Food, service, & portions were great! I especially enjoyed the strawberry date salad. Our server Christina was so attentive and sweet. The manager even came by to check on us and say hello. Such a welcoming establishment, will be back! read more

Our go-to dinner spot in Irvine. It's a family thing, we sit at the patio, at the same table. We always get Mailet as our server and she is wonderful! Quick on her feet and super sweet! She's professional with a lot of charisma. We sat in her section tonight so, I hoped we would get her as our server. The food is so healthy and fresh, the food runners do a great job getting food out fast. The hosts do such a good job too! read more

Really great experience at this Panini Kabob location! I've been a couple times before both of which were great but I recently suggested it as the restaurant for our team's monthly company dinner. Service was awesome and looked after our party of 8. We started with the combo appetizer which included the caprese, a delicious hummus trio, some pita and cucumbers, and falafel. My favorite was the edamame hummus - really outstanding. For my entrée I got the double beef koobideh which was perfectly tender and came in a huge plate with basmati rice and my salad choice which was the strawberry date. The strawberry date salad was incredible! It has some sweet glazed walnuts in it and a fantastic vinagrette dressing. Loved all the grilled veg as well. My coworker got the vegetable kabob which she also enjoyed. For dessert I got their delicious housemade tiramisu - it wasn't overly sweet and was really light and fluffy. This location is at the Los Olivos Marketplace where Whole Foods is so there is plenty of parking. Outdoor and indoor seating available as well. 5 stars all around read more

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Massive amount of delicious food for the family style meal. We could not all the food. Service was friendly and it does take a while for the food to come out. Ambiance was casual and relaxing place for family meal. They have both indoor and outdoor seatings. Many do ordered takeout - something we will consider next time. Highly recommended! read more

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Food was amazing especially their Family Style Kabobs. The server/staff are very accommodating especially with my son's allergy with milk/dairy and seafood. The ambiance is also really nice especially at early before noon. Been here already twice this month. Will definitely comeback again. Excellent service. read more

Friendly and attentive service from German! Food was delicious as always and consistent.

Very kind and professional staff. The food is filling, healthy, and delicious. A great place to go on a Friday night. Will definitely come again! read more

The service was abhorrent/comically bad. When we first arrived, they had PLENTY of empty tables but we were asked to wait "just a moment". Ten minutes of standing in 1pm sun later (where they have you wait), they came to seat us. By that time, we were so darn hot that we simply asked to be sat inside vs out (needed the AC at this point ). No biggie so far - just annoying. It just went down hill from there. It took forever simply to get a water and iced tea but getting somebody to actually take our order? Now that was a feat in itself. We ran out of water and iced tea LONG before our order was finally taken. So, when we ordered, we asked for a refill. Once again, nothing. No joke - we literally asked FOUR different people over the course of 25 mins for a refill of the iced tea or water (just give me anything to drink at this point, please!!). At each ask they'd acknowledge they could help us, then go push a button on the kitchen screen - I'm guessing to let our server (who was clearly useless) know? ZERO teamwork despite the "teamwork" art on the wall. ZERO manager in sight to oversee ANYTHING. Server apathetic and non-existent most of the time. Honestly, this restaurant is run horribly. They had TONS of staff and the only people I saw working very hard were the busboys - but they just seemingly clear tables- apparently they don't refill water? Likely not their fault - seemed to be a policy here. Not sure. Also, what's up with NO person at the front where there is a "please wait to be seated sign". Noticed lots of customers just walking in upon arrival, looking for someone to seat them - only to be redirected outside to wait in the sun to wait. Who knows for now long. Finally just over it - we were literally getting ready to just leave without eating when the food finally arrived, roughly 45 mins later. (Again, still NO drink refill- not even the water). We mentioned it again. Got a nod and watched the person who delivered our food once, walk up to the kitchen screen and once again, push a button. At this point we notice there's no salad dressing. Realizing NOBODY will be back to ask if everything is okay, my husband finally walked up to the front counter to ask someone. Rather than just handing us dressing, much less drinks, this person nods, turns around and you guessed it - goes to the kitchen screen and pushes pushes a few buttons. The salad dressing and refills arrived as we were almost DONE. So, didn't eat the salad. Got a box for it but we know how salad lasts as a leftover. Waste. I will admit the chicken was delicious so hats off to the cooks. ‍. On another note- we watched on a couple of occasions as they rearranged tables for a larger party and just left the large number empty chairs smack in the middle of the floor for anybody there to navigate around. The employees in the black shirts - if they were management?? were absolutely useless. They should've picked up on things. Folks in the white shirts, even more useless, clueless and moreover apathetic. We won't be back to this location. At the very end, the server could likely sense we were unhappy and apologized, blamed it on being short staffed. I've worked in food service, this restaurant had SO many employees today and was not very busy. It's not a staff issue, it's a service/management issue!! Will def go to a different Panini Grill. Would love a refund but not even sure how I'd go about it. Don't want to waste anymore of my time. On a positive note - as annoying as it was, it was so comical that it was entertaining. read more

Best food ever! I came twice in a week! excellent service, they made feel at home! Isaac great host very polite and welcoming! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Best Mediterranean food in town! - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

Amazing food and service. Seated us immediately and waiter was so friendly. Will definitely be back!

One-Star Yelp Review I placed an online order with Panini Kebab Grill on Irvine Center Drive at 8 AM for a 10:15 AM pickup. When I arrived on time, I ended up waiting an additional almost 40 minutes for my order to be ready. When I asked why it was so late, the staff member told me they were busy, had a lot of orders, and couldn't predict what would come in. This explanation is completely unacceptable for an online order placed 2.25 hours in advance. To make matters worse, while I was waiting, I saw multiple orders (grubhub, etc) being made, plated and served, even though I was told my order was "next." This delay wasn't just inconvenient.... This order was for a hospital event, and because of their delay, multiple people didn't eat on time. If this restaurant can't handle online orders properly, they need to fix their system or limit the number of orders they accept. The restaurant is busy, which is excellent for business, but it is obvious that they no longer care about customer service or are unable to handle heavier order loads . The multiple employees there expressed annoyance rather than apology at the two times I asked about the order and just said that it was busy, they can't do anything about it. Fix your order queueing and capacity, Panini. read more

Great food, really I wa surprised how delicious good. Price wonderful, portions so big. Service is fast and good. And overal atmosphere is good. Recommended read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Beef Koobideh Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

We placed a to go order over the internet. Once there we had a little wait . My uncle and aunt swear by this place so when we were ready to finally eat, I wasn't too impressed. There wasn't too much flavor with the meats. The salads were delicious. We ordered two big family meals (as we had guests visiting from out of town). They supply plates and utensils which was nice. The rice and couscous were ok. I might come back but not in a rush. read more

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I have been a fan of Panini Kabob Grill since my old office was near their Park Place Irvine location. This is a good spot when your dining companions are looking for a choices that are healthy, keto, vegetarian/vegan and of course tasty. Their prices have increased and portion of protein decreased since the pandemic, but still overall a good pick. My friend and I started off sharing the Hummus Trio ($9.99) which comes with garbanzo hummus, beet hummus, edamame hummus, and pita bread. My favorite is the edamame hummus is least favorite is the beet hummus. I really liked this platter better when it used to come with black bean hummus instead of the beet hummus. My eyes were bigger than my stomach so I added a side of the Chicken Vegetable Soup ($8.99/bowl). This is one of my favorite comfort foods back in the days when I was under the weather. It's chunky with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Yum! It also came with a toasted slice of bread. All of their entrees come with two sides. For our entrees my friend had the 2 skewer Beef Koobideh Kabob ($17.99) with a Caesar salad and Basmati Rice and I had the Charbroiled Chicken Shish Kabob ($16.99) with the Romaine Avocado salad and the Bulgar Wheat Pilaf. The food was delicious as always but I was so full from my soup I togo-ed most of my food. The containers they use her are paper containers unlike the more sturdy reusable containers from their Park Place Irvine location. I didn't like how the bottom of the container was water and seeped through when I microwaved my food. Overall a good pick and I would definitely come back if I'm meeting someone towards this direction. read more

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We were a party of 12 seated within 20 minutes, not bad right. Once seated out waitress didn't come over for 35 minutes! No waters nothing. She proceeded to take our food order & then drinks, per her request. Ok fine... Her attitude from the start was very off putting, like we were unconvincing her by dining in the restaurant. Her attitude improved slightly as the night went on. When she dropped off the drinks she brought them to the end of the table for us to distribute ourselves. Ok that's a first. There was an issue when we wanted to pay, they told us we could split the bill 3 ways evenly & couldn't itemization. I felt like she was making an excuse bc she didn't want to 'deal' with it. I asked for the manager (which I've never done) & wallah she was able to itemize the bill. Overall experience was poor, food was fine. But waitress needs some serious training in customer service. I usually frequent the panini location in mission viejo. Never have I had a problem, always a positive experience. read more

It's so difficult to find a place that has great food, taste & is fresh and that has good portions. If you like Mediterranean food this is a great place for it. We ordered the Chicken Pesto Panini, Chicken Pesto linguine & Appetizer Combo Platter. Now every time we go to the OC I want to go back to this place. It's so good! Service was good and while we waited and eat and our food there was non stop customers coming to pick up their food for take out. (That says something). We went during a weekday and it wasn't busy. I must go back. read more

Yesterday July 30th it was my first my time at this location and I had amazing service from Cesar and he gave me a few recommendations which I took and wouldn't have changed it for anything else! Thank you Cesar ! I'll be coming back to this location read more

Great location, always available parking, so good food and friendly service. My favorite is beef kebab pilov rice and Mediterranean salad read more

First time trying the CHICKEN Vegetable soup, while it does taste good it lacked chicken, the bowl also is on the small side, we mentioned we were not happy yet the manager did not offer to make it better. I'd rather stay home and make my homemade chicken soup!! read more

I have been coming here for the past 10 years! That parking is awesome and easy! This is such a great restaurant for big groups and kids!! Their menu is full of tasty foods that are hot and fresh. The minute you are walked in, you are greeted with many workers. The place is so clean and the ambiance is so relaxing. My family's food was brought out right away even though they were super busy. Such a great restaurant! I highly recommend especially with big groups as well as kids (even for my vegan and vegetarian people!) because of their great variety of menu options! Definitely coming back again! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Rigatoni Rosa - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Here on January 27,2024 630pm We had to wait 1 hr to be seated while lots of tables empty.. One person show up by her self told to wait 30 to 40 mins while again more single tables where empty.. Been here lots time this has never happened very strange:( Rice had too much water If I could do zero star :( Hope the management team Could do something... read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

Amazing place to have a quick lunch! Aside from how good the beef kabob was and the generous portion. I had a great experience thanks to Cesar, he had great recommendations and was very attentive. I will definitely come back if food quality and service is as great as it was today! read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Beef Koobideh Kabob and Charbroiled Chicken Shish Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

The waitress who served us was excellent, and the food was good. I always order this the first time we dine in.We will be back.

i want to thank Cesar for the wonderful experience. I didn't know what to get and he suggested many dishes that sounded good. I went with the 2 skewers of BEEF KOOBIDEH KABOB and it was delicious. He was attentive and made sure we were set during our dine in. Will definitely be coming back!! read more

Wow. I am so bummed that I never tried this restaurant sooner. Food was delicious, prices are great and the overall vibes are awesome! My family came by on a Sunday evening and were seated pretty quick. We saw the table next to us had ordered a massive plate and browsed the menu. The prices were mind blowing! We started with the Combo Appetizer plate that had a little selection of everything to try. The Tzatziki was my favorite with the Falafel. The family shared plate (recommended for 4) was delicious. You can select 2 salads and we went with the Mediterranean and Caesar salad. Big portions and great flavor. Next came the massive plate. We ordered the Basmati rice and there are a few other selections to choose from. The picture does not do it justice but this plate could serve at least 6 people in my opinion. Big pieces of grilled chicken with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli all piled on the fluffiest rice. So great! Chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy. I will definitely have to revisit and try the other menu offerings. read more

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They used to be great but now they precook all the kabobs. When you dine in, they bring your meal out fast but it's NEVER hit and fresh anymore, they reheat it and when they bring it out, it's lukewarm at best. They care more about their take out customers than their dine in customers. read more

Very friendly and warm environment. Mike was vey friendly and the food quality was great.

Hands down still the best kabob restaurant. Love the chicken kebob, just so juicy and tasty. Have tried so many different places but this place is able to have the chicken so tender and juicy. If you are hungry you can do the combo for $19.99. If you want to feed a few people when you don't feel like cooking , get the family combos. Also my favorite place to go while on keto getting the chicken kabob and replacing the rice with all salad. read more

Have been eating here frequently for a long time. Go to order is the chicken kabob w romaine salad & basmati rice. This place is always consistent and has always been a spot I feel I can get healthy and fresh food that's made to order and is also quite cheap for how good it is imo. Mike has always given the most outstanding service of anybody I've seen in the food retail industry, definitely a worthwhile place to check out if you've never tried it! read more

The food was good but my experience was less enjoyable. I happened to go in on a Sunday during a lunch rush. That was my first mistake. Thirty five minute wait for my food. When my food was brought out, it was in a to-go container and I was told I was not allowed to eat in the restaurant. It turns out that I ordered at the to-go counter and didn't realize it. It was my first time there and I didn't know their processes. There are too many good local Mediterranean restaurants for me to return to a place where I had a frustrating experience. I will not return. read more

Panini Kabob Grill is located in the Los Olivos Marketplace next to Rite Aid. I decided to grab lunch here with my sister and our boyfriends. We were welcomed by one of the servers upon arriving and got seated inside. My boyfriend and I decided to order the Chicken Pesto Panini and the Beef Koobideh Kabob Plate. The Chicken Pesto Panini was yummy. It has artichoke hearts, roma tomatoes, fontina cheese, pesto, and chicken. Surprisingly, the artichoke hearts weren't too bad (not a fan of artichokes to begin with). The panini was crunchy and flavorful, but the chicken was a bit dry. We also got the Pasta Salad with it which was good as well but some pieces were a bit salty. The Beef Koobideh Kabob Plate was so good! I opt to get the 2 kabobs which was way more than enough for me. The beef koobideh tasted so delicious with the Tzatziki sauce. The kabob also came with grilled vegetables like tomato, onion, and bell peppers. The Cesar Salad was really good as well. Their homemade Cesar sauce was on point. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. I would recommend this place if you're craving Mediterranean food! Their entrees are big enough to fill you up. My only compliant was that the service was a bit slow. It took some time to wave down a server to grab our check and to-go containers. However, I did appreciate how they gave me another side of Tzatziki sauce for my leftovers since my boyfriend and I forgot to pack it as we were leaving. read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Chicken Pesto Panini with Pasta Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Mike (Mehrdad)Alvari provided Absolutely outstanding service and food! I ordered catering for a dinner party at my home, and everything was delicious and beautifully prepared. There was a small hiccup at first when the salad was missing, but Mike handled it so professionally and quickly--it was brought to my house just in time, and the dinner was completely saved. The responsiveness and care really impressed me, and my guests were very happy. I truly appreciate the excellent service and would gladly order again. Highly recommend! read more

mailet was an amazing server, food is always excellent and great portions the beef koobiday is my favor as well as the mediterranean salad and basmati rice. and don't miss out on the hummus trio, you can go half and half with cucumber and pita bread! read more

Wow is all I can say about the food. I'm a foodie and I loved both the Italian pasta dishes as well as the the beef kebabs. We brought the family here for my mom's birthday. There was plenty of room for large groups- we had 20+ people. The best part was the price! We couldn't believe the quality of the food for the great low price that we paid. I was also surprised that the Italian pasta dishes were just as good as the kebabs. My family is Italian and we loved both. I would highly recommend. It is not a fancy place, but it's a fun casual date location. read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Inside of the restaurant. - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

Delicious Mediterranean food! We love their family meal combo. It's a great deal with plenty of food for all of us. It comes with a choice of salad, rice/bulgur, and three skewers of chicken kebabs. We like the option of subbing one skewer of chicken for two koobideh. We've enjoyed the food at the restaurant and the service was friendly and attentive. We've also ordered this meal for takeout a few times and I appreciate the care the restaurant takes in packaging their orders. Their food is always fresh and so flavorful. A family favorite! read more

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I think most people have a certain expectation about the food here. It's pretty good. But most people know that. Look, it's not going to blow you away, but you will be happy and satisfied with the meal. It's your typical Mediterranean Fast Casual Restaurant. No major issues. The dining room was also very nice. It's well lit with decent table are for actually eating. Even when they are busy, they get you the food decently fast. Not super fast but fast. read more

As usual great kabobs, pasta and salads! Nice service, however when busy hours a little bit hard to call waiters. We came to celebrate birthday party, and we were satisfied with everything read more

Panini Kabob Grill - Shush kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

Outstanding food, better when fresh. Great environment, they have indoor and patio seating. The server was friendly and made great shareable suggestions. Tried the hummus trio, I was amazing. The only thing I did not expect was the spicy hummus, the original trio had a radish hummus. The salad and rice were great portions, the cup inside restaurant is way smaller than to go. Will def come visit again. read more

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First of all-- not a fan of the customers there not watching their kids. While I was waiting for the rest of my party, some kids came up and put their hands all over the silverware at my table... WHO DOES THAT?! But thankfully, my server didn't make a big deal about me asking for new, clean silverware because... idk where that kids hands have been! I am not typically a Mediterranean person, but I was excited to see they have new pastas on the menu. I went with the pesto linguine with chicken and a side Caesar salad. My food was pretty tasty and it was hot. Also ordered a ginger peach iced tea and it was very refreshing! read more

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Good food, good service, and close to my house I like it. Sometime just have to make sure the order is correct . read more