As this is a chain restaurant I am reviewing based on service. This Panera always has plenty of people working and ready to help. They have someone fill your order before you even get to the register. For super healthy eaters you can look online for the secret menu.
(4)
Brad H.
Decent prices for fresh, healthy, great-tasting food. Hard to beat that! 1/2 and 1/2 combo is the way to go: choose a combo of 2 between half salad, sandwich, or soup.
(4)
Melinda J.
Chicken salad sandwich with chips and drink is $10. The value in that was very lacking, it was a lot of bread and and not a lot of chicken salad. The lettuce was not fresh either. The chips were kettle cooked chips and about as hard as the plate, thankfully there we're only about four in the bag. I really wish I had ordered something else, the sandwiches on other people's plates looked a bit more hearty. The staff was friendly and the place was clean though.
(3)
Tim W.
.
(2)
Jenny S.
This place is quick, healthy (or unhealthy, if you choose to be) but a little bit pricey for "fast food." Always a good choice for both young and old!!!
(5)
Lauren K.
Had a BBQ chicken flatbread sandwich was filled with BBQ sauce and spinach and a piece of chicken the size of my thumb. I inquired about this with a member of the kitchen staff--Amani-- and was told I get 1 oz of chicken only. Seems disproportionate to me. I was told "well that's it". So after too many instances where I should have written a negative review about this location and how filthy it is, but did not...I'm outta here. "That's it" for you too Patton Creek Panera! My family and I will spent $45 for lunch elsewhere. Peace.
(1)
Cindy K.
If you enjoy fresh baked bread and pastries well you should just about feel like you have died and gone to heaven! For those of you on a carb free diet and have no will power I implore you to stay home because you WILL succumb to the delicacies that will snatch that smug will power written across your drooling face and toss it out the door. Sorry, I was taken back to this mornings feast..... Since not one store was open in Patton Creek at 9:45 this Sunday morning, Jason & I decided to grab a nice cold beverage and hang out until the stores rose from their slumber. I promise we were really trying to be healthy conscious but as soon as the attendant asked what we would like Jason spouted out a Smokehouse Turkey and Cheese Pannini for her and a Fontina grilled cheese for me. Before I could protest my mouth had already told my brain to shut up and enjoy the treats to come. Well long story short, my sandwich was exactly the way I thought it would be... tasty, hot, fresh and downright yummy. Jason's sandwich did not last long on his plate so I'm going to go out on a limb and say he enjoyed his too. Panera's prices are a bit on the high side for a sandwich but in my opinion it's worth it. The facility is always clean, and the staff has always been very pleasant and helpful. They will help you check for deals with your "card" if you have one or offer to look it up with a valid phone number. I appreciate this kind of service and quality and it is worth the few extra coins to feel appreciated as a customer.
(4)
Michele H.
The employees at the Vestavia Panera have me going back there again and again. The employees at this Panera have me going back here only when I have to. Food is usually good and the store is usually pretty busy. But they (and, to be fair, the Vestavia Panera) like to keep the restaurant at probably about 20 degrees below freezing year round. Yowza. And the last time I visited, in July 2015, the cashier had an attitude of annoyance the entire time, like I was inconveniencing her by placing my order. As someone who has worked in retail, a restaurant, and a coffee shop, customer service is important to me. That's why I'll be going back to the Vestavia Panera from now on. The two stars are for the food, which is usually consistent in its standards.
(2)
Judy L.
This service here, compared to other Paneras in Birmingham, is inconsistent at best. I work close to this location, so I come here a few times a week, and it's always a toss up on what kind of service I'll get. For the most part they are competent, and some are quite nice, but there is one girl who works many mornings and she is incredibly rude. My bagel and iced coffee are good most mornings, and I like it that you can make your own iced coffee, because I'm particular about how much sweetener and cream I put in. This morning my bagel was downright wrong, I think they messed up in the cutting process. I'll still come here because it's convenient, but I wish the food and service was more consistent.
(2)
Jimmie M.
Ate there last night. No beans in the black bean soup and no flat bread for the advertised new sandwich. Not a good experience. Tossed my card.
(2)
Jeroam Z.
I prefer their coffee over Starbucks. The Mediterranean egg sandwich is good for breakfast. I would love more vegetarian food. It's not the healthiest choice, but for me it's healthier than most in the South and agreeable to my food allergies.
(3)
Bailey P.
Delicious!!!! Love their chicken stew and their ham sandwiches! Comes with good bread, they got wonderful coffee!
(5)
Melissa M.
Love this place. The workers are always pleasant, and the food is delicious. Always clean and just a wonderful environment to be in.
(5)
Trevvor C.
Definitely an all-around Panera fan, and this is a nice spot to have one (although the address is quite a bit off; it's in Patton Creek Shopping Center by the Galleria, but the location is showing as near Helena)--especially with a Barnes & Noble around the corner. The staff is friendly, there's a wide array of seating--including outdoor if you're so inclined--and the breads and other baked goods are quite tasty. A [very] small downside is that they close at nine, but a few other non-restaurant businesses in the area are open until 10 or 11, so if you're going to eat, do it earlier rather than later.
(4)
Dawn H.
This is your typical chain for restaurant food. What makes this place stand out is the service you receive.
(4)
Amanda R.
I go right past a Panera in San Francisco every day and I still have not been inside it, but during my 5 days in Alabama, I ate at this Panera twice. I had quite a few things to eat there... an apple danish, so yummy. A tomato mozarella panini, so yummy. Fuji Apple salad, so yummy. Sweet Green Tea, so yummy. Yes, everything I had there was SO YUMMY. It is a really good thing I am always in a hurry in the morning when I pass by my Panera, or I probably would have gained about 20 lbs since finally trying a Panera goody. The staff was friendly but sassy (awesome combo) and the only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars is because the only two seater booth available at the time was quite messy from the previous sitters, and no one was in any hurry to clean it, so we did it ourselves.
(4)
Tina W.
Love their sandwiches -- especially the tomato bread! -- and soups. Great bakery area too. Never had breakfast but it looks yum.
(5)
Mad A.
Panera Bread is not too bad of a corporate chain type of place and it is a lot like the Atlanta Bread Company. Panera Bread has fast and efficient service and has many different bread selections although the authenticity to real artisan breads like Ciabatta, or Focaccia is at best a similar facsimile. Just not the real deal. But my favorite thing here on the go is to grab an espresso ! They pour a pretty surprisingly good shot for a chain which tends to be consistent at every other Panera Bread I have tried it. Good crema and good solid flavor. They also have a very wide selection of bagels here and a good assortment of bagel schmeers and toppings. My favorite is the Asiago Cheese and the onion bagel. In my travels I have bought a few of them and taken them back to a hotel room with some cream cheese and some smoked salmon lox from a store for a tasty anytime snack. Panera Bread does seem to have consistent product between different locations and although the breads here can tend to be flavorful, they still have a lot of additives which are just meh and overall kind of underwhelming. I understand the need for preservatives and some fat additives to get products from place to place in their distribution area but this is just not my thing. Their scones are flavorful but have the wrong texture and too much sugar and the bearclaws have like a billion calories and of course these are preservatives in the form of sugars, fats, etc. So skip the diet plan here and just enjoy it. Overall their sandwich ingredients such as the lettuce and tomato are fresh and the place is clean and seemingly well ordered. It is definitely a good place for eating compared to other chains. I have sampled the Roast Beef Asiago sandwich which was decent and the beef was pretty tasty and the portion generous. In fact, I took the second half to go later and was decent tasting with a beer later in the day. What I also like about this business is that they contribute their unused products at the end of most business days to a local food kitchens which feeds homeless families and veterans. This is also a company that has experimented with some interesting and weird business models including a few locations that have patrons "pay what they can or want to". When passing through I like to check-in to see what they are doing. Employees are ALWAYS very pleasant and helpful. This is a good place for an early morning meeting and this particular location was especially good for that as it was off the beaten traffic path and near the hotels on HWY 150 near a mall called the Galleria. Its tucked away in a little enclave of other businesses so was tricky to find and missed my turn a few times. My only complaint was about the Wi-Fi here. I AM NOT A LINGERER but if I am having a meal and a discussion which will go on for a while between bites of food, they boot you off after 30 minutes. The policy here is that it is Free Wi-Fi here up until the rush time of 11 am or so but then they boot you off every 30 minutes so prepare to hotspot or tether in your internet pipeline. So there you have it. Good espresso shots, daily coffee specials, decent bagel selection, pretty good sandwiches and better than "grocery store average" bakery breads. But if you want to have a meeting where you use need Wi-Fi and internet, don't plan on doing it near the lunch hour. I am definitely not blown away here by the offerings, but they consistently hit the land of happy mediums. Happy Medium Land is a place I will visit from time to time if I have to do so, but I'm just not going to live there. What is it that they say ? Oh YEAH! "Nice place to visit, but..." Y'all know the rest.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Josh S.
As this is a chain restaurant I am reviewing based on service. This Panera always has plenty of people working and ready to help. They have someone fill your order before you even get to the register. For super healthy eaters you can look online for the secret menu.
(4)Brad H.
Decent prices for fresh, healthy, great-tasting food. Hard to beat that! 1/2 and 1/2 combo is the way to go: choose a combo of 2 between half salad, sandwich, or soup.
(4)Melinda J.
Chicken salad sandwich with chips and drink is $10. The value in that was very lacking, it was a lot of bread and and not a lot of chicken salad. The lettuce was not fresh either. The chips were kettle cooked chips and about as hard as the plate, thankfully there we're only about four in the bag. I really wish I had ordered something else, the sandwiches on other people's plates looked a bit more hearty. The staff was friendly and the place was clean though.
(3)Tim W.
.
(2)Jenny S.
This place is quick, healthy (or unhealthy, if you choose to be) but a little bit pricey for "fast food." Always a good choice for both young and old!!!
(5)Lauren K.
Had a BBQ chicken flatbread sandwich was filled with BBQ sauce and spinach and a piece of chicken the size of my thumb. I inquired about this with a member of the kitchen staff--Amani-- and was told I get 1 oz of chicken only. Seems disproportionate to me. I was told "well that's it". So after too many instances where I should have written a negative review about this location and how filthy it is, but did not...I'm outta here. "That's it" for you too Patton Creek Panera! My family and I will spent $45 for lunch elsewhere. Peace.
(1)Cindy K.
If you enjoy fresh baked bread and pastries well you should just about feel like you have died and gone to heaven! For those of you on a carb free diet and have no will power I implore you to stay home because you WILL succumb to the delicacies that will snatch that smug will power written across your drooling face and toss it out the door. Sorry, I was taken back to this mornings feast..... Since not one store was open in Patton Creek at 9:45 this Sunday morning, Jason & I decided to grab a nice cold beverage and hang out until the stores rose from their slumber. I promise we were really trying to be healthy conscious but as soon as the attendant asked what we would like Jason spouted out a Smokehouse Turkey and Cheese Pannini for her and a Fontina grilled cheese for me. Before I could protest my mouth had already told my brain to shut up and enjoy the treats to come. Well long story short, my sandwich was exactly the way I thought it would be... tasty, hot, fresh and downright yummy. Jason's sandwich did not last long on his plate so I'm going to go out on a limb and say he enjoyed his too. Panera's prices are a bit on the high side for a sandwich but in my opinion it's worth it. The facility is always clean, and the staff has always been very pleasant and helpful. They will help you check for deals with your "card" if you have one or offer to look it up with a valid phone number. I appreciate this kind of service and quality and it is worth the few extra coins to feel appreciated as a customer.
(4)Michele H.
The employees at the Vestavia Panera have me going back there again and again. The employees at this Panera have me going back here only when I have to. Food is usually good and the store is usually pretty busy. But they (and, to be fair, the Vestavia Panera) like to keep the restaurant at probably about 20 degrees below freezing year round. Yowza. And the last time I visited, in July 2015, the cashier had an attitude of annoyance the entire time, like I was inconveniencing her by placing my order. As someone who has worked in retail, a restaurant, and a coffee shop, customer service is important to me. That's why I'll be going back to the Vestavia Panera from now on. The two stars are for the food, which is usually consistent in its standards.
(2)Judy L.
This service here, compared to other Paneras in Birmingham, is inconsistent at best. I work close to this location, so I come here a few times a week, and it's always a toss up on what kind of service I'll get. For the most part they are competent, and some are quite nice, but there is one girl who works many mornings and she is incredibly rude. My bagel and iced coffee are good most mornings, and I like it that you can make your own iced coffee, because I'm particular about how much sweetener and cream I put in. This morning my bagel was downright wrong, I think they messed up in the cutting process. I'll still come here because it's convenient, but I wish the food and service was more consistent.
(2)Jimmie M.
Ate there last night. No beans in the black bean soup and no flat bread for the advertised new sandwich. Not a good experience. Tossed my card.
(2)Jeroam Z.
I prefer their coffee over Starbucks. The Mediterranean egg sandwich is good for breakfast. I would love more vegetarian food. It's not the healthiest choice, but for me it's healthier than most in the South and agreeable to my food allergies.
(3)Bailey P.
Delicious!!!! Love their chicken stew and their ham sandwiches! Comes with good bread, they got wonderful coffee!
(5)Melissa M.
Love this place. The workers are always pleasant, and the food is delicious. Always clean and just a wonderful environment to be in.
(5)Trevvor C.
Definitely an all-around Panera fan, and this is a nice spot to have one (although the address is quite a bit off; it's in Patton Creek Shopping Center by the Galleria, but the location is showing as near Helena)--especially with a Barnes & Noble around the corner. The staff is friendly, there's a wide array of seating--including outdoor if you're so inclined--and the breads and other baked goods are quite tasty. A [very] small downside is that they close at nine, but a few other non-restaurant businesses in the area are open until 10 or 11, so if you're going to eat, do it earlier rather than later.
(4)Dawn H.
This is your typical chain for restaurant food. What makes this place stand out is the service you receive.
(4)Amanda R.
I go right past a Panera in San Francisco every day and I still have not been inside it, but during my 5 days in Alabama, I ate at this Panera twice. I had quite a few things to eat there... an apple danish, so yummy. A tomato mozarella panini, so yummy. Fuji Apple salad, so yummy. Sweet Green Tea, so yummy. Yes, everything I had there was SO YUMMY. It is a really good thing I am always in a hurry in the morning when I pass by my Panera, or I probably would have gained about 20 lbs since finally trying a Panera goody. The staff was friendly but sassy (awesome combo) and the only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars is because the only two seater booth available at the time was quite messy from the previous sitters, and no one was in any hurry to clean it, so we did it ourselves.
(4)Tina W.
Love their sandwiches -- especially the tomato bread! -- and soups. Great bakery area too. Never had breakfast but it looks yum.
(5)Mad A.
Panera Bread is not too bad of a corporate chain type of place and it is a lot like the Atlanta Bread Company. Panera Bread has fast and efficient service and has many different bread selections although the authenticity to real artisan breads like Ciabatta, or Focaccia is at best a similar facsimile. Just not the real deal. But my favorite thing here on the go is to grab an espresso ! They pour a pretty surprisingly good shot for a chain which tends to be consistent at every other Panera Bread I have tried it. Good crema and good solid flavor. They also have a very wide selection of bagels here and a good assortment of bagel schmeers and toppings. My favorite is the Asiago Cheese and the onion bagel. In my travels I have bought a few of them and taken them back to a hotel room with some cream cheese and some smoked salmon lox from a store for a tasty anytime snack. Panera Bread does seem to have consistent product between different locations and although the breads here can tend to be flavorful, they still have a lot of additives which are just meh and overall kind of underwhelming. I understand the need for preservatives and some fat additives to get products from place to place in their distribution area but this is just not my thing. Their scones are flavorful but have the wrong texture and too much sugar and the bearclaws have like a billion calories and of course these are preservatives in the form of sugars, fats, etc. So skip the diet plan here and just enjoy it. Overall their sandwich ingredients such as the lettuce and tomato are fresh and the place is clean and seemingly well ordered. It is definitely a good place for eating compared to other chains. I have sampled the Roast Beef Asiago sandwich which was decent and the beef was pretty tasty and the portion generous. In fact, I took the second half to go later and was decent tasting with a beer later in the day. What I also like about this business is that they contribute their unused products at the end of most business days to a local food kitchens which feeds homeless families and veterans. This is also a company that has experimented with some interesting and weird business models including a few locations that have patrons "pay what they can or want to". When passing through I like to check-in to see what they are doing. Employees are ALWAYS very pleasant and helpful. This is a good place for an early morning meeting and this particular location was especially good for that as it was off the beaten traffic path and near the hotels on HWY 150 near a mall called the Galleria. Its tucked away in a little enclave of other businesses so was tricky to find and missed my turn a few times. My only complaint was about the Wi-Fi here. I AM NOT A LINGERER but if I am having a meal and a discussion which will go on for a while between bites of food, they boot you off after 30 minutes. The policy here is that it is Free Wi-Fi here up until the rush time of 11 am or so but then they boot you off every 30 minutes so prepare to hotspot or tether in your internet pipeline. So there you have it. Good espresso shots, daily coffee specials, decent bagel selection, pretty good sandwiches and better than "grocery store average" bakery breads. But if you want to have a meeting where you use need Wi-Fi and internet, don't plan on doing it near the lunch hour. I am definitely not blown away here by the offerings, but they consistently hit the land of happy mediums. Happy Medium Land is a place I will visit from time to time if I have to do so, but I'm just not going to live there. What is it that they say ? Oh YEAH! "Nice place to visit, but..." Y'all know the rest.
(3)