Panera Bread — Restaurant in San Jose

I am autistic and Panera is my go-to place for takeout and dine-in. Immediately upon walking in, they have order kiosks, so if you're like me and not great with social interaction, you can order on the kiosks instead of at the front counter. They also have headphone jacks if you need the menu narrated to you and braille on a couple as well. The atmosphere is great. They don't have loud music playing, and they don't have harsh lighting- the lights are dim and ambient, but bright enough that I can still see easily despite my vision issues. The staff are phenomenal. I'm a regular and they know me well, but even when I was just starting to go there, they were kind and patient with me and my stuttering tendencies and occasional non-verbal moments. They know I always order a large drink, so I never have to remind them to hand me a cup, they know to hand me one as soon as I walk to the counter, and they always smile and they're very gentle about it. I really, really appreciate their dedication to making customers like me more comfortable. I love their charged lemonade, because the high caffeine content helps with my chronic migraines. Also, most of their food is very consistent in texture and therefore very good for those with sensory difficulties and ARFID. I do also have a trained service dog that comes with me a lot, and the staff definitely know the ADA well, seeing as they've never challenged me about her yet don't allow untrained pets. I've never seen another dog in Panera other than a trained service dog. I really cannot say enough good things about the Almaden Panera and their amazing staff. It can be very hard navigating life independently as someone with autism and chronic health issues, but knowing that I have Panera as an option for easy dining makes everything a...

Paneras always a good yet quick place to go to.

I went in a few days ago on my lunch and ordered from the kiosk, when I picked me order up I realized that it was wrong. I ha ordered a broccoli and cheddar bread bowl and opened it to find clearly red soup inside which I assume was Tomato Basil. I checked my recipe to double check it was mine but also to make sure I had ordered correctly. I hate complaining because I work in retail myself, but I had ordered correctly so I talked to one of the girls bringing plates out and explained. She was very nice and handled it saying that shed bring it out to me. But before I walked away the other lady actually making and getting the food spoke angrily in Spanish. Keep in mind I actually speak almost fluent Spanish. She said something before that I couldn't quite get but I did understand "She ordered tomato soup!" The girl with the black and green hair (i didn't get her name) was very polite and nice but I really didn't appreciate the other lady screaming in spanish acting like i couldn't understand her basically saying that i was complaining for no reason when i checked before I said anything and my recipe clearly said broccoli and cheddar. Honestly I didn't even receive the bread bowl either time but i just left it alone id already complained once and didn't want to have a reason to show that lady that I spoke spanish too. I dont care what language your speaking in or if you think they cant understand you, its flat out rude to basically accuse someone of complaining for no reason when their right in...

My mom and I had dinner here recently and had a good meal. The place as not too crowded so we were able to order right away. The food then came within a few minutes. They deliver right to your table. We both had the Pick Two.

I went with the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken - Chicken raised without antibiotics, arugula, romaine, kale and radicchio blend, vine-ripened tomatoes and pickled red onions tossed with freshly made Green Goddess dressing and topped with avocado, bacon, and cage-free hard-boiled egg (mom ate the egg). This was a really good salad. Loved the bacon and avocado. Good chicken flavor.

I also had the Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup - A rich blend of butternut squash and pumpkin simmered in vegetable broth with select ingredients including: honey, apple juice, cinnamon and a hint of curry, then finished with sweet cream and topped with roasted and salted pumpkin seeds. I really like this soup. It has a good Fall flavor. Love the pumpkin seeds on top.

Mom had the Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup - Vine-ripened pear tomatoes pureed with fresh cream for a velvety smooth flavor accented by hints of red pepper and oregano and topped with our homemade black pepper focaccia croutons. She really liked the soup. Good tomato flavor.

She also had the Heritage Ham & Swiss Sandwich - Artisan ham, Emmental swiss, emerald greens (mom skipped the greens) and maple mustard sauce on Country Rustic.

Ate the side of bread the next day and it was really good toasted. And love the kettle chips too.

Overall a good dinner. ...