Pagliai's is a family business with a lengthy history of producing fine Italian food. Pag's is run by Larry Anderson and his daughter Melissa Parsons. Melissa has been involved seriously for 20 years and made her first pizza at the age of 13. She was the general manager for many years. She now owns the restaurant. Pagliai's has existed in Carbondale since 1968. In the sixties, Larry Anderson worked with his uncles in the pizza business in high school. He then attended university, got his degree, and went Iowa City for 2 1/2 years. There he learned the business from Sam and Armand Pagliai who had inherited and then perfected the recipes their Italian parents, John and Catterina, had refined over many years. This created a legacy of fine quality and old world craftsmanship that is present in the food you get at Pagliai's today. Take a bite, close your eyes, you can taste the freshness and the delicate blend of fresh ingredients and spices that is in everything Pag's creates. We are so happy and proud to have you as part of the Pagliai's family.
Everything you are served at Pagliai's is fresh. Dough is made daily from a memorized family recipe, no pre-made dough mixes are used. Sausage is spiced and blended from the old family recipes and the meat is ground on site. Even the mushrooms are bought locally and sliced at the restaurant. Cheese is cut up from blocks, ground and special, savory blends are created. The meat pasta sauce is made in the facility and cooked all day prior to being served. Melissa and Larry are on site every day making sure that everything is being prepared properly and that the food is of a quality they can be proud of. Any customer of Pagliai's knows that they can come in anytime and get served the same delicious fare they had last time they ate here.