Fantastic Pizza! Been eating it 44 years and it is still perfect! Great family dinner spot and reasonably priced.

Out of state visitor, wanted to order the spaghetti dinner to go, but they only sell the 1\2 gallon to go. i got it and i am glad i did, it fed me for 2 nights. sauce made just whe way i like, nice and meaty. Great family vibe and atmosphere here. service was quick, ready when i arrived. love it here, coming back next time in town! thanks read more

Great pizza. Thin crust which I love. Got the Pagliai's Special and the Vegetarian. My favorite was the Vegetarian. Came right before they were about to close. Service was great. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Vegetarian and Pagliai 's Special - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

Get the house pizza if you wanna have the worst burbs ever. It's like you are reliving eating that garlic sausage with every burb...

Never understood the hype over this place. We ordered a pan crust pepperoni and sausage pizza. It was terrible and had hardly any cheese on it. The family ate it because we were hungry. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Pan crust, pepperoni and sausage pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

Super busy when we got there. Waited probably 15 min for our booth to be cleaned. Must have been a new waitress. Asked us 3 times for our drink orders. Couple we were with never did get silver ware. Asked repeatedly for ice. Got 6 glasses of ice water. Their pizza is VERY salty. read more

Stopped here to give it a try which turned out to be a great find. The thin crust is by far the best thin crust we have found. The pizza was very good, the environment was great and service was good. It's no wonder why this place has been in business for so long, they know how to do Pizza! read more

I find it interesting that this is the second pizza in as many weeks that we did not get at this establishment because of one lazy waitress. Last visit we waited 10 minutes watching our waitress serve one of the two occupied booths in her section. She was way too busy chatting at the waitress bar to wait on the other occupied booth in her section (ours). We left. Tonight we decided Monicals would be a better choice. This is so sad because Paglia's makes one of my favorite pizzas. I know we could call in and order a take out. But, the phone is perpetually beep beep beep busy. Sorry if the truth hurts. read more

Best pizza in town hands down! Service is great. No picture but we were halfway through before I remembered ;)

This place pumps out some decent pizza like crazy! You can watch and see the process as you walk in. They have basic beer and wine. Cabernet or Chianti. 2 beers on tap not sure what they were. Pizza is their thing. Choice of crust: thin , slightly thin, regular, and thick. We had the slightly thin which was fine but could have gone thinner without complaining. Hubby had thick crust which was as heavy and a little underdone. Lots of cheese! Toppings were cooked and yummy! Overall a solid experience for pizza. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Deep dish "The House" - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

They have okay pizza, but one time the owner posted a video on Facebook making fun of a local alcoholic for leaving a drunk voicemail and...it made the owner look bad, not the drunk. It was sad and unfortunate. read more

Just tried this place after hearing my coworkers rave about it all the time and I'm glad I did! Pizza and breadsticks are amazing, everybody is nice, and the restaurant is cozy. read more

I was visiting Charleston because it is my in-laws home town, and they insisted we had to have some Pagliai's pizza while in town. They worked there in their youth. It didn't disappoint. The crust to sauce to cheese ratio was perfect. I'm a firm believer that pineapple does belong on pizza and they were happy to oblige. Would definitely go back! read more

Their pizza is good. I also love their spaghetti. They also have good garlic bread. And their waitstaff is courteous.

Little boy approves of the spaghetti! (He wolfed it down.) Mom and Dad approve of the pizza. Sausage is a must. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Little boy approves of the spaghetti! Mom and Dad approve of the pizza. Sausage is a must. :) - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

Given that there's no Lou Malnati's, Rosati's, or Giordano's anywhere nearby, I suppose this might be the 'best' pie in Charleston.....but then again, it's a looong way from Chi-town, the alleged pizza capital of the USA. I got a half-n-half 10" with green peppers and 'roni on my side, and it wasn't bad. Not great, not awful, just pretty good. The salad I got was kinda funky; the lettuce was wet and somewhat wilted. Instead of croutons there were prepackaged crackers sitting on top of my salad next to the packet of Kraft honey mustard dressing. I sat there thinking "did I just order from a restaurant or a high school cafeteria lunchline?" Hmm..... I get it, it's a local, no-frills, family-owned-and-operated place, and I'm totally okay with that, since the bill was on-par with the meal. It ain't no downtown Chicago pizza parlor, but the pies are made right there in before you, so that's kinda cool. read more

Picked up 3 pizzas here the other night and a side of their cheesy breadsticks. The thin crust is a little different than usual, but I was still impressed read more

I live in Paris, Home of Joes Pizza with the sweet double sauce. Am from Red Hill, where Bobes Pizza was good. And to this day. Paglias is top 3 of all time. The House is never a bad option. Could be the best sausage you've ever tasted. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - Tops in the town!!!!! - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

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oh my god, this place is literally heaven on a plate!!! everything was perfect: the food, service, everything!!!

This is the best pizza in Charleston. This is always a must stop when we are in town visiting family. The pizza is thin crust with an awesome sauce and tons of toppings. Highly recommended! read more

Very early on dating my future hubby, we went for pizza. I have no idea what restaurant it was, but when I commented that it was good, he said, "Yeah, but it's no Pagliai's." He proceeded to compare EVERY SINGLE PIZZA we ate to Pagliai's for the next FIVE YEARS before we were able to take a trip to Illinois from Texas. B's favorite thing about the pizza is the sausage. I think it's made specially for them. Since I'm veggie, I just appreciated the crisp crust and flavorful sauce. I don't think we'll be back to Charleston since we no longer have family there, but I will be listening to comparisons to Pagliai's for the next 20 years. read more

I hadn't been to Pagliai's in at least 13 years. The place hadn't changed a bit! The decor is still the same, the service is still top notch, and the pizza is still some of the best in Illinois! Pro tip: we discoverd an odd combo that works really well. Pizza with refried beans, black olives, and pepperoni. Weird, but awesome. So good, we went two nights in a row! read more

The house pizza is the best!! Crust is perfect and the sausage is amazing!! Cheese sticks are the bomb as well. read more

Pagliai's Pizza - House pizza!! - Pizza Near Me - Charleston, Illinois

Paglias in Charleston has been the best pizza downstate since my parents were in highschool (60s)... and is still the bomb. It is very well managed (by Paul Pagliai).The kitchen setup is in full view, and they use an old school dough roller machine and front loader gas ovens, which is kind of fun to watch if you haven't seen before. It really is an efficient bustle of pizza slinging activity. They crank out the pies like a well oiled machine. It is pretty small, so expect it to be packed if you are there on a weekend, but the atmosphere is good, as is the service. They make their own sausage and it is AWESOME. Great garlic flavor. I highly recommend the HOUSE SPECIAL (thick crust with extra sausage & extra cheese). Believe me you won't be sorry! I am not into leftovers and won't even eat most pizza after it has cooled down, but we will fight over the last few pieces of house special for breakfast. It is even good COLD! The heavy & doughy thick crust just seems to take on a new personality after it has been refrigerated - kind of like homemade beef & noodles do. If you prefer thin crust, I recommend the Pancho Villa. It sounds weird, but is is surprisingly good & is a break from conventional marinara sauce. (I have seen many a skeptic convert after they try it). We generally switch the beef with sausage to give it a little more jazz. The spaghetti is not worth eating IMHO, and you aren't going to get a fancy salad here. but if you don't think the pizza is awesome them you are probably ignoring the recommendations of the folks that have been eating there for years and getting the wrong pie (who recommended pepperoni &... Green peppers...?). BTW, you can also have a beer with your food here which is a good pairing with the salty sausage. I grew up in C-ton, and was always partial to Jerry's (pizza/salad buffet anyone?)and Monicals as a kid, but now that I have a more refined palate (and no longer live in the area)I find Paglias is what I crave. Yes it costs more than some of the other places...and you aren't going to find a bargain coupon... but if you want to get stuffed with some awesome pizza this is the place to do it.. read more

I've gotten pizza from Pagliai's a number of times now, and I like it just fine. The pan pizzas get a nice crunch on the bottom of the crust while still being chewy on the inside. The meat toppings are all pretty salty - too salty for me. I do enjoy the veggie pizzas they make, though, and the cheese sticks are quite good. The buckets of tortellini that you can take to go are also tasty and are a grown-up version of the classic Chef Boyardee meal. It's not worth ordering the garlic bread, trust me - the garlic/butter barely covers the inside of the bread and it's altogether a disappointing experience. In all, I'm from the Chicago area, so I'm used to having a bunch of non-chain pizza restaurants at my disposal. Pagliai's is a solid choice if you're wanting something a little more flexible than Little Caesar's. Just not my all-time favorite. read more

Mind you, I haven't tried other pizza joints in town, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt. The pizza tasted good - not necessarily memorable, or mind-blowing, but I would definitely go back if I was in town! The pepperoni and cheese we ordered was a tad salty for my taste, but the other pizzas were fine. We've been told to arrive early as the place gets pretty packed and seating appears to be limited to parties of 4 or fewer in the main dining room. read more

Best pizza in Charleston and a solid choice when compared to other restaurants elsewhere. There is a reason why this place has been around since the 60s. Their sausage is a special blend and was highly recommended but I found it a little too sweet when on a pan pizza with sausage and onion. Pepperoni thin crust has become my mainstay. The cheese Styx are great too with garlic butter to dip them into. Delivery is super fast and dining in is great too. read more

Terrible service. No waitress acknowledged us for over 20 min after we sat down. She walked by many times and ignored us. Walked out.

PERFECTION on a pan! My husband ate the first pizza that came out of the oven when this place opened in the 60's and it was love at first bite. It still is! Nothing compares....best overall pizza period. We love this pizza so much that we purchase in bulk and freeze for future use ( we live 3 hours away). Love, Love, Love, this pizza.... read more

We used to eat the spaghetti every Wednesday night but then we stopped eating meat and there is meat in the sauce. I would give it 5 stars if they had a meat free spaghetti option. read more

BEST PIZZA EVER! Family owned....awesome customer service. The Paglais special is a must have! Our family orders from Pags at least 1-2 times a week. The sauce is one of kind taste and the crust is perfect. They have thin, semi thick and thick crust! Check this place out and you won't be disappointed.....EVER! read more

Best pizza in town hands down! Spaghetti special on Wednesday can't be beat. Poor boy sandwich , ice cold beer, and wines. Love Pagliai's sausage, sauce, and especially their sweet pan crust. read more

Last night my family visited Paglia's for a family meal. My husband and his family are natives of the area and have been going there since the 60's. The experience was the worst I have ever encountered due to the rudeness of the manager Dan. He was completely uninterested in hearing of our daughter's dietary restriction and completely ignored us after our very pleasant waitress assured us would talk to us. When he did finally speak to us his rudeness was incomprehensible for someone in the restaurant business. He told us to F off in front of our 8 year old. Shame on you Dan! His parting comment was for me to go back to my own country! I was born in Scotland but am a now a US citizen. This is my country. Thankfully this country is known for its customer service. Dan you need to revisit a customer care course and learn from your competitors. I will never revisit the restaurant. Very disappointing. read more

The pizza is ok. It's a bit tasteless, but that's to be expected in the middle of nowhere. My major problem is the customer service. I know Pagliai's mostly likely deals primarily with college kids, but I am not going to spend my money to deal with their attitude for mediocre pizza. Every time I order, I get incredibly rude kids on the phone. I will not order from here again until there are prices on the website, as I feel ridiculed whenever I ask what the cost of things are. Tonight, I asked the person on the phone for a paper menu so I could have the prices when I order. He sent a menu with no prices listed. I'm done. read more

We stopped in here for a supper break from moving my daughter upstate. I had been here before years before, but with fellow firefighters, and my wife hadn't been here. Staff; very friendly, and helpful. Even though they were obviously very busy, we were seated very quickly and our drinks arrived also quickly. the setting was pretty nice, I would rather not have had everyone's bright headlights in my face while we dine, but that is apparently what we had to work with, as the parking is literally two feet from the front row of tables. live and learn. here is where this hiccup begins. AMBUSH! we look at the menu, and we see pretty much "pizza, and here are available toppings"......kind of like the breakfast menu in "my cousin vinny" in that little diner. so we chose to try the cheese sticks, a salad, and a 12 inch -what I would call a *deluxe* pizza, as we chose several of the toppings. the waitress seemed very surprised at our order and stated she had never seen anyone order a pizza like that. our salads arrived in a reasonable time, but I use the term "salad" VERY loosely. what we got was, some bagged del monte lettuce and a packet of kraft ranch dressing. in my mind, bagged lettuce does NOT a salad make. it seemed fresh enough but talk about CHEAP. after a very extensive wait, upwards of half an hour, our cheese sticks arrived. (in that time, I counted 45 pizzas out the door). I thought they just had gotten our pizza wrong, as it was basically a 12" cheese pizza cut in strips. ok...tasty, but a bit out of what one would expect for two people when they order cheese sticks. then our pizza arrives, and again the waitress seemed really excited and shocked at the pizza we had ordered. it is a GREAT pizza....one that was as good as any pizza I had ever eaten. the toppings were tasty, fresh, and you could actually taste the different toppings. so we finish, and walk up to the counter to pay.....here's where the good times end! $45.00 +!!! THIS IS A 12" DELUXE PIZZA, TWO SMALL BOWLS OF LETTUCE, TWO POPS, AND CHEESE STIX! I suppose the term "let the buyer beware" really applies here, or we didn't read the fine print in the menu NEARLY well enough. I will probably not be back, as I consider this "ambush pricing". if every topping is considered a separate meal, or side item, and are priced accordingly, then this would explain $25 for the 12" pizza only...which was what this cost. You may have a good pizza, but I could have eaten at Red Lobster for that!!! I think maybe a warning from the waitress, who was advised we were from out of town and totally unfamiliar with the place, about the pricing may have been in order. these sides were NOT marked with a price that I saw, nor did it jump out at me that each side would be a separately priced menu item. perhaps the yokels already knew to only EVER order two toppings or less! Maybe someday, we will come back...but I doubt it. the pizza was really good...but a 12" piece of dough with sum stuff on it does not constitute the $$$ that they are charging. read more

Pagliai's is still making great Pizza after 35 years since I moved away from Charleston. It is rare that we don't order at least once when I am back in town visiting family. My favorite remains sausage with mushrooms. Thanks Paglia's for continuing the tradition. I usually order take out but when I have eaten in I am always impressed at the superb service. Even on the busiest of nights service is fast friendly and efficient. read more

Best pizza in Charleston. I'm not fond of their pasta, but that is just personal preference. The staff are all great.

The pizza was okay, nothing to brag about. I was a little disappointed because I had heard such great things. Service was good and seems to be a "hip" place to work. I would eat here before Pizza Hut but that is about it. read more

Ate at Pagliai's last night....Good food, cold beer, good service....Always know what you are going to get!!!!

If you are a pizza fan living in Charleston, you might just be out of luck. I ordered a thin crust pizza and the taste was average. Nothing special, yet not terrible. Quite a forgettable pizza, in all honesty. As I usually order sausage, I was expecting a little more Italian season, but nothing. Again, very bland. read more