This was my first time here and came highly recommended. When you walk in the door the smell of the gravy is WOW!!! The prices were ok, maybe steep for pasta but it is homemade! Food was fantastic! From the kids pizza and homemade raviolis to the smorgasbord my daughter and I shared. The warm rolls were a great way to start. We will be back read more

Awful pizza!! I have had a better frozen pizza. It was soggy, no sauce and a cheep cheese.

Pagliacci's is a very nice restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere. We were here for a pre- Christmas dinner with family that we won't be able to get together with over the holiday. The waitress brought a large basket of fresh, warm Italian bread, and garlic bread. We went through that and she brought another basket of warm bread. Musta' been pretty good bread! We almost finished the second basket, as well! I started with a cup of their soup de jour, which was Arizona chicken soup. Delightful! Creamy, with an adequate amount of chicken, and just enough southwestern style heat to make it interestingly flavorful. Even though this restaurant specializes in Italian dishes, I opted for an evening special of Beef Tip Stroganoff. The stroganoff dish far exceeded my expectations of it. Plenty of cubes of tender beef, lots of noodles and fresh mushrooms, and a sauce that really delivered! Everyone else commented that their respective dinners (all had a variety of traditional Italian style meals) were very good also. I'm struggling to explain why four, instead of five stars, everything considered. My only explanation is that the restaurant just didn't have that intangible "WOW!" factor that would have pushed my review up one more. We will likely make this our go to place for these family gatherings because we all agreed the food and location were close to ideal. A great place for family dinner, Italian style! read more

This was the 2nd time I visited this establishment. We had the same waitress who remembered us even though it had been months almost a year since we last visited. It was very busy but we didn't have to wait long for our drinks, apps or meals. Prepare yourself for large portions and to take food home because it's going to happen. My sister got the swordfish in a lemon caper sauce and it was delicious. First time I ever tried swordfish. I chose the scallops and shrimp pasta. It was a pretty good dish although there was a scallop or two that looked past it prime. That was disappointing to say the least because I love seafood. Calamari, mussels and of course the bread were all great starters. Moms veal parmigiana looked great but she was too full so she took it home. My other sister chose the stuffed shrimp and while they were good, they were a bit on the small side. Everyone else seemed to have very large portions except for her. 4 stars! read more

See all

Let me start by saying that I love Pagliaccis, and I've been contemplating whether or not I should write this review. I've dined there a handful of times, everything is reasonably priced and always delicious! After a visit last week I was so disturbed by something that I witnessed, and I think that the public has the right to know what happened. While we were enjoying our drinks, and waiting for our meals to come out, one of the waitresses in the back dining room we were seated in tripped and hurt her ankle very, very badly. She was absolutely hysterical, a few diners ran to her side, she could not move and her leg began to instantly swell- the poor woman was seriously injured. The only thing she could say was that her boss was going to kill her...this is not the first thing that should come to someones mind after they get hurt! I ran to get someone for help, the manager (her boss- I want to say his name was Dennis) returned and was less than amused by the entire situation. He basically told everybody to leaver her alone, requested that the other waitresses tending to her get back to their tables (even though their tables were just as concerned for this poor woman), and he proceeded to tell her that she was fine and to get up...by her screams of pain, and clearly injured ankle (veins popping, leg swelling), it was obvious that she was in no position to move, let alone tend to her tables. This manager then forced another staff member to help him carelessly get her up and into a chair, at which point she screamed in pain. (I don't know about you, but doesn't everyone know that 101 of injuries is not to move the patient?!) Everyone in the restaurant was stunned by his careless behavior, and his refusal to call 911. She was absolutely hysterical the entire time and it was beyond clear that she needed medical attention, everyone in the restaurant knew it! They told him he needed to call 911, and after refusing AGAIN, I took it upon myself to call while he continued to repeatedly touch, move, and alter her leg even though she was screaming! Everyone in the restaurant was telling him to stop moving her and that he was being for lack of a better term, a douche. To our relief, the ambulance promptly arrived to tend to the woman, at which time we left before our dinner even came out. I was so unbelievabley disgusted by the lack of sympathy, common sense, and human decency by the manager at this establishment that I refuse to return while he's still employed. I've never seen such disregard for a human being, particularly an injured one in my life! I've told this story to a few people who are fans of this place, and all have had the exact same reaction- they have no desire to support such behavior and have no intention of returning to this restaurant. I didn't know if this was appropriate or not to share, and I've never reviewed anything online, but it was a very traumatic evening for everyone involved. I truly hope that the waitress is doing better, and stands up to her manager for being so careless, and inconsiderate. No one deserves to be treated the way that she was. read more

This is one of the most popular restaurants in the area, and I can't figure out why. I've been to Pagliacci's tons of times ever since I was very young, and very little about the place is overly appealing. The portions are huge, and it has authentic home-cooked style Italian meals. It's just too bad that the food really isn't that good. The pasta sauce has a distinct flavor and texture that's off-putting to me. The garlic bread is usually bland and almost stale. The pizza is good, but nothing special. The classic staples like the chicken Parmesan and piccata are huge and very good at $16, but I can't get over the fact that Two Brothers less than a couple miles away serves the same portions that taste better for $11. I would suggest the alfredo sauce if you are getting any pasta. It's different from what you would normally get, but in a good way...thinner and more buttery and creamy than usual places. The gnocchi is pretty good too. The place is always packed, especially on the weekends...and I mean no spots in the parking lot, having to park on the lawn, stand around in the waiting area for a while busy. The service is good, never had any memorable problems or anything outstanding either. The dining area is huge with old-school Italian scene paintings on the walls, and the room towards the back is good for large groups and parties. This place has a reputation for being the type of restaurant that people will drive an hour from Massachusetts or other parts of the state just for dinner. The place is good, don't get me wrong, but I'd tell those customers to save their money on gas and try the Italian place closer to home. I almost feel the praise Pagliacci's gets is just through reputation.... something like, "Someone told me this is a great Italian restaurant, so I'll tell myself that too."...all while they are finishing a mediocre meal. read more

Food was terribly overcooked. The sauce had a strange tang. The calamari tasted and smelled fishy, it was rubbery and overcooked. Whoever is cooking needs to get into a more suitable line of work. read more

I have been to the restaurant numerous times and never had an issue. Tonight I called to order a simple item a large cheese pizza and I was met with an extremely rude attitude to make me never want to go back again. I asked the lady on the phone if they are still doing curbside pick up? And she said you are allowed to come in and wear a mask and practice the social distancing... totally on board with that. I then said I will have my son with me in the car would it be possible to run it out? To which she replies " yea like I have nothing else to do?" I was taken back a little... I said do you mind if I put it on my CC right now which I was left the rudest sigh and I can tell aggravation over the phone. I cancelled the order. Never going back extremely rude read more

I've been to Pagliacci's twice now - once for an Easter lunch last year, and just this past weekend for a group party. Neither of the times I went was it my choice to go there, and both of the times I went I left with the same impression - meh. For the Easter lunch, I didn't really get anything to eat since I had to meet other family members to get better food elsewhere, but I got a decent idea of their food. It seemed like unimaginative, run-of-the-mill Italian food. Name just about any standard Italian dish and it'll probably be there, but nothing on the menu jumps out at you. For the large group party (about 30 people) this weekend, the person running it went with a variety of apps and pizza. Everything was served family style which I'm not a big fan of, but I was pleasantly surprised with everything I had. The sausage and broccoli rabe was a great combo, although the sausage was on the dry side. Their version of a Caprese salad was ho-hum, with the Mozzarella being in small balls instead of larger slices that I prefer. My favorite app that I tried was their fried eggplant sticks. Combined with their red sauce, it was a deliciously crunchy snack that I could have eaten way more of. Their pizza was thin and pie-sliced, which won points in my book. I tried their sausage and pepperoni pizzas, and while it wasn't the best pizzas I've ever had by any means, they were both better than average. In terms of service, I won't judge them for how they were on Easter since holidays are crap shoots (and I don't remember since it was over a year ago), but they handled our party of 30 very well. The food came out in a timely manner, and even though I hate family-style serving where each table had different appetizers, I can't fault the staff for that. Drinks were refilled and used plates were cleared after they were no longer needed. All the staff members who handled our party were also kind and courteous. Kudos there! I know I won't ever go to Pagliacci's on my own accord since I'm not a fan of standard, played-out Italian restaurant, but if I had to go back because of a family gathering or someone else's choosing, I know there's at least an app and some pizza I can go with! I originally wanted to go with 2 stars instead of 3, and in reality it should be a solid 2 1/2. Their service and fried eggplant appetizer were enough to push it to 3 stars! read more

The best fresh made pasta and sauce anywhere. Baked manicotti is a personal favorite but also an excellent fried Soft Shell Crab sandwich! All of the food is super fresh and high quality, service consistently very good- no wonder it's been around so long! read more

Pagliacci's Restaurant - Outstanding soft shell crab sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Plainville, Connecticut

My family and I just moved to Southington a couple of months ago. We were recommended by friends to try this restaurant. We certainly were not disappointed! Food is fresh and service is even better. Don't forget their lemon cake! Can't wait to try the rest of their menu! read more

Food is marginal at best and service poor. Many more choices out there with better value and quality. If nothing else is open then by all means go if not choose another restaurant. read more

Pagliacci's just isn't all that good based on my 1 experience here...meh is probably the right word. The good things, the garlic bread that is served ahead of the meal is good. Service was good, waitress although a bit inexperienced, was very sweet and helpful. The portion sizes were nice and large, and the prices are reasonable. The negative here is simply that the food isn't that good. Iced Tea isnt fresh brewed, the salad dressing tastes bottled, the veggies are almost surely out of a frozen bag. Brussel Sprouts were completely drowned in water, the dinner entrees come in a very watery sauce which actually makes the meal soggy as opposed to saucing it. My pork chop and veggies were drowned in a mostly water juice, my friends who got pasta were unimpressed. I probably won't be back, it may have been an off night, but there is too many good places around here for me to try again. read more

I've been here a few times and its just average. The service was good both times and you could tell the wait staff was really trying. The interior looks pretty dated but its fine for a casual family dinner. Portion sizes are massive. I have to imagine they are losing money by serving such large quantities of food, and I'm not just talking about the pasta portions. Even the sizes of their proteins is ridiculous. The food itself was fine but I didn't taste anything that I really loved. Our group ordered different types of pastas (homemade pasta so plus one for that), a pizza, steak salad, salmon Olivia, veal and chicken parm and chicken Marsala. I can't really recommend anything because nothing stood out. The one thing I'd recommend against is the meatballs. They were dense (too much breadcrumb) and bland. One positive is that they are generous with their wine pours! They also seem to do a really good take out business. Both times I've been there the to-go orders were flying out the door. read more

Good food, good service, good pricing, good portions! And now they have gluten free pizzas and pasta! What more could you want? read more

The food is always great. My problem was a few weeks ago, we went to a funeral reception there. Some tables sat either 4, 6 or 8. We stuffed 2 extra people at our table so no one was left alone. The brought the same size bowls of food to every table but only 1. Great for the table of 4. Neither the salad nor the pasta made it around the table so we asked for another plate so everyone could eat and we received an attitude from the wait staff. I couldn't understand how they thought the same size plate of pasta or salad would be the same for a table of 4 and 10. read more

I have no complaints. The food and service was really good . I had the chicken parm and it was pretty big and delicious. The decor could use some updating but I would deff come back! read more

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

If there were 10 stars this restaurant would get it! We went tonight about 6pm and there were only a few tables. As one reviewer said do not take notice of the out-dated decor. I could care less about the decor. My top priorities are cleanliness of the restaurant - YES friendly staff, good wait staff - YES good food - YES-YES-YES!!! The portions were enormous! We all had boxes to go! I had the penne a la vodka, my husband had the linguine & white clams, my son had the zuppa di pesce. We also had the fried calamari - delicious and another huge order! Debbie was our waitress, she was so nice, friendly and always there to refill our drinks without having to ask! They even make their own pasta and cannoli cream! Pagliacci's is open everyday but Christmas, Debbie told us! They even have a large room for private parties! We have finally found our favorite italian food restaurant! I HIGHLY recommend Pagliacci's!!! read more

My friends and I searched 4 other restaurants on a busy Saturday night in Southington, hitting differrent spots on Queen Street with no luck. Long waits everywhere. We finally endded up in Plainville, where we had a shorter wait at Pagliacci's. I have been here many times over the years, and always enjoyed the meal. the atmosphere is family friendly, and the menu is a mix of traditional Italian, with nuevo dishes on the specials menu. I ordered the seared tuna rare, but I was initially disappointed that it came out more like sushi-really cold and raw. My server noticed I was unhappy, and immediately took it back to the kitchen. It returned much to my satisfaction! Pagliacci's has tremendous service and a home-like feel, and is a local favorite. i will definitely go back again, but I will stick to the traditional Italian menu. Prices are a little on the high side, but their baked bread is awesome! read more

Being Italian and seeing this place busy I decided to give it a try... I've been here twice and wasn't impressed either time... Service was slow, pasta was way overcooked for my taste and they didn't add any salt while cooking which is a huge no-no... I see it's packed on the weekends and honestly can't understand why. I assume people go because they see it's busy and make the mistake assuming it's good. Then again Olive Garden for some reason is packed also so I'd call this the Olive Garden effect, it's busy but it's for the life of me, I can't understand why. read more

Great service great food its nice and italian the way i like it try the pizza and fresh sea food

Food was good, but mostly I wanted to comment because I was so impressed with service! I brought in a large crowd of seniors today, and all of the staff was SO kind and accomodating! I wish I had gotten our server's name; she did an expert job of getting our orders out and keeping straight all our orders (we had to split the bill 7 ways I think - which I know is a major inconvenience - and they were so sweet about it! We also kept changing our reservation number, and the staff couldn't have been more patient and kind to me about this) and she even used our names! Thank you Pagliacci's for making our outing easy, pleasant, and very tasty. Very impressed. :-) read more

My favorite Italian restaurant! We go here often, and I am quite excited that they now offer gluten free pizzas and pastas! Both are delicious! I tried out the gluten free fettucini alfredo, and I almost forgot it was gf! Tasted like the delicious gluten filled original I so much loved! The pizza was good, too! My husband always gets the combo plate with meatballs, sausage, chicken parm. I remember the calamari appetizer being delicious! I look forward to dinners here! read more

Great portion sizes, excellent quality of food, fair prices for the quality and amount of food given in house Or takeout

We love the food here!! Best pizza ever My husband likes the broccoli rabe and sausage appetizer as a meal. Great staff as well. read more

My sister and I and friends eat at Pagliacci's at least once a month. Actually we have been dining there which started with our parents and relatives for over 25 years. The food is ALWAYS wonderful, delicious, incredible and your portions are very generous. The staff has always been extremely friendly and go out of their way to be sure your dining experience is "the best." Pagliacci's is always coming up with new and exciting meals which I love. Trying new dishes and flavors is something I love experiencing with and I've never been disappointed. It's always a feast for the palett. read more

A friend and I had a great experience dining in! The food was delicious, drinks were perfectly mixed and our service was outstanding! Thank you Maggie for making this a fun and well spent afternoon at Pagliacci's! We will return soon. read more

If I could gIve no stars, I would. Management must have changed since I have come with my family and had a wonderful meal BUT NOT today. First I waited with my family for 15-20 minutes just to order soup and salads. That took another 20 minutes to get and I had to ask to take our meal order. After waiting another 30 minutes with no meals I asked for the check and they insisted that I wait because the pizza pie was "in the oven ". I hadn't even ordered a pizza. At that point the manager came over and tried to convince us to stay. Even though I did not pay (he said it was on them) would not return. Poor service and LONG wait time!!!!! read more

Loving the fresh pasta, sauce was decent. Huge portions, thought the service was good. Parking can be tight. read more

We are from California and we come here just about every year to visit with family & friends. We go to this restaurant many times while we are here. One of our favorites. read more

See all

Went just wanting to try a new place and hit gold! From the staff to the food, everything was awesome. They do Italian food right. Portion sizes are great as well. Really enjoyed it and will be back for sure! read more

We enjoyed our food at Pagliacci's! We ordered the stuffed shells and the pasta combo, and both dishes were nice. There really wasn't anything super special about the restaurant or the meals but there wasn't anything wrong with either. The service was very fast and our server was genuine and accommodating! read more

Probably good in its day but food was just passable. Had difficulty getting my mom in and out. No handicapped access for her. If there was, no one pointed it out. read more

I have been going there since I was 12, that's 42 years ago now. They have the World's Best Ravioli Alfredo I have ever eaten. And since it is the only dish I order at every Italian Restaurant I ever gone to, I know what I am talking about. A dish to die for. :) Enjoy read more

terrible experience with take out for lunch-ordered three things-only one item was edible and corresponded to what i actually ordered-ordered eggplant parm grinder-there was neither sauce and nor cheese on the grinder, the eggplant tasted barely steamed (it was not breaded and was not baked or fried , just gloopy unbreaded and barely cooked) and the bread was soggy; ordered also chicken parm grinder and instead recd a breaded chicken culet also with no sauce and no cheese and soggy bread;the brocoli raab apoetizer was fine and as described. there was no reason why the the gtinders were so terrible -we threw rhem bot out. will never go back read more

Baked ziti is my absolute favorite! Can always count on them for a good meal. Have never had a bad experience with staff either.

Great local place. I have been coming here for years. I have gotten take-out several times since the pandemic started. They have handled take-out beautifully. The portions are enormous, enough for two meals. They include anything we might need, including plenty of bread. And the food is hot and delicious. Their chicken parmagiana is fantastic. I love this place! read more

Horrible waitress and horrible service! My boyfriend and I went there and order the gnocchi. The gnocchi was good but our waitress was horrible! She ignored us and when I asked her for some more grated cheese she rudely took the container off our table and banged it on our table and said there is still some left in here. I had some leftover pasta and I asked her to wrap it and she rudely put it in a container. I had to ask her for a bag to put my food in and she rudely put it on the table. Needless to say my boyfriend and I did not leave her a tip ! I hope she gets fired from her job for her rudeness to customer!!! read more

We used the take out service tonight for our dinners. Everything was delicious.The food came quickly,It was all hot and delicious.The service was spectacular. The abundance of food was amazing.We enjoyed everything we ordered.Pagliacci's has really stepped up to the plate with providing delicious safe food during these difficult times. read more

3 stars, why? To be honest, for an italian restaurant with almost 5 stars, I expected better. Maybe my standards are a bit too high, but I personally feel as if I got mediocre quality for the price. Service was a bit slow, 2 tables walked in after me and got their entrees prior to I and they were not busy. There was 1 table already seated, myself and then the 2 other parties that walked in after me. I will start off with the good -- the staff and customer service was great. The server I had was friendly, attentive and very people oriented. The fried mozzarella I had ordered was very good and the sauce was spot on. For our entrees, my fiancé and I had both ordered alfredo and the portions were HUGE. I swear I had lunch, dinner, and enough for lunch the next day! That's a plus! However, the pasta was extremely over cooked.. it did not have a "bite" to it and was mushy. For an italian restaurant with homemade pasta, I was expecting the cooks to know how to make it. Fresh pasta cooks quickly and I know sometimes it can be tricky. After mentioning this to my server, she talked to the cooks and had told me next time to ask for it al dente; I don't know a single italian restaurant that tells you to order your pasta al dente.. It is kind of something that is already known - always cook pasta al dente, never over cook it, it ruins the meal. Most people do not like over cooked mushy pasta and I was shocked to be told that's how I should order it next time. The alfredo sauce was good and the bread on the table was a bonus but the overcooked pasta really ruined it for both my fiancé and myself. I had ordered a cup of coffee and it was delicious, it was probably some of the best coffee I have ever had! I had mentioned the over cooked pasta to my server and she was very understanding and went out of her way to make it right. I was in no way looking for something free, but just wanted to let her know that something was not right with our order.. Overall, I had expected better after reading the reviews and I'm a bit disappointed. However, the customer service provided was more than I was expecting. read more