large portion of Calamari and it wasn't mixed with banana peppers, which is a good thing.... I ordered the Grouper, surprised they even had that, it was decent... I was also surprised they had Goose Island on tap, which is awesome.... We also had the chicken parm and baked ziti, nothing to write home about, it was decent but i can make it 1000x's better.... Bread was hard and it didn't come with dipping oil.... If I'm ever around that area, i would go again just for the beer and Calamari alone..... I've been back a few more times, I'm learning to love this place... read more

Let's talk about hit or miss. I've been here many many times. At one point I would go as far to it was one of my favorites to go to. Recently we've definitely have had some misses though. Last night was really the worst. Our waitress was unattentive it took her 10 minutes to come and ask us about orders. Once she did ask for orders they were sold out of the special. We ordered calamari when it was served to us it was soggy and practically uncooked. My fiancé got the shepards pie that was also cold in middle. The service was slow and the food was rushed. When we didn't eat most of our meal the waitress didn't ask us about if it was okay or check in at all. It took us 15 minutes to pay the bill and just get out of there so we could go somewhere else. Sadly fast food would have been a better option. It'll probably be a while before we want to try it again: read more

I've only been to Pagliacci's once, and was not all that impressed. I had spaghetti with meatsauce, and the taste and texture of the meatsauce was less than appetizing. It had the consistency of pate style cat food and the sauce was really bland. Just not all that great in my opinion. Have never gone back, and this was many years ago, so it's very possible that things are different now. Shocked at the five stars, really. read more

Stopped going there when I saw one of the guys in the kitchen open a drawer and pull out pasta with his bare hand and put it on the plate. I was standing out front waiting for my family to come out. Never went back after that. read more

Want large portions and cheap prices? This is the place. I haven't dined in but have ordered take out during lunch a few times. Their lunch specials are till 4PM which is later than most places and its great for those on the run. Staff is always very generous with my orders. I like getting mushroom sauce on the side for my grinders and they always give me more than enough to fill the whole roll. I love places that are generous about the little things. Grinders run you around $7 that's similar to other places. For about $10 you can have one of their pasta special entrees which comes with a salad or a soup. I usually go with the salad because that's another meal for me. The sauces didn't wow me as I prefer a sweeter more tangy red sauce but it didn't disappoint me either. For the price I would have to say I love this place for lunch because they have in house made pastas and portions are huge. read more

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Horrible. Fried Mozzarella DRENCHED in sauce, chewy "homemade" pasta, horrible service, crusty, outdated decor, gross food. Don't understand the hype at all. read more

I'll echo Richard - good food, good service, good portions, good pricing. That about sums it up. Their homemade pasta is delicious, as is their red sauce, both of which you can order for take out. read more

I went here on a double date with my boyfriend and friends. It was my first time here, the place is very small and very casual. The prices on the menu are reasonable and the portions are on the large side of average. I got the homemade ziti and it was good, I found that the pasta was very thick (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but not what I'm used to) and the marinara was good. I got the "house" sauce which was a meat sauce, I found that it didn't have a decent amount of meat in it, but it still tasted good. I got a cold, generous glass of wine for around $6.50. Their bread for the table was very good. read more

This place is for older people like early bird special. The pasta is fresh but the sauce leaves a strange taste in your mouth for hours. All I can tell you is go somewhere else if your looking for Italian unless your taking older folks. Outdated decor as well. read more

Pagliacci's, aptly named, is a true fool's venture kept alive year after year like a drunken marionette of its namesake. Considered a familial place to get a big plate of bland Americana Italy before Olive Garden took the mantle nationwide is now an ongoing disease on East Street and a blemish and embarrassment on anyone's representation of Italian cuisine and culture. Broccoli rabe or "rape" as it's presented here was an astonishing $23+ plate of soupy mess and just dollars shy of a miles superior and correctly done dish offered at 50 West on the other end of town. Pagliacci's "rape" looks as if it came out of a tub or tin can hell, goes in concert to most of the dishes on the table. Chicken served with meals has zero spices or even an ounce of cheaply salted flavor as if it came Perdue packed and plopped into a boiling pot. Pizza is thin yet average and oily layered with cheese fit for kid's appeal -- maybe one of the most bearable offerings. Everything on the menu tastes as if it were microwaved or previously frozen. Pasta is laughably yet boastfully made on premises but it doesn't matter when it's perpetually soft and boiled in dank water. They'd be better off using boxes (not actual pasta) of De Cecco rather than what passes for proudly passed off homemade pasta. Decor hasn't changed in 30 years, still looks like the 80's with tacky gold trims everywhere, filthy carpeting, faux frescos and old wood-trimmed tables accompanied by ugly green seating. This absolute dump is revered by locals who don't care to know better and don't know what life is like beyond a jar of Ragu and frozen garlic breadsticks. It's unfair how well this place does and how others more skilled struggle to stay in business with superior culinary offerings at lower prices. This place needs to be evaluated and eviscerated by the likes of Gordon Ramsey or a handsome second-rate impersonator at best. It has too long masqueraded as a kitchen disaster and in my thirty years of life, never have been to a more pathetic and shameful dining experience. Without insulting American sensibilities of what makes for a passable restaurant, quantity doesn't win here nor did quality ever enter the doors of what appears to be a restaurant-sized toilet. If this is considered Italian, you can have your ten pounds of leftovers and fill it in the turned over graves of Italian ancestry the world and centuries over. read more

After moving to CT, seems to be really difficult to find a good Italian restaurant. .. or just a good restaurant in general. Stumbled into pagliaccis by default, and I am glad I did. Food is really good. I had the chicken parm. Not bad. Seems to be real.. ( meaning not processed and taken out of a box. Wife had a pork loin special. Service was good. Seemed to be busy. Prices are reasonable as well I would def recommend. read more

Best pizza in town. Cheesy and not skimpy with the toppings. Huge portions. Pasta is made fresh on site. Interior is a little dated but the place is always spotless and the service is outstanding. Might be a little slow for kids since everything is made fresh. Can't go wrong here. Family style service available. read more

I went there with business associates. Excellant choice! I had the lamb chop. It was delicious. The service was excellent as well. Very hometown, family feel to the place with authentic Italian food. They had a full bar and great express too. Friends of mine who used to live in the area recommended this place and I am glad I took their recommendation. read more

I've been eating here since I was a kid and once you try it you will understand why it's been in business so long. Great portions and many options. Daily specials. Service could be improved - they are friendly but lack some common general service etiquette but the food makes up for that. Great place to dine with family or friends. Home style meals that always deliver that comfort satisfaction. House made pasta, great pizza and prices. Good wine selection but they don't open the bottles at the tables for you ... We are used to it there but it might seem strange to someone who enjoys proper wine service. Overall my favorite Italian restaurant in this area. read more

You people don't know how good you have it! I live in New York City and have lived in Boston and yet Pagliacci's is still in my opinion one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. Awesome pasta, ravioli, and I love those little garlic bread stick things they give you before the meal comes. Good on-tap beer selection too. Used to come here as a kid growing up in the area and still come back here whenever I come to visit my parents. read more

pagliacci's is not a place we go frequently in my family, but it is very important to us. my mom grew up with a first generation italian mother who made amazing gnocchi. nothing will ever be the same as hers, but pagliacci's always comes closest, which is why we went here tonight for my mom's birthday dinner. to start, we had an order of the fried smelts, yet another family tradition. these were tender, lightly fried, and perfectly crisp. served with tartar sauce, they were an awesome appetizer. each of our entrees came with salads and they were of generous size, as was the house made bread and focaccia. my mother's gnocchi with pomodoro was delicious and perfectly prepared. my dad's veal parmesan was large and satisfying. my gent got some kind of combo that included veal parmesan along with sausage and meatballs. i opted for the calamari with linguine in a white sauce. while the pasta was great and the calamari was SUPER tender, the white sauce was lacking. it was really more of a broth, but it didn't have much flavor, and didn't stick to the pasta at all. i would order the dish again, but i would go with a different sauce. pagliacci's is an institution for many (including us), with good reason. i just think they execute some dishes better than others. we will certainly be back. read more

So disappointed with the customer service received today after we weren't satisfied with how our take-out entree was prepared.. After being argued with by a man whom I'm confident is part of the management team over a simple misunderstanding that easily could have been fixed with a little bit of integrity, I'll never be back. Thank goodness First & Last made a speedy recovery. read more

This is by far THE BEST Italian Restaurant I have ever been to. I have been coming here sine they opened and have never been let down. There is something to be said about a place that has a line out the door every day of the week! Everything they make is home made daily on the premises. Words won't do this place justice. just TRY IT! read more

Pagliacci's serves solid Italian food with good portion size, and it's fairly consistent. That said, I find it a little pricey especially for their pasta dishes. It's still dough, right? Their chicken parmigiana is good, but I've also had some portions where it was more breading than chicken. They slice those fellas thin. read more

Thanks for being the best italian family restaurant for over 35 years. I've been coming since you were across the street and the gnocchi are superb as ever; as good as Grandma's (but don't tell her I said that). read more

Very good for what it is: local, homestyle Italian. Plentiful portions, excellent specials, good soups, homemade as well as whole wheat pasta options and a full bar. Service us pleasant and prompt. Decor is very basic, nothing fancy but comfortable enough. One of our hometown standbys. read more

I'd have to say Pagliacci's is really good. There were a lot of people waiting at the entrance for a table, and we were worried about the wait, but they said it wouldn't be long, and they were right. I didn't particularly like the fried calamari, it had a weird taste to it that wasn't the best. Maybe it's because they fried hot peppers along with it. Or maybe it's because I dissected squids in science class with 12 year olds the same week. Anyway, I ordered off the specials. I had Chicken Valdostanno, and it was very good. By the time it came, I was so full already from the bread, appetizer and salad. Very yummy and a great value for the price. read more

This place has been around since my parents dated. Big portions, good pricing, and really friendly staff. Whenever we walk in we feel welcomed by the owner who always remembers us and asks how we've been. Waitresses take care of you as if you are their children. Food here is always consistent, I always get the ravioli, or eggplant parm. Be prepared take some food home for a midnight snack because portions are big! They make their pastas in house so it's always fresh. Entrees come with a salad and fresh baked break & garlic sticks. Wine is fair priced. Big side room for family events. read more

Decent bread and garlic stick bread, salad was ok but the meal portions are huge, I'm talking 3 meals on a plate. I ordered the tortellini with thick beef and pork ragu sauce and it was tasty. I have enough leftovers for 2 more meals. read more

Food is good but the staff not so good. Tonight we ordered take out and by the amount of to go bags, there was quite a demand. While paying for our meal, the male operating the register noted that the hostess skipped someone waiting to be seated. He loudly exclaimed his dismay by stating "...all these stupid take out orders!" The last time I checked, our meal wasn't free and we were paying customers. Clearly they prefer eat in customers. Thankfully there are other choices. read more

Their homemade pasta is light and airy and their marinara sauce is thick but a little tart for my taste. The sausage is excellent and their meatballs are fresh. Service was quick and accurate and all for a moderate price, read more

I have been going to this restaurant with my family for quite a few years now. It is PHENOMENAL. All portions are huge and a lot of it is freshly made there. The fried calamari is amazing. The fried mozzarella is also amazing (made the way my family always makes it...where it's not sticks but a big block with marinara covering it). I always order fettuccine alfredo because I'm obsessed with cream sauces. My whole family always laughs at me because no matter what dish they seem to order, my fettuccine alfredo always seems like the largest dish (and being as small as I am, it's clear I won't finish it). I guess I must look hungry! The food, especially the fettuccine alfredo, tastes pretty good leftover too, so I always take it home and pick at it for a couple days. Let's be honest...by pick at it, I mean I will eat the whole thing myself and attack anyone who tries to steal a bite. The bread is also made here, and is very tasty. The staff is really friendly. The prices are great. It's hard to find an Italian restaurant this good for such a value! read more

This place is pretty standard. I have liked everything I have had here...but I have not tried the pizza yet which they are known for....when I do maybe I can up the stars. Their bread is really good and I really love their sautéed broccoli and will typically get it with all my meals, even if it is a salad. I love their tomato mozzarella salad especially with grilled chicken. I also like their chicken in lemon caper sauce...so good. They make good grilled cheese for my daughter too and their fries are yummy. Nice family restaurant! read more

Great place for a sit down date...sauce is fantastic..everything is given to you in s more than generous portion so beware...unless you can eat a horse at the time, don't go too crazy with your money...staff is hard working and make you feel welcome...I highly reccomend this place for everyone to try read more

I love this restaurant. I went with my family and a couple friends. I had some octopus and sauce. It was amazing and tasty. We all tried the octopus and everyone enjoyed it. And don't get me started on the entries. They were some of the best pasta our party ever ate. And for six people only $122! And the waiters were incredibly nice. Definitely going here again with my family. You should come here too! read more

I should caveat this review by saying I am not a pasta fan. Essentially, I believe it is a delivery mechanism for the sauce, meat, etc... But for the homemade wheat pasta here I will make an exception. The red sauce is pretty good (after some red pepper), as is the meat/cheese appetizer. The portions are ginormous... Seriously what human being can eat that much pasta and function for the next day? The steak I had was of poor quality and overcooked... Clearly not their forte. Overall, stick with the pasta, and have leftovers for the next 3 days read more

After seeing a friend say they went here on Facebook thought I would take a drive on our day off. So took the drive and was sat in a nice area not to close to all the other tables. Wait staff was good. Took our order and before we knew it our order was delivered. Got the calamari and a bowl of sauce. Well the sauce was way to salty. I run with the idea that less salt is better. If a person wants salt let them add it themselves. Next came dinner. Again with the salt. I can feel my lips needing water at this point. I would return if they used less salt. Dessert was good. After the 25 minute drive home pretty much decided the food is ok but maybe not worth the drive. If in the area would maybe stop again but won't make a trip again. So sad because I really wanted to like this place. read more

Very nice Italian restaurant. Fairly priced for the large portions. Very friendly staff. Very clean. Worth a visit.

This is a so so Italian restaurant. They do make their own pasta and offer whole wheat and gluten free options. The garlic breadstick are yummy and a big hit. However the food is so so. Meatballs were bland. Nothing was very good just ok. Portions were huge read more

I don't usually write reviews, especially negative ones, but the food was so bleh I feel compelled to say so. The server was very nice, but was obviously busy with a birthday party going on elsewhere out if eyesight, so service was a bit slow. The eggplant fries were ok, nothing fantastic, but took awhile (server said they had to change the fry oil). I got the chicken parm/lasagna combo with a side of pasta, as well as a meatball and sausage (easier to just give my 2 yr old some of my meal). It was not very good, at all. The lasagna had some ground meat in it that tasted like gym socks, the spaghetti was very over done to mush, the sauce tasted like a can of tomato paste was just poured on, the sausage was dry and bland, as was everything else. My husband ate his meal, but said it was just meh. I only ended up eating about 4 bites of the chicken parm and my salad. Not even the bread was decent, just ate it because I was starving. My daughter had a few bites of pasta, but even she didn't like the food. I had to wonder how the other tables around us were enjoying their food? I mean, this was one pretty yucky meal all around. Hate going out for dinner and being hungry and disappointed when we leave, as we don't eat out as much as we used to. read more

Been here many times, but the last 2 times the food has been going down hill. The meatballs are more like rubber balls and the chicken parm was very tough and the cheese was thicker than the chicken and the fried mozz seemed to be just reheated in the microwave, because it was mushy and the cheese still in a block not even melted. This used to be our favorite go to italian restaurant, now i am not sure if we will go back. read more

I have been gong this this restaurant for many years and always get a good meal. They have good homemade pasta's The ziti and rotini (white and whole wheat) are my favorites here and their pizza is good to. The only bad things are that I sometimes get bread that tastes a day or two old and the salads have iceberg lettuce in them. read more

Pagliacci's offers excellent and authentic Italian food. Never been disappointed with quality or service and would definitely recommend to anyone in the area looking for a relaxing lunch or dinner. read more

Mothers favorite place and she only orders the home made huge ravioli. I have had some other dishes and they are large and hardy Italian fare. Always take some home for a norther meal . If you have pasta they have some homemade . Stick with them you'll be happy you did . Great place to take your kids ! read more

Great Italian place which gives huge portions at good prices. Always had a wonderful meal here. Wait staff is usually good. Drinks are ok. Had fettuccini Alfredo which was excellent and I had enough left over to bring for lunch for the next two days. Husband got a scallop dish and they were huge. Will be back, love this place read more