Panera Bread - Simpsonville

The food at this restaurant is consistently good, but I've encountered problems with missing ingredients that they don’t alert you about, even though they charg... read more The food at this restaurant is consistently good, but I've encountered problems with missing ingredients that they don’t alert you about, even though they charge full price. For example, last week I ordered the Baja Bowl with Chicken online, and when I went to customize it, I discovered that one of the key ingredients, the black bean and corn salsa, was out of stock, so I opted for a different option. Today, I decided to order the same bowl again since the website showed that all ingredients were available. However, when it arrived, there was still no black bean and corn salsa! This is really frustrating! Moreover, if you place an order on their website without making any customizations, you won't be notified if any ingredients are unavailable, as they don't provide any alerts during the checkout process.

Food was better than most fast food places. The service is fully self serve. The atmosphere was laid back. Most people were just sitting there eating or drinkin... read more Food was better than most fast food places. The service is fully self serve. The atmosphere was laid back. Most people were just sitting there eating or drinking. No one was really bothering anyone. I had not been to Panara bread in ages. I am glad to seethat absolutely nothing has changed except the bathroom was pretty nasty.

If I have one complaint, it would be about the manager, a larger man behind the counter who seemed quite unhappy. He even rolled his eyes when I walked in, desp... read more If I have one complaint, it would be about the manager, a larger man behind the counter who seemed quite unhappy. He even rolled his eyes when I walked in, despite the restaurant not being busy. I had just come back from hiking, so I may not have looked my best, which makes me wonder if he judges people based on their appearance. That's not a good impression for any company, and I’d like to see the positive employees supported by a positive manager. As someone who works in food service management, I understand that we can all have off days. Regardless, I will definitely be ordering from this location at least once a week from now on, as my meal was delicious. The fresh salad and my all-time favorite ten-vegetable soup were fantastic!

**Second Update:** I’m revising my review, and unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. The management at this location seems to have completely given up.... read more **Second Update:** I’m revising my review, and unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. The management at this location seems to have completely given up. The bread is exposed, and there are a lot of flies. The employees appear unmotivated and burnt out. The fountain area is consistently dirty and not well-stocked, and the dining areas are in a similar state. I understand that staffing is a significant issue right now, but that’s no excuse for neglecting the obvious problem with the flies! **Third Update (10/29):** I visited around 8 PM and ordered a Bacon Turkey Bravo with extra Bravo Sauce, but I received my sandwich with the sauce on the side instead. My wife's spicy chicken sandwich was overcooked, with burned edges. I don’t see the flies at the moment as I sit here, but I’ve attached a photo of the fossilized bacon that was in my sandwich! **Final Update (10/30/22):** I now regret giving this location another chance; I’m seriously feeling sick just thinking about it. If anyone even mentions going to this place, I might just be sick! That’s it for me! You should be ashamed of yourselves, Panera!

I recently visited Panera, and it lived up to my expectations. The bacon and cheddar sandwich on brioche was delicious, though I think the egg yolk could have b... read more I recently visited Panera, and it lived up to my expectations. The bacon and cheddar sandwich on brioche was delicious, though I think the egg yolk could have been cooked a bit longer. It did get a bit messy, but I’ll take some responsibility for that. The highlight of my experience was that there were no downsides, which is becoming increasingly uncommon these days as quality often seems to diminish.