Panino

The line can be really long, to the point where you are late to get back to work. The workers look stressed out because they understaff as well. They also nickel and dime you for dressing or other sides. There are tons of other sandwiches places in the area that are worth trying. Like C’est Cheese or Three Pickles or South Coat Deli. More bang for your buck there.

To be honest, not my favorite sandwich place. It was totally fine, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to tell someone «you have to eat here it’s amazing»
Staff: Everyone there was super nice, looked like they were in high school or college and were very friendly.
Food: I got a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich on sourdough bread, which is what I get at Bay Cities in Santa Monica. It might have been the bread, but it just wasn’t that amazing. The other bread choices were unappealing, foccacia (too soft and bread), wheat slice (usually not that good). I tried my friend’s turkey and brie which was definitely better, but again the bread wasn’t that amazing. And bread is such a big part of a sandwich, so that was a little disappointing.
Overall: I wouldn’t NOT go here again, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to go here again.

Stopped for lunch here today. The name is misleading. In my mind when I think of a panini, I think of it being hot from a panini grill. Not so Panino. They have a great selection of COLD and DRY sandwiches but that’s it. Quite disappointing.
They need to invest in a good panini maker and realize their potential.
Won’t be back.

A business where the owner clearly cares about staff and clientele. Cute, clean and very tasty salads and sandwiches. Stopped by on a whim while visiting family and will return on subsequent visits and the family who are local go there a lot. After the way the owner handled a delicate situation, I know she won our loyalty. Plus it’s just plain tasty. All fresh and very aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well.

Awesome sandwiches if you wish to pay a la cart prices. I had the pesto chicken sandwich and it was full of flavor and delicious!

Honestly, best sandwiches I’ve ever had come from this place. And I love sandwiches.
My favorite is the curry chicken on focaccia. So good and unique.
It’s the place I look forward to visiting most when in the SB area.

I was the recipient of a delicious roast chicken with basil and provolone. It was desperately needed as I was feeling a bit under the weather and needed something to keep my strength up.
The bread was soft, chewy and sinfully carbtastic. The chicken and provolone were perfectly warmed and melted together with honey mustard. It was a great sized portion and I was definitely full when finished. The quality was great and I felt like I had eaten well and was happy. Panino in Montecito is definitely on my «go-​to» list from now on.

As my daughter was eating a turkey sandwich at Panino, a piece of a slimy tomato fell out, as did a slimy cucumber.
How long does Panino keep their veggies? These were not freshly cut.
And olives should last a long time, but I had to spit mine out of my Greek salad, as they tasted foul.
This is Montecito, and I expected more from them. But I’d have been better off going to Vons, buying some organic lettuce, some bread and the fixings and making my own lunch.
Or better yet go to Pierre Lafond Market & Deli at 516 San Ysidro Rd.

Was in SB for a family wedding. Wanted a clean and tasty quick place to have lunch or late afternoon tummy filler.
It was so good, we went back twice. Second time there was 8 of us and all enjoyed the variety. Staff very friendly. Not being familiar with the area, we discovered it by accident after going to Vons.

Great Little Sandwich Shop!
I tried Panino for the first time yesterday. I was not familiar with this particular restaurant or the chain, but it’s a popular place among locals and Westmont College students, as evidenced by the line to order!
From what I could tell, your options are sandwiches, salads or a soup selection. There is a wide variety of sandwich options — probably 15 to 20, including several vegetarian options. You also have a choice of four or five bread options.
I chose the Cobb sandwich on Focascia bread and an iced tea. It came to about $ 15. I made a wise choice. The bread is soft and flavorful. The sandwich consists of «Sliced Roast Chicken Breast, Prosciutto, Fresh Tomato, Basil, Sliced Red Onion, English Stilton Cheese, Avocado topped w/​Balsamic Vinaigrette and Organic Greens.» For me, it was just the right blend of Stilton, avocado and balsamic. The sandwich sounds like it would be huge to accommodate everything, but it’s not obscene. :-) Very manageable.
My friend ordered the Turkey with Brie half sandwich with a cup of Artichoke soup. She was pleased as well. She has been to this location several times, tries something different each time, and said she’s always been pleased.
Four things to note about Panino — or at least this location in particular…
1) Drink cups are small, but they do refills if you ask.
2) This location has about six tall tables with four stools at each inside and two outside tables. When I went at lunch time, I got the last table. It forced a couple of people to share tables with others or just leave. I wouldn’t describe the seating as comfortable; this is a sandwich shop where you come, eat, and leave without wanting to linger.
3) Parking is a little bit of a challenge, since this restaurant shares a parking lot with Vons.
4) It’s a great stopping point if you’re heading to Chumash from the San Fernando Valley. It’s right off the freeway, and after lunch, it’s only about 45 minutes to Chumash.
I’d definitely recommend this location of Panino for a quick bite. And I’d recommend getting something with their Stilton!

Honestly, don’t know all the rave. Been many times and everytime the food is just okay. For the price, I’d much rather go elsewhere.

Got the #9 Italian sandwich. Best part of it was the focaccia bread… which shouldn’t be the hero… for $ 10, I should get a true ITALIAN sandwich with at least enough meat to make me forget what kind of bread surrounded it. Good? Ya. Pricey? Ya. Left me wanting more? Ya. This review is kinda like the #9, lacking a little something to make it GREAT!

Love the food, not the service. The girls at the front seem like the most unhappy people and you feel that with each and every interaction. Can someone please help them?

The food has always been great, however, the service is horrible. An employee, Desiree, messed up my order not once, but twice, was rude to my girlfriend when she was picking up the order, and hung up on me when I tried to fix my sandwhich. Overall very rude employees but it must be new because I usually love this place.

Great Salads, cute place to dine and they have a clean restroom. Win!

Great gourmet sandwiches at Panino! You definitely pay that extra few dollars, and the meat portion per sandwich is a bit slight, but I never regret going here! The ingredients are top notch, the service is casual, but professional to match the atmosphere of the establishment. Panini is definitely worth trying, but don’t expect a large amount of meat!

I really enjoy the sandwiches here as well as the amazing foccaccia bread. The customer service is always really friendly and even though the lines can be long, the food is well worth it. Besides the sandwiches being amazing, they have HUGE salads that are delicious. I love that they serve Honest Tea to drink, it is my favorite.

I’d love to rate this place three or four stars for its creative menu and satisfactory sandwiches.
If you are going to cheat in making your «pesto with pine nuts», and put walnuts in it, you better let the customer know.
After an allergy reaction to walnuts, which was made far more dangerous as it occurred during a hike away from hospitals or any help, we were told: «we disclosed pine nuts; they are nuts».
Any chef or foodie would know that pine nuts are not remotely related to walnuts. Just like peanuts are from the legume family and not true nots, pennants too are not from the same family as other nut trees (non of which are evergreen).
When asked to speak with an absent manager, we were told we would get a call back. Never happened.
We escaped a dangerous situation by having a single bite of the walnut pesto (with decorative pine nuts on it). It was nearly life threatening. We were lucky.
Panino deserves zero stars were it possible, for hiding cheap walnuts under the banner of pricy pine nuts, and for failing to stand up for their mistake.

I was skeptical about this place because I’m not really big on sandwiches but decided to try it after a suggestion from a fellow Unilocaler Jenn C. Glad I did. It’s a high quality sandwich shop, nothing like Subway or Quiznos. It’s a bit pricey for a sandwich but it’s still worth it. I ordered #15 which has salami, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and basil. I think they have about three different bread choices. I went with the focaccia bread. The combination was excellent and the sandwich was big enough to share with my wife (although most people can probably finish one on their own). My wife also hates sandwiches but even she liked this one.
They have at least 25 different sandwiches, including some vegetarian, as well as salads. I would like to try the curried chicken salad sandwich next time.
They have locations in Santa Barbara, Montecito (this one), Los Olivos, Goleta, and Solvang. Not sure if all locations have the same menu. You can check it out on their website
. This location might be hard to find if you are just driving by. It’s in the same shopping center as Vons.

Panino is THE place to go for an incredible sandwich. It has been a little while since I have been, but I find myself frequently daydreaming about the delicious (and not-​so-​ordinary) ingredients they use. Goat cheese, roasted peppers, kalamata olives, sun-​dried tomatoes, and fresh basil are some of the heavenly accoutrements on these sandwiches. My favorites are #9, roasted turkey with brie, and #16, salami with olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, basil and goat cheese. The flavors of the ingredients balance really well and compliment each other, every sandwich is a real treat.
There is also a great selection of vegetarian sandwiches or salads to choose from. This is a perfect spot for lunch, just make sure you get there before they close in the afternoon! Panino’s atmosphere is light and open, even though it is a small eatery. If all the tables are full, I suggest driving up the coast to Refugio, where you can enjoy your delicious lunch and the beautiful state beach at the same time.