Panini Tozt Cafe — Restaurant in New York

A five star review on here said: "Quick, good variety of different foods, cheap, tasty, and they have a full coffee bar menu. Much better than going to a fast food restaurant but just as fast !"

Thats exactly what I thought too, as I had a great first experience with this place. Great tasting food, nice variety, healthy food near two hospitals which i unfortunately frequent.

HOWEVER: while i am never one to write a bad review i felt that i HAD TO let people know this before they risk their health by eating here, i have a servsafe managers certification so I know some about food saftey and foodborne illness (i had no idea the reviews were this bad until i came on here to write this bad review... i wouldn't have ate here if i had seen all this) as a hispanic i am pretty sure everybody who works here (as far as i can tell from the times that i have gone) are also hispanic and I think maybe english not being their first language could impact their service, but they have been nothing but good to me

SO, what happened exactly? I'll give y'all the run down.

I ordered a salad at the salad bar, the guy recommended asian sesame dressing. He gave me some on a cucumber to taste and I liked it so I gratefully accepted his advice. I ordered two to-go dishes from the hot food station too, for my family as I was with them visiting my grandmother at the hospital down the street.

The salad tasted great, whatever. I had a salad from here before but THIS TIME I felt my stomach hurting in an hour or so after eating. Soon after leaving the hospital, because i felt so bad, I threw up on the way home. Thank god none of my family got sick from the food they had there- but what if i had shared my salad with my old frail grandpa? Or my mother who had a kidney transplant? Or my grandma who was about to undergo surgery? This is why I am writing this review, to do some damage control. Don't eat here if you or your family are at risk of becoming seriously ill from foodborne illness: pregnant, immune defficiency, kidney transplant, chemo.... this hits pretty close to home for me, as my family is obviously pretty sick. Also as I have been coming to this hospital for pretty much my whole life, as I was born there. This is unnaceptable from a restaurant so close to people that are already ill and incapable of tolerating any more sickness.

This is why food saftey is incredibly important and should not be overlooked. Please don't eat here unless they get a new staff that is properly trained to serve safe food. I would say sorry, but its the truth and is clearly putting people in danger.

I unfortunately don't have any pictures except for the lemonade i got for free as a compliment to my salad. However, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH that you should avoid this place at all costs.

Luckily I am healthy and young and recovered fairly quick but I know a lot of people who wouldn't.

!!! But in addition to not being able to sleep throwing up all night i also had a terrible fever, diahhrea, and pain from my insides convulsing so much from vomitting. And to make it worse - the next day, being in that kind of condition, i could not be there for my Grandmas surgery of course.

Don't risk it, as some foodborne illnesses are...

I paid $10 for a hero sandwich that they put 7 folded slices of bread on and 3 pieces of cheese…I asked for extra cheese so, I got 2 more slices. The sandwich was all bread and totally not worth it!!! There are places to get sandwiches that are packed with meat in the area or at least worth the money. It’s across the street from the hospital so, I guess ppl that want a quick bite come here (like me after a long day at work AND a sitting in the er). When I did eat the sandwich, the meat looked at though it was sitting there for a while before being made into my sandwich. It’s NOT the protective coating that it’s around all meats, the actual meat was hard around that...

Panini Cafe is my absolute go-to spot, and it has been for years. The night staff is always so friendly, and the food never disappoints—always fresh, tasty, and affordable. Their desi-style panini is absolute fire and a must-try! The place is well-maintained and even has clean bathrooms, which is a big plus.

One thing to note is that the food is not halal, but it’s still a great spot for a quick, tasty meal. Finding parking during the day can be tricky, but at night, there’s usually plenty of space on 34th or 33rd Street, making it super convenient for ride-share drivers like me. This place has been my pit stop for years, and I’ll keep coming back....