Panini Cafe

I could write about how there are many great combinations of sandwiches to choose from and how delicious my Cuban as well as the turkey bacon and avocado panini the girls picked was; but I think the few comments my kids made sum up our experience here best– «this is DELICIOUS», «best sandwich EVER» and «this was definitely worth the ride!» — now to wow them even more and try out the gelato sold here too!

I’ve been meaning to get back here for a while. I’ve had lunch at Panini a hand full of times and I’ve always left happy and well fed. It’s more of an order at the counter lunch place than a restaurant to sit down at. But don’t let that deter you, one of my favorite things is bringing home some of their homemade soup. Letting it thaw naturally and cooking it on the stove is the best way to reheat. Moreover, I enjoy grabbing a panini to go, or just eating there before heading over to Kent falls for a short walk around a beautiful landscape. Cheers to Panini I hope that last.

Delicious road runner wrap. The chipotle mayo was fantastic. The older man was personable and authentic. Price was reasonable for the quality food. Would definitely return again.

Best Cuban Sandwich I have ever had in my life!
Let me put this into context because I don’t want to disparage the traditional Cuban Sandwich. But If you like Cubanos with a little heat then you have got to try this. James at the Panini Café deserves the five stars solely for dramatically improving the Cuban Sandwich (among other many reasons) by adding Hot Cherry Peppers. Wow, I was in excruciating ecstasy suffering through every mouth watering bite. If I could have shoved the whole sandwich in my mouth for more… I would have… because I just couldn’t believe one of my favorite sandwiches could reach such new heights so far from Havana. In Miami you have to dip them into your Café con Leche to overcome the cotton dryness when the pickle isn’t holding its own, Now it is going to be very hard to go back to Panini’s and try something else … like the Grandmother Gloria Panini I almost ordered, another favorite of ours with Mozz, Tom, Pesto & Prosciutto that my wife wouldn’t even give me a taste of. (She doesn’t appreciate Pepper Heat like I do so we couldn’t trade). James the owner is my new hero in Kent for out doing himself and not even bragging about it. He said that’s just how he likes it and would have to serve it to others. That’s modesty from a genius!
Let me point out some other WOW’s like how the place was super packed when we walked in and we were surprised that our food came out so fast and so right. It is small so tables turn quick, and we got a table by the time we decided and ordered at the counter. The bread was perfect and beautifully presented with all the grill marks and crunch. The Potato Leak soup du jour was also a perfect addition. Overall excellent value and the service exceeded our expectations, Panini’s was flawless as a small custom sandwich place that will do things anyway you want it if you can ask for it and –if they have the ingredients. It is now my favorite lunch spot in the whole Kent area and I am so glad because I don’t have to travel over an hour to the other places I have found good Panini’s… I have it in my own backyard. and I’m going back for more.

Avoid… avoid…avoid. The only guy working there is the owner. Not only does he take your money, he then proceeds to make your food WITH OUT washing his hands or wearing gloves. Who know what else he does before touching the food? While Panini’s menu looks good, I would suggest GP Giffords around the corner.

Roast beef panini is excellent. Outdoor tables. If you’re still hungry, have some delicious gelato.

We went here on a chilly day to look around the shops of Kent. The location is wonderful, but the product and personalities were terrible.
I ordered a hot chocolate from this coffee shop… I then watched the owner pull out a packet of hot chocolate, pour in some water, and that was it. I think he wanted to charge around $ 5 for it? I was kind of shocked.
These were my unreasonable expectations:
1. That hot cocoa when purchased at a certain price, should not be a packet in hot water. I get the same stuff free while getting my car fixed.
2. That, even if you use a packet — at least use milk and make it «feel» more luxurious. Many people do this at home.
3. That, on the upper end — you should (gasp) make your own hot cocoa out of real chocolate!
I made a joke and kidded the owner that I couldn’t believe I was ordering a hot cocoa, and getting a packet with water — he was not amused. That’s okay, neither was I.
That was just poor quality. If that’s the attention he pays to his hot cocoa, I can’t imagine the food or soups — never again.

Reasonably-​priced healthy portions of nearly any type of toasted sandwich you can imagine can be found at The Panini Café. Fast service, freshly made soups and gelato are what you’ll find here.
Kent, CT, hosts a variety of country shops along route 7 which goes right through the center of town. If you’re planning a day out to absorb the rustic and classic New England feel of Kent, make The Panini Café your lunch destination.

Great specialty sandwich shop. Reasonably priced from for Kent CT. Seating is limited. The portions are a little small.

Meh is correct description for our experience here! We’ve been a couple of times and a word of advice is that if there are customers ahead of you then you will be waiting a long time! If there is no one there then the service is fast.
When food arrives at the table and everyone says «oh, that’s small» then perhaps there is a problem! The $ 9.00 sandwich is tiny, each half is like 2 bites… for that price in this area I think it is a lot. The little sandwich also seems very lonely in it’s paper basket… maybe a couple of chips or a pickle would help to make the portion look less pathetic. The sandwich was tasty, although when I think of a panini I do not think of a soft bun which is more of what the bread resembled.
The establishment is always open during their posted hours and clean.

As a Kent native this place is the best and most affordable sandwich place. It is off the main strip so gets less attention than jp giffords. Most importantly their food is all made with love.

Excellent! We drive over 45 minutes just to get their big BLT whenever we have a day off and feel like driving our little sports car to Northwest CT. We really like it, and it is totally worth the trip!

I really enjoyed the Rattlesnake sandwich. Great flavor with fresh bread!!! My friend had the split pea and ham soup and really enjoyed it. The prices were fair and the service was quick. They were kind enough to bring the food out to us as it was not a busy time of the day. The atmosphere was quaint and rather rustic and void of the hustle and bustle. The selections of sandwiches was nice and rather unique. I will definitely stop in the next time I am driving through Kent.

Panini is deceptively small when you walk in — a cramped counter and maybe 6 tables combined outside and inside. Don’t let that fool you, the variety of wraps, soups, and sandwiches makes it worth a visit.
I decided to kick my lunchtime sandwich up a notch by ordering their Rattlesnake sandwich ($ 7.95) — turkey, bacon, andouille sausage, onion (raw), cheddar cheese and a sriracha sauce. «You bite it, it bites you.» Yup, I felt the bite. But it wasn’t a bad bite — just enough kick to make it tangy (from the sauce and onions), and 95% of the hotness was washed away with my drink. The roll the sandwich was in was pretty nondescript; then again, I didn’t order it for the roll.
Their rest room is in the basement and a little tough to find, but otherwise clean and well maintained.
Kudos to them for having boxes to recycle glass and plastic.

We were in Kent today to visit Belgique for the very last time before their closing in October and found ourselves in need of a late lunch/​early dinner.
Fife ‘n Drum and the Villager were not open during the time we needed food so we were in search of a new spot. Panini was our answer. We knew they were open when we saw a group of people eating at the table outside.
Tucked away but walkable from the main stretch of stores and restaurants, this is a charming little casual place with high ceilings and exposed beams. Inside there are several small tables in a small space. The menu has a large variety of bagels, soups, paninis, wraps, sandwiches, subs, pizza. There was even meatloaf and a meat lasagna available today.
The Reuben I got was very good and the boyfriend liked his Grandma Gloria panini with fresh pesto, mozz, tomato and prosciutto.
A great find that hit the spot and was just what we needed.

ISO some quick eats before heading home we stopped into Panini, an adorable mere wisp of a sandwichery. We decided to share the $ 8.95 Sardine Sandwich with capers, tomato and onion on it. Kissy. ;))) I thought would be huge but it was a normal acceptable size and tall with ingredients. It was very filling and I was glad we shared it as both halves would have been too much. With a house brewed iced tea, it was a good tide over until a light dinner later that night. And now I am inspired to replicate a sardine based panini at home. The service was very friendly too.
I cannot believe I did not take any pictures. Argh! ;)))

Fresh ingredients, they make the simplest foods delicious. Panini is a small deli with a few tables inside and more outside. It is located in the middle of several stand alone stores in the cute town of Kent. We had their breakfast burrito panni, it was simple and delicious with fresh crunchy green pepper slices. We took home some of their soup, Chicken Curry, it was delicious. We will be back and often. This is a great place for a quick delicious bite in Kent.

I find it discouraging that this FANTASTIC Panini shop has been scored only on its gelato, which is a side offering at best. They had by far the best paninis and soups I’ve ever had.
My mom and I had wanted to go to another restaurant in this town, but traveling on a Monday, most of the more popular spots were closed for lunchtime. We went around into some little shops tucked away in a corner, and happened across Panini. To be honest, it didn’t look like anything special. We ordered mushroom soup, a meatloaf sandwich, and a ham, cheddar, and apple sandwich. Oh my gosh, THE best sandwiches I have ever had! The meatloaf melted in my mouth, and it had just the right amounts of flavoring and peppers. (And I almost never like meatloaf.) The cheddar, apple, and ham sandwich was delicious, with just the perfect sharpness to the cheddar and sweetness of apple. The mushroom soup was so delicious, we decided to buy a frozen quart of the portuguese kale soup to take for dinner. That was fantastic too! Everything was excellently prepared and reasonably priced. I wish I had one of these where I live!

Gelato didn’t pass the ice cream test. Sandwiches looked interesting, though.