After leaving the courthouse, I drove through this location to take a bowl of soup back to my office. The car in front of me took an unusually long time to place their order which only mildly annoyed me. Much to my surprise, when I reached the window without any complaint and money in hand, I was informed there was "no charge" due to the wait. I just wanted to commend Panera Bread at the Lake Forest location for exemplary customer service which is so rare - almost to the point of nonexistent - in any current service oriented business. My thanks to the manager and the employees of this location... read more

If you order rapid pick up, be ready to wait an additional 20. Besides waiting, the person preparing the food does not communicate with the person distributing the food and you're food is sitting right in front of you and you wouldn't know. I hate this place. read more

I wish that I had a Panera Bread in my house. I could eat their food everyday for the rest of my life. The service is alright...sometimes it seems that they have untrained people taking orders but because all the food is good it doesn't matter what they are suggesting. My favorite are their paninis. read more

Not to much to say: it's AMAZING ! Super healthy dishes, fast & polite service ! Clean , cool environment .. The best option to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner .. read more

Panera Bread - He is great ! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This is the 2nd time I had a co-worker ask me if I wanted anything. I said ok and ordered the green goddess Cobb salad with chicken, no onions. So I get my salad and no onions yay but there isn't any bacon or egg. Why? This is the 2nd time I ordered a salad and items aren't there. I guess it's my fault because I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Total bummer for a $10 salad. I just don't understand. read more

I've eaten at different Paneras, and they're consistently deeelish! However, I must comment on our recent (and first) visit to this location. It was around 10 in the morning on a Saturday. My bf walked from the America's Tire store just around the corner to grab something to eat. The girl working that morning was chewing gum (or cud). It kinda grossed me out. I mean, I'd lose my appetite if I saw her Wrigley spittle splash on my bagel. Also, this location is pretty cramped compared with other locations I've been to. So bottom line is if you can look past workers chewing gum and feeling like you're eating in a sardine can, then this Panera is for you! read more

My wife ordered a BLTA without tomatoes. The 2 pieces of bacon and the avocado on the sandwich made for the thinnest sandwich I've ever seen. Literally the inside wasn't as thick as the slice of bread it was on. read more

I actually love Panera Bread. I was so excited that there was a drive thru right by my work! The first few times i came to the drive thru on my lunch my food was correct and super fresh and the service was very nice and friendly. However, now i think they have new staff. I asked for a grean tea/lemonade and right when i pull up they give me a regular iced tea. I could tell by the color. I asked "are u sure this is a Green Tea Lemonade?" the girl at the front asked the girl who prepared it and she said "yes" , i knew it wasnt correct so i said " no its not, its regular tea" the girl at the front and the girl again and the girl that prepared it said "sorry , i just said Yes without knowing what you asked" then once it was correcting there was Food floating in my cup! Also. Another time they had a white older male who you could tell was a TWEAKER at the front window. Im pregnant! I dont want a tweaker handing me my food. This place could have done so well. Its a bummer read more

Ordered today for the first time online for pick up. Surprised as the portions in my opinion were smaller than if you ate in house. Plus one of our sandwiches was missing even after the employee checked the receipt that all was inside. Greg the manager though was very professional and allowed the gal who was missing her sandwich to pick it up on her way home after our meetings. read more

Food here is really good. I love the soup in a bread bowl. Turkey chili makes a great meal when paired with a caesar salad. Their online ordering is one of the best I've ever experienced. They get those orders ready very quickly. Management there has been responsive. On rare occasions where something goes awry, Panera has responsible managers who take care of you. I highly recommend Panera for lunch or dinner. read more

My wife & I have probably eaten at this restaurant a hundred times. We went there a few nights ago for dinner and my wife noticed on the door it said they closed at 8:00PM. We went inside and asked Grace if we should order or go somewhere else. She said no problem they needed to clean up anyway. We asked again & she assured us it was fine. So, we ordered and then took our booth. Five minutes later the "Manager" Danny came to our table and said we have to be finished by 8:15. "Whatever you can't eat by 8:15 can be boxed to go". He said it was required by corporate for security reasons. I would normally make a big stink in such a situation but my wife just had major surgery and I just kept my mouth shut. "By corporate for security reasons" sounded ridiculous to me. Anyway, we won't be going to Panera anymore. Panera has lost our business and the employees have also lost the 10 dollar tip I leave. It's all because of one incompetent manager. If there is more than one person working there by the name of Danny he's the extreme uptalker. The girl at the front counter is more qualified to be the manager. Her name is Grace and she's always nice. There's also a cool guy working the tables that resembles Spicoli from Fast Times. He's a nice guy, always friendly and polite and witnessed the whole scene made by "8:15 Danny". read more

The new, training the new! This owner should be here to train their employees rather than making a line of customers wait!

Came again today but tried ordering on line & my order wasn't ready 5 mins after the time i requested so we asked for it & they started it -_____- YOU HAVE GOT to do better! Last time it was my order accuracy they hadn't put in my cream cheese. This time the entire order. Tomato soup was blah cheese one was good tho. read more

I was standing in from of the pastry display waiting to order. The guy behind the counter left me standing for over 15 min. I gave up and left read more

I don't like chain places and I try to avoid them at all costs. But I work in South County--one of the chain capitals of the world. So I went to Panera for lunch one day. And you know what? It was OK!! I got a cup of broccoli cheddar soup and a half Panini. They were actually tasty! Service was fast, the place was pretty clean, and I wasn't disappointed, like I usually am in lunch places in this area. So, when I need a decent sandwich for lunch, I know where to go now! read more

I feel like panera has gone down in quality and quantity and the meals are pricey. My bf ordered the Alfredo tortellini and it was so small!! The pasta seemed like it was just reheated by the microwave and even came across a few hard pieces. Although, the baguette was warm and soft so that was nice. I just don't feel like you get what you pay for. We ordered the pasta and sandwich with half soup and both left feeling so unsatisfied. We will not be returning. read more

Daughter and I got Mediterranean veg sandwiches which hardly had any vegetables on it. Flavor and quality were mediocre. Expensive for what it is. Will not be back. read more

I eat lunch here about once a week and order out for office meetings often. I like their "PIck Two" where I can pick any soup, any salad and any 1/2 sandwich combo. I especially like their Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, and their tomato or cheese/broccoli soup. I can get one of those combos for $8.89 including baguette, chips or apple & tax. I paid $7.79 at a fast food restaurant for a chicken salad and there was no comparison. How can people complain this is expensive? You get what you pay for. $2.05 for one cookie is a bit high though. But they are large & good--especially the toffee ones. And their souffles' are to "die for." read more

Today I had a lunch from Panera, and I had Roasted Turkey Harvest Premium Signature Salad. And all the greens in my salad were spoiled with terrible taste. Not sure for how many days ago those greens were purchased, but they for sure looked and tasted terrible! read more

This place was closed down, and re-opened at 801 Rockfield Blvd with a new building with a drive-through window. It's just on a different location in the same shopping center in eye-view of the old site. read more

always come here, through the drive thru. Very rarely do they remember everything. I always pay for whatever item may be missing. Disappointing every time read more

Love Panera, but this location isn't so good. Very inconsistent, more often than not poor service and poor quality. This morning barely warm coffee and a cinnamon roll that looked like it had been stepped on. read more

I frequented the old location quite a bit and each time it was a great. You'd think that moving 50ft wouldn't screw everything up but it has. This new location is awful. Each time I've tried rapid pickup my order wasn't ready on time. The drive thru forgets to include basic things like knives for cream cheese, straws for drinks, forks for salads. Went in today for lunch and saw that French onion soup back. I got it to go, and when I opened it didn't have cheese or croutons. Really?? Those are the best bits!! Worst of all it had a nice layer of grease on the top. So disappointing. read more

Panera Bread - Greasy French onion soup, and they forgot to put in cheese and croutons :( - Sandwiches Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I had high hopes for this particular Panera. It was nice when it first opened, but has gone downhill. I stopped by this evening. No other customers were in the drive thru. After about 4 minutes of sitting there I said "hello." Finally a guy came on. When I pulled to the window a bunch of employees were inside laughing. The guy who took my order looked like a cook who had to fill in at the window. He proceeded to yell over at the female employee something about the bano. Yuck. I got home with my food about 20 minutes later. They had given me the WRONG soup and the bread for my sandwich was soggy. What a waste of $11. Will not be going to this location again. read more

What happened to customer service? Walked in to hear the previous nights gossip which I don't need to hear. Chriss took my order which I had to repeat throughout the transaction and when I repeated myself, she looked at my like I had two heads. As soon As I got my coffee cup and bag the story she was telling her co-worker continued. No "thank you, have a nice day." Just the feeling of ok- now leave me alone. Don't think I will be back for a while. read more

Went here 3 times. Gave them the benefit of the doubt each time but NEVER going back. Waste of money for subpar service and food. Each time my order was wrong . (Chicken salad but the chicken was missing.. Etc) why don't you train your staff better so the service and food can match your nice new building and location. Disappointing. read more

This location has everything you expect out of a Panera shop. The wi-fi is spotty and slow.

I just don't get this place so I won't spend a lot of time on this review.. It's a sandwich guys.. An overpriced sandwich at that. Ten plus bucks for an alright sandwich? I don't know.. I always feel ripped off and disappointed when the thing arrives at the table. Other problems I've had: they always get my order wrong or they are out of something..bread, avocado, other... The girl has told me several times they were out of tomato bread... How can you be out of bread at a bakery... Ha ha..I don't know just don't get this place soup isn't great either had better Campbell soup from the can.. Carpeting is dirty too.. Sorry guys not so good..No Carpet in restaurants never never ever.. read more

Very well done! I loved the way they packaged the food and all the food was very good. They accidentally gave me the wrong soup, although the autumn harvest soup was very tasty. The chicken was good but I don't think it was that fresh. Will eat there again, really like the healthy choices :) read more

Right out of the gate let me say that the food here is consistent--it's what you would expect from Panera Bread. However, the location of this restaurant is horrible. This shopping center is undergoing some pretty heavy construction and parking is very scarce, especially during the lunch hour rush. Today I figured I'd order using their "Rapid Pick Up" so I can be in and out quickly. I was wrong, but more about that in a minute. Rapid Pick Up, for those of you who have never done it, is great if you're short on time--you place your order and pay online or through their app and your food is typically ready in this designated grab and go area by the time you get there. No waiting in line to pay and usually no waiting for your food to be prepared. Also, many Panera locations have reserved parking spots right up front for their customers who use this service making it even more convenient and quick. Well, not this location, you park where you can find a spot. So because of the construction in this center, it takes longer to find parking than it does to get your food. Completely negates all benefits of the Rapid Pick Up service. Until the construction is completed, or until they designate parking spaces again, I will not be going back to this location for lunch. read more

Friendly and prompt staff but the salad was surprisingly small for $7 plus tax. For that price I could have gotten an organic salmon caesar from mothers market. Guessing that they charge for chicken ceaser even if you get with out chicken. The bread on the side doesn't make up for it. Won't make this mistake again! Bye Panera ! Don't be so stingy. read more

0 stars if I could! Really rude manager who doesn't know how to exude basic customer service skills. Very disrespectful. Love the company and the food. But I will never visit this establishment again. read more

Very friendly staff and always prompt when our company orders food delivery. The Manager will even deliver it and make sure everything is accurate and always makes sure we have enough settings for our meal. It's not a good thing when you have hungry people and not enough plates or utensils! That is always a plus- read more

This place is waaay too expensive for what it is. They're food is super bland and no appeal at all. I've gone to this location numerous times hoping it'll get better but I've decided I'm seriously wasting my money every time I go in... A sandwich and soup costs like 12 bucks.. really?! I could make that at home for 3 bucks. Plus the customer service at this location is literally horrible. You walk in and they stare at you like they don't know why your there, they don't greet you or anything.. then you proceed to order and they have no emotion on their faces at all.. like hello are you alive... Also the place is always dirty, the tables and booths are super sticky with crumbs everywhere. not going back anytime soon, save your money! read more

(Rockfield & Lake Forest Drive in Lake Forest) Like others have said, I really like Panera, but this location sucks! The staff moves like the walking dead and the mangement clearly leads the inexperienced, lethargic crew by example. The restaurant had roughly 10 customers when we walked in, but there wasn't one clean table in the entire (very large) place. Two complaints later and one of the zombie-like workers came out of hiding and moved some plates around on one table near us then left. A second "worker" came by a few minutes later and took about half the detritus off the table and left. Then shortly after that, the manager came by and took the rest but never wiped the table. By the time we were done, roughly 5 or 6 tables had been partially cleaned, and only because new arivals had been wandering around looking for somewhere to sit. The staff forgot several things on our order, and after being told so, ignored us until we had to go up to the counter and get them ourselves. So avoid this location unless truly desperate. Manager should be fired immediately. read more

I am completely in shock at how much Panera has changed over the years. It used to be my favorite place! Now this month, I ordered a bagel and got expired cream cheese with it:/ and the next time got no knife(I'm sorry I don't like to use my fingers to spread my cream cheese). And also the morning girl who works there looks like she wants to die if misery which is not what you expect from someone who is going to work mornings and start peoples day of. Be nice lady and smile for once!! And then today i thought if I went in for lunch I could get my food accurate, but dumb me, seeing the guy check to make sure everything was in my bag and good to go, i get back to work and there is no dressing. If I'm going to be spending like $14 on lunch I expect all my food and condiments to be there. The GM needs to do some major retraining on his employees! I will never be going into that store again! Goodbye Panera! read more

No cinnamon rolls, no egg soufflé, eggs are green, our order was wrong multiple times, and all around poor service. This is all at 8:30 on Father's Day... Get it together Panera. read more

This has to be the most disappointing, least satisfying dining experiences there is. It is so bad and so expensive (the worst of both worlds!). The food is mundane. The pick 2 is a joke. I'm not looking for a big meal, but seriously!?!? The portions are too small and the sandwiches are pathetic. The service is just bad. Everytime I come here I think, wow i just got ripped off for poor quality food and I'm never coming again. This time for sure is the last. read more

One of the best thing about Panera is their friendly service. Also, I have to commend management for their smart moves in giving away one item for a month to signed up customers. One always spends more money when going for a freebie! Smart. I do wish their bagels were more like bagels and not a roll, but for what they are, they are still good. Ditto the coffee. read more

My daughter and I eat here often. It's close to my house. Staff is friendly and courteous. Food is always fresh and we never had any problems. This location is fairly new and the décor is nice and environment is relaxing. Lunch time is usually quite busy but early morning is not too bad. We come here for baggle and coffee in the morning and few times for lunch. read more