Paisano's Ristorante — Restaurant in Topeka

Recently, I had the pleasure of dining at Paisano's Ristorante, where I indulged in their highly recommended 15 Layer Lasagna. While the dish showcased promising flavors and textures, I couldn't help but notice that it was slightly over seasoned and had an excess of tomato purée, affecting the overall balance.

First and foremost, Paisano's Ristorante exudes a warm and inviting ambiance. The elegant décor and attentive staff created a welcoming atmosphere for a pleasant dining experience. The restaurant's commitment to providing a comfortable environment is commendable.

Now, onto the star of the show—the 15 Layer Lasagna. Upon presentation, it was evident that a lot of care had gone into crafting this culinary masterpiece. The layers of pasta, meat, and cheese were generously stacked, promising a delightful combination of flavors. The lasagna held great potential with its rich and hearty appearance.

As I took my first bite, I was greeted by a medley of flavors that initially impressed me. The layers of pasta were perfectly cooked, offering a satisfying texture, and the cheese added a luscious creaminess to each bite. The meat, though flavorful, was slightly overshadowed by the overpowering seasoning. It felt as if the dish had been seasoned with a heavy hand, making the overall taste a tad overwhelming.

Furthermore, the lasagna seemed to have an excessive amount of tomato purée, resulting in a pronounced tomato flavor that overpowered the other ingredients. While tomato purée is a common element in lasagna, its presence should ideally complement the dish without dominating the palate. In this case, the tomato purée became the focal point, leaving me yearning for a more balanced composition.

In terms of service, the staff at Paisano's Ristorante was attentive and knowledgeable, making the dining experience pleasant. The waitstaff was prompt in addressing any concerns and ensured that guests felt well taken care of throughout the meal.

While the 15 Layer Lasagna at Paisano's Ristorante showed promise with its intricate layers and initial flavors, the dish was ultimately let down by its heavy seasoning and overwhelming tomato purée. With some adjustment in the seasoning and a more delicate use of tomato purée, this dish has the potential to truly shine.

Despite these shortcomings, Paisano's Ristorante offers a charming atmosphere and attentive service that contributes to an enjoyable dining experience. I would recommend exploring other options on their menu and hope to return to sample their other offerings in the...

There is a doorbell notification and or apparatus at the front that dings each time someone comes in, but not only that, it continues to ding as long as they are standing anywhere near or in front of this motion detector thing. So if 2 to 3 people come in at one time it dings multiple and I do mean multiple times while they are standing there waiting to be checked in. This can be heard throughout the entire restaurant and is extremely annoying. Myself and my friends could not even concentrate or enjoy conversation because of this distracting situation. I'm sure the workers are used to it and probably don't even hear it, in which case it is an unnecessary item. You have someone literally standing at the front desk to check people in anyway so why is it needed?? The owner needs to revisit this and get rid of it! If you don't have employees who are aware when a customer comes in then fire them! In addition to all of this, the food was subpar, I ordered a margarita pizza which was most definitely not a traditional margarita pizza explanation point Margarita Pizza should have Buffalo mozzarella at least some type of mozzarella. This pizza was disgusting. For this very miserable experience, I will never be back. As I look at how many negative reviews you have, I had to add to this when I saw the owner's responses. This owner defends instead of "owning up" or trying to improve. As a former business owner, I would remind you that you want feedback whether it be negative or positive and that the customer is always right. They are the ones that keep you in business and literally pay your employees' paychecks. When you respond to negative feedback in the manner that you do, it shows you truly do not care about your customers. Your responses are childish at best. You don't deserve good customers and at the rate you're going, you certainly...

Should have been better. When an Italian restaurant cooks the same food every day they do things by habit eventually. This place clearly has picked up bad habits. Curbside pick up twenty minutes after I ordered. I got the taste of Italy dish for dinner and the fried zucchini for an appetizer. The place advertised big bread sticks and salad. These two could not have been more 'right out of the bag' or lacking in taste. The zucchini was the same but imagine getting the finger sized vegetable sticks they fried at lunch rush. This seven dollar handful was thrown into a large to go container and ended up as a mushy mass with a plastic cup of ranch. Tasted it,did not eat it. The entre' was curious. The chef was kind enough to substitute Bolognese sauce for Alfredo on the pasta. I could not tell the difference between the lasagna and the chicken parma. I actually put one back in the box thinking I had removed the wrong one first. The lasagna was a solid mass that I am sure was cooked at the lunch rush because the the bottom and one side was the consistency of a ceramic dish. I could not get through it with my knife. Scraped a little off the top but...well you can imagine. The chicken had a thick breading. Could not tell where breading stopped and chicken started or the difference between sauce and cheese. Again it seems to have been cooked long before it was served to me. It retained the strong taste of the rancid fryer oil though. So there was that. The fettuccine with meat sauce was bright and acidic. By far the highlight of my nearly 35 dollar meal. Can't recommend this place for any part of my meal. Maybe if you go inside they are more considerate. Bad habits are hard to...