Pagliacci's Restaurant

I had a really nice dinner at Pagliacci’s. I hadn’t been here in 25 years and I’m glad I came back. They have a ton of great options to choose from and prices are reasonable. This isn’t a “fancy” restaurant but a friendly family type of restaurant. Service is friendly and efficient. My minestrone soup and salad were really good and the garlic bread was tasty. The veal franchise was really good and the pasta tasted fresh. I wouldn’t hesitate to go to Pagliacci’s when you want a good meal in a relaxing environment

Fresh made pasta, reasonable prices, great taste. The Bean escarole is AMAZING! A must have! The Lava Cake was delicious as well. This restaurant is close to an hour drive for me, but well worth it! Denisea was a strong server, suggestive selling, reinforcing orders, and menu knowledge. She was attentive and able to minimize interaction at the same time. 10/10 service.

Great service, clean and delicious food in a generous portion. Well cooked veal and fine assortment of seafood. Gluten free pasta is available! Their desserts are creative and extremely tasty. I’d say start with dessert! It was fairly packed when we were there but we got our food fairly quick. Our starters of salads and yummy clam chowder came out fairly quickly. I’d recommend here and do expect to be coming back in the future.

Has been great food and service every time I visited. Portion sizes are huge, no way we were finishing the Fried Calamari! Pasta made fresh, bread service included. Split pea and minestrone soup were excellent. Gnocchi and Penne ala vodka were great. Sauces were on point.

I stopped in for Lunch with my Dad and was ready for some great Italian dishes, pagliachi's didn't disappoint, they definitely put a smile on my face. We were first served their warm homemade bread and butter and we were both served a nice dinner salad where they do not scrimp on the salad dressing, which really pleases me. I had an outstanding veal parmesan with a wonderful fresh tomato sauce, thick and tender veal, served with angel hair pasta. Nice serving size and very tasty. Dad got the classic spaghetti and meat sauce with 2 huge meatballs, that's lunch and dinner for him, he loved it. Great restaurant with history, and a lot bigger inside than you think, I'm guessing, of course.

Updated review from visit on 3/15/24: After such a good experience the first time I visited, I was so excited to bring my family who used to come all the time in the 80s. We took my mom for her birthday for a walk down memory lane, and unfortunately we didn’t have such a good experience. I decided to try their homemade ziti this time, and it was the thickest, doughiest, mildew-like tasting pasta I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve had plenty of homemade pasta before and it’s never tasted like that. I was skeeved out to order another pasta dish and didn’t feel like waiting for another meal to be cooked since the rest of the table had their orders, so I figured I would just pick at what my family had ordered. The owner said she had to charge me a split plate fee because of it and didn’t apologize for the fact that I was unhappy with my meal. She said that 3 of them all tried my dish after it was sent back to the kitchen (kind of odd that they would eat off of a customer’s plate) and that they thought it tasted normal. 4 of us tried it at my table and we all agreed it was off, so if that’s their normal, I’ll pass on coming back. I definitely didn’t appreciate being made to feel like I was in the wrong. Our waitress was good though, so I will give 2 stars because of her and to account for how good our food was the first time we visited. Original 5 star review September 2023: We heard that Pagliacci’s has the same owners as the now-closed Nino’s Trattoria in Waterbury, and visiting here made us feel like we were back at Nino’s which we used to love so much! It was the exact sauce that we missed, and their menu has a great variety on it. It’s a nice, casual family-friendly spot that we really enjoyed and will 100% go back to. Seriously impressed by the flavorful Alfredo too, and dessert was great! The staff was friendly and welcoming, and even on a Friday night they handled the volume of the restaurant well.

Great Italian food here, I made the mistake of ordering a steak here when I should have gotten something Italian. All in all it was a great time and the food was delicious. The sausage & potato appetizer was my favorite of the night!

If you are looking for amazing and great food, service, atmosphere!! This is where you want to go! The portions of food are more than enough at fair pricing! They also have fresh pasta made daily available for purchase! If you haven’t been there yet then what are you waiting for! Get over there and enjoy!

This is my most favorite Italian restaurant, I love to telll everyone about. It has been around for years- my parents went here when they were my age. My favorite dish is their eggplant parm. All their entrees are served with an assortment of bread and salad which is great! They have a cute cocktail list which varies season to season. Staff is always friendly and they have great suggestions on menu items if you can't decide. Interior is warm & cozy. It's a good spot for a family gathering or a bigger event if you're looking to host one. I hope Pagliacci's Restaurant stays open forever :)

Pagliacci's is a seriously good "Old School" Italian Restaurant that does classic Italian American food extremely well. Several macaroni products are made fresh in-house and there are some dishes you won't find in most other restaurants, like Soffrito, Fried Smelt, Hot Peppers, Sausage and Potato appetizer; Escarole and Beans which is to die for. How's there red sauce you ask, you won't be disappointed, it ranks right up there with some of the very best you've had, I'm sure! Tried their pizza for the first time, while the picture makes it look thicker than it is, the white Clam and Bacon pie is a thin crust extraordinarily good pie. I'm anxious to try Pagliacci's regular pizza sometime soon. So far our my visits here have been stellar and it's one of my son's favorite restaurants which so far adds up to a well above average dining experience.

I've been a loyal customer for decades here and it's normally pretty good. However we went here for Mother's Day 2025 and it was pretty bad. We made a reservation ahead of time. It seems they may have been a bit overbooked, seating was very tight. We waited 1.5 hours for our apps to arrive and approx. 2 hours and 15 min for our food to arrive. One of the people at our table found a piece of plastic in their food, when brought to the attention of the manger he was told "well that's not good but we are very busy" and then he was given a hard time about trying to comp the meal. When we inquired about why our food was taking so long they said they had a lot of to go orders. I understand holidays are busy, and I'm not sure if they were understaffed, but they def were not prepared. Prices keep going up as well which makes it less affordable for locals. Hopefully things are better next time :/

We waited 20 minutes and no one came to our table so we got up and left. It wasn't very busy and we were looking forward to Italian food.

Ordered Veal Parmigiana and asked to have cheese ravioli on the side to try their fresh pasta. They wouldn't do it even for an up charge. Got the rigatoni instead. Then they said it comes with soup or salad. So I ordered a Caesar salad. Oh sorry that'll be a $3.00 up charge what??!! The salad was tiny...very small bowl for the $3.00 up charge. Server even was surprised by this how is a tiny Caesar salad $3.00 more than a regular salad? Their homemade rigatoni was bland and starchy. The sauce was like they just opened a can of crushed tomatoes, nothing special. And, well the veal parm was over breaded and probably frozen, it did not have that fresh flavor or consistency. A lot of older customers who have probably been going there for years and don't know the difference. I would not recommend this place for authentic Italian Only thing I did like was their bread which was warm and felt homemade. Decor was dated, worn out and dirty. Do not recommend this place with so many excellent Italian restaurants in CT.

Excellent chicken Parmesan! Fun atmosphere, great pasta & sauce. Service is good, no complaints!

So it's a Sunday afternoon I took my parents out for Sunday supper. We got spaghetti and meatballs. My dad and mom wanted to share theirs because they don't eat much and there's a four dollar service charge for an extra plate. Not very cool.

Had a great experience dining here while visiting from Tampa. We were recommended this place by TikTok and it didn't disappointed. We started with soups ( Italian wedding ) delicious. They also gave us bread and some butter. Food came out really fast and was also delicious. Highly recommend. Portion sizes are also huge! You'll def have left overs.

Pronounced 'pa-yee-aCHi's - confusing tonight?! Yum! Don't love their homemade pasta. If you haven't had it - beware when ordering. The ziti is not what you'll expect. Too thick and doughy. BUT their other meals are good. Some a solid 3, others a solid 4. All and all - will give it a 4 because it's a hometown favorite and has been in Plainville for forever. I have been going for at least 35 years. I particularly love their vodka sauce. Ask to add crumbled sausage. Delicious. Also recently had their chicken Marsala and I was surprised at how delicious the sauce was. Their salads are always fresh and delicious. Tried their pizza (just cheese for the kiddos) and it was better than I expected. The bread basket they start the meal with is delish. Service is rarely an issue - a little slow most recently but the waitress was young. Could definitely definitely use a decor update but foods decent and space is large. Rarely have to wait.

The new owners have improved everything about this restaurant. Ive been coming to Pagliaccis since the 80s but stopped going for a while becasue the last manager was the worst. Now they are back on point and a regular stop for pickup or dine in.

This place is consistently good. The baked ziti is to die for with its homemade pasta. The lasagne is thick and full of meat and cheese. Service is always good. Great place to bring a date.

So there's been a mixed bag of reviews here for many years. It is different from the original owners but this place is spot on. We went w/ 6 people in our reservation. We were celebrating 2 birthdays, we started with apps Hot antipasto, garlic bread, fried mozz, broccoli& sausage. All the apps were great for sharing, hot, tasty, my favorite was the broccoli! For entree, I had the veal, cavatelli, hot peppers, garlic and oil sauce. I had enough food to eat a few meals. One of my friends had the same made with chicken, The service was spot on, the food was homemade and good! I would definitely check it out for yourself

Pagliacci's is a great spot if you're looking for some authentic homemade pasta! Every Monday and Tuesday is "Baked Stuffed Pasta Night" where they have a few different pasta specials to choose from, each for $18, which includes bread and soup or salad. I went and had the Baked Macaroni and Cheese, which was AMAZING! So gooey and cheesy, with crumbled Ritz crackers on top. I opted for the soup of the day, Chicken Vegetable, which was delicious. The bread was also very good. For an appetizer, I tried the Fried Mozzarella, which was served with marinara sauce. This was again, delicious- warm and cheesy on the inside, and a crispy breading on the outside. For dessert I chose the Pistachio Cake, which was excellent! The service was quick and staff were friendly. The inside was cozy. Overall an outstanding local Italian restaurant with amazing food!

Great food and great service go hand in hand at this place. You will not be disappointed. Authentic homemade Italian dishes. Highly recommend I will be back. The inside is nice as well.

We enjoyed a delicious meal with great service in a nice setting. They served us two kinds of bread both of which were delicious. The house salad was fresh and tasty. The beef barley soup was the soup of the day and delicious. The chicken Marsala was really good. The chicken was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The pasta was homemade ziti. The restaurant is large with several different seating areas.

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites but now will never go back again it is beyond terrible! The service awful and the food! Nothing about our experience recently was good they even rang up the wrong check Took forever to get anything including a water The food sausage was burnt and looked like dog food, the pasta way overdone like mush jelly!

We were excited because we hadn't been in over 30 years. We almost walked out when the whole place smelled like a nursing home. I tried to convince my gf that it must be the same cleaning solution. Smelled like dirty diapers. The smell permeated my nose. The tap water tasted like metal and dirt so luckily I didn't have more than a taste. GF ordered a grinder cold but it came hot. I ordered a soda that never came. The salad was all junk lettuce (at best). Disappointed. We won't be back.

After such a good experience the first time I visited, I was so excited to bring my family who used to come all the time in the 80s. We took my mom for her birthday for a walk down memory lane, and unfortunately we didn't have such a good experience. I decided to try their homemade ziti this time, and it was the thickest, doughiest, mildew-like tasting pasta I've ever had in my life. I've had plenty of homemade pasta before and it's never tasted like that. I was skeeved out to order another pasta dish and didn't feel like waiting for another meal to be cooked since the rest of the table had their orders, so I figured I would just pick at what my family had ordered. The owner said she had to charge me a split plate fee because of it and didn't apologize for the fact that I was unhappy with my meal. She said that 3 of them all tried my dish after it was sent back to the kitchen (kind of odd that they would eat off of a customer's plate) and that they thought it tasted normal. 4 of us tried it at my table and we all agreed it was off, so if that's their normal, I'll pass on coming back. I definitely didn't appreciate being made to feel like I was in the wrong. Our waitress was good though, so I will give 2 stars because of her and to account for how good our food was the first time we visited.

Food was not good and service was worse. I don't know what happened, but I will never go again. It was so bad. The bread has changed. It is not good. The salads are not as good as they used to be and the entrées were just horrible. You wanna go to Italian restaurant go to Tuscany in Southington.

Came here with a friend recently and had a great time. Very homey feel here at Pagliacci's! Prices are extremely decent especially for the amount of food they serve you! I ordered their meatball grinder and I can tell you that grinder was gigantic! Definitely enjoyed that the next day for lunch. Pagliacci's does the job for your Italian food cravings. Service was a little slow but everyone was very friendly! Would definitely try other things here in the future. Check them out!

The food is delicious, but when I pay that much for a veal parmigiana dinner and get a small piece of veal, barely enough pasta to even register it makes me not go back. This of course was for lunch, and I don't know if the waitress owns the place but she was rude and entitled! Like we were bothering her by being there. I have eaten there for dinner many times and always found the service and food to be great! But this is my second time for lunch there and I'm done!

This was the go to place back in the day. We went with some friends last night. Our waitress gave us water and some came buy a minute later and was going to take it away. order drinks took forever . The meals we ordered finally came we were about to eat and mine was the wrong one not what I ordered so they took it back by the time I got mine every one was finished with there's I didn't eat. I am Italian and I wish they would have let me in the kitchen to show them how to cook. Service real bad. $200.00 for nothing NEVER AGAIN

This place was one of my favorites growing up & it's still amazing! The food is incredible with huge portions. The server was helpful and sweet. The decor feels like home and I love going back whenever i visit CT.

We came here to celebrate a love one who passed away a year and a half ago. This was one of his favorite places to eat. I am not sure what changed but the food just didn't taste the same. The guest who ate the bacon pizza said the cheese had an off taste to it. The guest who had the chicken parm said the piece was much thicker than it used to be - which she just isn't a fan of. The shrimp fra diavolo was good but could of been a little spicier. I did enjoy the marsala. All agreed we would unfortunately not return after this visit.

If you're looking for Italian food this restaurant has it the food is amazing. Service is excellent and ambiance is colorful, inviting and friendly with a great variety of food and drinks.

Ordered some grinders for takeout. Have a previous bad experience there as they put the sandwiches in a plastic clamshell container and bread was soggy when I got home. I called and told them of the problem. Ordered again a week ago and asked that they not pith the sandwiches in a plastic clamshell, but when I got there it was in that, when I complained and told them I didn't want them they got indignant that it was my problem not theirs. Asked for my money back, got an argument but eventually they gave me my money back but I was asked not to ho back....not a problem , I won't

My husband and I have always liked this restaurant but it's definitely gone downhill a bit. The food is still very good, with a delicious Italian pasta sauce and their chicken parm is one of the best we've ever had. We haven't gotten a meal that wasn't delicious. However there's more to an enjoyable dining experience than a good meal and every time we go there we feel rushed through the meal even though they are not really busy. They have this one woman who works there whose only job it seems is to go around and clear plates and glasses from tables as you are eating. The trouble is she BARELY waits for you to be done eating the food on the plate before she wants to grab it out from under your fork! She makes repeated passes by your table looking to see if there's anything she can grab making it very uncomfortable for customers eating. You can't take a break from eating and put your fork down because she will try to take your plate. Why she can't wait until you've finished your meal and have left the table to clean it is beyond me. Maybe this is the job she was hired for I'm sure she thinks she's keeping things running smoothly but honestly it has ruined many of our meals because of how rushed and uncomfortable she makes us feel. If the owner of the restaurant reads this, please make her stop doing this. Also they have a good Italian bread they serve with salads but that garlic bread they give you is terrible. The salads are not nearly as good as they used to be and the prices have recently shot up well beyond what they should be and for pasta meals that's unacceptable.

The food was excellent and service calm and friendly and fast. I had the stuffed baked pasta option that comes with soup or salad and bread. I had the chicken soup and it was so good. Also the Bread is so good - make sure you have some Garlic bread. The entree I had was Mac and Cheese - it was also excellent. It had shrimp as well. Hope to visit there again

Just had a Christening banquet here and everything was fantastic! The food potions are HUGE 26 people everything came out hot and delicious! We have been for dinner and have ordered their pizza before also for takeout. Couldn't be happier with the outcome the staff the quality and price! Everything was fantastic! Thank you

I ordered the eggplant parm. I've made eggplant parm before at home and this was something else entirely. There were slices of eggplant (probably from a can) hidden below a slab of mozzarella and sauce. The eggplant had no breading and was slimy. I was very disappointed at the basic lack of ingredients for the cost of the dinner. Eggplant parm is sliced eggplant, add some salt and let rest, remove excess salt, bread the eggplant, fry up either in a pan or deep fry, and then add the sauce and cheeses. I don't know what happened here. The food was edible but I won't be back.

Pagliacci's is one of those restaurants where you go for a meal, and while you are there you ask yourself, "Why don't I eat here more often?" It's always good! The fresh pasta is great. The portions are too big to eat in a single seating. The staff are all friendly and make you feel at home. The restaurant is warm and comfortable. I need to put it into rotation more often!

Delicious old school traditional Italian food. I had the veal parm w a side of pasta. The portions were fair for the price

Tonight was the first time I was disappointed. I had the lamb with risotto and it was inedible. My wife had the chicken marsala and was very happy. Service wasn't exceptional by any means, but to be fair, it was a busy night.

Excellent food, portions, and service. I've been going to pagliaccis for years and will continue doing so. Never disappointed. An authentic Italian spot that prioritize in their quality of food, quantity, and table side manner.

I had the fried mozzarella and that was the best part of the meal. I would definitely have it again. The garlic bread was the most non-garlic bread garlic bread I've had. There was no flavor. The calamari was okay but nothing to write home about. I will say that the food was quite filling. We ordered one main course that the two of us shared. It was the pasta combo which was the manicotti, lasagne and a shell stuffed pasta. The whole entree was doused in red sauce and they all tasted the same. I didn't not enjoy it. Will I go back? Probably for just the fried mozzarella if I'm in the area.

Change the name to ninos so people know what to expect! Horrible! Don't waste your money or time. Is not what it use to be years ago. We use to come here all the time years ago when it was great. Olive Garden is better and I am Italian and that's hard for me to say. Shame it changed owners.

I have been dissipated with pagliacci' s 2 months ago about switching calamari appetizer on italian night menu and order taker not even attempting to verify or explain change and today I ordered again and found out at pick up that there is $3.00 up charge for Cesar salad. In last year I always got Cesar and today got up charge. Shouldn't order taker mentioned that??. Not about $3.00. It just seems like they don't have their shit together. Well good for another several months. Shame

My favorite is the Fettuccine Alfredo. It's good . I'm not a expert on spaghetti sauce but, it seems like just crushed tomatoes. I would have given 5 stars but, the tomato sauce is pretty plain.

There are not enough words I could scream about this place so I will just tell you to do yourself a favor the next time you're hungry for something delicious, authentic, homemade, indulgent, comforting, and in heaping portions and come here to eat your body weight in all the Italian goodness you could ever want. And then bring some home cuz the portions are THAT BIG and the food is that indulgent. And don't worry, they've got a ramp they can roll you down on your way out lol The service was also amazing and the decor is SO cute. You really feel like you'd stumbled back in time to a late-80s classic Italian date-night restaurant. And personally that's totally the vibe I want while stuffing my face with handmade ziti smothered in meat sauce I'd lick off a boot and baked eggplant stuffed AND topped with delicious cheese and sauce while sipping a Malbec I've never heard of but now have added to my faves list. Truly can't say enough, I was completely blown away and my taste buds beyond satisfied!

Best Escarole & beans I've ever had! A surprise of cheese on the bottom so make sure you stir before you eat KjgP

If I could give 0 stars I would Went here last night with my husband for dinner Got sick on the food Owner /manager could care less Sad to see this place go so downhill Eat at your own risk !!

Went to another restaurant that was closed due to a delivery? Found Pagliacci's on the internet. Food was delicious with large portions. The service was prompt with a friendly atmosphere. I am from New York and if I am ever in the neighborhood, I will go again!

We've passed by but finally pulled in for lunch on a Saturday. This is a handsome, clean "family" restaurant that seems like a diner (lots of booths, a glass-door cooler with beautiful desserts on display, etc.) It's also a professional restaurant. There's a modest bar program with a fair wine selection. They use cloth napkins. The cutlery is substantial - not that stamped metal crap. And the menu was ambitious. The homemade focaccia bread was delicious. We ordered a special appetizer, grilled octopus, and an appetizer of broccoli rabe with sausage, garlic and oil. Both of us were amazed at the tenderness of the octopus. And it had been cooked over a charcoal grill and had a wonderful flavor. The broccoli rabe was cooked perfectly. The sausage was delicious. I had a Riesling that was very, very good. My second glass, now a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, had been poured from a bottle that was open too long - I left half of it. Entree for best buddy was shrimp fra diavolo. The shrimp were large; the sauce good, but it had little kick. I had a humble burger - grilled on charcoal. It was delicious. The steak fries that came with were unremarkable. Service was very cheerful and helpful. After dinner, she admitted that the coffee was old and asked if I minded waiting for a fresh pot. Not at all! She also followed-up on my request for Franjelico on the side (She thought they didn't have it - I told her anisette would be okay) and happily presented it in a generous pour! We were so impressed with the octopus, we took another one home for a deserving friend, who loves it. She devoured it! Our meal was $105 before tax and tip, and was a good value. We can't wait to go back - and we invite you to, also.

Food is excellent and service is great. Anything on the menu is delicious lunch or dinner. This is a great family restaurant. It's also great for family gathering.

The food was outstanding, authentic Italian!! The service & atmosphere were exceptional. our server, Morgan, took wonderful care of us and really added to our delightful experience. We would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Very yummy! Good Alfredo and the broccoli was nice and soft!!! Would recommend to ALL people who like to dine! However, they forgot my brothers meal.

First it was Mother's Day late afternoon place had full tables we were sat down by who I think was the owners wife we didn't get any bread till we asked for it 4 times we ordered appetizers then ordered ate entrees soups and salad the appetizers came out then after like 4to 5 minutes the entree's came out with no room on the table the women said there was no room in the kitchen for them so they squished all the plates on the table then they started removing plates that we still didn't get to touch they rushed us to finish and the women owner actually asked how long were we going to be we took stuff home we left with the worst food we had there since the new owners took over I also have a family member who was told by the husband that he was banned from there after going there since he's lived for 20 or more years close by all because he asked the woman on the phone if they could wrap his 3 take out hero's in foil instead of the foam containers for sandwiches cause they sweat and the bread gets soggy cause they ordered the week before and it happened the wife n husband started screaming get out your banned well enjoy your slop this place dropped a lot

Been years since I have eaten at Pagliacci's and tonight the wife and I decided to order take-out for dinner. I ordered the Sausage Cavatelli Pagliacci while the wife ordered the Penne Primavera. Both dishes were delicious. The cavatelli included long hots for a bit of bite with the sausage and broccoli rabe and the primavera had fresh veggies in garlic and olive oil. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Very enjoyable. Will be visiting again soon to dive deeper into the menu.

We had a great takeout dinner the other night from here. I haven't been in many years and always remembered having good food. I ordered the house made ravioli baked with Alfredo sauce and ham. The ravioli are very good and I really enjoyed the Alfredo sauce. My wife had the chicken scarpariello and she said it was very good. Definitely try the homemade ziti we both loved it. Dinners came with some nice bread and salads definitely a repeat for us.