On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
I keep reading how this is the #1 place to go in Iowa city. I am happy that it lived up to its reputation. I can't honestly say that its my favorite place in IC, but its pretty darn good.
Note that this is not your Chicago deep dish or fancy NYC brick oven pizza served with zesty tomatoes. They take regular ingredients and make it into something pretty good tasting.
I do have to say that you are paying $18 for a medium-large pie, so its not the best bang for the buck deal in town, but its pretty good.
Also, be ready to wait for your food, there's usually a line out the door.
I was a little underwhelmed by Pagliai's. Maybe I was a little spoiled from living in Brooklyn.
My GF and I split a 14" pizza and had drinks. Service was quick. The crust was nice and thin, but wasn't too crispy. OK I guess if you like the "cracker" style crust. But its not like it is brick-oven pizza or anything, so there is no extra flavor from blackening or charring. Sauce wasn't particularly zesty. The cheese and toppings were perfectly fine. Just OK, not anything I would seek out again.
You bet--#1 in IC...This is where the locals go for real ZA. A family staple that has stores from the small town of Grinnell, Iowa to as far as Kentucky. This sauce and cheese are the finest quality and the crust is thin and flavorful. Always a young and friendly staff employed. I remember coming here after junior high football games. I think it is still a Regina tradition.
Only con is that they do not deliver, so when you're craving a stay in type of night, you still gotta pick it up!
Yum! I try to hit Pagliai's every time I visit the family in Iowa. Sure, there is almost always a wait on the weekends, but its a fun place with tasty pizza. I love the sauce and the thin crust. Perhaps I am a bit nostalgic, as we used to come here as a special treat as kids, but I think this place is totally worth checking out.
Thin crust pizza at it's best. The secret is the sauce....superlative!
I currently live in Seattle. Every time I go back to visit family and friends, we make a trip to Pagliai's Pizza to reminisce.
Atmosphere is cozy and casual. I look forward to my next visit :)
Iowa City's most overrated pizza. The crust is thin and dry like a cracker. There is always a wait for a table. They don't deliver. Pagliai's does have a dedicated following, though I have yet to figure out why, exactly.
Our second time here was even better than the first, which we thought would have been hard to accomplish. Our server was a gem on top of her game without too many table visits to interrupt our tomfoolery. Their squat pilsner glasses remind me of the 80's, the cooks' paper hats are a hoot, the décor is reminiscent to a 1970's mobster store front and the pizza is the BEST in town (so simple that it is perfect). You are able to eat way more than you would think due to the extremely thin crust, making the topping the star of the show.
The best pizza ever - we used to run after the homecoming parade just to get there and stand in line for an hour...
Oh how I miss it!
It is hot though - damn!
An Iowa City and University of Iowa Classic that has stayed close to its roots. It's kind of an old fashioned family and student place rolled into one. And it is fun to watch them work through the big window.
The Pizza itself is thin, very tasty, and cut into small squares. I have always enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and service and it's certainly worth a return trip no matter how long you have been gone.
Growing up around Iowa City meant that you were likely raised on Pagliai's. Even though I now live in a great pizza city, I often miss the smell and taste of Pagliai's the way some people miss their grandmother's Sunday dinner. The crust is thin with a perfect balance of chewy and crisp, and the sauce is never too much with just the right blend of herbs, spices, and a touch of sweet.
The next time you're in Iowa City, stop by and watch the cooks in action through the front window. The smell alone will likely lure you inside and you'll find yourself pouring over the menu, trying to decide what to try. Dining-in heightens the experience, though you can always grab a pizza from their freezer, usually the standard cheese, sausage, pepperoni fare, or get a fresh pie to go. If you want to sound like you're a seasoned veteran, order the Pagliai's Special. It's one of the few things that has changed over the years and is no longer listed on the menu. Some of the newbie waitstaff may ask, "Palace Special?" Firmly say, "Pagliai's Special." What is it, you wonder? Pagliai's holy trinity: sausage, green pepper, and onion. Heaven on a pizza crust.
This place has pretty tasty thin crust pizza. This is as close as the University of Iowa campus gets to having an iconic pizza place that everyone on campus knows, like most other Big Ten schools have... but it narrowly misses the mark.
Pizza is good, sadly no delivery. It has the feel of a cozy old diner, but it does get hot. Carryout is available, which is what we prefer.
Great pizza, minimal décor. Always too damn busy, but that's to be expected.
I've been brought up on this pizza and I haven't come across a place I love more than Pagliai's. I'll order a large by myself when I visit just so I have leftovers to enjoy the next day (or that evening - Pagliai's doesn't last long when I know it's in my refrigerator).
My only qualm - I've always been annoyed by the fact that the waitresses are always women and the pizza makers are always men. Perhaps it's because as a little girl, I dreamed of being in that window tossing dough.
I'm from New York and now call Chicago home, so I am already in love with two types of pizza; yet when I visit my husband's family in Iowa, there's a third kind of pizza I love, and that is Pagliai's. Thin crust, plentiful toppings, great sauce, fast service. A required stop anytime I'm in Iowa City.
While I love the pizza here, I've never managed to get good service. It has been enough of a problem here that it leaves me a bit disappointed when I leave. But, the pizza is definitely worth a try.
Back when ICON, the independent newspaper that was here before the Little Village, was still going, it would hold annual "best of" contests for businesses around town. I think they made up a special category specifically for Pagliai's to win every year: "Best pizza that'll burn the roof of your mouth everytime". Even though ICON is gone, Pagliai's is still here, and still burning the roof of my mouth. Good service, great food, nice atmosphere, and an Iowa City institution with the food quality to back it up. I recommend getting your pizza with double crust.
Also, here's a tip: cut your first piece of pizza up and blow on the pieces before eating them. By the time you get to the crust, it's cool enough to pick up and eat, and the rest of the pizza is cool enough not to have to cut up.
Pagliai's has worked hard to keep their original look. As you approach the door, you feel as though you've stepped back in time. Through the window on your left, you'll see a group of cooks wearing old fashioned white paper hats and white aprons busily preparing food.
The food here tastes better than it looks. Which sounds a bit harsh, but isn't meant to at all. It's a thin crust pizza that has none of the look of the thick juicy meaty things we see advertised for the average chain pizza place on television. It's hard to get overly excited about it until you've had a bite. The crust, sauce, and toppings are perfectly proportionate, and are of a high quality. The result is delicious. Pagliai's clearly knows what it's doing. It's an Iowa City tradition that shouldn't be missed.
Tip: It's pronounced "polly-eyes".
Another tip: Don't come here if you want anything besides pizza, soda, beer or wine. There are no salads, no sandwiches, no starters -- nothing but delicious pizza, all hot and crispy as the dickens.
I recommend sitting in the front section, where you can watch the guys in paper hats make the pizzas.
I've been eating at Pagliai's my entire life. Every time I make it home I make it a point to stop there for pizza. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is just right, and it's easy to get to.
I only wish they would move out to LA so I could have them more often!
Great, but not as good as Tomaso's in Cedar Rapids.
This place has nice simple pizza that is delicious. I like the simple menu as well, it's a relief from some of those huge menus out there.
The crust is not the only thing about a pizza..... Pagliai's has a great thin crust butt the quality of the toppings can be lacking. I guess its a trade off
Great thin crust pizza. Convenient/quick carry-out. The dining room is as old-fashioned as they come, but definitely worth a visit.
I don't like thin crust pizza. But I LOVE Pagliai's! On a somewhat regular basis we get ourselves a large Palace Special. We rarely have any left for breakfast the next morning. They have their ovens and the pizza makers in the front of the store where passers-by can watch them creating these thin masterpieces. Do your taste buds a favor and stop in at Pagliai's the next time you are in town.
Iowa City, IA
Category: Grocery
Iowa City, IA
Category: Pizza
Iowa City, IA
Category: Diners
Iowa City, IA
Category: Vegetarian
Iowa City, IA
Category: Spanish
Some of my old favorites and haunts from the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
