Paesano's Italian Restaurant

If you’re looking for the most authentic Italian food I’ve ever encountered, this is the place. Every dish tastes like it came straight out of a little family kitchen in Italy fresh, flavorful, and made with care. From the pasta to the sauces, everything feels homemade and absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is just as Italian as the food. It has that cozy, rustic, trattoria-style vibe that makes you feel like you’ve been transported overseas. It’s warm, inviting, and perfect for enjoying a long, relaxed meal. One thing to note: the service is a bit slower than most sit-down restaurants. But honestly, that fits the experience real Italian dining isn’t rushed. It’s meant to be enjoyed, savored, and shared. If you want authentic Italian food in an authentic Italian setting, this restaurant is absolutely worth the visit. 🇮🇹🍝

Paesano’s has our favorite take out pizza in town. We dined in tonight and enjoyed some drinks, app, and steak for date night. We had excellent service and food. We are grateful for a cozy Italian joint in the neighborhood.

First time trying this Italian Restaurant and it was delicious. If you are ever around Clemson you must try this place. The food was outstanding and the service was top notch. Our waiter, Layne, was so nice and checked on us several times. The Lasagna was over the top, best I have ever tried.

I had dinner with my Wife last Thursday for the first time. I always try the Lasagna and meatball, sausage. Truly was the best Lasagna I have ever had at a restaurant. Almost as Fine as Mine. And...Kentucky Bourbon Barrell Ale on Tap.

Food was great. Authentic Italian cuisine. The food was very fresh. Server was very friendly. Staff shortage so a bit of a long waite. But worth it. Would definitely go back. Restaurant was packed . Only real issue was there was not enough parking. Parked in business next door lot.

Our first time at this place after living in the area for 18 years. This is one of the very best dining experiences I've had in this area. The best calamari I've had! Beautifully seasoned and tender. Wedge salad was very fresh and crispy. We had blackened NC trout and the seafood pasta. Very impressive dining and service. Make sure to make a reservation before you go to avoid a wait.

Veal Parmigana was superb! Honey mustard salad dressing was the best I've had in a long time. The seafood trio (scallops, shrimp, crab) was good but a disappointment as scallops were microscopic and crab invisible. Shrimp was a good size, but please remove more of the outer shells when cleaning them. He did immensely enjoy the bisque he ordered in place of a salad. Spaghetti with meat sauce was excellent. Salad was as specially ordered (allergies). Waiter (Clay) was the best. Plan to spend a little more time than usual at a restaurant. It's a relaxed evening so you can enjoy the foods you've chosen.

This place is amazing. We are in town on vacation. Someone recommended this place and it was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend. The service was awesome as well.

Best pizza in town...easily the best crust and great toppings. Enjoyed the bar as I awaited take out. Great food, good service and people!

Excellent Italian food! Great knowledgeable staff. Owner has been friend of our family for years. Arrive early to avoid crowds.

Good food and service. The garlic knots are definitely one of the best parts! They were delicious. The interior makes it seem like you're in Italy. The meatball was great! The pasta was nothing special, tasted like it was out of the box and the vodka sauce tasted like red pepper. Not a traditional vodka sauce. Their pizza looked good.

This is the go to Italian restaurant in Seneca, SC! Make sure you book a reservation before going as they are busy even on week nights which just speaks to their quality of food and stellar service. The sauce is amazing but the show stopper was the Tortellini Black and Blue! The favor is mouth watering and I will be back in two weeks to order my favorite dish again! Even the blackened trout was delicious. The calamari is a beyond fresh and the Fire Roasted Calamari was a pleasurable added spice! My husband loves Veal and was impressed how delightful it tasted! We have tried quite a few restaurants in Seneca and this is definitely my number 1 place to date!

Is the food worth the wait? no reservation told it could be up to an hour. Asked if we could leave and the come back. Suggested someone stay. 15 minutes be a half hour became an hour. Finally after 1-1/2 hours we were seated. The wait reminded me of TSA Security in Atlanta. You just wait because you have to. Had we been advised more than hour we would have gone elsewhere. Food is good, standard Italian. Not spectacular or great but good. is the food worth the wait - NO unless you have nothing better to do for a long and undefined time with no feedback or updates even when asked..

We were visiting a friend and went to dinner here. It was so good we came a second time! Their rolls are simply amazing! The food is wonderful! Very filling and so flavorful! We will be back the next time! The service was amazing, friendly and quick! The ambiance is relaxing and very welcoming.

Consistently good home cooked meals friendly staff, always enjoy the meal. Recommended if you like good to great Italian food.

We went there tonight for the first time. Great atmosphere, service, and awesome food. I had lasagna and my husband had fruit ddi mari (pasta with shrimp, crab, and scallops). HIghly recommend Paesanos. Best to get there early or make reservations.

Christa, our server, was EXCEPTIONAL! Very attentive and has a great personality! The chicken piccata, saltimbocca, pesto, fire roasted calamari and tiramisu were amazing! The chicken was so tender and juicy! 10/10 for sure!

Considering we had to wait over an hour for the reservation time I 110% do not believe it was worth it. The only thing that we ate that actually was something that I would've possibly gone back for was my lobster bisque and the garlic knots but the way we left was completely disappointing. Our server started off great it seemed but she had a HORRIBLE attitude after we ordered our food...tried to charge $8 additional for cheese we never received... my mashed potatoes were completely gummy and overturned and so my second option to change was to get french fries, but they were so coated in black pepper. It's all you could taste, and the fries were not cooked all the way through as if they were just dipped in oil and put in a basket with black paper drenched over it. Extremely disappointing, we most likely won't return. The hostesses were amazing though, very sweet young ladies.

Charming place to go in Seneca that presents a nice atmosphere. A word of caution is to make reservations. Service was excellent and the price was commensurate with the quality of service.

I am on a road trip trying an idiotic challenge to run 7 marathons (26.2 miles / 42km) in seven states in seven days. Yesterday was Alabama and today was Georgia. Tomorrow is South Carolina (then North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia). I checked into my hotel here in Seneca, SC and asked the front desk for a local Italian restaurant. The Wyndham/Days Inn staff recommended Paesano'. So off I went. I sat in the bar (not because I was drinking....darn race schedule makes me give it up for a month) but because I was alone and I could grab a table or booth there. I ordered an unsweetened ice tea (and I live in the South...just don't care for the sugar) and got a glass and a good size carafe. For appetizers, I saw they had focaccia bread. I love focaccia and have had it quite a few places. Liguria Coast in Italy has the best and I have had it there. In all places, a small bakery in San Francisco called Liguria Bakery makes one that is as good as authentic Liguria Italy focaccia too. I expected a small plate ... but was given a helping the size of a dinner plate!!! I actually thought the waiter had accidentally brought me someone's pizza. it was huge...for $9. Very good with fresh tomatoes on it. For my main, I ordered their penne with wild mushrooms but swapped the Marinara sauce with Arrabbiata sauce. Again, very good (I personally like my Arrabbiata sauce with a little more spice, but adding some red pepper flakes addressed that). The restaurant was pretty full but food was served quickly. Staff was very nice and my waitress friendly and attentive. If we lived in the area, my family would become regulars here.

My husband and I just finished having dinner at this establishment. We ordered two separate dishes. Mine being the piccata trout and my husband ordered veal piccata. We have eaten piccata dishes from one side of the states to the other. Tonight's dish unfortunately fell short because the sauce had no flavor. It had been watered down to the point where even the breading was soggy for both the veal and the trout. Typically we keep our opinions to ourselves, but in this case we did offer feedback to the waitress and showed her by tilting the dish how watery the sauce was as it ran off the plate like water. Her response was, " yes ma'am, this is how our chef prepares his Piccata sauce". The table next to us had similar complaints. If the price point would've been cheaper, we probably wouldn't have offered feedback however, that is not the case. Pricing is four (4) star level, but the food is not. No apologies no concessions offered. We purchased desserts forhome to enjoy with coffee. I hope to have a better experience with our treats.

I was greeted immediately upon exiting my car with delicious smells of garlic. There was a wait and the hostesses were very nice and greeted me right away when I walked in. The restaurant itself is very homey, low lighting, dark colors, and Italian tunes in the background. I sat at the bar and the bar tender was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. I had the pasta with Vodka sauce which was very good. Almost every meal comes with a salad and rolls. The only downside was that the rolls were really hard, I was hoping they'd be a lot softer and the salad is a standard Americanized salad.

Amazing Italian; the best we've had in a long time. There were nine in our party and we ordered different items. Everybody said their meal was exceptional. Would absolutely go back for the chicken parm!

Best Italian in the area. The wine list is decent and pizza is good, too. I wish the bar scene was busier.

Amazing food and service. We have been going to Paesano's for many years. Always satisfied with a great meal.

Very nice meal tonight and efficient service!! However... can you please invest in some table cloths for the round glass tables on the patio!! They are dirty and smudgy, and extremely loud! Every time you set down a glass or a utensil or a dish. It sounds like somebody dropped something on the floor, very distracting, especially when you have children next to you, who are banging the heck out of it all night!! They don't cost much and it wouldn't hurt to spiff the place up a little! You could even get red and white checkerboard tablecloth and make it look like a real Italian restaurant!! Mangia, Mangia!!

Excellent food and service. Very nice to be able to make reservations. A great place to take visitors.

Paesano's has quickly become our favorite italian joint in oconee county. Be mindful that they get very busy during nights and weekends, so be prepared for what can be a pretty lengthy wait time. If you're willing to wait, you won't regret it! The staff is well versed in their menu and can recommend exactly what you didn't even know you wanted. The bar is wonderful, particularly the Italian Margarita. Definitely a great spot and great value for the price!

The last 2 times we have dined there we left very disappointed. First - by the time we finally served our meal and consumed it was 21/2 hours. The waitress never informed us the reasoning for the delay or even offer reduction. The second time the appetizer arrived within minutes of receiving our order. Then my brother's order was wrong- He order spaghetti with clam sauce-red- it was well over 25 minutes before he was served - the clams were gritty. Once again no discount. That night my brother became severely sick vomiting and diarrhea.- diarrhea went on for an additional 2 days. I called and informed the owner I felt my brother had food poisoning. Repeated the sequence of events. He said he was sorry my brother was feeling bad. That's it!! We will NEVER DINE THERE AGAIN!!

My family and I got take-out from Paesano's. I thought the eggplant Parmesan, spaghetti and marinara were all great. I didn't love the pepperoni pizza which I thought was good, but not great.

Food and service are top notch! Great place to go and have a nice meal. Great atmosphere.

Second. time here. Apparently it's so popular, due to lack of Italianish competition that they reject reservations and expect overflow to wait, wait, wait, even in the cold-no buzzer or text message to at least allow you to sit in a warm car. Yikes! We arrived at 6:30 and left at 9:30- mostly waiting, waiting, waiting, transitioning to the table and a bottle of wine had to be managed for the looong kitchen wait. Out of soups except for french onion. DO NOT do it! This is an 'Italian' restaurant-french onion is FRENCH. I wish I had taken a picture: some oily broth with widely chopped up onions and a slice of packaged cheese plopped in the center is an embarrassment, not a genuine soup of classic history. I sent it back. Main course of Trout seemed as if the fish sat on a counter with a burned out heat lamp. Disappointment all around.

Had heard and yes, very good with a wonderful menu selection as well as 4-5 apps and entrees for the day. Recommend a reservation, popular and busy, especially weekends. Our staff server, Debbie, had great both professional and personable...w / a flair for menu knowledge. Will return, with is a topper for a personal recommendation.

Omg the garlic knots are as delicious looking and tasting as other reviews! The salad was great, as was the fettuccini Alfredo. We drove 1.5 to the area to buy a car just down the street and stopped here after. I think we might have to come back again when we are out on a drive!

They have the best pasta and chocolate cake! Great date night atmosphere! Best Italian food in the county!

Caden was our waiter and he was incredibly helpful! He suggested a wine based on our taste and laughed and joked with our table. The Veal was excellent and so was the tiramisu and cream brûlée! I was disappointed in my pasta, BUT I built my own by ordering a chicken scampi. That was on me. I can't eat shrimp and the sauce sounded good. Caden even came out to double check that that was what I wanted! The garlic knots are delicious as was the balsamic vinaigrette. The ambiance is nice and calm. I liked how comfortable it was, while it was also a nice dining experience feel. Get the tiramisu!! Divine.

Excellent food and service. Love this place !!!' Prices are very reasonable, best Italian Food we have had in Seneca. You have a few seating options, inside, outside or at the Full Service Bar. Definitely a five stars rating from us. We tried the chicken salad and a Stromboli, both were delicious!!!

I absolutely love Paesano's and the only issue is that they are so busy, we often have a long wait because we live in Florida so we can only visit on our Clemson trips! The food is consistently wonderful - I'm talking everything from delicious pizzas and stuffed calzones to full entrees! And oh my, the delicious, soft and amazing garlic knots - can never enjoy just one order. Do yourself a favor and go for dinner during the week or on Non-Clemson game weekends so you don't have to wait for a table. Once you go, I promise you will go back and even wait in line for a Table ps: don't skip the dessert!

We walked right in and we're seated. Our waitress was Maddi. She took our drink order very quickly and brought us out Gaelic knots. Maddi was very informed and helped us make decisions on what to order. The staff seemed very friendly as well. She kept our drinks filled. It seemed to take a while for our food to come out but when it did - what a beautiful presentation. The restaurant most certainly had a pleasant vibe. The overall rating is 4 stars based on the individual ratings of my family. I always get eggplant parmigiana when I try a new Italian restaurant. Dare I say that this may be the best tasting eggplant that I have had? So I rate this dish with a high 5. It tasted so good. The eggplant was lightly fried and stacked high. I highly recommend this dish. Here are the other things we ordered: Mushroom Trio with fettuccine - rated 4 by my daughter. She loved the abundance of mushrooms in the dish. But it was super tangy so after 15-20 bites it was just too much for her. It is a great dish to share according to her. Stromboli - rated 4.5 by my daughter. She liked the combination of ingredients and how it balanced with the cheese. She was a little disappointed with the sauce that came with it. Veggie Calzone - rated 4 by my husband. His mistake - he does not like ricotta cheese. He also liked the ingredient combination. He also enjoyed the sauce that came with it. (Yep sane sauce as with the Stromboli. We are not local and visited this restaurant based on the reviews on yelp. We were pleased with the experience and overall enjoyed the food. If you go - I hope you have a nice experience like we did.

What an amazing experience. From the time we walked in until we finished dinner and exited the restaurant, our experience was perfect. Food was delicious. Service was outstanding. Highly recommend!!

This is a fantastic Italian restaurant where you can get delicious, authentic Itialian cuisine at a reasonable price. It's our favorite dinner spot when we come to a cabin in the Salem SC area. It's a 35min drive for us but well worth it. I'd eat here all the time if we lived here. ATMOSPHERE - Decor brings you to Italy. Greeted by fountains outside at the entrance. More fountains inside in the foyer. Dimly lit. You feel like you are inside an Italian diner. - Casual and formal at same time. You can feel comfortable dressed up for a special occasion, or you can be comfortable in jeans (which is how we normally visit). - Friendly and attentive wait staff give you an enjoyable evening FAVORITES - Fries calamari appetizer, comes with side of their house-made marinara sauce which is crave-worthy delicious. It has large tomato chunks and is perfectly seasoned. The calamari is normally tender, but was just slightly over-cooked this evening. - Veal Saltimbocca. Comes covered in their house made marinara, same as used with the Calamari. Its so good! Veal is tender and sits on some premium spaghetti noodles that are high in starch and flavor. - White Sicily Pizza: white pizza with ricotta cheese, prosciutto, fresh mushrooms, garlic, basil and eggplant. Italy invented the pizza and we heard Paesano's pizzas were legendary so we finally tried one and glad we did! It was amazing! The ricotta cheese was devine with the prosciutto. The garlic and basil seasoned it perfectly and the eggplant was a nice addition to help with the richness of the cheese pizza. It is heavy on cheese and toppings and will fill you up. That said, I'd love even more prosciutto. - Limincello cake for dessert. It is sweet but not sugar overload. With an acidic citrus backdrop, it brings fresh lemon taste to help you recover from your heavy Italian meal. Its a moist cake with creamy lemon frosting. I order it every time. - Limoncello digestif. I don't think it's on the menu but they have a house-made limoncello. The small glass/shot is a perfect way to end dinner. It is sweet, as a limoncello should be, but on the dryer side (which I like). It smells and tastes like fresh lemons. A great way to cut the fat from dinner. TIPS - Wine selection is fantastic and reasonably priced. They have many affordable bottles and some higher end if you arre there for a special occasion. - Order a shot of their house made limoncello after dinner. I make limoncello and judge limoncello competitions. I can attest that this is good quality limoncello, and a true Italian experience. Many restaurants in Italy are proud of their house-made limoncello. Enjoy that experience in Seneca, SC. - Pass on the butternut squash bisque (was the daily special). It sounded really good, especially for the cold winter day, but was bland and not rich and creamy as I would expect from a bisque. - Complementary garlic bread was average. I found the herbed butter to be amazing but the oil and vinegar provided with the bread had too much vinegar for my tastes. The bread was warm and fresh baked but very light and tasted like frozen bread dough.

Was not impressed. Zuppa De Mussel had absolutely no flavor. The sauce tasted like NOODLE WATER! It was supposed to be a white wine sauce or soup. I would have been happy with either. Was served with about 15 mussels shells. 5 of them had no mussels in them and the mussels were the size of a marble if that. The ranch on the salad had no flavor. FLAVORLESS! No excuse. It wasn't even that busy!

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience here! The service was perfection, knowledgeable about the food AND the wine choices with recommendations to match our requests for flavor. The ambiance was well in line with an upscale Italian restaurant, a good crowd but not uncomfortably overcrowded. The food was excellent though a little more flavor to the scampi sauce would be nice, it's just a smidge bland. The tiramisu and creme brûlée were some of the best I have had!

I ordered the Angel Hair Spaghetti with Meatballs. The sauce and meatballs were positively delicious and super flavorful. My only complaint is that the sauce was a little bit too watery. Upon arrival we did have a 20 minute wait to be seated but we were served our beverage within that time. The restaurant alone was full of life and tone of the restaurant was very enlightening. The room was a little dark but overall definitely worth every minute and penny spent.

Good service, wonderful food for a fair price. Easily one of the best restaurants around Seneca. The ambiance was excellent, a very well decorated and clean restaurant

I really liked the fact that this restaurant had gluten free options. I substituted my pasta with a clear gluten free pasta that was made with sweet potatoes.. The meal itself was just ok. The chicken on my parmigiana was a little tough. I asked for Alfredo sauce in the side and it was delicious. The garlic knots were buttery and delicious. I would go back to this restaurant again. The pizzas that were coming out looked delicious.

Worst service ever. My polite 9 yr old even asked me if I should ask for the check during the appetizers. And it got worse. We went 15 minutes with empty glasses and no waitstaff in sight. Even when staff did show themselves, their heads were down and never looked around to see me and others trying to politely get their attention. Food was a little better than average, and portions were generous, or this would have been a 1 star review. In the end, food was ok but prices are way too high for average food and poor service. Won't be back. Ever.

It is the best Italian you can get in the Clemson-Seneca area! They have brilliant staff, wonderful chefs, and it tastes wonderful! I am allergic to gluten, and their gluten free pasta and pizza makes me so happy to have options in a restaurant! 11/10 recommend.

Beware! When you arrive after having made a reservation you'll be told that you probably called somewhere else( even though you show them your phone log indicating you called them and the hostess states- we always mix up the names.). You might eventually be offered a seat at the noisy bar. Food is ok but certainly not worth the poor customer service

Great place to eat some Italian food! My wife and I will definitely be back. 30 minute wait to get seated was worth it.

The food emus amazing and if you have any questions, the waitstaff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Our service was amazing from the time we entered the restaurant. The ambiance is quiet and quant, it is a small family owned restaurant which does a great job making you feel like family. We've also ordered carry out multiple times, and I try something different from the menu without disappointment! The pizza is next on my list to try :)!

Had a great meal here. Was so glad we looked at yelp and found out this place gets busy. We got there at 4:45 PM and was seated by 5. Food was excellent.

Best Italian restaurant in town, had the seafood pasta ( yum). Garlic knots are the bomb, added a bottle of wine, great evening .

Our dinners were all spot on amazing! The service is great and the food too. We were visiting relatives and wanted to treat them to a nice dinner for having us and this experience nailed it!!! Side note... my husband complains at most restaurants and he didn't have a single bad thing to say about Paisanos! He had a sausage and pepper pasta dish, I had the halibut special, our guests had chicken parm and chicken Marsala and our son went for the pizza. We had the calamari and garlic nots for appetizers. It was all delish!! Everything!

Excellent service and food. The best in the area. Workers are friendly and treat you like family. The atmosphere is relaxing.

The food here is absolutely delicious, there is a reason this restaurant is packed every night of the week. Their sauces, breads , and desserts are wonderful, you can't go wrong here.

I went here for dinner with a coworker. We started by pondering over the extensive wine list and ended up getting a recommendation for a red (his preference) that wasn't too oaky (my preference). The recommendation for the wine also came with a suggested pairing of chicken marsala. As we had both decided on something different than chicken marsala for dinner, we split the sautéed mushrooms in Marsala wine sauce for an appetizer. The food pairing suggestion was spot on. My coworker got the zuppa paesano and enjoyed it. I had the carbonara with capellini pasta and would absolutely get it again. Very large portions, so make sure you're either really hungry or you are planning for leftovers.