02/14/07

Pizza is great

by italianbella

The best pizza and calzones in the north end. The prices are great and so is their food. I'd avoid fiore or lucca and head to express! I live in the north end and swear by this place. All my friends love it as well. The service is great they cook everything in front of you and they are really nice.

01/03/07

Decent food, horrible service.

by fromboston

I really like their pizza, almost as good as the pizza back in new york. The eggplant sub is very plain and not tasty, the vegetarian sub is not recomended. I do like their calzones and my fiance likes the chicken and brocolli penne.

The service is horrible. As a former regular of this shop (work 2 block away at the coast guard base) I had almost every possible horrible customer-service thing done to me (ie; forgotten my order, been yelled at by the cashier, gave me my meal in take out form even after clearing stating that I was eating there and refusing to fix up my order, etc)

The only times I would eat there now is when I am short on cash and time and want a slice of pizza for $2.10.

• Pros: good pizza, good chicken and brocolli pennebad
• Cons: customer service, some food were horrible

Pizza, overstuffed calzones and subs come quicker than you can say "arrivederci."

by Contributor

The Scene
Marble-topped tables surrounded by financial types without their suit jackets and with their ties flung back over one shoulder, all attacking their huge, sloppy eggplant subs.

The Food
In a bid to outpopulate Abercrombie in Boston, Il Panino strikes again with this bustling and handsome sandwich outpost. There's more than just giant subs, though: There are pastas and pizzas, too. The point is fast service from the open kitchen in the back of the room (sweltering, for sure, but the kitchen staff says it's better than their former digs around the corner on Parmenter).

07/24/06

First and LAST time for this place

by localgirl49

Making my way through the brisk order line I watched what should have been my sandwich handed over to someone who came in and placed the same order long after I did. As I stood there like an idiot and watched another fifteen people get their lunch the unfriendly staff finally realized they had forgotten my order and hastily made my sandwich. After all that it was the most tasteless eggplant sub I've ever had, the sauce was awful. With all the great food in the North End don't waste your time at this place.

06/14/05

Good service and value

by theduke37

Generous portions for reasonable prices, especially in the North End. Nothing spectacular, but they use fresh ingredients and the cooking is done fast and well. Subs and salads are especially reasonably priced. I'd go elsewhere for pasta, honestly. I highly recommend their potato and egg sub, and also the sausage and spicy broccoli rabe. Also, the tonno (tuna) salad.

• Pros: Value, Fast service

01/31/03

GREAT PIZZA +

by jmaff

Il Panino is great for take out because the meals are always made fresh when ordered - the food isn't sitting around pre-made. The pizza is delicious with a light sauce and plenty of delicious toppings to choose from. The chicken parm is very lightly breaded white meat chunks...not deep fried and very plentiful. I have gone here often and have never been disappointed.

• Pros: fresh ingredients, consistently good, delivery
• Cons: parking (Cambridge), no credit cards

09/22/02

Stay away unless you're drunk

by LPorter33

I was not very impressed with the food. I ordered a cheese calzone which itself was adequate, but the tomato sauce that came with it was the most bland, watery sauce I've ever tasted in my life. I agree with all the comments about the terrible service. The woman at the register seemed bitter that I payed with exact change and didn't put anything in that tip jar. Excuse me? Did you bring my food to me or serve me in anyway? Food like this is only good if you're drunk , and the cheaper calzones I used to get in my college days from DP Dough were much better.

07/20/02

Stay Away

by godsowndrunk2334

Very rude service - the guy at the register cursed me out for not giving him a tip. Too bad for him - if he kept his mouth shut my change would have been in the tip jar.

Food is mediocre at best.

Pizza is the worst I have ever tasted.

• Cons: rude services, poor food quality