Panini Cafe & Bakery

Love coming here before heading out to work. First time I walked in I wasn’t sure what to expect. But The owner makes a great cappuccino! I can’t get enough of the apples and walnuts baklava thing (sorry forgot what it’s called) the bread is top notch made daily. Thank you guys for being here!

I have lived by this place for a couple of years but never stopped in until some people told me they had the best bread. Since I love homemade bread, I couldn’t resist stopping in and checking it out. I have tried 2 kinds of their breakfast pastries (their bread stuffed with various types of filling), one being the nutella, and the other one being the spinach and feta. Both are very good! I have also tried their coffee, and I assure you it is not gas station coffee, as someone previously mentioned in their comment. I believe it is actually Italian, from what the female barista told me, and I think it is delicious and comparable to Starbucks or Dutch bros. I ordered the café latte, and they made it right in front of me in their espresso maker. Their bread is very good, and they have a large bread rack with all the different types of bread they make fresh that day. I haven’t tried their sandwiches yet, but will be back to try one very soon. The décor is just like other reviews stated, a bakery/​café. There are a few tables inside and a couple of high-​tops outside. They are friendly and explain to you what the different items on their menu are. Their deserts are also made in house and are very good.

Delicious! We ate the whole bag of bread on the ride home.

By far the most authentic Bosnian restaurant in PHX. The ćevapi are amazing and the pita is great. I would recommend the cheese one.

Absolutely loved the Bosnian style pita with feta in it! Enough for two people to share and my cappuccino went perfect with it. Will definitely visit soon.

So I went here with a Bosnian friend, that ordered for me.
It’s quite a sterile café-​ish environment. Kinda like a bakery, because they have bread and pastries — but then again its not. It’s different, not in a cozy way.
So I was dealt this plate with a huge round bread on it (maybe 10 inches in diameter). The bread freshly made, very hot with a light coat of oil on it. The bread was cut in half like a hamburger bun, but inside instead of a burger patty it was full of seasoned sausage meat. This dish is called ćevapčići, or cevapi for short.
There is nothing more to this meal, but the bread was delicious and the sausage was nice and tasty. I couldn’t finish it, even if I ate on a totally empty stomach. this was a different experience for me, but one I would do again. next time I’d save some room for tasty looking Bosnian pastries too.
The owners was super nice, even if the service is more in a east european anarchic way. You tell them what you want, they bring it you pay. No checking on you — if you want something, you let them know. I actually like this as a guest in their bakery — don’t bring your hooters’ waitress expectations here.

Delicious!!!

Eastern European cuisine and baked goods. The breads and pastries are baked fresh daily. We had a loaf of their bread with dinner. Everyone at dinner complimented the bread. The Baklava was made on the premises and the piece served was HUGE in comparison to others around town. The Lady Fingers dipped in coconut were excellent.
The service was quick and knowledgeable. The prices were VERY reasonable.
They also serve some savory options such as the meat burek, sausage and gyros. I saw a meat burek after I’d already had lunch. I’ll be trying that the next time I’m in their neighborhood. Their cooler stocks Coca Cola products. Coffee is brewed fresh on the premises.

The meat burek is awesome and the most filling $ 5 lunch you can buy. Bosnian cuisine is awesome, as well, but the menu here is limited to mostly bakery items.
Take home some of the breads and you’ll be pleased. They make amazing sandwiches and go quite well with some good olive oil, too.
Do not be put off by the patrons speaking another language besides English. I have struck up a few friendly conversations with Bosniaks in English to pass the time waiting for my food to be ready and learned a thing or two about politics in the former Yugoslavia along the way.

Love the lattes and the poppy seed rolls. Very Eastern European, very old fashioned. Love it!

I drove across town to get some Burek (Not sure why they call it Panini) It was excellent! I got the beef. They were out of the Cheese and feta. This baked good comes from the former Yugoslavia area. Hard to explain it because it doesn’t really compare to anything. I uploaded a picture. It is a must try if you are looking for a little adventure. This little joint is a Bosnian hang out. People in there speaking there language. The service is very European and by that I mean the people who have left the bad comments have probably never been to Europe. It’s just a different mentality when it comes to service. It’s not bad service, it’s just different than we are used to. Once you can except that, you will enjoy! I will be back for some Civape. Or maybe I will get Burek again. So hard to choose. $ 4.99= Burek. Worth every penny cause you could never make something like this in your kitchen.

This place is horrible. I called on the phone to ask what kind of sandwiches they had and they told me roast beef, turkey etc… When I get there I check out the menu and the roast beef is actually pastrami. Also my girlfriend ordered the turkey and provolone sandwich which comes with a side of mayo. Well there was no mayo. We asked for mayo and we were told they never have mayo. How can a sandwich joint not have mayo. They don’t even have toasted panini’s. Not to mention there where $ 100 bills in the tip jar, who tips $ 100 for a shitty sandwich and a loaf of bread. This place is a front for the Russian mob.

Very friendly family owned place. The breads and desserts are great and freshly baked each day! They get very busy, but the service is quick and you can always be certain that you’re getting a great deal. Everything is so inexpensive!
You often see lots of people speaking different languages and having a grand olé time. Great bakery and café and its always wonderful to see a family owned establishment that cares about their community.

I have been at Panini a few times. The place is clean and family owned. Very simple.
Initially I just needed a cup of coffee and this place was the first one I found in the area. Coffee is similar to the gas station $ 1 one. But, they have «gyros» and I enjoy Mediterranean food. So, I returned for lunch. The «gyro» I got was not necessarily what I expected but good. The owner (man) was a bit polite, but not friendly. I don’t easily jump onto conclusions. But, the woman!!! So unfriendly to me (another customer, spoke their language, was treated great), so I justified it by thinking in my head,” …she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking English.”.
They bake their own bread!!! I went back yet another time! Their bread is great.
Since I was not familiar with Bosnian food, I decided to give it a try again. This time the woman at the register was so unfriendly, I couldn’t find an excuse this time. She’s plain rude!
You would think I’m a masochist! As much as I like the bread, it’s not worth it. The feeling I’ve left with is: «you are not welcomed here». So, one star for the bread!

Looking for good lunch spots close to work can be a tricky thing. Sometimes I randomly stop at a place simply because it’s convenient. Such was the case with Panini Café.
I drive past Panini every day on my way home from work and never once was I tempted to try it. Located in a strip mall it really didn’t look like much. Luckily Panini Café is far more than meets the eye.
The interior is simple and clean, nothing too amazing. It’s the food that really makes an impression.
The menu makes me chuckle a little, due to what some would consider to be misleading item names. A ‘gyro’ here is not what you’d expect. This is Bosnian food and it’s delicious.
I ordered a meat and onion ‘pita.’ I paid a little over six bucks for the pita and a soda and headed back to work. Opening the box I was surprised at what I saw.
A gigantic loaf of something sat there, smelling like heaven. This thing was huge. by huge I mean I could have boarded down a mountain on it. Piping hot beef, cabbage and onions made up the filling. The crust was made of Phyllo dough and was perfectly cooked.
This is comfort food at it’s best. The flavor was simple but delicious. I was able to get two full meals outta this thing. Two meals, six bucks…
For a rustic treat, give Panini Café and Bakery a try.
Note: I’m not much for sweets, but the pastries here looked divine.

My bf saw the disappointment on my face when we went to the Balkan Bakery and were told that they ran out of bureks! The store JUST opened for the day…9 minutes too late I guess :(We drove to the Panini Café & Bakery instead. They have a very huge, neatly organized menu when you step in, all with photos + item name which I found very helpful. They also have freshly baked bread sitting on a rack on the right wall.
Ordered 2 espressos, 1 cheese burek, 1 meat burek, and 2 yogurts (a must when eating bureks). The bureks are hefty and VERY filling. I was definitely wired after the espresso, which totally beats any regular coffee. We sat outside on one of the small café tables. Perfect way to start the day.
We came back 2 days later to order $ 50 worth of cevapi for a group trip to the dunes. They prepared for us cevapi patties, each separated by a layer of aluminum foil for easy handling. Awesome and delicious.

Anne, I can’t even imagine I visited the same place as you did-​I found them very friendly and my lunch was just great today. Though I’ll give you the ‘Panini’ moniker is misleading, and the pita is likely not what most people are used to. This place is definitley worth a visit though!
I recently found out my favorite lepinja bread at Asiana Market (43^rd Ave/​Union Hills) was baked here, and I was counting the milliseconds until I could visit this place. Seriously-​best bread I have EVER eaten and I’ve eaten LOTS of bread. It is a pillow of wonderfulness reserved only for the most discriminating carbo-​holics :)
So, me and a buddy split the small beef sausage sandwich with the above mentioned killer bread, onions and a buttery/​creamy condiment spread. We are both foodies (though Bosnian food wouldn’t be something we’d call familiar) and we couldn’t quite nail down what this was. Except darn tasty! I’d call a mix between whipped butter and sour cream? HELLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
I can’t imagine a person actually being able to eat the whole thing by themselves, but we both loved our lunch-​and a $ 5 price tag makes it even more appealing.
I will DEFINITELY be back. They get the five-​star fame just for their awesome bread! Please bury me with a coffin full when I’m dead :)

Yum! Mr K introduced me to Bosnian sausage sandwiches several months ago. The place was not exactly convenient for lunch but I would occasionally crave the delicious spongy bread with the plump beef sausage nubs, sour cream and red pepper spread.
At the same time, I’d drive by Panini Café & Bakery and think, «I gotta check that place out!,» thinking I’d find the hot pressed sandwiches we’ve come to know as panini.
Then, the Unilocal application for Droid called my attention to this place and I began to read the reviews — growing increasingly excited to find these unique Bosnian treats so close to home!
Today, I made a special trip for lunch.
The woman at the counter was friendly and helpful. I learned about the many breads baked there. Saw a «pita» which reminded me of a stuffed croissant. For under $ 2 I can pick one up filled with egg, spinach and feta or… nutella??? They open at 8, Tuesday through Sunday. No doubt, I will be back for breakfast within the week!
The «small» sausage sandwich (pictured) was $ 5 and was just as delicious as the one Mr K had shown me with one exception (thus, 4 stars instead of 5): they did not have sour cream and red pepper spread condiments. Now that I know they’re there, I can get take out and have those condiments at home (Trader Joe’s has a great red pepper and eggplant spread) so it’s not the end of the world. The sausage is dense and flavorful but not too spicy.
Other sandwich options include gyro meat (lamb or chicken) or chicken breast. There are a few salads to choose from with meats available as toppings. A variety of breads can be purchased in whole loaves to take home. Limited beverages are available in cans and bottles; prices seem reasonable.
I can’t believe I waited so long to go in there but, in many ways, the timing was perfect, as I was prepared to appreciate the unique ethnic offering!

I feel so bad for the reviewer before me as I have had great experience every time I come here. A very good friend of mine who is Serbian introduced me to this place and I have been hooked ever since. The owners are actually from Bosnian and their food reflects that and everyone has always been really nice to me every time I have come by.
I am addicted to the Cervapi’s which are little sausages that are grilled with a chopped onions and served with a sour cream mixture and bread that is placed over the meat as it is grilling. YUMMO! along with the Burek which are the meat pies, sirnica is the cheese pie, or zeljanica is the spinach pies that are made with the phyllo bread. They are huge so be warned!
Give this little place a try and remember that it is a Eastern European restaurant with menu items reflecting Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia to name a few. Just say zdravo! which means hello and hvala which means thank you!

A confusing, unwelcoming place. «Panini» implies Italian, they have menu items called «pita» and «gyro» on the menu implying Mediterranean, but the food and staff are Eastern European.
I finally stopped in for a lunch today after passing the place daily for the last year or so it has been open. I ordered the «beef pita», which is indeed beef but nothing resembling any sort of a pita. It was huge for one thing, about 10″ x 6″, and appeared to be a coiled sausage-​filled tube of phyllo. The filling was a mildly seasoned meat. Nothing offensive but nothing great. The phyllo was mostly flaky, and in some places soggy, and the whole thing pretty darn greasy. I made it though about ¹⁄₃ of it before it was all too much. Next time I cross the Urals on foot, I’d like to have a few along, but way too large and heavy for a Phoenix afternoon.
Other menu items were several other «pitas», like spinach and feta, some «gyros», which from the pictures on the menu appear to be more like sandwiches, and a few salads. Fresh baked loaves of white bread and rolls were also displayed on a shelf for sale.
The atmosphere is not exactly welcoming. There are a couple outdoor tables which today, like most days I pass by, were occupied by smoking men with heavy accents. Walking up too the door, the look they gave me positively shouted «you are not one of us, why are you here?» and made me wonder is this place REALLY open to the public? Am I confused … but the woman who served me was smiling, although «hello» was the only pleasantry I received. No inquiry about was this my first time in? How did I find out about them? Only two tables are located inside, one of which was occupied and one of which had food spilled all over it. Considering the unfriendlies hulking at the outside tables, it’s a good thing I had planned on takeout.
No «enjoy your lunch» or «come again», and more glares from the unfriendlies outside when I left. I had planned to come back and try a few other things but I’d rather go somewhere else that seems to actually want me there.