Panera Bread — Restaurant in Lake Bluff

First, this is quite likely the best Panera I've ever visited. While it's 5 stars on the Panera scale... it's Panera. Until they put Champagne and steak frites on the menu and bring it to my table they can't achieve more than 3 dining out stars.

So, there is always a steady camp of coffee/pastry pensioners in the morning, commuters and shoppers streaming through all day, and a solid lunch crowd spilling out on to the wrap-around porch . The neighborhood has found the service and food at Panera Lake Bluff to be friendly and reliable. Weekend bicycle clubs unclip under the patio umbrellas just yards from the nearby Grand Illinois Trail and enjoy a cool drink or step inside for AC.

The counter help greets familiar faces like friends and the ladies in the kitchen dish up trays of carefully assembled salads and soups. Their cinnamon scones are better than the other locations--I've been to at least 40 others in the Midwest--and (I never thought I'd include oatmeal in a dining review) their steel cut oatmeal w berries is a cholesterol cutting treat.

It's kind of hidden--facing away from the intersection of Waukegan and Rockland Rds toward Heinen's--but stop in for the best Panera experience you're...

Great place & price $$ for coffee, breakfast, & smoothies. Don't forget pick2, then great treats, too! Pleasant staff. No blaring music. Good window seats & fire place. Valuable Point system. Only issue was rounding up for charity. We paid cash, and that threw system for a loop, twice. At 11, half tables taken, by laptop users & corporate conversations. Want a quieter setting, follow tile to back. Tables too small to spread out, but quaint for eating; and max seating. Anna Maria on the receipt... however Thank you to Assistant Trainer [forgot name during reg change over], getting our eggs over easy -- awesome! Thank you Kelly / Tiffany for staying pleasant. (I am terrible with names, today) for reminding me of the whoopee pie dessert - "Cocoa Creme Cookie," & points, when ordering delicious Spinach & Artichoke Souffle. Daily (her name) & Micha were helpful, though the were keeping busy The cooking staff is always smiling. They're like ducks on water, calm demeanor, while kicking in higher gear under the surface (behind...

Absolutely unacceptable experience. The iced coffee was stale and watery, clearly old. The brownie cheesecake bite was undercooked and tasted like it had been sitting out all day—ended up throwing most of it away.

The store itself was dirty—windowsills covered in dust and spiderwebs. WiFi kept dropping, which made it impossible to get work done. Staff were loudly chatting behind the counter and using unprofessional language, making the environment disruptive and unpleasant.

This place is poorly managed and completely unfit for anyone looking for a reliable place to eat, study, or even just relax. I won’t be coming back. Panera needs to seriously reevaluate the standards at...