Panera Bread — Restaurant in McCandless

This Panera is usually one of the best in the area but I was dissatisfied with my most recent experience here. I had placed my order for the last time of the night on a Friday about a half hour before closing time which I thought gave enough time them to prepare my pickup order before they started to close and everything that I wanted was still available for ordering on the website. The website usually says when something is out or sold out which on this night was the French Baguettes which is usually efficient but everything else is still usually fair game. When the time came for me to pick it up though I had to keep refreshing my email to keep checking if it was ready but it wasn’t and by this time it was 9:00 which was closing time for them so I had no choice but to go inside because maybe just maybe my order was ready but it turns out they just weren’t going to get my order which was already paid for if I didn’t go in and get it. I honestly don’t think they were going to get it at all. The staff also said that by the time the order was placed that they had already cleaned up the soup so they couldn’t give me that which I thought was ridiculous personally because I had placed it awhile ago and it was still available for ordering online when I placed it. They were at least nice enough to give me a refund for that but still it was annoying. They then took forever to make my order while my break time was just ticking by which is why I reserved a time to begin with because usually they’re so efficient and on time with it. I don’t know what happened here but I was just so disappointed with them on this night which is a shame because all of the other times I’ve eaten with them or ordered online, it’s been fantastic but this was just disappointing. Hope this system improves because I know how great...

Can't speak for going inside and ordering but the drive thru here though convenient, really sucks at getting your order right. We visit here frequently and pretty much always use the drive thru which is nice, however I'd say there's about a 40% chance they'll actually get your order right. Your best chance at getting your order correct in the drive thru is if you order something simple like coffee and a bagel. Even then, they manage to screw that up too sometimes.

Steak and white cheddar panini with no onion? That somehow translates to extra onion and no cheese or horseradish sauce.

Chicken frontega Panini with no onion? That translates to just chicken thrown between 2 slices of bread with no cheese, tomato or basil.

Tuscan grilled chicken sandwich with mayo on the side? Then they'll just throw on chicken and tomatoes with no cheese or arugula.

Salad with no onion and no cheese? That translates to extra cheese apparently. And you'll be lucky if they include the other fixins such as nuts, dried apples, etc.

Although the food is pretty good overall, all of these screw ups happen on a regular basis here and each time I check to see if the order on the receipt is correct and it always is....so this is likely the fault of who makes the food. Technically you can run in after ordering from drive thru and they will fix it....but I'm sorry that gets really old after so many times, and what's even the point of a drive thru if you have to go in anyway since orders are rarely correct? All I can say is be sure to check your food before you leave the parking lot in case you need to go in and get it fixed before finding out...

In recent years, I loved Panera both because of their service and food quality. But yesterday, Thursday, 1/21/16, I had the worst experience ever. I was on a lunch date with some of my friends and all of us experienced the worst of them. Their customer service was a zero, less than a zero, and their food quality was bleh, THE WORST. I ordered a Brocoli Chedder Soup, which was my favorite of all the soups they have. Well never would I have imagined that there would be paper inside my soup, the size of my finger..!! Yes, it was actual paper. I was actually not that mad about that part, because I can just get a new soup or get a refund. But the workers there were awfully rude and not a bit sorry. I brought my food and the piece of paper to the lady standing over the counter (near the kitchen) and she said immediately without even thinking or looking sorry, "This isn't paper, it's a peel from an onion" then trashes it.. And walks away. Okay. Wow. Sure. I'm sure you used an onion in my Brocoli Chedder Soup or peeled it over my FOOD. So disrespectful and awful service, the worst I've experienced in my whole life. I would have been less angry and offended if she offered a new soup or refund or just an apology, a singly apology. I'm not that surprised because this is not my first time I've heard that Panera has the most racist and unpolite workers. Also it's not like she stayed and waited for my opinion, she just left after saying what she wanted to say, again so insulting and blasphemous. My friends and I were so disappointed and just left. I don't think I will EVER go to...