The food and the service was excellent ! We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon family. We did not feel like we were being rushed. The ambiance is only average; however, the food is why we went. Prices were reasonable. read more

I was very excited to try this restaurant. My brother and sister in law praise it all the time! I went for lunch - had their pepper and egg grinder special, fries and 20 oz beverage included. DELICIOUS! Service was excellent- very prompt. The ambiance was very homey; they also sell their homemade pasta- that looked incredible! Then I told my younger brother about Pagliacci's and now we're planning to go back for dinner! read more

***REVISED REVIEW AFTER OWNER'S RESPONSE*** ***BUYER'S BEWARE*** We were at Pagliacci's late in the afternoon today for a friend's birthday party. Everyone got their meal, but when my son got the Penne Alla Vodka with shrimp, all 5 of the shrimp that were with the meal were badly burnt. I told the waitress, Shaylene, and she was going to take $10 off the meal for cost of shrimp. The manager, Maria, falsely accused my son of eating 2 out of the five shrimp, and would only refund $6 for the shrimp. He put all 5 of the shrimp on the appetizer plate, and Shaylene brought it to kitchen to show them. I don't know what happened to the other two shrimp, but they were most definitely on the plate when the waitress brought them back to the kitchen. Maria should not be in a management position! She lacked good customer service, did not take responsibility for the shrimp being burnt, and was very unprofessional. I also got treated poorly last year when my son got their homemade pasta. We returned it because it was raw, and she said she would not refund the meal because there was nothing wrong with the pasta. She not only charged me for the meal not eaten, but charged for a replacement meal. Last year, I let things slide. Being refused refund once was tolerable, but being refused twice was unacceptable, If you don't like something with your meal, don't go when Maria is acting manager! She will indirectly rob you of money owed to you! I'm only giving a bad review to Maria. The waitress, Shaylene, and the rest of the staff were amazing. The food was excellent, except for the shrimp. A big pet peeve of mine is when people don't take accountability. If Maria is kept in the management position, she should be retrained in customer service and learn to take accountability; and refund money owed for meals not prepared right by the cooks. Based on past reviews I knew the owner wouldn't take accountability for food being improperly cooked. I have had seared shrimp from other restaurants, and have never seen the whole piece of shrimp black. Other restaurants I have eaten at served shrimp that was a nice golden pink color when seared. It was most definitely burnt. Based on past reviews, I also found out that the owner and her manager had tasted returned food that customers had partially eaten, which I find very unsanitary and disgusting; and told the customers nothing was wrong with the food, and a refund would not be given. Perhaps that's why two shrimp were missing , with only the tails, because we most definitely returned the 5 shrimp that were there, when the waitress , Shaylene, returned them on the appetizer plate to the kitchen. This owner really needs to reassess her policy about the quality of food leaving the kitchen, before it's served to her customers. The owner also needs to take accountability for her manager's poor response, instead of blaming things on the customer! I stand by my review, and most definitely feel the manager, Maria, was very unprofessional and rude. The 7 other people in my party agreed with me. I also stand by being robbed indirectly for not giving the full refund owed to me. read more

This is my most favorite Italian restaurant, I love to telll everyone about. It has been around for years- my parents went here when they were my age. My favorite dish is their eggplant parm. All their entrees are served with an assortment of bread and salad which is great! They have a cute cocktail list which varies season to season. Staff is always friendly and they have great suggestions on menu items if you can't decide. Interior is warm & cozy. It's a good spot for a family gathering or a bigger event if you're looking to host one. I hope Pagliacci's Restaurant stays open forever :) read more

Pagliacci's is a seriously good "Old School" Italian Restaurant that does classic Italian American food extremely well. Several macaroni products are made fresh in-house and there are some dishes you won't find in most other restaurants, like Soffrito, Fried Smelt, Hot Peppers, Sausage and Potato appetizer; Escarole and Beans which is to die for. How's there red sauce you ask, you won't be disappointed, it ranks right up there with some of the very best you've had, I'm sure! Tried their pizza for the first time, while the picture makes it look thicker than it is, the white Clam and Bacon pie is a thin crust extraordinarily good pie. I'm anxious to try Pagliacci's regular pizza sometime soon. So far our my visits here have been stellar and it's one of my son's favorite restaurants which so far adds up to a well above average dining experience. read more

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I have eaten here for many years, and I've never had a bad meal from here until yesterday. I walked-in to order Veal Parmigiana with spaghetti and fried mozzarella to-go for a birthday meal to myself. I only live a 5-minute drive from the restaurant, but when I unpacked the breads that came with the meal (garlic and Italian breads), they were both stone cold and hard as a rock, could not eat them, so in the trash they went. The veal was a good-sized portion, but the cook did not completely cover the veal with sauce, and the edges of the veal were burnt black and crunchy, cut that off and in the trash they went. There also was not really a good amount of mozzarella cheese on the veal, seemed like they put just one slice of cheese and called it a day. The veal also seemed like it was slightly over-cooked and tasted dry but edible. The fresh spaghetti was ok but seemed dense. I was an Italian food chef, and I know how it's supposed to be done and unfortunately this was not it. Overall, not the best meal and I was very disappointed. read more

The food here is simply amazing! I adore Italian food above all other cuisines, and I have never encountered better than Pagliacci's. Every dish I've had over the years has been top notch. The homemade pasta is incredible, and the meat sauce is my absolute favorite. I live in upstate New York, but have made multiple visits here over the years - sometimes making the journey simply to come to Pagliacci's! Of the many friends I have brought here, every single one has agreed that the food is simply amazing. I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

I've been a loyal customer for decades here and it's normally pretty good. However we went here for Mother's Day 2025 and it was pretty bad. We made a reservation ahead of time. It seems they may have been a bit overbooked, seating was very tight. We waited 1.5 hours for our apps to arrive and approx. 2 hours and 15 min for our food to arrive. One of the people at our table found a piece of plastic in their food, when brought to the attention of the manger he was told "well that's not good but we are very busy" and then he was given a hard time about trying to comp the meal. When we inquired about why our food was taking so long they said they had a lot of to go orders. I understand holidays are busy, and I'm not sure if they were understaffed, but they def were not prepared. Prices keep going up as well which makes it less affordable for locals. Hopefully things are better next time :/ read more

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We waited 20 minutes and no one came to our table so we got up and left. It wasn't very busy and we were looking forward to Italian food.

This place is just amazing. The food.... Is the best Italian food I've ever had! Their soup is so creamy and delicious with the fresh baked bread! The people there are absolutely wonderful. So kind and seem to love their job!!! read more

Ordered Veal Parmigiana and asked to have cheese ravioli on the side to try their fresh pasta. They wouldn't do it even for an up charge. Got the rigatoni instead. Then they said it comes with soup or salad. So I ordered a Caesar salad. Oh sorry that'll be a $3.00 up charge what??!! The salad was tiny...very small bowl for the $3.00 up charge. Server even was surprised by this how is a tiny Caesar salad $3.00 more than a regular salad? Their homemade rigatoni was bland and starchy. The sauce was like they just opened a can of crushed tomatoes, nothing special. And, well the veal parm was over breaded and probably frozen, it did not have that fresh flavor or consistency. A lot of older customers who have probably been going there for years and don't know the difference. I would not recommend this place for authentic Italian Only thing I did like was their bread which was warm and felt homemade. Decor was dated, worn out and dirty. Do not recommend this place with so many excellent Italian restaurants in CT. read more

Pronounced 'pa-yee-aCHi's - confusing tonight?! Yum! Don't love their homemade pasta. If you haven't had it - beware when ordering. The ziti is not what you'll expect. Too thick and doughy. BUT their other meals are good. Some a solid 3, others a solid 4. All and all - will give it a 4 because it's a hometown favorite and has been in Plainville for forever. I have been going for at least 35 years. I particularly love their vodka sauce. Ask to add crumbled sausage. Delicious. Also recently had their chicken Marsala and I was surprised at how delicious the sauce was. Their salads are always fresh and delicious. Tried their pizza (just cheese for the kiddos) and it was better than I expected. The bread basket they start the meal with is delish. Service is rarely an issue - a little slow most recently but the waitress was young. Could definitely definitely use a decor update but foods decent and space is large. Rarely have to wait. read more

We have been going here forever and then there were new owner and the food was ok. We went back a few more times after that and it was excellent. Service was great. read more

So there's been a mixed bag of reviews here for many years. It is different from the original owners but this place is spot on. We went w/ 6 people in our reservation. We were celebrating 2 birthdays, we started with apps Hot antipasto, garlic bread, fried mozz, broccoli& sausage. All the apps were great for sharing, hot, tasty, my favorite was the broccoli! For entree, I had the veal, cavatelli, hot peppers, garlic and oil sauce. I had enough food to eat a few meals. One of my friends had the same made with chicken, The service was spot on, the food was homemade and good! I would definitely check it out for yourself read more

Excellent chicken Parmesan! Fun atmosphere, great pasta & sauce. Service is good, no complaints!

Had a great experience dining here while visiting from Tampa. We were recommended this place by TikTok and it didn't disappointed. We started with soups ( Italian wedding ) delicious. They also gave us bread and some butter. Food came out really fast and was also delicious. Highly recommend. Portion sizes are also huge! You'll def have left overs. read more

Pagliacci's Restaurant - Fra diavolo mussels - Pizza Near Me - Plainville, Connecticut

Pagliacci's is a great spot if you're looking for some authentic homemade pasta! Every Monday and Tuesday is "Baked Stuffed Pasta Night" where they have a few different pasta specials to choose from, each for $18, which includes bread and soup or salad. I went and had the Baked Macaroni and Cheese, which was AMAZING! So gooey and cheesy, with crumbled Ritz crackers on top. I opted for the soup of the day, Chicken Vegetable, which was delicious. The bread was also very good. For an appetizer, I tried the Fried Mozzarella, which was served with marinara sauce. This was again, delicious- warm and cheesy on the inside, and a crispy breading on the outside. For dessert I chose the Pistachio Cake, which was excellent! The service was quick and staff were friendly. The inside was cozy. Overall an outstanding local Italian restaurant with amazing food! read more

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The new owners have improved everything about this restaurant. Ive been coming to Pagliaccis since the 80s but stopped going for a while becasue the last manager was the worst. Now they are back on point and a regular stop for pickup or dine in. read more

I think their double pepperoni pizza is amazing!! And I'm a pizza connoisseur!! I'll keep coming back!

So it's a Sunday afternoon I took my parents out for Sunday supper. We got spaghetti and meatballs. My dad and mom wanted to share theirs because they don't eat much and there's a four dollar service charge for an extra plate. Not very cool. read more

We enjoyed a delicious meal with great service in a nice setting. They served us two kinds of bread both of which were delicious. The house salad was fresh and tasty. The beef barley soup was the soup of the day and delicious. The chicken Marsala was really good. The chicken was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The pasta was homemade ziti. The restaurant is large with several different seating areas. read more

Pagliacci's Restaurant - Chicken Marsala - Pizza Near Me - Plainville, Connecticut

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This place is consistently good. The baked ziti is to die for with its homemade pasta. The lasagne is thick and full of meat and cheese. Service is always good. Great place to bring a date. read more

After such a good experience the first time I visited, I was so excited to bring my family who used to come all the time in the 80s. We took my mom for her birthday for a walk down memory lane, and unfortunately we didn't have such a good experience. I decided to try their homemade ziti this time, and it was the thickest, doughiest, mildew-like tasting pasta I've ever had in my life. I've had plenty of homemade pasta before and it's never tasted like that. I was skeeved out to order another pasta dish and didn't feel like waiting for another meal to be cooked since the rest of the table had their orders, so I figured I would just pick at what my family had ordered. The owner said she had to charge me a split plate fee because of it and didn't apologize for the fact that I was unhappy with my meal. She said that 3 of them all tried my dish after it was sent back to the kitchen (kind of odd that they would eat off of a customer's plate) and that they thought it tasted normal. 4 of us tried it at my table and we all agreed it was off, so if that's their normal, I'll pass on coming back. I definitely didn't appreciate being made to feel like I was in the wrong. Our waitress was good though, so I will give 2 stars because of her and to account for how good our food was the first time we visited. read more

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Came here with a friend recently and had a great time. Very homey feel here at Pagliacci's! Prices are extremely decent especially for the amount of food they serve you! I ordered their meatball grinder and I can tell you that grinder was gigantic! Definitely enjoyed that the next day for lunch. Pagliacci's does the job for your Italian food cravings. Service was a little slow but everyone was very friendly! Would definitely try other things here in the future. Check them out! read more

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites but now will never go back again it is beyond terrible! The service awful and the food! Nothing about our experience recently was good they even rang up the wrong check Took forever to get anything including a water The food sausage was burnt and looked like dog food, the pasta way overdone like mush jelly! read more

Great food and great service go hand in hand at this place. You will not be disappointed. Authentic homemade Italian dishes. Highly recommend I will be back. The inside is nice as well. read more

This place was one of my favorites growing up & it's still amazing! The food is incredible with huge portions. The server was helpful and sweet. The decor feels like home and I love going back whenever i visit CT. read more

Pagliacci's Restaurant - Chicken Marsala - Pizza Near Me - Plainville, Connecticut

We were excited because we hadn't been in over 30 years. We almost walked out when the whole place smelled like a nursing home. I tried to convince my gf that it must be the same cleaning solution. Smelled like dirty diapers. The smell permeated my nose. The tap water tasted like metal and dirt so luckily I didn't have more than a taste. GF ordered a grinder cold but it came hot. I ordered a soda that never came. The salad was all junk lettuce (at best). Disappointed. We won't be back. read more

We came here to celebrate a love one who passed away a year and a half ago. This was one of his favorite places to eat. I am not sure what changed but the food just didn't taste the same. The guest who ate the bacon pizza said the cheese had an off taste to it. The guest who had the chicken parm said the piece was much thicker than it used to be - which she just isn't a fan of. The shrimp fra diavolo was good but could of been a little spicier. I did enjoy the marsala. All agreed we would unfortunately not return after this visit. read more

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Food was not good and service was worse. I don't know what happened, but I will never go again. It was so bad. The bread has changed. It is not good. The salads are not as good as they used to be and the entrées were just horrible. You wanna go to Italian restaurant go to Tuscany in Southington. read more

Ordered some grinders for takeout. Have a previous bad experience there as they put the sandwiches in a plastic clamshell container and bread was soggy when I got home. I called and told them of the problem. Ordered again a week ago and asked that they not pith the sandwiches in a plastic clamshell, but when I got there it was in that, when I complained and told them I didn't want them they got indignant that it was my problem not theirs. Asked for my money back, got an argument but eventually they gave me my money back but I was asked not to ho back....not a problem , I won't read more

The food is delicious, but when I pay that much for a veal parmigiana dinner and get a small piece of veal, barely enough pasta to even register it makes me not go back. This of course was for lunch, and I don't know if the waitress owns the place but she was rude and entitled! Like we were bothering her by being there. I have eaten there for dinner many times and always found the service and food to be great! But this is my second time for lunch there and I'm done! read more

This was the go to place back in the day. We went with some friends last night. Our waitress gave us water and some came buy a minute later and was going to take it away. order drinks took forever . The meals we ordered finally came we were about to eat and mine was the wrong one not what I ordered so they took it back by the time I got mine every one was finished with there's I didn't eat. I am Italian and I wish they would have let me in the kitchen to show them how to cook. Service real bad. $200.00 for nothing NEVER AGAIN read more

The food was excellent and service calm and friendly and fast. I had the stuffed baked pasta option that comes with soup or salad and bread. I had the chicken soup and it was so good. Also the Bread is so good - make sure you have some Garlic bread. The entree I had was Mac and Cheese - it was also excellent. It had shrimp as well. Hope to visit there again read more

If you're looking for Italian food this restaurant has it the food is amazing. Service is excellent and ambiance is colorful, inviting and friendly with a great variety of food and drinks. read more

Pagliacci's is one of those restaurants where you go for a meal, and while you are there you ask yourself, "Why don't I eat here more often?" It's always good! The fresh pasta is great. The portions are too big to eat in a single seating. The staff are all friendly and make you feel at home. The restaurant is warm and comfortable. I need to put it into rotation more often! read more

My husband and I have always liked this restaurant but it's definitely gone downhill a bit. The food is still very good, with a delicious Italian pasta sauce and their chicken parm is one of the best we've ever had. We haven't gotten a meal that wasn't delicious. However there's more to an enjoyable dining experience than a good meal and every time we go there we feel rushed through the meal even though they are not really busy. They have this one woman who works there whose only job it seems is to go around and clear plates and glasses from tables as you are eating. The trouble is she BARELY waits for you to be done eating the food on the plate before she wants to grab it out from under your fork! She makes repeated passes by your table looking to see if there's anything she can grab making it very uncomfortable for customers eating. You can't take a break from eating and put your fork down because she will try to take your plate. Why she can't wait until you've finished your meal and have left the table to clean it is beyond me. Maybe this is the job she was hired for I'm sure she thinks she's keeping things running smoothly but honestly it has ruined many of our meals because of how rushed and uncomfortable she makes us feel. If the owner of the restaurant reads this, please make her stop doing this. Also they have a good Italian bread they serve with salads but that garlic bread they give you is terrible. The salads are not nearly as good as they used to be and the prices have recently shot up well beyond what they should be and for pasta meals that's unacceptable. read more

Excellent food, portions, and service. I've been going to pagliaccis for years and will continue doing so. Never disappointed. An authentic Italian spot that prioritize in their quality of food, quantity, and table side manner. read more

Tonight was the first time I was disappointed. I had the lamb with risotto and it was inedible. My wife had the chicken marsala and was very happy. Service wasn't exceptional by any means, but to be fair, it was a busy night. read more

I ordered the eggplant parm. I've made eggplant parm before at home and this was something else entirely. There were slices of eggplant (probably from a can) hidden below a slab of mozzarella and sauce. The eggplant had no breading and was slimy. I was very disappointed at the basic lack of ingredients for the cost of the dinner. Eggplant parm is sliced eggplant, add some salt and let rest, remove excess salt, bread the eggplant, fry up either in a pan or deep fry, and then add the sauce and cheeses. I don't know what happened here. The food was edible but I won't be back. read more