Raise a glass to the ghost of Pags. For the past 25 years, this was the place that we compared all other pizza to. As soon as you walked in the door, that heady smell of rising dough, fresh-made tomato sauce and baking cheese welcomed you like an old friend. As soon as we entered the parking lot and saw only one car there at 8:30 on a Friday night in a college town, we started to worry. I had seen in the reviews here that ownership had changed, but retained some small hope that the Pags we knew still existed. But no. There may have been a wisp of an aroma but we realized pretty quickly that it must have just been a ghost. Since we still had 7 hours on the road ahead of us, we had called our order in. The fact that the staff didn't understand what "dine in" meant for our order meant that both the person who took the order on the phone and the manager they consulted hadn't bothered to communicate to the rest of the staff. So our pizzas were boxed up and waiting when we got there - but not in anything that would keep them warm. The server plated them on pizza platters, but didn't bother warming them up, so they were barely above room temp when served. And the pizza itself? Boring. Pedestrian. Like any other pizza made with Sysco products. My "thin and crispy" was thinnish, but by no stretch of the imagination was it crispy. The savory, crunchy crust I remembered was replaced by an anemic 1/4 inch rim, no crunch. No flavor. SO and YO split a "thin and chewy," which had the weirdest edge I think I've seen. SO reports it "perfectly adequate;" everything that made Pags special was lacking. "Sure was pizza." The staff were nice. The floor by the counter was really sticky - to the point that I could both feel and hear my shoes sticking. That was gross. We were last here about 15 years ago, so I guess that will have to be the Pags we remember. This one is perfectly forgettable. read more

Since new ownership, I would say the food quality has deteriorated. Table service is not much better, if you can get any. Astronomical waiting time for food. read more

Pagliai's, it's been a while. Almost 25years since I've last been here. They've moved a new space a few buildings to the north. The Big Red was my favorite pizza back when I was a student in 2002. It did not disappoint this evening. It's so simple and delicious. Or waitress was great, apparently the cooks messed up the order and she caught it a made it right. read more

Great food. Good lighting / decor. Everyone is friendly and good service. Very busy so shows it is popular. read more

the wait staff and kitchen are working so hard, and yet I'm about to leave hungry after an hour and a half. HIRE MORE PEOPLE! service isn't awful, just set up to fail. Do better, owners. Do better. read more

Sad, I wanted to like Pagliai's, but I would not return. I might consider takeout pizza as the pizza was good, but would not eat there. It was an early dinner, we were one of three tables. Seated and greeted by a friendly server, going well so far. Ordered drinks, and here is where the wheels start coming off, uh we don't have beer because we currently don't have a license. (Beer is listed on menu) Ordered pizza, Italian beef, lasagna and salads. Wait we don't have lasagna, or we might, server checked with kitchen (which we could hear the conversation from our table) ok we have lasagna. Salads came, it looked like the kitchen opened a bag of Kroger salad, put a handful on a plate, sprinkled on some cheese and viola that's your $5 salad. The vinaigrette was good. Food comes, well pizza comes, then lasagna, then the Italian Beef. Server comes back, we ask about the missing chips for the sandwich. Oh we are out of chips. (Puzzling because, that was not mentioned before), and we have no sides to substitute. Ok, not completely understanding, how they are telling us that there are no chips and also no other options. It was then explained that the chips are free so that is why there are no other options. Lost another wheel with that. Eventhough it was ordered, Italian Beef has no giardiniera. Server heads back to kitchen, there is a discussion on did you put it in the order, yes, back and forth, between server ave kitchen. Server comes back with cold, right out of the fridge giardiniera. Yum! Another wheel falls off. Time to pay, ask because we did not get chips can you take a few dollars off. Checks with kitchen. Well you can come back another time and get a salad or garlic bread. We are the last wheel is rolling down the street. We ask if we can get one of the salads off tonight, server heads back to the kitchen. Yes, that can be done. Yay, an answer that makes sense. Finally, I pay and we leave. I felt bad for the server because she was trying but between the management and the kitchen nothing was going well. It was an all around disappointment. read more

Sat down and waited 20 minutes to get a menu. Ordered 10 minutes later got our appetizer and drinks. 30 minutes they came to give us refills. 20 minutes later still did not have our drinks back nor our pizza. Paid for our drinks and appetizer and they had the never to ask me to leave a tip after complaining about lack of service and our order never being filled. Never again. read more

Another trip to southern Illinois from Texas and yet another great pizza at Pags. Thin crispy crust, plenty of toppings, tasty sausage and good red sauce. The former owners were there eating pizza and we talked to them for a few minutes. It's still good pizza after all of these years. Service was also on point. read more

The server was extremely sweet and personable. She even gave the kids some dough to play with. The staff makes you feel right at home. The pizza was amazing. I will be returning as soon as possible. read more

Great food. Not quick service but it was nice to not feel rushed. Ambiance was ok. Nothing fancy but that's ok! I'd return!

TLDR... ORDER FOR DELIVERY OR TAKE OUT ONLY!! SIU Alum, back for homecoming. Entered for dinner at 5:30. Only 2 servers on a Saturday night. "seat yourself" it says... Place is half full but in the next 30 minutes nearly every table was filled. Still great pizza, just dont expect much in terms of service inside. After 20 minutes of not even a hello, I informed staff that a table sitting for two minutes was getting service, where our table and 2 others were ignored for over 15 minutes. That is just bad management. For as frustrated as we were, we did feel bad for the servers who was just running around trying to do everything they could to service 28 tables, almost all full by 6pm. They were overwhelmed, overworked, understaffed for a place that has 30 tables. Absolutely no management of the front of the house. They are 95% concentrated on making pizzas for takeout or delivery (noted by the SEVEN people that were concentrating on preparing and cooking pizza.) They don't seem to really care anymore about their in-house business. 2 stars cause the waitresses were TRYING, but overwhelmed and the pizza is still good...If your wait long enough to get service. read more

We drive at least 4-5 times a year from St. Louis for a Joe's Special pizza abd usually bring friends/family with us. We used to give it a 5 out of 5 stars until recently. We came down tonight for our 33rd wedding annivery. We are very disappointed.. Ever since the new owners took over it isn't the same. They need to go back to how they used to make it if not the business will not succeed. Not sure we'll make the trip again SO VERY SAD.... please go back to the old owner's original recipes. read more

I'll preface this review by stating that I have been visiting Pags for 40+ years and I've always commended the management and staff for their great work. Today however I left very very disappointed. I don't know if there's been a change in ownership or management, but the Joes Special was not the same. This pizzas signature has always been the extra sauce, but today it was lacking in both quantity and quality. You might wonder why anyone would care. Simple answer - in 40+ years I have never seen any, and I mean any deviation from their original recipes. Something today was different and it wasn't for the better. I hope management is reading this and figures it out - I'll give them another chance in the future and hope things return to normal read more

Great pizza! Def spending more but it's a nice treat. We got a rich and chewy, thin and garlic cheese bread read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Beef, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and rich and chewy crust! Love it! - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

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Best Pizza ever! Drove down from Michigan and someone told us to try them out! Great!

Quarky waitresses but amazing pizza. No flop on a large thin and crispy. Idk why the staff is so weird though

Thank you for being open today! I certainly enjoyed the taste of nostalgia while visiting Carbondale. A few things haven't change since the 80s. I called in my order from the parking lot and was able to get a single slice of garlic and spinach deep dish pizza, which is a meal in itself! So very good!!!! Safe distancing, safe indoor dining, and masked employees made me feel really good about stopping here for lunch. I think you should here too when you're in the area! read more

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This restaurant was my favorite pizza place in town. However, they recently have new management. The half-half pizza with two flavors became unavailable, and the price of a small glass of wine increased a lot. I hope the new manager can reconsider the bad changes and not drive loyal customers away. read more

My husband and I went to Pagliai's in Carbondale Il last night. It turned into a terrible experience. We waited over an hour for a pizza that was completely wrong. None of the toppings were correct. We decided not to wait (another hour) for a pizza. As we were paying for the salads and ice teas the owner, I had referred to her as the manager and was corrected, was extremely rude to my husband. There are many choices as to where to spend money when going out to eat. This was Not a a good choice. We went to another local pizza restaurant and it was delicious! read more

By far the best pizza in the Midwest! I drive all the way from St Charles, MO to eat at Pagliai's. We make several road trips to Carbondale just for Pag's! That is how good it is. Even if I am in the area or within 25 miles, I must make a detour to Carbondale and bring back a Pag's Pizza to share with my family or else I am in trouble. The staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

I ordered the big red. The dough was a bit dry but it was delicious. It was filling and the ratio was good with cheese and sauce. It's a bit pricey but I would order from here again. read more

Not only best pizza in Southern Illinois but literally one of the best pies in the US. Great service and fantastic house salad dressing. One bite, everyone knows the rules. 9.9. That's a review. read more

I need to preface this by saying the food is not the issue. The service is. I arrived with one person at 5:15 pm or so on a Saturday. We were 1 of 3 tables. Got our order in immediately and got our drinks. Almost 45 minutes later, after not seeing the waitress once, I finally asked someone when they thought our order would be ready. "Um, I'm not really sure." That was the response I got. Not, "Let me check for you," or "I'll find out and let you know." Just, "I don't know." Mind you, this was not our waitress. She was nowhere to be found. Maybe 10 minutes later our food finally appears. Almost an hour from order to food and no check in from anyone until the food was delivered, by the vanishing waitress of course. At that point my companion asked for some ranch. She says, "it'll be $1.55." Ok, I understand charging for a condiment that is not part of the meal, that's reasonable. What bothered me was that after sitting for 55 minutes and she not checking on our table once that $1.55 cup of ranch couldn't have been complementary. I've been eating at this restaurant for 35 years and I have never seen such poor service. Truly disappointed. read more

A classic in southern IL - great pizza and pasta. I still remember as a kid, they'd give us dough balls to play with while waiting for food. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Big Red Tomato Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

We were very excited to go to Pagliai's for half-price Spaghetti night. It turned out to be one of our worst restaurant experiences. We waited almost an hour and were never served our food. There were 3 waitresses on duty, yet ours disappeared into the night. We had to ask another waitress to bring us water and she was upset that we asked and told us twice she was not our waitress. There were 2 large parties's of 10 and 7 that were served in front of us. We only received a bottle of wine, 1 soda, water and 3 salads in one hour. The lady a the register told my parents that she was underpaid and only a college student. WOW. These are the people you hired for this establishment and think they are underpaid for not even doing their job. The manager owner did not even offer anything to my parents for this horrible experience. If you were a great owner or manager, then you would have offered at the very least comp of the items were purchased or provided us the spaghetti dinners to go. YET, YOU DID NOTHING!!! Explain why you have such horrible customer service from your staff to YOU!!! AVOID THIS DUMP!!!! read more

Pagliai's Pizza - We waited an hour for soda, water and a salad. - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

We ate dinner here on a Thursday evening when we arrived in Carbondale for a sporting event at SIU. We ordered a thin crust pizza with several toppings, and I had a dinner salad to start. The salad was basically just lettuce and dressing with a pack of crackers. Definitely skip this. The pizza was good, but nothing special. All in all, it was a pretty good dinner option. read more

I don't even remotely understand how Pagliai's could have 3 stars. The Big Red pizza, alone, warrants a 4.5 star average because that pizza is perfection. Perfection, tell you! I have no more words because it's just that good. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Big Red Tomato Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Not my favorite...had the pan on brick..too doughy. Spaghetti was ok...The meat balls are good..best thing we ate. The salad was good...all i all I will not be rushing back...The staff was great and the service fast... read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Spaghetti - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

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They were packed because of the lights fantastic parade but the service was absolutely amazing! And the pizza was even better! The waitress made sure our drinks stayed full and checked on us frequently. Excellent service! read more

horrible service, rude owners. absolutely abysmal service. took away the specials, and now all is left is a bad attitude

For a dish that was the special of the evening, I was greatly disappointed. The chicken Alfredo pasta was so bland I'm positive there was not one fleck of spice, not even black pepper. It tasted like frozen grilled chicken strips you buy at Walmart with a jar of cheap Alfredo sauce on noodles. The garlic bread was better but very salty. Be prepared to sweat if you eat there, it's 10 degrees warmer inside than outside and it was 94 degrees with 90% humidity! read more

Spaghetti was barely edible. Pizzas were ok. Only saving grace was the discounted beer.

Really tasty food! The Tuesday special was pasta so I ordered that and a small cheese pizza. It was all super tasty and fresh. Normally I don't like thin crust, but this place has the best. The dough was still chewy and wasn't baked to a crisp. This is a great spot for date night because the atmosphere was quiet and homey! 10/10!! read more

Awesome pizza and mostaccioli were great. Delivery was very quick for a Friday!! Would do again!

Horribly disappointing We were so excited to try the pizza but it was not good at all. The crust was a tad burned, the sauce was bland and watery, the cheese was plasticy, and the ham topping tasted cheap and flavorless. I was so bummed! Especially for the price of $25!!! And a large isn't as large as you would assume... Total disappointment. We spent a lot of money for a terrible pizza. I didn't even want to eat a second piece of it. read more

Are you looking to fall off your diet wagon in a glorious fashion? Make cheating worth it. Dive into layers of cheesy goodness. The "Big Red" is my favorite of Pagliai's Pizza. It is the only one I order. The Big Red comes as a Thick Pan with Tomatoes & Triple Cheese (Allow 30 Min. Cooking Time). The cheese is layered on the bottom with tomatoes and toppings on top. Similar to Chicago style. I normally order delivery, so I can't comment on the ambiance or service. My delivery driver and the person that took my order were both polite. If you order delivery, keep in mind that the $1.00 delivery fee does not go directly to the driver! I always ask all restaurants. I docked one star for not giving their drivers 100%. Employee treatment is a part of the rating system. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - "The Big Red" with pepperoni and sausage added sized large. - Pizza Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Please, someone buy Pag's and hire a real manager. Last night, they were only 1/4 full inside, and it took an hour to get a sandwich. Other customers said it took over 1.5 hours to get a pizza. I felt sorry for the overworked waitresses. They ran non stop while a half dozen other employees stood behind the counter and had what looked like a nice long conversation, oblivious to all the ignored restaurant patrons. Quatros beats Pags in every way. I won't go back to Pags until they get new management. read more

My family and I have eaten at Pag's for many years and it has always been a pleasant dining experience. Times have changed. We had a very long wait before a waitress took our order and we watched two other tables that arrived after us order and get their food. We asked the waitress what was the problem and she very rudely said she would check with the kitchen. After another long wait, we asked another waitress to ask our waitress to come to our table. After another long wait we received our salad and drinks. We waited for a total of 1 1/2 hours and we never received our spaghetti. We will never return to this restaurant. read more

Toooo slow service..you better order a take out your pizza will be ready in less than 30mins...dinning in when busy expect to wait at least an hour or more before your pizza is served..so not recommend this place read more

Get the big red. So, so good! Perfect for people like myself who prefer to go meat free