Panera Bread — Restaurant in Mount Vernon

High hopes & expectations for the new Panera when it opened. The staff are friendly and corrected any problems encountered in Panera.

The Highlights:

-Having new restaurant option nearby -New seasonal food offered at Panera -Staff was quick in resolving any problems encountered. Delicious macaroni & cheese entree. Healthy and low calorie entree and side options.

Problems:

Expensive prices for drinks & meals for two people. Over $40 for two meals with soft drinks. We ordered the value meal of Mac & cheese with a bowl of soup plus two apples and a large sandwich with chips.

Drink machine was unavailable. We ordered drinks that could be refilled. We were given bottles of Coke Zero instead of getting a cup to fill with Coke Zero.

They botched my order and gave me a cup instead of a bowl of soup- a larger serving . The soup I usually order tasted different from the same soup I have ordered in different Paneras. They resolved the problem and gave me a bowl of soup. The new Ciabatta cheese steak sandwich and Italian steak sandwich were good yet not as delicious as the Mac & Cheese. I was shocked that this Panera put Asiago cheese in my soup instead of the traditional Gruyère cheese they use in other Panera French Onion Soups. It changed the flavor dramatically. Croutons were stale. If you love French Onion Soup, don’t get it at this Panera.

Overall, my experience was so so. Some highs and lows - not so bad to be below satisfactory. I had wanted this Panera to be a place I would frequent. Yet, it fell below my expectations in the taste and quality of most of the food for the high prices we paid and the food delivery of what we ordered. I rather order Asian takeout food with higher quality & quantity of food with lower prices at the local places nearby instead of buying Panera’s food with lower quality& quantity - at...

I’ve visited this new Panera on post a few times now and have been quite impressed, despite some negative reviews I’ve seen. The staff is very courteous, and our food has consistently been excellent. Given that there are limited food options on Fort Belvoir, it’s understandable that this location can get busy during peak lunchtime hours, especially since it’s a new and popular spot. Order well in advance and utilize walk-in instead of the drive through if you suspect it will be busy. We also had our office lunch catered from here, and everything was prepared on time and to a high standard. Many thanks to the...

Anyone posting bad reviews over a store that opened less than two weeks ago has no patience and shouldn’t be getting food during the busiest time of the day. The wait was long, however, the employees there were very nice and apologized for the delays. I was very excited to hear about them opening, and will continue to eat there from time to time. For the many people I heard complaining in the store over the wait were happy with how everything tasted. Many places have their “growing pains” when they first open, I hope this place stays open for...