●8.5 · $14.50 · Open
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mannyJan 24
Downtown, Austin●8.5
mannyJan 17
Downtown, Austin●8.5
Numero28 (Lunch Round 2) 🥪🍋🇮🇹
Back at Numero28 for lunch and tried another one of their “paninis” — which I learned are actually panino (P-A-N-I-N-O). Not pressed, not traditional panini-style, and that explains a lot.
This time I got the prosciutto & mozzarella panino 🐖🧀
For me, the porchetta panino is still better, but that’s purely a preference thing. This one is lighter and more refreshing, and I’d absolutely order it again depending on the mood.
They give you a thick slab of fresh mozzarella and a generous amount of prosciutto — definitely not skimping. Everything tasted super fresh. The bread is once again excellent: chewy, bouncy, pizza-crust vibes 🍕. Softer and warm rather than crispy, but it works.
Inside you’ve got:
• prosciutto 🐖
• fresh mozzarella 🧀
• roasted red peppers 🌶️
• their special sauce 🤫
• a light hit of lemon vinaigrette 🍋
Same side salad as before, and it still hits. Light, refreshing, perfect contrast. Dipping the panino in the vinaigrette is still the move.
Final take:
Porchetta = richer, heavier, more indulgent 🐷🔥
Prosciutto = lighter, fresher, better when you want something clean 🥪🍋
Numero28 continues to quietly be a great lunch option.
I finally tried Numero28 and I owe it an apology I didn’t know I needed to make 😵💫🍝🔥
This place has been UNDER MY BUILDING this entire time 🏢⬇️ and I’ve just been… ignoring it??? No TikTok hype 📵📱, no influencer swarm 🧍♂️🧍♀️📸, just quietly existing and somehow paying downtown rent 💸🫣. Extremely suspicious behavior.
I was starving 😤 ordered pickup 📦, saw the porchetta panini 🐷🥖 and immediately compared it in my head to the Meat & Bread one (elite. untouchable. intimidating). Opened the box and…
not gonna lie 😬👀
it didn’t look that crazy. Thinner bread. No aggressive crisp. Expectations dropped 📉.
Then I took a bite.
Pause.
Recalibration.
Respect restored 🫡🔥
This sandwich absolutely slaps 💥🐷
Is it as crispy as Meat & Bread? ❌
That’s my one critique.
But does it still go off? ✅✅✅
There’s a TON of porchetta — chewy in some bites 😮💨, rich and fatty in others 🤤. The sauce seeps into the panini perfectly 💦🥖, and the bread eats like fire-roasted pizza bread 🍕🔥. Simple. Dangerous. Addictive.
AND THEN… the side salad 🥗🍋💫
Why is this here? Why is it this good?
The lemon vinaigrette cuts straight through the pork fat like a knife 🔪🍋. Pro tip: dip the panini in it 🐷➡️🥗. This is not a suggestion. This is doctrine.
Looked it up afterward and apparently Austin says Numero28 is “solid” but has a few dishes that really hit.
I’m convinced the porchetta panini is one of them 🎯🔥
They also have happy hour from 4:30–6:00 pm, Monday–Friday 👀⏰
Everyone working there was aggressively Italian 🇮🇹🤌 (excellent omen), and they’re surviving downtown rent without insane marketing — which either means they’re doing something very right… or something very cinematic 🎭🕵️♂️.
Either way, I’ll be back. For happy hour. 🍷🍕😌
