I was a blank slate when I walked into the new Panera Bread store in Medford last Saturday.

I knew lots of people were excited about it, so I was intrigued, but I really had no idea what to expect because I’d never eaten in a Panera restaurant.

We wrote about it when the company announced it was coming, and again several times in succeeding months as the company’s deadlines came and went, with construction dragging on through months of supply chain issues that have dogged projects from coast to coast.

Whenever we wrote about Panera, readers perked up and comments flooded our social media pages. People seemed genuinely excited that Panera was coming — just as locals swooned when other national companies announced they would be locating here, including Trader Joe’s, REI, Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out.

The place was packed when I walked in last Saturday at about 1 p.m. and all of the outside seating was taken, but I was able to find a place to sit inside.

Being a first-time customer, I needed time to study the menu board, so I didn’t really mind that I had to wait about 10 minutes to place my order.

The woman who took my order was friendly and patient as she answered all of my questions about the soups, warms bowls and sandwiches. I settled on a Mediterranean warm grain bowl with chicken, took the pager they gave me, filled a glass with water and sat down with a book I had brought. I was glad I had that book because I was able to knock down a couple of chapters before the pager startled me about 20 minutes later announcing my order was ready.

The warm grain bowl contained cilantro lime brown rice and quinoa, chicken, arugula, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, hummus, lemon tahini dressing, feta and Greek yogurt. I thought it was tasty, and I knew I’d want to come back with my wife, Nancy, when she got back in town.

We did a date night at Panera Wednesday, and though it was just my second time in a Panera, I felt like a tour guide as I led her to the counter and pointed out the things that sounded good to me that I hadn’t ordered the first time. They were out of a few things, including baguettes, but no big deal. The place has been open less than two weeks and they have a brand new staff, so a few hiccups are to be expected.

Nancy ordered a Napa Almond Chicken Salad sandwich and a side of mac-and-cheese. I ordered a Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt with a cup of Turkey Chili. Our bill came to $40, not including the tip. That seemed a bit pricey for two sandwiches and two sides, but, hey, it’s date night, we’re at a shiny new place, and it’s all good. And this time I was shocked at how fast our food was ready. The pager buzzed within 5 minutes.

Our sandwiches were … pretty tasty. My turkey chili was just lukewarm but it was … pretty good. Nancy said her chicken salad sandwich was not bad. The mac-and-cheese was … mac-and-cheese. Not the best you can get in Medford, but pretty OK. The service was very good. Every employee we dealt with was very courteous. The space is clean and inviting. The restaurant is another sign that Medford is growing enough to merit consideration from the fast-food chains of the world. 

We were happy we’d gone. At least we know what people are talking about when they post about Panera. We’ve got our eyes on a couple of their breakfast items the next time we’re heading for an early morning hike and want to grab breakfast to eat on the way to the trailhead.

Panera Bread is located at 3 Garfield St., Medford. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. The store also has online ordering available for pick-up and a drive through. See panerabread.com or call 541-930-3131.