The Panini Shop

Slow service. Overpriced. Crazy ass owner with a short fuse. Owner seems to load up his Unilocal with fake reviews.

I rarely treat myself to lunch during the work week, but I was out-​and-​about for a meeting today and decided to actually ENJOY the freedom for a change! I zeroed in on The Panini Shop based on the glowing Unilocal reviews — plus, I’m a sucker for sandwiches!
I agree that it’s a bit difficult to find because it’s located in a business park, but GPS was accurate!
I ordered one of the Daily Specials: Grilled Chicken Wrap with Avocado and took it To Go.
The wrap was on a wheat tortilla, was grilled, and also included tomato, some type of cheese, and a slightly-​spicy sauce. The chicken was white meat and good, though slightly dry (as white meat can be).
It was advertised as $ 9.50 and what I THOUGHT came with chips and a can of pop. The owner charged me $ 9 — perhaps because their internet service/​ability to use credit cards was compromised at the moment and I paid in cash? — and offered «chips on the house» when I was on my way out the door. I declined the chips. No pop was offered. It’s possible I was mistaken that the Daily Special included more than just the sandwich.
The owner seemed very nice — even telling a guy who only had a credit card to «not worry about it and pay (him) next time» — and he thanked me a few times over and invited me back.
It was a cute space, the owner was nice, and the wrap was good… just not $ 9-​for-​a-​Sandwich Good.
I’d go back, but for something with a more moderate price tag.

Hard to find but worth it. Had the tuna sandwich and it was great. Service was even better than the food.

Awesome place for lunch. Walked in and immediately felt welcomed. The tuna melt was amazing. Owner let me test taste the tuna salad. Try it out! You won’t be disappointed.

First and foremost, I always say that I’m going to write a review and never actually do… But this place deserves a fantastic review… So fantastic that I am currently taking a bite of my delicious chicken parm sandwich as I type this out. Fresh and delicious food for a reasonable price but what’s best is the customer service! I will definitely come back here soon!

Met a friend here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised! They welcomed everyone who came in by name. Granted, they are located in an office building, but still! So pleasant and happy to answer any questions. My turkey panini was made right and it was delicious. He even brought us over some truffles for dessert. So glad I found this little gem!

Do yourself a favor and grab a sandwich here of you’re in town. The owner is one the nicest guys you’ll meet and the food is great. We had the ham panini and the arti panini, both were fresh and delicious. The location is hard to find since its on an office park, but its worth the extra minute to find it.

wonderful food!!! they’re fast and the owner is the sweetest man. he brought me a free slice of Italian bread, gave the table next to me a free dessert and talks to everyone.
I love this place.

I was out in Lombard to pick up a piece of glass @ Oakbrook Glass. Afterwards I was looking for a place to grab a bite to eat as it was after 1 pm and I didn’t eat lunch yet. I looked on Unilocal and found The Panini Shop at 100 W 22^nd St, Lombard, IL 60 148. I’m always open to trying something new. The Panini Shop is not very easy to find as its inside an office building and the entry faces perpendicular to the street with no clear signage indicating where it is located. I ended up driving past the store and having to do a U turn after the GPS directed me to do a U turn.
When I walked in I was greeted by a very polite guy whom I later found out was the owner John. I mentioned that the store was difficult to find and he said that this had been a continuing issue as no signage was allowed. Probably based on the zoning in the area. John was a very nice guy with a super pleasant personality.
I ordered the chicken Parmesan sandwich and while I was waiting he asked me if I wanted a complimentary soup. He gave me the choice of a chicken noodle soup or a lentil. I selected the lentil soup. While I was eating a number of people came in and they all seemed to know John very well.
The soup and chicken Parmesan sandwich were both ok, but the service and the conversation were exemplary. I would rate the food only 3 stars, but the service was excellent and I would rate this 5 stars. Based on the food & Johns personality and service I would give an overall rating of 4.
I’m not out in the Lombard that often as I live in Chicago, but would definitely give Panini another chance if I were out in the area. Thanks John for the excellent service.

Amazing hospitality. Not used to that in the chicagoland area. Pasta salad was superb. Tried the pretzle chkn panini and it was awesome. I missed the lunch rush thank goodness. the man who I believe owns gave some special dining treatment. I’ll be back next week!

Had to try this place based on all the 5 stars reviews and the pretzel chicken panini. The panini was great and the owner was very nice but neither were so amazing that I will be returning to pay $ 10 for essentially just a breaded chicken sandwich.

Best Caprese Panini I have ever had. And I have had tons of them, being a 93%vegetarian. I love Unilocal,wouldn’t have found this wonderful restaurant without it. The Pesto was amazing, great zesty taste to it that I’ve never experienced before. Loved it. Lentil soup was delicious and the owner is the nicest man you’ll meet at a sandwich shop. The reviews are right, this place rocks. Plus, he gave me a complimentary cookie! How did he know I love cookies?!? Must be my waist line… dead giveaway. LOL

This is my second visit to the Panini Shop and I have nothing but great things to say. It’s nestled away in a business park on the east side of 22^nd Street in Lombard. I had a Turkey Panini, it was fresh and delicious. After my meal the owner gave me a complimentary chocolate chip cookie. The owner is extremely personable and friendly. This is a great place for lunch!

I love this little spot! Challenging to find but worth the trip.
The tuna salad is exceptional. I dont recall all of the ingredients but it was so tasty. Everything is so fresh, homemade and delicious. My good friend who s a excellent cook often carties out their pretzel chicken.

Wow, what a great place!!! The food was amazing and the owner was awesome! He not only made us a free appetizer, he also wanted to give us dessert for free and refused a tip! So friendly and genuine, we were in Chicago for work and will for sure be back if we are in the area again. I had the pretzel chicken panini and my boss the Italian sub, both were great!

Going west on 22^nd past Main in Lombard, immediately on the right inside a one story brown brick office complex is a well kept secret. A small but bright and clean Panini shop owned by John. They are a lunch place open only weekdays till 4:30 as they depend on the surrounding offices for business. Not the best location for a business but they seem to be making the best of it. ⁴⁄₅ tables were full when i went on a Friday around 1. John greeted me and asked if it was my first time in. I ordered the Artie’s Grilled Chicken and loved it. 1 pound of healthy protein in this cheesy seasoned sandwich. What I love is they stick to one or two items and do it well. They dont try to be something they are not, and keep it fresh. John was very hospitable offering chips on the house for my first visit. Also, they have this bring a friend get a free treat policy. I think that is a noble idea to help with your social well being as well as get you free goods! They only thing I wish was different was their hours and perhaps location, or even if they were open on the weekend. Help me by visiting The Panini shop and maybe word spreads enough to where they need to be open on the weekends! I see myself being a regular if that were the case! I loved it!

Stopped in for a quick lunch today around 1:00 PM give or take. The lunch crowd had cleared out so the service was immediate. The man behind the counter (who I’m assuming is the owner) was on top of things.
I ordered and received my food in about 7 – 10 minutes, I went with the asiago and roast beef w/​horseradish. My panini was delicious and they were kind enough to throw in a free bag of chips in addition to my panini and drink.
I’ll be back.

After getting really sick and tired of horrible fast food subs, I decided to go on a hunt for a real sandwich shop in the area. After one stop, it’s safe to call off the search! This place is the one!
My companion and I ventured to the Panini Shop around noon on a Tuesday. It is a little difficult to find, nestled among a nondescript office complex. Once you enter, you immediately feel a familial warmth. A few small wooden tables are arranged with floral tablecloths. One TV is in the corner, with no one really paying attention to it. You order at the counter, grab your chips and drink, and sit down and wait for your food to be ready.
The clientele seems to be mostly the crowd from the offices in the immediate vicinity. This makes sense, as I mentioned, this place is tough to notice unless you work in the same complex.
John, the owner, and the rest of the staff are simply amazing. They brought out some tomato bread for us to snack on while we waited for our food. The ambiance is perfect for a lunch by yourself or with a couple of friends. Well lit due to the large window serving as one of the walls. Not loud, but not eerily quiet either. I ordered an Italian Sub with hot giardiniera, while my companion got the meat ravioli, which was on special. Both items were great. The sandwich was exactly what I look for in a sub. Fresh, light, crispy bread. Not overloaded with meat, but plenty of quality Boar’s Head slices. The veggies were fresh and the giardiniera was perfect, though I forgot to ask what brand they use. The ravioli was delicious, though nothing out of the ordinary. Like I said, all I had on my mind was a sandwich, so that’s what I focused on.
After we were done, they nicely packed up our leftover ravioli and surprised us with a couple of chocolate chip cookies! This was a great touch and cemented our satisfaction with the place. Bonus points for having flavored sparkling water, both San Pellegrino and Ice Mountain (which I did not realize even existed). I opted for my standard San Pellegrino Aranciata, which never disappoints.
They also cater, which will definitely be an option for any business lunches I host in the future.
Altogether, our bill ended up under $ 20, which was more than fair. John, again, was super friendly and engaging. I look forward to coming back.

First time here today, and I ordered the turkey panini. When I walked in, the first thing I see is a huge smile on the (owner, I think) face! They were so nice and the panini was great! The panini was a nice size with ample turkey, I only wish it came along with chips or something. For $ 7, I feel you should be getting something else with it for a lunch! But overall, I will definitely be coming back for there paninis!

I am definitely a fan of The Panini Shop! Everything I’ve gotten from here is very fresh. The Panini Shop may be hard to find if you’re not familiar with the office buildings in the area. The restaurant is on the lower level of Greenbrook Executive Center, on 22^nd street and Main.
The chef makes excellent Italian pasta: homemade ravioli, lasagna, rotolo… They also make delicious sandwiches and pizza! My favorite item for lunch is the Over the Edge Salad. It’s made with romaine lettuce, cranberries, blue cheese, and walnuts, and it’s a great sized portion. I can eat it for both lunch and a snack.
To make the place even more appealing, the service is very friendly. They know their more frequent customers by name, and are very good at waiting on you if you’re eating in. I think if more people knew about The Panini Shop, they would have skyrocketing business.
Unless you get a daily special, some of the items can get pricey; this is not a place to eat every day if you have any sort of budget. This is the reason why I didn’t give 5 stars.