I love having a Panera right in Vinnin square. Swampscott is not exactly overwhelmed with convenient breakfast and lunch places. My daughter loves the mac and cheese here and I usually get a turkey sandwich or Greek salad. The only thing I don't like about this location is that it is always super busy, which means it is competitive finding a table a lot of the time and it is always loud in there. I wish they could find a bigger space in Vinnin square and then it would be perfect! We just discovered the Panera in Beverly and it is awesome, but a little out of the way. If you're ever off Exit 20 on Route 128 though, that Panera is very nice and has a much mellower feel to it. It's bigger and doesn't get as much traffic. read more

Very hit or miss at this location. Waited for a pickup order for over an hour. Nothing crazy, a few mac and cheeses, soup bowls and a salad. At 30 minutes asked what was going on. Staff brushed me off with the standard "we're a little backed up right now so you'll have to wait like everyone else". Finally found the smoothie in the order sitting randomly on the counter getting nice and warm. Lots of customers walking in, told to wait and same blanket response. Waited an hour and still not ready. No explanation. No apology. Kitchen staff just running in circles not getting anything done. read more

Delicious food and some of the best staff. Just about everything I've had on the menu is great, and I come here almost TOO much. Make sure you get a My Panera card, I've gotten everything from a free pastry to a free pick two. read more

Our Men's group reserved the back room with ease.we had as breakfast meeting and the staff went above and beyond. We will be back! read more

See all

In the late afternoon on a recent Sunday, I found myself meeting up with a friend who was in Swampscott visiting his parents for the holiday. We thought we would have a couple of different options for places to cozy up with coffee type beverages and catch up on several months of conversation. A quick walk down Humphrey Street proved us wrong. Coffee shops, closed. Diners closed. It was a holiday weekend sure, but still... So; Panera it was, by default. As with any chain restaurant; once you've been to one you kind of know what to expect out of others. There are a limited number of things that can set one apart. The staff was friendly and fast. Everything was clean. I liked the variety of different seating options available in this location - tables, booths, benches and chairs set up in conversation groupings. His white peppermint hot chocolate was super tasty. My chai latte had a curiously strong minty flavor. Lesson learned. I have a strong suspicion that his scone trumped my cinnamon roll, making him the afternoon's clear winner, but he didn't turn his back for long enough for me to sneak a bite the same way I had sipped his hot chocolate when he was checking a text message. It wasn't too busy, and we were able to find a perfect quiet corner to sit comfortably and talk for several hours. Which was, after all the point. read more

I waited five minutes in line and no one was ahead of me but they just didn't care about my time in my needs. They didn't take my order for a good five to seven minutes. This is so outrageous and I am so distraught with this scenario and what is happening. then I get up to go order after seven minutes. And they say that they don't have any bread. How does a Panera bread not have any bread?!! 1/5. read more

I love Panera food! Every Tuesday evening I get a Brownie, it's delicious. I tried also the tomatoe soup and the flat bread

Great Panera for catering! I work with a university in the area, and Panera always does a great job. Not only is the order correct (you'd be surprised how rare this is), but it's also ready on time and includes all utensils. Highly recommended! read more

It's not as if I haven't been to a Panera before. I have. Quite a few times. And since I was visiting the lovely city of Swampscott, I figured I'd get a Chai Latte and their cherry pastry yumminess. And once again, totally not disappointed. First of all - I have no idea why anyone who goes to any Panera's doesn't have an awesome Panera Card. I got me my cherry yumminess for free this time! LOVELY. The place was clean, the bathrooms too. The people serving were friendly and they have free wifi - lots of nooks and crannies to slink your way into to tie into the free wifi and just chill over a cup of java, chai or whatever. read more

I'm currently unable to walk due to foot surgery. My friend grabbed me broccoli cheddar soup, I wanted to -go and in a cup. So I can eat it, when I get home. It took them 30 mins for the soup on this 95 degree day, I'm waiting in the car. Also didn't cut the bread bowl. I got a really dirty spoon in my bag. This is very unsanitary, I don't feel comfortable eating here any longer. read more

See all

In general, Panera is a good place to meet up with people to chat after an event, do some work/studying on laptops, or grab a quick coffee. It's clean, spacious, and has internet. However, I tend to agree with the other reviewers here, that Panera is just an upscale fast-food place. The food at Panera has a lot of salt, sugar, and calories in general. There are some vegetarian options, but most have cheese or egg so if you are vegan, you won't find much. This Panera in particular consistently has poor customer service (ranging from not-so-great to absolutely terrible, when they got both my order and my name wrong and then gave me a very fake apology), so I actually quit going there last year. So, in conclusion, I think Panera is okay, for what it is -- but not this particular Panera. read more

I haven't ate at a Panera in a few years ,but boy I spent 15 on a salad that came in a plastic container. The containers was so small this salad was really worth 8-9 dollars. the dressing containers were short and barely anything in them. They offered curbside pickup but never came to car. I had to go inside and get my food. way too much money for mediocre food. I wont eat here again.... NOT!!!! EVER!!! AGAIN!!! read more

The food here was great! I go to Panera often and it is always a perfect experience. The Panera in Vinnin square is the place to be, their french onion soup is back and that's the thing to try! I love their turkey and cheese sandwiches and their lemonade is the bomb! read more

Panera Bread at this location is definitely not the best. The service is spotty. Some servers are really friendly and helpful, while the others are just plain rude (Maria?). Customer service training is overdue. The quality of food is below average. Sometimes the pastries and baked goods are stale.The soups have way too much salt, and the chicken can be under cooked. They run out of coffee, the quality of which is inconsistent. The place is always full of people, but there is virtually no competition in the area. Managers, please pay attention: there is a lot of room for improvement. read more

Its one of the best Panera stores. It is clean and has good fresh food....... It s a bit busy during the weekend, however you still enjoying your time at it read more

The first reviewer (aa d) makes a valid point about Panera's market focus group-based presentation, but he/she misses another important point: People in Vinnin Square and vicinity really crave a convenient, clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming cafe-style place, and Panera's fills the bill. I have seen the entire Swampscott girls' soccer team gathered there in adjoining booths after a game; elderly people who are alone and dining with a newspaper or book; college students or workers hogging a table all afternoon with their laptops and books (and they are NEVER asked to leave), you name it. It is open fairly late in the evening on weekends (10pm; the rest of the week closes at 8pm) if you are restless and need to get out and grab a bite. Yeah, the soups are PACKED with sodium -- some exceed the recommended daily intake by a couple-hundred milligrams. My elderly parents love Panera's, though, so we get just a cup of soup and they split it and add a bit of water so they have soup to eat with their half sammiches, and the sodium level is down to a safe level. The salads are fine. I mean, what can you do to mescalun and romaine? It's a deep green and it's fresh, ergo it is good unless it has been dressed with pesticides instead of vinaigrette. The desserts -- stick to the chocolate-chip cookies, chocolate cookies and brownies. And share them so you don't eat nearly 500 calories of sugar and fat. It's common sense. The tea and coffee are very good. They have a coffee, tea and condiment counter where you can help yourself and they don't say you can't refill your cup or take a second teabag. You can choose from different fresh roasted, brewed coffees, including flavored ones and de-caff. There are almost a dozen varieties of "Republic of Tea" teas from which to choose, including decaff and herbal, green, and various flavored black teas. I love the ginger-peach black tea with some milk, British-style. Caraffes of cream or half-and-half, whole milk, 2% and skim allow you to customize your cup, and there are shakers of cinnamon, cocoa powder and unbleached (brown crystal) whole sugar for that purpose, too. There's even honey. You can help yourself to as much sugar or non-sugar sweetener, stirrers and napkins as you need, too. I've been amazed that people aren't pigs about it, and there is little if any pilfering or waste. If you are going to hang out there (not taking it out), you can get a ceramic round mug or a tall one, and it's one of those little pleasures to hold it in both hands and breathe in the steam when you've come in on a cold afternoon. And the staff are always extremely courteous and helpful, from the managers to the sandwich makers. Sure, it's part of the corporate plan, but thanks to Ronald Shaich, who believes in treating his employees like human beings, employees are recognized and rewarded for their good work. They seem genuinely happy to work there. That says a lot. The staff at the Vinnin Square store (chains always call their restaurants "stores," not restaurants... that is kinda impersonal but I can understand where they're coming from. After all, business is business and product is product when you're a corporation, whether you're selling baguettes or brassieres.) have always gone out of their way to be kind to my parents, in their 90s, and I have seen them do the same for other elderly people too. Panera's may be a corporate concoction, but it serves a purpose that is important to what would otherwise be a very cold and commerical-feeling shopping area in a semi-urban suburban North Shore area. read more

I always forget that Panera is so close to my house. While I was out doing errands the other day we stopped in for some lunch. I ordered their half and half special, getting a half ham and swiss sandwich on rye and a cup of broccoli cheddar soup. Both we're good, the soup always seems like a great idea but after a couple bites it becomes heavy and filling and I never end up finishing it, especially with the yummy dipping bread they serve on the side. I've tried their turkey bacon cheese panini and their chipolte chicken panini, both good. Basically, this is a great option for lunch and a nice change from a sub shop or fast food. read more

Ordinarily I like Panera very much. However two days ago I purchased a loaf of ciabatta from the store in Swampscott. It was basically a bland white bread with a soft crust. My wife had cooked an Italian dinner that night of cutlet parmigiana. It was great. The only thing that was lacking was the bread. I advise the bakers of Panera to visit any Italian bakery in the area and ask for their recipe for true ciabatta bread. read more

Always such a great place to go to. I've always said prices are to high but well worth it. Staff is ALWAYS friendly and seriously one of the cleanest places I've ever eaten. read more

I love their sandwiches, most of their soups are great. This Panera's is pretty typical for Panera's: free wi-fi, you order and seat yourself and put the dishes away, great breads, lattes and other things you'd expect at a cafe. I'm not wild about all their desserts (they're okay, not bad), but they make great frozen drinks if you're in the mood for something sweet. I mostly like it because of the free wi-fi and casual atmosphere. There's plenty of tables, plenty of electric outlets for my laptop and I can do a little work over lunch or dinner for as long as I want, without being bothered. You can eat pretty well for under $10 too - and that's always nice. read more

Drove 4 mins out of my way for a coffee here. It's just such a feel good place!

It's not awful except it seems that the chicken almost seems pinkish to me. The bread is really good but that's it.

Stopped in to use the ladies room and it was disgusting. Just seeing that made me lose my appetite!!! C'mon people cleanup your public restroom!! read more

Whenever I seem to order through the mobile app, they are always missing parts of my order. Check your order before you leave the store

Excellent sandwiches, very good bread. If there is such a thing I would call this high end fast food. Perfect for a quick lunch but with quality baked goods and delicious sandwiches. The ambiance is not such that you would want to linger over your meal but the quality of the food is comparable to many more prestigious establishments. On a side note we have used Panera to cater numerous visits to my place of business and the experience has always been very positive. read more

Wonderful casual place. All their soups are Excellent. Great place for Lunch. Priced right. Staff friendly.

I normally really love Panera. But today... Today was not their best day. First off I will say that our order came exceptionally fast, but at a cost. The sandwich seemed as it was made by a blind person. It was totally unproportional and sloppy. My broccoli and cheddar soup was very good, but lacked solid broccoli. The baguette that came with it was crunchy on the inside and soft on the inside. The only problem with it was the price of hair that was baked into it. Lastly, for dessert I got a cinnamon bun, which was so dry I needed two glasses of water to get it down. Also the frosting on the top was hard and fell off. All in all, this Panera drip did not satisfy my needs. read more

Nice, nice, nice and, yes - nice. The food is quite decent (for a really fast chain restaurant - it is superb). The staff is friendly - really friendly, not plasticky. Clean - certainly. Teas and coffees - quite good (no, I have not made my way through the entire list yet, but I'm getting there). Priced - reasonable, very reasonable. I think I missed one of the "nices" :) I do wish people in US restaurants didn't speak at the top of their voices - but I guess you can't have everything. read more

lol i went here once and got a sandwich because my ass was starving and panaynay was the only place i could think of to get a good high quality sammich.....and the lady behind the counter was being so rude me it was literally hilarious. like i guess i picked the grossest sandwich on the menu and she was hard judging me for it and not hiding how grossed out she was by my order at ALL. she even snapped at me as i was trying to place my order. it was wild but i got a good laugh and wish this old lady the best read more

This place was filthy. Arrived at 850pm and every table had crumbs and trash under the booths. Behind the line you could see trash and items all over the ground. I eat at many Panara's across this country and have never seen one this neglected and dirty. read more

This is one of the best Panera's I've been too. The interior is big with very nice seating! The coffee is surprisingly good and their soups and sandwiches are always delicious! read more

Always very packed but well worth the wait! The Italian combo and broccoli & cheddar bread bowl is to die for! Staff is very friendly. Facility is very clean. Free WiFi! I go in there a lot and I've never had a bad experience! read more

This location always runs out of bagels around mid-day and they don't make more. We went in about 5 hours before closing one day and there were only sesame bagels left. Disappointed. read more

Some, not all, of the employees at the Swampscott location have an impolite and confrontational attitude. Customer relations need to improve here if they want to keep customers as there are great restaurants just a few steps away. We will not return. The food handling and prep is not sanitary. This location does not always honor the Panera promise of if they do not get your order correct, they will correct it and give you a free pastry. read more

today I decided to start my day with buying a bagle here then going to school... The customer service was terrible ..it worse than 1 star due to this one employee....not only was he yelling across the place multiple times when i was in line.....I ordered something and noticed he charged extra..so i kindly told him i did not order the extra item...then apparently he is RACIST.. he asked me in a loud voice while stepping into my personal area "CANT U READ ENGLISH?" (while pointing aggresively to the reciept)... I let the comment go ... then as if that wasnt enough! he said I clearly did tell him to order the cream cheese! I know this is completely ridiculous becuase I do not eat these cream cheese for my diet!. what he claimed that i said will not even slip out of my mouth..especially I made sure i did not order cream cheese with the bagle .. I will give it 2 stars due to the other expeirences ive had here that are decent...but this incident completely is terrifying..my feelings are really hurt and I ended up wasting my time spacing out about it while i am having tests and need to be studying for my education after this The employees I've met here many times are so nice...idk why recently panera here started to hire such impolite people.... I've been here so many times and expected the great customer service as usual..but apparently not this time.. it truly was scarring..and I am sure that my family, friends, and I do not want to waste our money on receiving rude, inconsiderate, racist, ignorant, and aggreesive service i do not wish inconvenience for any1 else...but one has to be responsible for their own actions read more

Receipt clearly said I wanted a piece of bread with my sandwich, not chips. Just because it's takeout doesn't mean throw what you want in the bag. Piss poor service when ordering too. It's called listening skills. You're staff fails at it. Figure it out. read more

You can never go wrong here. Service is always great. Their soups and salads are the best. I usually have coffee here couple times a week with toast or a Danish. Never had a bad meal here. Try the chicken Cobb salad it's the best! read more

Definitly love going here! Great staff and a nice clean atmosphere. Their smoothies are great and sandwiches are delicious, especially the frontega chicken... Wow. Worth every penny! read more

THIS panera is Amazing! :-) We went to this place at about 8:30 pm, and we ordered dinner to eat there. I ordered a turkey sandwich, and it was only half so the lady gave me a Free extra half of the sandwich and bag of chips :-) My baby sister is super shy, and one of the guys thought she was funny and cute, so he gave me and her free cookies and tried to get her to like them, but she looked away from them. Before we left, I think the manager, came and gave me a bubble set and my sister a light up squishy toy with what I call tentacles!!! :-) :-) :-) Me and my parents were absolutely astonished! The food was the best I've tasted from a Panera, and the people were extremely nice to us. They even gave my mom a choice of whatever she wanted from the bakery.. FOR FREE!!!!! :-) I recommend this place to everyone!!!!!!! :-) :-) read more

you get a 4 for removing my favorite bowl of soup all those years ago, thanks for that. Good place otherwise, rolls included with the soup are better than ever read more