Moving from Chicago it was hard to find a family owned authentic restaurant like we were used to. Finding Paolo's was exactly what we were missing. Our entire family loves it and we are always so warmly greeted when we arrive. Paul is always so welcoming and the food is always great! read more

Mediocre food at best Lousy service poorly trained staff, can't make even basic drinks No ambiance whatsoever Wouldn't recommend it and wouldn't return read more

If you're looking for some authentic Italian cuisine stop here! Lobster Ravioli & Chicken Basilicata OH MY GOD SO GOOD. date night 10/10 experience. Lovely menu with lots of great options not too little or too much. I would say this is a must try restaurant in morrisville. We wiped our plates clean. Service is 10/10 very kind and quick our food came out in no time. We will be back to try other dishes read more

Paolo's On 54 - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Really good pizza, chicken francese perfectly balanced, carbonara well seasoned fresh peas

Super delicious chicken Francese. Lovely, clean place. Great service. My niece's pasta w red sauce looked amazing as well and she loved it. read more

Paolo's On 54 - Chicken Francese- super del! - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Everything about this place was amazing, they greeted us were on point with getting out food and drinks quick. The food itself was delicious

Another great meal. Arrived on Friday night to celebrate a birthday, which also happened to be Valentines Day. Did not have a reservation but the staff worked us in and helped make a potentially ruined birthday experience as success. The staff and owner of Paolo's excel in authentic dishes and customer serve read more

The food was amazing!! I had fettuccine Alfredo and my husband had seafood linguine. It was out of this world. Our server Adalynn was super friendly, very patient and had great suggestions. We will be back for sure. read more

I'm in North Carolina for a couple of days on business. The night before I leave to go home I'm feeling like Italian food. I search Yelp with the criteria for Italian food and close to my hotel. This restaurant pops up as above one mile from my hotel. It's located in a small strip mall, or maybe in North Carolina they call it a shopping center. Call it what you will so let's talk about the food. First, the setting is really nice, very Italian, with a little bit of Frank being played. As I look over the menu it's mostly basic Italian food, but I see linguine with garlic and oil I haven't had this in years, but I ask if they can add anchovies to it. The answer is yes. Ok let's talk about this. I like anchovies. I know many people say yuck to anchovies, but let me tell you something just in case you fall into that category. You actually like anchovies, you just don't know it yet. Ok the dish comes. Unfortunately in this bowl of linguine is two small anchovies. Garlic and oil was lacking. The dish was quite dry and lacked the flavor I think it should have. To boot there's a family in the booth behind me that are reading out loud every item in the menu. And finally to add insult to injury, for the two small pieces of anchovy, a $3 up charge. Could this be a supply chain issue. Sorry, three stars. One for the sweet waitress, one for the ambiance, and one for, well I don't know what the third star is for so take it as a going away gift from me. read more

Paolo's On 54 - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

The food was absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend you try it for yourself. I also suggest you make reservations.

First time here and it did not disappoint. We had the Antipasto, Calamari (nice light breading), Bruschetta, Eggplant parm, Fettuccine Alfredo, Veal Saltimbuca, and Dolce knots...all of which were delicious. To top it off we had a great server named Cem (pronounced Gem) that took excellent care of us. Needless to say we will be coming back! read more

Update as of 8/22: I had a disappointing takeaway order here recently, but the owner reached out, explained he wasn't in that day, and personally remade the dishes for us. The shrimp were standard this time and the mussels were properly cooked, which I appreciated. The food was good on the second try, and I hope that level of quality is consistent going forward. ------------ Original review (1 star): I usually love this place, but one recent takeaway order was very disappointing. My shrimp scampi came with tiny baby shrimp instead of standard shrimp, and my husband's seafood pasta had mostly empty mussel shells and some shells that were closed. It felt like corners were being cut while still charging full price. read more

Haven't been here for awhile. But we did come tonight with our friends. It was outstanding. The service was exceptional. Our server Viktoria was wonderful and kept checking on us. The food was amazing. Although the restaurant was busy, we were able to have a conversation without having to raise our voices. Can't wait to come back again soon. read more

My partner brought me here for my birthday dinner. We were told we wouldn't need to make reservations when we called and even though they were packed we did not have to wait to be seated. I read several reviews before choosing this place and I feel a little misguided by them. Pros: 1: Prices are great and serving sizes are very generous 2: Service was excellent Cons: 1: I chose the wrong dish. I didn't hate it but I did not love it. I had the lobster ravioli. It was super rich and I guess I just like my lobster with butter. Personal preferences, but it seems pretty salty to me. 2: My partner got the Pork chops Milanese and he enjoyed the dish. I tasted it and didn't care for the bacon flavors and though that dish was also too salty. 3: chocolate cake was dry, tiramisu tasted watered down. Would I go back? Sure. I would be sure to try other items on the menu. Our experience was not awful, I just didn't love the food choices we made. When we do go back I'll be sure to come back and update the review. read more

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We got the chicken picatta and spinach ravioli with a breaded chicken cutlet. Both were amazing! Served with garlic bread. service was incredible and atmosphere was great. We'll be back! read more

Excellent dinner Saturday night. We wanted a meal prior to going to see a concert at DPAC. We split the Caprese entree, which was delicious. The bread was scrumptious and the dipping sauce was unbelievable. The Pinot wine was very good - nice pour and it was complimentary to the food. I had the Manicotti and my husband had Chicken Parm with linquini. Everything was perfect. Our server was quite nice and he checked back on us several times. The restaurant was clean, and felt very welcoming. We will definitely be back. read more

The food is outstanding, the venue is small and accommodating! The hostess's are pleasant and polite.

I have been here two times...once with a friend and the other with a family of four and both times have been soooo good. I have been trying to find a good Italian place for over a year and so far, this one exceeds any I have found in this area. It is a small place in a small strip mall, right on Chapel Hill Rd, but there is plenty of parking. The place is super clean and very nicely decorated. A great place for a date or business lunch or dinner. Very nice atmosphere and not loud, even when busy. I have tasted the lasagna, the chicken piccata, the chicken with spinach and the eggplant parm. All of these dishes were really, really good. I love all the sauces on each dish. My friend had a calzone and it looked wonderful too. She intended to eat only half, but could not stop and ate the whole thing it was so good. Both dishes that I had were so large, I had to take leftovers home, especially the eggplant parm. They bring out garlic knots before the meal and they are very well done as well. Just the right amount of butter and garlic. Even the iced tea is good. My daughter loved the tiramisu, and she is picky about it. We were told their desserts are home made. They have several to choose from. Both servers were excellent and very attentive. When we had Bella, it was very busy, but she was still able to give us excellent service. They do take reservations and are able to accommodate a large group. They have both booths and tables. There is a bar as well where you can be seated. They are closed on Monday, but open every other day. They do have a lunch menu and a separate dinner menu. We will return, for sure! read more

Ordered delivery here for the first time tonight and it was so good! We ordered the Margherita pizza and it was huge and worth the money. It tasted fresh and the crust was thin, as advertised. It seemed like it was full of quality ingredients and made fresh to order. There are a lot of "authentic pizza places" in the triangle but this is definitely one of the best. They also offer a large range of other Italian dishes, which I look forward to trying in the future. Will definitely be back again. Thank you for a great meal, Paolo's! read more

Paolo's On 54 - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

My first visit here with my 2 daughters, but we WILL be back!!!Food was excellent, service was better than average given how young our waiter truly was and the ambiance (not to mention the overall prices) were better than expected given the cost of inflation these days. Thanks to Yelp for assisting me in finding a great Italian restaurant that's close to my home and yet tucked away and off the beaten path without too much foot traffic on a hot summer night! read more

First time in. Food was very good. Service was excellent. We had a couple pasta dishes, the veal and the chicken parm. All came out quick. Tiramisu and Cannoli were solid as well. We will be back. read more

This was our first time trying Paolo's on 54. Worst carbonara I've ever had. It was scrambled eggs with bland bowtie pasta. I doubt there is any parmesan in this at all. The egg looks like egg from egg fried rice. If you're going to do classic carbonara, do it right. If you can't, just make fake alfredo carbonara like every other second-rate Italian restaurant. The cacciatore rated this up from 2-stars to 3. If you have the same nostalgic home cooked memory of chicken cacciatore, this will hit the spot. It's a simple, homey dish, done right. read more

Paolo's On 54 - Carbonara? No, egg-fried pasta with 0% parmesan. - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

My fault for not checking prices but I'm not sure when their prices almost doubled. Small pizza here costs more than large pizzas at comparable restaurants. I was shocked. read more

We stumbled across this place and we're not disappointed. The service is awesome and the food is even better. Definitely a new go to for date night. read more

Paolo's On 54 - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

I was so excited to try this place since their menu has a substantial amount of vegetarian options. We made a reservation but realized quickly when we got there that it was not needed as they were very empty. The restaurant was a big open space with a bar on the side. We were quickly told by our server that they were unable to make cocktails because their bar tender wasn't there. Bummer #1... I was looking forward to a good drink. I ended up getting a glass of their rose Prosecco. My husband wanted a red oak but they were out. Bummer #2. We started with the fried Zuchinni which came out pretty quick but was pretty basic: heavy breading and tasted mass produced and frozen. The house bread was good but the tomato sauce that it came with was a bit lack luster. Things we ordered: gnocchi in pink sauce, spinach ravioli in Alfredo, eggplant parm with pesto angel hair, and a kids fettuccini Alfredo. The pastas all had zero seasoning in the sauces. Not even salt. We all had to heavily salt our meals at the table. The eggplant Parmesan felt like it was fried in old oil. There was an odd taste to it especially in the breading but the eggplant was so thin it was impossible to separate the two. Bummer #3. The price points were a bit steep for what we received especially with the up charges for switching out a sauce on the ravioli and my pesto pasta side when I was told I could pick any pasta/sauce for my side. The kids menu pricing was also quite high considering it didn't include a side or a drink: $10. Bummer #4. Over $100 later, we left feeling underwhelmed and will definitely not be back. read more

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A couple of nights ago, we visited Paolo's on 54 for dinner, after a full day of work, plus 5 days of unpacking and making repairs in our new home. My body was craving carbs so Italian seemed like a good choice to refuel. Without attempting to restate what has already been stated in previous Yelp reviews, I have to agree with Chip R.'s assessment. Please listen, it's not as if the food was bad, but it simply is not extraordinary and fell short in a couple of areas. Let's break this visit down in bullet points to keep it simple and to the point. - 3 Cheese and Cremini Mushroom Pasta (goat, asiago, parm cheeses with fresh thyme and cremini mushrooms in alfredo sauce) - Flavor was nice but the alfredo sauce was super dense and thick. After 5 bites, I was already full and took the rest home for lunch leftovers the next day. After reheating, the noodles and mushrooms were bathing in the separated butter from the sauce. And when I say "bathing", half of the solid food was submerged in melted / separated butter. This would explain the consistency of the sauce from the evening before. If you want to go all out with a very heavy, fat-laden, vegetarian Italian dish...this is what you're looking for. - Garlic Knots - Once again, good flavor but very dense, semi-chewy bread that was not easy to bite into. To enjoy these knots, I'd recommend tearing off small pieces from the knot to make chewing easier. - Eggplant Parmigiana Pasta - My wife's dish. She ate it because she stated she was ridiculously hungry but did not enjoy the balsamic vinaigrette drizzle, stating that she felt there was too much of it. The eggplant was prepared nicely though. - Small cheese pizza for our 13 YO son. He took one bite of the 4 slices, sat it down and said he didn't like it. My wife then proceeded to take a bite and said the same. So, I took a slice and went to town, all in. Honestly, I enjoyed the slice. This was good pizza to me and tasted very authentic. When faint aromas of stank waft from the cheese (my wife calls this foot cheese), I'm feeling pretty good about what's to come in the form of taste. Is this pizza for everyone? No. The pizza was left untouched for the rest of dinner and our son made a meal out of picking apart garlic knots. - Service: Honestly, our server was great and was very friendly. She did appear to be somewhat new to this restaurant and had to ask the kitchen a couple of questions when I asked questions, but that's just fine. We all have to learn sometime, right? During one of her follow ups, she asked how everything was, noticing the almost-untouched pizza and mountain of pasta left over. I did state that our son was not a fan of the pizza at all and that I wasn't blown away by my dish, but I also wasn't looking for a handout, either. She apologized for both dishes and had the look of empathy on her face and in her body language, but there were no alternatives offered in place nor any other possible solution to try and win us over. Instead, it was a, "oh, I'm so sorry...I'll be right back with your check" move. OVERALL SCORE: Not bad food but also not great food. Not bad service but not extraordinary service, either. Taking all things into account based on expectations and this specific dining experience, 3 STARS is accurate. read more

Paolo's On 54 - 3 Cheese and Cremini Mushroom Pasta - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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Pasta was to expensive and was not good paid 50 dollars and didn't even utensil or napkins

We were on the road. First heading south and visiting family. They took us to Paolo's. The food is excellent. Kayla our server is friendly, professional and a great server. We enjoyed dinner there having various dishes. The veal parmigiana and the spaghetti with meat sauce were amazing. Thank you. read more

We came here on a Saturday for lunch and got the Gnocchi in Pink Sauce (marinara mixed with alfredo) and the Italian Sandwich (Fresh sliced prosciutto, salami and capicola and sharp provolone on warm ciabatta bread with a roast garlic aioli, arugula and banana peppers). Food was pretty simple but decent, and service was really good. On a side note, I think the complimentary garlic knots are only available during dinner time. Their dessert menu sounded amazing, especially the homemade tiramisu, but we were too stuffed to try any. Will have to try it next time! read more

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Service was fast and efficient. I can't remember the name of my dinner but it was chicken breast with thin slices of ham, a delicious cream sauce with mushrooms & cheese. Also had roasted potatoes instead of pasta and garlic bread. Excellent dinner. Highly recommend read more

We ordered Paolo's on 54 from DoorDash and it was delicious. Delivery good can sometimes disappoint, but we will continue to order delivery from there and enjoy in the restaurant when we can. The Penne Vodka was the best I've ever had, the eggplant tower was something I've never had and was delicious and tasted so fresh, the Basilcata was also 10/10. We will be back!! read more

Paolo's On 54 - Penne a la Vodka Caesar Salad Eggplant Tower - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Meh, yep that sums up my experience here. Came in on a Wednesday after work to a nearly empty Paolo's on 54. We sat at the bar and ordered bruschetta to start. Not your typical bruschetta, it was a bowl of toppings surrounded by toasted crostinis. It was not the easiest to eat as the toppings would just roll off. While waiting for our entrees we got a complimentary order of garlic knots, this was nice but they were cooked like bricks on one side. For our entrees we went with the meat ravioli and chicken cacciatore. The meat ravioli did not have a good flavor and was greasy. And, the chicken in the chicken cacciatore had an odd texture, this dish was just okay. This is not an Italian restaurant that I would recommend. read more

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I went to this place on a Saturday and it was empty. I ordered Chicken Basilicata with linguine pasta. I didn't like it much due to it's creamy sauce. But I liked the cannoli that looked and tasted equally delicious! read more

Paolo's On 54 - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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Short version: I'd go with 3.5 stars for Paolo's on 54. Good and friendly service. The carbonara was a bit thick and heavy for me, garlic knots a bit on the dense/tough side, but other items were pretty good that I tried on my couple of visits. The Deets: In the mood for Italian locally in Morrisville but looking to try somewhere different, I visited Paolo's On 54 on a couple of occasions one week. Service here was great on both occasions, friendly and always asking how I was doing...no complaints with my server each time. Each time I got some of their garlic knots. These knots were a bit dense and tough, not light and soft, but I enjoyed the taste. For a starter one visit I ordered their Italian Wedding Soup. I enjoyed it, nicely done, maybe a bit more salty like taste than used to but I liked it. The soup itself surprised me in texture a bit but it did not affect how I enjoyed the soup. One entree I ordered was one of my favorites most times when I go out, the Carbonara (bacon, peas, shallots) with spaghetti. This dish here at Paolo's was a little heavier than I had hoped for when it came out to me. The sauce was thicker and more dense than I am used to or desire, almost to the point of being semi-Alfredo in consistency instead of the silky light but creamy sauce. Taste was fine but it was a bit heavy for me in the long run. Another entree I tried was their Chicken Marsala, another one of my big faves when I go out. This selection was pretty good, but it had a lot more to it than I was expecting. Usually I expect a pretty simple dish of chicken with pasta side and the Marsala sauce accompanied with mushrooms. This dish at Paolo's seemed a bit more like a stew mixture/sauce instead...with prosciutto and onions along with the mushrooms. I do like the sauce but favor it being a little bit thicker usually. I've included pics of all my selections for you to inspect here. In all, Paolo's on 54 is not a bad Italian stop in the Morrisville area, definitely a 3.5 star experience for me. read more

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Fantastic food the services is very on point. Paolo is a great owner, so it's locally family owned.

Great restaurant, went there for a date night. Authentic Italian food cooked just right. Wait staff was attentive and friendly. Comfortable, local neighborhood restaurant feel. Couldn't ask for more, we'll be back! read more

Paola pretty much makes everything from scratch. His sauce is homemade, I know because I watched him make it. His meatballs are the best. I've tried several of his dishes and pizza. All great. read more

Great food and service. Pasta is homemade and sooo good. New favorite neighborhood restaurant!

I love this place. Complete hidden gem that we came across by accident. Ordered them off Uber eats, phenomenal food. Went to the resteraunt, even better in person. Great environment, staff, food is even better right out of the kitchen. Very affordable, cannot recommend this place enough. Get the chicken parm. Trust me. read more

Paolo's On 54 - Italian Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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Me and my best friend were contemplating going to Waffle House for lunch.. pshhhhh that would've been a huge mistake! We decided to find a good local Italian restaurant for some great pasta and were blown away with how good this place was. We both got the fettuccine alfredo with blackened chicken and the flavor took us on a trip we weren't prepared for, it was the best pasta we've both had in a long time! Will definitely be returning soon and will never go to Olive Garden again. :) read more