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    Panera Bread

    2.2 (354 reviews)
    ModerateSandwiches, Salad, Soup
    Open 7:00 am - 8:30 pm

    Panera Bread Photos

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    PANERA BREAD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Panera Bread

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pleasant landscaping and clean grounds outside of Panera Bread (Simi Valley, California)
    Daniel J.

    I came here to Panera Bread for lunch with my Mom while we were in Simi Valley (California). I like the food and the service I've received at other Panera locations, so I figured I would give this particular location a try. As we approached, I found the landscaping to be pleasant and the surrounding area to be clean and well maintained. The entrance was pleasing as well. However, when we entered, we stood there for quite a while and saw no one there to greet us or to take our order. We waited and waited, and still no one came. Sadly, this Panera location appears to be one of those restaurants that has gotten so used to people ordering for themselves, through their kiosks, that they've forgotten about simple customer service, along with any interest in greeting their customers. After waiting for quite some time, and becoming a little annoyed, I decided to just order from one of their kiosks. I helped my Mom with her order as well because she hates using those machines. After ordering, we sat at one of the booths in their dining room and then waited for our order. I kid you not, I did not see a single employee on the premises until I received our meals. After a few minutes, my buzzer went off telling me our meals were ready to be picked up. For my lunchtime meal, I ordered a half-sandwich with soup and a drink. For my sandwich, I ordered the Ciabatta Cheesesteak, which has marinated steak, melty provolone, caramelized onions, zesty sweet peppers, and garlic aioli drizzle on ciabatta. For my soup, the Mexican Street Corn Chowder was in season, so I ordered that. The Mexican Street Corn Chowder comes with sweet corn, pablano peppers and potatoes, topped with blue corn tortilla chips. For my drink, I ordered a Dr. Pepper from their fountain soda dispenser. We ate our lunch in the dining area, which was pleasant and enjoyable, and my meal was excellent. The cooks at Panera did a great job preparing my order. However, if I consider my overall experience here, I also have to include the complete lack of face-to-face service from their staff. Overall, I think this Panera Bread location has great potential to be a 5-star worthy location. But, in order to achieve this, the management here would need to place a higher priority on making their customers feel welcome, appreciated, and glad that they choose this location for their meal.

    Tomato soup and some very crusty and amazing bread.
    John H.

    First time here in ages. Loved the soup, the breads, not to mention my BLT on some amazing tomato basil bread, it was wonderful! One great BLT really. The only thing was, not enough bacon or mayo and I saw no way to fix things. Next time I'll know better.

    Mac & Cheese - Group
    Taylor J.

    Panera please provide your workers with hair nets, found a hair on my Mac & cheese. I've worked in the food industry and there are so many ways to prevent this from happening.

    Side view. All salad. Skimped on the ingredients.

    No chicken in my cobb salad. Not worth $15 plus tax and tip. Never again. I was skeptical about returning. I'm upset that I went back.

    Dining area.
    Randy B.

    Ben to this Panera many times and realized today I never reviewed it. I am always surprised on the criticisms of places and this one with an average rating of 2 is not justified. If you have read many of my other reviews I go to various Panera's multiple times per week and I really have never had a bad experience, maybe once when the Manager was rude to me while Yelping, go figure, but that was a location out of State. I digress. Love Panera and this location is no different, great service, friendly staff, great selection of healthier options vs fast food. Nice place to sit and relax for a sit down meal. I always use the app to make things go smooth and quick. You also can get deals and promos to use as well as coupon codes, recommended. Also, I am a member of the Sip Club, if you are not, join today. Unlimited drinks every two hours every day. Well worth it for me as I travel around a lot and can rely on a location close to grab a tea, coffee soda or fruity drink, highly recommended. Don't listen to the negative Nellie's here, check them out. Enjoy!

    Every booth had dishes on top and the carpet was filthy!

    Had a coupon for buy one get one sandwich for $5.00. I ordered two of the French dip to go. They were ready when I arrived. I was greeted coming in and when picking up at the counter. Lots of friendly faces and smiles! I was even thanked going out the door. The bread is delicious, the au jus was spectacular! Really nice tasting sandwich with the garlic aioli, cheese, and meat. Only negative was the lack of meat. It didn't even cover the entire sandwich. I hadn't been here in years and I'm happy to see they've improved tremendously since then!

    Dirty

    Kinda grossed me out eating here, if you put a flash light where the ice drops it's even worse to look at and ruins your meal. First time in a while I won't be back. They were nice at the register and food tasted alright not like it used to.

    A "bowl" of chili and half a baguette.
    Lianne K.

    Noting that since my last review saying that we ate here fairly frequently, our visits have diminished. I'm having some health challenges which can make eating salads problematic. I normally like to order half salad / half sandwich at Panera, so that's not been a preference lately. We did stop in for soup last night after attending an event with finger foods. Since I have to avoid foods with dairy ingredients, I didn't have much to eat at the open house. Soup sounded like a good way to have a light meal. Unfortunately, I chose their chili. As Dear Hubby said watching me taste the first spoonful, "It's not as good as yours, right?" Very true. Panera's tasted like it came out of a can, but with maybe a bit of enhancement added. For me, not enough beans for fiber, texture, and flavor. There was a good amount of ground beef, but so chopped fine that there wasn't a mouth feel to it. Served with half a baguette for dipping, a bowl came in at almost $10. I won't be choosing that again. Could have gone for chicken noodle soup, but wasn't in that mood. The cashier was very friendly and helpful. This store usually does have kind employees, which is a plus. On the other hand, still wishing for a makeover of their dining room. Might be in process, as there wasn't any artwork on the walls. Come to think of it, they didn't have any festive holiday decorations up, or at least nothing memorable. If they are in the middle of a spruce-up, maybe a few signs up announcing that a fresh look is coming, while thanking patrons for their understanding during changes. . .just a thought. While DH and I sat, eating and chatting, I recalled about 20 years ago when a dear friend told us about this new fast casual restaurant that she'd tried when out of town. She raved about it and was excited to hear that they were coming to the Southland. It was Panera Bread. The first one we then tried was over near LAX. Thumbs up (20+ years ago). As the chain made it's way out to suburbia, we were happy to visit and support, especially in Thousand Oaks. We've been to at least 7 of their locations since. Pretty much all of them have been around long enough that they need interior makeovers. Nature of the beast / time marching on.

    Smokehouse bbq chicken sandwich
    James V.

    im kinda shocked by the low reviews of this place. Went to check it out since I haven't had Panera bread in forever, but I had a pretty good experience! I got the smokehouse bbq chicken sandwich and it tasted really good and it was pretty filling. The place was clean and there was plenty of seating. The only thing that was bad for me was that their coffee was barely warm at their self-serve canisters. They definitely should be checking on that more often to make sure that they aren't serving barely-warm coffee.

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    3 years ago

    Very little food for what you pay for plus doesn't taste great. Gotta step it up Panera

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    5 years ago

    I'd been waiting for my coffee for almost 30 minutes. They started making my coffee after I asked them about it several times :(

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    4 years ago

    The portion sizes are getting smaller & smaller. Both the bowls we ordered just a few minutes ago (paid around $27 for both) were small.

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    Page 4 of 9

    Ask the Community - Panera Bread

    Firehouse Subs

    Firehouse Subs

    4.1(314 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    I had a wonderful time at this Firehouse Subs location when I came to pick up my order. I had a…read moreTMobile code on the BOGO on the hook & ladder sandwich. That's basically the only time I would come to Firehouse Subs. I placed my order through the mobile app which they change certain things to make it easier. So I got two hook & ladder sandwich to use my code. The pickup time was a little after they open. I found parking easily in the plaza this store is in because nothing around it was open yet. My food wasn't ready when I walked in so I just waited inside of the place. The staff are very nice and asked if I wanted something to drink while I wait. I was just looking at the firefighter gear and decoration inside. Once my sandwich was ready, I took it home to eat. The sandwich is great, it was made exactly to how I customize it.

    We stopped at the Firehouse Subs in Simi Valley while driving from San Francisco back down to…read moreOrange County, and I genuinely can't say enough good things about the experience, especially because of Luis! After a long, exhausting drive, we were tired and honestly just trying to get through the rest of the trip. Luis completely changed the energy the moment we walked in. He was incredibly friendly, funny, and welcoming, and his customer service went way above and beyond what you expect at a quick stop. He made us laugh, kept things upbeat, and somehow managed to make a simple food stop feel like a bright moment in a very long day. He's charismatic, kind, and clearly cares about the people he serves. Employees like Luis are the reason people come back. He truly deserves recognition (and a raise!). Firehouse Subs is lucky to have him.

    Photos
    Firehouse Subs
    Firehouse Subs
    Firehouse Subs - Inside of the place

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    Inside of the place

    Le Hérisson

    Le Hérisson

    4.8(343 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Parking: This French Japanese cafe shares a large parking lot with Stater Brothers and many other…read morebusinesses, parking is not a problem as there are many spots. Ambiance: This cafe/bakery has a cute warm welcoming atmosphere, it isn't too small or cramped. The cute hedgehog theme runs throughout and it's so charming. There is both indoor and outdoor seating available once you've picked the pastries and drinks you like. Their days of operations and hours are not ideal at best and looking on their instagram, they close for holidays or need extra days of prep once in a while so check there before you come in. Food: I mean just look at the other reviews...they speak for themselves. Everything is on a first come first serve basis so do keep that in mind because of their limited batches per week. We have gotten a matcha croissant, pistachio croissant (2nd best), chocolate croissant, espresso croissant (1st best), some chocolate filled cream pastry, and have never been let down. The quality is always there and does not disappoint. Service: All of the workers are extremely friendly and helpful in making your selection. Overall: Le Hérisson is a charming warm cafe and bakery that stands out for both its quality pastries and its cozy cute atmosphere. While the limited hours and first come first serve availability can make planning a visit tricky, the experience once you're there feels well worth it. The pastries are consistently high quality and the staff is always friendly and helpful. The overall vibe makes it an enjoyable spot to slow down and treat yourself.

    This is one of my favorite bakery in town. Fast service, just don't expect for nuts free pastries…read more Some of my constant are lemon scone, peanut butter cookie and donuts red bean. make sure you know what to order since server gives no time to pick or suggest anything in the menu. Plenty of parking because it's located to businesses. Overall, it's a gem bakery in town.

    Photos
    Le Hérisson - Cute, stuffed toy Les Hérissons

    Cute, stuffed toy Les Hérissons

    Le Hérisson - Mixed Pastries Box

    Mixed Pastries Box

    Le Hérisson - Ham and cheese croissants

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    Ham and cheese croissants

    Panera Bread - sandwiches - Updated June 2026

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