Chris B.
Yelp
I just ordered a pizza tonight -- my 115th order according to the ticket -- spread around all over Seattle. Jeez, that's a lot of pizza, but I swear I only get pizza maybe once every couple of months from Pagliacci, but it adds up. Anyway, tonight I ordered a large 17" split Chicken Primo and Grand Salami.
I must tell you that years ago, I was a delivery driver for Pagliacci. I'd worked for many restaurants, and I must admit that this was one of the cleanest, best restaurants I'd ever worked for. It says a lot for me to still order food there after having worked there.
This location has had occasional problems (lost order once, cold pizza -- even though I live just three blocks away?), but out of 115 orders, that's not bad -- it really is pretty consistent.
The ingredients are all top-notch. Another review here pans the pizza, and I respect the difference of opinion, but I really don't understand panning this place. Yes, this pizza is not about a fakey appearance of volume -- the taste is excellent, and I always feel satisfied, but in a healthy kind of way. They use REAL cheese (no fillers), REAL meats, and even have specials featuring salumi meats. Because the ingredients have so much flavor, you just don't need as many of each ingredient to give it full, good flavor. The dough can be chewy, true, but it is flavorful, just like the sauces and everything else, and glazed in healthy olive oil instead of some other kind of greasy grease. The chicken primo is beautiful to look at -- with marinated chicken, colorful mamma-lil's peppers rounded out by artichoke hearts and drops of ricotta with mozzarella. The Grand Salami has three kinds of sausage, and they are quality meats.
Ultimately, these pizzas have a very nice balance of taste and looks. This is definitely not Dominos or Pizza Hut -- and in regard to real flavor, there is no contest -- Pagliacci beats those hands down. It's like the difference between a nice enough new Hyundai Elantra, and the a sexier, more quality BMW 3-series -- the Hyundai is a great car, and will get you around, but I suppose Pagliacci pizza is for people with more discriminating tastes.
Like the Beamer, however, the pizza is on the pricey side -- ranging from $16.49 for their largest (17") cheese pizza to $23.99 for their many fancier offerings, plus tax.
But for me, it's worth a little extra for a pizza I know I will enjoy.
The Calzones are also a great deal at under $10 each, but I tend to favor their pizza over the Calzone -- something about the dough doesn't lend itself to Calzones -- at least for me, but they are still pretty good. And for Pagliacci, the Calzones are perhaps the best deal on the menu, and easily splittable for a lighter meal.
The sides are excellent -- the Pagliaccio salad is just delicious and hearty, and the Gelato from Gelatiamo is a nice offering. Sometimes I order pizza just for the privilege of having this excellent gelato brought to my door.
They don't advertise this benefit, but very 20th or so pizza you order from them, Pagliacci will give you one for free.
Also, I could never figure out why this is, but my nephews go crazy over Pagliacci pepperoni or cheese pizzas. They are not alone -- many kids love these Pagliacci pizzas -- it's like a mystery to me, but I know it to be true.
One more thought -- this company really IS a local company -- they use local products, and their approach is community-oriented, including newsletters and charity events. Of the many pizza places in town (many of which are very good and local, as well), Pagliacci may win Seattle's Best Pizza year after year because they were one of the first local pizza companies to take this approach, and continue to do so -- it just fits Seattle that way.
PROS: Excellent pizzas, with REAL ingredients, that really do taste good on the whole. Sides are actually good compared to other delivery places.
CONS: Very occasional lapses in deliveries. Calzones are a great deal for volume of ingredients, but I just don't think they are as good as the pizza. It would be nice if they opened earlier than 5 pm on weekdays (you CAN order starting around 4pm, though).