Panera Bread — Restaurant in Medford

I don't normally waste time writing reviews and prefer to leave compliments for excellence, but I just got breakfast from the new Panera Bread in Medford and it was too disgusting to forego the opportunity to comment, ere anyone else be condemned to subject themselves to this sorry excuse for a business. We ordered 3 breakfast sandwiches and a hot chocolate (price $26+). Nothing, NOT even the "hot chocolate", was even close to expectations and all bordered on utterly inedible (see remarks by Alexa Richmeier, whose experience seems. to echo our own, suggesting that the problems at this establishment are endemic to it and not a "one off"). In every case, whether served on a brioche or ciabatta, the bread was bland and soggy, as tho' it had sat for hours (at least) in a warming oven, hardly a good result for a business supposedly built on the quality of its bread. The "filling", however, managed to deliver even greater disappointment. On the two sandwiches featuring bacon, what we got were PART of what appeared to be one of those thin, "pre-cooked" bacon strips beloved of fast food joints. I say "part" because there wasn't even a whole piece - perhaps only 1/2 to 2/3rds of a strip, broken in two and distributed sparingly on the sandwich, failing to cover even a quarter of the sandwich's surface. The cheese (a very limited selection, btw) was so thin that it looked more like a smear of mustard or mayonnaise (depending on the cheese selected). than a substantive part of the sandwich (my own sandwich had the "white cheddar" - so bland as to be tasteless, tho' that may have been due to the paucity of the portion rather than the quality of the cheese). The scrambled egg component was typical for fast food places, indistinguishable from that offered by McDonald's or any other similar establishment. Flat, unseasoned, and bland but "serviceable". The real surprise, however, came with the hot chocolate (seemingly offered in only one size - 16 oz., at least that was the only thing offered tho' we asked about sizes). Oddly, the 16 oz. cup, upon examination, contained only about 8 oz. of "fluid". I use the term "fluid" because the liquid contained therein was essentially unidentifiable, by look, or smell, or taste, tho' artfully decorated with a dollop of whipped cream (I assume it was whipped cream, tho' God only knows..) and a dribble of caramel sauce, inadequate to disguise the short portioning. The real issue became apparent, however, the moment my grandson tasted it, eliciting a yelp (sorry for referencing a competing review site) of disgust and the exclamation "this is HORRIBLE". I thought he was just being a contrarian pre-teen but he then offered me a taste. Let's just say his opinion, if anything, was kind. Whatever was in that cup bore NO resemblance to hot chocolate or anything remotely related thereto. It tasted like lukewarm, sour water, almost flavorless, save for the hideous, sour aftertaste it left (which lingered the entire way home and took some swilliing of over-sweet POG to eliminate the ghastly taste of it). It took 8 oz. of Half & Half and a generous allotment of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup to make the stuff remotely palatable (not sure why the kid didn't just dump the swill and start fresh). It is a complete mystery how anyone could screw up something as simple as hot chocolate so badly and yet this establishment managed to do so.. I won't even comment on the excessive wait it took to obtain this dreck and the only compliment I can offer is for the staff, which was, at least, courteous. I used to look forward to eating at a Panera's on my out of town business trips to locales where one of their establishments was available, but this experience was so off-putting I doubt I shall ever patronize one again. I certainly have NO intention of ever patronizing this particular establishment. Corporate needs to take a serious look at this outlet before the company's reputation is irretrievably...

I was so excited to get a Panera in Medford as when I travel to Eugene/Portland or So. Cal area, I enjoy eating there… but WOW. This location is lacking. I’ve tried going a few different occasions and every time it is something.

First go around a few months ago I ordered one bread bowl with soup through the drive thru. They tape the bag closed and send you on your way after waiting 15+ minutes at window. Get to my destination and open the bag to NO bread bowl, just a small cup of soup and the butt of a hard bread roll for close to $10. To top it off, no utensils.

Another go around this week, requesting a cup of mac and cheese and soup at drive thru. To start off, there are zero cars at the time I come around, wait at ordering sign for like 5 minutes to straight silence. ? Thought, ok, maybe they’re busy inside… but there’s literally three cars in the parking lot and I’m sure one or two were employees. The gal then attempts to take my order, for whatever reason she cannot figure out a coupon through the app I have for a drink. I asked her what type of drink the coupon was good for.. Gave phone number/info and what not. Waited… dead silent. Another two minutes of nothing on the speaker. To then have her say, “ok what else do you want” ?. I explained again I had a coupon and she said, “oh ya, just pull forward”. Ok? I get up to the window, remind you, no line since I got there, I am the first and only car there even still.

Waited 5 minutes for her to even open the window to speak. Payment occurs, drink was given, and then the waiting started again. I was there for 15 minutes just sitting at the window for a cup of soup and a cup of mac and cheese. I then take my taped closed order and ask for a receipt. She says, “it’s on the bag”. I feel silly and apologize and leave. I then look at the bag and the receipt doesn’t even have totals or prices or anything useful on it! Huh? I don’t even know if I was charged right at this point either since she was having such difficulties to begin with! I then get to my destination to again NO utensils and COLD soup and mac and cheese. Don’t tape the bag if you don’t even put everything needed for the order in it. Seems simple, even for a manager running the drive thru with zero other customers in line. I’m just curious what I waiting so long for. Saw multiple workers laughing and talking inside the time I waited. Cold $20 small cups of hospital food? I’m sorry but I will never be returning. I give up on this location. And the fact that I was told from the gal that she was literally the manager… running the drive thru…. Disaster. Your “MANAGER” was not very capable. Such a bummer.

February 2023 -...

Edit as of 6/11/25: I personally love Panera despite being way overpriced for what you get but my most recent couple experiences have been super lacking once again. It must just be this location. First time I ordered a salad with extra dressing for pickup and received zero dressing. Most recently I ordered the chicken salad sandwich and the amount of chicken salad on this sandwich is ridiculous. Literally 1/3 of the bread didn’t even come with any topping but I’m expected to pay $10 for that? See pics for reference. At least try to spread it out so I can pretend there’s some filling in my sandwich lmao.

Original review: I went in with my boyfriend on a Monday night around 7:30. Posted hours show they close at 9pm on Mondays. Half the tables already had chairs put up on the tables which is not welcoming or inviting even for takeout. We planned to eat there but the environment was so cold and uninviting that we opted for takeout. I ordered a cinnamon roll, Mac and cheese, and a caprese sandwich without lettuce. We were the only people in there and still waited around 15 minutes for that. The bag did not have a cinnamon roll in it so I asked the guy at the pickup counter and he seemed annoyed and rudely asked if I placed the order at the front counter, which I did and it was even on the receipt that the same guy literally just handed me on the bag of food. When I got home and checked my caprese sandwich, it was literally just tomato, garlic aioli, and some mozzarella. No basil and no balsamic glaze as advertised. While it tasted fine, it was missing literally half of the ingredients?? Overall this place is slow, unwelcoming, and the staff is very off putting between the rude/confrontational comments/questions from the seemingly incompetent staff and the empty environment that looks like it’s intentionally set up to invite people to leave long before closing. Overall unpleasant experience and it saddens me to see a place SO dead right in the middle of...