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Cafe Paesan
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for Cafe Paesan
Review Highlights
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"This is Cafe Rio Italian style." In 10 reviews -
"make sure you put the creamy pesto sauce on the chicken." In 3 reviews -
"The pasta was great tasting, filling (for two, even), and..." In 10 reviews
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Kayleigh W.
Salt Lake City, UT
I do NOT know what Dana B. is talking about...
Like others have said, this is the Italian version of Cafe Rio. I asked, and it is indeed owned by the same person as Cafe Rio. It was delicious! I ordered the pizza & salad combo, I got the chicken pizza. It had a pita type dough, pesto base, chicken, bacon, and mozzarella cheese. The green salad had lettuce, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and croutons. There was another crunchy topping like croutons, but I'm not sure what it was. I had the house dressing, it was like an Italian version of Cafe Rio's house dressing, but I think it had pine nuts in it - an ingredient often found in Italian food.
The restaurant was immaculately clean, although there was a few minutes wait to order service was fast, and the food was delicious. Staff was friendly and the owner was on the front line making sure things were running smoothly. I'll definitely be returning! -
Review from Alan D.
Orem, UT
1/9/2012 3 Check-ins Here
its good!
When its made fresh right in front of you, in a clean place with a bit of style, is cheap and fast..... not to mention it tastes good, what else can you ask for?
I had the steak Sandwich on wheat flatbread. I am pretty sure I will start craving this. It had a hint of a sweet taste, with a creamy sauce and some fire to it. My wife had the pork pizza, and the bread was delicious with not too much cheese.
Great place. Very clean. the ONLY thing I think would make it better is to have some more options for sides. Other than that, I'm giving it 5 stars. -
Review from Bud H.
Sandy, UT
5/3/2012
Tough to judge this place, as the flavors all tended to be pretty good but there was also something about each dish that turned me off. First, the Chicken Hero sandwich was tasty but extremely messy. In fact, I had to discard the bun after only a few bites and eat the sandwich like a salad cause the bun turned to mush. And the apple and pulled pork pizza tasted good too, but again, the crust was really soggy in the middle, which made it hard to eat and ultimately took away from the dish. A couple of simple fixes and my opinion would probably change, but for now, it doesn't quite hit the mark.
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Review from Jeff C.
Orem, UT
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
If your looking for original food this is your place. Good fresh food. From the salads to the sandwiches to pizza the food is great! The dining atmosphere is casual and relaxing. Anything with the Kobe steak is excellent. It is made to perfection. Most of the italian food that I've had at italian places is the same traditional stuff. If your looking for non-traditional italian try Cafe Paesan.
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Review from Scott L.
Riverton, UT
3/11/2012
This is a great restaurant. I love the half and half special as well as the pepperoni pizza.
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Review from Dana B.
San Diego, CA
11/8/2011
TERRIBLE! I would give this place a hundred thumbs down if I could. I was expecting an Italian Cafe Rio. No. Cafe Rio is delicious. This place sucks. Sorry, but it does. I couldn't believe it. I got their salad...because everything else looks bad and was waaayy too EXPENSIVE for what is was, and the salad? Gross. Ridiculous. Think of the salad at Wendy's- same thing, only on top of a gross piece of tortilla-like bread. What the...? How was it an italian salad at all? They put nasty "grilled vegetables" on it. Actually they came on the side for some reason. That was the weirdest thing. Did I mention that those tasted bad and were greasy too?
I knew as soon as I walked in it was going to be a bad idea, but did I follow my instinct? No.
Seriously: SAVE YOUR MONEY. And time. And effort. And gas in driving to this place. Totally not worth it. The pasta is kind of like Cafe Rio, in that you pick some of the stuff but it tasted like it came out of a box. Greasy and totally fake tasting. I was soooo DISAPPOINTED. I don't know what they were thinking.
The worst part? Provo and Orem have so many good for choices. Tons, actually. So why go here? Don't be deceived. The pictures might make it look good, but it's not. Especially if you're expecting Cafe Rio quality. I guess you could go here if you wanted to over pay for crappy food. And besides that the portions were small. -
Review from Shantel B.
Alameda, CA
2/8/2012
This place is unreal. I went there the other day because I heard their food was super good and it is pretty much what everyone says it is: an Italian version of Cafe Rio. Hard to imagine but you'll get it when you go. All the food is prepared fresh and assembled in front of you in the same way Cafe Rio's is but just with different ingredients. I got their braised pork as a salad and I just about fell over when I took the first bite. And their butterscotch cookies are ridiculously good. It's just all so fresh and delicious. On top of it all the staff seems to be highly dedicated to making it a good experience for the patrons dining there. I'm going to be bold and say its the best place in orem to eat.
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Review from Brett S.
Pleasant Grove, UT
9/28/2011
$6 for a Cafe Rio pork pizza?!! Did a Mexican and an Italian have a beautiful baby? Heck yes. Like Rio, Paesan uses fresh ingredients and makes everything right in front of you cafeteria style. I've only had their pizza but every one I've eaten was excellent. The menu only lists like 5 pizza options but you can actually customize the toppings on your pizza to whatever you want if you simply ask them. For sure include the cafe rio pork on your pizza or their sausage with fennel.
Also like Cafe Rio they have a 10-punch loyalty card so come and try these guys out and you'll be addicted. This will be your new food lover when your girlfriend breaks up with you and you need to feed yourself to cure your depression. I'll see you there every Friday night....just don't stare at my wife the way that you do...it's creepy. -
Review from Booker G.
Orem, UT
11/16/2011
I adore this place. It's fast and inexpensive italian food. Great after business meetings. Built by the same people who created Cafe Rio, I've been going to this place whenever Im in town since 2010. No real negatives.
My favs: Balsamic Vinaigrette Grilled Chicken Salad and/or the Bolognese Meat Pasta -
Review from Ivan E.
Woods Cross, UT
2/11/2012
Seems like a Cafe Rio spinoff, but the food was fabulous and tasty and very affordable. Had the Apple Braised Pork pizza with the side salad topped with the pesto dressing. Very good stuff!
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Review from Ryan P.
Provo, UT
Updated - 6/10/2011
My wife and I discovered Cafe Paesan at the Taste of the Valley festival on July 24th in Provo. They were the best presented vendor there. Their food included delicious grilled vegetables, bruschetta, and fresh tomatoes in balsamic vinegar. We decided to get out to the restaurant as soon as possible to try a full meal. Unfortunately, the food served at the restaurant was a major disappointment.
My pasta was badly overcooked (pasty texture) and the sauce was flavorless and boring, and it didn't look anything like the pasta in the picture associated with this. My wife's "Tuscan" sandwich was served on flatbread that had the taste and texture of something bought at Wal-Mart. She had the balsamic chicken on the sandwich and the flavor was alright but the chicken was dry. We ended up pulling out most of the chicken and that improved it, but had the chicken been edible our overall experience would have been better.
Points for ambience and friendliness, but the food was a total flunk. I'll probably give it another try because I want to like this place. The salads looked good, but I wondered what happened to the grilled veggies and bruschetta we'd tasted at Taste of the Valley. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/2/2010
My wife and I discovered Cafe Paesan at the Taste of the Valley festival on July 24th in Provo.… Read more »
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Review from Aimee G.
Orem, UT
7/31/2011
Wow, wow, and wow! While I haven't gone to the actual restaurant, we had the chance to try them out at Taste of the Vally recently. They were by far the best food of the whole bunch. Everything was amazing, fresh, hot, and such generous portions.
We sampled lasagne, salad, a steak and vegetable wrap, and a shrimp salad. Everything we ate was so good, we can't wait to go to the restaurant and see what else they have to offer. -
Review from Julie K.
Ogden, UT
12/5/2011
Pizza and a salad for lunch for $7. Pretty good. Pretty fast. Vegetarian options are a plus.
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Review from jessica m.
Orem, UT
2/2/2011
I finally went to check out Cafe Paesan today! I liked the decor and atmosphere, but I was a little confused about the menu. It's just different and I don't think they have that many choices. Anyway, I had the margherita pizza and it was pretty good. It was on a pitta bread so it was thinner than the usual pizza but I really enjoyed it. The sauce and the cheese were delicious. It's looked simple yet appealing and tasty.
My friend ordered the chicken pasta with pesto sauce and it wasn't bad at all. I wouldn't say it's the best pesto I've had but it's good for the price.
Overall, I liked the restaurant I'm just not sure how many times I'd go given the menu seemed to be lacking choices to me.
I can say Cafe Paesan is worth the try and it isn't bad at all for a Utah County lunch. -
Review from Christian W.
Provo, UT
10/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Paesan truly offers an enjoyable dining experience. I went with my fiance last night because a friend of mine told me that the food was great. Well the food was, in fact, very good! I think a lot of it has to do with the excellent decoration and comfortable environment. Definitely the kind of place you can go with friends/family to relax, converse, etc. If you don't know what to order, be sure to ask the guys making the food...they KNOW the good stuff. ;)
The salad we ordered was great...make sure you put the creamy pesto sauce on the chicken...YUMMM. The salads are not as HUGE or as FILLING as those at Cafe Rio, but they are very good option for the salad lovers. Cafe Paesan is definitely worth trying! -
Review from Stan S.
Park City, UT
10/3/2011
Great concept but poor execution. Pizza dough is not very good and cooked in a pan instead of directly on the stone. Sauces and sausage were mediocre at best with very little seasoning. Bruschetta is on thick, soft bread rather than crusty toasted bread, with almost no garlic. Grilled vegetable salad only so so (in fact it gave us serious indigestion). I was really hoping this place would be as good as Cafe Rio but it's not even close. I can't figure out how the same group that invented Cafe Rio could have made such a serious mistake on their second concept.
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Review from Jason B.
9/11/2010
We decided to venture out and try Cafe Paesan on Friday. I was faced with a large, unfamiliar menu and opted for the safe pepperoni pizza. The man behind the counter grabbed a slab of dough, smeared it with sauce, and passed it to a girl who covered it in mushrooms, cheese, and pepperoni then tossed it into an oven.
I was offered a salad. I knew it would cost extra, but didn't inquire as to the amount. It was a real salad with mixed greens, celery, zucchini, and carrots. I opted for the pesto dressing, and it was pretty good.
As I neared the register, I say a pork pizza someone had ordered, and immediately wished I'd ordered that. Mine wasn't done when I paid, and it was a surprisingly affordable $8 for pizza and salad.
Pizza was done before I found a table. It was okay, as was the salad. I definitely want to try some other menu items though. -
Review from Michael H.
Springville, UT
1/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Delicious. How do the Cafe Rio people get it so right!
This is Cafe Rio Italian style. I loved it. I hope when this gets big and they sell it off they will do an Indian one and whatever else they want to try.
They must know that if the price is right and the quality is awesome like it is then they will be successful. -
Review from Sasha Y.
Provo, UT
7/12/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I stopped by here while I was getting my oil changed in my car at lube doc.
The feeling of the restaurant is very similar to cafe rio.
I tried their hand stretched apple pork $4.95 and it was amazing.
It was all freshly made. right in front of me!
also, the price is ridiculously cheap. Would definitely go back again to try different items from the menu! -
Review from Munro M.
Provo, UT
10/7/2010
My wife and I decided to have lunch here today after hearing about it from a friend. The spacious Italian-style decor is creative and welcoming. I like the amount of space they have...it actually feels a little too open for my taste, but that gives them plenty of room to grow.
The ordering format is similar to other fast fresh places like Cafe Rio and Bajio. Apparently Cafe Paesan was started by the Cafe Rio founders.
The menu seemed simple enough to us to make it easy to decide what to order. My wife went for the Margherita pizza w/ a side salad and I ordered pasta with their Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) sauce. We each picked out a yummy-looking cookie and our food was ready at the time that we paid, including the pizza.
The food was not only visually appealing, but tasty too! It seemed to be authentic, but then again, I wouldn't really know, never having been to Italy. We both liked the pizza. I still think Terra Mia has a better more authentic Italian pizza, but my wife thought it tasted about the same. The pasta was flavorful and the serving size seemed huge to me...certainly more than I could eat. The pasta came with a flatbread that looks like a tortilla but it is much thicker.
The cookies were a great dessert to finish it off and the staff was friendly so I would say all in all it was a successful lunch date! It is always fun to try something new instead of the same old thing.
I'll get pizza next time and perhaps the Berry Tiramisu. Overall, great job creating a unique fast-Italian dining experience. -
Review from Lowell S.
Provo, UT
2/9/2012
I'm seriously shocked at the positive reviews in here. I tried Cafe Paesan twice, and both times I left scratching my head, wondering what's to like about the place. They're clearly trying to be the "cafe rio" of Italian, but who thought that was even a good idea? I don't think it works. The food is so-so, rather hard to eat in some cases, and the self-service atmosphere (which works so well at Cafe Rio) just falls flat here.
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Review from Camille C.
Salt Lake City, UT
5/28/2011
My friends kept raving about this place, so I thought I would give it a try, hoping I wouldn't be dissapointed (sometimes I hate places just because of all the hype)....but Cafe Paesan DID NOT dissapoint. In general I am not a huge fan of italian food, well chain restaraunt italian food, but this place was different. It is set up much like Cafe Rio (a place I dread going because of the Disneyland like line you have to wait in just to get a burrito, while the servers yell at you to choose either black beans or pinto... but I digress) but this place was friendly, fast, inexpensive and delicious. I had the Kobe beef sandwhich was super tasty and with the added flavor of their special pickled hot peppers.... yummm! All of their breads and pastas are made from scratch, so everything tasted really fresh. The best part of the meal had to have been the Berry Tirimisu, oh it was good and the perfect size for two (although I could have ate the whole thing myself)... I actually dreamed about it last night!
It is a family friendly atmosphere and very inexpensive.. I think I got my whole meal for $10.... I just wish there was one in Salt Lake, but it is definately worth the drive down to Utah County. -
Review from Kendra M.
Orem, UT
3/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kobe beef sandwich was delicious! The young man asked me what I wanted, I told him the Kobe beef and add the best combo he could think of for toppings and I like spicy! He hooked it up cuz that sandwich was fantastic! And they have yummy cookies. It was a good portion. I was pretty satisfied after eating just that.I will definitely go back! Kobe beef people! Try it here
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Review from Rachel H.
Provo, UT
12/10/2010
This was my second exprience at Cafe Paesan. The first time I got the Siena Spicey Chicken pizza. It was delicious. Loved the thin crust of the pizza.
This time I got the special! It was chicken parmesan on top of linguine pasta with a creamy parmesan sauce. One of the employees reccomended it and it was so yummy. I would definitely get it again. The chicken was breaded and cooked perfectly and the pasta sauce was so creamy.
Love this place. Can't wait to go back! -
Review from Michelle C.
DuPont, WA
6/15/2010
I started an account with Yelp just so that I could rate this restaurant. I would give this place 10 stars if I could. Although it recently opened, it has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat. The food is savory and flavorful. I have tried the Tuscan vegetable sandwich, berry tirimisu, pesto chicken salad, and their pastas. Everything I've eaten is fantastic. The ambiance of the restaurant is fun. You feel like you're eating at a restaurant right in the middle of Florence or Venice. I give this restaurant my highest recommendation.
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Review from Jack H.
Orem, UT
Updated - 12/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
I like the food here. Great alternative to fast food. It's fast and good for take out, but doesn't taste like fast food.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/14/2010
First timer. Enjoyed food. Nice alternative to fast food. Simple menu. Quite imaginative. Nice… Read more »
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Review from Brianne H.
Pleasant Grove, UT
8/13/2010
I went here with a couple of girlfriends for lunch. I ordered the Siena Spicy Chicken with a side of creamy pesto dressing. It was very yummy and only $5 (an excellent price in my opinion)! The dough was crispy and the toppings were simple, but flavorful. My friends both ordered the Pasta with Balsamic Chicken and Rosa Sauce (more in the range of $8). They both said the chicken was very good. I tried a bite of the pasta and in my opinion it wasn't very good. I prefer the Penne Rosa from Noodles and Co. The portions were good and they have a frequent diner card (always a plus). I will probably come back with my husband some time.
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Review from Brett W.
Provo, UT
Best flat bread sandwich. it was unbelievably good food. And the price was CHEEP. It is a must do.
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Review from Jeff G.
Provo, UT
8/19/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This place is amazing. It is an Italian version of cafe Rio. I believe it is owned by the founders of cafe Rio. If you enjoy pesto this is the location for you their creamy pesto is like a little bit of heaven. So fat it isn't very crowded but as word spreads I imagine a significant line will develop. So get in and enjoy Paesan before you have to wait in the Disney land style lines they have.
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Review from Barney L.
Orem, UT
11/3/2010
The pasta was great tasting, filling (for two, even), and about $8.50. Will go again.
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Review from Mer S.
Orem, UT
1/13/2011
Excellent food with a great variety. I have tried almost everything on the menu and have yet to be disappointed. The pork sandwich with house-made pickles and mustard is what first reeled me in. I also seem to get the margarita pizza over an over! Can't get enough. They also serve the most fantastic dark chocolate chip cookie I've ever had -- quite surprising for Italian. Don't forget to try their focaccia bread located at the front of the line when you order drinks. Gingerbread cookies and house-made hot coco are seasonal during the holidays and are also a must. I could go on and on...but you get the picture. Try one of these recommendations and you'll be hooked!
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Review from Jon R.
Seaside, CA
9/1/2010
Greasy. Well at least the pasta was. Salads seemed okay that my wife got, but definitely not Italian. Very disappointed with the overall experience. Seems like the place was created because of the Mexican restaurant scheme around. Made for the purpose of making money not satisfying food. No soul here.
