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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Haight-AshburyMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
"I live on 16th Ave, which is not exactly a "happening" location, if you know what I mean. Having said that, thank heavens for House of…" read more »
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It's all very well to flit about the city sampling one restaurant after another, but if you've ever had a standing after-work meeting somewhere, then you know the value of having a fast, cheap, and reliable place that you can eat at week in, week out. In my case I needed something in the Haight, and relative newcomer Panini fits the bill perfectly.
The name is plain and so is the interior, but this modest little cafe churns out the best paninis I have yet found in SF--hands down. Every bite melts in your mouth, the cheese is abundant, the bread is quality, the flavors are myriad (yams or canteloupes, anyone?), and the portions are generous (am I the only one who thinks most places make paninis too small?). The owner is quite friendly too, hopefully even more so if this is the place where I finally achieve "regular" status.
Walking down Haight street, my lady and I were not too sure on what to eat for lunch. I haven't had a panini for a while so we decided to give this place a shot.
They serve Lavazza coffee, which is pretty well known from Italy and their espressos have a thick crema..hence some of their Super Crema beans
But anyhow we went in for some paninis. I had the Caesar and it was not too shabby. Crunchy but soft bread, chicken, and provolone. My lady had the turkey dijon, which had some bacon, turkey, swiss and some dijon.
The place is small but cozy, but one thing that caught my eye was their health score..it was an 87 or 84!??! wtf!?!? how did you get an 80 something score...o well at least the paninis were good.
So I have moved back to the Turkey Dijon Panini.
All the Panini's are Delicious. And I enjoy changing off.
Panini's has added a new drink.
It's a strawberry and banana smoothie!
Very good, just the right consistency. I like it.
And it goes well with my turkey panini.
Still hooked on the sausage,egg and cheese english muffin in the morning.
-Simon The Cat ...
So I am hooked on the white mocha's .
And now they have three kinds of breakfast english muffin egg…
Read more »
I have to start off with the positives. They have good food and muffins.
But......the coffee was not well prepared. The beans were ground and sitting in the grinder for a long time, not ground for each shot. One strike. Then the guy doesn't even use a tamp, just left it sitting on the top of the machine. Come on. You're kidding right. Strike two.
Might go back to try another, but the failure to properly prepare the espresso when that's your business kills me.
After walking around Haight we wanted to pick up some sandwiches to bring with us to Golden Gate Park for a picnic. We walked into Panini and we were the only ones in there! That rarely happens in SF, haha. So we decided to take advantage of it and we just ate there instead of getting it to go.
Lots of things looked good and it took me forevvverrr to decide. But ultimately i settled on the Palms Deluxe Salad which was romaine + spring mix w/ goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, cucumbers, candied pecans & balsamic. And i decided to add chicken to it as well. It was delciousss! But when i got my salad the girl forgot to put the chicken on it but immediately realized it so she ran back to the kitchen and brought it out. To drink i got a large iced tea (which was only $2.50 btw), expecting it to be regular black tea, but when i got it it was like the passion fruit crap from Starbucks :( Bummer. Oh well.
I don't remember what my friends ordered but i remember that they enjoyed it. The only thing that i have to say is lame about this place is the seating. The tables in here are SO small. But i suppose this place isn't very big so it probably couldn't fit much else.
Next time i'm around, i'll have to give one of their delicious looking paninis a try.
Service: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Wait: 4/5
Price: $
Portions: 4/5
Presentation of food: 5/5
Presentation of restaurant: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
Omg! i just went here today! And i am in looove with this place. its so cute here, its a little joint and their Paninis are extremely yummy! i had their Chicken Pesto for whopping $6.50! + a small side salad included. mmmm. yummmmm, very friendly. The panini was nice and hot, cheese melted onto the chicken, even though its white meat and im not a fan of white meat, but the PESTO sauce was a great touch where it didnt bother me that it was white meat chicken :) the side salad was good too, not like a cheap type of salad that just tossed into the meal. the dressing for the salad was really good as well. im def. going here for paninis from now on!
Sometimes you get a Panini that's still cold in the middle but Panini's paninis are toasty and warm to the core. The secret? Panini not only uses a Panini grill but they use a convection oven too. While you have to wait a longer time for your sandwich, the end result is a true delight.
I had the Tofunini ($7.05). The bread is soooo good. It's extra crunchy on the outside while still soft on the inside. I love the lightly grilled medium firm tofu slab - it's truly for those who appreciate the flavor of tofu. You know who you are - you like plain, uncooked tofu even better than marinated tofu. The tofu adds a soft, creaminess to the sandwich which works so well with the arugula, red onions and juicy portabello mushrooms.
I still like the side salad with the delicious balsamic vinaigrette, but it does wilt quickly in the carryout box.
What a hidden gem! It's my favorite place for cheap eats in the Haight Ashbury (just what this… Read more »
Awesome sandwich. Simple as that.
I had the chicken pesto panini and the bread was seriously the best ever- hot, crispy, toasty.. Yum. My only complaint with the sandwich was that it's supposed to have sundried tomatoes but mine only had 2 puny ones.. I think they could have added more but I didn't want to bother them.
The blonde girl who took my order was a bit rude though. I told her I was excited to try their food and that it was my first time and her response was," cool." No "welcome" or "yay" or you're in for a treat, but just a "cool" that came out of her nose. Oh well. Maybe she was having a bad day.
There's limited seating but you can easily find a nice place to sit on Haight. Great sandwich! Yay.
after a hard day of shopping through haight st, i wanted a good lunch. i passed by Panini and it was a cozy little cafe. They had unexpected sandwich combinations that i didn't think i would enjoy but i was feeling adventurous and had a prosciutto sandwich with melon and cheese. It was grilled perfectly with the cheese oozing out of the sides. Crispy toasted bread added texture while the melon complemented the sandwich saltiness of the prosciutto. it was very good. It came with a salad that had this excellent balsamic vinagrette dressing. Good portion, good food, good price. Definitely check it out if you're there.
I came in here on the collective recommendation of Yelp. I had hesitated about this place because I thought it was a chain, but I couldn't really substantiate the chain mental rumors I had started, so I gave it a try.
The place is clean, and the people who work here are attentive. I won't say that they're nice, because I didn't get the nice vibe from them. I generally don't like to be asked a lot of questions, especially at a place where you order at the counter, so the guy constantly asking me how things were got really old really fast. I also don't understand why he informed me that I could sit down while I stood waiting for my sandwich. So two stars for this guy.
I had the tofunini based on other Yelpers' recommendations, and I was very disappointed. The bread is delicious, but the tofu is bland. Very bland. It's not gross, but I didn't really understand why I was supposed to like it. Now, the salad that all the paninis come with is awesome. I would highly recommend the salad, and I think they should make it clearer that all sandwiches come with salad.
The tables here are too narrow; it's as if there was a sale on oddly shaped tables at Ikea and this place bought out the stock.
I might come back, but I would need a pretty good reason to.
Oh, Panini...seeing that every single review has given you 5 stars so far, I now feel like a turd giving you 4.
Everything that's been said about the sandwiches are true - I had the Mediterraneo Cubanesco (queso fresco with tomatoes and dried herbs) and it was nearly divine (until I added just a touch of salt and a little more red wine vinegar at home - after that it was pure bliss). A bunch of their other sandwiches called out to me too, it was a really hard decision - one that I will be making again.
The staff is very friendly and attentive, and wanted me to let them know what I thought, good or bad. The prices are totally reasonable and was a major factor in my decision to go here in the first place. I only have one complaint, and since everything else was excellent it's almost trivial...almost.
I had no idea it came with salad. I was very pleasantly surprised it did and thought it was a nice touch, however... :/
They put the salad in the same box with the piping hot sandwich. Since it went in the same box, the salad got a little wilty and er, warm. Not inedible mind you, in fact I did eat it later on after it aired out, and I loved the little tomatoes and greens they used. But, salads and warm things in the same box don't survive bus rides too well, and for that reason I can't give it a 5 at this time.
However, I will be back here the next time I'm in the area, and I'll ask for a seperate container for the salad - if all goes well, I'll up the rating.
This place is small and modest-looking - even kitschy - but its food certainly isn't! I have loved every sandwich I've tried here, even though I was skeptical about the more adventurous options such as brie and cantaloupe. The menu has a very nice vegetarian selection as well, which I often find more mouth watering than the rest - and I'm not a vegetarian!
Ah, Panini. You are so delicious, and open ridiculously early in the morning.
I like the sandwiches a lot, and they have some very creative vegetarian options such as The Brie, Tofunini, and Roasted Yams panini, for when I don't feel all meaty. They also have interesting salads sometimes, although they usually just get one or two at a time and once they're gone, they're gone. I also saw some yogurt-n-berries-n-granola-inna-cup that looked good last time I was there.
They're also friendly and quick, with cheap prices. $6 to $8 per sammich, and their pastries are reasonably priced too. There's nothing I don't like about this place.
Although, I would suggest that they stock up more on their tasty salads.
Excellent Tofunini panini features a thick slice of richly textured tofu, marinated mushrooms, thin slivers of red onion, greens, and (hopefully) not too much mayo (most of the time) on grilled fresh focaccia. I've brought friends, including one that normally doesn't eat vegetarian sandwiches, and they both loved it.
Will continue to be a fan of this good-sized sandwich with small side of balsamic greens for $6.50 as long as their prices don't change.
Good service, though they occasionally serve up food out of order.
Tried this little place on the recommendation of Yelp and was not disappointed. Right in the heart of H.A. so the views at the window seat were amusing. Sandwhich was VERY yummy and service was with a smile. Tables are a little uncomfortable to eat at for more than 2 people (very narrow). Great find!
Whoa! this place is grrreat. visiting san fran, my friend and i stumbled on this place while looking for a quick bite and MANN did we get something great! they keep it simple and have the feeling of italy with the display case showing the fresh sandwiches ready to be panini pressed.
our meals came with a small, unexpected, side salad that topped off our hunger until we bit into the crispy crust.
the price was reasonable (7ish), the seating was surprisingly comfortable, check this place out!
I used to come here every morning before school, since I had school literally a block down the street. I remember the first time I went there, I was walking around Haight desperate for a bagel and cream cheese, but I didn't have much money. So first I went to "Coffee to the People" since it looked like a legit coffee place...but fuck me the prices are too high for a damn bagel...like I think it was $5 or $6 for a bagel&cream cheese...I'm sorry but I refuse.
So I left and walked down only a little bit and saw this small but clean looking cafe/sandwich place.
Immediately as I walk in I'm greeted by a nice looking girl. So I look at the menu and to my excitement a toasted bagel&cream cheese was ONLY $2! Sooooo gooood!
So I got that. And waited for only like 5min, which is a legit amount of wait time. She gave it to me and was still very nice and polite. Then I got scared..."maybe it is so cheap because they gyp you on the cream cheese." So I cautiously opened up my little package and was SHOCKED...there was a crap load of cream cheese, YESS! just how I like it too :D
*two thumbs up*
These are great sandwiches! I hang out and eat up and down that block of Haight St. all the time, have been for years. While drinking at my favorite local tavern Trax Bar, I decided to have a sandwich from the new place. I've had about a dozen since.
The folks are great, the ingredients are good quality, and the sandwiches are not stingy with the stuffing. I've had the Italiano (really good, ask for extra tomato), the Nicole's Panini, and The Brie. All amazingly good. My friends have tried the veg/vegan type options and raved about them as well.
If you're en route someplace and want to grab a sandwich, consider this place. If you come to belly up to the Pork Store, but can't stomach the line, hit the Panini place instead.
Oh, and they have really good coffee--and the little side salad they give you without even telling you the sandwich comes with it is tastier than some mixed green salads I've paid for other places.
I've even heard that if you're drinking at Trax (a few doors down), you can get a menu from behind the bar, call in the order, and they'll bring it to you.
yam and feta panini is THE JAM! after living in the area for a while i can't seem to find an appetite for anything except this yam panini dream!
Coffee is delish too!
good, cheap (for haight st) eats! Can't go wrong there.
I had a very pleasant experience eating there yesterday. The owner/manager was very warm and friendly. He made me feel very welcome. The meal was very tasty, but I ended up spending more than I planned on lunch. It wasn't his fault. I would probably eat there again next time I'm in the area.
Attention to detail!
Initially myself, the BF and two other friends stopped in here so that we could use the restroom. Being the awesome people we are, we purchased a few drinks so that we could then relieve ourselves.
The guy behind the counter was SUPER AWESOME. He discussed design elements that they had used and where we could find them. One such elements was the 3 x 3 wood blocks on the Eastern wall. They were beautiful! It was so nice, I almost wanted to stay in Panini the whole day, never leaving. One other reason for this was because of the music. They were nice enough to offer burning me a copy of the CD that was playing that the time if I was to return in 30 minutes. Of course, our B2B shopping got the best of us. Returning an hour later, he was gone. No prob, the gesture itself was primo!
I didn't have the chance to sample any of their mouth water treats, however everything looked fresh. I'll be back and I know that I WON'T be disappointed!
Tiny restaurant. Moderate portions. Full of Flavor.
Every sandwich I've tried has been delicious. The ingredients are SUPER fresh. Once I called in an order, and they were out, so they ran to the organic market to get the missing ingredients. Totally great customer service, and delicious food.
dear mr and mrs panini;
as fellow denizens of haight st, we as a buisness often buy our lunch from you. but the woman working today was so rude, unsanitary, and foul that we will not be frequenting your establishment until you remove this person. while we like you, your food, and your lovely family, as well as your prices and convenience, nothing will tempt as past your door again. today, october 7th, at lunch time, the woman who served me threw my change at me, glowered while i waited for my lunch, and did not wash her hands or put up her hair- two things expereinced food servers automatically do. please mr panini, please.
2.5 stars
i was really disappointed...maybe i expected too much, and also the fact that i ordered thru waiters on wheels, it was not hot off the panini presses...but still, the tuna melt was merely a big ol scoop of mayonnaised-out tuna with a slice of kraft cheese melted atop, the roasted sweet yams panini was just ok, the yams were seasoned nicely, but the feta was kinda weird and i only wanted to eat half of it. the avo, spinach veg panini was decent, and the side salad was just ok... dont think ill ever order for the team at work again, but i would probably give them a second shot if i found myself wandering thru the Haight lookin for a grilled sammy...maybe not tho.
im sorry. i cant. dont hate me.
I've eaten here probably a half dozen times and I've gotten in a rut of always ordering the same panini, The Mediterranean Cubanesco. Yumm! I love cheese and I've become addicted to the dried herbs on this sandwich. I'm sure the rest of the menu is probably just as delicious, but I'm just lovin' this one so why chance it?
Customer service is always super friendly and and they seem to appreciate your business...a real treat in this neck of the woods. The paninis arrive rather quickly of perfect temperature and crispiness and the accompanying salad is just perfect with yummy grape tomatoes on top.
Why not five stars, you ask? Well, every time I have been there the tables need a good wipe down. This is odd to me because they're never jam packed with customers or super busy when I'm there. In fact, more often than not I see the workers/owners chillin' out out front or sitting at the tables themselves. I suppose Panini is Haight St clean, but it's not five star clean.
When i first moved here this is where i went almost all the time to have a quick Caprese Sandwich. Being Italian my expectation of Italian food is very high. I was happy with my sandwich even though it was quite over priced. Sometimes the heart of the sandwich isn't completely hot and toasty which is why i put 3 stars instead of 4. The owner is a really nice guy. He's got a great sense of humor and is always happy and helpful. They got the music down too, it's loud radio with terrible music, just like the bars in Italy. Last but not least, the coffee is absolutely awful. Which for an Italian panini place is a disgrace. I'm sorry to say that but it's true. I still go here once in a while and still love the Caprese sandwich with a side of salad. Do go here if you haven't.
Fresh mozzarella salad was awesome. Cute girl from New Zealand was so sweet, and offered substitutions when I asked her to hold the cranberries. My only complaint is that the mozzarella salad didn't have tomatoes. Who ever heard of fresh mozzarella without tomatoes?! But the blasalmic dressing was honestly the best I have ever had. The minus one star is for the lack of tomatoes, an also for the boss letting poor New Zealand girl man the place alone, causing service to be a little (understandably) slow.
This place is great! They are a 3 minute walk from my house, prices are right and the yam panini is super tasty and unique. Oh, and the chocolate dipped macaroons are the biz-o.
AMAZING.
Wonderful people, so nice they even tucked a napkin in the to go box! Wait wasn't long for a to go order panini and everything was delicious! The perfect thing for the blue sky slightly breezy and warm san francisco day!
Really good! Relatively cheap with friendly service and fresh, hot paninis. The yam and feta one is totally unique and tasty, and like others, I was pleasantly surprised to get a tasty side salad with it. For about $7 you can't beat it. Oh, and they DO accept credit cards ...
Not bad, but could be better. Things didn't start well when my latte tasted absolutely rancid, but they made another with no hesitation. I think the milk was bad, but who knows. And my salad was fine, could have used some tofu, but all in all a decent portion for luck. I left neither disappointed or impressed.
Great paninis served w a little side salad. Up and down Haight there are not too many options for food i would try but this is PERFECT for a quick bite to eat on the go. The tofu panini is delicious and super flavorful ! Their balsamic they serve on salad is wonderful. Overall a good experience.
MMmm Panini...This was my first food stop in the Haight and I was not disappointed. The paninis are tasty, fresh, and made with love. The owner of this place is fantastic. I have experienced subtle rudeness from a few of the employees, but whenever boss-man is around, I am pumped. Like I said, the paninis are delicious and the pastries are incredible. They have a large variety of unique sandwiches. I haven't tried one I don't like, although the chicken pesto is my favorite. I don't think you can go wrong at this place...
Bad trance and a mediocre panini. I wouldn't be so harsh on the panini, but when I came in I saw the chicken pesto panini from the menu sitting underneath a glass display and initially thought it was a just a floor sample. When I saw the floor sample slapped onto a Foreman grill I got a little worried, but calmed myself when I remembered that this was the cheapest sandwich place in the area. After taking the first bite of the panini, I was pretty disappointed and realized that often you get what you pay for. The biggest pro to this place (at least on the day I was here) was the hot euro girls working behind the counter.
To be TOTALLY honest, we ONLY walked in there to buy a drink so we could use the facilities! However, after talking with guy working that day, we're totally gonna stop by every time we're in the Haight! He was COOL and very friendly and even offered to burn a copy of the CD that was playing at the time for the BF. And the Panini's looked and smelled SO good, too bad we weren't hungry at that point! Oh yeah, and they have Mexican Coke-a-Cola in the bottle, SO GOOD!!!!
Nice new clean place. Food and coffee are both excellent!
Needed a quick bite to eat before a concert, and tried Panini after reading many Yelp reviews. What a great find! My picky husband was so impressed with the friendly owner, good food (he loved his tuna melt), and terrific coffee. My choice of the yam & feta panini was also a winner, and the dressing on the side salad was as good as I read about in other reviews. Other small but useful details: clean restroom, good-sized servings, varied menu. We liked the family business aspect, and were surprised to be comped a decadent 7-layer cookie with our meal! We recommend Panini without reservation . . . just wish it would be open later (closes 8 p.m. Fri & Sat).
Best Panini I have ever had. And I have spent time in Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany where a panini was my fallback food of choice whenever I either didn't recognize other items on the menu or wanted to eat on the cheap. Well the sandwiches were cheap here too. None over $10. I walked down Haight trying to find a breakfast place and upon seeing the lines at the places next-door I thought I would settle for a sandwich instead. But Laura, Gina and I found that settling was not the appropriate term. We were lifted up by the friendly service, great sandwiches, complimentary salad and clean relaxing atmosphere. I thought I wanted a different kind of cheese on my panini, but the friendly girl at the counter convinced me that I was wrong. Boy was she right! I will come here again even though I don't live nearby.
omg, the sweet potato panini!!! i would never think to put sweet potato on a sandwich, let alone with feta. it's delicious though. genius!
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