmer months. read more

Love Panera. Worry that they are spending money on TV Commercials and that their quality will suffer.

I tried their Salmon Croissant sandwich the other day, and it was surprisingly good. Definitely had some good flavors, but I feel like sometimes they just throw everything together without layering ingredients. I do not want a bite full of bread, followed by a bite of bread and onion, and lastly a bite of salmon, lettuce and bread. Unfortunately, it came paired with some bread that felt a little hard--it was probably baked earlier in the day, and I wish they gave out fresh ones. Maybe I should have opted for chips, but since it is a bakery, why not go with the bread right? Overall, the food is fine and delivers what you expect from a chain. Will I return? Probably. Will this location get higher than 3 stars? Probably not. read more

I usually come here for bread & soup, specifically the broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. Just a warning though, lots of times their bread bowls are sold out by the end of the night, so I guess try to get there earlier. I once tried their chicken noodle soup, but it was way too salty for my taste. Also, try their paninis and frozen coffee drinks - they're delicious. This place is also really great for studying or getting some alone time to get work done, as most of the people here are on their laptops, sipping on coffee. Very comfortable atmosphere and doesn't get too loud even when it's packed. read more

I am rating this 5 Stars in comparison to other Casual Restaurants. This place is one of my favorite casual dining restaurants. I come here almost weekly. The food is fresh and prices are fair. Employees are friendly (most of the time). I've tried several items from the menu, here are my favorites: Breakfast: Baked spinach and bacon egg souffle, so fluffy and delicious. If you want simple the bagels are good too, Asiago is my favorite. Lunch or Dinner: Salads: Steak and Blue cheese chopped salad or BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad. Hot sandwiches and soups: Steak and Chedder panini paired with the creamy tomato soup. I also like the Tomatoe and Mozzarella panini along with the chicken noodle soup. Dessert: I've only splurged once on a sweet treat, I had the cinnamon chip scone! Really tasty and not dry like some other scones out there. If you give the place a try and like it. Take advantage of the My Panera card. It's so easy to get reward points. You can use them towards free beverages or sweet treats. read more

I've avoided Panera Bread for a few years for a couple of reasons. 1. They're a chain - I try to avoid chains 2. I associate them with a somewhat unstable woman I used to date. She loved Panera and dragged me there often. I think I have Panera PTSD thanks to her. But things change. In New Jersey on a business trip, I wanted something near to my hotel so I went to this Panera location for a quick dinner. I ordered a sandwich along with a small order of mac and cheese. For quasi-fast food it's a little pricier than most, but I think the quality is worth it. The bread is of the really good chewy-crusty variety which I really like. The mac and cheese is a pretty small portion for $5, but it is really, really good and I will no doubt order it again. As there were no unstable women in sight, and the food was very good and convenient, I will no doubt be back. read more

I feel like this Panera is a cut above the rest. The food is always fresh here, and there always seems to be a little more than what I get at other places :). I love the outdoor seating area here, which is lovely on a summer day. Its proximity to other things really sells this place for me. It's in the same complex as the Courtyard Marriott as well as a Shoprite and other casual restaurants, which makes it the perfect location for lunch or a quick dinner if you're a business traveler. read more

Clean establishment and great food from the soups to the sandwiches. Their lemonade tastes great too. The area is easily accessible and there's usually plenty of parking in the plaza. read more

Man I've always cleared away from Panera bread out of fear for it being hot pockets and stuff like that, man this place was awesome the staff is super super polite stuff is baked in house and it's always a plus to have refreshing drinks that aren't soda or coffee or a slushy or just fake tasting, I highly recommend this place. read more

My husband's office often orders from this location. There was a problem with the most recent order, and the manager was terrific about taking care of the situation very promptly & pleasantly. read more

Food is standard Panera quality but the men's bathroom reeks of a horrific urine smell. Makes you want to vomit after the first inhale. Does the manager use this bathroom? If so does he have a problem with distinguishing smells? I can't understand how he can accept this for himself, his employees and most importantly his customers. Embarrassing. The keypad that they ask customers to use was also filthy. I may be in the minority here, but in my opinion this place does not put a high priority on cleanliness. read more

This is not the location to go to. The newly opened store on route 10 is miles better. I like the new automated format. The store is not really laid out for manual ordering any more. It's a bit crowded in layout and isn't the cleanest. One major issue with the automated format is order accuracy. 50% of the time, there are items missing on the order. The kiosk does not issue a receipt so often I'm half way through before I recall that my drink or something is missing. Also, the constant pushing of cookies is not welcome. The food itself is a matter of taste. I generally like it although I wish they took it easy on the sugar and salt. I guess it's "Panera bread" not fresh & co so I can't criticize. There's free wifi. It's right by the AMC. Another bug is that no matter how nicely you ask, they will not put butter on your bagel. You get a bagel, a plastic knife and a wrapped butter portion. They will toast it but the butter and bagel are not to conjugate on premises. read more

There is not enough electrical outlets at this Panera Bread. It seems as if this Panera Bread does not want customers to use laptops. It would be nice if the people who work at the cash registers knew how to count change correctly. read more

The food is poor in ingredients and the first time I ordered they call to cancel my order because it is time to close the store and this happened after an hour waiting for my food, now I order again and they forget the soup for my little girl, her dinner and when my husband finally could talk to some they said that they can not send the soup so my options are or get a refund or you come to pick it up, insane I ordering delivery to prevent go out side and they do not care, I have to tell my daughter that no soup for her. Super bad service. read more

This Panera is okay.....my issue is, what is the point of having the kiosks where you can customize your order- but then you get your food and none of the customizations made it to your meal?? If you are going to make my food how you want to, just don't even bother to allow options for customization read more

I love Panera Bread but they were slipping a little bit today. It was packed so I ordered at the kiosk. I am glad I did because I odered and was out in 6 minutes. I got the pick 2--broccoli cheddar soup and frontega chicken panini. My sandwich was a little burnt on an end, not a lot but enough to notice. And I am glad I was going home but although it was printed on my order receipt, there was no spoon. Maybe next time it will be 5 stars. read more

I have been eating here for quite a while,as often three times a week. Since the manager Mr. Needleman left the place has rapidly gone downhill. My worst experience was today. Most computers were down or lacking trackers as usual. I waited 20 minutes for my order. Finally I went to inquire as to what happened to it only to discover my food had been left at another table. The soup was now cold. It was replaced ungraciously by an employee. The Green Goddess chicken salad was pathetic looking. The avocado was brown. Orders here are often wrong, including salads that arrive with no chicken. Dirty dishes sit on uncleared tables. No napkins are available on the counter where drinks and condiments are located requiring walking all over looking for them. When I attempted to discuss these problems with the new manager she was clearly uninterested . And even worse when I placed a complaint on Paneras website there was no substantive response. Today was the final straw. I will not be going back. read more

I finished selecting the food for my order but when I got to the payment screen, it kept saying "swipe card" even though I was swiping my credit card. I swiped the card (and other cards, too) over and over again, but I still got that same "swipe card" message. I had to go to another kiosk and do the whole order over again. My card worked the first time at that one. But that kiosk didn't have any pagers. And after all that, I didn't even get my chocolate chip cookie, even though the cookie was listed on the receipt. read more

I ordered my usual here at this location. I am visiting from California so I expected roughly the same experience. The staff was nice, friendly, professional, etc. However, my meal was not. I ordered a tuna sandwich, pick 2. When I arrived at my hotel to eat, I unwrapped the sandwich and it looked like it exploded all over the paper. I could barely eat it because there was tuna everywhere. It is one of the most poorly prepared simple meals I have ever had. If I were not super tired from traveling, I would have taken it back. If you get something to go, you better check it before you leave the restaurant. read more