Panera Bread - Mechanicsville

The service is consistently excellent, and the café is always clean. There’s plenty of parking available. However, I’ve noticed that the prices for the food have increased while the portion sizes have decreased. Additionally, the flavors can be hit or miss, especially regarding the saltiness of the soup. With Chipotle next door offering better quality for the price, it makes choosing Panera a tougher decision.

Just last night, I ordered a bagel along with a few other items, but when I got home, the bagel was missing. I tried calling the restaurant five times to resolve the issue, but after waiting on hold for several minutes, I couldn’t get through. I called again five more times today only to face the same problem, which forced me to drive to the restaurant in person to sort things out. And that promise on the menu stating they will fix any incorrect orders and offer something extra for the inconvenience? It’s misleading, at least in this particular case. Sure, a bagel isn’t the most expensive item, but I’m not willing to give them any more money than they deserve, and frankly, at this point, they don’t deserve any of it. The lack of customer support and the poor quality of the food is downright shameful. I chose this place for convenience, not to end up with half a meal and the hassle of seeking a refund. It’s incredibly frustrating. I’m not sure if the issue lies with the staff or the online ordering process or something else entirely, but honestly, I’m done.

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge how hard everyone works at this Panera. The staff puts their best foot forward to ensure excellent service for everyone! The team leader with curly hair who works in the back is fantastic. Thank you, Panera staff, for being so wonderful!

Absolutely had the worst experience here at noon. People waited 45-60 minutes for their food. The team leader was anything but a team leader. She had a bad attitude and constantly complained that she was tired that people complained about the service. After waiting for an hour, I asked for a refund. I had no time to wait. She cries to a manager that this lady doesn't want to wait for her food! I understand that I have worked short, but maybe you think about why people are so frustrated with your service. When they say that the kitchen goes after, and it could take almost an hour to get their food, they would allow them to make the choice whether they wanted to wait or go somewhere else. People don't expect this waiting time at Panera Bread. The service at this point was on the slow side the last times I visited, but today just the cake. I will say that the kitchen staff did everything to keep up. I'm not back to this place.

No croutons in my salad just lettuce and Cesar dressing. There was a long piece of brown hair In My bag, and hummus or something all over my sandwhich that was supposed to be just turkey and lettuce. And the lettuce in my salad looks old Tried to call multiple times but nobody is answering the phones.