Pagano’s

I’ve been looking for a Italian coldcut sub as good as that hallowed sandwich they wrap up at Santoni’s in Glyndon, MD. That sub has reached folklore status amongst my inner circle of MD food fanatics.
Pagano’s is as good, if not better. Meaning that puts it in the top 3 Italian cold-​cuts I’ve ever had.
Advice here on the bun is spot on. Get the Sesame Roll. Its soft with a crunchy exterior. Not overpowering in flavor. It adds a nice toasted aromatic aspect to the flavor profile of the sub. It is an excellent preparatory note from which to initiate the culinary journey into the heart of this submarine, its porcine core. This core is built with über-​thin gossamer sheets of salty/​savoury ham and salami. The meat product was superb. It was very well balanced in meatiness, salt, and spices. It did the heavy lifting on both the mouthfeel and flavorloading of the sandwich.
Fresh (enough) vegetables and long hots, and a smooth glistening of mayonaisse accompanied me on this flavor journey, precipitating gently from the sandwich at perhaps inopportune times due to the copius quantites of meat within this creation.
This is a great sub. And 10″ for $ 6.50 certainly is a reasonable due for the serving. 5 stars.

Best hoagies and chicken cutlet sandwiches in the area. Their assortment of authentic Italian food and imported specialty items is huge, and not to mention all of their food is cooked fresh daily!

Best in Delco. If you want a good sandwich, this is where you need to go. Chicken cutlets are delicious, cold hoagies are great, everything behind the counter is delicious. Prices are great, staff is always polite. And tomato pie is awesome. Can’t be beat.

(3.5) ~ good overall food & service for this italian market & deli.
FOOD:
**Penne Pasta w. Rosato Sauce = (4) very good… our favorite
**Perugina Milk Chocolate Bar = (4) very good
* Potato Salad = (3.75) Good
* 49^th Street Special Hoagie = (3.5) good
* Chicken Tortellini Soup = (3.5) good
* Mozzarella Salad = (3.5) good
* Regular Italian Hoagie = (3.25) pretty good… roll was a little hard though…
* Tomato Pie = (3.25) pretty good
* Sausage & Peppers = (3.25) pretty good
* Asparagus Frittata = (3.25) pretty good
* Gnocchi = (3.25) pretty good
* Smoked Mozzarella = (3) ok… but might have been past sell date

Going from living in South Philly to Delco which is like a culinary desert to me. This place reminds me of my old neighborhood with the delicious Italian specialty items they offer. I have yet to have anything here that wasn’t tasty. There meatballs are pretty decent and the bread they use is the best your gonna find in This area that’s for sure. I’m glad this place is close by where I live now.

I don’t give 5 star reviews to just anyone. Pagano’s is definitely a place that deserves it. Not just for the food, but for the entire experience.
I learned about Pagano’s a few years ago from a friend who went there often. Before Pagano’s, I had never experienced a chicken cutlet sandwich. Never had one in my life. I never experience a hoagie on a delicious seeded roll. I never experienced some of the lunch meats and cheeses. I never experienced superb customer service in a sandwich shop/​deli. Thanks to Pagano’s, that all changed.
Driving south on Township Line (route 1) coming from the direction of West Chester Pike (route 3) you will find Pagano’s in a small building with 4 parking spots out front. It can be easy to miss. There is a Swiss Farms right before it and it shares a lot with an insurance company. There is also parking around back.
Enter Pagano’s and you will be surrounded by the tastes of Italy. To your right are refrigerators filled with their homemade salads, pastas, cheeses, meats, and dinners. To the left you will see shelves that are filled with different oils, pastas etc. My favorite part of the store is straight ahead to the back. Yes, that is where you will find the deli. There is a huge assortment of pastas, chicken, sausages, breaded stuff, everything. To the left of that is the deli case that houses all of the different salads (including fresh octopus) olives, lunch-​meats and cheeses. In front of the deli case are bins that hold the several types and brands of rolls/​bread.
The service here is just plain AWESOME! The staff is very attentive, courteous, and respectful. I feel like part of the family when I am ordering. They even offer to carry the items up front for you. Service is fast. I don’t mean fast as in your order is made in blazing speed. I mean as soon as you get back there, they recognize you, say hello and ask if you need help with anything on the menu.
The sandwiches are AMAZING! Everything is fresh. The rolls are superb. The chicken is cooked perfectly. The lunch-​meats and cheeses are just YUMM! Make sure you check out all of my pictures.
My favorite sandwich is #22 on the menu. Chicken Cutlet Saltimbocca: Chicken Cutlets with prosciutto, broccoli di rabe and sharp provolone cheese. I add long hots to it. Make sure you order it on a Sesame Seeded Abruzzi’s Bakery roll. So so good! (see picture)
I also like to order #11 on the menu. Chicken Cutlet Caesar: Chicken cutlets with romaine lettuce, sharp provolone cheese, grated pecorino romano cheese and caesar dressing. I usually add fresh prosciutto and sub out the provolone cheese for fresh mozzarella. Seeded roll of course!
#19 on the menu is their Italian Hoagie Diablo: Hot sopressata, pepper ham, ham capicolla and sharp provolone cheese with lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and seasonings. I love my mayo and usually order it with extra. Put it all on a seeded roll! (see picture)
Fresh seafood salad: Octopus, mussels and everything else that swims. So good! (see pic)
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad: It is a Caesar salad with pasta! (see pic)
Chicken Salad: Very tasty and fresh. Perfectly seasoned. Delicious! (see pic)
Macaroni Salad: Probably my favorite macaroni salad ever. Homemade and seasoned wonderfully. You have to try it! (see pic)
Red and Green Pepper Shooter: peppers stuffed with meats and cheese. A little spicy. (see pic)
Fresh Homemade Breaded Eggplant: Ask them to put some sauce and cheese on it, take it home and heat it up. Enjoy! (see pic)
So yes, I give this place a 5 star review. It is fully worthy of it. The entire experience is delightful. Thank you Pagano’s for helping me struggle with my diet!
Go there and thank me afterwards.

I’m never disappointed by my orders here. I will admit that I’ve only had the sandwiches but that’s good enough to keep me as a customer. I wish the parking situation was better but I guess it’s the price you have to pay to have delicious bread and the perfect chicken cutlet. Definitely recommended over the other choices nearby.

I was told from a very good friend that their «Tomato Pie» was out of this world! I never found out because two times in a row I’ve called this place to order a pie only to be denied because they said they had too many orders. I understand the first time I asked because it was only a couple of days before my son’s birthday. The second time I called almost TWO WEEKS in advance, I was turned down again and very RUDELY too! The craziest thing was I only wanted to order ONE PIE! Their reason was that they only had one oven. The women who answered the phone was very nice but the guy in the background just kept yelling «Can’t do it»! I’ve had sandwiches at this place which were very good but I will NEVER go back. Your food may be good but customer service should remain paramount!

Been going to Paganos for years. One of the best hogies I’ve ever had. Homemade meat balls and eggplant parm are super. Great selection in the deli. A must try place. Staff is very pleasant.

Simply the best hoagies in Delco. The Italian, Chicken Cutlet and Roast Pork are some my favorite menu items.
Skip the chain hoagie places and give this place a shot.

Ill make this easy. Don’t get hoagies anywhere else. You would be discounting yourself. Just as good if not better than all hoagies in Philly. Yeah I said it. Support local small business.

My favorite hoagies in the Philadelphia area. The meats are as good as I have seen in the suburbs, with an especially large selection of prosciutto. All of the sandwiches are stuffed with the finest quality ingredients that you will find anywhere, and the service is outstanding. I agree that you should always call ahead, as during lunch time the place is packed. When I have someone visiting from out of town, and I want to show them what a real Philly hoagie is like, I take them to Pagano’s and order them a 49^th Street Special.

yum. Okay let me start with this– I’m not from Philadelphia. Hoagie is such a hard word for me to say. It’s a Sub. It will always be a sub, but I do try… When in Rome… So, on this beautiful sunny day, we decided to pick up some hoagies (yay) and have a picnic up at Valley Forge. My husband works in Center City, so he’s always telling me I have to try Paganos, but we just hadn’t made it until today. Well, actually we tried one other day this winter, but we didn’t know that there is no seating inside the restaurant. It’s strictly a sandwich take out shop/​italian market. Since we were just trying to stop in for lunch, we left and decided to try a different sandwich shop with sit down seating.
Today, though, we were prepared and headed for our picnic, so we stopped in checked out the menu, I knew what I wanted when I walked in. See, I’m boring. When I have a sub, eh hem, a hoagie, 90% of the time, it’s a roast beef and muenster cheese with mayo and lettuce. I don’t know why, but honestly it’s all the sandwich I want. Every now and then I’ll crave an Italian. Luckily, that’s the husband’s and one of the daughter’s go to, so I can have a bite and that’s perfect for me.
We decided on my roast beef (small), my husband and daughter were going to share a large 49^th St special, which is a suped up Italian with some prosciutto and extra sharp provolone (large) and my other daughter wanted a chicken cutlet hoagie (small). They ask if we would like seeded or non seeded rolls, which is always nice because on my lovely plain roast beef, the last thing I want it on is a seeded roll.
It took about 15 mins of waiting before they called our name and our sandwiches were done. I noticed that there is about a 4″ difference in length between a small sub, I mean hoagie, and a large one. I was a teeny bit nervous that a large wasn’t going to be enough for the husband and kid to share. I figured I’d share some of mine if needed. While the sandwiches were being prepared, we grabbed two large bags of chips, a box of italian cookies and 20oz soda for the husband. There is a nicely stocked italian market inside, it’s definitely not just a deli. The total bill for all was just about $ 37. There were napkins and forks available at the register incase we needed, which was nice since I forgot napkins for our picnic.
Upon opening the sandwiches at our picnic destination, the first thing I noticed is the difference in the amount of meat between the large and the small sub. It’s substantial. It was great for us, because since the meat was definitely not lacking, there was no fear of half not filling the kid up. She actually wound up not finishing it. The husband did finish and said it was fantastic. I took a bite and can attest to the fact that it was delicious. The flavors were all there and spot on. My roast beef was yummy. The only fault I could find was that the roast beef, while flavorful, was far from rare. I like my roast beef very pink– but that’s just me. It was still very good. The other daughter’s chicken cutlet sandwich was very good. In fact, I’d stop in and pick up a few cutlets to go and make an easy parmagiana one night for dinner. The chicken was super yum.
The italian cookies we picked up were good, but definitely not my husband’s style. He prefers a sweeter, chewier cookie, and I can understand that. They were definitely what they were marketed to be– italian cookies. I’d pass next time on them.
In the end, I will definitely return here. It’s actually on the way to our pool, so I foresee weekend hoagie picnics at the pool!

Everything about this place is amazing. The smell of fresh rolls, hot chicken cutlets, and sharp Italian cheeses greets you the moment you walk in. This is followed by wonderful staff members who, regardless of how busy they are (and they are always busy), take the time to say hello and often walk your order to the register for you. Their 49^th Street special is our favorite hoagie. The prosciutto is sliced paper thin and complements the sharp provolone perfectly. We also love their olive salad, chicken cutlets, escarole soup, and chicken salad. The sausage scallopini: divine. We live two hours away, but every time we are in the area, this is our first stop. NOT TO BE MISSED!

This my friends, is one of my favorite lunch destinations. A true to form, family owned Italian deli, that has it all and then some.
The customer service here is absolutely superb. The Pagano’s employees are as friendly as can be and always seem eager to help. They work together as a team and you can tell that they aim to please. It is pretty evident that the sandwich they make for you is the same way they would make it for themselves.
As far as the sandwiches go, my mouth is already starting to water just from writing about them. I usually always go with a small #4 (Chix Cutlet Pagano) with fried hot peppers on an unseeded roll. A small is the perfect size and in most cases more than adequate. All of the sandwiches are good, but their chicken cutlets are excellent and hard to pass up. The sandwich referenced above will run you $ 5.99. They also have a great assortment of Herr’s chips up in the front of the shop.
The side dishes behind the glass are also quite good. My wife mandates that I pick up a med sized container of their macaroni salad. A little bit different as they make it with egg. I also usually go for a small container of the marinated fresh mozzarella that is perfectly seasoned. I have also been known to grab a pepper shooter or two.
Their homemade meatballs are also terrific and they have about anything you would need to put together a fine Italian meal. Fresh bread from South Philadelphia bakeries are delivered daily.
See you at Pagano’s, but don’t forget to call ahead!

Since eating at Pagano’s I started watching the Sopranos again and acting like I am Italian. This place is amazing! I would order a cold cut every other weekend for 3 months straight as I was only here for that duration for work. To be honest, I have no complaints. Every sub I had was amazing, from their Italian, chicken cutlet to their fish sandwich for lent.
They also have a nice variety of cooked pastas, meatballs, sauces etc. I was never able to walk out of there without picking up a few things from the market. They also have great tomato pie! I will deeply miss this place.

A trip to this Italian grocery and sandwich shop always results in a massive amount of overeating for the next few days but, gosh darnit, it’s worth it. If you are looking for precooked Italian dishes and salads, this place is the bomb! Some of my favorites include the thinly pounded and fried chicken cutlets, garlicky broccoli rabe, string beans and potato salad, and chicken scallopini. The shop always has fresh selections of chicken and tuna salad to take out as well in addition to other lunch meats, including imported Italian lunch meats and cheeses and fresh rolls from at least four or five bakeries including famous Casia’s bakery. You can also purchase items like italian olives, fresh made soups and imported soppresata and other meats.
Pagano’s also has a grocery section including imported Italian items including a large selection of sweets and cookies that are difficult to find since they aren’t usually carried in local grocery stores. There is even an Italian gift section worth looking at with home décor and kitchen items for friends who love all things Italian. Oh, and did I mention they make sandwiches? Yes, hot and cold sandwiches including roast pork, roast beef, hoagies and fresh turkey sandwiches.
So, if you are looking for authentic Italian dishes for an easy dinner or entertaining, this is the place to go.
**My only complaint is that driving into and out of the parking lot to this land of Italian awesomeness requires skills like those of a driver in the overcrowded streets of Rome. The entrance and exit are tight and it’s always crowded. My recommendation, park next door in the shopping center and walk over. It will do your heart good.

We ordered hoagies and chicken cutlets from their catering menu for my daughter’s hs graduation party — and I am now a fan!
The hoagies were extremely fresh — so much so that I ate the leftovers the next day for lunch and they still tasted fresh! I chose the italian, the roasted veggie and the brocolli raab with sharp provolone for our vegetarian guests. I sampled all 3 and loved them all!
This is a classic Italian hoagie, stuffed with thinly sliced coldcuts and cheese rolled neatly in a lightly oiled roll — much better than Primos.
The chicken cutlets were hot when I picked up the order — they were sliced perfectly thinly, but were slightly dry — but I think it’s hard to make juicy chicken cutlets — they were tasty anyway and that’s all that matters. And the portion in the full tray was generous (well, full).
A note about the store — they have Italian specialty products including imported arborio rice and farro and other grains and pastas that you can only find in specialty stores in the City.
I will return!!!
Thanks for helping make our grad party a success!!!

What the heck was I waiting for?
I mean, a place with 5 stars in Delco that a bunch of my Unilocal friends have been to and raved about, I just ask myself why I didn’t get here sooner.
Man, I’m glad I made it here now.
It’s as good a hoagie as I’ve had anywhere. The turkey saltimbocca is just like my fellow Unilocaler Steven B said. The ingredients blend together perfectly and don’t overwhelm. The turkey, prosciutto, broccoli rabe, and provolone are a perfect combo. A small is more than enough for $ 5.99. I couldn’t even finish it.
I couldn’t resist sampling a chicken cutlet too. Yeah, they were pretty close to how my grandmother made them. I’m a sucker for Italian chicken cutlets and these are as good as any around.
I’ll be back. This place is a true gem.

This place is within walking distance of my in-​laws home is the absolute best place to get a hoagie. In the world. Have I been everywhere in the world? Obviously not, but I’m that confident because they’re that good. The bread is amazing. The chicken cutlets? To.Die.For. I’ve gotten the tomato pie and that’s delicious, too. And the bruschetta? MMMM. The guys who make the hoagies are always friendly, too.
Parking is a freakin’ nightmare, no matter how you slice it. The lot is tiny and always crowded. If you can avoid bringing your car, I highly suggest it. If you have a large car, don’t even try.
They have a large assortment of authentic Italian food and ingredients in addition to the hoagies. If you’re looking for some obscure ingredient they more than likely carry it.