The best Panini Kabob Grill I have ever dined at. This location is so beautiful and the food was exceptional in every way. I have gone there twice now at different times and both times their staff, and their Manager Nicky, truly made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and grateful that I had come in. Their service has been exceptionally accommodating and matched that with the quality of food they serve - I'm sorry I can't leave 10 stars instead of 5. See you soon PKG!! read more

Excellent food. Excellent service. Excellent ambiance. I had lunch there yesterday. Falafel balls, hummus, taziki sauce and a ton of triangular pita slices. Delicious. Then a turkey pesto panini sandwich with an accompanying salad with avocado. Crunchy bread, yummy, and filling. So much so I had to take half a sandwich home. Refreshing iced tea on a hot day. They also serve great kabobs of chicken and beef, but I felt like a sandwich yesterday. Waiter was attentive. Friendly. Checked back with me repeatedly during my meal. Ambiance was relaxing. Chairs and benches had comfy cushions. The ceiling was high, the room felt spacious. Plenty of light. Outside patio seating for those who like to dine Al fresco. Clean, bright, comfortable, friendly AND antibiotic-free good food. My kind of place. read more

I love this restaurant, really delicious clean food and the staff is very very friendly. The manager Nicky goes above and beyond to make your experience there the very BEST ! I will for sure continue to comeback tho this location. Ana read more

We had an excellent lunch at Panini Kabob Grill in Aliso Viejo today. The food was delicious, and I particularly loved the chicken vegetable soup -- and their iced tea was excellent too. But the best part of our experience was our server, Gisselle. She was exceptional: warm, friendly, attentive and genuinely interested in making sure we had everything we needed. She made us feel so welcome and turned a very good lunch into a really lovely experience. Gisselle is an absolute credit to this restaurant. Great food, wonderful service, and we will definitely be back! read more

Two Strikes, a Pebble or olive pit in the Salad, and Zero Quality Control. I really seldom, if ever give a bad review. Only if something's gone so bad. I really wanted to give Panini Cafe in Aliso Viejo another chance, but they have completely lost my business. The first time I went with my wife, the service was noticeably slow--we waited quite a while just to get acknowledged and for our food to finally come out, though the order itself was at least correct. Figuring it might have just been an off night, I went back recently with a friend. Unfortunately, it was the exact same experience. It took entirely too long for anyone to come take our order. To make matters worse, we had to actively remind them about our hummus plate. When the food finally arrived, they brought out a full-sized salad instead of the side salad I had ordered. As if those service hiccups weren't enough to sour the visit, things took a genuinely alarming turn. While chewing my salad, I suddenly heard a loud crack. I immediately stopped, spit the bite into a napkin, and started sifting through the greens and olives to figure out what I had just bitten into. After searching through the plate, I found a hard pebble that felt like a piece of gravel rock (though my friend insisted it was an olive pit). Regardless of whether it was a stray pit or actual gravel, biting down on something that hard could easily have cracked a molar--which would have meant a very painful and extremely expensive trip to the dentist. To their credit, the General Manager did come out to apologize and took the salad off the bill. But given the absolute disaster of the experience, I would have thought they would do a lot more to make it right. What a poor standard to set for a new location. They clearly do not have their act together when it comes to front-of-house service or kitchen quality control. Needless to say, I'm not coming back here again. Takeout only if you must, but they need to get their act together. read more

Our family likes Panini Kabob Grill (PKG) and we usually eat at other locations about once a month. The original PKG used to be right on the other side of the parking lot and we used to dine there often until it got shutdown during the pandemic. Welcome back, PKG! We were going to have dinner here a few weeks ago but the restaurant was full and a bit small inside so we decided to order to go instead. Order two meat lovers combo's. Food was still delicious but the koobideh skewer was a tad smaller and thinner than other locations. Other than that, everything tasted good. Chicken kabob was flavorful and juicy, as usual. read more

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Came on a weekday and it wasn't super packed but staff was slow. Waited outside at their check in stand for many minutes before being seated. We chose to sit inside then after quite a bit of time the waitress finally comes and we inform we want to sit outside. She says okay but redirects our water to a different table and disappeared for another 5 minutes. Finally when she came outside she apologized for the wait and took our order. Thankfully the food was delivered and every dish tasted amazing. Food is probably even better than the Mission Viejo location. Very generous sized entrees. Pesto chicken pasta- so delish. Loved the bread it came with to dip with the sauce. Lamb kabob-- my son and I's fave. Generous meat portion. We loved the grilled veggies on the kabob. Son loved his soup. Great appetizer for a hungry boy. Sitting outside was lovely. Spacious. Inside was a bit crowded. So happy this opened up at this location! Parking is plentiful. 4/5 for food and location. Service definitely needs to be better. Hire more staff. Seems to be a lot of people ordering take out. read more

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Welcome back to Aliso, PKG! Everything is brand spanking new, spacious outdoor patio. Food delicious as always. Attentive service, employees excited to welcome back the community. read more

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It's very popular but it's just not my vibe. The inside dining room was very warm during my visit and the outdoor dining area is noisy since it's on a major road. Service is perfunctory and the food meh. Feels like it's coasting. There are better choices around. read more

Exceptional service and delicious food as always! We ordered the family combo and the hummus plate, and everything was perfect. So happy we don't have to make the drive to Irvine anymore! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Delicious as always and great service. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Wow. Not as good at the previous one in this shopping center years ago. We ordered a Koobideh kabob and an appetizer. The kabob came out in minutes. 10 minutes before the appetizer so there is no sense of priority or sequence of when food should come out. So the Koobideh came out in less than 5 minutes from being ordered. I bit into them right away. Warm, barely above room temperature I complained right away as this should not happen to me or the rest of the customers coming in tonight. They were obviously precooked and kept in a less than optimal holding oven. The server took the Koobideh away and less than 10 later got a new serving and it was much better. Still no appetizer . They are new and may still be figuring it out but today, they failed. The one in Mission Viejo is much better in food quality for now. Don't expect great buts better than Luna Grill read more

I typically have enjoyed Panini in the past so we were looking forward to the re-opening in Aliso. The location is nice, they almost really need the outdoor patio due to the indoor dining area being limited. The food is usually good, but this location seems so rushed, overwhelmed and so busy that they might be missing some steps. Our Kabob meat was so undercooked and under seasoned, both the beef and chicken. We would have mentioned it to the server but he never returned to check on us after dropping off the food. Also, it doesn't seem like they have a soda dispenser at this location, so the drinks are served out of cans. The Diet Coke tastes so different that way. I'll give it another try but I probably won't order these dishes again. read more

Panini Kabob Grill - They really should have asked "how do you want it cooked?" - Middle Eastern Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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ZERO STARS IF I COULD -- TERRIBLE SERVICE I would give this restaurant ZERO STARS if that were an option. I have been here approximately nine times since they opened, so this review is not based on one isolated visit. Unfortunately, the restaurant has gone downhill very quickly. I have experienced inconsistent food, incorrect orders, and now some of the worst customer service I have experienced at a restaurant. On my most recent visit at approximately 7:00 PM on Friday, I was standing behind a couple who were told by the hostess that the wait would be 23 minutes. They asked about sitting at the bar and were told there was only one empty seat. They then asked about sitting outside and were seated there. By this point, I was inside the restaurant and could clearly see what appeared to be around 25 empty seats at tables that simply had not been cleaned. No one seemed to be clearing them. I then noticed a clean, empty table for two and politely asked if I could sit there. The hostess responded very rudely: "I told you there are people waiting." Meanwhile, I watched approximately six people leave the restaurant, yet customers were still being told there was no room. I finally said I would take the one available bar seat. There were eight seats at the bar, and the other seven appeared to be occupied by people waiting for DoorDash or takeout orders rather than dining at the bar. When I brought this to the hostess's attention, her response was essentially: "Not my job. I am the hostess." That response was unbelievable. In my opinion, that is completely unacceptable customer service, particularly from the person who is supposed to be greeting and assisting customers when they enter the restaurant. I then sat at the bar for approximately 17 minutes. During that entire time, not one server came over to greet me, offer me a menu, take a drink order, or even acknowledge that I was sitting there. Eventually, I had enough. This restaurant has only been open a short time, and service should not already be this disorganized. Empty tables sitting dirty, customers being told there is nowhere to sit, bar seats being used as a waiting area for takeout orders, a rude and dismissive hostess, and a customer sitting for 17 minutes without being acknowledged is simply unacceptable. After giving this restaurant approximately nine opportunities, it will take a lot of convincing to get me to return. The restaurant that occupied this location previously ultimately closed. In my experience, poor and rude service certainly did not help them, and I sincerely hope the current owners recognize what is happening before they head down the same road. My recommendation right now: DO NOT EAT HERE unless you have several hours to burn and are prepared for extremely poor service. I hope management gets this figured out quickly because the restaurant has potential, but what I experienced was completely unacceptable. Management is welcome to contact me, and I would be happy to explain my experience in greater detail. For now, after nine visits, you have lost me as a customer. read more

This new Panini Kabob Grill is lovely! Our server was attentive and the whole staff was on top of the weekend rush hour. My friend and I both had the tofu kebab and subbed in the edamame hummus, which were both flavorful and delicious. The actual restaurant was tidy and had an appropriate volume for the music, and the restrooms were clean and well stocked. Our whole experience there was positive, and I'm excited to return! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Charbroiled Organic Tofu Kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Family meal is the way to go! Chicken, basmati rice, and 2 salads! Awesome! Ice tea is bomb! The hummus and taziki sauce hit different at this location. Great atmosphere! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Beef Koobideh Kabob combo - Middle Eastern Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

I ordered food for pick-up and it was fantastic. We had 10 people and everyone loved it !!!! Great variety and so happy to have the Aliso Viejo location back. read more

I always love their Dates Salad! I'm happy they are back in Aliso Viejo. It's one of my favorite places to order lunch and dinner.

Our first time at their new location. Their large and delicious portions are a great value. Our server Tori was knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. Loved the patio seating. read more

Went there for the first time yesterday! Tori and Javier were very welcoming and helpful. The tzatziki is a must have! I'll definitely be back. read more

New panini grill! So yummy and was not too busy. We were seated fast and food arrived much faster than most of these locations. Looks like there's a lot of room even diner/counter style seating. Waiter Jorge was nice. read more

Everything was great. Food, Service and hospitality. All spot on. So glad to have a Panini close to us again.

Sooo happy that Panini is back in Aliso!! Went for lunch yesterday and was greeted by friendly and excited staff. The food so fresh and the space so light and fresh. Thank you, Nikki and team and welcome back to AV! read more

We are so happy Panini is back! Panini never disappoints us. The food is always very good and service will friendly and warm, they make you feel very welcomed. read more

Excellent service, freshest-quality awesome food; was an overall great dining experience. Few_ places exceed expectations... this new Aliso Viejo, Panini Grill location far exceeded. - -- New openings always have their surprises and challenges; always. (i.e. initial hired crew, no show; takes a first few weeks to stabilize any operation.) --- --- --- I've dined there 4 times in past 3 weeks and -consistently- 5 star. --- Observed the G.M. there and she's is an exceptional, seasoned top operator; trickle-down; gift of hospitality reflected there. ---The home-made quality is evident and rare. I'm addicted to their made from scratch, chicken-vegetable soup, (healthy-hearty) and salmon plate. -- "Thee best Tiramisu" in 30 years! Blew me away! I complain loud and praise loud... I've finally found a "home-restaurant, that exceeds expectations. Inside, table or counter service and outdoor patio. Going to be very high demand restaurant... get there a little early. - Richard read more

The food is good I just say. However, the service is really bad. Servers or waiters are not paying attention unless you call them. The Panini Kabob Grill by Kaleidoscope has better service. You can tell their servers are not properly trained. read more

My 5 stars are for our wonderful server, Giselle! Unfortunately, our food was initially undercooked. My husband was ready to leave because he doesn't like complaining, but I stopped him and said that if you don't say anything, they won't know what went wrong. So, I waited for our server and showed Giselle our food. She immediately took care of the situation and replaced the entire plate with a new one. She then came back to check on us and make sure everything was okay. I told her everything was good, but she noticed that the vegetables still looked a little undercooked. Without hesitation, she came back with a whole new plate of grilled vegetables. Giselle was absolutely awesome! She was attentive, kind, and genuinely made an effort to make sure we were happy. I remember going to the old Panini location in Aliso Viejo, where the food was always delicious and cooked to perfection. Because of the effort Giselle made to accommodate us and make things right, we will definitely be coming back. Well done, Giselle, and thank you for taking such good care of us! read more

The food was excellent the service was good and excellent great customer service loved the ambiance

Manager Nicki & the entire staff provide awesome service with a smile. The brand new interior and exterior look great [including the bathroom]. The family food combo with chicken and tofu kebabs was delicious as usual at PKG. SO HAPPY PKG is back in Aliso Viejo! read more

Raul was so kind and helpful!! He got our order quickly and even offered waters to go amazing customer service thank you Raul!!(:

Excellent service, excellent food, excellent atmosphere, wonderful guests wonderful employees I mean it's Panini what do you expect? This new location literally opened today and I was their guest amongst other guests that joined today for their grand opening. Love what Panini is doing as their quality is exceptional and I can only hope that they will never ever change their quality and they will just continue making it better. read more

I was so excited about this place, one of my favorites is a chicken Cesar wrap! Unfortunately this is not right, wrong wrap- flour now spinach- and 1 not kidding 1 piece of chicken in each half of the wrap. For someone who fasts most of the time and needs protein- I will not be back. Too bad read more

Panini Kabob Grill - I need more chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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My first time visiting the new Panini Kabob Grill location, and I absolutely loved it! The warm welcome and professionalism were amazing, and of course, the food is absolutely delicious! Everything was wonderful. It was also so great to see one of my favorite waitresses Gisselle again! Thank you, Panini Kabob Grill, for coming to Aliso Viejo! We're so happy to have you here, and I'm looking forward to many more visits! read more

Giselle has been the best server out of the four times we've been to Panini Cafe in two weeks. She was very professional and checked on us frequently. The quality and taste of food has been consistent. Giselle suggested the hummus trio which we had not tried before. Later she offered the tiramisu but we were too full. She engaged us and made sure we were satisfied with the service and our lunch. We love that Panini Cafe has returned to Aliso and appreciate the high standard of customer service that Giselle exemplifies for this location. read more

Food was delicious and the restaurant was extremely clean. Staff were super friendly and very kind. Definitely recommend the chicken kabobs and will be back to enjoy their food again! Thank you! read more

Finally!! They're open!! I waited patiently for Panini Kabob Grill to open and it was worth it. I can't say enough good things about Panini Kebab! I've dined in once and ordered to-go, and both experiences were absolutely superb. The food is flavorful and fresh, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the customer service is top-notch. The restaurant itself is spotless, and I'm so glad this gem is finally open. I truly believe Panini Kebab will thrive and be the standout spot in our community--something special that will stand strong where others have struggled. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Chef Jose Ramirez and Front Employee Raul, they both need to be trained on respect and customer service. Waited over 30 minutes for my food to go and then speaking Spanish as if I don't understand the language. Very unprofessional. They should not represent this company. I will call the Food Department based on them both. read more

Came in yesterday and had a wonderful experience! The food was delicious and came out fresh. Our server Tori was so nice and attentive, she made sure we had everything we needed. Great service and good food definitely will be back! read more

From the moment I arrived, Gissel greeted me with a genuine smile and such a positive vibe that made me feel welcome right away. Throughout the entire service, she maintained that warm and friendly energy, always smiling and anticipating what I needed. She was attentive, patient, and very professional. The food was delicious, and her amazing attitude made the whole experience even better. I left very happy and definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

The food was great and good sized portions. The staff were very friendly. I had a pleasant experience. Love the new location!

Great service and food! Beautiful location! Special thank you to Giselle who who provided great customer service! Keep up the good work!