I have been here a few times and to be honest it is a mixed bag. For me the pizza, and bread service are very good and I've been very impressed. However I've been very disappointed in many of the entrees I have had. This place to me is just ok Italian fusion, I would focus on more traditional Italian dishes as this place puts too much into classic dishes and it does not come out great. I think this is a decent offering, but not the best I have tried in the area. read more

had a pretty sad rendition of one of their signature dishes spicy seafood over pasta not sure if there was a seafood shortage going on but along with a small piece of salmon and two shrimp there was one scallop two mussels and three tiny clams the crabmeat was conspicuously absent and while it appeared that there was a dusting of it on top when served there was hardly any of it to contribute to the flavor of the dish as far as the spicy sauce it tasted like their red gravy that accompanied their sunday diner entree there is definitely room for improvement here and hopefully the manager spends some time in the kitchen getting things in order it's pizzeria style food with fine dining prices and at $28 a trip to the local seafood market will get you more than the paltry portion of seafood that accompanied this entree read more

Great Italian food if you don't mind the noise. Its in a converted old church which has been refurbished to have a very open pizzeria feel with upscale decor. The altar is now a "brick" oven (Its actually cooking stone, not brick, i felt a bit cheated given their subtitle "Brick Oven Pizzeria"). We went at 8pm on a saturday night, and waited only 10 minutes for priority seating. The waitress was very knowledgeable and helpful with our order and we started off with some fried calamari, mussels, and the "Battered Jersey". The latter dish was phenomenal and enjoyed by all, I highly recommend it. The mussels were a bit dry and the calamari was crispy yet tasty. The complimentary garlic bread is also delicious. The entrees were delicious and full of powerful flavors. I had a penne dish with chicken, shrimp, and tangy goat cheese. The seafood dishes were well-cooked although over-sauced. Sadly i did not get to try the pizza but I hear it is excellent. Refills on soft drinks aren't free, although they come in fairly large portions. Its also BYOB. Prices aren't too bad, itll run about $25-35 per person with appetizers and dessert and well worth it. For the food quality and service, it could be a little quiter, but theres only so much you can do with a converted church, Its a unique experience. read more

We had dinner here last night. I had the marguetita pizza my wife the salmon. Both were well presented and delicious. The atmosphere, as others have pointed out, is loud. At times difficult to hear each other talk. It was also extremely crowded. We had called for a "reservation" but still had to wait for over 1/2 hour for a table. As there is little room inside you must wait outdoors. This could be an issue in the winter! The server was overworked and another had to help him as we waited for coffee and dessert. I give them 3 stars as the food was good but service and atmosphere need work. read more

Pleasant surprise. Tip: call ahead helps. The Appetizers sparkle here. However, If your looking for Authentic Northern Italian then be careful on main dishes and entrees. Go with the specials. Service is wonderful. 3 star because I am picky on my Italian. read more

Ate dinner with a party of 10 on July 31, 2019. Food was OK... better than a chain restaurant, but not even close to true Italian food. Ambiance was good. Service? This was where this restaurant gets a flunking grade. Had a reservation for 7pm but did not get seated until 8pm. For context, the restaurant was busy but not overwhelmed with patrons. Entrees came out slowly and in waves. 2 people in our party were finished with their food before the last entrees were served! read more

Our new favorite restaurant in Cape May. Outstanding dinner. Appetizer and dinner were both great. Service excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the venue. Octopus appetizer was excellent. My son loved the Sunday sauce and pasta, my seafood pasta was excellent and my husbands fish outstanding. read more

Three stars for friendly service, nice atmosphere and decor. Kids ordered pizza which they enjoyed. Unfortunately, the entrees were not very good. They were either under seasoned, or too oily/greasy. read more

We had reservations and still had to wait 50 minutes to get sat in the parking lot under a tent on plastic folding chairs on a plastic table with fans blowing all over, it was so cold...I did request to have the fan turned off and the waiter did obliged with hesitation. We did say to the hostess that we did not request to sit outside and she bluntly said we have to sit you wherever we have an opening. I was really hoping to sit inside but I didn't push the issue because I really think she would've told us to f@#$ off!!! I will say we did see numerous groups be seated under the tent and they sat down and politely got up and stated I am not sitting out here, I guess we should've done the same thing but who knows if the hostess would've been spiteful and made us wait longer! I will say the waiter was very good, the food was good, nothing spectacular . I do not see us rushing back here anytime soon! My advice to anyone planning to go here if the hostess attempts to sit you outside under the tent on plastic chairs at a plastic picnic table tell the hostess no you do not want to sit there! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Cape May! Awesome BYOB in a quaint little building. The eggplant pesto is my favorite. You cannot go wrong with a brick oven pizza to share for an appetizer or the family style salad. Don't forget to save room for the homemade bread they put on the table. read more

Simplemente delicioso!!! Great service - And the food was delicious!!! read more

Waiter was so informative appetizers and entrees so expertly prepared. We ordered veal, chicken, fish, and pasta every one had it's own unique flavor. Will definitely come back and recommend to others read more

Panico's Bistro - Delicious chicken topped with a sliver of jam and pesto and rice in the side. Melted in your mouth - Pizza Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

Panico's is a Cape May hidden gem. First off, it is a BYO which is great. Second, the ambiance is excellent (restored, quant old church). Years ago I used to tell people that they have the best chicken parm, but as of lately, I have heard, and experienced, the chicken not being the best quality (tough n' chewy) - hopefully this is unusual... However, I had their salmon special and it was wonderful. Other than that, service is always great, and I always have a nice time. In conclusion, three years ago I would have given them 5 stars, but this year I have to lower it to 4. read more

This little BYOB totally surprised me!!! The atmosphere has a cool vibe thanks to Panico's home in the repurposed church...we started with crisp, fresh salads...followed by hot, delicious coal fired pizza...and dessert (cheesecakes and cappuccinos) wasn't too shabby either. The bill ran just over $20/person for a full, satisfying, every-crumb-devoured meal...highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area. And remember, if you want a glass of wine with this Italian food, you need to bring it with you. read more

This was our first time here (we were attending a birthday dinner). This is a converted church with nice decor. The open space design really makes it loud and sometimes hard to hear each other. The bathrooms were very clean and nice. The hostess was nice. Onward to the food: The bread they served was very delicious along with the dipping oil. I am not a fan of calamari, but I must say their calamari appetizer was actually tasty. We ordered a house salad as part of our appetizer experience. It needed more actual lettuce and the dressing was flat. The included pita wedges were buttery and tasty. My wife ordered the chicken parm. The meal arrived with loads of water on the plate from improperly drained angel hair pasta. The coating was very bland on the chicken parm itself and the sauce was slightly below average. It appeared to have simmered for too long. I ordered the days special which was a triple Italian special consisting of Ravioli, Chicken Parm and Lasagna. The Ravioli were the best part and were tasty and firm. The sauce, as noted above, was very reduced in a bad way. I ate my chicken parm and the rest of my wife's since the portion size was dismal. There was a marked inconsistency between how my chicken was prepared and how hers was prepared. My piece was actually crispy and flavorful while hers was flavorless. The lasagna was tasty but very small in size. To say there was more sauce than food would be an understatement. I know many have noted the portion sizes, but my overall portions were very small and seemed lost on the plate. We tried two different desserts. I, personally, thought the dessert was the best part of the meal if that speaks volumes of the overall quality of the food served. I think the problem is the food was, at best, average for the price and nothing special. I wouldn't say we'll never return, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again. read more

There's not any clams left in the ocean, they were all on my plate with perfect pasta, I have had this 3 times at Panico's and it gets better every time. Do not pass by this gem! read more

Food is a 4,but service is a 2. What a shame. We arrived 15 minutes prior to our "call ahead" reservation time and the hostess escorted us downstairs to their lounge to wait for our table. 40 minutes later, my husband went upstairs to check on our table since we had waited so long, and we were told we never checked in. When he told the hostess we had checked in 40 minutes prior and were escorted downstairs, we were informed that our name was never written down young arrival...and we were seated immediately without any apology. The entire meal was amazing...appetizers and entrees, but getting a waiters attention for anything was impossible and they never checked on the table. We asked for water and bread multiple times and never got any. We spent 3 hours here!!! read more

This place was simply spectacular. Set in a restored church, this BYOB Italian and coal fired pizza bistro simply fires on all cylinders. The decor is understated yet elegant and the staff is friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. Our party of 10 began dinner with warm garlic foccacia with dipping oil that was crispy and sublime. We then had appetizers of calamari, fried mozzarella balls and bruschetta. All were excellent but the bruschetta was simply outstanding. I ordered the pork shank osso bucco which was a dish blessed by the Virgin Mary herself. The pork was tender and moist and the tomato sauce was silky and smooth. This restaurant and this dish is a must for anybody visiting Cape May! read more

I've been here once in the off season so we didn't know abt the 'preferred seating' policy - it's ridiculous. Just take reservations already - it's the right way to handle the front of the house. Paying customers should not have to wait (in the heat) indefinitely while the desk puts call-in customers ahead of them ad nauseam. We were originally told 25 mins, then another 35 without a guarantee of a table even then! On a Wednesday night - Piss poor service. We left. I've had a 2nd home in CM for 10 yrs - Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Positive: Focaccia bread was delicious and so was the calamari appetizer. Negatives: Was greeted with an attitude, and had to wait 30 minutes for a table even after calling ahead. The appetizers did not come out at the same time which we would have preferred so we can all start to enjoy our meal together. The Three Cheese Chicken dish was lacking flavor, and after asking for a cup of Parmesan cheese to put over my pasta I was given large pieces of the cheese instead of it grated. We were seated right by door and I was bumped into several times throughout my meal. Not only was our seat a high traffic area, but the door slammed multiple times from the wind causing a disruption in the front of the restaurant. After being greeted with an attitude my experience went down hill from there. read more

We enjoyed our dinners very much the table we were seated at was in a very busy area, the staff and patrons constantly walking back and forth behind us. Needless to say the restaurant lacks comfort and atmsphere. read more

Food good but service and attitude of owner was horrible. She actually came over and told us "she is not a slave to the customer!" Seriously? Waitress brought an extra pizza that we did not order. She agreed to take back the pizza. Then brought pizza back in a box and said we could take it home anyway. But then tried to charge us for the pizza. Waitress sent the owner over who instead of believing the customer over a pizza, told us to pay our check and leave. Gave us the hand and walked away. Is that how one treats customers? I thought the restaurant business was was about the customer experience? read more

Good food, bad and rude management. As you can see from prior reviews, the food is good, probably best Italian in cape may. However, after witnessing a how management speaks to their employees I will not be back. read more

Wow, I live in Manhattan and never had to wait this long to be seated at a restaurant. I'm about 1 hour and 36 mins waiting (I'm with a group so just trying to go with this) typing this Yelp review to pass the time. As u can see this is my first one. They don't seem to care that we're beating eatin alive by Mosquitos outside their establishment. So that's where you get the 1 star. Just wish they wouldve been considerate enough to mention the wait. Peace. read more

Panicos is truly one of my favorite restaurants when visiting the cape. However, this time around, we called ahead and made an 8pm "call ahead time" only to find ourselves still sitting waiting for a table at 9:15pm. The food is great, but they should absolutely consider revising their "call ahead" option as it's not any different from having no reservation at all. I understand it's not technically a "reservation", but why have anything at all. After seeing multiple patrons coming in and out asking when their table would be ready, we saw the hostess give them all the same answer -- "your table is paying now, should be a few minutes." An hour and fifteen later....... I will leave this review with a quote from a woman walking out after seeing the line of "call ahead" patrons--- "this place is good, but it's not that good." read more

My husband and friends dined there on a recommendation last Saturday. The evening was fine until my husband found a bug on his plate. He immediately show our waitress who looked embarrassed but said nothing. She came back a little later and my husband asked her if she told the manager since no one came to the table. She replied that she did speak to the manager. We had dessert and still no one came over to our table. My friend was not as forgiving as my husband and decided to talk to the manager. The manger acted or didn't know what had happened. She apologized and stated if she knew she would adjusted the bill, even though we were still there. We are a large family with several houses at the Jersey shore. If the manager would have shown some concerned, this review would never have been written. Just so you know, we still left a 20 % tip which was more than generous considering the circumstance. read more

RUDE service. We called ahead for reservations and they put our name on "the list". When we walked in the door, my wife, three young children and I waited outside for 30min and were eaten alive by mosquitos. When questioned, the owner refused to serve us she indicated in a pretentious way that they has plenty of customers and did not "need" our business. I wouldn't take my dog back to that hole. Even she deserves better service. read more

I had a few friends recommend this spot to me, and I could not believe I had not tried it yet. I was definitely missing out. This is high quality food at a great reasonable price point. The restaurant is very unique being in an old church. It has beautiful vaulted ceilings and a cool open concept. You can see the brick oven from the dining room. I ordered pizza, and while it was good, I much preferred the pasta dishes that my family ordered. When I go back i'll be sampling the pasta dishes and perhaps some of the seafood. Great spot and very nice that it is a BYOB. read more

Great Italian food in west cape may , it's a byob and you can save. The portions are huge and excellent food. Expect a long wait for seats during week ends . We have been back three times. Setting us in an old church which can get noisy, the severs were excellent friendly and attentive read more

We eat at Panico's every time we visit Cape May. This time it was a special occasion for our 20th anniversary so we wanted a special and romantic setting. We shared appetizer of bruschetta and the fennel salad with a warm pear, goat cheese and cherry vinaigarette. Both were wonderful. I had fusilli with meat sauce and my hubs had chicken parm and pasta. We loved, loved our dinner. The ambiance is always special; having been a former church. It's a cozy setting with a brick oven in the back of the restaurant. As with many restaurants in Cape May, it's BYOB. The home made bread, served with EVO, is great even though my hubs always asks for butter. Our waitress was wonderful. We've been visiting Panico's for many years and continue to love it. read more

Although the food is good, the terrible unfriendly manner of the hostess overshadows the quality of the food, Their so called preferred list is just a way to get many people to the restaurant thinking they have a reservation. This evening we were on the preferred list for 7 PM and did not get sited unit after 8 PM.The hostess has a terrible task keeping all happy and tonight she lost it and said toys, "if you don't like it, leave, Once seated, the noise level was so bad one could not hear the person across the table, Solution is to get bigger place or try to sound proof the room and to do away with this preferred reservation read more

Very interesting place. This restaurant utilizes an old church and I loved the way the huge church windows made this place feel open. I was amazed by the crowds trying to get this place on a winter weekend night...literally a line out the door. I was thinking this place must be good. Well the space is awesome and the food is good...but it was so cheap! (And a byo!!). They literally gave you food for three meals...the weight of my dads friends bowl must've been 5 lbs. So I would for sure check this place out if you're in the cape may area...and expect leftovers. My recommendation to the owner is to raise prices...I have no idea how they are making money based on our meal. read more

Excellent italian byob. Garlic bread is awesome. Had the calamari, bruschetta, and chicken parm. Definitely check it out. read more

We have been waiting 37 minutes. We have no water or bread, our orders have not yet been taken. While telling us the off menu items, the waiter was paged to the kitchen. It is now 45 minutes. 57 minutes and the food has arrived. We were informed two hours after we arrived that they were two waiters short. Appetizer of lamb cutlets was perfectly cooked. But unfortunately there was ribbon in the salad. It was taken to the kitchen and I was told it was used to wrap the cheese. I was offered a replacement, which I declined. I was not charged for the appetizer. My entrée was a four cheese pizza, which was very cheesy, with slices of ricotta piled on it. I agree with previous reviewers that the food was excellent, and the others in my party enjoyed their meals, too. The noise level was very loud. And this was despite a remodel which was supposed to alleviate the problem. I recommend that those with hearing aids should not come here. read more

I've been here 3 times and had 3 great meals. The service, the atmosphere and the food all deserve recognition. I'm trying to make time to try the newest location. read more

Noisy atmosphere, and lack of AC are trumped by delicious food, generous portions and excellent service. And definitely call ahead for preferred seating. read more

Mediocre food & excessively loud, warehouse-like atmosphere. I think this restaurant has gotten such good reviews because it's not overly expensive compared to most restaurants in CM. But honestly, I would rather eat at home or get takeout than have a meal here. read more

So delicious!!! Great service and the food was excellent. We had the fried eggplant and zucchini app which was so good. I had the spinach/pesto pizza and it was the best pizza I have had in a long time. All the ingredients were very fresh and tasted delicious. Def will be going back! read more

I've been a long time patron of Panico's. Like any Cape May restaurant, starts out great, and then the service gets bad. Knowing it's a popular spot, we called ahead for preferred seating (they don't take reservations). Showed up at the specified time, and the hostess said you'd be seated shortly. We then watched multiple parties get seated as if we had no preference, and after waiting 30 minutes left. The hostess never checked in with us again and was chatting up customers who were currently seated. At least the plentiful mosquitos had a good dinner. read more

Racket. What a RIP OFF. Ordered take out based on menu on their website. Ordered takeout because the restaurant is way too loud for a conversation. Chicken and shrimp pasta dish was posted on site as 20.00. We were billed 28.00. When my husband questioned the bill, he was told the menu on their website was "the specials" and the dish was no longer on "special". $28.00 for three lousy medium sized shrimp sure WASN'T SPECIAL. Bait and switch, and we choose switch - we'll never return. We used to get the pizza weekly, but who wants to return to a place that cheats, and when called on it, refuses to acknowledge it? i wish my husband had just said forget it and walked out. Eating our meal certainly wasn't pleasurable after that encounter. And the antipasta is nowhere near as good as previous years. Cold cuts rolled up is another FAIL. read more