Downtown Panama City has no shortage of places to grab lunch, but Trigo San Francisco Style Deli has built its own lane by pairing a neighborhood-deli feel with a distinctly West Coast twist.

Located at 119 Harrison Avenue, Trigo has been serving sandwiches, salads, pizzas and other fresh-made favorites in downtown Panama City since 2010.

Owner Gilbert Hamati created the concept after moving to the area in 2007 and noticing there were not many traditional delis downtown.

The result is a casual local restaurant with a San Francisco-inspired atmosphere, complete with menu names that lean into the theme and a focus on food made fresh.

One of Trigo’s signatures is its sandwich program, especially the San Francisco-style sourdough bread used for many of its hot and cold sandwiches.

The deli says its signature sourdough is imported from San Francisco, giving classics like pastrami, roast beef, turkey and Italian meats a little extra character.

Trigo Deli Menu

The Cable Car Classic keeps things simple with peppered pastrami, cheese and spicy mustard, while the Golden Gate Delight layers roast beef with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and spicy mustard.

Another house favorite is the Gilbert Special, made with sliced chicken breast, lettuce, cheese, tomato and Gilbert’s garlic sauce.

If you are hungry for something bigger, the Little Italy Monster stacks salami, ham, pepperoni, cheese and the usual deli toppings into one seriously loaded sandwich.

The 49ers Special goes in a different direction with corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese and Thousand Island dressing.

Cold sandwiches are part of the lineup too, including the Sausalito Delight with turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

Trigo is not just a sandwich shop, and that is where the menu gets more interesting for repeat visits.

The deli offers a wide selection of freshly made salads, from Greek pasta and Caesar pasta salad to tabbouli, hummus, chicken salad, shrimp salad and a mango chicken curry salad.

One of the more refreshing options is the shrimp ceviche, made with seared shrimp, avocado, cilantro and red onion in a house lime vinaigrette and served with tortilla chips.

Pizza is another part of the menu, with sourdough crust available in traditional red sauce or pesto versions.

Specialty choices include BBQ Chicken, Mexican Chicken, Aloha, Margherita, Spinach, Fresh Mozzarella, Goat Cheese and Meat Lovers.

Tomato Basil Soup is available every day, and Trigo also rotates a soup of the day, making a soup-and-sandwich combo an easy lunch choice.

See Trigo Deli Facebook page for Daily Specials.

The daily specials include soup-and-salad combinations, half-sandwich combos, full-sandwich combos and a three-salad special for diners who want to mix and match.

Trigo also has a bakery-and-dessert side worth saving room for, including baklava, assorted cookies, croissants and quiche.

The homemade baklava is made with layers of filo dough, mixed nuts and rosewater syrup, giving the dessert case a Mediterranean touch that fits naturally beside items like hummus and tabbouli.

For groups and events, Trigo Catering offers sandwich trays, salads, hot dishes, breakfast options and desserts for parties, receptions, luncheons and other gatherings.

The restaurant also offers online ordering and delivery, with its current menu noting a $25 minimum for delivery orders and a 10 percent delivery charge.

Trigo is open six days a week, and its downtown Harrison Avenue location makes it an easy stop for workers, shoppers and anyone exploring the center of Panama City.

For Panhandle Fork readers who like locally owned spots with a menu that goes beyond the expected, Trigo is one of those downtown restaurants where it is easy to find a different favorite every visit.

Whether you go for a sourdough sandwich, a bowl of tomato basil soup, a fresh salad, a specialty pizza or a piece of baklava, Trigo’s mix of San Francisco deli inspiration and Panama City personality has helped it remain a downtown fixture for more than a decade.

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