"Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace Molly is the singer in a band Desmond says to Molly, "Girl, I like your face And in the evening, she still sings it with the band" (Lennon and McCartney) How much do we love these Italian markets and delis! Lino's is as good as any we've visited and far better than quite a few. The deli and sandwich counter has a big variety of great looking goods, the meat department has pretty much everything, the bakery has tons of rolls and breads, the refrigerated cases have enough different prepared foods and salads to give you something new every day for a month, a big produce department, and grocery aisles that are packed. We scooped up a huge 2 pound package of eggplant parmigiana that will yield at least four servings for $12.95. It had plenty of sauce and cheese, but most importantly the eggplant was tender, sliced thin so it wasn't rubbery, and not greasy at all. Truth be told, it was fabulous! We wanted some of their garlic knots to go with the eggplant, and I mistakenly thought they sold them up at the cash register where all of the breads and rolls were. The sweet young lady at the register told us the knots were at the sandwich counter, and before I knew it she was running over to the counter, asked us how many we wanted, and swiftly packaged up four of them for us. Now THAT'S what I call customer service. read more

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Time for an update...last year Lino's changed owners, and despite being handed a recipe for success, they've been changing all the things I liked about it. Prices have gone way up, I know they have everywhere, but disproportionately so at Lino's. The Boar's head lunch meat that was consistently $1-$2 cheaper than the grocery store is now more expensive. They don't carry the same variety or imported items that Lino had. Around Christmas I bought 2 pepperoni sticks and cut into them and they were rancid. They took them back, but it's no longer a reliable spot for me. They changed their breads. Sometimes they're stale and they got rid of my favorite seeded rolls from NY. Brought in impostors that look the same but don't taste the same. They never have sourdough bread anymore, their meat counter is always half empty or more. They don't seem to make muffins in the morning anymore either. It's just a sad shell of what Lino's used to be. There's really just no reason for me to go there anymore. And people must agree with me because the parking lot is always empty when I drive by. Check out Avella's in Middletown for great sandwiches and broccoli rabe and other salads. And Krauzer's in Durham for yummy breakfast sandwiches! Lino's day in the sun has passed. It's too bad because it was close to home and I used to really love it. read more

Went downhill over the past year. Fire on March 2025 destroyed part of the building....no sign of rebuilding. Go to Durham Market instead. They have great sandwiches and a good selection of goods. read more

Oh how the mighty have fallen! The once wonderful chicken cutlet sandwich, is just another kinda soggy, tasteless sandwich. The ready made meals they have now are not made with the same love they once were. The isles aren't as crowded and looks neater, but the old world charm is gone! Fare well Lino's! It WAS nice while it lasted. read more

New owners. Shelves look a little bare. Cannoli's were soggy in the case, but the ones I ordered fresh were perfect. I asked if a pint container could be wrapped with plastic deli wrap so it wouldn't leak on a long plane ride and was told "we don't have that." It's on every single one of the items in your case...you do have that. Linos would ship me food across the the world before, now I can't even get plastic wrap. They said they make the chicken cutlets in the back, so next time I return I will order some to try out. read more

I will start by saying that my husband absolutely adores his sandwiches from Lino's, so this is more based on solely my opinion than what I generalize everyone else to feel. I had my first experience with Lino's the other day and I have to admit that I was left overall unimpressed. I had ordered a meatball on a hard roll, which was listed as a special that day. For one, we were not charged the "special" price; we were immediately charged full price, which took me aback because I would think you'd be well-versed in your specials and pricing at this point. They're standing prices on a flyer online every single week. So that did put me off a little. The full price sandwich was also astronomical. My husband and I both getting a sandwich and a bag of chips, ended up costing close to $30. I think that's absurd. Not wanting to unfairly judge based on price or this experience, I did give taste a fair shot and again, was drastically let down. The meatballs were fine but nothing I would go out of my way for. They were skimpy on the cheese, which is my favorite part of a sandwich. Finally, the sauce was sparse, leading to the sandwich feeling very dry overall. I would be willing to try some other options there only because my husband has great things to say, but as for my first time; on my own terms, I wouldn't be back. read more

I LOVE Lino's Market! I highly recommend the chicken cutlet sandwich on a hard roll. I also enjoy their Buffalo chicken wrap and BLT wrap. They also offer some of the best cannolis I've ever had. The shop is always clean and the owners and staff are Incredibly friendly. Looking forward to trying their garlic knots next time I visit. Can't say enough good things about Lino's! read more

Sandwich deli offering up a great selection- any time I go to the area, I make sure to stop at Lino's!

Gone is the jam packed variety of the old Linos The shelves are bare, meat is gray and old looking, few pre prepared items and meatballs are flavorless which used to be some of the best I've eaten. The menu boards are blank and there is no smoker cooking meat or BBQ and no variety of daily offerings. There is no longer anything that would designate this as an Italian Market. Better head to Middletown, North Haven or New Haven. New ownership should've left well enough alone. read more

Lino's is a terrific little, primarily Italian grocery store. They have a lot of in-store made food items that'll tempt anyone, a nice selection of general food items, and they'll make a sandwich or grinder to go while you wait, or from call in orders. Catering is another specialty. Try Lino's... you won't regret it. read more

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With the new owners the chicken cutlets and eggplant parm are once again cooked to perfection. For the last few years, the chicken cutlet was cooked way too much and was like a chicken jerky. Really dry, tough and chewy. The new chef has got it right. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 are the higher prices. But I think that is just a fact everywhere. read more

Lino's was always a place to stop when driving though Durham , welp they changed ownership and if you can believe it it's not the same. Imagine handing your grandson the keys to your classic 55 chevy and he wraps it around a tree.( he's fine ) ... that's what happened to Lino's. the bread is definitely from a different cheaper baker the grinders are much more expensive and the deli case is half empty. As i said was always a place you would stop at or even make a special trip for. We would even have Lino's cater our yearly Christmas party. No more ... someone should have a funeral service. read more

This is an update to my original review that I did when we originally moved to Durham. Lino has sold the business and gone is his personal touch and all of his caring and well focused employees. I bought four steaks today that were about 20$ each the lady behind the counter could barely speak English and she picked up my steaks and packaged then like they were pieces of shit . read more

Ordered 2 wraps a Caesar, chicken wrap, and a buffalo chicken wrap my wife and I split half and half but couldn't tell which was which was just dry grilled chicken with a little shredded lettuce, we didn't finish them. Very dissapointed read more

Hidden Gem Alert !!!! Sandwiches are absolutely worth stopping in for today . They cook and cut the best meats around to your liking . They have a few parts to this store the major one is the deli where you can get breakfast/lunch made to order or you can buy cold cuts here at great prices . They have a bread section with fine choices and a full store to buy some groceries. I fell in love with this place. I decided on a meatball grinder and was not disappointed at all. I decided to bring it to the waters edge in middetown to eat it today . They have homemade soups,pastas and more here . Pre made items like eggplant parm or meatloaf to take home as well as large salads. read more

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The best Italian sausage I've had in a long time. Service is always outstanding and the whole store and cold cases are spotless. A nice place to stop for some good food and friendly staff. read more

Very disappointed. Ordered a caprese with prosciutto on crispy Italian bread. I got a soft type bread and she forgot the crushed red pepper. Ruined our lunch after waiting 40 minutes for this read more

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Always the best grinders and wonderful meals to go. Lino's is Durham's best kept secret, this is by far the best little Italian deli, that Carrie's so many specialty items. The staff are always friendly and helpful. I highly recommend Lino's. read more

This looked like a popular market based on the number of cars in their parking lot so we stopped in to discover (this was on a Saturday afternoon - for perspective). The deli selection, butcher area, and prepared food and pastries looked wonderful! It appeared that the two women in the back of the deli counter had a large sandwich order that they were filling. Then, there were at least 4 other workers walking back and forth - they appeared to have a lot of workers. We pulled a ticket for service, and there were two people in front of us. Once the two people in front of us had their sandwich orders handed to them, we waited to be called....and waited....and waited. No one a acknowledged us (i.e. "we'll be right with you " or something similar). The two women kept assembling other sandwiches, the male workers kept walking back and forth right in front of us. We waited patiently for a few minutes before we left. Sadly, the customer service there was disappointing. Therefore, the one star rating. read more

I can honestly say, the food was fine. The prices are genuinely outrageous but all prices are going up and they're a small business trying to survive. What I CAN say I'm OVERJOYED about is that woman no longer being there. I never caught her name, never cared to. Short Italian one thats normally behind the register. She would always flirt with my husband and EVERY other man in line. Thats not how you keep business, honey. It's TRASHY. A couple of my friends and their husbands don't frequent there anymore due to her unprofessionalism. Now I can tell them shes gone and we can go back to getting lunch there! read more

The best and only place in town! If you are a planner and order ahead over the phone you will not have to wait! (I have no such ability!!) It needs a bigger parking lot! read more

Linos not accepting EBT today. New Years Eave day. Either accept it or dont. They want all cash today because of the Holiday. They suck.

Fortunate to have this family owned business in our area. Their catering is excellent as are their deli sandwiches and meats. Love Lino's!

The prices of risen wildly. No more reason to shop here. Obviously, there are better prices anywhere else.

stopped buy for the first time today...excellent grinders with huge portions! friendly staff and a good selection of groceries and drinks. the garlic knots are absolutely amazing! read more

Our go to market for meat and cold cuts. You can get pretty much any kind of cut you want and they have a butcher on staff. The store baked turkey is a family favorite! They have excellent salads. The vinegar based coleslaw and superslaw are favorites! If you like grinders my favorite is the italian! We have also used Lino's for catering for family events. They catered our wedding a few years back, as well! People still talk about how great the food was (and we had 240 people at our wedding!) Highly recommended! read more

The best cannolis I've ever had! Shells are crispy, fresh and filled with fluffy ricotta! You just can't get this quality any where else. I put in an order for a dozen and they were nice enough to separate the shell and ricotta for me so I could take these babies back to California! Also, customer service is ON POINT! Can't wait to go back! read more

Lino's Market - Best ever - Grocery Near Me - Durham, Connecticut

This review is for the prepared food I got at linos as well as my issue with the meat counter. I called in to reserve a bone in pork butt they had in their superbowl ad for 1.49lb. They said sure no problem we will have it waiting. Well my pork butt was there but they tried to charge me the 2.99lb price for the boneless pork butt. I get it mistakes happen, but watch the prices here. I also decided to pick up so prepared food for dinner. I got a chicken parmesan dinner(9.95) and baked ziti (12.95). The chicken parm portion was large with 4 pieces of chicken and there was a good amount of baked ziti . The chicken parm was soggy and just didnt taste fresh at all, more like days old. The baked ziti was luke warm even though I followed the instructions. I had to finish it off in the microwave. For almost 23 dollars, I expected the quality to be much better. All i can say is, if you want chicken parm with pasta call carmines. Carmines charges 13.95 for a chicken parm dinner with pasta, bread, and even a salad. It's made fresh on the spot and tastes 100x better. read more

Always amazing! Hands down the best Mac salad I have ever tasted. Be sure to order their eggplant sub, always a win!

I love this place used to deliver here 15 years ago and made it a priority to stop here to get a sandwich. Most of the negative reviews are because they are really busy and have to wait. Great place highly recommend read more

Had the worst sandwiches we ever had tonight. Ordered them through grub hub. The chicken cutlets were dry as hell. Not even edible. It was almost as if someone left them in the microwave too long and they got dry and hard. The BLT in the panini was ok but the bread was hard as a rock, again not edible. I was very disappointed as I had heard good things about Lino's. This was my first time trying their food and it will be the last. Dawn S read more

If you want CT's best Italian market, head to Lino's. It is a special little family run business, where you can find a unique selection of Italian treats, from homemade sandwiches to cannolis, to breads, and even specialty packaged foods. Order a sandwich at the counter- the options are endless! I love their eggplant parmigiana, and always snag a little container of the tortellini salad. Or you could be brave and order some grilled octopus to go! It can be busy, especially at mealtimes, so call in your order for pickup and skip the lines! You won't be disappointed! read more

Great deli and Italian specialties that we can't find on the west coast! Definitely worth the drive to Durham.

My first time here and loved their customized turkey sandwich! It was fun to see them receive big fresh provolone cheese from Spain during my visit. Very friendly staff serving fresh cuts during grocery. My visit made me leave with a smile. read more

Recently we had 6 or so friends and family staying with us and we wanted to have a big dinner, but nothing pretentious: NY strips on the grill, corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes. Between the fresh veggies and desserts from Lyman Orchards and the great meat and cheese selection at Lino's, we were set. The staff at Lino's are always courteous and helpful, the quality of the meat was spot on, and the staff will do everything they can to help you get what you were looking for. This out of the way Italian market is always stocked up on fresh ready to eat items, a great selection of boxed Italian goods, and a great meat counter with almost anything you'd want from the butcher. I could only imagine this market would do better business with better access to a highway. I'm happy to know it's there, a bit off the beaten path, but worth every penny. read more

AMAZING deli options and ready made salads! I love the customer service and the quality of food. I've never utilized the butcher but I will soon! read more

It sucks because I want to like this place so bad because I grew up in Durham and Linos has just always been there. The food sucks. The last time food was ordered from here the chicken cutlet was old, had a very weird taste and was obviously microwaved. Almost a year later my spouse and I decided to give them another chance and I can tell you we will never be wasting another penny of our money here. They just don't know how to listen. Not to mention I waited 30 minutes for a cold cut sub. Asked for land o lakes American but the taste was way off I could tell they used the cheap stuff I don't care for. Asked them to put a little mayo on my sub and they smothered both sides of the bread to where the mayo was busting out of the sub. I ate half of half the grinder and threw the rest in the trash. Now I'm still hungry and out $10 for a disgusting sub read more

Man, don't ask the deli counter about stuffed breads that they have featured on a flyer next to the counter. The bug-eyed dude with an earring who was "helping me" acted like I just shot him in the chest when he tells me I have to order those hours ahead of time. I asked him if they had slices and once again must have shot him in the chest, "we don't have any of that kinda stuff." I found his attitude to be very unbecoming in comparison to the other lovely people that work there, including Lino, who is very nice and helpful. Next time I'm in, I'm avoiding that dude. read more

What's not to like, a family run deli that has awesome homemade food, the best is the lobster mac and cheese, the blend of cheeses is great and compliments the lobster. My second favorite would be the eggplant cutlets. Seafood is fresh and very reasonably priced, meat is tender and flavorful. read more

My first time going to Lino's. What a great market! The butcher meat looked super fresh, and they had a great selection of specialty meats, cheese, pastas, and olives. I had the breakfast burrito on the chili wrap. I absolutely recommend getting that- absolutely delicious. Their fresh baked breads looked and smelled amazing. I'll be going back for sure. read more