Panera Bread - San Jose

The bread was stale, the tuna portion on my sandwich was skimpy, and the iced tea was murky. Although this branch of my favorite fast food restaurant is primarily known for lunch, I was there for dinner and left feeling a bit disappointed.

This restaurant is a favorite among our family. We love the high quality of food at a reasonable price and the simplicity of the menu. The location is beautifully set and very convenient. However, we were disappointed with the service at this particular location. The staff showed low effort in communication and little willingness to answer questions. This experience made it our least favorite among other Panera locations we have visited.

I am autistic and Panera is my go-to place for takeout and dine-in. Immediately upon walking in, they have order kiosks, so if you're like me and not great with social interaction, you can order on the kiosks instead of at the front counter. They also have headphone jacks if you need the menu narrated to you and braille on a couple as well. The atmosphere is great. They don't have loud music playing, and they don't have harsh lighting- the lights are dim and ambient, but bright enough that I can still see easily despite my vision issues. The staff are phenomenal. I'm a regular and they know me well, but even when I was just starting to go there, they were kind and patient with me and my stuttering tendencies and occasional non-verbal moments. They know I always order a large drink, so I never have to remind them to hand me a cup, they know to hand me one as soon as I walk to the counter, and they always smile and they're very gentle about it. I really, really appreciate their dedication to making customers like me more comfortable. I love their charged lemonade, because the high caffeine content helps with my chronic migraines. Also, most of their food is very consistent in texture and therefore very good for those with sensory difficulties and ARFID. I do also have a trained service dog that comes with me a lot, and the staff definitely know the ADA well, seeing as they've never challenged me about her yet don't allow untrained pets. I've never seen another dog in Panera other than a trained service dog. I really cannot say enough good things about the Almaden Panera and their amazing staff. It can be very hard navigating life independently as someone with autism and chronic health issues, but knowing that I have Panera as an option for easy dining makes everything a little easier.Dietary restrictions: Panera has plenty of vegetarian options and their menu has corresponding logos on every item that accommodates dietary restrictions or preferences.Kid-friendliness: I think the kids menu at Panera is really nice. The Mac n' cheese is a great texture, no bread crumbs or chunks, so it's perfect for kiddos with sensory issues. They also offer boxed apple juice, which is a staple for children, as well as seasonally decorated sugar cookies that are always super cute and on-theme. They also have plain bagels (a kid favorite! and allow you to pick the amount of cream cheese tubs you want and spread it on by yourself (great for kids who love extra cream cheese or want to be in control of topping their bagel. I would avoid the charged lemonade though for kids, because it contains so much caffeine.Wheelchair accessibility: I myself have been in a wheelchair for years. Panera's very open and spacious floorpan makes for easy entry and it's completely flat, too. The drink fountains are easy to reach. I would keep in mind that they don't have automatic doors, so if you're unable to open the door yourself, you may need to request assistance.

The food and coffee were good at this restaurant, but we have been to three locations and the service has been consistent. However, the employees at this particular location were rude. Despite my medical alert dog being clearly marked, someone insisted that she had to be a service dog to be inside, which is not accurate. The lack of employees may have contributed to the poor customer service. My review sums up to the need for more staff and better pay to provide proper support to the employees. This location was also not as clean as the others we have visited, likely due to staffing issues. We probably will not return to this location, but the one positive was that parking was acceptable.

Place has gone downhill. Sticky tables, no one bussing tables. Ordered a latte, which was confusing to the cashier, and it ended up having no coffee in it. Only milk. WTF.