Panera Bread — Restaurant in Virginia

I just recently moved to the area and was very excited to see a Panera very close by. It has been a few years since I'v been to Panera since there was not one convenient at my last house. So yesterday, Sunday, March 15, I was excited to finally be able to go have lunch at Panera with my husband. It had been awhile so I was not familiar with the menu. We walked in to a line all the way to the door. The only paper menu I could find was only a catering menu. I am allergic to certain foods and the menu on the board only had the names of the menu items, not what was actually included with the item. Ex. Instead of seeing just the name of a salad, I like to know what toppings are on the salad or on a sandwich. I apologize if I don't automatically know what comes on a Frontage Chicken sandwich. After waiting in the long line, I get to the front of the line and ask the cashier for a paper menu so I can see what is listed with each item. She could not find one. With a long all behind me all the way to the door, I did not feel comfortable standing there asking the cashier to list every item on each salad and sandwich. I quickly just ordered something that sounded safe enough, since I am allergic to a few food items. While waiting for the food, I saw the manager at the pickup counter. I told him that I could not find a paper menu anywhere, that I have food allergies and when I order I need to know what items are in the food. (not the nutritional items, I need to know the toppings, like if it has peanuts on it, mushrooms, cheese, etc) I simply suggested to the Manager that it might be a good idea to have these menus posted somewhere for people who are not regulars and don't already know exactly what they want. He told me that next time I should ask the cashier to list the items for me. The Manager told me that I next time I can just ask the cashier. This upset me as I found it very stressful to have to wait in a very long line and then ask the cashier to list to me every topping on every sandwich and salad??? On my way out, I again looked for a paper menu everywhere. I could not find a single one. I even asked the cashier and she could not even find one. She was too busy dealing with only 2 cashiers with a constant line all the way to the door. Maybe a 3rd cashier would have made it a better experience for the guests. Either way, I simply wanted to take home a carry out menu since I had already decided that standing in this long line and asking the cashier to list everything for me was too stressful, so next time I could call ahead or at least know what I can and can't order next time. I could not find a single one.

I do really enjoy Panera in general. However, the manager was also very rude and it really should not be so hard to find out what toppings are on each salad, or what toppings are on each sandwich, etc.

I will not be returning to the Clifton, VA location ever again. And most likely will not frequent any Panera...

I have not been to a Panera bread in many years since there is none in Hawaii. But I really had a taste for a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. I went to this location now order that grilled cheese and tomato soup combo which is like $7.99. I also wanted to order an extra sandwich because I figured it was going to be too small. The cashier recommended that I just add on an additional half of a sandwich is it would be cheaper but it ended up being $15. That was a little shocked at the price and I was like ask him about it but no disrespect but he can barely speak English his accent was so strong that I couldn't understand him. I did not want to be rude so I asked him one more time and I still couldn't understand them so I just gave up. Now keep in mind I'm very patient with people who don't speak English as a native language as my wife is a non-native English speaker. However I think if you're going to be customer facing you need to have a minimum capability to communicate otherwise it makes things very difficult.

I got my grilled cheese and tomato soup and in my opinion it wasn't good at all. How do you mess up a grilled cheese sandwich? Well let me tell you first of all they didn't brush the bread with butter or equivalent and actually put it on the grill. All of us who have grown up eating grilled cheese sandwiches no and love how the bread is grilled in the butter and forms a buttery crusty outer layer with the light soft velvety inner layer as it merges with the melted cheese.

This bread was mostly white and it appeared to be cooked yes but it definitely did not form at buttery crust that were all familiar with. The cheese is I barely melt it and was a little cold. The soup was lukewarm.

I was starving so I finished it easily as it was basically one sandwich and a small bowl of soup it definitely not worth 15 bucks.

Honestly I can make better grilled cheese with regular white bread American cheese and a can of tomato soup.

It's...

I enjoy food from Panera and often frequent other locations that are closer to my work. Due to this pandemic, I have been ordering food closer to my home, thus why I ordered from this restaurant, FOR THE LAST TIME.

I have had 3 delivery orders from them, all of them wrong.

The first time it took about 1.5 hours to get my food, all of it cold and the ice in my drink melted. Called them about it, and for whatever reason this is the only restaurant on planet Earth that cannot refund your money. Instead, the manager tells you that the next time you order to say that he said you can have a free meal. (prior to the pandemic)

The second time I ordered they forgot the bread bowls. Again, I called and they said next time you order just call and say that the manager said you can get a free bread bowl. Again, not able to do a refund. (prior to the pandemic)

So, this final time was tonight. I ordered my entire family dinner, there were 3 soups with bread bowls, 1 salad, and 1 sandwich. We received our food WITH NO BREAD BOWLS AGAIN! It is hard to get full off of dinner when you have a tiny little cup of soup and no bread bowl to go with it.

I am very disappointed. I tried calling them immediately so they could perhaps remedy it and run some bread bowls over to my house so we could have a complete meal, but no one answers the phones and after waiting on hold it disconnects.

I will not be going back to THIS (clifton) Panera again, they have officially lost my business, which is unfortunate, especially losing business during this pandemic. If today had been the only time my order was wrong, I would have chalked it up to the pandemic and been okay with it, but like I mentioned this has happened before.

They need better training for the staff members to adequately check each bag before...