When we walked in, the guy behind the counter was tossing the bagels in the baskets. Sometimes they made it, sometimes they didn't. Makes me wonder how they handle food when people aren't watching... The dark roast coffee was like light brown water. I'll skip this Panera when I'm in Gainesville.
(1)
Gloria S.
2 Things to know before you go: 1. PARKING SUCKS!!!!! How did they get permission to build with so little parking options? If you park next door, you will get towed, so beware. 2. FREEZING air temp inside, bring a sweater! Expected my soup in a popsicle stick.
(2)
Mike S.
Pros Generally fast service. Good food. Comfortable environment. Good outdoor seating. They added sweet tea, yay! Cons Parking can be very bad at lunch. Some staff members unfriendly/rude Wifi often spotty
(4)
Lanise A.
Came here to study a few times, plus I have a MyPanera Card :) I love Panera for their sandwiches and delicious Mac & Cheese, as well as my favorite Cinnamon Crunch Bagel w/ cream cheese and toasted. This location is smaller compared to those in South Florida, but its Gainesville so what more can I expect?
(4)
Jay L.
Always love the pastries from Panera but I am not sure if it's just me or is their bear claw just terrible ....their chicken salad is very fulfilling though
(4)
Erin S.
Huge breakfast favorite! The spinach & artichoke souffle is my favorite. The breakfast power sandwich on asiago cheese bagel is a delicious occasional treat. And of course the coffee & pastries rock.
(4)
Elizabeth R.
Panera really is A-OK. I like their soups and their bread is delicious. Their salads have wilted lettuce that has dried out on the cut edges. The dressings are pretty good but the lettuce is just terrible so I can't get the salads there. They have a decent at best caprese panini. Their chicken panini is pretty good. It's a good place to go if you need lunch in a jiffy and you are in the area. I would never crave Panera, but if it's convenient I will go back.
(3)
Brad K.
I love panera !! I give 5 stars to uppercrust..but panera comes in at 4 for just all around consistency, tasty food, prices are right, great place to have a relaxing breakfast or lunch.
(4)
Jon V.
Panera is great. Excellent coffee. Good breakfast sandwiches. I like to try something new each time I come.
(4)
Matt P.
Just your standard Panera, although the service here is a slight cut above their typical location (thus the 4 stars). Fairly large space inside, with plenty of tables to work. It seems like this store has more employees than is standard, so the lines usually move fast and the place is OK in the cleanliness department. One pet peeve is that some of the outlets have seen better days, so your laptop charger will almost assuredly fall out unless it's propped up :( Oh, and parking can get tricky in the morning and during lunch. Not many spots and some tight configurations, so grab a prime space when you can.
(4)
Kyle A.
Panera Bread is an excellent breakfast choice. Fast, friendly, efficient service. Vast menu, & everything is always fresh.
(4)
George V.
Always good always fresh and delicious .. Tasty fresh soup , pastry, crunchy frech bread its just delicious any time of day u go there. When u go there u think u just visited a Europe ..
(5)
Eden M.
Been here many times...unfortunately it seems like the quality is going down. The food is too expensive to be sub par.
(3)
Allison M.
I don't always get food here, but their coffees are good, the pumpkin late is my hands down fave. It's a really relaxed location, and more than once I've come here with a classmate and had a prolonged study session without ever being bothered by anyone. Nice! It's a good Starbucks alternative if you're burnt out on the 'Bucks.
(3)
MeXOhXMe X.
For what it is, Panera is amazing. The meals are cheap. Their bakery items are tasty. They have a good variety of light items on their menu to satisfy hunger, from soups, salads, sandwiches, to yummy smoothies and coffees. They can get kinda busy, but the price is right and the food is satisfying. Great for a quick bite.
(4)
Kristen C.
I LOVE this place on early mornings. The food is infallibly good. Don't get me wrong though, it's not out-of-this-world amazing -- but Panera definitely gets the job done, consistently! It is packed during lunch peak hours and the weeks right before finals, but if you go in the mornings-- it's lovely! Really. With classical music playing, hot coffee, a whole grain bagel with butter and the newspaper, you can't go wrong. The staff has always been extremely friendly and competent, no complaints here!
(4)
K S.
I think I'd eat gravel if it was covered with spinach artichoke dip and turkey. Panera Bread chooses to put it on bread with a broccoli cheese soup option. Good move, Panera. They are getting sloppy. Bread is good.
(3)
Rhona F.
We've never been disappointed with Panera Bread. Their soups and sandwiches are consistently good, especially the bread bowl soup. Everything is fresh and tasty. Try the Iced Chai Tea Latte - different and delicious.
(4)
M.K. O.
The parking lot has far fewer spaces than cars that wish to be parked there creating a dangerous maze of poor drivers swerving within inches of parked vehicles. The food is fine: nothing spectacular.
(2)
April O.
"U Pick 2" = brilliance. If you're in the mood for light and fresh, sandwich and salad. if you want light but filling, soup and salad. If you want light and yet hearty, sandwich and soup. A great lunch or dinner for $7 and change. And their chilled green tea is just the thing for an afternoon of studying. Sweet without being too syrupy and more flavorful than plain cold water. I don't go often since I don't live by it, but I usually enjoy my visit--when I can find somewhere to park my car and also somewhere to sit down and eat, that is. There are downsides to being incredibly popular and central to the student complexes on Archer.
(4)
Mark Y.
I was first introduced to Panera Bread in Schaumburg, ILL. I was so happy to see it come to Gainesville. If you want good quality food this is the place. All the bread is freshly baked. Service is quick - except when waiting on someone to make up their mind on what they want ;-) Cons: lines can get long at times, and some of the items can be a bit pricey. Their pick two special is definitely a favorite: Any Bowl of Soup/Any half Sandwich/Any Half Salad Their Frontega Chicken is a must try
(3)
Belle C.
Generic bakery-cafe with surprisingly good soups, salads, and sandwiches. For breakfast, the egg souffles are great when they're freshly baked. The pastries are nothing special.
(3)
Michael W.
I have been to this place too many times for the past 3 years to study,eat, socialize and to read. The atmosphere of the place is pretty chill, but sometimes it gets really packed and it gets really noisey. But during summer, it is the perfect setting to study and read. Anyhow, on to the food. The food is fine. But it is pricey for the type of food we order. Quality of the food is good. But I always go there for breakfast, their breakfast sandwich and their egg suffles are awesome. I like their selection of hot teas and unlimited refills. In addition, they give you extra rolls for your soup if needed. Their service is consistent and it is good. As soon they see their line getting long, they open more cashier as quickly as they can. They always fully staffed and always ready to serve you. I have never waited more than 8 minutes in line. The managers always goes around asking people on how they are doing and if they need anything else. But anyhow they have a decent range of drinks along with food. Their salads are amazing but pricey! but the thing is you always do the "you pick two" items, it is worth the money. You get to pick a salad and a soup, or soup or a half of sandwich, or soup and a salad. Any combination you want. And they open pretty late. In addition, they do carry amazing breads and they do catering.
(4)
Brian A.
The food and service here are great with chef inspired sandwiches and soups it's a great place for a home cooked meal and seems to be the it place for the college crowd to study. The coffee and the parking could use some improvement.
(5)
Momma V.
This is a mixed review because I love Panera. In fact, when my family and I go on a road trip across the country, we tend to look for Panera's for breakfast, lunch and dinner because the food and service is consistent, the facilities clean and the menu is generally tasty and healthy as far as counter service food places go... Having said that, Panera in Gainesville leaves something to be desired and the management can make some simple changes to improve the experience significantly. We typically call in a phone order 3-5 times a month. This is no exaggeration: 3 out of 4 orders is missing an item. When we pick up our food, we carefully unpack and audit what is a straightforward order because it is more often wrong than not. The worst part about this is when we go to the counter to ask for our missing food, the staff often tries to blame the customer. Since we live a little out of the way, we don't typically call or go back to correct the order, but I finally had enough. Example 1: They gave us our CARRYOUT food in a bag, we paid, they said we're all set. We did our audit and saw that our sandwiches were missing. When we went back to the counter and asked for the sandwiches, the staff said we should have gone to a different counter and waited for our buzzer to vibrate. What buzzer? So we said ok, this is a callin carry out order. They said we should still have known this and was quite edgy in their response. We get callin carryout all the time. This is the first we've heard that after we pay for our food, they say "all set" ... that we should know to ask for a buzzer and go wait the sandwich area for our sandwiches. Shouldn't they all be in the bag? Example 2: We get a cinnamon roll in every order. They miss it almost every time. This was the beginning of our Panera audit process. After 4 missed cinnamon rolls, I finally called and spoke with a supervisor. She was dismissive, took a tone that why am I even calling and why am I providing feedback. Look, I'm not looking a free cinnamon roll or even to get a cinnamon roll on a future visit to compensate for my missed cinnamon rolls. What I said is that they should introduce a simple step in their order process: One person at the end of the order and packaging process should audit all the items in the bag before handing it to the customer and making them pay for product that is not in the bag. She said, "look, we'll give you a cinnamon roll in the next visit!" She totally missed my point -- I just want my cinnamon roll on the morning that I ordered it - not next time I come in. All in all, most Panera's are great. Never had a problem in all the years I frequented the Evanston Panera. The morning shift supervisor carefully checked every bag as far as we could tell. One, two, maybe three inaccurate orders could be chalked up to a situational mistake that you shrug your shoulders at... seriously, check your carryout every time or you will miss your equivalent of a cinnamon roll -- and they won't acknowledge your concern when you try to correct it. Dismissive, rude, lack of quality control and service. I would have never used those words to describe Panera anywhere else, but at the Gainesville Panera. Note to Panera: Don't take your upward growth for granted. Pay attention to customer service details, because someone else will come in and overtake you in the market - they can match your product, but service can be a differentiator. Or simply find an alternative to Panera. I know we are in Gainesville, but we'll continue to go to Panera's elsewhere.
(1)
Michael P.
'tis typical w/ good food and energetic vibe.
(5)
Mike W.
My boyfriend and I had dinner here last night and I was very content with Panera. I've dined at the Gainesville location now and then and when the Savannah one went in on Bull Street, I ate there a lot and found it an ideal lunch spot. The free Wi-fi is certainly a draw for a lot of students and businesspeople alike and it's also a nice, affordable, comfortable place for lunch or dinner. Their sandwiches and salads always taste fresh and their selection of bakery goodies is very good, perhaps not the quality of Uppercrust, but still as good or better than Fresh Market or Publix. There is outdoor seating also and ample room inside and best of all, orders come up very quickly despite how fresh they taste: Panera must have prep work down to a science in their kitchen to maintain such speed and also such quality. The staff is also very attentive and friendly which is always a nice plus. My only complaint at all with Panera is that it is freezing inside! I can see Coldstone next door being chilly, but Panera? In the summer? They must be paying a king's ransom in their GRU bill . . .
(4)
Coleen T.
Meh, there are much better places to get a sandwich and far better pastries and coffee available in the area. A few items deserve 5 stars like the sourdough bread bowl, potato soup, chicken and rice soup, and the egg souffles (they always run out quickly in the morning). Otherwise, I could really do without Panera.... but the bread bowl makes me visit there at least once a month! :)
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Kevin L.
When we walked in, the guy behind the counter was tossing the bagels in the baskets. Sometimes they made it, sometimes they didn't. Makes me wonder how they handle food when people aren't watching... The dark roast coffee was like light brown water. I'll skip this Panera when I'm in Gainesville.
(1)Gloria S.
2 Things to know before you go: 1. PARKING SUCKS!!!!! How did they get permission to build with so little parking options? If you park next door, you will get towed, so beware. 2. FREEZING air temp inside, bring a sweater! Expected my soup in a popsicle stick.
(2)Mike S.
Pros Generally fast service. Good food. Comfortable environment. Good outdoor seating. They added sweet tea, yay! Cons Parking can be very bad at lunch. Some staff members unfriendly/rude Wifi often spotty
(4)Lanise A.
Came here to study a few times, plus I have a MyPanera Card :) I love Panera for their sandwiches and delicious Mac & Cheese, as well as my favorite Cinnamon Crunch Bagel w/ cream cheese and toasted. This location is smaller compared to those in South Florida, but its Gainesville so what more can I expect?
(4)Jay L.
Always love the pastries from Panera but I am not sure if it's just me or is their bear claw just terrible ....their chicken salad is very fulfilling though
(4)Erin S.
Huge breakfast favorite! The spinach & artichoke souffle is my favorite. The breakfast power sandwich on asiago cheese bagel is a delicious occasional treat. And of course the coffee & pastries rock.
(4)Elizabeth R.
Panera really is A-OK. I like their soups and their bread is delicious. Their salads have wilted lettuce that has dried out on the cut edges. The dressings are pretty good but the lettuce is just terrible so I can't get the salads there. They have a decent at best caprese panini. Their chicken panini is pretty good. It's a good place to go if you need lunch in a jiffy and you are in the area. I would never crave Panera, but if it's convenient I will go back.
(3)Brad K.
I love panera !! I give 5 stars to uppercrust..but panera comes in at 4 for just all around consistency, tasty food, prices are right, great place to have a relaxing breakfast or lunch.
(4)Jon V.
Panera is great. Excellent coffee. Good breakfast sandwiches. I like to try something new each time I come.
(4)Matt P.
Just your standard Panera, although the service here is a slight cut above their typical location (thus the 4 stars). Fairly large space inside, with plenty of tables to work. It seems like this store has more employees than is standard, so the lines usually move fast and the place is OK in the cleanliness department. One pet peeve is that some of the outlets have seen better days, so your laptop charger will almost assuredly fall out unless it's propped up :( Oh, and parking can get tricky in the morning and during lunch. Not many spots and some tight configurations, so grab a prime space when you can.
(4)Kyle A.
Panera Bread is an excellent breakfast choice. Fast, friendly, efficient service. Vast menu, & everything is always fresh.
(4)George V.
Always good always fresh and delicious .. Tasty fresh soup , pastry, crunchy frech bread its just delicious any time of day u go there. When u go there u think u just visited a Europe ..
(5)Eden M.
Been here many times...unfortunately it seems like the quality is going down. The food is too expensive to be sub par.
(3)Allison M.
I don't always get food here, but their coffees are good, the pumpkin late is my hands down fave. It's a really relaxed location, and more than once I've come here with a classmate and had a prolonged study session without ever being bothered by anyone. Nice! It's a good Starbucks alternative if you're burnt out on the 'Bucks.
(3)MeXOhXMe X.
For what it is, Panera is amazing. The meals are cheap. Their bakery items are tasty. They have a good variety of light items on their menu to satisfy hunger, from soups, salads, sandwiches, to yummy smoothies and coffees. They can get kinda busy, but the price is right and the food is satisfying. Great for a quick bite.
(4)Kristen C.
I LOVE this place on early mornings. The food is infallibly good. Don't get me wrong though, it's not out-of-this-world amazing -- but Panera definitely gets the job done, consistently! It is packed during lunch peak hours and the weeks right before finals, but if you go in the mornings-- it's lovely! Really. With classical music playing, hot coffee, a whole grain bagel with butter and the newspaper, you can't go wrong. The staff has always been extremely friendly and competent, no complaints here!
(4)K S.
I think I'd eat gravel if it was covered with spinach artichoke dip and turkey. Panera Bread chooses to put it on bread with a broccoli cheese soup option. Good move, Panera. They are getting sloppy. Bread is good.
(3)Rhona F.
We've never been disappointed with Panera Bread. Their soups and sandwiches are consistently good, especially the bread bowl soup. Everything is fresh and tasty. Try the Iced Chai Tea Latte - different and delicious.
(4)M.K. O.
The parking lot has far fewer spaces than cars that wish to be parked there creating a dangerous maze of poor drivers swerving within inches of parked vehicles. The food is fine: nothing spectacular.
(2)April O.
"U Pick 2" = brilliance. If you're in the mood for light and fresh, sandwich and salad. if you want light but filling, soup and salad. If you want light and yet hearty, sandwich and soup. A great lunch or dinner for $7 and change. And their chilled green tea is just the thing for an afternoon of studying. Sweet without being too syrupy and more flavorful than plain cold water. I don't go often since I don't live by it, but I usually enjoy my visit--when I can find somewhere to park my car and also somewhere to sit down and eat, that is. There are downsides to being incredibly popular and central to the student complexes on Archer.
(4)Mark Y.
I was first introduced to Panera Bread in Schaumburg, ILL. I was so happy to see it come to Gainesville. If you want good quality food this is the place. All the bread is freshly baked. Service is quick - except when waiting on someone to make up their mind on what they want ;-) Cons: lines can get long at times, and some of the items can be a bit pricey. Their pick two special is definitely a favorite: Any Bowl of Soup/Any half Sandwich/Any Half Salad Their Frontega Chicken is a must try
(3)Belle C.
Generic bakery-cafe with surprisingly good soups, salads, and sandwiches. For breakfast, the egg souffles are great when they're freshly baked. The pastries are nothing special.
(3)Michael W.
I have been to this place too many times for the past 3 years to study,eat, socialize and to read. The atmosphere of the place is pretty chill, but sometimes it gets really packed and it gets really noisey. But during summer, it is the perfect setting to study and read. Anyhow, on to the food. The food is fine. But it is pricey for the type of food we order. Quality of the food is good. But I always go there for breakfast, their breakfast sandwich and their egg suffles are awesome. I like their selection of hot teas and unlimited refills. In addition, they give you extra rolls for your soup if needed. Their service is consistent and it is good. As soon they see their line getting long, they open more cashier as quickly as they can. They always fully staffed and always ready to serve you. I have never waited more than 8 minutes in line. The managers always goes around asking people on how they are doing and if they need anything else. But anyhow they have a decent range of drinks along with food. Their salads are amazing but pricey! but the thing is you always do the "you pick two" items, it is worth the money. You get to pick a salad and a soup, or soup or a half of sandwich, or soup and a salad. Any combination you want. And they open pretty late. In addition, they do carry amazing breads and they do catering.
(4)Brian A.
The food and service here are great with chef inspired sandwiches and soups it's a great place for a home cooked meal and seems to be the it place for the college crowd to study. The coffee and the parking could use some improvement.
(5)Momma V.
This is a mixed review because I love Panera. In fact, when my family and I go on a road trip across the country, we tend to look for Panera's for breakfast, lunch and dinner because the food and service is consistent, the facilities clean and the menu is generally tasty and healthy as far as counter service food places go... Having said that, Panera in Gainesville leaves something to be desired and the management can make some simple changes to improve the experience significantly. We typically call in a phone order 3-5 times a month. This is no exaggeration: 3 out of 4 orders is missing an item. When we pick up our food, we carefully unpack and audit what is a straightforward order because it is more often wrong than not. The worst part about this is when we go to the counter to ask for our missing food, the staff often tries to blame the customer. Since we live a little out of the way, we don't typically call or go back to correct the order, but I finally had enough. Example 1: They gave us our CARRYOUT food in a bag, we paid, they said we're all set. We did our audit and saw that our sandwiches were missing. When we went back to the counter and asked for the sandwiches, the staff said we should have gone to a different counter and waited for our buzzer to vibrate. What buzzer? So we said ok, this is a callin carry out order. They said we should still have known this and was quite edgy in their response. We get callin carryout all the time. This is the first we've heard that after we pay for our food, they say "all set" ... that we should know to ask for a buzzer and go wait the sandwich area for our sandwiches. Shouldn't they all be in the bag? Example 2: We get a cinnamon roll in every order. They miss it almost every time. This was the beginning of our Panera audit process. After 4 missed cinnamon rolls, I finally called and spoke with a supervisor. She was dismissive, took a tone that why am I even calling and why am I providing feedback. Look, I'm not looking a free cinnamon roll or even to get a cinnamon roll on a future visit to compensate for my missed cinnamon rolls. What I said is that they should introduce a simple step in their order process: One person at the end of the order and packaging process should audit all the items in the bag before handing it to the customer and making them pay for product that is not in the bag. She said, "look, we'll give you a cinnamon roll in the next visit!" She totally missed my point -- I just want my cinnamon roll on the morning that I ordered it - not next time I come in. All in all, most Panera's are great. Never had a problem in all the years I frequented the Evanston Panera. The morning shift supervisor carefully checked every bag as far as we could tell. One, two, maybe three inaccurate orders could be chalked up to a situational mistake that you shrug your shoulders at... seriously, check your carryout every time or you will miss your equivalent of a cinnamon roll -- and they won't acknowledge your concern when you try to correct it. Dismissive, rude, lack of quality control and service. I would have never used those words to describe Panera anywhere else, but at the Gainesville Panera. Note to Panera: Don't take your upward growth for granted. Pay attention to customer service details, because someone else will come in and overtake you in the market - they can match your product, but service can be a differentiator. Or simply find an alternative to Panera. I know we are in Gainesville, but we'll continue to go to Panera's elsewhere.
(1)Michael P.
'tis typical w/ good food and energetic vibe.
(5)Mike W.
My boyfriend and I had dinner here last night and I was very content with Panera. I've dined at the Gainesville location now and then and when the Savannah one went in on Bull Street, I ate there a lot and found it an ideal lunch spot. The free Wi-fi is certainly a draw for a lot of students and businesspeople alike and it's also a nice, affordable, comfortable place for lunch or dinner. Their sandwiches and salads always taste fresh and their selection of bakery goodies is very good, perhaps not the quality of Uppercrust, but still as good or better than Fresh Market or Publix. There is outdoor seating also and ample room inside and best of all, orders come up very quickly despite how fresh they taste: Panera must have prep work down to a science in their kitchen to maintain such speed and also such quality. The staff is also very attentive and friendly which is always a nice plus. My only complaint at all with Panera is that it is freezing inside! I can see Coldstone next door being chilly, but Panera? In the summer? They must be paying a king's ransom in their GRU bill . . .
(4)Coleen T.
Meh, there are much better places to get a sandwich and far better pastries and coffee available in the area. A few items deserve 5 stars like the sourdough bread bowl, potato soup, chicken and rice soup, and the egg souffles (they always run out quickly in the morning). Otherwise, I could really do without Panera.... but the bread bowl makes me visit there at least once a month! :)
(3)