Panera Bread — Restaurant in Houston

Good Food but Room for Improvement

I recently visited Panera Bread and had a mixed dining experience that highlighted both strengths and areas needing improvement. We ordered the corn chowder soup, a Chipotle Chicken sandwich, a Chicken Caesar Salad, and a Toasted Frontega Chicken sandwich.

Food Quality and Portions: The corn chowder soup was a standout, thick and slightly spicy, perfectly accompanied by bread, making it a satisfying appetizer or a meal in itself.The Chicken Caesar Salad was generous in size, served with three containers of dressing. While the salad was fresh, it was pretty standard with no unique twists.The sandwiches, both the Chipotle Chicken and the Toasted Frontega Chicken, were delicious and well-prepared. They were served cut in halves, which was convenient and they definitely lived up to their price in terms of flavor and filling.

Service and Wait Time: The service was a bit slow, taking almost 30 minutes for our order to be ready, which seemed longer than necessary for a fast-casual restaurant.

Ordering Process: The restaurant uses automated kiosks for placing orders, which are efficient, but the cashier also had to work in the back at times, leaving the front less attended. Once you place your order at the kiosk, you can choose to use a pager (if available) or simply provide your name. You don’t need to pick up your food from the counter as waiters will bring your order directly to your table. For to-go orders, there are designated shelves by the kitchen counter where you can find your order labeled with your name, making pickup quick and easy. This setup might confuse some customers but adds a touch of convenience.

Cleanliness and Ambiance: A recurring issue was the cleanliness of the dining area. The tables were sticky and seemed like they hadn't been cleaned properly for a while. This is something I've noticed in other branches as well.There was a consistent, confusing mix of food smells that pervaded the dining area, which I found slightly off-putting.

Location Benefits: The location benefits from ample and free parking, making access easy and convenient.

Overall: Panera Bread offers tasty and high-quality meals that are worth the price, but the dining experience could be enhanced significantly with improvements in service speed, cleanliness, and overall management of the dining area. It's clear that the shift towards automation in order taking is a sign of modernization, but the physical aspects of the restaurant should not...

OVERPRICED. It was my first time visiting a Panera Bread location anywhere. I certainly hope I have a better experience at others than this one. For what I paid, I could have had a better meal elsewhere.

I had a club sandwich (turkey, bacon, vegetables) on what appeared to be wheat bread, about a three-inch piece of baguette bread, a bag of potato chips (their brand, unsurprisingly), a bowl of onion soup (with melted cheese), a fountain drink, and a sweet muffin. The damage? Close to 20 dollars.

I am all about value - or, perhaps, a value proposition. If something feels like I've spent too much, I'm not inclined to go back. I could have been satsified had my meal been amazing. But it wasn't. The baguette was surprisingly tough - and from a place with "bread" in its name, too. The sandwich bread was only slightly better. The muffin was thrown in for a buck since I got a whole meal. But I didn't think this meal was worth an Andrew Jackson.

That said, this particular Panera is a nice place to go if you want a low-volume place. I saw quite a few folks on laptops or their smartphones. There was no background music. It was not crowded when I went, around 3pm on a Thursday. The atmosphere isn't bad. I didn't observe any major issues with unclean tables, rude counter staff, or any other fails that other rotten places have. (Although I wasn't pleased the order taker misheard my request for a cup of soup, and served me a bowl instead - a difference of about $2). And there are electric outlets seemingly at every seat - they are apparently fine with you staying a while.

Like many national brands, Panera has an established brand and trades largely based on that. But they need to consider the relative value of $20 at other chains. I could have had a hot meal at Outback for the same $20 and been more satisfied. But if you just want a quiet place to sip an iced tea or have light pastries, this is a...

I should have left when I learned that the Spicy Thai Chicken salad had been discontinued, but I decided to try a different salad, since I was starving after a 10 hour shift in the med center. I ordered a you pick two, And went with the Asian salad in place of the Thai. I also ordered a drink. I waited for around 10 minutes for my food, despite being one of two people in the store. An order went up on the counter, but there was no one there to identify whose it was. After it sat for a few minutes, I went to check & learned it was mine. I’m glad I looked in the bag, because I was missing the cup for my drink & the extra dressing I ordered. I wandered around looking for someone to help me. I could see one staff member in the back who was playing on her phone. No one was working the front. When I finally got her attention & politely asked her for help, she said “here’s a cup. The kitchen will have to help you with the dressing”. No apology or assistance. It took me another minute to get the attention of the kitchen staff, who were then helpful. I was already upset as I left the restaurant, but decided not to make a big deal/write a review because I figured everyone has off days. When I got home & looked at my salad, I realized it had been made with arugula instead of romaine. I don’t even understand how this happened, as romaine and arugula look NOTHING alike. I do not like arugula & had to throw the salad away. When all was said and done, I payed $11 for a small Mac and cheese and rude service. I will not be returning to this location ever, and would not recommend it to my...