Palermo’s Pizza: Quality Sandwiches to Fuel Holiday Shopping

Beginning with Black Friday through Small Business Saturday, many of us will be out shopping and won’t come home again until we collapse in front of our computers for Cyber Monday. 

You need a restaurant that serves good food quickly so that you can get back into that bargain hunting and grocery shopping. If you’re at the Phoenixville Plaza (“the Giant/Kmart Mall”), you need .

Once you’re in the door, you can either pick up a printed menu or check out the menu boards over the counter. The day’s specials are listed over the cash register where you place your order. Afterwards, choose your own seat either in front of the large-screen TV or further back towards the hallway. A server will bring you your order.

My husband is not big on shopping, but he does like to eat. He enjoys Palermo’s sandwiches, so he chose the Chicken Melt Panini ($8) which is grilled chicken breast, spinach, tomato and provolone cheese on thick Italian bread that grills beautifully in the Panini machine and melds the flavors into an enjoyable experience. A side salad of fresh field greens, grape tomatoes and sliced cucumbers with your choice of dressing and French fries accompany the paninis.

I go to Palermo’s for the “Mediterranean and Israeli Cuisine” options  For this review, I chose the Mediterranean Combo which is a plate of humus (mashed chickpeas, tahina [sesame seed paste], lemon juice, garlic and spices), baba ganoush (mashed roasted eggplant, tahina, lemon juice and spices), four falafel (fried fritters of chickpeas, parsley and onion), two grape leaves stuffed with rice, two slices of pita bread and an Israeli Salad of chopped lettuce, tomato, red onion and cucumber. 

The joy of the Combo is that you can combine the ingredients any way you like—I prefer stuffing a pita with Israeli Salad, adding a falafel or two and then finishing off the sandwich with either the hummus or the baba ganoush. Palermo’s falafels are green with herb (which my friend who wanders the Middle East says is absolutely essential to falafel in Egypt) and warmer with pepper heat than the average take-out falafel, but are well worth ordering. It’s easy to cool the heat with an extra dollop of humus or baba ganoush.

While dessert is not listed on the printed menu, the Daily Specials Board listed Cannoli and Fried Oreos for $2 each. I ordered a Cannoli and was given a choice of Regular (still with chocolate chips in the filling) or Chocolate. Of course, I ordered the Chocolate, which had the ends of the crisp, crunchy shell dipped in quality dark chocolate. The filling was creamy with ricotta and flecked with tiny chocolate chips.

The printed menu also includes pizza, stromboli, calzones, hoagies, steak sandwiches, salads and pasta platters so there are plenty of options for whatever will fuel you best to go back out there shopping. Beverages include the usual array of sodas either by the bottle in the refrigerated case or the self-serve area at the end of the counter. With each $10 purchase, you receive a pizza wedge magnet. Save eight magnets and Palermo’s will give you a free medium plain pizza.

Service is friendly and fast. It can be even faster if you just order a slice or two from the pizzas set out behind the counter and whiz through the self-serve soda machine if you are looking for something tasty, but are on a tight schedule.

Black Friday can be an exciting day filled with crowds, bargains and finding that perfect gift for someone special. If you’re in the Phoenixville Plaza, take care of yourself and order a quick but delicious bite at Palermo’s Pizza.

If You Go:

Location:  700 Nutt Road, Phoenixville Plaza, Phoenixville

Cost:   Sandwiches:  $4.90 - $8, Pizza:  $11 to $20; Desserts:   $2

Phone:  610-933-6420 or 610-933-6451

Website:  http://www.palermospizzamenu.com/

Hours:   Monday through Saturday:  10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
              Sunday:                            11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Payments accepted: Cash, Credit Cards

Parking:  Free parking lot