Panico's Bistro

Unfortunately among the worst service we have received for the amount payed. The ambiance is fantastic, the hostesses are so sweet. The bread was delicious and my dinner was great. My husbands dinner (the Pinot pasta?) was incredibly mediocre. However our server only checked on us once. My water was empty. Didn't check on us after we got our meal and forgot our sodas. We will not be returning. I won't name the server in case she was having a bad day.

Our server was extremely friendly and did such a thorough job explaining to us the specials of the day! The truffle chicken pasta was creamy, and was topped off with plenty of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. I would’ve liked it to be a touch more salted, but that was my personal preference. My sister had ordered the special veal of the day, and she agreed that hers could’ve been pre salted. But overall we had a great experience and would love to return once we’re in the area.

Food was delicious and care was taken in how it was presented. The atmosphere was fun everyone was having a good time. Our server Kaya was thoughtful and friendly. The owner/ manager saw us on our way out and kindly asked how we enjoyed ourselves. Great restaurant!

Absolutely wonderful experience here. The patio is a perfect place to enjoy a beautiful night with amazing food. The Vongole pizza was definitely a highlight of the evening, as was that octopus. However, everything was fantastic. Love the complimentary focaccia and dipping oil, too.

Had dinner tonight, dinner was excellent. Our server was excellent, I believe her name was Samantha. Gnocchi appetizer was spot on. My wife had the Snapper which she enjoyed. I had their pizza which was very good. Desert we took home, have not had yet.

Not sure if this is a love letter but this may be my favorite restaurant of all time. It’s definitely my favorite place in Cape May. We’ve been coming here for years and make it a point to have at least one meal here each time. I’ve never ever had a bad meal here. The bread is baked fresh and served hot! Not warm but right out of the oven hot. I usually get the mussels as an app. They are spicy but tender and served with more bread to soak up the fabulous sauce. Last night we also had the fried Mozzarella balls. The mains were Baked Cavatappi and Italian Sausage, Garganelli & Pinot and the nightly special of linguine and clams. All three were amazing. The Garganelli & Pinot is hands down the best. I’ve gotten this the last 5-6 times I’ve eaten there and had a hard time not getting it. My wife had that and it was perfect as always and I got a few forkfuls to satisfy my craving. Tonight I went for a change and got the linguine. It was a decision I would not regret. The pasta literally melted in my mouth. You know when you expect to get 5-6 clams and a scattering of crab - this was NOT that. It was loaded with crab meat and little necks. I did sample the Cavatappi and it was great. A much sweeter red sauce then the mussels or the fried mozzarella, but paired perfectly with the sausage. The S’mores cake was good but probably not on par with the peanut butter bomb from last year. Please bring that back. Looking forward to keeping the tradition alive and coming back next year!

This place was awesome. My service was great as well! Had to try the brick oven pizza and was not disappointed. Got to try an eggplant dish which was probably the best eggplant I’ve ever tasted. It was fried perfectly. The pork chop came with these pillow like gnocchi that ruled. Lastly we got dessert which was a cheesecake and a peanut butter ball… very rich and delicious

My first time here and we loved it 😄 Read some of the reviews. Mostly good. Some bad... but took a chance and was pleasantly surprised! Have been coming to Cape May every year for over 20 years and this is our first time trying this place. We will definitely be back ‼️

Service 5/5 stars we had Jeanette and Maureen Octopus- Rating 5/5 chargrilled then sautéed, simple olive oil, parsley, lemon Pork Shank Osso Bucco - Rating 5/5 oven roasted, marinara, rosemary, carrots, celery, tomato, parpadelle. Not a big pork eater saw that many reviews recommended this dish. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had. It was out of this world. Salad - Rating 3/5 It was missing something. Desserts - I'm not big on desserts but I came for my Moms birthday it was very good. I feel like I can't properly rate. My Mom loved them.

The atmosphere was nice! It was our first time there! I didn't like how it was BYOB. There was no option to buy any cocktails since many places in Jersey don't have liquor licenses and are BYOB. The server forgot to put in our order and didn't realize she missed one entree until all the food was served. We had to wait additional time for our last entree to come out. My pasta was okay. If I go back, I wouldn't order it again. I should have ordered it without the peas. I was not a fan of it . The brick oven pizza was delicious despite having to wait extra time to receive it. The calamari was delicious and a great appetizer! Definitely would order that again!

Had the pleasure of eating at Panico's last night. One of the best meals I have ever had. Everything about the experience was excellent! Very comfortable, plenty of room between tables. Was very busy but noise level was great. Anthony our server was terrific as well! I strongly recommend trying this restaurant. We already made reservations for next Saturday night!!

"Old school Italian ready for you to mangia" I had been meaning to go here for years and finally got a reservation on a Sunday night. And now I know why it is popular . What's to cheer - Wide ranging menu - Good pizza which is difficult in South Jersey surprisingly - Very tasty and fresh pastas - Friendly and personable service with a personality ! - Large, open and well decorated dining space - reasonable prices What's to jeer - I've had better octopus This is a great Italian option in Cape May!

This is such a hidden gem. This place is gorgeous inside and the food was great. I highly recommend the Truffle fries and Buratta as a first plate. I got the Three Cheese Chicken as an entree which was very good and my boyfriend got the Veal Pecorino and he enjoyed it. Our waitress was very nice but she was also busy, i'm not sure if they are understaffed or if it was a busy night for them but we sat for awhile waiting for her to come back to the table. But were open to coming back!

Sauce was from a jar or can, not house-made. Sausage and meatballs were from frozen or pre-prepared store bought food. Pasta was the cheap kind from a box. I'm wondering why people like this place. But beach towns usually have overrated and disappointing food. Not worth it.

Went to Panico's for dinner and we enjoyed a memorable meal. For starters, the restaurant is gorgeous inside. They have long, narrow, floor to ceiling windows, beautiful ceiling fans, and very clean interior. They also have plenty of parking, in the rear of the restaurant. Our server, Lizzy, was exceptional. She smiled, from start to finish, kept our glasses full, recommended great items, and made us feel like we were her only customers. The complimentary garlic bread, and oil, was beyond delicious, warm, and was gone in seconds. The salad special was soooooo good. The warm pear, greens, cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette was mouthwatering. The Margherita Pizza was perfectly charred, fresh, and throughly....and entirely......e.n.j.o.y.e.d. Our daughter gladly stated, that not only was her cheese ravioli delectable, but also, that Panico's was one of her favorite restaurants. The chocolate cake dessert was moist, scrumptious, and the presentation was so nice. The double espresso came in the nicest espresso cup that I've ever seen. The espresso was the perfect cap to the meal. I cannot recommend Panico's enough. You will, MOST DEFINITELY, enjoy a great meal and will agree with my review.

Dinner at this BYOB restaurant was amazing. For starters, they bring you this delicious homemade bread and herbed olive oil that is to die for! We started off with a margarita pizza which was crispy, perfectly cooked with sweet, fresh San Marzano tomatoes Yum!! For entrées, I ordered the pork osso bucco and my friend ordered the grilled pork chop with gnocchi. OMG! When these entrées arrived, they were gorgeous. They were not only beautiful, but they were so delicious. My pork osso bucco was so beyond tender it fell right off the bone. The Pappardelle pasta that accompanied it completed this masterpiece. Now, about the grilled pork chop dish... The pork chop was so tender and juicy but the gnocchi that accompanied it was incredible! Definitely the showstopper of the dinner. We loved everything about this meal and the service was excellent. I can't wait to go back and try something different.

Food is OK but if you live in or very near a city like NY or Philly you can do better. But the reservations are the worst. Almost an hour wait after our res time. Worse is when we were told "a few minutes" when we arrived. And when we checked 30 min later and asked them to be honest because other local restaurants would be closing, we were told "10 minutes." That's not an error, that's a straight up lie to avoid the table loss. Uncool. Not even a "sorry for the wait." How about a sorry and an app? Nothin.

Panico did it once again! what a great experience!! From the front of the house to the back!! Ellie and Manuel were so kind and accommodating to my elderly parents. we arrived a little early, and without asking, they set up 2 chairs for My parents to sit until our table was ready! It means so much to me when people go the extra mile for my parents. Our waitress Nataliee was helpful and patient. She has a great disposition and smiled the entire time. Our order was perfect!!! Couldn't ask for more!! what a great meal! thank you!! see you next year!!

Made reservations three weeks in advance because we had a party of 13 for a family reunion. When we arrived, we were put in two tables side. We tried to get all the adults together, which required moving a chair... the host came over and with attitude. Said we could not put the chair at the head of the table. We complied and smushed in... he LITERALLY came back over and said the chair right side chair leg was "an inch past the table"... kid you not.... "You are one inch over and we can't block travel". seriously?!? YOU look at where we are placed and ask yourself, what travel? Food was over priced for the quality. And be prepared to BYOB.

We had a great meal at Panico's. Starters were mozzarella fritto and battered Jersey. Both were decadent, but a bit heavy. The fresh jersey tomatoes and blue cheese were spectacular together. BF loved the baked tortellini and sausage...I opted for a salad. The Greek had amazing feta with chopped cukes, tomato and onion. Not a greens salad, but great flavor. We opted for dessert which was delicious as well. Service was great. Restaurant was clean and nicely spaced. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. DON'T FORGET ITS A BYOB!!!

Love all of the BYOB places in Cape May! My girlfriend and I ate outside, be aware of the mosquitoes!!! We had the fried eggplant and zucchini as an appetizer. For our meal we had the penne a la vodka with chicken and branzino. Everything was delicious. We were pretty full but after looking at reviews and seeing the picture of that chocolate peanut butter cake I had to get it. It was delectable!!! I loved it! It was just a little pricey but other than that, really nice restaurant!

Food was outstanding and service was amazing! Can't wait to go back . We stayed around the corner from there last year and missed it ! It's our new Fav!

will definitely visit Panico's again. their food was really good with good portion sizing for the price! the waiter was friendly. there is seating inside on main level, downstairs, and outside. even though we called to make a reservation, we waited about 10 minutes to be seated. the only downside was it was really loud since it is a busy restaurant!

Second time at Panicos. As always, the place is always busy so make a reservation. We ordered the brick oven pizza last time and it was terrific and reasonably priced. This time we ordered eggplant parm and three cheese chicken entrees. The eggplant was very good. The chicken was good but not great. The red Sauce and pasta side was again good, not great. Definitely not the best Italian if have had, not even close. But solidly "good".

Last time I wrote a review of Panico's Bistro was in 2019. They did not take reservations at the time. Well they do. Now. Wow!! That simple addition as well as the downstairs dining area which is somewhat quieter make a heck of a difference. We were sat promptly for out 6:15 reservation done via Open Table. Easy to use, easy to do. Service was good. We had a waitress who was only in her first week. She was attentive and quick, but not 100% unforgetful, but I get it. First week. No wories. Food was good! Not great, but good. I ordered the Battered Jersey which featured tomatoes layered, crab, bleu cheese, baked as an appetizer. Good dish. Tasty treat. My wife ordered Burrata consisting of artisan fresh mozzarella, candied walnuts, sea salt, honey balsamic drizzle. She loved it! Entrees ordered were Shrimp & Lemon Bianco which was sautéed shrimp, pancetta, sweet peas, penne, lemon infused drizzle. Mine was made sans pancetta. My wife had the Romana personal pizza which had sun dried tomatoes, artichokes romana, chilies, sea salt, basil drizzle, mozzarella, white. She did not like it and found that the artichokes were way too large for a pizza and could have been chopped up a bit. They basically were artichoke hearts placed all over the pie. Too big to chew, too large to cut. Sounded promising, but left a flat feeling. Very Disappointing. No dessert today. Our trip today certainly put this restaurant back in our top ten.

"You know the rules; one bite".... The one bite app from the barstool pizza reviews rated panicos very high. They were absolutely spot on! Excellent crust with lots of toppings; definitely a pizza place you need to visit while in cape may. The ricotta pizza "slapped" as my kids would say; in middle age parent speak that means it's damn good!

Fabulous as always had the fussili with meat-sauce. Yummy Hubby loves the Sunday dinner. Never disappoint with dine in ir take out. Love panicos. Staff is fun, knowledgeable and always cheerful.

Wasn't impressed with the money I spent. Food was cold in the middle. Tasteless garbage. Got the check & left. Cape May isn't what it used to be..

Panicos is always a solid choice for Italian/ American food. Good pizza, good entrees, and usually not as crowded as some of the restaurants closer to the beach and the mall. It's one of our go-tos every year.

Bring your own bottle, no beer or wine there but Un believable good food . Family environment, casual but neat is the average patrons dress code . The device is great the food is great nice Italian/ Mediterranean style food. Wood fired pizza oven. I'm a seafood lover. It's always my number one want when it comes to dinner. Opens 5:30 pm and call to make a reservation for guaranteed seating . Parking lot in rear usually has plenty of room. Go for it. Located on broadway. In cape may

Going down hill. Using Canola oil and olive oil mixed. So does Secondo. You can taste the difference and see it. I've called them out multiple times and they then bring out olive oil. What else are they using or diluting?

Once again Panico's comes through. We had the salad special watermelon, arugula,walnut,feta with balsamic dressing. The Baked Jersey deep fried tomato slices layered with crab meat blue cheese and a balsamic glaze. The alla Antonia pizza arugula and prosciutto with a thin crust. I'm a pizza snob and the best I can say is "it's North Jersey worthy ". Very good.

We love love love Panico's! We use to always go to Sapore but Sapore has gone down hill since new ownership. We love how Panico's doesn't rush you, and you can take your time. The food is also great, I recommend either the 3 cheese chicken or the rigatoni vodka and ask for the chicken breaded! It is also nice that it's a BYOB, so it is inexpensive. The ambiance is also really nice! Service has always been good and haven't had one bad waiter/waitress. If you're looking for good Italian food in Cape May, please go here and AVOID at all costs Andrea Trattoria. 10/10!

This is hands down one of if not the consistantly best restaurant we have eaten at in Cape May. We dined on 4 different occasions, 3 times with friends, and we all say the same thing...We cant wait to go back. I had the most succulant Pork Chop with spinach and the fluffiest most incredible gnocchi that were sweet & savory. Our friends and my husband all had seafood dishes and loved their dinners. It is always very busy and a little bit of a wait even with reservations, but, Oh so worth it! We have reservations July 3 and that will be our fifth visit!

The check-in and meet and greet were woeful. Absolute garbage - we had a reservation for 8pm and weren't seated until after 8:30. We had to wait in the doorway with others in a similar predicament. When we were eventually seated, we were taken downstairs to what looked and felt like someone's grandad's basement (at least that was how one of the other patrons described the 'vibe' which was 100 percent accurate) and seated at tables that had no napery or cutlery. Our server was very young but proficient enough. So that's the bad stuff out of the way. The pizza (pepperoni and peppers) and salmon cooked with asparagus on a bed of basil rice were phenomenal. And the pumpkin spice cheesecake perfect. The evening redeemed itself, for sure! The waitress was energetic and quick on her feet and super helpful with the specials. A mixed bag experience and not sure it's one I'm prepared to repeat. Having said that, I might come back on a weeknight when things could potentially be less chaotic.

Overall, the food and hostesses + owner are very nice. Some other patrons gave them a hard time. These are high school/young college kids. Be respectful! In terms of my personal experience, this second trip left a lot to be desired. We were seated in the downstairs section and the music ranged from Frank Sinatra to David Guetta. That didn't make for the most relaxing dining experience. Our sever was sweating onto our menus and likely into our food. He came to our table last even though the 3 tables he saw before us were seated after us. We made a 7:15pm reservation, arrived early, and weren't seated until 7:45pm. We got our entrees at around 9:15pm. This happened the first time we dined there. If anything, PLEASE work on turning over your tables more quickly. You have a 15 minute late policy, yet you don't seat people until 30+ minutes later. Honestly, the icing on the cake was the envelope our server included with our check (see picture attached). He shared that the envelope was for us to leave cash for his tip. I don't even have words to describe how inappropriate, unprofessional, and rude this is. Overall - the food is great. But please work on the time it takes you to seat guests with reservation and make sure this server stops giving this envelope out.

Went Saturday night. We were staying at Congress Hall. We asked the concierge for a recommendation and she said Panico's. Made a reservation for 7 but weren't seated until almost 8 o'clock. Out waitress was an older blonde woman. She was not the least bit attentive. The bus people were much better. Her attitude was as if she was doing us a favor. No follow up during the meal, didn't even ask if we were interested in dessert. I ordered the four cheese chicken. It was over a bed of penne. The chicken tasted reheated and the penne was overdone. The sauce was even somewhat burnt tasting. It definitely didn't taste fresh. We are beginning to visit Cape May much more frequently. There are many other places to try. I would not put this on a list to repeat

Fantastic food! The bread is wonderful. The peach appetizer special was one one of the best appetizers I have ere had. The crab and spaghettini had so much crab I couldn't finish it all. Everything was excellent. And our waiter Paul was knowledgeable and attentive with a great personality. Can't wait to go back!!

Do not sit downstairs. Dinner interrupted by the sounds and smells coming from the bathroom. So disappointing and clouded my dining experience. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable. Too bad he got stuck in such a bad section. The food was presented nicely but too much olive oil...drowned the bread and pizza. Wine was fantastic but that was byob!

Great brick oven pizza which is what the restaurant is known for. Dinners are so so. Salmon was dried and Osso Bucco was cold. Service was very good.

Very poor ... called and made a reservation at 9 a.m. left a message. No callback at 4pm. Called again at 430 to learn there were no tables avail until 8pm. In the meantime it's too late to make other reservations. Very poor. This restaurant cherry picks for large groups of people. ​

We went here for the first time and it was a great experience. The service was amazing. The waitress had great recommendations and we didn't at all feel rushed. I ordered the pork chop that came with gnocchi. The chop was cooked to perfection and the gnocchi had a nice savory finish. My husband had the garganelle and pinot grigio dish that was also delicious. I can't tell you what we ordered for desert but it was mouthwatering and a perfect finish to our meal. We definitely would go back again and recommend trying if you haven't already done so!

Ambiance: we ate in the basement which is cozier then the upstairs. Meal: we started off with fried mozzarella and special salad. Both were fantastic. Our entrees consisted of a margarita pizza and special seafood pasta. The pizza is by far the best you will have at the shore. The seafood pasta had to much garlic but it was still good. Dessert: we were to full and ended up with some delicious cappuccinos. Prices are great and food is defiantly better then most places in Cape May. We will be back!!

Came here on a Sunday night in January during COVID. The parking lot was nearly full when we arrived but we got one of the last spots in the back. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Last empty table. Our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly but had many tables to service. He kept our water glasses full. The hot bread with seasoning on top was served with a dipping oil. It was delicious and impossible to resist. Don't hesitate! The four of us started by splitting a Margherita pizza. One of the best pizzas I've had in a long time. It reminded me of the pizza I get in Rome. That wood burning stove did the trick!! Odd was the order that our appetizers came out. Our pizza that the 4 of us planned to share, came out first which made sense. Then my friend's soup came out. Then the other friend's mussels. My salad was forgotten. My four cheese pizza main course was delicious! No words. Loved it!! They forgot the arugula and later brought out a small portion in a small bowl/cup. Maybe I liked the Margherita better? The salad was ok. He had said it came with candied pecans but later when I checked the board, it said almonds. The dressing was delicious and they used good balsamic. Everyone loved what they ordered. We wanted the recipe for the sauce in the mussels but forgot to ask. The architecture and ambiance inside was nice but a little disappointing because it didn't look like a church anymore. I was hoping for lots of stained glass and religious art. The twinkle lights were really nice. And the high ceiling gave the room a feeling of airiness. For dessert we split 2 items- the chocolate peanut butter thing and the donut stuffed with ice cream. All agreed the donut was better; it disappeared quickly. The next day I tried many leftovers and agree all was good, especially the clams and spaghetti. For breakfast I had a slice of the four cheese pizza with an egg and some arugula on top- breakfast of champions! If I lived closer, I would have this pizza weekly!

So accommodating, Liz was a fabulous server, delicious dinner! Highly recommend! A must in Cape May!

Again consistent high quality service and delicious hot food! Receptionist very helpful and pleasant, server jordan very professional, knew the specials and described them so well!

I'd like to offer my opinion about the food, but I cannot since I waited about an hour after my reservation and ended up leaving to eat at a different place. After 30 minutes, we asked the host how much longer the wait would be, to which he lied and said 5 minutes, gesturing to an area of tables in which other people were sat down shortly after. Another person waiting said their table had also been waiting for an hour, and that the last time they went they waited an hour and a half for their food. She said the food was good but certainly not worth the excessive wait. Quite disappointing.

Reserved 2 days in advance, arrived on time- waited over 45 minutes and were never sat. Ended up leaving.

We just had dinner for my mother in law's birthday. Party of 9 with a 5 pm reservation made over a week ago. We were rushed from the moment we sat down. We were rushed to order. Our entrees came out during our appetizers with zero apologies. We actually had to pile the plates ourselves to make room for our dinner. Then our dinner plates were attempted to be cleared while we were still eating them. We didn't get a change to actually enjoy anything. The food was fine but the experience was terrible especially for a loved one's birthday celebration. We are cape may regulars and we're extremely disappointed by this dining experience. Doubt we will be back at panicos any time soon. We have been rushed for dinners before but usually an apology or an explanation... none here. Very disappointed.

A bit pricey, but both food and service were top notch. The place is in an old church which makes it quite loud as buildings built prior to amplification are built to carry sound. Lots of thoughtful touches - milk, sugar, etc for coffee was in a neat stylish set, the bill was delivered in a signed envelope, etc. The bread was fantastic. If you have a sweet tooth they have a glazed donut stuffed with ice cream that's fantastic.

This is a bit of a mixed bag review. The good first. We were a party of five and the appetizer's (eggplant and squash slices and sausage wheel special) were very good. Main courses were also very good with a couple of blips though (see below). Finally, our server, Cassie, was outstanding. Attentive, engaged, timing just right. Well done! Now the not so good. We arrived on time for our reservation and the hostess was vague about how long it would take to be seated. After standing in the outdoor hallway with some others waiting, two groups, who also had reservations got tired of waiting and just left after making reservations elsewhere. We did go back in a couple of times to check up and were told the table was being cleared but no other feedback. The hostess is seated next to the front and is fully visible through a window. Well she was playing video games most of the time rather than checking on things and helping out. Totally disengaged. In addition, what appeared to be the owner came up to the front a few times and didn't seem to help solve any of the backlog. We were finally seated 45 minutes after our reservation time. That's pretty bad. On the dinner, the pasta that was served with the eggplant was cold and the sauce was tasteless even though the eggplant itself was hot...clearly, they cook things separately and add together at the end. Asked Cassie for grating cheese and they give the server a tiny grater that barely produces any grated cheese. Only other complaint was that the restaurant acoustics are not good as it formerly was a church. Lot's of wood, no buffering which is understandable. But playing the music way too loud...impossible to hold a conversation. We spent a lovely long weekend in Cape May for the Christmas parade and other functions, but this meal ended up being on the bottom of the list.

This 1 star review is painful to do but truly necessary. My family traditionally loves Panico's. We have always enjoyed it as a special 'last night at Cape May' dinner for the last few years. But tonight's truly horrible dining experience (even though the food -- starters, appetizers, entrees all -- was delicious as always) has me compelled to write and to say 'buyer beware' and DO NOT EVER HAVE THEM SEAT YOU DOWNSTAIRS!!!! We arrived - a party of (only) 3 people (myself, my son and his girlfriend) -- for our 8:15 reservation, approx. 5 minutes early. We were asked if we wanted to be seated outside or indoors. Because the indoors was on the chilly side, we opted for outdoors. Seated for 25+ minutes before we were eventually greeted by our very friendly and profusely apologetic waitress, we eventually were able to place our order... but all the while getting attacked by a number of bugs. Yes, bugs were not a huge surprise given the time of year... but they were just too distracting for (again), what was supposed to be nice dinner out. We thankfully eventually received our (always amazing) Panico's focaccia and seasoned olive oil starter and ice water and a cooler for our white wine (yes, BYOB is a lovely aspect of Panico's).... but simultaneously we also came to the conclusion that we really needed to move indoors: we didn't know what would happen with all the bugs when we eventually got our "real" (ordered) food. As soon as we could get the attention of our waitress, we asked to be moved indoors. We were told it was not a problem and that we would just have to wait for an indoor table. Approximately 15 minutes later (for better or worse, with still no ordered food served), we were told by the manager that our indoor table was ready. Great! We grabbed our serveware and wine cooler and headed back indoors to the dining area. The hostess had us sit at a nice, center-located table .... BUT then the same manager who first seated us outdoors then told us we had to "move and follow our server downstairs." (??) We thought this was odd, but hey, ok, we'll comply.... big mistake on our part. I really truly wish that we had not complied. This is because Panico's Downstairs is evidently, clearly intended as a private dining space for large parties.... in this case, Extremely Loud (and quite likely fairly intoxicated) private parties. With its low ceiling and "behind a temporary screen bathroom" (our table was right next to it?!) this Extremely Loud and (quite likely intoxicated) large private party was so out of control that the 3 of us could not even hear each other speak even though we were just inches across from each other due to the narrow, long, family style table at which we were newly seated. To say that the other group in the downstairs space was ridiculously loud is a massive understatement. This was clearly a boisterous, very "lubricated" family reunion -- consisting of constant loud spills, overly loud cackling and young children running around the space, plus all guests making frequent use of the bathroom next to our table (again, what?!) This reunion became our major Panico's dining nightmare. We at least now understood why our poor waitress was so harried: she was dealing with this massively high maintenance private party and then (newly) our small, quiet 3-person table, I do not fault her in the least. Ironically, she apologized profusely every time she interacted with us... even though this situation was really in no way under her control. As we realized our predicament would not improve (the large party had not even received their own main entrees yet and were clearly going to take some time to be served), we basically just waited for our food to be served (by now it was 9:20!!) and then we ate cursory amounts : pizza (Vongole, yum); 'macaroni' (Shrimp, yum) and entree (3 cheese Chicken, yum) -- as quickly as humanly possible, just to get done ASAP. Such a shame. The food was absolutely delicious but everything else was absolutely awful and miserable. I attribute this awful and miserable experience mainly to the manager who ideally could have instead allowed us to stay upstairs (in the main dining room) rather than having us move downstairs. Again: I also empathized greatly with our waitress.... she was having to deal with all this with no clear support from anyone else on the staff. An astute and savvy person in charge ideally would have recognized immediately that the Downstairs space was in no way conducive for a smaller party alongside a party of 16+ guests. SO, Panico's just gets 1 star this time. We will be back... maybe.... but with strict instructions to whomever is in charge that we wish to definitely not be seated downstairs ... especially if we are the only other group beside an Extremely Loud (and quickly likely intoxicated) private party. Buyer Beware!

Panico's provided a unique dining space with excellent service and delicious food. We made reservations in advance and would highly recommend it as the space began to fill up quickly after our arrival. The host and waitress were very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu as we had questions about some of the specials. Our food was absolutely delicious! My husband raved about his spicy seafood entree while I thoroughly enjoyed my brick oven margherita pizza. Overall, we had a wonderful time and will stop in again during our next visit!

We heard getting reservations here can be difficult but we were fortunate to grab a reservation on a weeknight for the 5 of us the day before. This is a BYOB Italian restaurant. It's not a big place and they have put as many tables in there as they can. While we were there, nearly every table was filled and it was pretty loud in there. I was a little worried about service given some of the reviews, but we had a wonderful server. She was very friendly and fulfilled all of our requests. Only once were we some of us left with empty drink glasses. Not sure what was going on, but the ice in our water melted very quickly. You are given complimentary Focaccia bread, which was heavy on the garlic, but we enjoyed it. We went with the Mozzarella Fritto and Calamari for our appetizers. The Mozzarella Fritto are actually fried Mozzarella balls with a smoky flavor. Both were very good. Many at our table ordered the Ravioli while my wife had the Eggplant Pesto and I had the Three Cheese Chicken. My wife was very happy that they offered gluten-free pasta. Food was fresh and you could tell quality ingredients were used. We enjoyed our entrees as much as we could because honestly, we were kind of full after bread and appetizers. Be prepared for large portion sizes. None of us were able to finish our entrees and some of our leftovers will likely be more than one meal. We looked at the desserts but aside from being stuffed, didn't see anything that interested us. We were hoping for more typical Italian desserts like cannolis or Tiramisu but they really only had four cake options. My only real complaint is that they had no handicap parking as that was taken up by their outdoor dining tent at the moment and the parking they did have behind the restaurant was full. Look forward to coming back and trying the pizza next time!

Excellent food! Im not always interested in Italian food for dinner, but this place was awesome! I had the corn ravioli w crab and it's one of the best Italian meals I have ever tasted. Bread was also good and our shared appetizer was simply delicious. It was a girls weekend and we all had something different and all of us were very happy with our meal. Service fantastic too. It's a don't miss when you are in Cape May kind of place.

Good luck with reservations. We arrived on time for our 6:45 reservation, only to be told it would take 15 minutes. Ok, that would have been alight considering they were super busy. 30 minutes later? Still not seated. There were 3 other families who arrived after us that were seated before us. Host told my husband 2 minutes, and they continued to seat others. I usually never leave one star reviews, but I could not let this one go considering no one really acknowledged the fact that is was 45 minutes later. Wanted to love it here, but this was such poor customer service.

Awesome food and service, Thank you Dwayne!! The appetizers, chargrilled octopus and the fried smoked cheese balls were both delicious! Spectacular entrees as usual....See you soon!

Thursday evening dinner with family... The wait staff was very busy but remained attentive with no mistakes, even for those around us. Food was very good, especially the Ossa Buca with pasta. Huge portions with plenty to take home! We were seated on the main floor and, although noisy, we had no difficulty hearing each other talk. Would like come back if they use less salt!!