Panera Bread
12531 Imperial Hwy., Norwalk
(562) 356-3324
Recent Reviews
Sort by
Atmosphere: {{ item.info.Atmosphere }}
Food: {{ item.info.Food }}
Service: {{ item.info.Service }}
Recommended dishes: {{ item.info['Recommended dishes'] }}
Very bad service i have been waiting for order for more than 2 minutes
Service: 1
I love this panera it’s spacious clean the vibe is nice and I appreciate the outlets that are accessible for the community good food as well
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visit Panera fairly often, but the Norwalk location has a serious restroom hygiene issue that’s hard to ignore. The odor in the bathrooms is overwhelming — not just a typical restroom smell, but a strong, lingering urine scent that hits you the moment you open the door. It’s so bad that it genuinely ruined my appetite. I shouldn’t be thinking about that smell while trying to enjoy my food.
What makes this worse is that the restroom looks like it gets the bare minimum of attention. They might replace the toilet paper and quickly wipe the toilet seats, but everything else feels untouched. The sink appears clean at first glance, yet it smells like pee, which tells me it’s not being properly scrubbed or disinfected. I don’t know what’s causing that smell, but it should not exist on something people use to wash their hands.
It almost seems like people have been using the restroom to wash themselves, based on the state of the floors and the overall dampness. Whether that’s happening or not, the end result is the same: it leaves a terrible odor and makes it feel like the bathroom hasn’t had a real, thorough cleaning in a long time.
A restaurant should be a place where you feel comfortable eating. When I walk out of the restroom feeling more gross than when I walked in — and when the smell stays with me afterward — that’s a problem. This location desperately needs a deep cleaning and a consistent maintenance schedule. It’s honestly surprising that management hasn’t noticed or addressed this yet, because it’s affecting the experience of customers who are paying to sit and eat here.
Panera’s food is great, and I like the brand, but this issue makes me think twice about returning to this location. I hope they take this seriously, because no one should lose their appetite over a restroom.
Even if the manager tries to excuse this by saying they’re short-staffed, that doesn’t make it acceptable. A shortage of employees is not a free pass to neglect basic cleanliness. If there aren’t enough workers to maintain the restaurant, then the manager needs to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves. That’s what leadership is.
It’s completely ridiculous to allow the restaurant to open in this condition and expect customers to just deal with it. If you’re short-staffed, then take responsibility don’t ignore the problem. Clearly, the manager has more time than the rest of the staff, so there’s no reason the restrooms should be left in such a disgusting state.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
What You order vs what you get is shameful. Not worth the money. My $6+ latte tasted like water and syrup. My sandwich was disappointing. Would not buy again. Dont get coffee here, dont get sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
DO NOT EAT HERE. This is by far the most filthy restaurant I have ever visited — and I gave them at least six chances over the course of a month. The dining room floors are consistently dirty and never vacuumed, and the men’s restroom is worse than a truck stop. You can smell the urine from outside the door.
I called three separate times to report the issue to management, but each manager dismissed my concern, suggesting it was just a missed cleaning. That’s simply not true. Anyone with common sense can tell the difference between a single missed cleaning and ongoing neglect.
I could never eat in a place with such unsanitary restrooms. I even explained that I lead a local group of 12 preachers who were planning to meet there weekly, but the conditions drove them away. Despite my repeated requests for improvement, nothing changed.
There has been body hair on the floor and dried feces on the toilet for at least three of my visits over the span of a month — absolutely unacceptable. There is no way any employee who’s entered that restroom could be unaware of its condition.
SAD and extremely disappointing.
That you can get peace and quite
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
VERY DISTURBING customer service by DEZ RIP. This was the name given to me by the manager, GABBY DIAZ. On October 2, 2025, I approached the counter to pick up my order that I had placed online. I was standing there for approximately 30 seconds waiting for DEZ RIP to complete the order that she was working on. At that time, she looked up and greeted me with, WHAT DO YOU NEED?" I said good morning to her and told her that I was there to pick up my order. She retrieved my order, handed it to me with attitude, and walked away. I requested to speak to a manager. As I was talking to Ms. Diaz about DEZ RIP'S bad customer service and how she addressed me, DEZ RIP interrupted the conversation and was very disrespectful not only to me but also to her manager, Ms. Diaz. DEZ RIP should not be allowed to have contact with customers. She has a horrible attitude problem!!! I will no longer patronize this establishment.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
During my second visit to Panera Bread, I had the absolute pleasure of being helped by the manager, Brandon and this experience completely blew my first one out of the water. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was inviting, warm, and perfectly maintained. The restaurant was spotless, the lighting was cozy yet bright enough to feel cheerful, and even the music was a vibe. upbeat enough to add energy but not overpowering. It genuinely felt like the kind of place you’d want to sit down, relax, and enjoy your meal without feeling rushed.
Brandon immediately stood out as someone who takes pride in his role and his store. I asked him for a personal recommendation, and without hesitation, he suggested their new Italian Mozz sandwich. Let me just say, it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had at any restaurant, fast-casual or otherwise. The bread was perfectly toasted, the ingredients fresh, and the flavors balanced so well that every bite felt gourmet. It honestly set a new bar for what I’ll expect from Panera going forward.
To make the visit even better, I decided to treat myself to one of their cinnamon buns. And wow!! this was hands-down the best cinnamon bun I’ve ever had. The icing-to-cinnamon ratio was perfect. It genuinely felt like they spared no expense with the icing, making it rich, sweet, and evenly coated. It almost felt as though Brandon personally iced it himself, it gave the entire dessert a thoughtful, handmade touch that made the whole experience feel even more personal and special.
Brandon’s level of attentiveness and pride in his store is rare to see these days. He made me feel like more than just another customer, and that kind of service leaves a lasting impression. This Panera location will now be my go-to, and I’ll be recommending it to all my friends and family without hesitation.
Thank you, Brandon, for going above and beyond to make what could have been just another meal into an experience that will be very hard to top! Panera is lucky to have you leading this location!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is chicken salad?!? Pure mush with dried cranberries added. $15.00
Very disappointing and horribly overpriced.
Claris is the Goat. She served me with a very positive attitude & was very welcoming!
Restaurantji Recommends
Their speed is slow but their customer service is great.
The bathroom isn't as regularly mantained as it could be.
Fresh items but usually out of food of choice so forced to pick other food choices which is hard for me since I'm vegan. All out of everything plus bathrooms are run down and dirty.
I did a drive through order this morning around 10.15am. Ordered a large coffee with bacon double take sandwich and a capri sandwich for my daughter. The bacon double take was missing the egg. It was so salty with only bacon and cheese. This is why I hate drive through. Staff are careless for their consumers needs.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
All great except last 3 times I've gone they are out of bread for my soup or salad.. but isn't their name BREAD??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE A BEEN TO A PANERA WHERE ITS NOT REAL CLEAN, ESPECIALLY THE BATHROOM LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVENT CLEAN IT IN WEEKS! TOILET IS SO TERRIBLE I. WAS SCARED I COULDNT USE IT. SINK IS EXTREMELY NASTY! AND THIS IS THE MORNING TIME! Need to do a better job! TH MANAGER SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THIS! OBVIOUS YOU GUYS NEED NEW MANAGEMENT
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Loading...