Paisano’s

This is everything I want in a affordable Italian restaurant. Fresh bread, chilled salad, good entrees and great tiramisu. We enjoy taking our whole family here. The service is always good as well.

Due to the extensive gluten free selections for a dining sidekick, we decided to give this place a visit. Immediately upon arriving we were greeted by am eager host and seated with equally attentive servers waiting. We placed our orders after a few minutes and were brought out a basket of bread as including the gluten free garlic bread we requested. The regular artisan bread was missing a little flavor but the Gluten free garlic was impressive. I placed am order for their duck special which was a pomegranate glazed duck over primavera risotto. When the entrée was served I was thoroughly impressed with the presentation. The crispy skin was delicious and combined with the tender juiciness of the duck breast was downright delicious. The glaze was a little too sweet for my liking but the risotto did a nice jib of offsetting it. I would order this dish again. The others in my party placed orders for pasta and were given very hearty portions, which based in the pricing of each ($ 18.95@) were adequate. While I enjoyed my entrée their wasn’t much that will have me rushing back in a hurry on an individual basis, but due to their catering to the gluten free life I know I will be back at some point. Most likely for a lunch visit.

Great place to eat! Had so many gluten free options! I didn’t even know what to chose!!! Gluten free bread dessert pasta. It was heaven. It was really good tasting food too. I would definitely go back!!!

The food was good and the price was not that bad. Timely service and we walked right in. Clean.

Clams with White sauce and pasta $ 25 for five clams way over priced and we waited one hour for the food. And it didn’t taste that good to begin with. And then we saw other tables had bread. Told them we didn’t receive any bread, wait minute will get you some, two slices of bread later I found out it cost $ 4.95! We order a coffee and they never brought it to the table they put the coffee on the bill I asked them to remove it and they looked at me like I was crazy. Would never eat at this place ever again can’t stand cheap restaurants

I recently started a gluten free diet. We found out the owner of this restaurant has celiac disease and created a gluten free menu. Five star for their wide variety of gluten free options. It’s so difficult to find gluten free appetizers, entrees and desserts on any menu in this town. Here– I got to eat calamari, eggplant parmesan, bread, carrot cake, chocolate mousse, and lasagna! The service was excellent. The hostess asked if we needed a gluten free menu. I didn’t have to ask. It is part of their culture. Will be back!

I came here with a group of 14 for a retirement dinner. When we arrived, they put us in this alcove that was semi private, which was nice, but it was separated into 2 tables, so that wasn’t great because those at the smaller table felt like they were being left out and were at the «little kids» table. Our server was very nice and energetic. He clearly is good at what he does and was able to handle a large group. He also didn’t mind us requesting separate checks. The food was good and they offer 2 sizes for their entrees, which was nice for me since I normally can’t finish a full Italian meal. The food and service were good and this was the first time I’d had Italian food in Albuquerque and would definitely come back again.

Food was great, water was never empty, but our waiter added 2 glasses of Chianti we did not order.

As someone with celiac disease, I usually avoid Italian restaurants like the plague. Most places, even if you order something without bread or pasta, you get cross contamination, and get ill. However, when I heard that not only did Paisano’s have a gluten free menu, that the owner is also celiac, I felt confident to give it a try. Many places try to do gluten free to keep up with the trends, but a celiac sufferer will know what has to be done to keep cross contamination to a minimum, since our health is at stake!
Before going, I called the restaurant and asked questions about the GF menu; my questions were answered by someone with a thorough knowledge of the potential food allergens on the menu. Another good sign! Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were pleasantly greeted by the staff, and when menus were distributed, our server (Christopher) made sure that I had a GF menu. He also put a placard at my place setting indicating gluten free. I kept it simple and had GF spaghetti with sausage.
The pasta (rice flour based) was nicely al dente; if you eat GF I don’t have to tell you how many places make rice pasta that resembles mush. This was almost what I remember wheat pasta feeling like in my mouth. The sauce was delicious and you could actually see the vegetables in it. Fairly sure the sausage was scratch-​made as well; it didn’t taste like mass produced product. The best part was that I didn’t have any wheat cross-​reaction symptoms. The kitchen did a great job in keeping my food safe from the things that would make me ill.
The lunch size portion was just right, which is unfortunate since I didn’t have room to try one of the many GF desserts available. I will definitely be going back though!

This was beautiful. I have never had a perfect pizza. But here, I could not find a thing wrong with my pizza. It was perfectly cooked, with no burnt spots. It tasted amazing, and had the perfect toppings (disclaimer: they were of my choosing).
My family enjoyed the fresh pasta with three different dishes. And the bread they server before is all artisan bread of varying kinds. The olive oil dip doesn’t just come with pepper like other restaurants — this one came with garlic, balsamic vinegar, and possibly a little red pepper.
We shall return.

First time there last night, my partner said her she’d eaten there before and it had been fantastic. So to our disappointment the food was inedible. The Chicken Parm was burned and black, and her Eggplant Parm was undercooked, room tempature, soggy, and tasted off.
The mgr was combative, no such thing as the customer is always right here. We sent the food back after one bite and they gave us a bill for $ 13 for 2 house salads and an ice tea. I won’t be back.

We enjoyed our basil pesto linguine and pizza. However, something needs to be done about those salads! I regretted my $ 6 salad that consisted of a few pieces of iceberg lettuce salad mix. This alone took off a star! The waiter was nice enough, but I overheard him tell another table that he wasn’t sure if the kitchen could help the vegetarian customer get veggies on her pasta because «it depended on their mood.» How rude! We had pizza, pasta, sad salads and wine for $ 50. In the end, there’s better places in Abq for a $ 50 meal.

At the door you’re asked does anyone need a gluten-​free menu? You’re handed an extensive menu with gluten-​free choices. Had the portobello stuffed mushroom and the shrimp primavera, and of course had to try one of the desserts, all of which are gluten-​free. It is important to recognize restaurants that are serving outstanding food with outstanding service to an ever-​growing base of gluten free customers.

This place deserves all the stars. The food was delicious and there were so any options. I’m vegetarian, I had the linguini with pesto and the special which was a caprese salad (I think magic fairies grew the tomatoes!). My boyfriend had the fettucini alla lucchese (sausage chicken and mushrooms) with a cup of Italian wedding soup. We each had a glass of wine which was suggested to pair with each of the dishes. I also liked that there were many gluten free options, I know many people that would find it helpful! We didn’t try the desserts because we were so full, but we decided that they sounded so good that we will come back just to try. I’ll give the service an A+ too.

How do you screw up chicken parm… For a perfect example go here for dinner, watch them hammer a chicken breast into submission then submit it to freezer burn and over cook it so the «chicken» crumbles like the bread crumbs. Then watch them follow up with spaghetti noodles that crunch like wonton noodles in tomato sauce so watered down you’d think it was just water and red food coloring.

Awesome Italian Restuarant! You can’t go wrong on their homemade pastas, soups, breads and desserts! I am gluten free and their menu is available gluten free for almost 100% of the items.
Long time customer, have never had poor service or a unhappy experience!!!

We just had an AMAZING meal here tonight! I have been gluten-​free for over 2 years and have not been here to try the extensive GF menu — and now I am kicking myself. As I told my husband, since going GF, most of the time my restaurant/​eating out experiences are just «OK.» If I can find something edible, that isn’t going to make me sick — that’s good enough. But the meal I had tonight at Paisano’s was more than just OK — this is food I would be happy to eat any time, anywhere. I had the GF lasagna and it was light and EXTREMELY delicious — great by any standards, not just «this is OK as gluten-​free food goes.» My husband loved it so much he wished he could trade with me :) My son and husband had traditional (with-​gluten) dishes and reported that they were delicious. We had the GF garlic bread and GF tiramisu to share as well. I hadn’t had tiramisu in so long that I nearly had tears in my eyes tasting it, NO KIDDING. This is an amazing place and we will be back soon.
One other note — some other Unilocal reviews have commented on service problems. Our service was quick and attentive and we didn’t spend a lot of time waiting for anything. It is a very different experience than most places in Albuquerque, where your waitperson may be FAST, but they don’t even look at you while you’re giving your order. Here, the waitstaff is friendly, warm, polite, and very interested in helping you understand the menu. I am very picky about service, and I have no problems recommending Paisano’s to anyone, whether you need GF food or not.

My husband and I went here for the first time for our wedding anniversary. I was so excited to see such a large gluten free menu. My husband had the regular chicken parm and I had the gluten free shrimp Primavera and gluten free garlic bread. We split a tiramsu dessert. All of their desserts are gluten free. It was amazing. They ate a little pricey but so worth it, especially if you are gluten free and love Italian food. I would’ve given more stars but our waitress was hitting on my husband right in front of me… on our special occasion date night. Although she may not have been aware that it was our anniversary, we were clearly on a date.

What a great little pace this is! It’s a little further than we usually drive for a meal but it was a dinner with friends and they’ve always had nothing but nice things to say about it. It was definitely worth the drive! The pasta is made fresh and boy did it make a difference. The wine was good and the service was too. We had a good-​sized group but I imagine it would also be a great place for a romantic dinner. Also, one of the only places that will still take a reservation. I hope to be back soon!

Great Italian. Good atmosphere. Gluten free options. Fast and knowledgeable service. Will definitely return.

This place was Amazing!!! The service was impeccable & very knowledgeable, they explained the specials in beautiful detail & were very courteous, also very professional!!! Now the best part of course is the food! oh my I cannot say enough good things about the food, the tomato spaghetti sauce was the most flavorful I have ever tasted & the freshly made spinach pasta beat everything I have ever tasted in Vegas or anywhere else, they dont even make food this good in Italy!!! My husband had the veal lasagna & I had the roasted duck over spinach pasta with the red spaghetti sauce. We even bought a jar of their sauce to take home. My husband also said it was the best lasagna he ever had!

+excellent service
+freshly made pasta (this should be a prerequisite for all Italian restaurants)
+delicious shrimp scampi
+homey décor
new favorite Italian spot in ABQ

HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS DELICIOUS! I can’t say enough good things about this place. Nice atmosphere, impeccable service, amazing food.
They start with a variety basket of fresh baked breads with oil and vinegar to dip. The salads are the perfect mix of greens and dressing. Didn’t try the soup, but it’s also homemade and I’m sure very good. Hands down THE VERY BEST chicken Parmesan I’ve ever had.
Our beverages never got below half way without someone refilling them.
The entire staff was friendly and courteous. We will be going here often.

Usually I love the food at Paisano’s – but today I ordered the mussels appetizer. I guess it was my fault for not paying attention to the description of the preparation.
They were covered with dry bread crumbs – thus the mussels were dry; and the bread crumbs were mixed with a lot of spices – some type of chili included – so it was quite spicy. Totally overpowered the mussels. What a terrible thing to do to mussels!
My salad was great. So I will go back. But, just beware if you love mussels.

I absolutely love Paisano’s when it comes down to eating traditional authentic Italian food «like Noni use to make» this place is such a charming place that has been historically around for years. Never, ever have had a bad meal, or service or no wait never ever had anything but a wonderful & noteworthy meal at Paisano’s. This is truly one of ABQ’s authentic place for fresh and very authentic food.
The menu isn’t confusing at all if you can read and take the time to look at the specific menu you will be ordering from. They offer a Presto Lunch menu for under $ 10.00 so when you’re in a hurry… it Fast or it’s FREE ~~~~you cant really go anywhere nowadays for lunch and get a delicious lunch dish for under $ 10.00 soup or salad included along with authentic Italian bread & oil… just sayinnnnnnn. In the last month ½ Ive eaten at least 6 separate occasions and its always «OUTSTANDING» Remember my beautiful people they «Paisano’s» pride themselves by indicating «we cook like your Italian Grandma would» so don’t confuse yourself if your looking for «new innovative culinary cuisine», this is traditional Italian Style at its FINEST!!! CIAO BELLA

I always really want to like local joints but these guys are living in the past. Everything seems in dire need of a revamp.
I’ll jump right into the food experience. The menu is bizarre. They offer 2 sizes. You have no idea what size either of them are. Most of the pasta dishes were prices at 12 – 15 $ for the small portion and 22 – 25 $ for a «full» portion. Whatever that is. So not really knowing if this food was going to be good I didn’t want to break the bank with a full portion so I opted for a small. Since I got the small it didn’t come with an option of salad or soup which I didn’t mind. I shared my husbands bean soup. The soup and long strands of fettuccine in it kinda like a garnish, It was weird and hard to eat with a spoon. The concept of this was lost on me.
My entrée was a pasta dish with artichokes, chicken, and a few other unmemorable veggies tossed in a unflavored sauce. They are trying to make fresh pasta but it lacked in flavor and that wonderful toothsome bite that well made fresh pasta has. Mine kinda laid limp. The chicken had a few pieces that were tendon-​y. I had to keep adding salt because the whole dish had no flavor. It looked like a normal dinner size to me so like I said before I have no idea what the full size looks like. Whatever it is I didn’t need or want any more of that dish.
My husband got Chicken Parm. 20 $ for cparm. It better be good. So it was a heaping plate of chicken smothered in cheese and sauce and a side of pasta. There was also a side of sauteed spinach that didn’t look like it belonged. The chicken was dried out, it was greasy, and it was sad. He had the same limpy pasta and the spinach could of brighten the dish if it had any flavor. It was just a lump of soggy spinach. I did like the marinara sauce it. It tasted fresh and was bright. It couldn’t save the dish unfortunately.
I tried my buddies spinach ravioli and it was dry with a few dollops of marinara on top. It didn’t taste fresh the whole dish was bleh.
We were celebrating a birthday. It was only 8:30 and all the oldies were all finished up and gone by the time we were having dessert. The kitchen turned up the music in the back. That to me was a sign they wanted us the hell out of there. The staff was cleaning up furiously. That didn’t keep us from continuing to finish our night. We opened a few presents and were done by 9:00. The whole place was shut down while we were saying our goodbyes in the front of the restaurant. That part of our experience definitely upset me. When you are spending your hard earned money on dinner you shouldn’t be shoo’d out of the restaurant. Especially when they are still open.
I hate to go all Gordon Ramsey on them but this place needs a revamp bad. That chef needs to get back to basic Italian fresh ingredients! Stop living in your old greasy chicken ways. What your doing is old and its not working. There is no passion in this place.
Change your weird menu size portions and get that pasta right!

brilliant! my wife is celiac but i don’t eat gluten either, her brother and mother have sensitivities also, and celiac or not this is GREAT food, great service, nice atmosphere and an overall wonderful mission had made this a place like no other. i can’t believe and also regret there is not a place like this in L.A. where we live or anywhere else we’ve been for that matter. thank you guys for letting so many be included in great eating where we would otherwise have no chance. great job.
–BDF

Cool venue. It feels like a converted house so when you get inside you try to figure out what the house looked like before the conversion.
We were given a table in a tiny room all alone. The girl who provided our service was very thorough and not shy about offering her opinions of meals on the menu.
I ordered the stuffed shells. When I ordered it I thought I was ordering something too tame. I wanted to step outside the normal. I didn’t go wrong though. They were very good.

Story time! So I’ll start with saying that my family and I are all extremely mellow and easy going folks. We decide to go to this fine establishment for Italian nourishment and atmosphere. My parents, my sister, our aunt uncle and grandparents were together. All of which very easy going happy people.
Well once our food finally arrives we all start eating. All is dandy until… Until my aunt felt something hard in her pasta. She took it from her face cavity inquiring what it could be and low and behold! An invasive piece of glass nearly made it’s way down her gullet!
Now that is not the reason I give this place a one star (I wish I could go lower!) but it was how they handled the situation!
When confronted with this, our waiter asked to take the glass back we said no but he insisted and took it to «see where it came from». Never saw him for the rest of the night. No one was going to eat their food and no employer dared come to our table. We confronted the manager who played dumb. The glass piece was «accidentally» thrown away. They decided to only compensate for my aunts food even though the rest of us refused the food for fear of glass shards.
In the end we were chastised by the staff for «making a scene» and had to pay for the rest of the meal. Because my grandparents are nice people.
In conclusion, we would’ve been ok if only they handled the situation better. And now we hate this restaurant with a passion. The end.

Paisanos is a great little Italian place up in the Heights. Their prices are higher than the Olive Gardens of the world, but you do get a bump in quality for the jump in price.
They have a wide selection of Gluten Free options (which for a place that serves a lot of pasta is saying something), but I’m not a good judge on whether or not the GF menu options are any good.
But their ‘traditional’ options are very tasty, and they have a signature dish of Butternut Squash Ravioli which they have on the menu regularly in the summer. And speaking of summer, their enclosed patio is somewhat of an oddity. Not very sheltering in a spring windstorm, however.

A bit overpriced but very good Italian food. I have a hard time imagining anywhere else in Abq that can match up at similar prices. I still hold that the pricing is slightly too high for Abq and for the quality, but it is now my favorite overpriced Italian joint! !!