Panarottis Serves Up a Disaster: A Meal to Forget

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, I took my kids to a Panarottis branch for what I hoped would be a pleasant family meal. I ordered the stacked chicken schnitzel with regular oven-roasted chicken breasts and a side salad—promised with avocado and Danish feta—while my kids opted for pizza. My youngest wanted to craft her own pizza, but it didn’t arrive until 15–20 minutes after we ordered. The rest of our food trickled out in disjointed waves.

When my dish finally landed, it was a letdown: two dry chicken breasts and a bare-bones salad. I asked the waiter if I’d misread the menu. He assured me I hadn’t and shuffled off to the kitchen. After I’d polished off my sad salad, a second waitress dropped off a plate of sliced avocado, tomato, and onion. No feta in sight. When I asked about it, she said my original waiter would check. Minutes later, I glanced at the kitchen and watched in disbelief as a staff member grabbed a fistful of feta—bare-handed—and flung it onto a plate. My waiter then delivered it like nothing was wrong.

Twenty minutes into staring at my dry chicken, and after witnessing that hygiene horror show, I’d had enough. I called for the manager. I laid out the fiasco, and he asked what he could do to “make me happy.” I told him I’d eat the chicken but was appalled by the staff’s lack of professionalism. His solution? Fetching a “proper” serving of feta. By then, my waiter had vanished, leaving me stranded. Getting anything—let alone dessert for my kids—became a mission. After tracking him down and confirming he was still our server, we waited an absurd *hour* for two tiny desserts. The manager? Nowhere to be found. The final insult? A full-price bill for this trainwreck of a meal. I paid it to avoid a scene in front of my kids, but that was Panarottis’ last chance with me. We won’t be back.