stopped in just before going to the Notebook at SD Broadway on Sunday. we usually go on Tuesday with our season tickets and the shop was always closed in the past. She mentioned they are now going to be open for SD Broadway now. I went in for a coffee and also grabbed a cookie and piece of cake. the store was busy and some ne'er do well was walking out as I entered and for some reason, he decided he wanted to steal the sign board that was out front. He then threatened to ruin the shop with his review. I'm not sure what happened prior, but nothing would prompt someone to steal a sign. We had the Matcha cake with pistachio icing and whipped cream. it was amazing. the latte was wonderful, perfect ratio of milk and espresso. the cookie was also great. looking forward to arriving early next time to sit down and grab a panini before the next show. The owner has been running the business for years and has a great reputation in the area. The footprint is small, but the amount of her baked treats she has available is greater than places twice the size. read more

Al Teatro Panini Grill - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Place is dirty, service is terrible! I wouldn't waste my time coming here or even a dollar on their stuff! Not worth it. read more

Amazing food and service! Even let us customize a meal to meet our children needs. Her great service is and look of the restaurant was all great! The food is fresh and from scratch even you're in the area a must visit. read more

Delicious paninis! my favorite is the turkey chipotle!! BEST OREO BROWNIES EVER!!! I live quite far but every time I have to run errands in downtown I have to make a stop here.. today I tried the nocciolo cappuccino style! So delicious I could taste the espresso and Nutella not too sweet not too bitter perfect! Service is so good beautiful little spot read more

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Such a cute little cafe! I was working from our San Diego office and in search of a lunch spot. Based on the staff member's recommendation, I went with the special panini (smoked salmon with goat cheese... 2 of my favorite food items that I never thought to combine! with arugula). The sandwich was made fresh for me and grilled to crispy crusty perfection. It was also huge, and I got to bring home half for dinner. The staff were all friendly, welcoming and attentive, and I saw a few regulars there chatting it up. Looking forward to going back on my next visit and trying the coffees, pastries, and more delicious panini! read more

When a coworker recommended this spot and mentioned it was woman and immigrant-owned, I knew I had to check it out--and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It's just a short stroll from work, which makes it the perfect lunch break destination. I went for the Chicken Avocado Sandwich, and wow. We're talking pesto, perfectly sliced chicken breast, creamy avocado, roasted red bell peppers, fresh spinach, and gooey provolone--all packed into one glorious bite. The portion? Super generous for the price, which is always a win. The service was on point, and the vibe of the place is *chef's kiss*. Tons of options on the menu too, so there's something for whatever mood you're in. I'll definitely be coming back, especially on those days I forget to bring lunch. Oh, and no photos--because I straight-up inhaled the sandwich within minutes. It was that good. read more

A hidden gem! This feels likes a place where you can be a regular, the staff seem to know their customers and their orders well. I liked my super fizzy and sweet cherry limeade and the turkey chipotle panini was crisp and satisfying for a nice lunch. read more

Great little restaurant, small but cozy space. The owner was very friendly and helpful! The cinnamon hot chocolate was delicious absolutely recommend. I also had the sun-dried tomato chicken panini and it was amazing, very fresh and full of flavor! Will return soon! read more

Wowww i have been working for 5 yrs next door and never have bought anything from here besides a caramel coffee once ... but oh man that torta with extra jalapeños was delicious thank you definitely worth it read more

Al Teatro Panini Grill - Special order torta de pollo with extra jalapeños and avocado and lettuce toasted - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food and great service. Popped in before a show at the theater and grabbed lunch. We had a great time and the food was delicious and the price was great. I would highly recommend read more

Al Teatro is has been a staple in my downtown SD lunch (and breakfast) rotation. Everything is freshly made and delicious. Always something new to try as well. Top quality and quick service. A great place to have some customer loyalty as a small business in SD. read more

Al Teatro Panini Grill - Ginger sesame shrimp salad special - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

A small place that had a pretty wide menu, from sandwiches to burritos to smoothies to pastries. I think the sandwich and chip combos tend to be pretty popular, but I didn't see the menu in full because some of it is on another wall so I went with Mac and cheese and a latte. The mac and cheese tasted pretty good but was pretty salty and the cheese got cold quickly. The latte was underwhelming. I enjoyed the meal here and the service was really quick. I probably wouldn't go here for any special dishes but think it would be a good spot for general food late at night- they have a lot of savory and sweet comforty options. read more

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Come here often but haven't reviewed in awhile...still super good! Since they do catering, I ordered a tray of their home made lasagna and my family loved it! Had some of their home made cookies and truffles for Christmas which were also a big hit. Nancy & Luisa are so friendly and they will make pretty much any custom thing you ask for. Breakfast, coffee break, lunch or dinner, we are always happy - sometimes they close a little early, so call first to make sure they are open :) read more

I'm sorry but it lacked flavor we ordered the carnitas burrito and the surf and turf. The people are great but the food just didn't hit the mark. The coffee drinks are good but maybe go for the sandwich instead. read more

Ordered the Buffalo chicken sandwich online. Cleart says served with chips the lady told me no they don't. Didnt bother to argue with her and the sandwich had way too much sauce. Just a soggy mess of a sandwich, one of the worst sandwiches I've eaten. read more

I had the chicken jalapeño torta..it was BOMB! The price is worth it because the torta is huge! Cant wait to try something else!

I love, love, love this place!! All of their food is delicious I stopped by on 1/30/2023, and ordered the days special cheese tortellini with zucchini, sun dried tomato and sauce and it was exceptional and you get so much I will continue to order from this place. The owner is very nice as well! All other places should take notes from this place that takes pride in their food read more

Great for lunch downtown. Fresh, quick, and delicious. Staff is always so friendly. I have never been disappointed.

So from the moment you walk in you notice like 20 different signs all showing a million different things they can make there. And I've always been a person that when seeing so many things you think huh maybe a lot of these things won't be fresh. And I was not proven wrong; I decided to get a bagel with egg, bacon, and cheese. The egg was a weird color and didn't taste right and the bacon was chewy (both definitely not freshly made) which is weird since I was the only customer in there. I did get a shake as well and the was pretty good. Overall the environment was just weird and the only person working in there was pretty rude. I won't be going again ‍ read more

Definitely a good stop if you want a delicious meal! The chef there is very hardworking and the food shows.

Boy, the negative reviews weren't kidding about bad service. The ladies that took and prepared my order were curt and disengaged. The place was completely empty when I walked in and they STILL seemed annoyed by my presence. I witnessed the same behavior with 3 other customers while I ate my meal, so it does seem like the norm. Very strange way to conduct business. Also, passing the cost of credit card fees back to your customers? That's just bad form. No tap water for your customers? Unacceptable. In any case, the food was actually decent. I had a burrito of all things. Everything was cooked fresh, dumped into a massive tortilla, and pressed like a panini. Tasty. Huge portion. Satisfying. The coffee was also ok. Nothing to rave about, but solid. I won't ever be coming back. read more

Love this hidden gem in downtown San Diego, best panini I've ever had, nicest people working there. Their coffee is also great. Would highly recommend this place. read more

Al Teatro Panini Grill - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great homemade food. Delish. I eat lunch there regularly and she makes amazing pastries, quiche. Also has catering! Great Italian food.

I stopped for lunch on a whim, and was very pleased! The shop had very low-key vibes and provided a very casual and enjoyable quick lunch. Sandwiches/paninis were well-portioned and tasty! I would recommend. read more

Literally AMAZING service n delicious food. The lady in the front is the sweetest soul I love her thank you!!!!

This is without a doubt my favorite place to stop by before I head into work! The food is delicious, the coffee is phenomenal (the Nocciola is to die for), and the brownies are the BEST I have ever had. The service is amazing, Nancy is always so incredibly sweet and helpful and is always good for a fun conversation. My little Al Teatro trips before work are the only thing that motivates me to actually go in for my shift at this point. read more

We ordered catering for my baby shower and cannot say enough good things about Nancy and her food! She was so kind and accommodating when we placed our order and everyone raved about the food at our shower. We ordered salads, sandwiches, wraps and macaroni/pasta salad and everything was so fresh and full of flavor. We haven't eaten at the actual restaurant yet, but we definitely plan on stopping by for good food and highly recommend their catering services! read more

The panini was good. The coffee was terrible. The service ( attitude ) was worse than the coffee. I tried the house specialty coffee and didn't like. I asked to replace it with something simpler ~ a vanilla latte. The vanilla latte sure tasted similar to the drink I returned so I asked if it had been changed or if I'd picked it up off the counter too soon. Boy, was that a mistake. The attitude of the person at the counter got a bit ugly ~ and then it got really ugly. I'm standing outside listening to them complain about me to the other customers. Turns out they can't help themselves with their bad attitudes ~ they obviously read my review because they stepped outside to tell me to "leave now." I'm standing on a public sidewalk in front of a neighbor of theirs who happens to be closed. read more

Long overdue review for my favorite place to grab a bite in downtown San Diego. I have been eating here for lunch for the past two years, and I can't get enough of the food. The pasta and the panini are always fresh and delicious. The espresso is amazing. It is not easy to find really authentic Italian food in San Diego but the ladies in the kitchen are always whipping up something good and at times I feel like I'm in Italy! Buon appetito! read more

This place is amazing! all the food is fantastic; the breakfast croissant and brekfast burro. also the chicken jalapeño torta is my fav so so good. pastries are made fresh by the owner and they are always different and have never dissapointed. They take orders for pickup over the phone and are very quick. The only thing is they do close early but for lunch it is a must try. read more

From the decor,to the food, to the friendly counter staff, this place is all Italian. During several years of working downtown, we made it a habbit to take a longer walk about once a month to bring panninis back to the office. Luisa, the friendly woman at the counter, was very patient, as we often had her ring up our sandwiches seperately. The dark wood storefront displays puppets resembling a Palermo-style theatre. Each panini is named after an Italian composer, singer, or other perfomormer. My favorite is the Puccini which is something like a caprese salad with proscuitto and pesto on a grilled baguette. They are great about substituting types of bread and cheeses in a "made to order" fashion. Desserts are delicious. On several occasions I have seen daily specials written out which included things such as gelator or chocolate drinks. Though possibly a bit pricey for an everyday weekday lunch, this place is a nice alternative to a typical deli or fast food restauraunt. It is conveniently located downtown. Most panninis run about $6-7. To-go orders are quick and easy, and it is also a pleasant and peaceful place to eat lunch. read more

My absolute favorite is the black bean burger! It a great way to go meatless and still get really satisfied. Thanks Nancy! - Jaime

I had an awesome Albacore Tuna melt sandwich earlier today. It had melted parmesan bread, pickles, tomato, and spicy mayo. This was by far the best tuna melt I've ever tasted! Chef Nancy always makes the most delicious menu items. read more

The panini I ordered was good. However, I will not tolerate being treated like a Spirit Airlines passenger during my dining experience. - Restaurant provides no water on tap - Restaurant charges $1 fee to use a credit card - Restaurant charges $0.50 fee to use a debit card On a $10 sandwhich, you're paying an extra 10% in fees if you swipe a credit card. Forget about a tip. Forget about me ever coming back. read more

Just found Al Teatro last night while my boyfriend and I were waiting for Mary Poppins to start down the street at the Civic Theatre. Love it! The shop is tiny and quaint and, although I've never been to Italy, what I imagine an Italian sandwich shop would look like. There's a few tables downstairs and I heard that there was more seating upstairs too. I ordered the rigoletto (minus the bacon) and it was delicious! The turkey and cheddar mixed perfectly with the pesto mayo to create one of the most delicious things that I've eaten in awhile. My boyfriend ordered the the traviata with ham and brie. My only regret was that I had to eat the sandwich super fast to make it back to the theatre in time for the show. This is definitely a place that I want to sit back and enjoy every bite! read more

REAL HOMEMADE food (not that they bring it from home) Delicious American-italian food, made with care, attention, and genuinity! A must go for people that care about real succulent food. read more

what can I say about this family & their food? I stop in frequently as they always have a delicious Italian treat for me. I thought Italian had to be fattening, THIS IS NOT TRUE. They make a great lower cal chicken parmesan, vegetables sauteed in olive oil & skinny lattes. A breakfast & coffee for $5.00 and a sweet treat when I can no longer hold out. The ladies behind the counter are gems. If you are lucky you will get a taste of their Italiana charm & maybe a little cha cha dancing. It's a good time and there's always a lot of hot action on their block. read more

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Poor service. The restaurant was out of most items by 12:30PM. Took over 15 minutes in the front of the line to be waited on. You are better off elsewhere. read more

Such a cute place run by mother and daughter. Warm and welcoming atmosphere. Delicious food, and best damn panini I have ever had!

Had a shrimp and spinach salad here. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and seasoned. They added some special touches like almonds to the salad. It was a tad expensive since it was $12.99 and came with no bread. They also charge 50 cents for cards. However, a lady who'd just been there came back and said she decided to order a coffee, and the server said she'd add it to the lady's previous order so she wouldn't be charged the fee twice, so that was nice. read more