My husband and I recently ate dinner here. Neither of us had ever tried this place in all our years of living in Des Moines, so we decided it was high time for us to check it out. We ordered the House Special pizza and it was very good. The crust was a thin crust but it was very crispy and had an almost crackerlike texture. I really liked it a lot. The sauce was flavorful and the toppings were plentiful. It wasn't the best pizza we've ever had but it was still really good. Next time we'd try one of their other pizzas or pasta dishes just to try something different. We were able to be seated right after we walked in, which was nice. The service was good and there were a lot of items to choose from on the menu. There's plenty of seating and a good-sized parking lot. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - House Special - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Pizza is still good and expensive. If you dine in be prepared to wait and wait. I swear there is something not in balance with having delivery and dining in. Delivery is very manageable and eating in is consistently very slow. Also, my brother, who is in a wheelchair always ask for the pizza cut in squares because that is easier for him. Pizza places accommodate this maybe half the time and forget the other half. Pagliai's usually forgets and we had a server get annoyed about being asked to take it back and have it cut in squares. She solved this by saying it couldn't be done. We didn't ask her to dig a ditch, come on! We've spent a million dollars at this place and we do not frequent near as much. read more

Loved this local pizza spot! Quick service for dining in. The crust was flaky but still crisp. The house made sausage had a great amount of flavor and a bit of a kick which I like. Very great value as well! We will plan to be back! read more

Pagliai's Pizza - 12" Pagliai's Special Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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The food here is great. Some of the best pizza around. The staff is great! Friendly and patient. They aren't fast, but they are worth the wait. The only reason I give them a 3 is that their online ordering is one of the worst experiences around. 1. I had a coupon code, system said invalid (oh well, brisket pizza is still worth it) 2. The online order app is SLOW and glitchy....It took three attempts to finally place the order ( did I mention the pizza rocks?) 3. This is 2026 ... Apple Pay is standard. I don't remember the last time I had to type in my card number when ordering online. ( it's brisket on a pizza, c'mon man) read more

Always a win for takeout although each time I enter to pick up an order I wonder why I don't dine in. A charming ambiance with a rich Italian smell-yum! The special is a solid choice and ours consistently- full of quality meat and veggies- and for those like me who don't like olives, you don't need to pick them off because they aren't a standard ingredient on the special! We also tried the cheeseburger and I loved it- the pickles are not overwhelming or too abundant and add flavor to the overall sauce and beef. Leftovers- no problem- tastes just like the first day when heated in the air fryer and even in the microwave. Always plenty busy but consistently friendly service and their wait times are reasonable (speaking from mostly week night experience). read more

New to Des Moines and have been looking forward to going here since we enjoyed the one in Coralville. Had the Taco pizza. Very bland, thin crust needed a knife to cut, really awful. Service was good but never going back. I think this is the first time we didn't take leftovers home. read more

Fantastic! Without a doubt one of the best in state of Iowa! Delicious and service was great and the opportunity to sit down in a real pizzeria was a treat! I love being able to see the kids watching them spin the dough and making the delicious pies! A treat for us! Bring back the sit down pizzerias just like this America!! Ambiance perfection! read more

It's one of the better pizzas I've had in Des Moines. I've ordered it many times they always take good care of me and this time the manager sent me some cheese bread which he didn't have to, but it was so amazing. I'm so impressed and these guys go the extra 90 miles to take care of you. read more

3.25* (out of 5) Food: 3* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 3* Service: 4* 01/28/2023 Pagliai's Pizza We had heard about this place, driven by it several times and wanted to try it, so were looking forward to it when asked by friends to meet them there. We started with a Margarita (see picture) based on a recommendation and it turned out to be the highlight of the evening. It was not only a generous serving (separate shaker as shown in picture to refill your glass), but it tasted great - not too tart and not too sweet. For our meal, we started with a Greek Salad (another highlight) - the salad and the dressing were great! For our meal, we ordered a 10" double crust Pepperoni (see picture), a 10" double crust Bacon Cheeseburger (see picture) and a 14" House Special (see picture). I ended up disappointed in the pizza (heavy, dense crust with little flavor that wasn't my favorite) as well as the value ($19 for the Cheeseburger and $26 for the House Special - and both were relatively small). If you are looking for a great Margarita (who would have thought in an Italian restaurant...), I think that you will love your stop here. However, as to the pizza (their namesake specialty), I really can't recommend it based on the value as well as the crust. In my opinion, it is in the lower tier of pizzas that we've had in the area. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com read more

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Terrible service. Wait time was 1 hour for two pizzas. Arrived after waiting an hour told it would be 10 more minutes but still 20 pizzas to be made ahead of mine. Others had been waiting 1 hour and 45 minutes and still no pizza. Cancelled my order and won't be going back anytime soon. read more

Do not go to Pagliai's on Fridays. We waited 20 minutes to be seated. Then we were told it would an hour to get our pizza. Actually, a totally crappy experience. Never again. read more

Twice now we have gone here and had over an hour wait for our food. They didn't let us know that they were behind on their orders. We started noticing many tables we like us waiting for food for quite some time. We had a very nice waitress and she did try to get us a discount for our very long wait but she was told no. There were at least 12 people standing around inside waiting for their carry out orders. More sitting in their cars outside. What kind of a business keeps taking phone orders for carry out and putting that before the customers at their tables? We had a full night planned of errands so this was pretty stressful. We were told the owner was there tonight and apparently he's more about bringing in the money than having happy customers. read more

We love this pizza, service is always good, stellar salad. Feels like an old school pizza joint.

We ordered online for takeout. Simple process. It was ready when I went to pick it up and they have a separate area for pickup. The place was packed at 630 on a Friday night. We ordered garlic cheese bread, the regular crust cheese and a thin crust house. Everything was delicious. Would definitely order from here again. read more

I love this pizza. We are visiting in Des Moines so we had to stop. The bacon cheeseburger pizza is my favorite so we had that on half and half palace special on the other half. My Gals love the cheese bread!! read more

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We arrived at 8:40, wanting to make our first visit to Pagliai's, only to find that they closed at 9 p.m. We walked in and said, since they close in a few minutes, maybe we can get a to-go order. The pizza maker behind the counter said, "If you want to dine in, pick a table. We are happy to serve you!" We selected a table and ordered the House Special, adding black olives. We both had a tossed salad, which was very tasty and came with a warm breadstick. Then the guy who told us to come in and sit asked if we wanted some cheese bread on this house. "Um, yes, please!" It was warm and tasty, too. Now, I am a bit of an iced tea snob. I often turn my nose up when restaurants brew tea but fail to clean their machines properly. Their iced tea smelled and tasted fresh. I even told the chef that when he brought us the cheese bread. He said we break the machine down and clean all the parts every night, not just rinse it out. The pizza was fresh from the oven and crisp! Just the right amount of toppings on each bite. We were delighted and will be back! Right off the interstate, easy in and out. read more

The only reason I gave me a start to begin with was the fact that our server was nice and we got the food she could control on a good timeframe. We ordered one large pizza, one small pizza, and one pasta, and it took us less than five minutes to decide what we wanted to order and to put our order in. We ordered at 4:35, and our food did not arrive until 5:25. The food that did arrive was the pasta and it was lukewarm and sticking together. Over 20 minutes later a large pizza comes out and we are told that the other pizza will be out in just 30 seconds. Five minutes later this small pizza comes out overcooked and does not look appetizing at all. When we asked what they are gonna do about our inconvenience they said we can give you five dollars off. We had to push them back and say that's all you could do for us For our inconvenience? Our server said she could go talk to her manager and see what she can do and we said we would be happy to talk to them if they came out. No manager came over to us ask us how we were doing or how our pizza was or to apologize for the inconvenience. We ended up only getting 15% off our entire order which equal out to just about $11 very, very disappointing for such a nice place that we love going to. I get it was New Year's eve but when someone gets there at a restaurant at 4:30 in orders right away, there should be a priority there to get their food out And wait until the people in the restaurant happen served their food before making online orders their priority. The place was not even busy at all when we went there which made the whole experience a lot worse for us. Nothing was wrong with the restaurant clean wise. They were very friendly and they allowed us to sit wherever we wanted and we were greeted right away by our server, and our order was taken immediately. read more

I have been here several times with family and it's always been good. The servers are quick, kind, and knowledgeable. We usually order cheese bread and several large pizzas. The pizza is good and fresh, but nothing too special. Plenty of seating, clean, and large parking lot. read more

Pagliai's pizza has become our go-to in Johnston. The pizza is great, the value is impeccable, and the people are friendly. I recommend trying the thin crust pepperoni and sausage. And even though the traditional pizza Peter in me hates it, I LOVE dipping my crust in the creamy Parmesan dressing they have. The frozen pizzas are bomb We got tired of traditional Thanksgiving food this year and snagged a few and it was an awesome decision. Thank you for all the great pizzas, the Sunday special, and friendly service. read more

This pace is a hidden gem. We've been coming here for many years. Their pizza is a favorite. read more

This is an empathetic 4 stars. I was totally craving a deep dish pizza and this was a no brained, however Covid has definitely changed the course for delivery. We waited 2 hrs and 40 minutes for a pizza. And the delivery driver was actually wearing his kitchen apron and apologized stating that the delivery driver went home sick and 4 other staff called in. I understand and cannot be mad when this is our reality right now. I will continue to order pizza from Pagliai's- but will pick up next time. The pizza was good, not hot but still warm. Again, I can't be upset and will make different choices next pizza night- but will continue to support this business. read more

Margherita pizza was pretty much inedible, only ate one slice. No fresh basil, I believe the cheese was feta only and too salty, no red sauce, just a few cut up tomatoes and canned artichokes. SO disappointing. read more

This place was busy with mostly families. There was a wait but it wasn't too long. Our server was good and informative. The two pizzas were ok, not the best but not the worst. The crust could have been better but the toppings were good. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Brisket pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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I know this place has been here a long time and I know why now! Its worth a stop if you haven't tried it. I loved having some options for crust that you don't get in other places. Great staff waited on us and on 1/29/21 for covid they have tables marked off to limit the number of guest which was great by me. It looked like they had lots of people ordering and picking up which is great to see from a locally owned place. I was very excited for the homemade sausage and I was pleased when i got to try it. This exceeded my expectations and honestly I liked the feel better then some other places around. Give this place a try and see what you think. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Looking good so far - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We have been talking about coming here for years. I've lived in Johnston area almost my entire life and this was my first stop into Pagliais ever. We talked about coming here for years and finally did it. Jan 2021 - The pandamic is still going on. We came in with our masks on. We were seated right away. We could tell half of the table were marked off to give the space that was needed to feel safe. The waitress was great. She told us the specials. We got a bottomless pop and shared a pizza that was the special. The special pizza of the evening though was "thin" crust, we upgraded to the "pan" style. Holy moly it was almost edging towards Chicago deep dish style. The crust was amazing. You could taste the fresh dough taste. It did take a bit of time to bake, but there was also people coming in and picking up pizzas. The pizza came out piping hot! Our waitress remembered our extra red sauce just like i asked for! We had the Italian sausage and sauerkraut pizza. It was what hubby picked but it was really good. The crowd started to pick up and soon the dining area was about as full as it was going to be. We finished up and headed out. We are so pleased with the food and experience we would be back. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Bar - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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I'm pretty sure this is the best pizza I've ever had. We ordered the House Special with jalapeños and peperonchinis via delivery. The pizza was hot when it arrived , perfectly baked and loaded with the best quality of ingredients. Soooooo delicious! The crust was thin and crispy on the bottom - even in the middle, where many are soggy. I was full after one piece but had to have another because it was so good. Looking forward to leftovers for breakfast :) read more

Pagliai's Pizza - The 14" House Special Pizza - with a couple extras - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Pagliai's Pizza is one of my favorites in Carbondale. Great pizza, good atmosphere, and always quick service!

WOW! That was a deliciouso pizza pie!! Top 5 pizza I've ever had. Perfect amount of toppings, delightful crispy crust- yum! Would definitely return and try other things. Looked clean inside as well! 5 stars read more

They really need to improve on their estimates for wait times. I get that they are busy and great for them, but when you wait 10-15 min past the pick up time they tell you, it gets a little ridiculous. Luckily the pizza is great! read more

Not so good on the big sizes decent on the small size pizza not as much cheese will not be returning undercooked as well

Another excellent pizza in a city with lots of great pizza options. This is a true old school pizzeria. Going on a Friday night, you will see 5 or 6 pizza makers working hard. The crust is crispy thin and substantial at the same time. The sauce is rich, and overall this is excellent pizza. You can expect to pay more for your pizza here, but you get what you pay for. Great food read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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It's okay for a good group gathering. The pizza isn't over the top but it'll feed a group of kids when in town for a tournament.

Ahhh man, I really wanted to like this place since it's so close to where I live but alas, no. Maybe I should have ordered a pizza but I was feeling pasta that day. Anyway... the decoration is pretty informal, but I did like the open kitchen concept. They had a Sunday special - $10 for a large pizza, but my friend and I decided to go for some pasta. All dishes come with salad and breadsticks, we also ordered cheese bread, which came at the same time as the salads and could have stood to be under the broiler for quite a bit longer. The cheese was hardly melted and not appetizing at all. Salads were fine, nothing to write home about. My friend had the baked cavatelli but took 2 bites and hated it, she sent it back and it was taken off our bill. I had the shrimp scampi, which I thought would be a bit more buttery, but it was just kind of "meh". It was garlicky enough, which I enjoy, but I've had a lot better scampi elsewhere. Overall the experience was underwhelming, though the service wasn't too bad. I may go back for the pizza to give it a second chance but, ehhh. I'd skip this place, especially if you want pasta. read more

They have some very good pizza. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that pepperocini were actually peppers, and being allergic to peppers, I was unable to eat the one pizza we got. We have gotten other pizzas from here as well. Friendly staff. Family friendly. Prices are ok. Lot parking. They also have a restaurant in Grinnell, Iowa(their first one) that serves very good pizza as well(we've gotten take out from the Grinnell place). There's also one in Iowa City, I think still, which was where I first had Pagliai's Pizza. I remember it was awesome there as well. The one in Ames closed a long, long time ago. Great place for pizza! Hometown goodness. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. read more

Great pizza starts with a great crust. Theirs is made from flour shipped in from Italy that you cannot buy here. Great topping and generous amount of cheese. read more

Best thin and crispy pizza in the metro! Fresh ingredients and consistently cooked to perfection every time!

Pagliai's has become my favorite local pizza place because of their Pagliai's Special pizza. It's loaded with toppings, but doesn't fall out when you take a slice out. Their customer service is also top notch. They're all friendly and attentive. read more

Ordered for pick up on a Friday evening. Their online ordering makes it so simple and they offer delivery if you prefer. We ordered a medium specialty pizza flat crust along with an order of cheese bread. The cheese bread was loaded with melted mozzarella and served with a side of Marinara sauce... 4 slices to an order. The pizza was loaded with toppings (vegetables, sausage, pepperoni, cheese) and the crust was perfectly covered with tomato sauce to the edges and was deliciously crispy. The order took about 20 minutes from the time we put it in until the time we received notice it was ready. Pick up was easy since we paid online - in and out in minutes. Decent price for a great meal. read more

While I do like the pizza at this restaurant I am sick of going and waiting twice as long for my pizza as I was told. It is the 3rd time in a row it has happened. Tonight I was told 20 minutes. I showed up 25 minutes later and waited in line to pay. At 30 minutes I look and they are literally just making my pizza and it still had to be cooked. I cancelled my order and got my money back. The manager blamed it on covid and staffing but again this is the 3rd time it has been like that in the last 4 months since covid issues started. My only issue is that if it is going to be an hour just tell me an hour. read more

Was craving GOOD pizza today. I've only been to Pagliai's once, years ago, and it was delicious. My fiance and son, however, had never been... After I drove past their Merle Hay location today, I voice-texted them to advise we were gonna have "polly eyes" for dinner tonight. Didn't even correct the typo. For those who have wondered how to pronounce the name: you're welcome. The service was excellent; our server was attentive and responsive without being overbearing (thanks, Nathan - your suggestions were on point!) We ordered the cheese bread as an appetizer; it was loaded with melty cheese that's fantastically gooey when you pull it apart. The marinara is *crucial* - thick, and tastes like homemade. Also, Nathan mentioned their house ranch dressing as a dipping option...I would never normally dip cheese bread in ranch but I was intrigued, so we tried it. It's delicious, not the standard bottled ranch ... can't quite figure out what the unique ingredient is that sets it apart (buttermilk? mayo? angel tears?) but it was delicious. No regrets. (and no judgies!) My son had the meatball sandwich. I stole a bite, so I can tell you first-hand that it was tasty...warm and comforting; flavorful without being too "in your face" with spices. Perfect amounts of melty provolone and sauce. The bread was not too thick or thin, soft where it needed to be. It's also not a small sandwich; he didn't quite finish it all at dinner. Betcha his leftovers don't live to see the light of another day. Finally, my fiance and I split a medium size, thin crust House pizza. It's that perfect pizzeria-style kind where the thin crust is still hearty/sturdy enough that when you pick it up to eat with your hands it supports everything (and the House is loaded with toppings!) Excellent balance of toppings and cheese; bursting with flavor. A medium was way more than the two of us needed. However: I'm looking forward to getting up in the middle of the night to sneak a bite or three. Cold pizza is the food of the gods. :-) If you've never been to Pagliai's before, please rank them high on your "next to try" list of pizza places. Don't know why we waited so long... but no way are we going to wait that long before we go back. read more