I was very disappointed that there was no one who would allow me to trade up a reward for a smoothie. I have a free soda, standard coffee or tea but I do not want any of those. I would like a smoothie and simply wanted to pay the difference or an up-charge as I have done at other establishments with similar programs. The cashier was reluctant to even ask her manager and then someone told her that it couldn't be done "because they didn't know which button to press..." That was it. They had no more concern for a positive customer service experience. I earned this "free" drink only after 10 visits and each of those was over $10, so I really don't feel that I'm asking for the moon. I was willing to pay the $2 price difference between soda and smoothie but this Panera Bread does not want my $2. Remember that everyone. This Panera Bread doesn't want any of your money... I, for one, will oblige. read more

Although this restaurant produces good sammies & soup consistently there is a big flaw in their expediting system if I had to wait 26 minutes today just simply for a to-go order of soup!! read more

My husband and I were driving through Knoxville from the Smoky Mountains on our way to the Nashville Airport. We had a great meal at Panera and I accidentally left my purse in the bathroom. The manager was VERY KIND and mailed my purse back to me in Massachusetts so I wouldn't miss my flight. Incredible manager at this Panera :) read more

They have a greek salad that is pretty good. You may have to tell them to lay off the red onions. I crave greek salads and this a good greek salad that you can get to-go if you are in a hurry. read more

Went there last week on Friday for lunch. Always reliable. Had new sammy: tasty tuna salad on peppered focaccia accompanied by apple. Ate it so fast forgot to take pic of it! read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

If you are in Knoxville never go to this Panera. I've had bad experiences before but this time I will never go back. I got the Baja bowl and my friend got the Greek bowl to go. The bowls were not even half way full. We went to a worker and we very nicely told him that I get this bowl all the time and it usually fills the bowl. He very rudely told us that it is never full and always like that. (The bowl was almost empty!!!) He made us feel so dumb and told us we could try and get a refund if we want. My one star is for the refund even though it doesn't even deserve one star because the manager or store owner was rude, barely spoke to us, and didn't apologize while giving the refund. Every other Panera in Knoxville has extremely nice workers and prepares great food so go to another one! read more

Terrible experience, I ordered one of the hot bowls and it was about 1/4 full maybe a 1/2 full max. It looked very sad and definitely not worth $10. I love Panera and have ordered the same thing at other locations and it's usually full to the top. When I asked for help the person I spoke with said it's supposed to look like that and I could get a refund if I wasn't happy. I gave a second star because I was allowed to get a refund, but the manager who gave the refund was extremely rude as well. Review is for the location not the chain. Just pick a different Panera if you're in the area! read more

So sad to see the quality of food prep go downhill. The first breakfast soufflé was cold, and the replacement was not cooked. Totally understand that with limited help, Panera may not be able to offer all items... but keep quality up in whatever you do! Also, Toaster was broken.... At a cafe bakery? Disappointed... :( read more

Panera is so close to my home...honestly, no matter where you are, when is Panera NOT close? For such a convenient place, the food is decent. I mean, I always enjoy a freshly baked bagel with schmear. For lunch, I'm likely to order one of the many combo meals available...usually it's a take on a turkey sandwich with some sort of soup or salad. If I'm here on Friday, you'll find me with a bowl of clam chowder...and HOPEFULLY it's a bread bowl. These run out quickly, though. All in all, this is a good meal option. I must say though, I almost always come out of convenience over anything else. read more

I have been a fan of Panera for many years but this morning's customer service was not acceptable. We have all experienced a year of change and difficulty. Kindness costs absolutely nothing but it is so absolutely necessary to show respect and consideration to your customers. I will not be back. read more

A solid Panera experience was had here, with a bonus of table side service. Plenty of staff was on to assist. We had almost no wait in line. The location was difficult to find the first time. I want to give 3.5 stars, but am rounding up rather than down, because hey, it is consistently well prepared, and that is what I need when I go there. That, and a lot of good bread. All the bread. read more

Had a catering order and the manager said he didn't think the gift card would work for a catering order, so he wouldn't accept it. That is ridiculous! Why would you sell gift cards if you can't use them when needed? He was not friendly or good to work with. I would suggest another location or a alternate business for catering. read more

How can you mess up a bagel. Pretty simple to toast a bagel. Then when you go back to ask if they can toast it they make you feel like it's your fault. So a one for screwing up a bagel and poor customer service. read more

I love Panera so much, after I eat there I feel full, but not overly full. Their food tastes fresh and clean. I wouldn't necessarily say their food is PERFECT bc I definitely have had some better soup and sandwiches, but I definitely recommend them. I made my Thanksgiving stuffing with their French Baguette. read more

Very nasty bathrooms. Food is fairly similar to any other Panera. The bathrooms need to be cleaned much better than they are. Someone shouldn't feel dirtier after leaving the bathroom than they did before they went in. Come on Panera. read more

I ordered a turkey sandwich and asked for just turkey and cheese in the sandwich. I got my bag back and the sandwich including: turkey,cheese, mayo, mustard,lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Very disgusting and disappointing.... read more

It's panera. Fairly consistent and my kids seem to love it. Generally they will screw up your delivery order by either giving you something extra like 3 additional soups or forgetting like croutons but whatever. read more

Unfortunately, this is the absolute worst experience I have ever had at a Panera. We arrived at 7:30 (we were aware they closed at 8, but figured we could grab a quick bite to eat) and immediately ordered as there was no line. The cashier asked us if we would be dining in or taking out (which would give you the impression dining in was an option). We let her know we would be dining in, and she very rudely let us know they close in 30 minutes. We let her know we were aware and would be eating quickly. They were out of several items, which we understood as it was the end of the day. However, you ARE STILL OPEN. We ordered our food and waited about 15 minutes. Upon getting our food, nothing in our order was complete or correct. I ordered a turkey sandwich with everything on it and it came with just turkey and cheese and, oddly, lots of BBQ sauce. My friend ordered the steak and cheese sandwich and they left off the sauce and onions. My other friend ordered soup and salad and there were no croutons. At this point, another employee came by our table to let us know they close at 9. Again, we are aware. But none of our food is correct. We only ask for the steak sandwich to be remade because quite frankly, everyone was so rude we were afraid of what they would do to our food. The manager at this point told us to take our time. That's when we heard the cashier ask the manager if she should ask us to leave. The employees at this location are lazy and do not care about the customer. After spending nearly $50 between 3 of us, the manager informed us he could not issue a refund because they had already closed the registers (this was 5 minutes before their actual closing time). The three of us have worked and/or currently work in the food service industry, and we cannot fathom treating customers this way. We realize it can be frustrating when a customer comes in at the end of the night, but you are STILL OPEN. And when you are OPEN, you are still serving customers. I will absolutely never visit this location again. read more

It started with friendly service by the cashier however our order was wrong several times due to check out error on the cashiers part. The cook seemed to blame us by showing us what the receipt said and did attempt to fix it but it was wrong again. Also cockroach in bathroom was not appetizing . read more

Not typically that big a fan of Panera Bread. Their bagels are good, but when ordering the other food from their menu, I often leave just as hungry as when I arrived. Nice stop if you have time to pick up something for breakfast on the go, but I wouldn't recommend as a stop for lunch or dinner. read more

This is a great location. When you step into a Panera, you want that almost-overwhelming sight of baked goods, the heavenly scent of freshly brewed coffee, and friendly employees greeting you. The service here as prompt and the food delicious. The seating area is very large and clean. read more

How fun is their food? I enjoyed my pita sandwich and chicken salad combo. Tasty and filling but may have been slightly over priced.... I see why people enjoy it though. Although I enjoyed my food, I can't see myself coming back or even sitting in the car saying "I want to eat Panara today.." read more

I'm in your establishment now - waiting for 1/2 & 1/2. I have been for more than 3 minutes now. Long enough to post this. Plus my sandwich & soup sat on the counter for almost 4 minutes. They forgot to "buzz" my pager. My wife ordered a bakery item & she had to remind the clerk to retrieve it. Worst part is there are 7 or 8 people congregating behind the counter doing nothing more than talking among themselves. If I were part of ownership I'd replace the entire staff. I will not visit this Panera again. read more

I am downgrading my review. I have drastically reduce their size and the quality. I do not feel bad now about passing it by. That's going to hurt them. read more

Food was hot and delicious as always but the five stars are really for the cashier Luis. He was so sweet, funny, and welcoming. Probably the best experience I have ever had at a Panera location. read more

At this point, having eaten at Panera in several states, I have to assume Panera maintains an impressively consistent quality of food from location to location. You go into a Panera, you order what you always do, and you leave feeling exactly like you expected to. No surprises, nothing out of the ordinary. Just typical food that fills you up and tastes pretty good. This location seemed to be larger than most, though. read more

TERRIBLE! This is the worst Panera Bread location in Knoxville. Go to the Cedar Bluff location--they actually have functioning brains. I'm going to cover two recent experiences I have had at this location, as well as a concerning sewage smell this location sometimes has. The first time, I ordered a single bagel for curbside, and it took them 20 minutes. I actually had to call them to get them to bring my bagel out, even though I had pressed the "I've arrived" button. Second time happened yesterday, I ordered a sandwich and of course they got it wrong. All I wanted was turkey, cheese, and Mayo. They got it all wrong. I informed them, they said they'd make it again, they messed up a second time! I don't know if there is a min IQ requirement for working here, but it certainly seems like it. The tea was terrible too, very weak, essentially sugar water. The cookie was as hard as a rock too. Additionally, it's not clean inside, it's pretty dirty. I do see them wipe down the tables, but the rest of the restaurant is very very dirty. There's stuff on the seats, walls, floors. It's just nasty. Now, on several occasions I have come inside this location and was met with a strong sewage smell...when that happened I just turned around and left because it was straight up nasty. This location is ZERO stars. Cedar bluff is cleaner and puts more meat on the sandwiches, this location puts ONE SLICE of turkey on $10 sandwiches. read more

take home a loaf of cinnamon raisin swirl bread!! recently tried it for the first time & it's better than the pastries! best cinnamon raisin bread ever! read more

I am an employee at this Panera Bread bakery-cafe and must say that I have nothing but good things to list about this store. Located in the Mercedes Place shopping center in Bearden, (across the street from Kroger's and S&S Cafeteria) this Panera has continued to grow since it opened in 1999. In the past couple of years they have extended the dining room, making it the largest Panera dining room in America. It has been featured locally on the news and in the paper for it's cozy atmosphere, making it great for wi-fi. While in the past most people simply thought of sourdough bread when Panera came to mind, the company has worked hard to diversify it's menu, making sure there's something for everyone while keeping the quality superb. All their meats are antibiotic-free and their produce fresh and free of pesticides. Everything (from all the bread and bagels to each and every pastry!) is baked fresh every single day. What is left over at the end of the day is donated to local charities and churches. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, along with frozen, iced, and hot drinks, varying from espresso drinks to smoothies. At this location there are two different sides to the store, the bakery (where you order your drinks, pastries, and bagels) and the cafe (where you order soups, salads, and sandwiches). Although many items are seasonal, there are plenty of everyday favorites like caesar, greek, and classic salads, or their chicken noodle, french onion, or broccoli cheddar soup (try it in a bread bowl!). They also have great paninis and twists on otherwise simple sandwiches, like the Asiago Roast Beef or Sierra Turkey. They've recently introduced macaroni and cheese (made with white cheddar and small pasta shells) and all-natural steak chili with cornbread. Feel free to customize absolutely everything on the menu. While my opinion may seem biased because I work here, I assure you first-hand that this location in particular (I have worked at other less-than desirable Panera's in other states) has excellent quality of food with an amazing service time. Call ahead and we can have your order ready when you arrive, or you can order at the register and we will generally have your food out in under three minutes, give or take depending on the time of day you come in. The huge lunch crowd can slow down ticket times, as the line is out the door nearly every week day, but you can be in and out in five minutes 75% of the time. Ask one of the regulars, as most of our customers come in and eat with us several times a week. :) Customers ask me all the time what I am having to eat on my lunch break, as they figure I know what to choose from the huge menu. It changes all the time, but there's nothing like a You Pick Two with a bread bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with a half chicken caesar sandwich and Panera chips as the side (I dip them in the soup! haha). If I'm spoiling myself, I'll have a caramel latte, too. As for the bakery, go for a toasted cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese, a spinach-bacon egg souffle, or a tart cherry pastry for desert! Bon appetit! **Make sure to pick up your MyPanera loyalty card if you haven't yet. They're completely free and actually do give you free food. Anything from a free pastry to a free You Pick Two. It's based on how often you come in, not the amount you spend.** read more

What you see is my bread covered with only tuna salad on 1/2 of the bread. I had to use a knife to spread it and ended up with only a thin layer of tuna salad across the bread once I got done. Talk about stingy!!! I have never known Panera to do this, but if I see this happen again they willl lose a frequent customer. And yes, it was THIS Panera at 4855 Kingston Pike (earlier today). read more

I have made four online to-go orders to this location in the past 6 months, and I've had a negative experience each and every time. First, some of the staff appear to just be in permanent rage mode. The first time I placed an order, I waited in line to pick up the order, and when I told the cashier that I was there to pick up my order, she angrily walked around the counter without a word (while making loud, exasperated sighs), and led me to a set of shelves where my Togo food was waiting. Her behavior was bizarre. Like I had somehow deeply offended her by not intuitively walking up to a set of shelves and snatching up bags of food. I get back to my office (this order was for 4-5 people), and half of the order is wrong. So I return to the store to have it fixed. The cashier I spoke with was efficient and grabbed her manager, but the manager never directly spoke with me. I didn't want any discounts/money returned/freebies, but just a little acknowledgement that it was a mess-up would have been nice. I ordered again a few months later (having not really thought about the last attempt), and had the same sort of experience. The order was wrong, and when I went back again to have it fixed, a manager spoke with me and tried to explain that when I ordered online, my "special customizations" didn't show up. Unfortunately for the manager, I bartended my way through undergrad and graduate school, so I know what an expo ticket looks like. And they (probably mistakenly) tossed said expo ticket in the Togo bag. I pulled the ticket out to show him, and he instantly realized I had caught him in a (very unnecessary) lie. Honestly, again, I'm not looking for freebies or a discount, and I'm perfectly aware that mistakes happen. I would have been more than understanding had he just said, "sorry- our bad!". Bingo. Done. No problem. It just seemed like such a weird thing to lie about. The last two times we have ordered have also been with a month or so in between visits. Just enough time for me to sort of forget about the negative visits. Both times I ordered enough bagels and breakfast scones for about 40 people, and I placed the order over the phone at least 3 days in advance. The girls I spoke with each time on the phone were immensely helpful in taking the order, and reading it all back to me. My assistant picked up the food each time, and the orders were incorrect each time. One order only had 6 bagels missing. Not too terrible. But the order I placed last week had 14 bagels missing and none of the cream cheese. I didn't even bother coming back to get the rest of the order. I give up, Panera. Your food is great, but your customer service is so lacking that it makes me want to pull my hair out. Never again. read more

If I could give this place a lower rating I would.the food was awful and the service worse.we go to other paneras and enjoy them.its sad when they don't know how to make your food correctly read more

I was just in this Panera. I could tell my clerk was still learning but he was so polite and sweet. I didn't mind waiting as his co-worker explained to him how to ring in something he'd clearly not rung in before. I had a slightly unusual request (half my order for there and half to go) and he didn't think anything of it - in fact he chuckled a bit but mostly with me not AT me. He figured out how to ring it in and asked if I knew where to get my coffee. I see posts here that talk about poor service at this establishment, I would say management has made a change. As now, nearly an hour later, I feel compelled to commend this young man and his co-workers for being so polite and making my morning pleasant. I think his name was Sampson. Thank you for a nice experience - it's so rare these days! read more