Potbelly Sandwich Works Reviews

by MShriner9

So I’ve used PotbellySandwichWorks a handful of times and not really had much issue but this was the first time that I actually ordered through PotbellySandwichWorks ahead of time, and it ended up being more of a nightmare than anything of ease. After placing my order and yeah I received confirmation that it would be ready in 8 to 10 minutes; when I drove the 2 miles to potbelly they were unable to find my order in came to the conclusion rather quickly that I must’ve placed my order for a Nother Potbelly. After showing them this was not the case they were very kind to re-order it and take care of the issue, even offering to call the “other place “to cancel my order that somehow was set up for pick up the following day. I ended up choosing potbelly because of the perks deal that I had and when my order had to be re-done upon arrival, I lost the ability to use my perks points and coupon because it cannot be used until the other transaction was canceled. It was only two dollars so I wasn’t about to make a big deal to the poor guy working the drive-through window but it was more the principle of the matter. Annoyed.

This wouldn’t have happened at Chick Fil A.

by HollandWorldCup2010

I work literally *across the street* from a potbelly, so when I placed an online order knowing I only had 5 minutes to pick it up and head back to work. I headed over to pick it up at 11:55am. They looked and looked and couldn’t locate my order until they said it’s been placed at another location, 4 blocks down the street, on 150 S. Wacker. So I walked and walked looking for it, so when I got to 150 S. Wacker, I walk up and down that block three times, no store front, no indication of a store. I finally ask security guard, he says he believes there’s one on the corner. I scale the block again, nothing. Finally I turn the corner, on a different street mind you. Make it half way down and still nothing. I look *through* some tinted glass to see a small decal for potbelly’s on a tiny door inside a the building and find my way in a packed shop. They have an online pickup window, which I proceed to wait for 30 minutes, (where I still am and continue to wait) awful

by ChelMarStew

I hate to leave this review on PotbellySandwichWorks Store, but I need this to be heard! Several times since the big “upgrade” to the potbelly ordering system over the summer, I have tried to order and wasted well over 30 minutes each time. I had emailed customer services a month or more ago, and never heard anything back. Essentially, I always seem to get stuck in a loop of resetting my password, the password not working, then the website not loading the menu, then once I finally get all the items added to my cart, the checkout page won’t work. After 23 minutes in the loop-of-doom today, I begrudgingly decided to download PotbellySandwichWorks . I was able to place the order within 3 minutes. Again, I’m sorry to rate PotbellySandwichWorks so low, because it really did work well for me. I’m just exhausted with the fact that the website is so impossible and the response is nonexistent, thus FORCING me to use an app I never really wanted to download. Also of note, I lost nearly 800 points in the big “upgrade,” so I’m really not sure why I even bother anymore. (Oh yeah, I love those darn cookies…)

by Clmorela

Since the recent updates I’ve been unable to sign in to my account. I request to reset my password and follow the instructions to do so. Once I submit my new password I’m given a screen that tells me that my session has expired. I’ve attempted this several times with the same result each time. I am unable to sign in to my rewards account with no apparent way to correct the issue.
Furthermore, PotbellySandwichWorks states that if I have yet to sign in to the new website, I will not be able to sign in to PotbellySandwichWorks ….? I don’t understand why those would be related and it just seems unnecessarily complicated. Regardless, I’m unable to sign in to the website or fix my password issue there either.
I’ll try again in a few months. Maybe not. Maybe never. But I won’t patronize the business until this is fixed.

by Jk55129876

I am waiting to pick up a sandwich I ordered online. It was said to be ready over 10 minutes ago. When I got here and it wasn’t ready I ask why and the staff told me it’s impossible to make a sandwich in 10 minutes and I should wait or cancel my order. I asked why PotbellySandwichWorks specified a time and they that means nothing and I can cancel or call corporate they can only make sandwiches so fast. She was extremely rude and many other customers are waiting next to me having the same issue. this is not the first time this has happened to me at this location. I recommend go elsewhere! The staff has no accountability and seems not to care at all about customer service. The last time which I received your cane playing with absolutely no traffic. I guess I take blame for continuing to give them another opportunity. FYI – I’m still waiting.

by QLovez❤️💚💙🧡💜

The Potbelly app would not accept my email and my password from my previous Potbelly account nor would it allow me to reset my password. I tried four times and PotbellySandwichWorks never sent the reset email. I had to sign up again and PotbellySandwichWorks didn’t even recognize that I already had that email registered with Potbelly as Potbelly sends me emails to the same email address quite frequently. I am beginning to think PotbellySandwichWorks is set up like this by design. Because I cannot access my old account information, I have lost all my previous points. PotbellySandwichWorks made me start my order over two times all the way back to the pick up location and PotbellySandwichWorks did not recognize my apple presets. On top of being the worst app ever, it does not have the previous Potbelly specials or any specials anymore either. PotbellySandwichWorks is a very rudimentary and ill-designed. It is very frustrating.

by Danncohen01

PotbellySandwichWorks is an absolute embarrassment and a complete disaster. I do not live close to or have easy access to a potbellies, so I choose to use the delivery option. For one, the delivery system is incredibly glitchy and difficult to navigate, and often messes up the instructions putting in the wrong order very easily without a way of cancelling! Second, today I ordered my food at 7:30 and the ETA was 8:15, and after waiting an HOUR after the ETA, my food was never delivered. I’ve already paid for my food WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED, and during the entire ordeal I had absolutely no way to contact my driver or the potbellies itself, as they refused to answer my calls even though they were still open. PotbellySandwichWorks is so poor, it’s a crime that they have people using it

by Lake Bluff Customer

Horrible experience. Ordered online. Got confirm order went thru and transaction complete. Show up. NO ONE is in store. No customers. NO EMPLOYEES. At 8:10 pm on 4/30. Check your security video. Another customer entered we talk about being nervous. NO EMPLOYEES. I call for them. Two emerge and then a third. Tell me no order received. Show them confirm on my app. Still no acknowledgement. Show them app showing I paid. Nothing. Reorder verbally. They mess it up. Have to add items. Go to pay-again. I scan my app to pay again. Employee tells me to use another scanner despite first one flashing green. Asked for receipt as I suspect I paid twice if not now three times. Told register “locked up”. No receipt. I wonder if Potbellys corporate takes action against employees not in restaurant protecting the interests of the shareholders and or feels this was handled properly? Terrible service. Bad on many levels. I will Be next store at the Lake Bluff Chipotle next several times. Terrible.

by McGee3332

I don’t like the new app. The old layout was pretty straight forward but new app takes longer to order. There are a lot of pop up questions and up sells that aren’t customer friendly. I also am disappointed you can no longer pay in store using PotbellySandwichWorks while scanning for points. Scanning and paying separately is annoying and another not customer friendly change.

The first time I used it I couldn’t because there was a glitch that wouldn’t recognize no toppings for the Mac and cheese. This is an example of a pop up and up charge. Previous app was set to plain and you could add toppings if you wanted. Now they force you to say no add ons.

Outside of PotbellySandwichWorks review, disappointed with all the menu changes. Cut several regulars items for my family such as kids meals and smoothies, which probably means we’ll be going much less.

by KylieBeau

If you decide to switch your sandwich from regular to bigs... all of your modifications will disappear. “No Mayo,” “no meatball, etc. will disappear when you change the size of the sandwich. This happens with salads as well. Adding a notification pop up that says “all your customizations will be deleted, do you still want to proceed” would be really helpful and very likely prevent mistakes on the customer’s side of PotbellySandwichWorks .
I wouldn’t have posted this at all, and just changed how I ordered in the future but the employee I asked to remake my salad was a super butthole about my mistake. I order from this location 2-3 days a week and service is usually great. This bummed me out.

by Jdtu23

Have used the Potbelly’s app for years now, but the recent update to app and website all of sudden won’t let me log in on my phone and asks for password change. So I do so, and get no new link sent to my email to perform said change. Tried multiple times with no link sent. Had to pull up the potbelly’s website on my laptop to then perform the password change request again. This time I was able to do so and made the change. Went back to phone to use new password and it won’t recognize the password…which renders PotbellySandwichWorks on my phone useless!! It does however let me use the new psswd on the updated iPad app version. So website and iPad app are functional but iPhone app STILL gives error when I try to login. Reinstalling PotbellySandwichWorks and restarting phone didn’t fix it either. Way to eff up a simple app devs!!

by Bigvilg

When you try to change your password from the email (for their new app), it tells you that your “session has expired.”
Of course your password has also not been changed.

I eventually tried to create a new Potbelly account, and in entering that password, was told that I also need a special character in the password. Poor communication. I should have been told that when I tried to change it earlier. Users should not have to debug their software. If this is their skill level, I’m certainly reluctant to add a credit card.
I may have to delete their app entirely, and pay with cash only. 🙄

by BayouBrat

I don’t know if it’s PotbellySandwichWorks ’s fault, or Potbelly’s themselves, but this is the third (and FINAL) time, I will use PotbellySandwichWorks to pay. Once again, I paid with PotbellySandwichWorks , got an immediate receipt, and was told by the employee, the payment didn’t go through, please do it again. So, I did. Again, I get immediate confirmation, and I’m told “No. it didn’t go through, please rescan”. I refused, as I’ve now paid $89 for 4 sandwiches/sides. The employee THREATENED to call the police and have me arrested for stealing!!! The manager FINALLY got off her cell phone, “voided” the order, and said I could go. She didn’t/doesn’t know how to refund my money, so I’ll have to trek BACK to the store, and try to find someone who has a clue as to what they’re doing. I’m over PotbellySandwichWorks

by Sandihd

Came in after ordering on road - a little early, but not too far off. No one at counter but staff cleaning near beverages sort of greeted us and then went to check print out when we said we had pick up. Woman who appeared to be manager (pink hair) seemed frustrated at table and asked where’s Dave - I am sending him home. Sort of huffed and puffed and two women went to work in order. Someone I assume was Dave walked out from back and got sent home. Ended up with Tuna sandwich with toppings when we had requested plain - we stood back from counter due to yelling at Dave and they didn’t confirm toppings with us. Ended up with a sandwich for Ryan in our bag. At one point 2 salads as well but one removed as bag handed to us. Daughter went back in to ask for sandwich without lettuce and tomato but felt like manager gave her hard time so she just walked out with sandwich. Went from awkward to unpleasant which is so different than experience in East lansing store. Won’t be hitting this location again. Felt bad for Dave

by Mom To 2 Crazy Kids

I like all of the customization options in PotbellySandwichWorks but there are two major problems for me that exist in other restaurant apps. 1) It doesn't tell you what time your pick-up order will be ready until you have completed your order. If one location is going to take a long time you don't have the option to just change locations - you have to re-enter your entire order for a different location. :/ 2) The locations do not have the ability to put a notification on PotbellySandwichWorks when they are out of something so the customer doesn't know until they show up to pick up their order and are disappointed. If these 2 things were improved I would definitely rate PotbellySandwichWorks higher!

by Nazarchym

I LOVE potbelly sandwiches! But PotbellySandwichWorks is terrible! Twice I have submitted a delivery order and the store never received it so the poor store manager insisted on leaving the store during a lunch rush to run me my meal. (He needs a raise) Half the time I try to order for delivery it says it’s “not available at this time, try pickup” which I can’t really do in the middle of my work day. And I would be ok with ordering through a third party delivery app but then I won’t get my points. :(

I just wish they could do something if delivery is not available using your app you could scan your receipt to track your spending. Thursdays are my favorite when I can order my Potbelly sandwich!

by JMG Balt

This was my first time making an online order for pick up. Everyone was very nice and my salad was ready for pick up at the time estimates. So, all was good to that point. But, when I got back to my office to enjoy my order, only the salad I order Les was in the bag. The bag of chips I also ordered (and paid for) was not in my pick up bag. OOPS!

Had my full order (with the chips) been in my bag, I would have rated this experience 5 stars. But I really wanted the chips with my meal.

I hope Potbelly will give me a bag of chips the next time I order.

by Sbs75006

Quality of food is great - my favorite sandwich shop in that regard.

Have had some other issues recently. App was a real headache to install. Gift cards are not easy to use - with the new app, I have to enter the gift card every time and this last time it wouldn’t let me use more than one card per order. With the prices, customers really should be able to use multiple gift cards.

I had a free sandwich coupon that expired within a month that went unused. I don’t have an issue with that other than I should have been give notice via email. Most recently, I was supposed to get a free cookie with my order but it wasn’t in the bag. Shame on me for not checking i guess - I hated to open a sealed bag but from now on I check

by Hamroast

I order Potbelly’s on a pretty regular basis, always on PotbellySandwichWorks for the ability to order for pickup. PotbellySandwichWorks itself is functional, but I think it has room to grow. A lot of the text is hard to read (the handwritten looking font) and makes the drop down menus harder to differentiate between. Additionally, PotbellySandwichWorks takes a long time to load. I’m usually utilizing PotbellySandwichWorks on wifi — i understand that part of the slowness could be the network i’m on, but sheesh, she’s real slow. PotbellySandwichWorks automatically uses earned entrees, so if you’re trying to save that for another day, you have to remember to toggle it off before ordering. Again, PotbellySandwichWorks does its job, but it has some room for improvement.

by DJtheawesomeness

Potbelly Perks is a great way to get food delivered to your door or easy to order and pick up just skip the line. I had one problem though, I already ordered a meal for me and my family, but one of the things I wanted wasn’t in stock. And it took about a week to get my refund. So they were on top of it. I just wish that on PotbellySandwichWorks after we put in the address if PotbellySandwichWorks would say if the stock is out at that specific location.

by Dexter9543

I love potbelly sandwiches and get them about 3-4 times/week. Although the company encourages ordering ahead, whenever I am trying to order the everything takes forever to load. The ordering process is extremely slow and most of the times I end up going to the shop to buy my sandwich instead which defeats the whole point of this.

Update: more glitches. I ordered a sandwich around 8:30pm and the shop closes at 9pm. It took the order but gave me a pick up time of 11am next day. I went to the shop and the people didn’t know what to do. This ended up costing me more time than it would have taken me to just go to the shop and place order.

All these glitches are so frustrating that I am refraining from order again from PotbellySandwichWorks .

by Larsbullock

There is no option to place your order as a dine-in order which means that your single item which comes excessively packaged by default, now comes with an additional paper bag (because the geniuses at PB think the customer appreciates getting more garbage to throw out) - more unnecessary waste being generated just from using PotbellySandwichWorks !

Also, doesn’t save any time. You must select a pickup time at least 10 minutes in advance. If you choose to do something in the meantime before you pick your sandwich up at the time you select, it won’t be ready as they won’t even start making your sandwich until you arrive expecting to pick it up.

Very very dumb!!

by Carly0017

PotbellySandwichWorks is very 50/50 on ordering. Again today, PotbellySandwichWorks glitches initially - wouldn’t place an order because “it wasn’t a current menu item” when ordering from the current sandwich menu. A second attempt with ordering from the current “sandwich” menu for 2 chicken cheddars, it’s saying I “must order from the same menu”. They’re the same item!!!! There is always some sort of issue. In addition, there is always a 30 min lead time. No quick lunch plans. Every time they update their menu (multigrain is now the default), users lose their entire past order list! Poor execution. Great food. Usually easier to just order in store.

by Luke Murphey

I tried to use PotbellySandwichWorks to place an order. PotbellySandwichWorks concludes saying "order success" while at the same time indicating that "payment failed".

I then tried to pay in the store using PotbellySandwichWorks ; this also failed.

PotbellySandwichWorks asks to location services even when PotbellySandwichWorks isn't running. If you decline location services then you have to scroll through an unordered list of every PotBelly in existence to select your PotBelly. I gotta say, I didn't realize that there was so many PotBellys.

by Anonymous400

I go to potbelly frequently and love PotbellySandwichWorks for easily paying and earning perks. It is overall easy to use. I do have issues every now and then with PotbellySandwichWorks crashing or not loading so that I can’t order ahead or pay using PotbellySandwichWorks . I also wish that I could fill out customer surveys in PotbellySandwichWorks . I like giving feedback when I have a good or bad experience but don’t want to have to get a paper receipt.

Whoever writes the notifications should get a raise. They always make me smile!

by Meaty098

Got an email with Potbelly promotion of Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) available today only. Well today I went into PotbellySandwichWorks and it was complete misery. PotbellySandwichWorks gave me an error saying the Potbelly App server “LEVEL UP” was in the middle of an upgrade and it kicked me out of PotbellySandwichWorks . Logged in again and tried again. This time the Potbelly location near me didn’t come up and I had to place the order with the other one several miles away. App again kicked me out when checking out, mind you it took the system 10minutes stalling before it kicked me out. Tried it a third time... placed the order (now it’s over 30 minutes in PotbellySandwichWorks to order). Drove out of my way to the Potbelly not near me because the error in PotbellySandwichWorks , if you recall it wouldn’t let me order near me. The order was not ready on time when I got there!!!. Had to wait 35 minutes!!!
Finally got my family order and came home to find out that it was wrong. All the “extra’s” that I paid for were not included.

So, my experience was;
(1) horrible online App experience
(2) unacceptable on time availability
(3) order was wrong

My husband and I both complained to the online customer service after our order and were both given the exact IDENTICAL cut and paste email response. No refund was given, no vouchers... just oh well we’re sorry.

by Airrudolf

When you click location, to locate a store from which to order, it merely lists all the Pot Belly stores in the country, in no particular order, not segregated by state, or even alphabetized. As you scroll through - if you have the time - it suddenly starts to loop back and show the same 25-30 stores over and over. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. Using Apple iPhone 6 with location service turned on. Gave up and went somewhere else.

by Inker Bell

I loved PotbellySandwichWorks . Until I started getting network errors. I can’t access past orders or create new ones for the past 6 weeks. I tried deleting and downloading again. Nope, doing the same thing. The only thing I can do with it is pay. The other thing it does is cut off the special instructions. If the staff at my favorite PB didn’t know me and how my son likes his sandwich, we’d have had more errors.