I'm from SoCal, and come to Phx often for biz. I'm a fan of Paradise Bakery in general, but was really disappointed with this one. I ordered a cuban, and gotta say it was pretty much the worst. Mostly bread - crappy bread and not chibatta-- one puny slice of ham, it wasn't grilled, and it took almost 20 minutes - super disappointing, and for $8 not a good value at all. Also got a cup of soup - it was good -- but for a total order of $12, I'm over the free cookie. I got this to go for my road trip, and (frankly) gave a good part of it to the dog. I probably should've gotten something from the Whole Foods next door, or even a $5 foot long....Where's a subway when you need one? Lots of people waiting for food at 11 am, long line. Others seemed to know the service was terrible and stuck to salads and pre-prepared things. I've had good experiences with other locations -- probably not going here again.
(1)
Ashtin H.
I'm a fan of Paradise Bakery. I've had hit or miss experiences at different locations, but that happens. The Mac and Cheese is definitely one of the best items on the menu!
(4)
Susan O.
The food is ordinary to mediocre; the service is hit or miss...some employees are great but there are an astonishing number that don't seem to realize their job description includes "serving the customers." In response to slipping on the floor in front of the soda dispenser during a "Lunch Bunch" foray, and losing my full-sized salad to the floor, my salad was "complimentary" replaced by a smaller size and I was given a coupon by corporate worth $25. Out of desperation, the night before leaving for a week-long out-of-state camping trip, I went to cash in my $25 coupon but lo and behold!!! it is only good at Panera locations (parent company of Paradise Bakery) and Paradise Bakery refused to honor it. Because it was late, we were hungry, and they were standing there with my order in a bag trying to hand it to me, I just paid for it and took it home. The final nail in the coffin: They didn't make the sandwiches right. There were no sun-dried tomatoes at all and the bacon had to be seen with a microscope. With choices like Kneaders and Zupas Cafe available, I don't know why anyone would go there. Next time the Lunch Bunch decides to go there, I will eat solo somewhere else.
(1)
Nikki S.
Pfffftttttt.......ordered the scrambled egg breakfast with bacon and toast. The eggs.....terrible. Bacon.....its the PRE COOKED bacon......I HAVE THIS AT HOME! Toast.....1 piece and from the smallest loaf in the history of bread. I only came to kill an hour and use the WiFi. Go somewhere else for a real breakfast.
(2)
Chelsea S.
Paradise Bakery can usually satisfy anyone's lunch cravings. Between sandwiches, salads and soups they have quite the selection. This spot also offers a wide variety of beverages and pastries and has tons of seating, indoors and outside. Our group offered a wide variety of items and everything was fresh and flavorful. The cookies were delicious and the iced coffee was pleasantly strong in flavor and refreshing. Service could have been a bit more friendly but otherwise a great visit.
(4)
Andrew S.
Fresh sandwiches, salads, soups... and cookies! I'm a big fan of paradise bakery. Consistently a good choice for lunch or dinner. I order the Pick 2: Half Sandwich/half salad. Or soup. I think you can get pasta too. The Bacon Turkey Bravo and the Paradise Club are my favorite sandwiches and the best part is they're served with a guilt free cookie. It's like whoops, I guess I HAVE to eat this cookie that came free with my sandwich. The salads are big too. The Fuji Apple is excellent, but I've been impressed with everything I've tried. They load you up with lots of fruit and mix it up in front of you. Also, in case you didn't know, PB is in the same family as Panera Bread. Happy eating!
(4)
Terence C.
The best place to hang out with friend over breakfast and business meeting over lunch. It's clean and crowded, but the environment is just cozy enough to sit for a long time. Free refill coffee makes it perfect. The only downside is that their wi-fi is really slow and unstable.
(4)
Rachael A.
The name says it all ~ and who wouldn't want Paradise for lunch? This location is conveniently located on Ray Road just east of the 101 freeway. Lots of seating indoors and out, always clean and the staff is very friendly. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal here. Fresh ingredients for salads and sandwiches and daily soups make for a tough decision on what to eat. I love the southwest ceasar chicken salad (though I make a few additions and they never have a problem doing so) and the turkey club sandwich. It's all good! The best thing are all the bakery items ~ brownies, muffins, scones and of course the cookies! Bonus ~ get a free cookie with your meal. They also offer BOGO cookie with any meal ordered. My kids have ordered the smoothies in the past and love them and they also have coffee in several different forms, hot, blended & iced. It's all good!
(5)
Abigail W.
I generally have decent experiences with Paradise Bakery, however it was my first time in this location, and the lady who I was greeted by was clearly very "over" her job for the day. I was standing in front of the menu when she walked up to her register and stared at me. I told her I couldn't decide between a bagel or a sandwich to which she replied "Well breakfast is over so you can get bagels and scones" .... I hadn't mentioned breakfast besides a bagel. There was a lady standing next to me with her daughter waiting to order, she asked if we were together. When we told her no, she rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh and took their order of a bagel and prepared it. The lady and her daughter took a seat, so when she turned around to ask if it was for here or to go and they weren't there, she rolled her eyes once again and muttered "uh ok then." Also, It wasn't a huge deal, but I did feel that she could have taken my order and let me go pay after she put the bagel into toast, instead of completely preparing it. The other employees were nice, and my chicken tortellini Alfredo was good, and I also had a half sandwich (roasted turkey and avocado BLT) so I don't want to rate too low, the lady in the bakery area could just use some people skills.
(3)
Grace O.
Food is fine. Same as any other Paradise Bakery. I wanted to comment on the Internet though. If you're coming here to study, and you like streaming music while you work to get your groove on, get ready for lots of interrupted music :( I can't even connect very well to Google docs/sheets which is very annoying. I would move, but don't want to pay for another coffee at another spot. Thank goodness I can hotspot my phone! On the plus side, coffee has free refills here so you can caffeinate yourself until you burst while you work.
(3)
Diane M.
I tried one of the two new broth bowls Paradise is promoting. The lentil quinoa bowl was just okay tasting and even with the egg prepared just right, I still wouldn't pay .......get this........$8.19 for it again! Yikes! When did Paradise Bakery move their prices into the table service level? In my opinion, this smaller serving of a meal in their soup department does not warrant the price.
(1)
Carolyn A.
Best food ever!! Love love love their salads, sandwiches, cookies and soup! A bit pricey but good portions and fresh food.
(4)
Dana B.
I arrived for a late lunch. Service was prompt and the restaurant was clean. Free wifi is always greatly appreciated. The yummy cookie to complete the meal us yummy and hard to resist. As usual for PB, the food was fresh and tasty. I love the multiple iced tea options, mango being my personal favorite. One confusing note: what's with all the 15 min only parking outside the restaurant? Who can order and eat in 15 min? The other tenants are a pizza place, kids play land and laser hair removal. Can any of these be done in 15 min? Boggles me. I do have one thing that bothers me about PB that keeps me frequenting Wildflower as my first option and PB as an emergency only backup. If I order a salad with my pick 2, minus the meat, I feel like there should be a price reduction. I don't care if it's only $.50 but it bugs me to pay $11 for a cup of soup or 1/2 sandwich and half salad when the salad is lettuce, dressing, a sprinkle of cheese and some nuts or whatnot.
(4)
Linda C.
On my list of all-time faves, the food never disappoints! Awesome variety of salads, soups & sandwiches, breakfast items, breads, the best cookies to be had outside of my own kitchen...I could eat here every day. They come up with new items regularly, all of which I've enjoyed, like flatbread sandwiches (try the BBQ chicken) and the Soba Noodle Bowl (so savory). The only thing I dislike is that the seasonal items I love are just that...seasonal. Can't stand the wait for their return, like turkey chili, so delicious, which will be retired soon, and lemon cookies, from heaven!
(5)
Kyle G.
The food is always great here, however the service at this location is horrible! Everyone of the staff members with the exception of the young man making our salads were very rude! While trying to place an order for a sandwich the staff members were standing around talking and completely ignored our existence for several minutes before someone finally turned around and realized there was a line forming! I will never come to this location again and I will make sure none of my friends or family do either!
(1)
Darlene C.
Food is subpar, they are very cheap with portions, and quality and customer service have gone way down over the years, they wanted to charge me for a tablespoon worth of extra almonds on an Asian salad, when comparing to Fired Pie where any and as many toppings for your salad is included, it's hard to even try this place anymore, but I thought I would try once more to give them another chance, since I am quite sure they have lost salad business to FP. It used to be a good place , good food, nice owners. I don't see how they can continue to stay open much longer with all the new places that give more for the money and tastes better...
(1)
Kelly M.
Although I love the Mac & cheese at paradise bakery the experience was bad at this location.I went at 2:06 pm and it was not busy at all I placed an order to go, some cookies and pick two. When they brought me the bag I opened n notice the Mac & cheese was not in it,I told cashier and she said they must forgot to put it in the bag. When I got home which is about 20 min away and was going to eat the sand which. It was the wrong sand which. Normally I would just say it was due to the place being busy but this time that definitely was not the case. There was no excuse for missing the item or having the wrong sand which,most of the employees were just standing around and talking. The NAC & cheese was awesome though
(1)
P v.
Was at the food court at Chandler mall and had the Cali turkey. Everything OK with the sandwich except the BACON. 2 small strips of cold hard meat. I was expecting more flavorful product, more freshly cooked for the money. The sandwich came with choice of soup and I had a bowl of french onion that we more like salty onion gravy with litttle cheese and coutons. I have 10X better soup at Applebees or Sweet tomatoes. My ice coffee was just a cup of coffee over ice. I will not eat there again.
(3)
Jamie K.
I like Paradise Bakery in general They serve great sandwiches and salads. Great for lunch or for a warm bowl of soup when it is cold out. This location is poorly manged though. The lines are always very long for lunch. The tables haven't been bussed. The tables outside are often full of spiders and spider webs. The staff isn't interested in helping you if they are free. Lines are slow. Bathrooms are not very clean. They also had an issue before where they were tossing salads with the salad dressing in the same bowls all day long without washing them in between. We got sick several times, and complained a few times until it eventually got fixed. It tells you a lot about their food prep standards though.
(2)
Brittany M.
Thai chicken salad is amazing. so is broccoli cheddar soup. I really want to like the cranberry chicken sandwich but it's not awesome. Southwest chicken salad is also good. Their little chocolate chipper cookies are delicious and bite size, way better than they're bigger ones. Sometimes the line is wayyy too slow but that comes with freshly prepared food. Overall, love.
(4)
Damion N.
Excellent food! However, the line/service is so slow... The line at the DMV moves faster. They should look into hiring some child laborers to help speed up the service.
(4)
Jason B.
Not sure what the other crab-apples are complaining about, but I really enjoy Paradise Bakery, and this location in particular. This location is conveniently located, has always had very courteous staff, and has been very clean and tidy every time I have ever come here. Here are a couple of the highlights: - Very clean and organized line for ordering - Easy to find what you want from the menu - Clean and tidy drink area - Dining room is separated somewhat from the ordering line, which keeps it quiet and relaxed. The 'vibe' here is great, and there is a nice area to eat and hang out on the patio if you want to enjoy the weather - Extremely clean and nice bathrooms - Free, functioning, fast WiFi!!
(4)
Beth G.
If there was an option for zero stars I would have selected that instead. This location is horrible. I went in and ordered soup and half a sandwich to go. I was given my soup and waited in line for about 10-15 minutes for my sandwich. They appeared to be completely unorganized and understaffed. On top of the long wait and poor service my food was horrible. The "bacon" on my sandwich was not edible. I have ordered the same meal (french onion soup and the turkey avocado sandwich numerous times at the San Tan location and the food was amazing. The food at the Ray Rd location tasted nothing like the San Tan location. I was very disappointed and will not be returning to the ray rd location.
(1)
Ann T.
The food choices are excellent as you can make it your own. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The only draw back is the line to wait and the set up is a bit confusing when breakfast is over.
(4)
Yanira S.
I come tho this PB location mostly because my mom likes to have lunch here. I've had decent experiences here in terms of food and service but not today. Today SERVICE SUCKED!!! As a party of three we ordered an 1 Asian Oriental Salad, 1 Chicken Walnut Sandwich, 1 half Cesar salad and 1 cup of Mac and Cheese. 1. They gave my mom a Southwestern Salad instead of the Asian Oriental Salad so she had to wait in line AGAIN and ask them to make the correct one. 2. There was hardly any dressing on my Cesar Salad and when they brought that out they took the little number away and didn't come back with any more food. 3. This means I had to go up and ask for my mac and cheese which they gave me and it was VERY SOUPY. I'm a big and mac girl and it was my first time trying it at PB so I was incredibly disappointed in this crap. 4. At this point I explained to the manager on duty how much the service had sucked and that we were still waiting for that Chicken Walnut Salad. She quickly made it herself and gave it to me without saying anything. I'm not one to start a scene so we ate our food and left. On the way out... 5. The root beer tasted like crap, something must've been up with the machine. Thanks for nothing PB on Ray, I will take my business elsewhere.
(1)
Jasmine A.
I'm visiting from Oregon & I heard such great things about your establishment so I had to try it! I ordered two sandwiches, a soup & a salad. my panini and salad are so delicious! I give that 5 stars!! But what really counts is customer service and the feeling that you want to come back because the atmosphere is so wonderful. I've worked at a restaurant for years now & I know how much factors into good service & how picky/exaggerated customers tend to be more often than not. The 3 employees that helped me did their jobs to the point of service but I didn't feel welcome. The ONE thing that could have changed this is just a simple smile. A smile makes me want to stay, come back and recommend it to all my friends and family! ESPECIALLY the last interaction you have before you leave. The girl at the register could have changed my feelings completely but instead she left me wanting to leave and enjoy my meal else where. I do think the food is wonderful and the time in which it was prepared was perfect but I can get good food anywhere that also provides a friendly face and attitude. I will still recommend your establishment because I do know I can't base it off three people out of so many more. Thanks for the opportunity to try your food and I only post this as a helpful tip from a fellow hospitality staff member.
(3)
Stacy L.
In a day and age of gluten-free everywhere you'd think this place would be aware or have options. I do thank the manager for looking. Its funny I try to before I visit a place bit nothing on Web site either. Still great place for a salad, always
(3)
Justin D.
To anyone who is hesitant, let me preach: 1/2 sandwich- get the turkey cranberry (only a fool would choose otherwise) 1/2 soup- all of them are grade A fancy to the max FREE COOKIE?! This chocolate chip cookie is more than a food article; it's an experience. Prepare yourself for the most mouth-watering, precious dessert God has graced this earth with. And weep, dear soul, for now you are nourished with the greatest cookie in human history. Wipe away that single glorious tear from your face and smile, food warrior. Until you meet again.
(5)
Brendan W.
I've tried Paradise Bakery before. This location lacks staffing and I always feel rushed and belittled for asking questions. Today I went in with myself and two kids. Nobody in line the girl had her order pad. I wanted a soup bread bowl. She told me I have to order it down the line, this part is just sandwiches. I do need a turkey sandwich. Instead of grilled cheese can I order an adult grilled turkey? Turkey is toasted but we can grill it. OK great. Didn't happen. It came out toasted nothing on it but two slices of turkey, dry, no cheese with 4 tomatoes. Kids hate tomatoes. I will deal with it and peel off the tomatoes. Back to the line thing, I am in the salad section. My oldest son wanted a kids half Caesar salad. Ok. This is going well. I am moving down the line. The same girl from sandwiches now is in the soup section. Only 2 guys behind me, no worry about a rush. I order a soup bread bowl. We may be out of bread bowls. You can go back to the sandwich section and order a sandwich. Ha this is getting humorous. I wonder if I go back will she follow me? Another girl comes up and says they do have bread bowls. Clam chowder nope not there not here I wonder where it is. I found it. Makes you feel like they don't sell much soup. OK ring me up. I need a soda and cup of water for my son. She hands me one cup. I break the silence and apologize. Trying to get some compassion, told her I haven't been here in years. Is this the water cup? No they are over there. Forget about asking for silverware. She is too disengaged. I won't even bother I will search down silverware. I still can't leave just yet. This kids salad says something about yogurt and a cookie. Oh yea, I forgot, I will get. The sandwich guy comes over. I am the only one while the other two behind me still reading the menu. My son has #48 on the table. He says he really needs the number back. Let me move out of this line get the number while sandwich/soup/cashier is looking for a kids yogurt. I hope my youngest doesn't pull down the tray while I retrieve #48. In the whole place only one other table is in use. It is not busy and his look felt like it was urgent I get that number back. Finally to a table. I'm in a good mood. This whole order thing seemed comical. Just a tiny bit of soup in this bread bowl. Not much to eat there. My oldest son had his salad. He liked. My younger son isn't having anything to do with a dry turkey sandwich. I ordered it off the adult menu because I thought there might be something more to it. Nope. Let's go. No rush to come back. In the back of my mind I recall my niece who worked there for a summer job in 2013. She hadn't got her food handling card. She told me only one person had it and the manager said there was no rush. I hope that's not the current case. It's too bad. It could be a nice place.
(2)
Jamie P.
Horrible service. Came in a 8:15pm yesterday to get a salad and three front staff were busy talking smack. One saw me and said someone will be with you then went back to the other two to talk some more. I stood there for another 5 minutes, then leave. I guess this is why you will always be making minimum wage! I'm not going back to this particular location.
(1)
Melissa D.
I haven't had a problem here. The food is good and so is the service when I go here :) the layout is awesome. A lot of people have business meetings or just chill with their lab tops here. I just go here for lunch.
(5)
Cory S.
I had high expectations as I hadn't had paradise bakery in a couple years as they don't have them near my new home. The insides haven't changed much since I've been here.. Same decor and layout. I may my way through the line and came up with a turkey bacon avocado sandwich of sorts. I also had a chocolate chip cookie and some fruit salad. The sandwich was just ok, it was lacking something. The turkey was a little dry and lacking some flavor. However the fruit salad was very good, fresh and yummy. The chocolate chip cookie was very good, just as I remember them. Soft and great taste. Bought some coconut choco chip cookies to take home to the wife. Just an average experience.. service was good, but the sandwich just didn't do it for me.
(3)
Susan Kay C.
What a great place...The service was excellent. Their Manager Fred was soooo nice. I have never been to that Paradise Bakery but I will stop there...every chance I get!!!
(5)
Joan G.
This location is probably my least favorite. It is very noisy here all the time. The food is ok but not always great, kind of hit or miss. Service isn't bad but also not great like the signal butte location or val vista.
(3)
Jason M.
I went today......Absolutely Horrid. I do not understand how this place is still in business. Terrible food and even worse service. They have no coffee, they had the cashier doing soups too, it was a total freakin mess. I could not get regular coffee because they had none, no one filled it it since 12:45 and it was 4:30. So they gave me a free latte which was freakin terrible. The cashier was giving shit away to the customers because she did not give a shit. Pathetic. I have not been to this establishment in over 8 years due to it being complete CRAP. Why people still come here is beyond me. The food is mediocre at best. I much rather spend my money at Wildflower! 20 times better products, fantastic service and great food/coffee. Paradise bakery is not a place I will set foot into again. This is typical AZ wanabe garbage!
(1)
Tyler Z.
I must admit - Paradise is a gem. I purposefully forget how good this place is because I sometimes disdain $10+ lunches, but when I go I always think it's worth it. Turkey & Cranberry sandwich is one of my absolute favorites of all time. SW Caesar Salad (add the corn salsa) is also very high on my favorite salad list. This location is always clean, and friendly. Convenient access to the highway (and my office) means I should go more often as should you. Wish they included a drink with some sort of lunch special under $10... In my dreams!
(5)
Wendy G.
Extradinarilly big for a cafe! They've got everything to satisfy your cravings. I've had their freshly made-on-the-spot signature salad-Thai basil chicken, and cranberry/pop seeds muffins. They are all pretty decent. Their cookies are buy one get one free for 1.25. They all seem very yummy. This is the cafe that combines sweet bakery shop, fresh salad bar, and healthy sandwich shops all in one. Like! The size of it simply put New Yorkers to shame, but they are slightly less tasty than NYC ones specializing in their own niche markets.
(4)
T W.
This is a review of the bakery. We did not dine here. We had an event, and needed cookies. Five-dozen. They have a reasonable variety of cookies. It is cheaper to make your own, of course, but these aren't too outrageous. About $8 for a dozen, and they're reasonably large. The cookies themselves are pretty good. Frankly not as good as mine (I just follow the Tollhouse recipe, or whatever...I'm not a master baker by any means!). But good. Chocolate chip, sugar, snickerdoodles, and even a lemon cookie. I also like their muffins.
(4)
Jim W.
Paradise Bakery you are not. I'm sorry, you're just not a paradise to me. And I hold bakeries near and dear, believe me. You are a common bakery - I'm not sure how many states you are in but you are common. Maybe that's your problem. Your locations are fine. Nice enough. You have free wifi. Good. But your muffins? They just don't do it for me. They fall short of similar establishments offerings in the valley and in other areas. Go to Wildflower Bread and get yourself a Morning Glory muffin. This is what young muffins dream of becoming when they grow up. And your cookies. They are so prefab tasting. My wife had an oatmeal raisin cookie and offered me a bite. She broke off a good size piece and I tried it. It was doughy. And there were no raisins. And I had to look to find a flake of oatmeal. But they were sugary in that prefab, gritty, not very good sort of way. An oatmeal raisin cookie should taste like...oatmeal. And raisins. And perhaps a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, not gritty sugariness and doughiness. Blech.
(2)
Tanya J.
Great every time. Love the layout and the service.
(5)
Chris B.
Upon recently arriving from California, my nephew and I stumbled into Paradise Bakery, if only to try their coffee. We were a bit mesmerized by the cookies display, and hugely tempted, but decided to stick to our already calorie-laden coffee drinks for the time being. The coffee was fine, and a pleasant change from the swill served at most Starbucks nowadays. Upon approaching the exit, we noticed the free sourdough bread samples and dipping sauces, and had to give 'em a try. The sourdough was really good, as much as you can tell from a couple of cubes of the stuff. The dipping sauces, a green pesto sauce and a red tomato-pineapple salsa, were way tasty. We vowed to come back another time to check out the food. As it turned out, we did make a return trip here to get a loaf of their sourdough bread. They will slice it for you if you ask and it comes to about $4.50/loaf but is well worth it. The thick slices and hearty texture stood up to our homemade patty melts when toasted, and in my opinion, made the burger. This California transplant has found a sourdough worth making a special trip for.
(4)
Vern J.
Food is always great. Service super slow. Got may soup but waited 15 Min for my sandwich. It was to go. Soup is now cold. :( got half way home realized that the forget my side. Ugh. Terrible service
(1)
K P.
I've been here quite a few times, but am undecided. It's clean, spacious, and has a great location - a good meeting place. Other than that...I got nothing. My last time "in" I ordered a coffee drink. Not knowing how it was made or what was in it, I asked. Apparently I caught the girl behind the counter completely off guard, and had to break it down - beginning first with the type of coffee. Questions answered, my thought was it shouldn't take long - I was the only one in line. Wrong! I don't know if the lady went outside to milk a cow while I dozed off to sleep, but at least 15 minutes went by before my drink was ready. I also asked for water. At Starbucks I am handed a cup filled ice and water. Here, I was given a cup with directions to "find" the water. If not for a friend who told me to look for a tab near the lemonade, I would have had to go without. Who knew? Apparently everyone else, as the rest of my group laughed! Leaving near dinner time it would have been nice to pick something up to take home, but after seeing so many shuffling in line, I gave up the thought. It could have turned into another "water" expedition, and my friends had left the building.
(3)
Devon A.
I come here to do research because the wireless is pretty fast, but I am pissed that there policy is to filter whatever the hell they want. The food is just ok. The soup is average and the salads are pretty good once I modify there regular ones. I don't like their sandwiches at all. Really, I only come here for the ice tea. I like free wireless and I like ice tea. They need more booths with outlets, and they need to turn the AC DOWN! It's FREEZING in there!
(2)
Katarina H.
Our house loves Paradise Bakery but over the years we've found out that they aren't that consistent with their food. We go to two locations either this one or the one in Chandler Fashion Center. We've found out that the ones in the malls just don't have the exceptional food like the ones that are outside of the malls. If you grab the paradise pasta salad from the mall even though it's good they don't put the added touch of shredded cheese on the salad BUT if you go to a store that's not in the mall they add shredded cheese on top of the paradise salad which all in all makes it better. I just wish that their food was the same from location to location.
(4)
Kristen T.
Paradise Bakery is one of our favorite places to eat, and whenever we are in Phoenix we try and stop since Tucson only has one, and it is way across town. This is the most convenient location for us to stop at, but it seems like half the time we try and stop they aren't open. We went up for a friends birthday in April and were craving Paradise Bakery; we stopped but were not able to get out due to a massive swarm of bees outside the restaurant ( I realize this is not their fault, just a disappointment.) Another time we had just flown in from vacation and wanted a quick dinner before the drive home. We got there to find out they had just closed at 8pm...and it wasn't even a Sunday. It seems like they need to change their hours, we were not the only customers they turned away that night because they closed so early.
(3)
B D.
The food is pretty standard and the parking immediately in front of this place stinks. I've always had their salads and they are either a hit or miss.
(2)
Alex R.
Paradise Bakery for me, is comfort food. This specific location is across the street from where I work, and because I prefer not to dine where I work, I always venture here while on a break. The food tastes fresh and healthy. I've tried almost every single one of their sandwiches, and although I have small tweaks for each one of them (hold the mayo, I despise tomatoes, the chicken can be slightly chewy) I really appreciate their overall comfort and deliciousness. My personal favorite is the California club, the bacon is always crispy and who isn't obsessed with avocado?? Since becoming a vegetarian, I still love this place. One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is their Asian Salad (I now order it without chicken). Actually, they still charge me the full price even though I don't get the chicken which kind of bugs me. When I worked at a sandwich place, protein-less entrees were deducted a dollar. ANYWAY...I think overall, Paradise Bakery is a delicious place to find fresh food, maybe overpriced, but the atmosphere is nice. Their parking lot kind of sucks though. The rows are narrow and difficult to navigate in an SUV. Small complaint. Service is usually not bad, but the workers can be unfriendly at times. There is a bald man that works at this location who is particularly kind and I always appreciate his input when I am indecisive with my sandwich choice!
(4)
Di T.
I love Paradise cookies! We need you in Nor Cal!!!! Every time I'm in AZ, I have to get my fix. Before going to the airport I got my dozen cookies. $8 for 1 dozen! That is totally worth it. How do they manage to be so soft? It's probably all the butter. I don't care because they are so good! I got the large crumbed blue cheese walnut salad with chicken that 2 of us shared and we were full. The bowl is huge. I watched him make my salad and he put 5 scoops of cheese and a huge handful of cranberries! I opted to change the dressing to balsamic instead of having the caesar since I had 1 dozen cookies to eat I thought I could be somewhat more healthy with the dressing. The dressing was a little disappointing. I was expecting it to be slightly sweet but it wasn't and there was rosemary in it? I only like rosemary on my chicken! I guess I should have stuck with caesar dressing. Oh well! On my next visit to az...
(5)
Mark J.
My first Yelp! After spending a lot of time on yelp I have finally become one of you. I hope the initiation is not too painful or humiliating. After much deliberation, Paradise was decided upon for a lunch meeting because of it's free WI-Fi and decent food. When I arrived, i scoped the place out and found that the only tables that had access to plugs were the ones with uncomfortable chairs, oh well suck it up I say. I sat down and got a diet coke and waited for my associate to show. Shortly after sitting and sipping my drink I realized that it was colder than I or any one else could tolerate without dressing like an extra in Fargo. I went out to my truck and got another short sleeve shirt to cover myself with. This did nothing. When my lunch partner showed she gave up one of her hoodies. I put on a much to small sweater and was glad to have it (for a visual, you can check my profile pic.). Slightly disturbing. We were the two svelte people with the hoodies on in case you were wondering. We then headed up to the line to order some food. I got the Thai Chicken Wrap and she basically made up her own salad combining three or four different salads into a new concoction. The salad maker was very accommodating to her and made a pretty mean looking salad. I was jealous. The Thai Wrap was anything but impressing. It basically was a combination of sticky sushi style rice with cabbage and sliced chicken, BOOO! The Thai peanut sauce came on the side and it tasted like Thai peanut sauce. The WI-Fi that we came in for was slow! We were doing lots of research that involved streaming media and it could not handle the traffic. Time was a wasted. When the corporate lunch crowd came in it offered a lot of opportunities for people watching. So if you are into to analyzing what makes the cubicle zombies keep on going then this offers some prime viewing.
(3)
Jenn H.
Dear Sarah G, Thank you for the suggesting we go to Paradise cafe. I tried the cookies and they were A-OK. Perhaps it is time to return for a 6th try? Sincerely, Jenn H Now back to my regularly scheduled review of Paradise Bakery: First of all... WHY THE CRAP WAS IT SO COLD IN THERE? Even my poor little Yelp hoodie couldn't keep me warm. I ordered soup - SOUP in July! - to keep me warm and that did not work. Perhaps that is because the soup was made out of a melted salt lick. But that's another issue. Oh... My salad was dope They have Fresca in the soda fountain (Yes!) They gave me a free cookie 3 different types of iced tea The bathroom was very clean Free internet rocks But if you intend to eat here bring a snow suit. Or possibly a snow suit, pile of blankets, ear muffs and a space heater. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Still shivering.
(3)
Sarah G.
I'm so disappointed with this Location! I have been here more than 5 times now,and each and every time the cookies have not been properly baked! Underdone and or old! I can tell just by looking at them,I don't know why I continue to waste my money here. I gave them a chance being that they were new, but their cooks really need to get a clue, none of the other locations I have been to have a problem with their cookies only this one! I will not go back here for cookies or anything else!
(1)
Crystal Z.
This is my favorite place to work at as of recently. I've always loved Paradise's menu, but there's something about the way this particular location is laid out that makes it my favorite. Get a California Turkey and the Fire Roasted Tomato soup (or the black bean vegetarian), take your laptop, get on the free wifi and get the booth with the outlet. Unless I'm there. I swear, if I see you in my booth, there WILL be trouble.
(5)
Aly D.
i was so... confused. ok, i come from the land of lines. LA has lines for everything: lines for clubs, lines for fancy restaurants, lines for the line to get into the club. THOSE lines had some sort of signage or someone telling me where to get in line and shutup. i'm ok with that. i'm great with following directions. IKEA and i get along immensely because of this. but this place..... this place just assumed i'd know what the hell to do. i found the big line, stepped in, and realized that there were no menus to handle which is fine. i can read boards. but i was confused by the whole 'order at this station, then order at this station, but wait you get your food now at one station but not at another thing, and here i am going to give you this piece of paper with some writing on it but you dont have to hand to anyone'. what.. the... hell. i managed to bungle my way through the line, profusely apologizing for acting like a moron and not knowing what to order where or that i wasnt supposed to hand them my to go paper. everyone was pretty friendly, but they definitely stared at me like i was an amateur. food was pretty decent. i had the turkey cranberry half sammich with the southwestern chicken caesar. all in all a solid meal and i loved the bread on the sammich. the cookie was great too, very soft and chocolately. now that i kinda know the ropes, i might come back, but damn i hope i dont need a map next time.
(3)
Terry S.
I really like this place when I'm hungry and too lazy to cook. Their sandwhiches are freshly made, the soups are comforting on a cold day , the salads are huge and the cookies, well what can I say? They're delicious! If possible, avoid the lunch crowd because it does get very very busy. I like to go just before or after, they're not in such a hurry to make your food!
(4)
Danielle T.
Paradise Bakery is usually just ok, and this is the location we go to the most often because its right down the street from our house. As far as sandwiches go they are pretty average, and nothing too creative. But its a good place to stop by if you have no other choices or are on a limited time schedule to pick up some lunch or something. They have recently updated all of the menus and only have a few vegetarian options. We usually get the Mediterranean veggie sandwich which is a bunch of veggies with hummus and cheese on a tomato bread. The bread is better than the sandwich itself. We also get the tomato mozzarella panini pretty often too. They usually have one or two vegetarian soups available but we never get them. The cookies are just ok as well. I do happen to like the lemon zester cookie when they have it out. It isn't always available. But as far as cookies go, I've had better. I do like that Paradise Bakery has a rewards program where if you buy ten sandwiches, drinks, or muffins, you get a free one. It usually takes us awhile to get to ten but its always a nice surprise when we don't have to pay for one of our sandwiches. The sandwiches are moderately priced I guess. I've had cheaper sandwiches and I've had more expensive sandwiches. I also wouldn't come out of my way to get a sandwich here. It usually ends up being a convenience thing.
(3)
Deanna B.
Undoubtedly the best sandwhich i ever had was the California Turkey at Paradise Bakery and Cafe!!! Everything is good here, especially the salads! I like the fact they offer half portions of the soup, salads, and sandwhiches!!
(5)
Tracey K.
Holy cow...worst experience at Paradise Bakery. Ever. I went there before work to get a baker's dozen of bagels (comes with 2 tubs of spread). It took forever for Shawn to get my flavors of bagels put together in the box (I was the only one there!). Then I asked for plain and honey walnut spreads. She said they only carry plain and lowfat spread in the big tub. All other flavors come in individual size only. They all insisted there never was honey walnut flavor in the big size tub yet I've purchased it for work before. At the end of my purchase, Kimberly came to me and told me that I could pre-order my bagels the next time. That was a nice offer, but going in for a dozen bagels should not take that much time and should not warrant a pre-order. I'm definitely going to Einstein's for their bagels and honey walnut spread from now on.
(1)
Todd P.
Great for a quick breakfast. The croissants are quite large, and the bagels are fresh and chewy. It took very little time for the food to be ready. I would go back to try lunch at some point.
(4)
Kathleen S.
BEST COOKIES EVER ! Chompies has nothing on paradise's cookies and baked goods . So good my siblings have me bringing them cookies from Arizona to California . The one and only thing i will miss in Arizona is going to be paradise bakery .
(5)
April P.
After working at Paradise Bakery for 6 years, I swore I would never walk in there again. Well, I still find myself addicted and visit the Ray/101 location about 1x/month. Too expensive for my taste (even when I worked there, I knew I wouldn't be in every day like some people because of the cost) Almost $10 for a half sandwhich/salad is a little absurd, but it is really tasty. I like trying out new or limited menu items, like the salmon Caesar salad (freaked me out a little that the salmon pieces were all shrink wrapped and just plopped on top right out of the plastic) but it was still good and I didn't get sick... But my all time feel-good sandwich is the Chicken Walnut and either the Fire Roasted Tomato soup, or the Southwest Caesar salad. Oh, and the chocolate chip cookie that comes with the sandwich. It can be swapped out with a different kind, but I thoroughly enjoy the classic chocolate chip. When winter rolls around, I can't wait to get a Ginger Molasses Cookie and a Chai Eggnog Latte....yum!
(4)
David B.
Paradise Bakery is one of those places that you can count on for always having something good when your driving around wanting more than a burger and not a sit down meal with a waiter. I love the Cranberry Turkey sandwich with fresh fruit. The nice thing to consider is that you can get a whole or a half on the sandwich of your choice. Once you feel good about the healthy choices you've made you encounter the cookie section at the register. All I'm going to say is that the chocolate chip is to die for!! The chocolate chips just melt in your hands!! Doesn't get any better than that!! Paradise Bakery does also have a great breakfast should you want a nice place to go after a nice hike or just want to treat yourself and a friend to great place to visit. Put Paradise Bakery on your "always good" list!!
(5)
Annalisa N.
I finally tried Paradise last thursday with a co-worker. I was expecting, well, paradise, but sadly was disappointed. I wanted to go somewhere for soup A) because I've heard so many good things about the Fire Roasted Tomato Soup, and B) I had to eat soup because my mouth felt like someone hit it with a brick. First off, I have to disclose that I dont care for cafeteria style dining. I like to relax and order, so I wasn't thrilled about the set up. But I didnt let that bother me too much, I just prefer sit down dining. Anyhoo I ordered a bowl of the tomato soup, and the bread that goes with it and iced tea.... we then trotted off to find a table outside as it was pretty crowded in there. The soup was just okay... I was expecting greatness and instead I got luke warm, chunky soup that reminded me of bottled pasta sauce. The bread was rather hard so I had to soak it in my soup to be able to eat it... and I know its not their fault that I was having brace-face problems but I wish the bread was a little fresher or maybe even warm? So maybe I'll try it again sometime, but not as long as I can make a big pot of "way better" tomato soup at home probably for less money. Oh, and I do like their cookies... I will go back for those :o)
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Vickie H.
I'm from SoCal, and come to Phx often for biz. I'm a fan of Paradise Bakery in general, but was really disappointed with this one. I ordered a cuban, and gotta say it was pretty much the worst. Mostly bread - crappy bread and not chibatta-- one puny slice of ham, it wasn't grilled, and it took almost 20 minutes - super disappointing, and for $8 not a good value at all. Also got a cup of soup - it was good -- but for a total order of $12, I'm over the free cookie. I got this to go for my road trip, and (frankly) gave a good part of it to the dog. I probably should've gotten something from the Whole Foods next door, or even a $5 foot long....Where's a subway when you need one? Lots of people waiting for food at 11 am, long line. Others seemed to know the service was terrible and stuck to salads and pre-prepared things. I've had good experiences with other locations -- probably not going here again.
(1)Ashtin H.
I'm a fan of Paradise Bakery. I've had hit or miss experiences at different locations, but that happens. The Mac and Cheese is definitely one of the best items on the menu!
(4)Susan O.
The food is ordinary to mediocre; the service is hit or miss...some employees are great but there are an astonishing number that don't seem to realize their job description includes "serving the customers." In response to slipping on the floor in front of the soda dispenser during a "Lunch Bunch" foray, and losing my full-sized salad to the floor, my salad was "complimentary" replaced by a smaller size and I was given a coupon by corporate worth $25. Out of desperation, the night before leaving for a week-long out-of-state camping trip, I went to cash in my $25 coupon but lo and behold!!! it is only good at Panera locations (parent company of Paradise Bakery) and Paradise Bakery refused to honor it. Because it was late, we were hungry, and they were standing there with my order in a bag trying to hand it to me, I just paid for it and took it home. The final nail in the coffin: They didn't make the sandwiches right. There were no sun-dried tomatoes at all and the bacon had to be seen with a microscope. With choices like Kneaders and Zupas Cafe available, I don't know why anyone would go there. Next time the Lunch Bunch decides to go there, I will eat solo somewhere else.
(1)Nikki S.
Pfffftttttt.......ordered the scrambled egg breakfast with bacon and toast. The eggs.....terrible. Bacon.....its the PRE COOKED bacon......I HAVE THIS AT HOME! Toast.....1 piece and from the smallest loaf in the history of bread. I only came to kill an hour and use the WiFi. Go somewhere else for a real breakfast.
(2)Chelsea S.
Paradise Bakery can usually satisfy anyone's lunch cravings. Between sandwiches, salads and soups they have quite the selection. This spot also offers a wide variety of beverages and pastries and has tons of seating, indoors and outside. Our group offered a wide variety of items and everything was fresh and flavorful. The cookies were delicious and the iced coffee was pleasantly strong in flavor and refreshing. Service could have been a bit more friendly but otherwise a great visit.
(4)Andrew S.
Fresh sandwiches, salads, soups... and cookies! I'm a big fan of paradise bakery. Consistently a good choice for lunch or dinner. I order the Pick 2: Half Sandwich/half salad. Or soup. I think you can get pasta too. The Bacon Turkey Bravo and the Paradise Club are my favorite sandwiches and the best part is they're served with a guilt free cookie. It's like whoops, I guess I HAVE to eat this cookie that came free with my sandwich. The salads are big too. The Fuji Apple is excellent, but I've been impressed with everything I've tried. They load you up with lots of fruit and mix it up in front of you. Also, in case you didn't know, PB is in the same family as Panera Bread. Happy eating!
(4)Terence C.
The best place to hang out with friend over breakfast and business meeting over lunch. It's clean and crowded, but the environment is just cozy enough to sit for a long time. Free refill coffee makes it perfect. The only downside is that their wi-fi is really slow and unstable.
(4)Rachael A.
The name says it all ~ and who wouldn't want Paradise for lunch? This location is conveniently located on Ray Road just east of the 101 freeway. Lots of seating indoors and out, always clean and the staff is very friendly. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal here. Fresh ingredients for salads and sandwiches and daily soups make for a tough decision on what to eat. I love the southwest ceasar chicken salad (though I make a few additions and they never have a problem doing so) and the turkey club sandwich. It's all good! The best thing are all the bakery items ~ brownies, muffins, scones and of course the cookies! Bonus ~ get a free cookie with your meal. They also offer BOGO cookie with any meal ordered. My kids have ordered the smoothies in the past and love them and they also have coffee in several different forms, hot, blended & iced. It's all good!
(5)Abigail W.
I generally have decent experiences with Paradise Bakery, however it was my first time in this location, and the lady who I was greeted by was clearly very "over" her job for the day. I was standing in front of the menu when she walked up to her register and stared at me. I told her I couldn't decide between a bagel or a sandwich to which she replied "Well breakfast is over so you can get bagels and scones" .... I hadn't mentioned breakfast besides a bagel. There was a lady standing next to me with her daughter waiting to order, she asked if we were together. When we told her no, she rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh and took their order of a bagel and prepared it. The lady and her daughter took a seat, so when she turned around to ask if it was for here or to go and they weren't there, she rolled her eyes once again and muttered "uh ok then." Also, It wasn't a huge deal, but I did feel that she could have taken my order and let me go pay after she put the bagel into toast, instead of completely preparing it. The other employees were nice, and my chicken tortellini Alfredo was good, and I also had a half sandwich (roasted turkey and avocado BLT) so I don't want to rate too low, the lady in the bakery area could just use some people skills.
(3)Grace O.
Food is fine. Same as any other Paradise Bakery. I wanted to comment on the Internet though. If you're coming here to study, and you like streaming music while you work to get your groove on, get ready for lots of interrupted music :( I can't even connect very well to Google docs/sheets which is very annoying. I would move, but don't want to pay for another coffee at another spot. Thank goodness I can hotspot my phone! On the plus side, coffee has free refills here so you can caffeinate yourself until you burst while you work.
(3)Diane M.
I tried one of the two new broth bowls Paradise is promoting. The lentil quinoa bowl was just okay tasting and even with the egg prepared just right, I still wouldn't pay .......get this........$8.19 for it again! Yikes! When did Paradise Bakery move their prices into the table service level? In my opinion, this smaller serving of a meal in their soup department does not warrant the price.
(1)Carolyn A.
Best food ever!! Love love love their salads, sandwiches, cookies and soup! A bit pricey but good portions and fresh food.
(4)Dana B.
I arrived for a late lunch. Service was prompt and the restaurant was clean. Free wifi is always greatly appreciated. The yummy cookie to complete the meal us yummy and hard to resist. As usual for PB, the food was fresh and tasty. I love the multiple iced tea options, mango being my personal favorite. One confusing note: what's with all the 15 min only parking outside the restaurant? Who can order and eat in 15 min? The other tenants are a pizza place, kids play land and laser hair removal. Can any of these be done in 15 min? Boggles me. I do have one thing that bothers me about PB that keeps me frequenting Wildflower as my first option and PB as an emergency only backup. If I order a salad with my pick 2, minus the meat, I feel like there should be a price reduction. I don't care if it's only $.50 but it bugs me to pay $11 for a cup of soup or 1/2 sandwich and half salad when the salad is lettuce, dressing, a sprinkle of cheese and some nuts or whatnot.
(4)Linda C.
On my list of all-time faves, the food never disappoints! Awesome variety of salads, soups & sandwiches, breakfast items, breads, the best cookies to be had outside of my own kitchen...I could eat here every day. They come up with new items regularly, all of which I've enjoyed, like flatbread sandwiches (try the BBQ chicken) and the Soba Noodle Bowl (so savory). The only thing I dislike is that the seasonal items I love are just that...seasonal. Can't stand the wait for their return, like turkey chili, so delicious, which will be retired soon, and lemon cookies, from heaven!
(5)Kyle G.
The food is always great here, however the service at this location is horrible! Everyone of the staff members with the exception of the young man making our salads were very rude! While trying to place an order for a sandwich the staff members were standing around talking and completely ignored our existence for several minutes before someone finally turned around and realized there was a line forming! I will never come to this location again and I will make sure none of my friends or family do either!
(1)Darlene C.
Food is subpar, they are very cheap with portions, and quality and customer service have gone way down over the years, they wanted to charge me for a tablespoon worth of extra almonds on an Asian salad, when comparing to Fired Pie where any and as many toppings for your salad is included, it's hard to even try this place anymore, but I thought I would try once more to give them another chance, since I am quite sure they have lost salad business to FP. It used to be a good place , good food, nice owners. I don't see how they can continue to stay open much longer with all the new places that give more for the money and tastes better...
(1)Kelly M.
Although I love the Mac & cheese at paradise bakery the experience was bad at this location.I went at 2:06 pm and it was not busy at all I placed an order to go, some cookies and pick two. When they brought me the bag I opened n notice the Mac & cheese was not in it,I told cashier and she said they must forgot to put it in the bag. When I got home which is about 20 min away and was going to eat the sand which. It was the wrong sand which. Normally I would just say it was due to the place being busy but this time that definitely was not the case. There was no excuse for missing the item or having the wrong sand which,most of the employees were just standing around and talking. The NAC & cheese was awesome though
(1)P v.
Was at the food court at Chandler mall and had the Cali turkey. Everything OK with the sandwich except the BACON. 2 small strips of cold hard meat. I was expecting more flavorful product, more freshly cooked for the money. The sandwich came with choice of soup and I had a bowl of french onion that we more like salty onion gravy with litttle cheese and coutons. I have 10X better soup at Applebees or Sweet tomatoes. My ice coffee was just a cup of coffee over ice. I will not eat there again.
(3)Jamie K.
I like Paradise Bakery in general They serve great sandwiches and salads. Great for lunch or for a warm bowl of soup when it is cold out. This location is poorly manged though. The lines are always very long for lunch. The tables haven't been bussed. The tables outside are often full of spiders and spider webs. The staff isn't interested in helping you if they are free. Lines are slow. Bathrooms are not very clean. They also had an issue before where they were tossing salads with the salad dressing in the same bowls all day long without washing them in between. We got sick several times, and complained a few times until it eventually got fixed. It tells you a lot about their food prep standards though.
(2)Brittany M.
Thai chicken salad is amazing. so is broccoli cheddar soup. I really want to like the cranberry chicken sandwich but it's not awesome. Southwest chicken salad is also good. Their little chocolate chipper cookies are delicious and bite size, way better than they're bigger ones. Sometimes the line is wayyy too slow but that comes with freshly prepared food. Overall, love.
(4)Damion N.
Excellent food! However, the line/service is so slow... The line at the DMV moves faster. They should look into hiring some child laborers to help speed up the service.
(4)Jason B.
Not sure what the other crab-apples are complaining about, but I really enjoy Paradise Bakery, and this location in particular. This location is conveniently located, has always had very courteous staff, and has been very clean and tidy every time I have ever come here. Here are a couple of the highlights: - Very clean and organized line for ordering - Easy to find what you want from the menu - Clean and tidy drink area - Dining room is separated somewhat from the ordering line, which keeps it quiet and relaxed. The 'vibe' here is great, and there is a nice area to eat and hang out on the patio if you want to enjoy the weather - Extremely clean and nice bathrooms - Free, functioning, fast WiFi!!
(4)Beth G.
If there was an option for zero stars I would have selected that instead. This location is horrible. I went in and ordered soup and half a sandwich to go. I was given my soup and waited in line for about 10-15 minutes for my sandwich. They appeared to be completely unorganized and understaffed. On top of the long wait and poor service my food was horrible. The "bacon" on my sandwich was not edible. I have ordered the same meal (french onion soup and the turkey avocado sandwich numerous times at the San Tan location and the food was amazing. The food at the Ray Rd location tasted nothing like the San Tan location. I was very disappointed and will not be returning to the ray rd location.
(1)Ann T.
The food choices are excellent as you can make it your own. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The only draw back is the line to wait and the set up is a bit confusing when breakfast is over.
(4)Yanira S.
I come tho this PB location mostly because my mom likes to have lunch here. I've had decent experiences here in terms of food and service but not today. Today SERVICE SUCKED!!! As a party of three we ordered an 1 Asian Oriental Salad, 1 Chicken Walnut Sandwich, 1 half Cesar salad and 1 cup of Mac and Cheese. 1. They gave my mom a Southwestern Salad instead of the Asian Oriental Salad so she had to wait in line AGAIN and ask them to make the correct one. 2. There was hardly any dressing on my Cesar Salad and when they brought that out they took the little number away and didn't come back with any more food. 3. This means I had to go up and ask for my mac and cheese which they gave me and it was VERY SOUPY. I'm a big and mac girl and it was my first time trying it at PB so I was incredibly disappointed in this crap. 4. At this point I explained to the manager on duty how much the service had sucked and that we were still waiting for that Chicken Walnut Salad. She quickly made it herself and gave it to me without saying anything. I'm not one to start a scene so we ate our food and left. On the way out... 5. The root beer tasted like crap, something must've been up with the machine. Thanks for nothing PB on Ray, I will take my business elsewhere.
(1)Jasmine A.
I'm visiting from Oregon & I heard such great things about your establishment so I had to try it! I ordered two sandwiches, a soup & a salad. my panini and salad are so delicious! I give that 5 stars!! But what really counts is customer service and the feeling that you want to come back because the atmosphere is so wonderful. I've worked at a restaurant for years now & I know how much factors into good service & how picky/exaggerated customers tend to be more often than not. The 3 employees that helped me did their jobs to the point of service but I didn't feel welcome. The ONE thing that could have changed this is just a simple smile. A smile makes me want to stay, come back and recommend it to all my friends and family! ESPECIALLY the last interaction you have before you leave. The girl at the register could have changed my feelings completely but instead she left me wanting to leave and enjoy my meal else where. I do think the food is wonderful and the time in which it was prepared was perfect but I can get good food anywhere that also provides a friendly face and attitude. I will still recommend your establishment because I do know I can't base it off three people out of so many more. Thanks for the opportunity to try your food and I only post this as a helpful tip from a fellow hospitality staff member.
(3)Stacy L.
In a day and age of gluten-free everywhere you'd think this place would be aware or have options. I do thank the manager for looking. Its funny I try to before I visit a place bit nothing on Web site either. Still great place for a salad, always
(3)Justin D.
To anyone who is hesitant, let me preach: 1/2 sandwich- get the turkey cranberry (only a fool would choose otherwise) 1/2 soup- all of them are grade A fancy to the max FREE COOKIE?! This chocolate chip cookie is more than a food article; it's an experience. Prepare yourself for the most mouth-watering, precious dessert God has graced this earth with. And weep, dear soul, for now you are nourished with the greatest cookie in human history. Wipe away that single glorious tear from your face and smile, food warrior. Until you meet again.
(5)Brendan W.
I've tried Paradise Bakery before. This location lacks staffing and I always feel rushed and belittled for asking questions. Today I went in with myself and two kids. Nobody in line the girl had her order pad. I wanted a soup bread bowl. She told me I have to order it down the line, this part is just sandwiches. I do need a turkey sandwich. Instead of grilled cheese can I order an adult grilled turkey? Turkey is toasted but we can grill it. OK great. Didn't happen. It came out toasted nothing on it but two slices of turkey, dry, no cheese with 4 tomatoes. Kids hate tomatoes. I will deal with it and peel off the tomatoes. Back to the line thing, I am in the salad section. My oldest son wanted a kids half Caesar salad. Ok. This is going well. I am moving down the line. The same girl from sandwiches now is in the soup section. Only 2 guys behind me, no worry about a rush. I order a soup bread bowl. We may be out of bread bowls. You can go back to the sandwich section and order a sandwich. Ha this is getting humorous. I wonder if I go back will she follow me? Another girl comes up and says they do have bread bowls. Clam chowder nope not there not here I wonder where it is. I found it. Makes you feel like they don't sell much soup. OK ring me up. I need a soda and cup of water for my son. She hands me one cup. I break the silence and apologize. Trying to get some compassion, told her I haven't been here in years. Is this the water cup? No they are over there. Forget about asking for silverware. She is too disengaged. I won't even bother I will search down silverware. I still can't leave just yet. This kids salad says something about yogurt and a cookie. Oh yea, I forgot, I will get. The sandwich guy comes over. I am the only one while the other two behind me still reading the menu. My son has #48 on the table. He says he really needs the number back. Let me move out of this line get the number while sandwich/soup/cashier is looking for a kids yogurt. I hope my youngest doesn't pull down the tray while I retrieve #48. In the whole place only one other table is in use. It is not busy and his look felt like it was urgent I get that number back. Finally to a table. I'm in a good mood. This whole order thing seemed comical. Just a tiny bit of soup in this bread bowl. Not much to eat there. My oldest son had his salad. He liked. My younger son isn't having anything to do with a dry turkey sandwich. I ordered it off the adult menu because I thought there might be something more to it. Nope. Let's go. No rush to come back. In the back of my mind I recall my niece who worked there for a summer job in 2013. She hadn't got her food handling card. She told me only one person had it and the manager said there was no rush. I hope that's not the current case. It's too bad. It could be a nice place.
(2)Jamie P.
Horrible service. Came in a 8:15pm yesterday to get a salad and three front staff were busy talking smack. One saw me and said someone will be with you then went back to the other two to talk some more. I stood there for another 5 minutes, then leave. I guess this is why you will always be making minimum wage! I'm not going back to this particular location.
(1)Melissa D.
I haven't had a problem here. The food is good and so is the service when I go here :) the layout is awesome. A lot of people have business meetings or just chill with their lab tops here. I just go here for lunch.
(5)Cory S.
I had high expectations as I hadn't had paradise bakery in a couple years as they don't have them near my new home. The insides haven't changed much since I've been here.. Same decor and layout. I may my way through the line and came up with a turkey bacon avocado sandwich of sorts. I also had a chocolate chip cookie and some fruit salad. The sandwich was just ok, it was lacking something. The turkey was a little dry and lacking some flavor. However the fruit salad was very good, fresh and yummy. The chocolate chip cookie was very good, just as I remember them. Soft and great taste. Bought some coconut choco chip cookies to take home to the wife. Just an average experience.. service was good, but the sandwich just didn't do it for me.
(3)Susan Kay C.
What a great place...The service was excellent. Their Manager Fred was soooo nice. I have never been to that Paradise Bakery but I will stop there...every chance I get!!!
(5)Joan G.
This location is probably my least favorite. It is very noisy here all the time. The food is ok but not always great, kind of hit or miss. Service isn't bad but also not great like the signal butte location or val vista.
(3)Jason M.
I went today......Absolutely Horrid. I do not understand how this place is still in business. Terrible food and even worse service. They have no coffee, they had the cashier doing soups too, it was a total freakin mess. I could not get regular coffee because they had none, no one filled it it since 12:45 and it was 4:30. So they gave me a free latte which was freakin terrible. The cashier was giving shit away to the customers because she did not give a shit. Pathetic. I have not been to this establishment in over 8 years due to it being complete CRAP. Why people still come here is beyond me. The food is mediocre at best. I much rather spend my money at Wildflower! 20 times better products, fantastic service and great food/coffee. Paradise bakery is not a place I will set foot into again. This is typical AZ wanabe garbage!
(1)Tyler Z.
I must admit - Paradise is a gem. I purposefully forget how good this place is because I sometimes disdain $10+ lunches, but when I go I always think it's worth it. Turkey & Cranberry sandwich is one of my absolute favorites of all time. SW Caesar Salad (add the corn salsa) is also very high on my favorite salad list. This location is always clean, and friendly. Convenient access to the highway (and my office) means I should go more often as should you. Wish they included a drink with some sort of lunch special under $10... In my dreams!
(5)Wendy G.
Extradinarilly big for a cafe! They've got everything to satisfy your cravings. I've had their freshly made-on-the-spot signature salad-Thai basil chicken, and cranberry/pop seeds muffins. They are all pretty decent. Their cookies are buy one get one free for 1.25. They all seem very yummy. This is the cafe that combines sweet bakery shop, fresh salad bar, and healthy sandwich shops all in one. Like! The size of it simply put New Yorkers to shame, but they are slightly less tasty than NYC ones specializing in their own niche markets.
(4)T W.
This is a review of the bakery. We did not dine here. We had an event, and needed cookies. Five-dozen. They have a reasonable variety of cookies. It is cheaper to make your own, of course, but these aren't too outrageous. About $8 for a dozen, and they're reasonably large. The cookies themselves are pretty good. Frankly not as good as mine (I just follow the Tollhouse recipe, or whatever...I'm not a master baker by any means!). But good. Chocolate chip, sugar, snickerdoodles, and even a lemon cookie. I also like their muffins.
(4)Jim W.
Paradise Bakery you are not. I'm sorry, you're just not a paradise to me. And I hold bakeries near and dear, believe me. You are a common bakery - I'm not sure how many states you are in but you are common. Maybe that's your problem. Your locations are fine. Nice enough. You have free wifi. Good. But your muffins? They just don't do it for me. They fall short of similar establishments offerings in the valley and in other areas. Go to Wildflower Bread and get yourself a Morning Glory muffin. This is what young muffins dream of becoming when they grow up. And your cookies. They are so prefab tasting. My wife had an oatmeal raisin cookie and offered me a bite. She broke off a good size piece and I tried it. It was doughy. And there were no raisins. And I had to look to find a flake of oatmeal. But they were sugary in that prefab, gritty, not very good sort of way. An oatmeal raisin cookie should taste like...oatmeal. And raisins. And perhaps a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, not gritty sugariness and doughiness. Blech.
(2)Tanya J.
Great every time. Love the layout and the service.
(5)Chris B.
Upon recently arriving from California, my nephew and I stumbled into Paradise Bakery, if only to try their coffee. We were a bit mesmerized by the cookies display, and hugely tempted, but decided to stick to our already calorie-laden coffee drinks for the time being. The coffee was fine, and a pleasant change from the swill served at most Starbucks nowadays. Upon approaching the exit, we noticed the free sourdough bread samples and dipping sauces, and had to give 'em a try. The sourdough was really good, as much as you can tell from a couple of cubes of the stuff. The dipping sauces, a green pesto sauce and a red tomato-pineapple salsa, were way tasty. We vowed to come back another time to check out the food. As it turned out, we did make a return trip here to get a loaf of their sourdough bread. They will slice it for you if you ask and it comes to about $4.50/loaf but is well worth it. The thick slices and hearty texture stood up to our homemade patty melts when toasted, and in my opinion, made the burger. This California transplant has found a sourdough worth making a special trip for.
(4)Vern J.
Food is always great. Service super slow. Got may soup but waited 15 Min for my sandwich. It was to go. Soup is now cold. :( got half way home realized that the forget my side. Ugh. Terrible service
(1)K P.
I've been here quite a few times, but am undecided. It's clean, spacious, and has a great location - a good meeting place. Other than that...I got nothing. My last time "in" I ordered a coffee drink. Not knowing how it was made or what was in it, I asked. Apparently I caught the girl behind the counter completely off guard, and had to break it down - beginning first with the type of coffee. Questions answered, my thought was it shouldn't take long - I was the only one in line. Wrong! I don't know if the lady went outside to milk a cow while I dozed off to sleep, but at least 15 minutes went by before my drink was ready. I also asked for water. At Starbucks I am handed a cup filled ice and water. Here, I was given a cup with directions to "find" the water. If not for a friend who told me to look for a tab near the lemonade, I would have had to go without. Who knew? Apparently everyone else, as the rest of my group laughed! Leaving near dinner time it would have been nice to pick something up to take home, but after seeing so many shuffling in line, I gave up the thought. It could have turned into another "water" expedition, and my friends had left the building.
(3)Devon A.
I come here to do research because the wireless is pretty fast, but I am pissed that there policy is to filter whatever the hell they want. The food is just ok. The soup is average and the salads are pretty good once I modify there regular ones. I don't like their sandwiches at all. Really, I only come here for the ice tea. I like free wireless and I like ice tea. They need more booths with outlets, and they need to turn the AC DOWN! It's FREEZING in there!
(2)Katarina H.
Our house loves Paradise Bakery but over the years we've found out that they aren't that consistent with their food. We go to two locations either this one or the one in Chandler Fashion Center. We've found out that the ones in the malls just don't have the exceptional food like the ones that are outside of the malls. If you grab the paradise pasta salad from the mall even though it's good they don't put the added touch of shredded cheese on the salad BUT if you go to a store that's not in the mall they add shredded cheese on top of the paradise salad which all in all makes it better. I just wish that their food was the same from location to location.
(4)Kristen T.
Paradise Bakery is one of our favorite places to eat, and whenever we are in Phoenix we try and stop since Tucson only has one, and it is way across town. This is the most convenient location for us to stop at, but it seems like half the time we try and stop they aren't open. We went up for a friends birthday in April and were craving Paradise Bakery; we stopped but were not able to get out due to a massive swarm of bees outside the restaurant ( I realize this is not their fault, just a disappointment.) Another time we had just flown in from vacation and wanted a quick dinner before the drive home. We got there to find out they had just closed at 8pm...and it wasn't even a Sunday. It seems like they need to change their hours, we were not the only customers they turned away that night because they closed so early.
(3)B D.
The food is pretty standard and the parking immediately in front of this place stinks. I've always had their salads and they are either a hit or miss.
(2)Alex R.
Paradise Bakery for me, is comfort food. This specific location is across the street from where I work, and because I prefer not to dine where I work, I always venture here while on a break. The food tastes fresh and healthy. I've tried almost every single one of their sandwiches, and although I have small tweaks for each one of them (hold the mayo, I despise tomatoes, the chicken can be slightly chewy) I really appreciate their overall comfort and deliciousness. My personal favorite is the California club, the bacon is always crispy and who isn't obsessed with avocado?? Since becoming a vegetarian, I still love this place. One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is their Asian Salad (I now order it without chicken). Actually, they still charge me the full price even though I don't get the chicken which kind of bugs me. When I worked at a sandwich place, protein-less entrees were deducted a dollar. ANYWAY...I think overall, Paradise Bakery is a delicious place to find fresh food, maybe overpriced, but the atmosphere is nice. Their parking lot kind of sucks though. The rows are narrow and difficult to navigate in an SUV. Small complaint. Service is usually not bad, but the workers can be unfriendly at times. There is a bald man that works at this location who is particularly kind and I always appreciate his input when I am indecisive with my sandwich choice!
(4)Di T.
I love Paradise cookies! We need you in Nor Cal!!!! Every time I'm in AZ, I have to get my fix. Before going to the airport I got my dozen cookies. $8 for 1 dozen! That is totally worth it. How do they manage to be so soft? It's probably all the butter. I don't care because they are so good! I got the large crumbed blue cheese walnut salad with chicken that 2 of us shared and we were full. The bowl is huge. I watched him make my salad and he put 5 scoops of cheese and a huge handful of cranberries! I opted to change the dressing to balsamic instead of having the caesar since I had 1 dozen cookies to eat I thought I could be somewhat more healthy with the dressing. The dressing was a little disappointing. I was expecting it to be slightly sweet but it wasn't and there was rosemary in it? I only like rosemary on my chicken! I guess I should have stuck with caesar dressing. Oh well! On my next visit to az...
(5)Mark J.
My first Yelp! After spending a lot of time on yelp I have finally become one of you. I hope the initiation is not too painful or humiliating. After much deliberation, Paradise was decided upon for a lunch meeting because of it's free WI-Fi and decent food. When I arrived, i scoped the place out and found that the only tables that had access to plugs were the ones with uncomfortable chairs, oh well suck it up I say. I sat down and got a diet coke and waited for my associate to show. Shortly after sitting and sipping my drink I realized that it was colder than I or any one else could tolerate without dressing like an extra in Fargo. I went out to my truck and got another short sleeve shirt to cover myself with. This did nothing. When my lunch partner showed she gave up one of her hoodies. I put on a much to small sweater and was glad to have it (for a visual, you can check my profile pic.). Slightly disturbing. We were the two svelte people with the hoodies on in case you were wondering. We then headed up to the line to order some food. I got the Thai Chicken Wrap and she basically made up her own salad combining three or four different salads into a new concoction. The salad maker was very accommodating to her and made a pretty mean looking salad. I was jealous. The Thai Wrap was anything but impressing. It basically was a combination of sticky sushi style rice with cabbage and sliced chicken, BOOO! The Thai peanut sauce came on the side and it tasted like Thai peanut sauce. The WI-Fi that we came in for was slow! We were doing lots of research that involved streaming media and it could not handle the traffic. Time was a wasted. When the corporate lunch crowd came in it offered a lot of opportunities for people watching. So if you are into to analyzing what makes the cubicle zombies keep on going then this offers some prime viewing.
(3)Jenn H.
Dear Sarah G, Thank you for the suggesting we go to Paradise cafe. I tried the cookies and they were A-OK. Perhaps it is time to return for a 6th try? Sincerely, Jenn H Now back to my regularly scheduled review of Paradise Bakery: First of all... WHY THE CRAP WAS IT SO COLD IN THERE? Even my poor little Yelp hoodie couldn't keep me warm. I ordered soup - SOUP in July! - to keep me warm and that did not work. Perhaps that is because the soup was made out of a melted salt lick. But that's another issue. Oh... My salad was dope They have Fresca in the soda fountain (Yes!) They gave me a free cookie 3 different types of iced tea The bathroom was very clean Free internet rocks But if you intend to eat here bring a snow suit. Or possibly a snow suit, pile of blankets, ear muffs and a space heater. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Still shivering.
(3)Sarah G.
I'm so disappointed with this Location! I have been here more than 5 times now,and each and every time the cookies have not been properly baked! Underdone and or old! I can tell just by looking at them,I don't know why I continue to waste my money here. I gave them a chance being that they were new, but their cooks really need to get a clue, none of the other locations I have been to have a problem with their cookies only this one! I will not go back here for cookies or anything else!
(1)Crystal Z.
This is my favorite place to work at as of recently. I've always loved Paradise's menu, but there's something about the way this particular location is laid out that makes it my favorite. Get a California Turkey and the Fire Roasted Tomato soup (or the black bean vegetarian), take your laptop, get on the free wifi and get the booth with the outlet. Unless I'm there. I swear, if I see you in my booth, there WILL be trouble.
(5)Aly D.
i was so... confused. ok, i come from the land of lines. LA has lines for everything: lines for clubs, lines for fancy restaurants, lines for the line to get into the club. THOSE lines had some sort of signage or someone telling me where to get in line and shutup. i'm ok with that. i'm great with following directions. IKEA and i get along immensely because of this. but this place..... this place just assumed i'd know what the hell to do. i found the big line, stepped in, and realized that there were no menus to handle which is fine. i can read boards. but i was confused by the whole 'order at this station, then order at this station, but wait you get your food now at one station but not at another thing, and here i am going to give you this piece of paper with some writing on it but you dont have to hand to anyone'. what.. the... hell. i managed to bungle my way through the line, profusely apologizing for acting like a moron and not knowing what to order where or that i wasnt supposed to hand them my to go paper. everyone was pretty friendly, but they definitely stared at me like i was an amateur. food was pretty decent. i had the turkey cranberry half sammich with the southwestern chicken caesar. all in all a solid meal and i loved the bread on the sammich. the cookie was great too, very soft and chocolately. now that i kinda know the ropes, i might come back, but damn i hope i dont need a map next time.
(3)Terry S.
I really like this place when I'm hungry and too lazy to cook. Their sandwhiches are freshly made, the soups are comforting on a cold day , the salads are huge and the cookies, well what can I say? They're delicious! If possible, avoid the lunch crowd because it does get very very busy. I like to go just before or after, they're not in such a hurry to make your food!
(4)Danielle T.
Paradise Bakery is usually just ok, and this is the location we go to the most often because its right down the street from our house. As far as sandwiches go they are pretty average, and nothing too creative. But its a good place to stop by if you have no other choices or are on a limited time schedule to pick up some lunch or something. They have recently updated all of the menus and only have a few vegetarian options. We usually get the Mediterranean veggie sandwich which is a bunch of veggies with hummus and cheese on a tomato bread. The bread is better than the sandwich itself. We also get the tomato mozzarella panini pretty often too. They usually have one or two vegetarian soups available but we never get them. The cookies are just ok as well. I do happen to like the lemon zester cookie when they have it out. It isn't always available. But as far as cookies go, I've had better. I do like that Paradise Bakery has a rewards program where if you buy ten sandwiches, drinks, or muffins, you get a free one. It usually takes us awhile to get to ten but its always a nice surprise when we don't have to pay for one of our sandwiches. The sandwiches are moderately priced I guess. I've had cheaper sandwiches and I've had more expensive sandwiches. I also wouldn't come out of my way to get a sandwich here. It usually ends up being a convenience thing.
(3)Deanna B.
Undoubtedly the best sandwhich i ever had was the California Turkey at Paradise Bakery and Cafe!!! Everything is good here, especially the salads! I like the fact they offer half portions of the soup, salads, and sandwhiches!!
(5)Tracey K.
Holy cow...worst experience at Paradise Bakery. Ever. I went there before work to get a baker's dozen of bagels (comes with 2 tubs of spread). It took forever for Shawn to get my flavors of bagels put together in the box (I was the only one there!). Then I asked for plain and honey walnut spreads. She said they only carry plain and lowfat spread in the big tub. All other flavors come in individual size only. They all insisted there never was honey walnut flavor in the big size tub yet I've purchased it for work before. At the end of my purchase, Kimberly came to me and told me that I could pre-order my bagels the next time. That was a nice offer, but going in for a dozen bagels should not take that much time and should not warrant a pre-order. I'm definitely going to Einstein's for their bagels and honey walnut spread from now on.
(1)Todd P.
Great for a quick breakfast. The croissants are quite large, and the bagels are fresh and chewy. It took very little time for the food to be ready. I would go back to try lunch at some point.
(4)Kathleen S.
BEST COOKIES EVER ! Chompies has nothing on paradise's cookies and baked goods . So good my siblings have me bringing them cookies from Arizona to California . The one and only thing i will miss in Arizona is going to be paradise bakery .
(5)April P.
After working at Paradise Bakery for 6 years, I swore I would never walk in there again. Well, I still find myself addicted and visit the Ray/101 location about 1x/month. Too expensive for my taste (even when I worked there, I knew I wouldn't be in every day like some people because of the cost) Almost $10 for a half sandwhich/salad is a little absurd, but it is really tasty. I like trying out new or limited menu items, like the salmon Caesar salad (freaked me out a little that the salmon pieces were all shrink wrapped and just plopped on top right out of the plastic) but it was still good and I didn't get sick... But my all time feel-good sandwich is the Chicken Walnut and either the Fire Roasted Tomato soup, or the Southwest Caesar salad. Oh, and the chocolate chip cookie that comes with the sandwich. It can be swapped out with a different kind, but I thoroughly enjoy the classic chocolate chip. When winter rolls around, I can't wait to get a Ginger Molasses Cookie and a Chai Eggnog Latte....yum!
(4)David B.
Paradise Bakery is one of those places that you can count on for always having something good when your driving around wanting more than a burger and not a sit down meal with a waiter. I love the Cranberry Turkey sandwich with fresh fruit. The nice thing to consider is that you can get a whole or a half on the sandwich of your choice. Once you feel good about the healthy choices you've made you encounter the cookie section at the register. All I'm going to say is that the chocolate chip is to die for!! The chocolate chips just melt in your hands!! Doesn't get any better than that!! Paradise Bakery does also have a great breakfast should you want a nice place to go after a nice hike or just want to treat yourself and a friend to great place to visit. Put Paradise Bakery on your "always good" list!!
(5)Annalisa N.
I finally tried Paradise last thursday with a co-worker. I was expecting, well, paradise, but sadly was disappointed. I wanted to go somewhere for soup A) because I've heard so many good things about the Fire Roasted Tomato Soup, and B) I had to eat soup because my mouth felt like someone hit it with a brick. First off, I have to disclose that I dont care for cafeteria style dining. I like to relax and order, so I wasn't thrilled about the set up. But I didnt let that bother me too much, I just prefer sit down dining. Anyhoo I ordered a bowl of the tomato soup, and the bread that goes with it and iced tea.... we then trotted off to find a table outside as it was pretty crowded in there. The soup was just okay... I was expecting greatness and instead I got luke warm, chunky soup that reminded me of bottled pasta sauce. The bread was rather hard so I had to soak it in my soup to be able to eat it... and I know its not their fault that I was having brace-face problems but I wish the bread was a little fresher or maybe even warm? So maybe I'll try it again sometime, but not as long as I can make a big pot of "way better" tomato soup at home probably for less money. Oh, and I do like their cookies... I will go back for those :o)
(2)