Pao

Tried this place last night, it was crowded yet we were seated immediately. The food was good, I had the sea bass which I will not order again, the filet was very thin, but the accompanying food was very good. The french onion soup was excellent. The chorizo egg rolls were delicious, the salmon was served on a bed of cauliflower and rice. The presentation gets a 0. The bar was super noisey, and the manager cursed at a waitress following a broken dish. Food gets a 3, ambiance 3, and our server a solid 5. She was amazing, cordial, helpful and attentive without being overbearing.

Pros: Good food and great staff.
I had Pao chicken and it was just yummy. Staff were great and always welcoming.
Cons: Short menu (sometimes this might be a good option compared to 4 – 5 pages of menu)
But, I am not sure whether this place is spacious (enough tables) inside as we opted to sit outside couple of times we went so far.
Definitely recommend this restaurant…

We wanted to take our California friends out to dinner on a Monday evening. Needless to say, we were astonished at how many of our favorite dining venues were closed on that day! We decided to try Pao Restaurant. It had been many years since we were there, but we were hopeful after reading Unilocal reviews. The evening was a great success: freshly prepared food, interesting appetizers and professional wait staff. One of our guests was from the California wine region and commented on how perfectly cooked the tuna was. Thank you, Pao, for providing an interesting menu!

I was there with a large group & several ordered appetizers which we all shared, & all were delicious! I ordered steak which was cooked perfectly. The goat cheese salad with house dressing was the best salad I’ve had in any restaurant.

My husband and I came here for the first time and all I can say is WOW! Everything from our amazingly unique drinks to the steak was perfect! Our waitress was very sweet and paid so much attention to us to make sure we were satisfied! I can’t wait to go back!

PAO is one of my favorite places to go for dinner in Springfield. The staff and food quality are some of the best around, in my opinion. The ambiance is something you can’t find elsewhere in the city. Here’s to many more dinners at PAO! Don’t forget a mojito or martini!

Our experience started making a reservation. The guy that answered was so nice and polite. I told him 7:15 or 7:30. He said «how about I put you down for 7:15 and its okay if you are a little bit late.»
My husband and I loved this restaurant. We had a variety of things from the menu and shared. The prime rib was amazing! Sushi fantastic! Martina’s great! Goat cheese salad was so yummy! Service was top notch, very friendly and everything came very promptly! We will go back, definitely! Can’t wait!
It is kind of known for being pretty expensive, however I thought it was relatively reasonable when we got our bill.
A Very minor comment that my husband found not great was the fact that they don’t have any beers on tap. (Like I said, minor for us).

Best salmon in town! Cooked perfectly with a delicious glaze. The goat cheese salad with house made dressing is also a must. Tuna is hit or miss. As far as dessert, the carrot cake is moist and the frosting is creamy, cheesecake is delicious, choc mouse/​tort/​cake not so good– it’s dry. This is the best place to eat in Springfield by far.

Had their sushi — most excellent!
However, bartender (little redhead) had the bar and the bar tables plus the service bar and she simply could not handle it. Drinks took forever (if you could get her attention) and she took over 40 minutes to get to taking our food order (appetizers of sushi).
Food = excellent
Service = Not so Excellent this visit

UPDATE— I am leaving my original review below but this place has changed drastically! During 2013 the manager (large man at front door with brown hair) apparently lost his passion for the restaurant and his customer service skills. One time he refused to assign us with a server we requested, who had served us well in the past, but we forgave that. The food quality had went down as well during 2013. However, in ¹²⁄₂₀₁₃ my wife and I went in and there was a large group occupying both the dining area (only coats in there though) and the entire bar. I believe they should have been confined to one area. However, we were sat but at a folding table with folding chairs. We usually spend over $ 100.00 at Pao and did not see this as appropriate for a fine (kinda) dining restaurant. The server sat us at a table but the manager soon came over and stated we could not sit there because he was saving it for a 5 top in 30 minutes. We were told to get up and as I asked where we could sit the manager stated we would need to leave. I commented that we are in the restaurant about 3 – 4 times a month, but he looked in my eyes and then turned to talk to people who were walking in.
We will not return. I thought of calling the owner… but this is just too poor to accept. Perhaps we will wait to see if he leaves in the future. Until then, Maldaner’s is enjoying seeing us more often :-)
WOW!!! What perfect atmosphere, food, service (usually), and price! I recommend Pao to ANYONE who can spend $ 100 on dinner for two. We have been there 4 times now and it is GREAT! 5 full stars.

My wife and another couple met at Pao for dinner for the first time about a week ago. I think, in general, we all four enjoyed the food and ambience. Appetizer, goat cheese salad, and entrée were all very good. Waiter did a good job of taking care of us. We will go there again.

I have been to PAO a handful of times and it is always the same story. It takes FOREVER to get your food. I have never been out of here in less than two hours and on New Years Eve our dinner took 3 ½ hours and I essentially missed much of the festivities that year. The food is expensive and its just ok. They used to have a fairly diverse sushi menu, which has sense been reduced, which has further reduced my desire to go there. I have decided I can’t waste anymore of my life waiting hours for my food at PAO and therefore will not be returning.

Used to love the place but we really don’t like the changes since Curtis sold it. The Pao chicken just doesn’t taste the same. The chocolate waffle dessert is gone as well. Other notable favorites also seem to have disappeared from the menu also.
On the up-​side, the sushi rice is a good bit better than it used to be and you can actually eat the maki pieces in a single bite.

Despite reading poor reviews, I thought I’d give PAO a shot.
We should have gone… anywhere really, but here.
I can’t decide what was worse. Maybe it was the below freezing dining room where half of the patrons were wearing coats. Or maybe it was the fact that a sushi dinner took almost two hours. Or maybe it was that we saw our waiter a grand total of five times in those two hours. Or maybe it was that the sushi was no better than the cheapest sushi I’ve eaten in California but it cost twice as much.
The service was probably what really did them in. I could have dealt with a long wait or a cold dining room, had it actually been acknowledged or apologized for. So terrible that this 25% standard tipper left ZERO tip.
Never. Ever. Ever. Again.

The only reason I’m giving this a 4 and not a 3 is because they are the only place I’ve found that has brown rice sushi (other than walmart) and their menu is unique, although this place is overpriced.

Where do I start on this place…
Bad wait staff? You bet, probably some of the most obtuse, clueless, rude and just all around don’t give a crap attitude staffs I’ve seen.
Mediocre food? check, they got that covered too. Nothin stands out here except for your next meal at another restaurant.
Going for sushi? Don’t kid your self. Thats why you’re reading this review. Listen to me when I say the sushi here is NOT good. It takes forever to get and is below average. Don’t get caught up in the moment and end up here getting sushi. Learn from my mistakes, I have gone here and put in the hard time so you dont have to. Skip it. Go somewhere else. Anywhere…

I’ve been here a few times with varying results. The first time was with my sister over two years ago and everything was wonderful (that time we didn’t have any sushi, but gorged ourselves on dessert).
The second time was about a month ago for my bachelorette party. The drinks and sushi I liked, the entrees were… horrible. I had gotten the lamb and it was just… gross tasting. Which doesn’t make me inclined to try anything aside from the sushi there. I don’t recall what sushi it was, because my sister ordered most of it.
Most recently I went the with a relative and we had a good time. Salad, sushi, drinks and dessert. Though the bill for everything was huge.
I have noticed the lackluster attitudes of some of the staff. The most recent time in there we were standing at the front while the chick manning the bar just stood there and talked to a friend. Eventually she yelled in the back for someone to take care of us.
But the waitress serving us was nice and when I got soy sauce on myself she was kind enough to suggest bringing me club soda and a napkin to keep it from staining.
Overall, I enjoy their creative selection of sushi, drinks and desserts. I will continue to go there from time to time when I’m not concerned with the expense of it.

Probably my favorite spot in Springfield. In the Gables Shopping area. Nice atmosphere, great staff. Varied but smallish menu. I’ve had most. Possibly the best steak in town. Fish, duck, chicken all good. Pork chops especially good. Very reasonably priced for the quality, as is the wine list. Nice bar to drop by for a drink and try the fresh sushi.