Panera bread has Gurnee under its spell. It is very popular for lunch. The food is fresh and tasty. I enjoy some nice bread with a creamy tomato soup. Salads are good too. I tried the new Thai peanut flatbread and when I bit into parts of the sandwich with filling, I was pleased. There's nothing not to like about this place, but I remain unenchanted.
Review Source:As far as Paneras go, this is a really good Panera. You get what you expect from Panera, but with added efficiency. I don't know what it is about this place, but the parking lot is always packed and this place is always busy. I'm assuming the parking spots aren't being used by jewelry store/cell phone/dollar store patrons. It's all Panera. Â I mostly order to go, but my order does not take long at all and I'm out the door. Exactly what I need during lunch.
Review Source:Without a doubt, the best Panera in Lake County I have experienced. Â GREAT staff and excellent food. Â Service team really bends over backwards to make sure your experience is a good one. Â They have a small meeting room in the back that I've used for small group meetings and can be reserved other than lunch time.
Try it - you'll like it.
Stopped by here the other day with a friend... wasn't really hungry. Â Y'know, sort of in that... food ennui that one gets from time to time.
Hmmmm, what's this? Â Panera does mac n' cheese? Â Interest piqued, I figured I'd give it a try. Â I was kinda zoned out while my dining companion warmed up the cashier.
Actually, the highlight of the experience was the staff. Â Not to say the food wasn't good -- but the staff was just so much better. Â Biagia, our order-taker (cashier is too robotic a term for someone this lively) managed to upsell me into a nice 1/2 ham n' swiss on rye with my mac n' cheese and by the time I'd happily forked over the cash, I even had dessert. Â I do love it when servers really engage me.
The mac n' cheese was respectable stuff; the pasta was a little softer than I prefer but very comforting. Â I'd order it again if I found myself in that mood. Â Mac n' cheese OUT is always a little tricky; so much homely expectation can get piled on. The sandwich was fresh and tasty; I enjoy red onion but I forgot about the, um... tic tac-requiring after effects!
$15 bucks for the two of us; mine ended up being the expensive order! Â Food ennui abated, we headed back out into the holday traffic on Grand...
The other day I was out and just wanted soup and I didn't feel like going home and slow cooking onions to make my own french Onion. So I stopped at the Panera in Gurnee. I like Panera's soup, especially since it's so hard to find soup up here in Lake county. I also have to say that of the chains, I find Panera makes the best lattes. (And I really do dig those breakfast souffles.)
Love Biagia!!! No that's not a new kind of baguette, it's the name of the woman who helped us ;). She was so genuinely concerned that we enjoyed our meal and was recommending sides and sizes and, dude, she was just so awesome. When the manager stepped up and noticed a danish had fallen sideways and got a little smeared she said, "I can't sell this." and handed it to my partner. They were charming and fun and we had a great meal. Good job guys!
This is for the Gurnee, IL location. I had an appointment to provide lunch to an important client, so I phoned in a large order the night before with my credit card. The catering manager I spoke to seemed efficient and pleasant. The next day, I showed up to pick up my lunch, and they had no record of my order. Even worse, they kept insisting my name was someone else. When I protested, they told me to go to the end of a long line and re-order. I had no time for that, so I ended up buying lunch somewhere else. I called Panera's corporate office to register a complaint. They called me back to apologize and didn't charge my credit card. I hesitate to use them again because they put me on the spot and forced me to arrive late for the appointment.
Review Source:Don't like the crowd and the cashiers have always seemed to be in a put-out mood but the food never disappoints. The breads are fresh and various. Even the coffee and tea part is better than the Starbucks down the street. Also, free Wi-Fi! They get it! I don't want to pay for an expensive plan at my local cafe..so giving it to me for free gets me in there for more than one cup. Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
Review Source:This is one of the speediest Panera's I have ever been at. Â You almost don't have time to pay and get a drink before your order is up, which is definitely nice for folks on the go. Â The breakfast team needs a little pick me up in the friendliness department sometimes, but otherwise this Panera rocks. Â They even let me order the Chicken Cesear sandwich which is actually not even a menu item anymore.
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