We came here to celebrate my niece's kindergarten graduation because she wanted to try authentic Italian food, in a nice restaurant (her exact words), and it was the perfect choice! Though we were the only people with children there. We enjoyed ourselves. The service was excellent, and every dish was fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. This place is truly a hidden gem, and we'll definitely be back! read more

Everything here was beyond wonderful! We ordered the Spaghetti (housemade) Carbonara (the real way - no cream), stuffed Pork Chop, and Espresso Short Ribs! Decor was beautiful. The service was top-notch (great job Gio!)! Run, don't walk, to Paisano's! read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Lunch at Paisano's! - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

What can I say? Absolutely fantastic service, the waiter was top notch, and the food was amazing. I've lived in Rutherford my whole life essentially and never been to Paisano's before but only heard good things about it. Have to say everything I have heard held up. The Gaucho steak was perfect and absolutely recommend as well as the Pappardelle. read more

I've been here a bunch of times and I've always enjoyed it. They have a bar and they make great cocktails. Their shirt ribs are great. I personally love their outdoor area. It can be a great date night spot or a fun girls night out. Street parking with meters. Service is great. read more

See all

Love the food. However, we stopped going because of the noise level. Tried going on a Monday and the noise level was tolerable

I was in town for a wedding and my family and I wanted something a little off the beating path (not the hotel bar food again). We came across this very inviting Italian spot across from a beautiful church in a cutesy little up downtown area. As a pasta girl, once the server (Steven) walked us through the specials and did a phenomenal job explaining the menu and that ALL the pasta was handmade in house, I knew I would be getting pasta this evening. My food was TO DIE FOR!!! The sauce was the perfect level of creaminess without being too thick. It coated the handmade pasta perfectly. Needless to say, I never finish my food and there wasn't a morsel left. Steven convinced me to get an espresso martini which he stated they specialize in. I am very picky when it comes to my espresso martinis and it was so delicious. Just the right amount of foam, and of course, exactly 3 beans. The rest of my family enjoyed chicken parm, a stuffed eggplant parm, and the 14oz grassed filet mingon, which also did not have a morsel left. Do yourself a favor when in Rutherford, come here. You will not be disappointed!! read more

See all

Great date night spot! The atmosphere was cozy, the service was friendly, and both the oxtail ragu with burrata and the chicken Parmesan were delicious. Everything came out fresh and flavorful. I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

A very welcoming atmosphere with a comfortable waiting area, friendly environment, service staff great, food excellent and delicious Best grilled octopus and delicious strawberry lychee martini super read more

See all

PaisanoS 132 Park Ave. Rutherford, NJ 07070 Appearance: 8.2/10 Taste: 9.5/10 The cutlets were pounded thin. The edges are slightly crispy. There was a perfect ratio of mozzarella cheese and homemade tomato sauce. Although the mozzarella cheese didn't have a golden char, the sweetness of the sauce made up for it. The service was phenomenal. Server Freddy and server assistants Juliette & Alan kept my water glass filled and they made me feel right at home. As a bonus, if you dine on Thursdays beginning at 6 PM, there is a solo guitarist and $10 cocktail specials. #parkave #rutherfordnj #paisanos #chickenparmesan #pennepasta read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Paisanos - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

See all

THE GOOD ---------------- + Food was DELICIOUS, but portions for appetizers could have been bigger. ++++ Ginger Calamari - Was very good. Basically, your typical crispy calamari with a sweet ginger sauce at the bottom to dip. Could have used more though as it came in a round pasta plate instead of the rectangular one that regular calamari is served in. ++++ Stuffed Mushrooms - Delicious with plenty of stuffing inside. There were ONLY 3 mushrooms though. Definitely could have used an extra 1-3. ++++ Goucho Steak - Phenomenal! The 14 oz ribeye was absolutely amazing. It was cooked perfectly medium and had TONS of flavor. One of the best steaks I've had in a while. There were plenty of delicious truffle fries and a corn ala crema to compliment the steak. ++++ Seafood Malafemmina - It seemed a bit small at first, but was plenty filling with white wine garlic linguini and a fair amount of seafood (lobster tail, shrimp and clams). The lobster tail was a bit on the small side though, but everything was excellent. ++++ Pappardelle Rustica - Superb. Loved the long pieces of homemade pappardelle. There was plenty delicious bolognese sauce on top. ++++ Tartufo Ice Cream - Perfect way to end our delicious meal - chocolate and vanilla gelato with a cherry and almond center covered in a chocolate shell. Very refreshing. + Restaurant was big, but had a strange layout with multiple dining rooms and even tables situated in a walkway, between dining rooms, by the bathrooms. THE NOT SO GOOD ---------------------------- - No private parking lot, so you must park on the street. - Appetizer portions (as mentioned above) was a bit small. MIXED THOUGHTS --------------------------- = Service was spotty throughout the evening. ++++ Food arrived on time. ++++ All of the waiters were friendly and quick. ---- After we ordered, the waiter took away our appetizer plates. Didn't make sense because when the appetizers came out .... we had no plates to eat them on. ---- Arrived to a half full restaurant at 5:30 PM NYE and, of all tables that were open, were seated at the table in the walkway, between dining rooms, next to the bathrooms. Our request to move to another open table was accommodated, but as to why we were seated next to the bathroom in the first place when there were other open tables baffled us. ---- After arriving and checking in at our reservation time, we waited a bit to be called into the restaurant ONLY to wait in another waiting area. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Nada. CONCLUSION -------------------- = Food was right up our alley, but the staff missteps mentioned above kind of dampened our positive vibes about the food. Would definitely give Paisano's another try though. read more

See all

- Street parking only - Large restaurant with an odd, maze-like layout; some tables are awkwardly placed near the restrooms--we were initially seated right outside the restroom and asked to move to one of the few open tables inside a dining room - Very dim lighting; background music and crowd noise can get loud - Fairly busy on a New Year's Eve Wednesday; plenty of groups coming in with reservations; still a short wait despite the restaurant not being near capacity - Service was mixed: hostess was a bit cold and seemed uninterested, but waitstaff was attentive and friendly, frequently checking in - Weird plate situation: plates were removed after ordering appetizers and before food arrived--we had to ask for them back - Appetizers were decent but overpriced: Stuffed Mushrooms were tasty but barely warm (only three pieces); Ginger Calamari had good ginger flavor but a small portion - Entrees were better overall: Seafood Malafemmina had a light, savory white wine sauce with well-cooked clams and shrimp, though portions were small (four pieces of each and the lobster tail was the same size as the shrimp); Gaucho Steak was tender, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly medium with crispy truffle fries and an excellent chimichurri; Pappardelle Rustica had well-cooked pasta and rich bolognese - For dessert, we shared an order of the Tartufo, which was just average for ice cream and small for the price; it was served with only two spoons for the four of us--we had to request for more - Note that bread is not complimentary (on the menu as a side dish) - Credit card fee applies - We were informed of a mandatory 20% holiday gratuity when presented with our check...is this normal? - The entrées alone would earn 4 stars, but the odd experience and overall value dropped it to 3 read more

See all

With family in Rutherford who chose the restaurant, we went to celebrate several birthdays. We had an excellent meal, excellent service, good drinks. The evening was a warm one in early fall and we arrived promptly at 5:45 as per our reservation. There were a few tables occupied and we wondered among us if we'd needed that reservation. Fast forward half an hour or so? Place was crowded. An hour or two and every chair had a body in it. We sat out in back, where there's a partially covered patio almost as big as the inside. We were at the edge of the covered part. Very busy, noisy but we could still hear each other. Delightful place to sit! We started with 1 white wine, 1 sangria, 1 gin on the rocks, and I had a "cranberry lemon drop." Usually a lemon drop includes limoncello, but that wasn't mentioned on the cocktail menu, so I'm assuming it was as stated, only vodka for the liquor. No matter, it was more than up to the task of making this cheap date drinker quite woozy! We ordered a tricolor salad minus the pancetta (hubs and I are pescatarian) and fried calamari for shared appetizers . Salad excellent, calamari as expected; our companions really enjoyed them but we find fried too greasy. That said, we did have a few pieces. Our entrees were: PEI mussels, which are listed as an appetizer but I wanted as my main; 1 shrimp scampi; 1 pear ravioli; and 1 black ink linguine. I wanted bread to sop up the mussels sauce. Bread here is not complimentary. Let me tell you, the 4.50 for the incredible half loaf we got was well worth every penny! I asked the waiter if I could purchase a loaf to go, but they don't sell it like that. He told us they have a bakery downstairs that bakes this incredibly delicious bread daily for the menu. It was warm, crusty exterior and soft, warm, delicious interior. Omg, please do order the bread! You're welcome . We hardly had room for dessert, and we had to catch a train (NJTransit, once an hour, wish they'd increase that) but we had to try the apple crisp à la mode. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm! And our waiter kindly hustled our check; we easily made that 8:02 train. If you want a local Italian restaurant that serves exceptional food at prices that aren't exorbitant by today's standards, by all means we recommend Paisano's. I hope to enjoy it with the same companions again! read more

Spectacular service with quality drink and fare to remember. Came here for the first time for my Mom's birthday and a small party of 4. The timing of our dishes were perfect and our drinks were never ever. Will be back again soon. read more

The food is always on point and never disappoints. Sometimes the service is the only let down.

This was my first time here. My dinner companions are frequent eaters here. We had a reservation for 7 pm but were not seated for more than 30 minutes. It like a long time to wait for them to sit me 30 minutes later in a section that they weren't using when I arrived. It was very busy and we had to flag down our waiter to put in our order. It had been a while. The food was delicious. Tasted fresh and well made. I had no complaints on my eggplant and veal. My husband had the seafood pasta and he said it was very good. My complains had the braised rib- they said it was delicious but that the portion was smaller than the last time they were there. Overall I would come here again because the food was excellent. read more

See all

This is my second time coming to this restaurant and I always order the chicken parm and it never disappoints. The wait staff are always friendly and helpful and the place has plenty of space. There is an outside place where you could eat as well and it's nicely decorated. They give you a a big piece of chicken which is great. read more

Ambiance is welcoming. Staff were fantastic. Food was phenomenal. We ordered both calamari off the menu, regular and ginger along with stuffed mushrooms, pear bruschetta and Spiedini. All appetizers were excellent. Dinners were linguine with clam sauce, gnocchi with Short rib, spinach, fettuccine, seafood, melody, and another pasta with short rib sauce, and Paso Bolognese. Desserts were the churro and ice cream , crème brûlée, and lava cake. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinners. Highly recommend the restaurant. read more

See all

This is a secret gem in Rutherford. Visit this place for a bday dinner and thus far one of the best restaurant along the Park Avenue strip. The service is top notch, very professional. Everything is so clean and the ambient is great too. Food is amazing. I had the pork chopped - uffff. They do have a bar but you can BYOB for a $15 cork fee. Not bad. I would highly recommend this spot. read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Stuffed Porn Chops - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

See all

First time having dinner here and would definitely be returning. We were greeted every time we passed an employee. It's a beautifully done restaurant. Our server Juliet is amazing. The winter drinks, wonderland & peppermint espresso martinis were very good. Chicken franchise and their stuffed pork chop very flavorful. Will go back when their outdoor seating is open. Street parking only. So give yourself time before your reservation time. read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Peppermint espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

Paisano's in Rutherford, NJ. I found your next date spot! This iconic restaurant in Rutherford, NJ is known for their homemade pastas, dishes and desserts. From the salad dressing to the bread-everything is made in house. The decor is beautiful indoors and there is a gorgeous back patio perfect for any Fall or Summer evening. This place checks all the boxes for me! Make sure to check out the weekly comedy show every Thursday! Follow @thehungrysw for more NJ/NYC suggestions! read more

See all

Nice quiet place with super friendly staff who checked on us very frequently (which is always a plus) to make sure if we needed anything. Food a little pricier than I've had lately BUT it was delicious so makes up for it. Wife had the chicken parm and I had the chicken Francese .. highly recommended. read more

Had lunch at Paisanos in Rutherford. The food was delicious and abundant. Fair prices. Our server, Itzel was attentive, friendly and helpful. Overall great experience and I will definitely return. Highly recommend. read more

Food was delicious! Our server Jack was polite and attentive! Everything about our experience was spot on!

I hadn't been back to Paisano's in quite a while. Pre- liquor license. Ambiance is still modern, chic and yet laid back. The back terrace area is great for any summer evening. Service was on point. Appetizers Saffron rice balls stuffed with short rib & cheese - delish! Caesar salad Entrees Flounder Amatriciana Dessert Chocolate lava cake Food was very good. They still "got it". read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

See all

Used to be one of our favorite restaurants. It ended up getting really pricey. Lunch used to be a little bit more affordable with smaller portions, but not anymore. Two of my kids ordered buttered noodles and they charged me $23 each. There used to be a kids pasta available. Even so, the portion they received this time wasn't any larger than what was considered a kids pasta, and $23 is just crazy. I don't think I'll be back. read more

My husband and I stopped by for their sidewalk spritz special - $5! We ordered calamari too. The outdoor seating is perfect. I haven't dined inside but the place is huge! We ordered calamari and it was just okay. Hoping to go back soon for another spritz and to order an entree to see how their food is. Service was quick and the staff was kind. Looking forward to going back soon! read more

Solid Italian food in a great setting... We were craving Italian, so as always, let's try something new. Parking can be tight. After a couple of laps around, we found a spot nearby. Inside is very clean and welcoming. We opted to sit on the back patio which was a great choice. It was so nice and relaxing. Service was impeccable. Not all over us and not non-existent. They literally have it down to a science. We started with a basket of sourdough bread which seemed to be made in a wood stove but I'm not 100%. It came with a side of sun dried tomato paste which was a great accompaniment. You also could ask for butter, which our son did. They recently obtained their liquor license, and I'm not a big drinker but when I see award winning next to anything; I'm trying it. So I went with the Espresso Martini, which myself and my wife agreed that it was excellent. To begin with, we started with the fried calamari, which the kid usually devours and my wife and I shared the eggplant rollatini. Both were fresh and didn't disappoint. For dinner, our son got the short ribs with housemade gnocchi. Tender as can be and flavorful. He wasn't a fan of the gnocchi, but he's 11, so he doesn't know yet. I tried it and it was very good. My wife and I both decided on the Vodka Chicken Parm and from the chicken to the sauce, it was hard to beat. If looking for an Italian dinner night, I highly recommend this place. Don't snooze... make reservations early or you may be looking for another option. read more

See all

Love this place! The staff is so nice and the ambiance is warm. Their Espresso Short Ribs are amazing. The ribs are very tender with little fat on them. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Espresso Short Ribs & Truffle Fries - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

Loved the food and the service. The place is very large too. I'd come here any time I'm hungry if I were you. Nothing was bad and portion sizes were appropriate. The carbonara and chicken parmigiana are perfect. Salads are good too but why would you care? Every sauce is perfect. read more

See all

I was on a business trip with a couple of colleagues. Paisano's was recommended to us by someone else. I have to say we were so impressed from the time we were dropped off with the cute street in Rutherford to the first step into the restaurant! The food was amazing. One of us had the Chicken Vodka Parm and he couldn't stop talking about it. Me and the other colleague had the Oxtail Ragu Burrata, I have never had Oxtail in my life, but seriously it was the most amazing dish! The service was impeccable and our waitress, (I am sorry I don't remember her name), recommendations were spot on! Next time we are in the area, we will be going back. read more

First time I went was one week ago on Sunday. I had a party of 13. The food was great. A little pricey and the wait staff was a little scarce. Roomy where people are not sitting up against each other and wait staff can get around no problem. read more

First off, this restaurant is so beautiful! Great for date night or a special occasion. Service was also fast and attentive. All of the food we ordered was so good. For the table we ordered the Sourdough bread and the Cajun calamari. Sourdough bread is a MUST and it came with a tomato oil for dipping. Super good and added benefit of dipping your bread in entree if entree has a sauce. Cajun calamari was also very good but was not spicy at all! I was expecting more with the name but it tasted like normal calamari with more of a balsamic sauce on it. Would order again but just a heads up if you're looking for that classic cajun taste - it didn't taste like that for me. Also did not have too much breading which was really nice. For main entree, I ordered the Vodka Chicken Parm and I would go back for this dish alone. The chicken was not overly breaded, there was a lot of mozzarella on top and then the vodka sauce pulled the whole dish together. I usually don't order chicken parm but this dish has convinced me I need to have it more often. TIP: Make reservations when you plan to come to this restaurant! We went on a Friday night and it got pretty packed. read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Cajun calamari - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

See all

2nd time going to Paisano's and was still impressed by both the service and the food. Great ambiance and noticed the attention to detail. Cocktails were excellent as well including the winter special espresso martini. Thank you Edgar, Juliette and team. read more

Food (4.2) Service (4.6) Ambiance (4.1) Some old work friends met to catch up and enjoy some time together. All portions were large. I had the Chicken Parm (my standard for first visit) which they make with a Vodka sauce over pasta. It was very good, not the best I have had, but very good. We had assorted apps that were all good, Fried Calamari was nothing special but nice. The Stuffed Pork Chop was huge and enjoyed by others. Service was superb, just the right amount of time spent and they really paid attention to our need to talk and catch up. Nice job! Ambiance is traditional Italian, lots of room, clean, and easy parking along the Main Street. I will return if in the area again. read more

Paisano's Restaurant - Chicken Parm with Vodka Sauce - Italian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

I was there with 4 other guys the other day for lunch. The lunch menu is basically identical to the dinner menu with a few deletions. We had three appetizers in the $15 to $18 range and they were miniscule. I ordered a substitution of chicken rather than veal saltimbocca and was told it couldn't be done. I have never had a restaurant in NJ say that I couldn't make this simple substitution. The menu portions are a decent size but overpriced as they give you a small portion of sauteed vegetables with each entree. No bread or salad included which is beyond ridiculous given the entree price points. Food was good yet nothing special and nothing that you couldn't get any neighborhood Italian restaurant in NJ for about 40% less. Don't waste your money here. read more

Last time I went to Paisano's was well over two years ago. Here's a major update: they now have a bar and they still have byob but will charge you $15 per bottle. We tried some other dishes this time around and they were exceptional! The espresso short ribs were the highlight of the night, I will be going back and order this dish!! Also the shrimp app special they had this night was so good as well!! Our server was Freddy, who was really nice and patience with our family! We went on a Friday evening and the atmosphere was really great and this is why the rating continues to be a 5. read more

See all

I recently went to this restaurant for a team lunch and I would have to say the food needs some work. We ordered calamari and it was very thin wirh small pieaces and overcooked! They actually charge you for a bread basket which I didn't appreciate, but it was homiemade and very good. I ordered Chicken Rollatini which came with mashed potatoes and the mashed potatoes needed to be mixed more they were very lumpy and they needed more milk and butter. The food.Overall needs work for the price they charge. Another person in my party got chicken parmesan.The chicken parmesan was very thick and it was very dry and needed more sauce on it. I wouldn't go back. Its truly not authentic read more

Haven't been here in years, but it is always packed on weekends. Decided to give it a long overdue try again. I originally came here when it was a pizzeria, turned into including dining, now full blown high end restaurant! We were seated at outdoor back patio, which was beautiful and perfect climate. Just as beautiful as the inside! Ordered ginger calamari which was our least favorite. It wasn't the taste, but it felt like the calamari was made ahead of time. Barely warm and nothing special. The Seafood malafemmina was outstanding though! Loaded with flavor, chopped clams, whole clams, shrimp, small split lobster tail, and fresh homemade linguine! Highly recommend! The braised short ribs and ricotta gnocchi was super tender with pillowy little bites of heaven. We brought our own wine which was $15 cork fee, but one glass of wine provided by them is about $14. Well worth bringing your own! They add on a service fee if paying by credit, but it was just under $4 for a $100 check. You can dress very casually too! Service was exceptional and we will gladly return. If you want bread though, be sure to order it for another $4, but we personally didn't want it. Nor am I a fan of charging for bread. IMO offer first basket free, then charge for additional. No sweat to us though! Def recommend reservations for weekends tho! read more

See all

My mother and I visited on a summer afternoon, after roaming the streets for what felt like an hour trying to find parking. The ambiance was very nice. The tables actually have space between them, which you don't always get at restaurants. We didn't feel like we were on top of any other parties that were there and we had plenty of room to just have a comfortable meal without feeling crowded. The restaurant from the outside doesn't look so big, but once you step inside you'll see that the restaurant is broken out into two sections and has outdoor seating! We each ordered a Ceasar Salad and Penne Vodka with breaded chicken cutlets and honestly couldn't get enough. Everything was delicious - to end the meal we ordered a cup of coffee and split a tartufo. The service was great! Everyone was super friendly and attentive to any and all questions, all of our food came out in a timely manner, and our waiter was very personable. We will definitely be back! read more

First and foremost get the truffle gnocchi. It's the right kind of gnocchi soft pillowy great rich flavor. Second everything you eat here is gonna be great. But what is best here is a great young server who tries her best and is personable. Such a rare find, her name is Itzel and she's a delight. Happy to have a fantastic date night here! read more