Torino Panino

Ordered a to-go sandwich (The Wrigley) from Torino Panino at the Italy Festival in San Jose. The menu said $18.95, but I was charged $24.46. When I asked, the cashier said they AUTOMATICALLY added an 18% gratuity — no notice, no heads-up, nothing. There was ZERO MENTION of this anywhere — not on the menu, not at the booth, and no one said a word before charging it. And this was a solo to-go order, not dine-in or a big group. I always tip at least 18% when I’m actually being served — that’s just common courtesy. But FORCING an automatic gratuity on a TAKEOUT ORDER without telling the customer is shady and unacceptable. Really disappointing experience. BE CAREFUL if you ever order from them.

Woah! I’ve lived in San Jose a long time. How did I not know about Torino Panino? I’d never even heard of, let alone eaten an Italian beef sandwich before! But I really enjoyed it! There were so many choices and I had zero context so I tried the Chicago Way because it was smack dab in the middle of the menu sign. I like French dip so I got it wet; figured it was similar. Delicious sandwich. Really it the spot. We also purchased sardines from their little pantry of canned and jarred goodies. We enjoyed those later at home. I love the little courtyard seating area in the back. They had a tv playing one of the football games (it was Sunday). Just a really nice atmosphere. Looking forward to enjoying it all again.

One of my favorite sandwiches is an Italian beef sandwich. When I saw the sign stating that they made those there, I was really excited to try it. When I walked into that part of the restaurant or store, pour a combination of both. It was kind of confusing, but there was nobody behind the counter, so I had to walk through the store part to the other restaurant pizza spot in order to order my sandwich. It seemed like the store was mostly a wine spot and yeah, they offer some other italian staples as far as food goes in the restaurant. I was kind of disappointed in the sandwich. I asked them to make it wet, and they didn't dip the bread, they just gave me a dry sandwich with a little side of au. Ju Kind of reminding me of a French dip. Don't get me wrong. I like french dip sandwiches, but I was there to have an italian beef and I guess the experience was just different than what I was expecting. While the herb juice that they gave me for the sandwich was good, there was not nearly enough of it. And the rest of the sandwich was just kind of dry. It definitely did not remind me of a chicago italian beef. It'll probably be a while before I try that again.

Ordered pickup at lunch. As others have mentioned, the price is quite high for a sandwich. However you do get quite a bit of food. I got the Chicken Cacciatore sandwich, "make it hot", with provolone. For lunch, I ate half. The provolone was completely unmelted, chicken was pretty average (drier than I'd hoped for), and it was chicken cutlets, which was a bit disappointing since the website looked liked braised/pulled chicken. "Make it hot" is a joke, there's no heat to be found whatsoever. Not even sriracha level of heat. Not bad, but I didn't find the flavors to really come through all that well. Reheated the other half for dinner. Convection ~325f, ~10 mins wrapped, then opened the sandwich and cooked another ~10 mins unwrapped. Then added some freshly grated parmiggiano along with some hot sauce from a Mediterranean restaurant. The extra salt from the parmiggiano really got the flavors of the base sandwich to shine through, and the hot sauce actually added some heat. Far superior to what I had at lunch. Truffle chips were good. Bread was also quite good. Lunch was like a 6/10, dinner was 8.5/10. The base sandwich is definitely there. But just needs a bit more to tip it past average.

I had the Chicago way, which was beefy, moist, and not overpowered by the Giardineira. Extra side of the sauce to moisten it up when I got home. Only thing that I get miffed about is an automatic “service charge” of 18%. Just include it in the price guys.

Sandwich appears on the menu as $16.95. Fine print at the bottom of the menu says they’ll add a 15% “service fee” instead of just honestly pricing their menu. The service fee is actually charged as 18%, taking it from dishonesty to straight up illegal. What was even more criminal is the terrible example of an Italian beef sandwich. Awful.

Excellent Chicago Italian Beef. Very authentic and super huge! Garlicand peppers were perfect!

Place is Fantastic there are three sections one is the bar, the middle is the wine and pizza bar and the far end is the small sandwich spot really great place for friends and family. I honestly came here for the Chicago but ended loving the place will be definitely coming back!

Torino Panino's restaurant front door is actually the Bono's Pizza door, just in case you plan to dine in. It's almost like a museum of family history of these lovely owners. I was told that the Hi-Life across the street is a business partner so be sure to take the time and stop in there too. We are from Chicago and wanted to try their version of the Chicago Style Italian Beef. 'Good' yes, 'same as' not so much. Sadly no cheese unless you want to add it separately and the juice could use a little more pizzazz. That being said, this is not meant to be a Chicago style establishment, so don't think you stopped by for competition. This food is Italian homemade food, they aren't trying to claim otherwise. My boys liked the Pepperoni pizza and the beer was cold and tasty. Take your time and your the restaurant for historical pics of the family and even check out the deli/butcher it the actual door for Torino Panino. It's a little cold this time of year so bring a jacket inside with you if you run cool like myself. Now for goodness sakes, stop reading and mangia, mangia, mangia!!! Eat, eat, eat!!!

We saw this advertised on social media and they had Italian beef sandwiches. While it wasn't exactly the way my husband likes it who is from Chicago, It was pretty close! So if you're searching for an Italian beef sandwich that reminds you of the Midwest it's worth it to stop here. Had a couple slices of pizza as well, which were good. Sat at the bar and had a beer. There really is no other place in the area where you can get Italian beef. So stop in and give it a shot.

High quality sandwiches, I would rather get the Chicago Way instead of the Wrigley next time because the sausage was a bit much but the italian beef is so good. I definitely will be back to try all their sandwiches. Nice outdoor seating as well. This is a part of Bibo's so you enter and order at Bibo's.

The staff is absolutely fantastic! We ordered a couple slices here (the sausage and the mushroom) and they were both crispy / NY style thin crusted. We enjoyed the mushroom one! The owner also let us try the sandwich which was loaded with meat. Absolutely will be back to try their HH.

I wasn't sure what to expect why also knowing what I wanted to expect i seen they had Chicago style Italian beef... But I actually worked in an i Italian beef chain resturant in Chicago and this wasn't what I thought it wasnt bad . The bread was fresh they had sweet peppers and a pickled collieflower the juice was very flavorful and it appeared the meat was already dipped and the bread was perfectly soaggy They have indoor and our door seating They also have wine and happy hour .. i be back for that theres also pizza

Decent pizza spot in downtown San Jose, tucked away in Little Italy and definitely a hidden gem. They offer a wide range of Italian dishes on the menu. I ordered the spicy Italian and pepperoni pizza, both were solid choices. The restaurant itself is cute and cozy, with alcoholic drinks available if you're looking for a little pick-me-up. Service was great as well; even though they were training a new staff member the day I visited, everything still ran smoothly.

Very very good food. Godfather sandwich is quintessentially italian. All the meats are the correct ones. Next to a shared food hall and pizza shop that serves incredible pizza pasta and cheeseboards

For a Chicago area born fan, the Italian Beef is perfect. Delicious, messy and fabulous

Love this place. Lots of choices, friendly service and a great patio. Wish they had live music that night.

Woah! I've lived in San Jose a long time. How did I not know about Torino Panino? I'd never even heard of, let alone eaten an Italian beef sandwich before! But I really enjoyed it! There were so many choices and I had zero context so I tried the Chicago Way because it was smack dab in the middle of the menu sign. I like French dip so I got it wet; figured it was similar. Delicious sandwich. Really it the spot. We also purchased sardines from their little pantry of canned and jarred goodies. We enjoyed those later at home. I love the little courtyard seating area in the back. They had a tv playing one of the football games (it was Sunday). Just a really nice atmosphere. Looking forward to enjoying it all again.

they charged $2.55 for "packaging fee" because we ordered the sandwiches togo. First of all, it's ridiculous. Second of all, you probably should have informed the customer of the charge when you ring them up. Not coming back. Sandwiches were ok, definitely overpriced.

Delicious food. Italian sandwich Chicago way is delish. The pasta we ordered was good also. Bibos pizza is a hit. Great atmosphere, friendly service. My new favorite place.

Absolutely 10/10! You have to get the Italian Beef Chicago Way and make it hot (spicy), the BEST sandwich I have ever had. The staff are extremely friendly and very helpful and kind. Just an amazing experience, I was not expecting it to be this good, definitely giving "THE OG BEEF" from The Bear, vibes!

I'll definitely be back to continue sampling the sandwich menu because the Italian beef was screaming good. Plenty of meat and the juice was soaked into the bread! Truthfully, I'm kicking myself in the pants for not coming by earlier. The corner restaurants are all basically interconnected. I came in the north door which houses the sandwich area, and ordered the Italian beef sandwich. The patio is nicely shaded! After my buddy and I ate our sandwiches & we decided to have a couple of beers in the other rooms. One section of the room is a bit more focused on wine, and the other has taps for beer. You can order food from both rooms. I think they had about 20 beers on tap, and lots of different wines, so you have plenty to choose from. They also have some non-alcoholic offerings if needed. Well worth your time.

Great customer service, Best sandwich I've ever had!!! I love the vegetarian option. I highly recommend

We drove 40 minutes to try the place and no one was in line to order. Finally after 5 minutes the guy working was ready to take our order. I ordered 2 sandwiches he said do you want drinks I told him just water he says you can sit at the tables in the back and someone will serve us. There was no one else waiting to be served after 10 minutes we go back in to get water it's 90 degrees outside the guy says you can go in the building next door and order drinks. We just left I can't tell you how the food is because we never got any drinks or food. I can tell you the customer service is terrible.

Absolutely humungous and delicious Chicago Italian beef sandwich, hot and wet style. I could only eat a third of it, which makes it a bargain.

Wow what a sandwich. Had the Chicago Way Italian beef, plus an Italian cola. Take the amount of beef that maybe 3 Arby's have, put it on Italian bread, some gardienaire and au jus, and that's the regular. You can even get more meat if you like. I was stuffed until lunch the next day. Definitely will be adding this place to our work rotation. Staff was super friendly too.

Fun ambiance and great outdoor patio to eat during the summer. Come enjoy a CHI style sandwich and Italian beer or soda. My Chicago born hubby likes the Wrigley (Cubs fan too) and my son stole the sausage out of it and ate it up. I had the godfather and added cheese with peppers on side. Fresh mortadella and tasty Italian dressing and roll! Well bring my CHI family here to enjoy some pizza or sandwiches.

Best Sandwich in San Jose! All of the sandwich franchises in San Jose are basically cr*p. I have been looking for a really good sandwich for a long time, now I found it. This place has great crunchy fresh bread, great selections of high quality meat and awesome spreads. It's soo good, I'll be coming here more often. The sandwiches are not cheap ($15+) but are big enough that I would share one so there is room for dessert. Not tried, but will in the future: Pizza and Pasta that looked reasonably priced, and at least the pizza smelled good.

Bought one of the best sandwiches I have ever had there. Fresh ingredients and wonderfully baked. With great service and excellent staff! Once you have a sandwich and some amazing pizza there, you'll be ready for more! And it's got great historical details to educate and entertain with!

Chicago Style! I had my reservations via Door Dash but everything was packaged just right. Juice separate for Travel, who ever crafted this sandwich was on the top of their game. Very Good!

I was in town a few weeks ago when the 49ers were playing the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game. On that Sunday morning, while waiting for my Uber outside the airport, I had a group of visiting Detroit Lions fans ask me, "Where is there to eat in the place (San Jose)?". I told them they had to the The Littlest Little Italy. I advised them to get a sandwich at Torino Panino, get a slice of Bibo's pizza next door, and enjoy their lunch outside on the back patio. I also suggested that they go with The Godfather sandwich and told them my lady friend always gets a Caprese Shaker. I went on to tell them that the service is always top-notch, all the food is great, and the overall vibe of the place is very cool. Why would I help out Detroit Lion fans? I would hope if I was in Detroit to see the Niners, that someone there would provide me with a great restaurant suggestion as well.

The Italian beef was extraordinary. It felt like I was transported to Chicago. Try to ask for a container of the sauce as once I got it to go, and dipping made it incredible.

Looking for the best Italian sandwich and Italian products you can find without traveling the world?? Then look no further, this sandwich shop and restaurant is by far one the best. Great service, knowledgeable owners and staff and just overall great ambiance. Outdoor and indoor, dine in or grab to go... check out their indoor restaurant as well Littlest Little Italy. Fun for all occasions!

We were excited to find this place advertising "authentic Italian sandwiches"! I grew up in Chicago and I know what an authentic Italian beef tastes like. We hoped that it would be good, but it was disappointing. First of all, the price was shocking! $16.95 for a sandwich is high, but then when you add an 18% "service" charge to it, our 2 sandwiches came out to $43.05 (with about $3 tax). $43 for 2 sandwiches and NO SERVICE! You order at the counter, this is a no-frills sandwich shop, and they bring it to your table when it's ready. $6 for bringing it to our table - geez! Our sandwiches were served in paper baskets (like in a fast-food place) with plastic utensils (we had to ask for). We ordered the "Chicago Way" beef sandwiches. It was NOT an authentic Italian beef sandwich. The beef was cooked right, sliced right, looked right - but it lacked the flavor you get in Chicago. It needed pepper and whatever spices that are normally used. And then, there was no giardiniera! Instead, they used flavorless garlic cloves (we couldn't identify what they were; thought it was some cubed tuber vegetable). And some little red sweet peppers:( Wrong, wrong, wrong. The au jus was almost flavorless, too. The only thing they got right was the bread - it was perfect! Their menu says it's freshly baked. It tastes like the classic Turano bread. I also went next door and got a glass of Nebbiolo wine. It was good, but it was a small pour. And my $14 glass of wine, ended up costing me over $18!!! Because again, they charged 18 or 20% "service" charge. $2.80 is a lot to charge for pouring a glass of wine. My husband and I are people who tip well. But we pay for REAL service. In Summary: We left feeling ripped off by Torino Panino and Ancora Vino. We will vote with our wallets and we will NOT be back! I suggest that more diners start refusing to pay these ridiculous NON-SERVICE fees and go to other restaurants - there are many - that don't charge these fees and give you value for your dining dollars.

Well born and raised in Chicago so decades of real Chicago Italian Beef. So unfortunately in my opinion the one here just doesn't make it. After reading a what sounded like basically ad for the place in reviews of great sandwich places in the Mercury News found myself a couple miles from there. So after taking forever to get the sandwich that I asked for juice on the side, I got a soggy fall apart bread that looked like it came from a larger loaf not a roll itself which might have been part of the problem. It was piled with a lot of fairly bland shredded beef not thinly sliced ones. Now a Chi Beef should be sloppy and messy but the roll shouldn't fall apart. It holds up so you can dip in the side juice for a good drippy soak. Couldn't pick this up even with gentle care without it falling apart. Had to use a fork to try and eat some of it and gave up. The topping is cute looking but should not be called giardiniera. No balance of vinegar/ oil etc. As other commenters have mentioned, the sandwiches are way over priced. So the $16.95 sandwich had an 18% "service charge" of $3.05 (??? I was eating at a table right there) and $1.88 tax (because now you are also getting taxed on the "service charge" making the service charge actually $3.36). So now your sandwich comes to a total of $21.88! Just was not worth it.

We stopped by here to meet some friends before the Depeche Mode concert at SAP Center. It was a perfect place to do so. We didnt want to go somewhere in which we could get stuck waiting while our show started. We were able to find a table in the heated patio, get a glass a wine and grab a good variety of food! We had such a good time that we ironically were late to our show because we stayed too long purposely! We will definitely be back next time were in the area.

Awesome Italian deli. Great sandwich with quality ingredients. I'd highly recommend.

Tucked away in The Littlest Little Italy of San Jose, Torino Panino is a charming eatery that promises an unforgettable dining experience. With a cozy ambiance and impeccable service, this hidden gem offers a delectable menu of Italian sandwiches.

I love the food a Torino Panino! So much so that I had my 50th birthday there this year. The service is great and the french fries to die for. The outside heated eating area is quaint and you feel transformed into a little garden in the city. I love getting a glass of wine from Ancora Vino and biting into my favorite sandwich, The Godfather. There are also several selections from the other vendors there all under one roof, The Littlest Little Italy. Perfect spot in a great location. Highly recommend