Pasquales reminds me of the late 80's..early 90's with it's style...it's got that great Italian feel to it...it's a sweet place with vintage charm for sure! A little bored with the farm to table..craft beer..craft coctail....craft etc...you get the idea.... Pasquales brings it back to REAL with some great tasting food and dedicated service. I was part of a funeral banquet so I didn't get to order food from the menu, only cocktails...your Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, whiskey type cocktails... We were served salad, bread, mostaccioli, pasta alfredo, potatoes, chicken, and eggplant parmesan. Let me start with the creamy garlic salad dressing...oh dear lord, grab a hold of your taste buds because this dressing is PHENOMINAL, and when I went to thank the servers upon leaving I mentioned this to them, and they told me they sold it by the quart!! Guess who got some? ME!! The bread was warm, soft, billowy, awesome! Mostaccioli had a really great flavor, along with the potatoes, and chicken. The food was so good, it took me well into the evening before I dared to replace those memories with something abysmal out of my fridge...well...besides the quart of dressing I bought earlier! Pasquales and the likes are going to be the next "big" thing in the dining out arena... Getting back to REAL and revisiting old favorites is what's hot! Can't wait to get back to Pasquales to try other original dishes!
(4)
Chris M.
Pasquales why? A long time ago this was a very acceptable average place to get pizza or salad. The draw back in the day were bread sticks. There some issues not too far back and they either closed or were going to close...Anyway, they are open. Maybe they shouldn't be. This place is beyond awful. One of the worst most meals I've attempted to eat. We arrived for early dinner and the place is pretty empty. We were greeted immediately by the friendly host...Yup might be ok..... The waiter comes over gets our drinks as we look over the menu, not rude or friendly - either looks like he is very busy or maybe we smell bad. I order a Chicken Parmesan and Jess B orders Eggplant Parmesan. We get salad or soup and two side consisting of pasta, potato, or vegetables. The food soup (Italian wedding) and salad are standard items and are ok. The main course comes out too fast. My chicken is burnt with heavily sauce and cheese to hide it. It's beyond salty and after two bites, I'm done...no box needed. The baked potato, which I didn't eat might be the only credible thing about my meal as it has tin foil so I know it isn't microwaved. Jess B's meal on the other hand is one of the oddest and grossest looking things I've ever seen. The color of the heavily coated eggplant is black and gray. She takes one bite and doesn't look happy. She give me a small bite, I'm not sure why because she knows it's awful but I try it and it is so awful. She just eats the potato. The waiter walks over with a "how is everything?" pointing to each item I say " ok, bad, bad, gross". We ask if the eggplant it frozen, which you can tell it is. He says we make it in house. That doesn't mean it was made then frozen then reheated. It is all breading and thin line of black and gray. He goes back and forth with us on the meal. I said that we will pay and we don't want any boxes. He finally comes back and has taken her food off the bill. I left a nice tip because that is what you should do but the overall meal gets votes for worst of the year. The bread sticks are still decent but it's not enough to make you want to come back. Overall, we wasted 25 dollars and had to go elsewhere for a meal.
(1)
Matthew M.
Snapshot: Inexpensive Italian joint with lots of dishes in a relaxed, casual environment. We finally tried this place last night after driving by it on Woodward for three years. The place is very, very casual. It has a Coney Island restaurant feel, with booths and outdated decor. But I came here for the food. So let's dig in. We started with the fried calamari. It was a very standard execution, albeit a small portion for $8. Overall, pretty bland and simple, but the marinara and lemon wedge make it work. I ordered the baked cheese ravioli, and wouldn't order it again. Cheese filling was incredibly bland, and lacked any real distinct flavors. No garlic, salt or herbs of any kind. It honestly tasted like they just stuff these guys with ricotta right out of the tub. For $12.95, it could've been better. My wife ordered the butter garlic fettuccine with crab, shrimp and scallops. While it was VERY heavy on the garlic, I thought hers was a much better dish, if not a bit rich in butter usage. The complimentary bread was actually pretty good, and their salads were up to par. Ranch dressing was great, and scratch-made. The service was QUITE poor, however. We had to ask twice for water and tea refills, and once those were gone, we never got another refill. It was frustrating. Overall, we both agreed that we would come back and try this place again, but we were both underwhelmed. I think it's worth a shot, but don't expect anything fantastic. If like to come back and try an Alfredo or other pasta dish, but I'll stay away from their "baked" offerings from now on.
(3)
Shaheda K.
Because Olive Garden ruined my favorite pasta by adding bacon into their sundried tomato sauce, I had been on the look out for a great Italian restaurant that can satisfy my pasta cravings . I usually pass by this place when driving back home, and since then I've been excited to come here to eat! The great thing about this place is the decor, and the setting. Looks real fancy from the outside, but inside they have subtle lights, and velvet colored booths. This gave me the impression that dinner was going to be amazing, but you know sometimes first impressions are NOT everything. I liked the breadsticks but everything else from there went downhill. The antipasto salad (which I got without any meat) was bland, the pasta I ordered tasted like WATER, and I don't want to get started on the dessert we had. The service here was SO SO, the waitress didn't answer a very simple question I had about the mushroom sauce, instead she suggested I order mushrooms on the side. (Which had nothing to do with my question). I'm a fair person, and I'm never hard on waiters and waitresses but I wasn't happy with how she avoided answering my question. All in all, I was pretty disappointed, BUT I will come back a second time to try the vegetarian lasagna, and I do hope next time around, the food tastes as good as the place looks.
(2)
Tim K.
In the early 60's my family use to go to Pasquales when it was a small building on a lonely stretch of Woodward Avenue. Once they started to deliver, it was a weekly treat to get a pizza delivered out to our house. I loved their pizza and it was my favorite up until the time I left for Hawaii in 1963. Now, move forward 50 years when I return to a 50th high school (Groves) reunion. My first stop, before I even get to the hotel is Pasquales. But it is now a large restaurant on the other side of a what is now crowded Woodward Ave. I ordered a small pepperoni pizza and there it was as great as ever, perfect, where have you been all my life. I was in town for 4 days, I ate at Pasquales 3 of those days and now I only dream of the great pizza. The crust,the sauce, the cheese, the pepperoni, the just right way it is cooked. I just love it and I have not found another place (in 50 years) that can match it. This review is a bit late in coming as it was in Sept. of 2013 when I visited......better late then never, I guess.
(5)
David G.
Why do people flock here? Its a nasty Italian resturant. Food is ok at best. Over priced for the quality. Always looks so old and dirty inside. No thanks
(1)
Mimi P.
If I can give this place zero starts I will where should I start waitress really didn't impress me and the food ohh the food where should I start very disappointed used to come here years back and the food was taste and today will be our last day here NO flavor water down disgusting the vegetable looked like frozen its very sad to see a place like this lose its touch I hope they get it together and make this place the way it was hope the owners or management take the reviews seriously
(1)
Liz P.
I had been here before many years ago, came back today because my dad had a $20 off coupon for his birthday since he's in their email club (great deal!). We got a Greek salad (parents ate that, I'm not a salad person) which came with delicious breadsticks, and a large deep dish pizza with Italian sausage and mushrooms. The pizza was HUGE and the deep dish is the same price as the non-deep dish, so you may as well go for it. Food was fantastic and I would definitely come back just for that. Service was a little slow (was constantly waiting for water glass to be refilled) and the restaurant has kind of an odd set-up where I always had to wait by corners for people to come and go while walking to/from the restroom, otherwise this place would get 5/5 stars from me.
(4)
Andrew H.
Had antipasto salad and bruschetta while at the Dream Cruise. A/C was good also! Was packed with people.
(4)
Lori K.
I will give this place 5 stars because I'm obsessed with their bread. I'm a sucker for anything with good bread. I've been coming here for years and years and even though there are some occasional issues like new severs who don't understand what they are doing I always try and remain positive. Is this the most fancy Italian food? Heck no, but it's old school good grub and whenever I can get my pasta cover in melty cheese I'm on board. The decor is super 80s but just ignore it and enjoy what you're there for.
(5)
Amanda M.
I had the best experience here last night! The food and the service were fantastic. While I initially sent my pasta back because it was overcooked (happens so easily with cappellini) the server, Kirsten, the manager, and the owner were all incredibly attentive and happy to remake it. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Lisa S.
Tonight not the greatest service. Waiting and waiting. Tables all around getting food when they came in later by 30mins. Finally to be told. They put the wrong pizza order in and are doing another now. Hmmm how do you know it's wrong? We never saw one? Disappointing , but only the first time so we'll get over it.
(2)
Dustin P.
About what I expected. It ended up being pretty average Italian-American food. Large portions, but probably a little over priced for what it is. The breadsticks were legit though.
(3)
Julie G.
This place is amazing! It has the best service. The food is home made and the desserts are heavenly. The pizza the salads the bread. My favorite! It has been here for years and the food is better than any other Italian restaurant in the Detroit are. So delicious. Always look forward to coming here.
(5)
Susan M.
This Place used to be great. No matter what you ordered it was always fresh and really good. This was not part of my visit today. I went with a party of 8 and most of the people were very disappointed with the food. The service was great. The food was all bad. The bread was burnt and hard. We ended taking it home to use as dog treats since it was too hard to eat. The pizza a few people ordered was also burnt badly. I cant even believe they served both of these items since they clearly were not up to par. I ordered the fish special. It was dry and over cooked too. All the herbs on the top were burnt black so I couldnt even begin to identify exactly what it was. We also ordered a cake for everyone to eat as dessert. It was dry and hard and seemed to be very freezer burned. I am guessing it was stored in the freezer for a really long time. My wedding cake topper from 5 years ago was much better then this. Even my 4 year old said the cake "didn't taste good". She will eat anything sweet and refused. I am not a complainer with food. I just will never go back. It makes me sad to even write this since this was a place I grew up with. My grandparents and parents have also been coming here for years and will also never be back. Maybe it was a off day for the kitchen but since everything was so bad and the server never batted a eye it makes me think this is just normal for this place now. Next time I am driving over to the east side and going to frenzies restaurant in warren. It is a hike form home but worth it.
(1)
Steven L.
My wife and I went here to grab a bite before viewing a house we are looking to purchase in the area. This is an important detail that will come up later. We split the calamari and vegetable lasagna. Both dishes we not great but not the worst either. However, while viewing this potential purchase, it hit both of us. The Michigan Quickstep was in full affect and needless to say we committed a no no when viewing a home. We both used their facilities. We did not get a chance however to try their pizza, which looked good. Other than that we will be skipping coming back unless we need a cleanse.
(2)
Trish O.
So very disappointed in this restaurant. In need of some updates. Our waiter was so wanting to be doing something else other than wait on us. The waiter kept wiping sweat from his brow and you could see his pit sweat! That's appetizing! Gives us one drink and one appetizer menu for fifteen people. I could go on and on! Won't be back!
(1)
S M.
This is my favorite pizza restaurant in the area. I have been coming here for over 25 years since I was just in high school going with our group of friends. Their pizza is the best with crunchy pepperoni. The antipasto has the most variety of veggies Ive ever had in a salad. The complimentary bread sticks are plentiful and soft and warm. Friendly, homey atmosphere simply one of the best.
(5)
Michelle M.
This place used to be great (this was the FIRST restaurant my husband and I ate at and we loved it). We went back for our ten year anniversary and it was horrible. Green beans served from a can. Disgusting. I couldn't eat anything as nothing had flavor and I don't remember it being that bad ten years ago. The veal was pounded so thin I think I could see through it. Sadly, we will never be back and this was a very special place to us.
(1)
Richard F.
We hadn't been to this place in well over 30 years. No, really! We went once or twice when we first moved to Michigan. Coming from the east coast where Italian cuisine is an art form, we thought this place was not up to par, so we just never whet back. Then we were at the Yelp event at Cameron's and decided to get something to eat afterwards. So we cruised south on Woodward. It was late and most everything was closed, And we weren't starved anyway, so we were about to just head home and we say the Pasquales sign. So we decided to stop. Now either we are less discriminating now than we were over 30 years ago, or Pasquales has gotten their act together. I ordered a small combination pizza that had loads of meat and veggies and I took half of it home to serve another day, IT was really nicely prepared and quite a generous preparation. We will have to try Pasquales again for a real meal and see what they serve up.
(3)
Rhonda L.
Had a party of 7 for Mothers Day. Our waiter treated us like we were a burden to him our entire visit! Food was served cold and was so dry that we had to ask for extra sauce! Nephews chicken tenders were so burnt that we had to send them back. When the food was brought out, 5 men were served while us 2 Mothers had to wait about 5 minutes for them to bring ours out. The waiter brought a round of refill drinks out for the men - again, nothing for us Ladies! At first I thought it was because it was Mothers Day and that they may be busy - but it was pretty empty at the time we were there! Brought our bill without ever even asking us if we wanted dessert then waited over 1/2 hour before they returned with our credit card - the whole time sitting with nothing to drink! Definitely would not recommend this restaurant and definitely wont be returning!!
(1)
Michelle J.
Truthfully, the food is in the 2-star range but it is reasonably priced, very family friendly, and the service has always been great. The pizza is okay, but lacks a really good taste. The pastas are okay but the noodles are usually overlooked and the sauce is grocery store can quality. If you have small children (an are looking for a place where you are not likely to get too many looks if your little ones start acting like hethans) and want a reasonably priced meal without being too picky about taste - this is a good place
(3)
Greg Y.
I've been back a few times and the food and service appears to be back to what I expect, hence updating the rating back to 4/5 stars from it's previous 2/5. Veal parm for the win.
(4)
Dawn H.
I was surprised to see all the area natives giving this joint 1 and 2 and 3 stars - it's not like Michiganders have anything of quality in the way of food - and certainly all the old school joints are either way downtown or well - out if business. You all should be a bit ashamed of yourselves... If you don't support your long time Mom & Pop establishments, who will. After 60 years , yes SIXTY - and lord knows economic hardships this state has faced - show some respect - this place still holds up on the pizza end finished with one of THE Best cannoli's I've eaten outside of any little Italy This is good , old fashion Italian food and even better pizza - great with a large party and a full bar (can't beat that) for a good old fashioned Manhattan. Go! Support your traditions and your locals! Help keep these Unchained places alive!!
(5)
Jason M.
Pasquale's is the definitive 3-star restaurant. It's not spectacular, but I don't think it wants to be. They hired me for my first job busing tables more than 10 years ago and I made pretty good money. Even today it would be a little over minimum wage. Yes - the pasta is bagged and frozen. They use the same brands you find for sale at Julian Brothers on Rochester Rd, or probably any italian store. The staff are disgruntled and the managers a little too serious. When I worked there, the kitchen consisted of one guy making pizzas and 2-3 behind the pasta station. They had vats of precooked pasta sitting there and would quickly be able to create almost any dish on the menu. A ladle of pasta, a ladle of sauce, done. The price is appropriate to the taste and portion of your food. The pizzas are good. As someone else mentioned, this place is far better than Olive Garden if you want an Italian food fix but don't want to spend Andiamo's or Piccano's prices - or just want a place to sit down and have pizza where a mullet is not required (Pizza Hut represent!). I would only come back for nostalgia I think. There are some questionable sanitation practices that I've witnessed, but again that was 10 years ago so probably not fair to call them out for it. Suffice it to say, if I did go back, I would treat the croutons and ice cubes like they have Hep A through C.
(3)
Sarah R.
The pasta is average, the portions are decent. Kind of run-of-the-mill Italian food. I enjoy the pizza and have often got it carry out, I like that they use little pepperoni. There house salad dressing is tasty.
(2)
Andrew R.
Love the saled hated everything else..witness the so called manager chewing out one of the workers,
(1)
Neil Y.
Mediocre at best. A previous Yelp review noted that perhaps Pasquales perhaps isn't actually trying to be the best. I concur, they aren't. It's a long way from Andiamos but much closer to Olive Garden though priced accordingly. We have never had great service here even though we almost always get seated next to or near the server/bus station. Service is actually quite lousy and btw, if the employees have gripes, you'll hear them. Our server today must be a magician because he sure knew how to make himself frequently disappear. Refills are nonexistent. Salads and soup are actually decent here. Hard to tell if the soup is homemade and the salads could be more fresh. Pizza is just ok. All pasta dishes are middle of the road and made "sin amore de nona." Skip the bread sticks and ask for the warm sesame rolls. Desserts are not at all homemade and always come to the table cold. The cake is actually cold which of course takes the moisture out of it. Cold and dry. Pass. We ordered a pizza today. Half cheese and half Italian sausage. Our guy asked me if I wanted crumbled sausage or sliced sausage. I opted for sliced sausage. The menu says all toppings are $1.50 but what our server failed to tell me is that the sliced Italian sausage is actually and up-charge of $4.50 and on only HALF OF THE PIZZA. A magician he may be but i hate surprises that show up on the bill. One thing I do like about Pasquales is that they have draft beer that can be ordered in an ice cold boomba glass.
(2)
Jason H.
I wish I could give a zero. The veal Parmesan was terrible. The chicken was cold. The salads came our rotten, and the service sucked. Stay away, save your money!
(1)
Suzette O.
A perfectly average Italian restaurant that has been in the community for years. The food was fine, the service was a little bit slow. We had a party of ten and it took over an hour to get our dinners. Note - the bathroom is on the bottom level. You'll need to get in the freight elevator - and give the door a yank to make sure it's not in use. The button is not correct. it will show "in use" when it's not.
(3)
Ted H.
Run down, slightly smelly, and fairly dirty. Pasquales might have been good in the old days when people weren't very discerning, or picky but by todays standards they are far behind. Frozen bagged pasta, canned sauces, and overly salty food don't cut it today.. Overall I think they need to close down for a few months, renovate the entire place, clean the kitchen, and hire real chefs if they plan to stay open for many more years. Frankly, I don't see how they are still open at this point. Bagged lettuce doesn't cut it when people want organic, and fresh cut produce! I saw the owner smoking a cigar and going in and out of the kitchen. Really? Sneak a peek into the kitchen and notice NOBODY wearing food service gloves.. Gross! Bottom line - you can skip this place and not miss out on anything!
(1)
Ashley H.
Pasquales is great for groups. This isn't where I'd go if I were craving Italian, but if I wanted to spend time with a large group of friends or throw a shower and have decent food, Pasquales immediately comes to mind. They have a pretty good selection of draft beers (plenty from MIchigan!), some very affordable wines, and a full bar sure to please everyone. Their menu is quite extensive and includes pizza. If it's you and a special someone, you can find better Italian in the area. If you're meeting friends, head to Pasquales!
(3)
Kristin B.
Had a hankering for Italian food so I ordered a carry out, got veal scallopini, chicken parm and a piece of tiramisu. Had the veal last night it was pretty good but a little chewy, had chicken tonight. The sauce was only so-so, not much flavor. Unfortunately lights were low and I was several bites into the chicken when I realized it was raw in the center. Yuck. Hoping I don't get sick. Not good guys, make sure poultry is fully cooked please. On the bright side, the tiramisu was delicious. Probably won't be back again for dinner.
(2)
S S.
The pizza was really good...the half without bacon. The bacon was far too undercooked and chewy for our tastes, but the side without it was great, not the best, but everyone can't be the best. Really good pizza if you are in the area, a good bar list, great breadsticks, and bland but fresh Caesar salad.
(3)
Betty B.
I love this place Has a family feel with good cooking. So glad it has stood the test of time.
(4)
Deborah R.
Okay, I need to stop myself here from being too hard on the poor place. I had always driven by here, but never dropped in, assuming it was too fancy and that just isn't my thing. But my boyfriend's birthday dinner was here last night and whoa whoa whoa- my assumptions were wrong. The interior was like an Italian themed Big Boys. Nothing fancy at all here. Booth and wooden tables to sit at- nothing too crazy. The service was really good and the menu was standard as far as Italian places go. The portions all around the table were monsterous. I ordered the Manicotti and it was so delicious. It was far better than the same dish at Salvatore Scallopinis. No complaints here, but their french dressing tastes like mayonnaise- I asked for ranch after instead.
(4)
Joe B.
While I'd give the food here 3 stars, the service was 4 stars easy. In a town where it's obviously not trendy to take reservations, Pasquale's lays out the red carpet for you with a massive facility offering numerous dining rooms, great service and solid food, not to mention 32 oz. draft beers. We ordered the Eggplant Parmesan and a small deep dish pie. While we waited our server brought us some wonderful garlic bread breadsticks that are pure addiction. The eggplant parm was a little weak...a simple batter and fry with some sauce and cheese before broiling. Tasty but unremarkable. The pie is worth a try though. It's closer to a Chicago style with its buttery crust rather than the Detroit style (which isn't as heavy) but I liked the flavor. Their sauce is pretty good, the toppings were fresh and the their crumbly sausage is great. All in all a total win since they take reservations while offering a menu I'd like to explore more of. I'll be back.
(4)
Chris M.
had the chicken parm. was good and the serving size was very big and big enough to share for sure and bread was pretty good not the best I have had but good. I would not go out of my way to go back but if I was in the area I would most likely eat there again if I was in the mood for Italian.
(3)
John K.
I don't really understand what is happening......The past 3 visits the "deep dish" was hardly "deep" at all. The last time we ate there (as opposed to carryout) we stopped our server because we were convinced we had gotten the wrong order...."We ordered the deep dish, not the thin" All we got was, "Yeah, they have been coming out thinner lately" No explanation, no apology, no offer of something else, no courtesy to ask if it would be ok, not even some sly fib about new dudes in the kitchen, etc.,,,just a shrug. I know I sound like a snotty child but it is human nature to kinda fly off the handle when someone messes with perfection. The last 2 times we carried out, the pizza was way thinner as well. Caesar and breadsticks are still the best in the city, hands down.
(4)
Tate V.
Great deep dish pizza. We have tons of choices for pizza close to where we live so driving here is way out of our bubble. The entire experience was delightful from the choices of beer to the antipasto to the fantastic deep dish za. A place to return!
(5)
Beth S.
Old and tired so very out of date. Mediocre food and service. Banquet facility is in the basement, decor from the 70 's. Low ceilings in the banquet room so it is very loud. Too many stairs to get in and to get to the bathrooms also in the basement. There once great garlic sticks tasted like garlic salt.ease don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(1)
Stephen H.
A Woodward Ave Institution. Great service. Delicious food. Ravioli and salad was delish. Vesuvio cake. Italian wedding soup. Cleanliness. 4 star. Very popular restaurant on the Woodward corridor!
(4)
Evie B.
I wasn't impressed with our last visit, so was hoping for good things, this visit. Service was great, as usual. The unfortunate thing, she was new and really didn't know the menu well as evident in the number of times that we had to explain what we wanted to order and how she had to keep looking at the menu. I love the old school waitresses that work here. They know that menu up/down/around and know exactly what to ask. She returned to our table to find out what sauce my hubs wanted on his carbonara noodles...um the carbonara sauce LOL I ordered the Lasagna forno...which I swear I've had their lasagna without MUSHROOMS. I hate canned mushrooms and this lasagna is loaded with them. I swear on my previous visits they've asked if I wanted it with/out mushrooms. I picked out what I could and note that I won't order this again. If they do have a non-mushroom version, please show me : ) My hubs LOVED the spagettin carbonara. I had a nibble and it was very flavorful. YUM YUM on the garlic and perfect creaminess. Son ordered a small cheese pizza and it was big enough for two. Nice thin crust and ratio of sauce to cheese was perfect. Our bread was HOT and so garlicky delish. The soup and caesar was PERFECT, PERFECT. We had plenty of leftovers for today's lunch. The waitress even threw in some bread. The tomato sauce at Pasquales is PERFECT. It tastes so fresh, light...and is the reason (among others) that we return.
(4)
Marin C.
I went as a third wheel with a couple of friends. They do have some darned good bread sticks here. Nom noms. I ordered a small greek salad (it was huge), and an appetizer plate of eggplant parmesan. Sooooo good. I could've gone for more kalmatas on the salad, but I'm crazy for olives. My friends had pizza and the egg noodle dish. I think the prices were about average. There were lots of cool cars out in the area, so that was fun. Decent atmosphere. Only thing to detract, our friend got olives on his pizza and he didn't order them. Such is life.
(4)
Chelsea K.
My partner and I like to try new places and Italian is my favorite plus she was having a craving for Marsala! The waitress was wonderful but the place is very very outdated and just needs something! First they are apparently getting rid of the Marsala which we do not understand, so we both got chicken Parmesan (my favorite) the sauce was like out of a can and way too salty! This place could be family friendly favorite but it needs work!
(2)
Heather J.
From what I can gather, competition between restaurants, bars, and cafes along Woodward must be something fierce. Thousands of hungry commuters traverse the artery at key dining hours, all potential customers to tear away from their kitchen. As any restauranteur knows, who the heck wants to cook dinner when someone else will cook it for them? Like a Mediterranean angler-fish, minus the enormous maw of pointy needle teeth, Pasquales uses the largest blinking sign this side of Vegas or the MGM Casino to lure in dazzled visitors. I wanted dinner as a prelude to a night of novel-writing next door at Caribou, so convenience and the multitudes of flashing lights convinced me to enter the maw of doom... err, restaurant. Pasquales is a much larger place from the inside, multiple floors and dining rooms catering to private functions. A party was in full-swing when I scampered downstairs to use the ladies' room, possibly a temporal warp to 1989. Once I find my scarf and David Tennant or Matt in a dashing bowtie, surely I can nip right over to investigate. The nostalgic feel survives thanks to many newspaper clippings and historical memorabilia recounting the forty-odd years of success in Royal Oak, but the dining room upstairs has a more modern, brick and flowers feel. The menu divides into three main categories: pizza, pasta, Italian entrees of classic origins. I'm not sure if any offerings are specifically Neapolitan, but the deep dish pizza rolled by with enough regularity to advertise it as a popular choice. My beau and I both favoured pasta, he the baked ravioli and I the baked spaghetti. We added an entree of roasted red peppers, which I have a fatal weakness for ever since a memorable introduction at a tapas bar in DC. I've strived -- in vain -- to find anything remotely similar to that infernally good dish, and Pasquales fell short of the mark by offering shredded peppers rather than whole or sliced. The olive oil glaze was mostly drained off or caught on a lettuce leaf, so I was markedly disappointed. On the other hand, the garlic breadsticks were surprisingly tasty and chewy. We ditched any mixed basket of bread for the buttery garlic doom to healthy living. I've given up on healthy eating in November and supplemented my diet with plenty of nutritious "I intend tos" for December. That should work, right? Holiday parties feature celery sticks and tomatoes. Is creme brulee in the dairy food group? Service was good, though not spritely, and our waiter helpful about providing refills and updates. A couple behind me specified green, not black, olives for a pizza and when the kitchen made an error, the server offered immediately to put in a fresh order for a brand new pizza on the spot. That's service. The couple dismissed the notion (black olives are a-okay, and that effort wasn't necessary), but Pasquales being so quick to make things right is a big bonus. Alas, the pasta came out awfully salty; too much so for my beau, somewhat less a problem for me with my tolerance being slightly higher (or my tastebuds much less sensitive?). I found the spaghetti passable, if not remarkable, the sauce too bland for my liking. Bring out the herbs, throw oregano and sweet basil with impunity at my tomato-based sauces. Rob Penzey's of their stock, fling Tuscan Sunset (call it Vesuvian Sunset if you prefer, just spare the pyroclastic ash flows), and amp up the flavour. I am depressed of late by how many Italian places about don't do much for flavourful, rich sauces. My final verdict: feast on the breadsticks and a glass of wine, be done for the night, and enjoy yourself.
(2)
Amy P.
I love Pasquales for what it is, a family style, italian restaurant that has been around decades. i don't know what people expect from a family run restaurant that is a family restaurant that welcomes large parties and kids? white table cloths and waiters in tuxedos? Come on people. There are 4 things I come to Pasquales for... the breadsticks, salad, pizza, and cake. All this makes Pasquales a special occasion restaurant as my waistline couldn't tolerate it otherwise. I've had pasta from here on occasion when the mood strikes, but after having their pizza, I don't think there is anyway I could eat here again and not get pizza. The deep dish is awesome! The homemade italian sausage topping is where it's at. So much flavor is in the sausage, slightly spicy and slightly sweet, mixed with their tasty tomato sauce ends up being an unforgettable combination. The breadsticks are like crack. We usually order their antipasto salad before the meal and it's delicious and the small is enough to split between 2-4 people. It comes with julienned toppings and their delicious house dressing which is nice, light and tart, a nice welcome to the heaviness of the rest of the meal. By the time the pizza comes there is only room for 1 slice, which is perfect for leftovers the next day! My only annoyance with Pasquales is that service is inconsistent. Also, after seeing their dessert selections when you first walk in, my boyfriend and I decided to take a slice of cake home to split for dessert. I just have to say that there are days I think of this cake, my mouth waters. I've never had such a delectable, tasty cake before in my life. My boyfriend and I love love love their cakes. He is partial to the chocolate with the checkerboard in the middle, and I like the white cake with raspberry. Do yourself a favor, if you never come to Pasquales for dinner, at least stop in and get a slice of cake to go to drown sorrows in later. You won't regret it in the least bit.
(4)
Quianna J.
I enjoyed this restaurant. The food was good and the server was nice (although a bit slow). The only downside was it was pretty cold where we were sitting and the lemonades were pretty expensive to be so basic, and the cups were pretty small to. All in all, i would go back, but im still on the search for a Italian restaurant that can give me that authentic cuisine.
(3)
Vernon B.
I usually have a good meal at Pasquales and frequent the place often. HOWEVER, the experience last night tought me never go to Pasquales during the month of the redneck traffic jam (er, dream cruise). The food quality is way below what they usually serve the rest of the year. The "dream cruise bread" as we called it, was as tasteless and bland as the people who enjoy this annual traffic jam from hell. We waited 45 minutes to get our food and when we did, it was cold. Also for the month of August, they did away with all the family dinner specials they normally have the rest of the year (the reason we went there in the first place). Do yourself a favor and stay away from Pasquales in the month of August.
(2)
Ani B.
just learned they are not open for lunch anymore. i do not go out for dinner. They use to have some of the best pizza. had gone for years. in the last year or so the place has changed. the new help is rude. if you really want to go now, ask for one of the ladies, they have been there for years; this means you will probably sit in the bar. after the last visit, a couple months ago, i doubt we will ever go again. even if it had been open for lunch. they have changed too much.
(2)
Dan N.
If you check out Pasquales, be prepared to go back in time about 30 years and try to imagine what Pasquales once was. It's old fashioned, casual Italian dining--a huge restaurant with a huge menu of Italian classics. For me, what better place to try anchovies on my pizza than my Pasquales--and I loved it. Again, nothing special about this place, but if you don't feel like waiting at Red Coat or the other Royal Oak "hot spots", it will for sure fill you up for a reasonable price. Also, the service was less than adequate, so you won't want to be in a rush.
(2)
Sophia C.
We went there for dinner as a second choice after our first choice was an hr wait, we have 3 kids and it was already 7 so we couldn't wait. We went across the street, since it was a cocktail bar and family dining. First off they sat us down with five ADULT MENUS my kids are young and clearly to young for adult menus. The waitress comes over and says are you ready to order? I said spaghetti and she said kids size? I said u have a kids menu? She said yes they didn't give u one? No. So she ran and got some and crayons. We order and get a 6 dollar cocktail in the size of a Dixie cup. The food comes and it's like big boy style. 14.5o for chicken strips with marinara and cheese My hubby ordered the veal parm, for 12.50. How is veal cheaper then chicken? On top of this the man next to us found a metal what he thought was staple but the waitress came out and said it was the metal clip for the noodle bag. Wtf? Noodle bag? Skip this place unless you want SERIOUSLY overpriced food
(1)
J S.
Our waitress. Kim was great. Good food. Worth the $$$, will go again. Had pep, tomato, olive, thin crust and ravioli. I recommend.
(4)
Amby M.
My (now) husband and I have been going to Pasquales since we first started dating..in fact, we had our first "let's get married!" discussion there. It's not a lah-dee-dah place, but it serves up decent Italian food, I could eat my weight in the breadsticks alone, the employees are friendly, and the prices are decent for the serving size. In terms of the customer service...we've never had anything but great service in the 13+ years we've been going to Pasquales. In fact, there was one incident a few years back where I bit down on SOMETHING (it felt and looked like a little rock) in my spaghetti...I froze, convinced I'd cracked a tooth or something. The waitress saw my expression, came over to find out what was wrong, and immediately went to get one of the owners. They apologized profusely and comped our entire meal, INCLUDING drinks. THAT is the kind of customer service that keeps us coming back. (For the record, no cracked tooth, thank God, and it could have been something grosser!) One star docked only because sometimes they're almost TOO fast with bringing the food...when the entree literally comes out a couple of minutes after our salads. Two tips: first, don't be turned off if the parking lot looks packed, odds are there is probably a large party (or two) going on in the banquet facilities downstairs. We've NEVER had to wait for a table. Second, if you're dining sans kidlets (and would prefer to keep it that way), ask to be seated in the bar. The regular dining room can get a bit rowdy and screechy.
(4)
Sarah T.
Pasquales's.... the closest to Italian I get other than my grandmother.. I love the food, and especially love their homemade desserts!! My dad use to work for Pasquale's back in the 60's when they were on the north bound side of Woodward, and we've been going to Pasquale's for as long as I can remember.. I think it's the only restaurant in the area that's authentic Italian, still family and Italian owned.. I know the taste has changed over the years, but I'll pick Pasquale's any day!!
(4)
Matt M.
I really like Pasquales. I've been eating there since i was a kid and still do. I usually just get their pizza, which is great but the italian dishes are also good as well. The garlic breadsticks they give you are also really good. Highly recomended!
(4)
Misty J.
I went here with a group of six friends, the parking lot was packed but we were promptly seated in a fabulous room straight out of 1986. Light pink booths, mirror walls with shiny gold sconces and an interesting recessed square of red lighting over the center of the room. Dreamy. I ordered the martini sampler tray, lemoncillo, tiramisu and a rum punch one. They were so good! The waitress was nice and attentive. I do like when you are out with a group of people and they ask if you want separate checks. We didn't this time because we ordered the family meal deal (that came with a pepperoni pizza, antipasto salad, rotini with marinara sauce) and an extra pizza Therese for our veggie friend. The best thing was the garlic bread sticks, closely followed by the pepperoni pizza with the thick pepperonis that turn into grease cups. The salad presentation was amazing, complete with radish flowers and giant thinly sliced pieces of carrot. Overall we had a great time and everyone enjoyed their dinner choices.
Disgusting food. Nothing is fresh or authentic. The service was fine but the building smells and is run down and dirty.
(1)
Samantha C.
I really love coming here when I have a pasta craving. The eggplant parm is my go to, but the veal is also amazing. Last time we went for dinner I ordered a glass of their house merlot and I enjoyed about half the glass until our waiters assistant accidentally tipped it over while setting down a plate! Somehow I was lucky that it only got to the edge of the table and not my lap. Without question or request another (very full) new glass came out free of charge. I would give 5 stars but sometimes the marinara sauce just doesn't do it for me, and that makes up half of the dish! Still, Pasquale's is my top pick for italian food in the area.
(4)
Russ H.
I have been coming to Pasquales all my life. It's been a Woodward Ave. fixture since before I was born. Great italian food. Not if the fussier-than-thou sense, but in the really darn good sense. If you are looking for deconstructed, reinventions, and new twists on old classics then look elsewhere. This is about family dining, pizza, pasta, and drinks. And the pizza is AMAZING. Classic basic pizza. I used to work at a place where I would drive by on the way home. So I would order a pizza as I left and pick it up on the way home. Also this place is HUGE. The lot may look full, but I have rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat, and they have a full bar that you can wait at as well as a waiting area. And with two giant fnction spaces in the downstairs, you can have a big event/dinner here as well. I know I am never dissapointed to come here. My favorite dishes are Pizza, Chicken or Veal Parmesan, and they have a really good Fried Chicken! They have TV in the bar, but not the dining area.
(4)
Natalie Z.
We went to Pasquale's on New Year's Eve, and it was super busy. The hostess told us it would be about 30 minutes until we'd be seated, but luckily we only really waited about 5 minutes for a table. Our server was nice, but I think he was overwhelmed. We waited a while to order, and we also waited some time for our food. Our salads were pretty much just lettuce with dressing, but that ranch is fantastic! I think the gnocchi is so tasty, and as I end up taking most of it home, so I get 1-3 meals out of it.
(4)
Kim W.
I have been coming here since I was a child-- and have great memories here. From the grandma-aged waitress that made a place setting and served my stuffed animal my first time, to now enjoying some wine and baked pasta on date night with my spouse--it's one of my favorite Italian eateries in the area. Best items to order are the pizza, and any of the baked dishes (baked cheese ravioli with no mushrooms is my favorite.) What's not to like about a baked layer of cheese over cheese ravioli? It's a celebration of cheese!!! As has been said by many, the garlic bread sticks are heavenly. In fact I usually ask for just these rather than a "mixed basket" that has plain rolls, and those hard pretzel rod type bread sticks. Who needs those if you have buttery garlic bread? The most honorable thing about place is the prices. The baked dishes are still in the $10-15 range, so you can have a full meal (includes bread and side salad) plus leftovers and even a glass of wine for well under $20. The only thing that made me hover between 4 and 5 stars is the service. It is hit or miss. The last server I had there had the same voice as Tim Meadows "Ladies' Man" character from SNL, and was a close talker, but was very nice and polite. Problem was, he brought out our wine when our salads were almost gone, and took care of the bill pretty slowly. Otherwise this place is a true 5 stars for the price.
(5)
Dan O.
Don't have a ton to say about this place. I've been here a handful of times. One of the best Italian places on this side of town. Service is decent, and prices aren't too bad, especially for the portion sizes. As for my fav meal here. I go with the Gnocchi w/ meat sauce. It's CRAZY filling, and delicious. Take the fam, it's almost a guaranteed great night out.
(4)
Viet N.
Pasquales is a slightly more upscale version of Olive Garden, or a no-frills version of Buca di Beppo, depending on how you look at things. I too enjoyed getting hot bread + breadsticks at the beginning of the meal, and this was by far the best part of the evening. For certain things, I'm simple - hot bread gets you a point (or a star, in this case). No hot bread = no win. The rest of the meal was just okay. We ordered veal scallopini, baked ravioli, and spaghetti alla carbonara. The carbonara was the best, but let's face, it's really hard to screw up pasta, cheese, egg, and bacon. It didn't even have that much bacon either. The fillings in the scallopini and ravioli were a little...strange, as in, I had doubts about what type of meat I was eating. (Edit: Thanks Janelle!) Cost: Pastas generally run about $12-15, the veal dishes $15-20. Pizzas run $10-$18. Beers are about $5 per 12oz glass. Would I go back? Probably not. The bill amounted to $53, and I think you could get the same experience at Olive Garden for less.
(3)
Jorge C.
This is what Pasquales is in a nutshell. When Royal Oak and Birmingham was living large in the 50s, 60s, 70s I can imagine Pasquales was the place everyone in the neighborhood bragged about going to. It is a time capsule of an era where it was enough to have good honest food with a neighborhood feel. The oven baked pasta was great, and the wedding soup was terrific. Wine by the liter always makes me happy, and the server was a real human being with a real personality. I will be going back.
(4)
Marie S.
Great garlic bread. Great saltiness to spaghetti. Shrimp were lame - so don't bother adding shrimp to any of your dishes.
(3)
Suzanne S.
this place has gone to Hell in a hand basket - got the antipasto - the salami, cheese, etc. was hard to find - went through some grinder thing one eighth inch thick at best - bread is now dry BLECH
(2)
Lourdes A.
The service was awful. The waiter quickly took our drink order but then completely forgot about us. It took him over 20 minutes to finally make it back to our table and take our order. Thing is, he didn't even bring bread to tide us over. Finally, the food comes. I ordered the rotini pesto special. Fail. The rotini was not al dente and they were stingy on the pesto. But my boyfriend ordered the pizza and it was very tasty. So, they get points for their pizza but their pasta sucks. Their desserts didn't look too promising (slices of cake looked dry) so we skipped them. Point is, if you're jonesing for pizza, this is your place. Stay away from everything else. And frankly, stay away from this place altogether. The interior is outdated and dingy. I'd order pizza for delivery but I would not return to this restaurant.
(2)
Katie G.
Like many of the reviewers here, I have been going to Pasquales since I was young. I've had a nice range of their menu over the years - from various pasta dishes to pizza & beer. My favorite go-to dish is the gnocchi: simple, yet delicious! I've attended numerous school hosted banquets in their rooms downstairs and remember always looking forward to the large spread of good food. My family threw my sister's baby shower there a few years ago and it turned out to be a great place to host a party. I decided to have my daughter's 1st birthday there this year and had the family style pizza, pasta, and salad. Half of the people invited had never eaten there and were pleased with the food. There were plenty of leftovers, so many of our guests were excited to take home food. Yes, the decor is outdated as others have mentioned, but everything looks and feels clean so it has never kept me from enjoying my meal. I continually recommend Pasquales to family and friends when they're in the area and I haven't had to worry about making a bad recommendation.
(5)
Dina B.
"Yum that was so delicious and well prepared!" Said NO ONE EVER after eating here.
(1)
Jen R.
pasta was delicious, staff is also great
(4)
Elly L.
Really not a fan. Everything is prepackaged, precooked and really just unappetizing. Maybe it's just me, but I have always found this place to be a bit dirty, as well. If you're near Pasquale's and are in the mood for Italian, I guess go for it. But if you have a little more time (and money) drive down to Salvatore Scallopini's in Birmingham for a more quality meal.
(2)
Nina K.
This review is not as much for the food, but the excellent customer service at Pasquales. I'm usually a last minute carryout order for a busy work night. The care that is paid to each part of my order and the continual checking to make sure they got it right is top notch. Who pays this much attention to a cup of sauce and a side of meatballs? Thanks!!!
(5)
Kristin G.
I've been coming here since I was a wee lass. My reality here has gone from pizza and balloons to pizza and beer. Yes, beer. They have a 32 oz option where you can get a variety of different beers served to you in a giant chilled glass...well...let's call it a "chalice" that's as big as YOUR FACE! It's a double handed operation just to take a sip. Janelle has it right, the breadsticks are really the highlight. In fact I hardly get to the pizza. Just to add insult to calorie injury, I often order a side of ranch to go with the buttery garlicky bread wonders. Yum. Their salads are decent too, but what isn't when doused in ranch? The pizza here is pretty good. Overly cheesy in my humble opinion, but it does the trick. I'm cool with any place that has pepperoncini's aka banana peppers. I honestly haven't had anything else on the menu other than the pizza. Why mess with a good thing? Keep on kickin' it Pasquale's. The service is solid. Seeing as it is Birthday central, they are not easily flustered by big parties or chaotic patron situations. They still have a handful of the same waitress's that were there since the days of my youth. True veterans. One always refers to empty beer cans as "fallen soldiers," it never gets old. Classic.
(3)
Paul T.
Best pizza in Detroit hands down. We lived less than a mile from here for two years and never stopped by because it didn't look like it would be a good restaurant. The place isn't fancy, but the deep dish pizza is ridiculous! Every one rants and raves about Buddy's but this place beats it by a mile. The five star rating is for the pizza. I have never tried their other food. The pizza is so good, I wouldn't want to go there and not have it.
(5)
Cristopher B.
Here's a place that I'll admit right off the bat, I'm a little biased due to history. I've been going to Pasquale's for 28 years, my father's been a regular for more than 50. I will say without hesitation, if perhaps through rose tinted glasses, that they're doing something right. True - it's not authentic Italian: you're not going to find some culinary genius crafting dishes from the hills of Tuscany or classic Sicilian dishes passed down from generation to generation. What you're going to find is good, robust pasta dishes, pizza and salads that have satisfied folks in the area for decades. This is not a place for snobbery. It's not a place for high-end cuisine. It is also not a place for amateur food critics who read a New York Times restaurant review once and suddenly think they work for Zagat's. Pasquale's is a great little suburban restaurant serving giant beers and honest food at pretty decent prices. My personal recommendation is the special baked spaghetti, with mushrooms and extra sauce. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
(5)
Brian B.
We were in the mood for Italian, so we decided on Pasquale's. I haven't been here much even though it's only a couple miles from my house. We started with a fried zucchini appetizer. it was really good. The breading had a nice crunch to it and it was served with some killer marinara sauce. Salads and bread came. The salad was average. Maybe they should pgrade to romaine lettuce instead of iceberg. Just a thought. The bread, as others have said, is a good thing and a bad thing. It's delicious, but everyone had a hard time not to overeat on it. I ordered the veal parm, which was enjoyable. Nothing spectacular, but filled the void in my stomach nicely. I couldn't eat the whole thing and it's waiting to be my lunch today. My girlfriend ordered the turkey meatloaf, which I thought was very good. Well cooked, not dry, and smothered in marinara. A recurring theme here is the abundance of food. The portions are definitely not lacking. The food won't blow you away in awesomeness, but it does the trick for a good, decently-priced meal. I must add that the service was perfect. Our waitress was the best I have had in a LONG time. Good service can make a decent meal into a great one and this is what happened. I know service is very dependent, but we happened to get a person who was very attentive to everything.
(4)
Bitsy S.
I have to say I'm not impressed. I will say I've never had their pizza but there's certainly nothing stand out about their other dinners. First off, I ordered bruschetta and they pronounced it incorrectly. Second - and this is a big one - I ordered a Bloody Mary and I was charged NOT for the drink as is customary - but for the vodka and then for the tomato juice. Huh? And it wasn't cheap, either. Service is not good - not bad - but not good either. All in all, I don't think I'll be returning.
(2)
Ken Z.
Had lunch today (Sunday) at Pasquale's. Food was okay, service was okay. When we arrived, seated right away at a table with plenty of room. I ordered the (boneless) Chicken Scallopine ($13.60) - it was okay, but I would not order it again. You can order on bone as well. One of the nice parts of Pasquale's is that with your entree, you get salad plus two sides (spaghetti with marinara, vegetable, or potato). Salad was good - arrives pre-dressed. I had the house Italian which was tasty, but the salad was absolutely drenched. This dressing was a little biting by the end, but it may have been because the lettuce was swimming in it. Need to remember to ask for on the side next time. For my sides, first, I went with the vegetable which was corn today. Hot and tasty. Second side was mashed potatoes. Gravy was congealed on top when it arrived - recommend passing on mp. Baked potatoes that family members had didn't look like anything to write home about - I'm guessing most people go with the spaghetti instead. My food was lukewarm when it arrived as were the entrees of two of my family members. Another family member ordered the lasagna which was piping hot - perhaps our entrees had to wait while his finished cooking. One of those lukewarm entrees was chicken parm - that diner remarked that Sila's is much better. Server mentioned that they have their own pastry chef now which I think is impressive for a family restaurant. Server was personable, but disappeared for a little too long at times. Plus, I had to ask for water multiple times. We ended up taking our check up to the cashier since he wasn't around post-dessert. Most people around us ordered pizza - will have to go that route next time. I had the baked pasta years ago and remember it being good. Almost forgot fantastic, soft bread sticks. Today's experience just so-so. UPDATE: 5/7/2010- went to a banquet tonight at Pasquale's. Not writing a new review/changing rating since this was downstairs in their banquet hall and was buffet-style. Food was hot. Mostaccioli w/ alfredo sauce was good. Potato was excellent. Pizza was soggy. My companion said the roast chicken was outstanding. Impressed that they were able to churn out so much food and have it all be hot at the same time. Would go back for another banquet.
(2)
Dominique K.
Decent food at a decent price with decent service. Pasquale's is our go-to place when we simply don't want to cook and want a little comfort food. I've gone here since I was in high school, and it's been around much longer than that. I don't get the Pasquale's haters as the restaurant is what it is, and doesn't pretend to be otherwise. Large groups and families are welcome here, and the bigger groups don't seem to fluster the wait staff or the kitchen. Portions are big, and I usually end up taking about half of my dinner (usually the special baked egg noodles) home for lunch the next day. We always liked sitting in the little bar section as it was quieter (who wants to sit next to a big party celebrating Aunt Bertha's birthday when you're looking for a quiet night out?), but had to give up on that for a while because it got way too smoky. I'm overjoyed that we can again hop over there and have a quiet meal in the bar. Get on the birthday mailing list--we've each gotten $20 gift certificates on our birthdays from Pasquale's for several years now!
(3)
Jill H.
One more time that I can say I have no idea why I have not had dinner here bofore tonight. Fast, friendly and really good food. They also have michigan wine.... I am a big fan of!!!!! You must eat here!! I can not wait to go back!
(5)
Bobbie B.
I read the reviews and thought this would be a good place to try. Well, epic fail. The only good thing about it was the bread...it was absolutely fabulous. Buttery, garlicy goodness. I had the shrimp alfredo. Under seasoned and the shrimp were overcooked, which made for chewy shoe leather. Hubby had the stuffed shells and a side of meatballs. Although the meatballs were huge, they were mediocre at best....just tasted like a hamburger..nothing standout. I wouldn't go here again.
(2)
Amber C.
Pasquale's is one of the reasons why I miss living in Royal Oak. THE PIZZA! Oh god, it's a miracle. I prefer to keep things super simple when it comes to something so good (just pepperoni, original over deep dish). This is pizza done so right that it tastes like a throwback. Bellissima!
(4)
Sparkely K.
What a fantastic place!! Homey, comfortable, family-oriented, amazing (!!!) pizza, and great service. We each had individual pizzas and my pepperoni was AWESOME!!! Deep dish just the way I like it with a tasty sauce and gooey cheese. Our server was delightful and we had a great dinner. I'll definitely go back when I am home again!
(5)
tina w.
I have been going here several times a year for the past 20 years, and I've finally decided that I won't be going back for awhile. I've noticed the quality of their food has declined recently. My 'salad' last week was nothing more than a plate of rusty lettuce. Also, I don't think its a good business practice to have FOX News (or any other biased political channel) displayed on multiple large flat screen TVs. It was just a turn-off for me to dine with Karl Rove's fat head displayed in every corner of the room. The local area is roughly 50/50 Republican/Democrat, why would a business risk alienating half of their customers by having such a biased TV channel on during the dinner rush hour?
(2)
Wendy S.
All 5 stars are for the deep dish pizzas and the antipasto salad. My hands down favorite in the metro D area. And I've eaten my share...:-)
(5)
Ben W.
I give this place a three on the back of the amazing table bread, otherwise I don't understand why it's such a landmark. The decor is schizophrenic, mixing kitschy Italian quaint with cafeteria and high-volume reception hall, the food is overly rich with a kind of preparatory malaise you find in chefs who are totally phoning it in. Too many TVs, not enough focus. I will say service was excellent and quite tip-worthy and the bar is extensive and well run. The food, meh.
(3)
Michael M.
Simple, strong Italian food. Sure, the place looks like a throw back that hasn't been updated since the late 80's... but the food is decent. We had some fried Calamari as a starter, which was excellent. They're very KID friendly as well. My nephew LOVES their garlic bread and Ravioli for kids. Very niced sized portion for a kid. I had a side salad with Creamy Italian dressing... the dressing is just enormously delicious. Very sweet, and yet, still tastes like Italian dressing. Baked Penne special was also good. I like their sauce because it's basically unpretentious: here's some tomato sauce with your pasta. Nothing overtly fancy here, just well done.
(4)
Sarah M. B.
Ok, do not expect cuisine straight out of Italy, but there are a few things that make this cheaper Italian joint a decent place to go every so often....it has been around for like 50 years, so they are doing something right!!! First off-AWESOME ranch dressing...the best ever, really. It makes a fantastic complement to the amazing breadsticks that are served upon arrival...I mean you can get a salad and breadsticks and ranch and you will leave more than happy. I usually start out with a garden salad with ranch(for the bread mainly) before each meal...the antipasto salad with a mix of ranch and italian dressing is also a winning combo. The pizza is very good...I have only had the round, but it's very typical of a restaurant of this caliber. The pepperoni are small and crunchy...just the way it should be so that is great, it does add quite a bit of grease but not in a gross way...more in the NY style way...the crust? Also an excellent choice for dipping in ranch!!! The pastas are average, but again this is a basic place...their marinara with veggies is good as is what I had last visit when I branched out from the pizza-green fettuccine with the garlic and olive oil sauce with broccoli....it was plain, yes, but had a good flavor to it. Also, their baked ziti is pretty fantastic-loaded with cheese and every pasta portion is enough for a meal the next day...for about 10 bucks you get a shitload of pasta and a salad...not a bad deal. Pretty cheap wine list, but they do have a full, basic bar...again...what do you expect??? As long as there is booze of any kind, it's a-ok with me ;) The waitstaff is hit or miss....you can get a great server or someone you are laughing at the whole time or a horrible server...luckily the food isn't too complicated here and thank god all they have to do is bring it to you... Desserts...I have only had the cannolli's but goddamned are they the BOMB...I stop in just to get cannolli's sometimes because they are that amazing, it's tough not to get one to go after every meal!!! All in all...I wouldn't go out of the way to go here, but if you live in the area and need your cheap carb fix....this is the place!
(3)
Jonny P.
Stopped in here last weekend off the recommendation of a 6 year old (seriously). Looking @ the menu it seemed a shame to just order pizza but I should have listened to little buddy. Ended up splitting an order of Chicken Marsala and Veal Scaloppine both were good. Service was very prompt and courteous, just seemed like we were seated on top of each other. I am definitely going back for the pizza and will update later...
(3)
Chris L.
Great menu with all the Italian staples. I ordered a Pizza and it was very good. My family ordered pasta's and they were all excellent. My mother also very much enjoyed the dessert.
(4)
Lisa K.
This is by far the best Italian place anywhere around. We live pretty far away, so when we are in the area it's a VERY SPECIAL treat. The service is great, the food is fantastic. I look forward to the Dream Cruise just to go here!!!! No place in Lansing even comes close.
(5)
Wm W.
This place has been here forever - since I was in high school. Pizza has always been good to great!
(4)
Corydon S.
This place is great for dining with kids. I used to ask my parents take me here when I was little. It's close to the mini golf place, so it makes for a good place to have a family night out. The pizza is the star here, though the pasta is not bad. It's inexpensive and the staff is friendly. There is a reason this place has been around so long, it's good.
(3)
kelly w.
Pasquales used to be the destination hot-spot for any sports banquets or middle school birthday parties. I hadn't been there in years until a friend of mine had her rehearsal dinner here. We weren't in the main dining room, but rather downstairs in our own private room. I was surprised by the quality of food-- the pizza was greasy but in a good way, the fettuccine alfredo was really creamy and flavorful. They also serve good ranch. Also, I think we only had one waitress for the party of about 40. She was EXCELLENT. I have never heard such detailed descriptions with such enthusiasm from any waiter or waitress.. she really grabbed the bull by the horns to do the best job she could do-- all with a smile on her face.
(4)
Karl L.
Good pizza. Full Bar. Pretty clean. Decent family restaurant. Good prices for what you get. It's always busy, which is a good sign. Consistent food and friendly staff. It's basic italian.
(3)
Heidi R.
I almost always ordered the cannelloni and it was so good every time. Near the cash register is a display of their history, which I love that they have. Great Italian food here!
(4)
Andrea D.
One night when feeling a bit under the weather, my daughter wanted Italian. I chose Pasquales because it was close and seemed pretty generic. We each had the Italian wedding soup, which was HOT and yummy and good for the soul. My daughter ordered the kids ravioli and it looked homemade. At the end the waitress brought a desert tray around. My daughter was thrilled with the option for a bit of chocolate cake, vanilla pudding and sprinkles in a shot glass. I took home the most delectable looking piece of German chocolate layer cake for my hubby - - - he savored every bite with a big, cold glass of milk.
(4)
Samuel W. B.
I can honestly say that this pizza is my favorite. I get the deep dish with garlic, and a side salad with creamy Italian. The bread in the bread basket is the best. I ate there a couple times per month and did for years. Awesome wait and bus staff that is very prompt and organized. Well run place.
(5)
Kevin R.
Absolute garbage. DO NOT GO HERE. My food was inexplicably salty and the service was worse than being at a Coney Island. DO NOT GO.
(1)
Ted S.
I'm not sure why elitist snobs like to target Pasquale's. Is it something about the size and popularity of Pasquale's that draws out their venom? Perhaps Pasquale's is popular and well liked by many because it is actually good? Sure popularity often doesn't translate into quality, but it doesn't follow that popularity indicates the lack thereof either. In any case, calling it a "disgusting mess" and "completely inedible" is one of the most over-the-top ridiculous exaggerations I have ever seen. I haven't had *that* many dishes there, but the pizza at the very least makes it easily worth a trip . As was already pointed out, the pepperoni here are simply *amazing*. They also do a fantastic meat sauce. Love the breadsticks, love the Tiramisu. The atmosphere is hardly fancy but it is hardly "run down". I have never seen anything to indicate any sort of lack of maintenance. Just because an establishment was built some decades ago and has not bothered to become slick and modern does not make it like a Big Boy's.
(4)
Todd E.
The fact that its vast parking lot is always swarming with cars just goes to show you how little some Metro Detroiters actually know about GOOD food. This place is an absolute disgusting mess. The decor looks more like a run down Elias Brothers'. The food was completely inedible. It was so salty and over-cooked that it was like sucking on a salt lick. The canned Italian Wedding Soup seemed to have Chef Boy-Ardee Meatballs in it. I've heard the Pizza is okay, but it's hardly worth walking across the mega parkinglot to sit in this dump to eat it. A revolting shit-hole at best. The waitress was super friendly, but there were no bus boys to clear the tables.
(1)
Prashant D.
Are you kidding me? "Best pizza in Detroit"???!!!! If you want salt for dinner, eat the pizza.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Shannon S.
Pasquales reminds me of the late 80's..early 90's with it's style...it's got that great Italian feel to it...it's a sweet place with vintage charm for sure! A little bored with the farm to table..craft beer..craft coctail....craft etc...you get the idea.... Pasquales brings it back to REAL with some great tasting food and dedicated service. I was part of a funeral banquet so I didn't get to order food from the menu, only cocktails...your Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, whiskey type cocktails... We were served salad, bread, mostaccioli, pasta alfredo, potatoes, chicken, and eggplant parmesan. Let me start with the creamy garlic salad dressing...oh dear lord, grab a hold of your taste buds because this dressing is PHENOMINAL, and when I went to thank the servers upon leaving I mentioned this to them, and they told me they sold it by the quart!! Guess who got some? ME!! The bread was warm, soft, billowy, awesome! Mostaccioli had a really great flavor, along with the potatoes, and chicken. The food was so good, it took me well into the evening before I dared to replace those memories with something abysmal out of my fridge...well...besides the quart of dressing I bought earlier! Pasquales and the likes are going to be the next "big" thing in the dining out arena... Getting back to REAL and revisiting old favorites is what's hot! Can't wait to get back to Pasquales to try other original dishes!
(4)Chris M.
Pasquales why? A long time ago this was a very acceptable average place to get pizza or salad. The draw back in the day were bread sticks. There some issues not too far back and they either closed or were going to close...Anyway, they are open. Maybe they shouldn't be. This place is beyond awful. One of the worst most meals I've attempted to eat. We arrived for early dinner and the place is pretty empty. We were greeted immediately by the friendly host...Yup might be ok..... The waiter comes over gets our drinks as we look over the menu, not rude or friendly - either looks like he is very busy or maybe we smell bad. I order a Chicken Parmesan and Jess B orders Eggplant Parmesan. We get salad or soup and two side consisting of pasta, potato, or vegetables. The food soup (Italian wedding) and salad are standard items and are ok. The main course comes out too fast. My chicken is burnt with heavily sauce and cheese to hide it. It's beyond salty and after two bites, I'm done...no box needed. The baked potato, which I didn't eat might be the only credible thing about my meal as it has tin foil so I know it isn't microwaved. Jess B's meal on the other hand is one of the oddest and grossest looking things I've ever seen. The color of the heavily coated eggplant is black and gray. She takes one bite and doesn't look happy. She give me a small bite, I'm not sure why because she knows it's awful but I try it and it is so awful. She just eats the potato. The waiter walks over with a "how is everything?" pointing to each item I say " ok, bad, bad, gross". We ask if the eggplant it frozen, which you can tell it is. He says we make it in house. That doesn't mean it was made then frozen then reheated. It is all breading and thin line of black and gray. He goes back and forth with us on the meal. I said that we will pay and we don't want any boxes. He finally comes back and has taken her food off the bill. I left a nice tip because that is what you should do but the overall meal gets votes for worst of the year. The bread sticks are still decent but it's not enough to make you want to come back. Overall, we wasted 25 dollars and had to go elsewhere for a meal.
(1)Matthew M.
Snapshot: Inexpensive Italian joint with lots of dishes in a relaxed, casual environment. We finally tried this place last night after driving by it on Woodward for three years. The place is very, very casual. It has a Coney Island restaurant feel, with booths and outdated decor. But I came here for the food. So let's dig in. We started with the fried calamari. It was a very standard execution, albeit a small portion for $8. Overall, pretty bland and simple, but the marinara and lemon wedge make it work. I ordered the baked cheese ravioli, and wouldn't order it again. Cheese filling was incredibly bland, and lacked any real distinct flavors. No garlic, salt or herbs of any kind. It honestly tasted like they just stuff these guys with ricotta right out of the tub. For $12.95, it could've been better. My wife ordered the butter garlic fettuccine with crab, shrimp and scallops. While it was VERY heavy on the garlic, I thought hers was a much better dish, if not a bit rich in butter usage. The complimentary bread was actually pretty good, and their salads were up to par. Ranch dressing was great, and scratch-made. The service was QUITE poor, however. We had to ask twice for water and tea refills, and once those were gone, we never got another refill. It was frustrating. Overall, we both agreed that we would come back and try this place again, but we were both underwhelmed. I think it's worth a shot, but don't expect anything fantastic. If like to come back and try an Alfredo or other pasta dish, but I'll stay away from their "baked" offerings from now on.
(3)Shaheda K.
Because Olive Garden ruined my favorite pasta by adding bacon into their sundried tomato sauce, I had been on the look out for a great Italian restaurant that can satisfy my pasta cravings . I usually pass by this place when driving back home, and since then I've been excited to come here to eat! The great thing about this place is the decor, and the setting. Looks real fancy from the outside, but inside they have subtle lights, and velvet colored booths. This gave me the impression that dinner was going to be amazing, but you know sometimes first impressions are NOT everything. I liked the breadsticks but everything else from there went downhill. The antipasto salad (which I got without any meat) was bland, the pasta I ordered tasted like WATER, and I don't want to get started on the dessert we had. The service here was SO SO, the waitress didn't answer a very simple question I had about the mushroom sauce, instead she suggested I order mushrooms on the side. (Which had nothing to do with my question). I'm a fair person, and I'm never hard on waiters and waitresses but I wasn't happy with how she avoided answering my question. All in all, I was pretty disappointed, BUT I will come back a second time to try the vegetarian lasagna, and I do hope next time around, the food tastes as good as the place looks.
(2)Tim K.
In the early 60's my family use to go to Pasquales when it was a small building on a lonely stretch of Woodward Avenue. Once they started to deliver, it was a weekly treat to get a pizza delivered out to our house. I loved their pizza and it was my favorite up until the time I left for Hawaii in 1963. Now, move forward 50 years when I return to a 50th high school (Groves) reunion. My first stop, before I even get to the hotel is Pasquales. But it is now a large restaurant on the other side of a what is now crowded Woodward Ave. I ordered a small pepperoni pizza and there it was as great as ever, perfect, where have you been all my life. I was in town for 4 days, I ate at Pasquales 3 of those days and now I only dream of the great pizza. The crust,the sauce, the cheese, the pepperoni, the just right way it is cooked. I just love it and I have not found another place (in 50 years) that can match it. This review is a bit late in coming as it was in Sept. of 2013 when I visited......better late then never, I guess.
(5)David G.
Why do people flock here? Its a nasty Italian resturant. Food is ok at best. Over priced for the quality. Always looks so old and dirty inside. No thanks
(1)Mimi P.
If I can give this place zero starts I will where should I start waitress really didn't impress me and the food ohh the food where should I start very disappointed used to come here years back and the food was taste and today will be our last day here NO flavor water down disgusting the vegetable looked like frozen its very sad to see a place like this lose its touch I hope they get it together and make this place the way it was hope the owners or management take the reviews seriously
(1)Liz P.
I had been here before many years ago, came back today because my dad had a $20 off coupon for his birthday since he's in their email club (great deal!). We got a Greek salad (parents ate that, I'm not a salad person) which came with delicious breadsticks, and a large deep dish pizza with Italian sausage and mushrooms. The pizza was HUGE and the deep dish is the same price as the non-deep dish, so you may as well go for it. Food was fantastic and I would definitely come back just for that. Service was a little slow (was constantly waiting for water glass to be refilled) and the restaurant has kind of an odd set-up where I always had to wait by corners for people to come and go while walking to/from the restroom, otherwise this place would get 5/5 stars from me.
(4)Andrew H.
Had antipasto salad and bruschetta while at the Dream Cruise. A/C was good also! Was packed with people.
(4)Lori K.
I will give this place 5 stars because I'm obsessed with their bread. I'm a sucker for anything with good bread. I've been coming here for years and years and even though there are some occasional issues like new severs who don't understand what they are doing I always try and remain positive. Is this the most fancy Italian food? Heck no, but it's old school good grub and whenever I can get my pasta cover in melty cheese I'm on board. The decor is super 80s but just ignore it and enjoy what you're there for.
(5)Amanda M.
I had the best experience here last night! The food and the service were fantastic. While I initially sent my pasta back because it was overcooked (happens so easily with cappellini) the server, Kirsten, the manager, and the owner were all incredibly attentive and happy to remake it. I will definitely be back.
(5)Lisa S.
Tonight not the greatest service. Waiting and waiting. Tables all around getting food when they came in later by 30mins. Finally to be told. They put the wrong pizza order in and are doing another now. Hmmm how do you know it's wrong? We never saw one? Disappointing , but only the first time so we'll get over it.
(2)Dustin P.
About what I expected. It ended up being pretty average Italian-American food. Large portions, but probably a little over priced for what it is. The breadsticks were legit though.
(3)Julie G.
This place is amazing! It has the best service. The food is home made and the desserts are heavenly. The pizza the salads the bread. My favorite! It has been here for years and the food is better than any other Italian restaurant in the Detroit are. So delicious. Always look forward to coming here.
(5)Susan M.
This Place used to be great. No matter what you ordered it was always fresh and really good. This was not part of my visit today. I went with a party of 8 and most of the people were very disappointed with the food. The service was great. The food was all bad. The bread was burnt and hard. We ended taking it home to use as dog treats since it was too hard to eat. The pizza a few people ordered was also burnt badly. I cant even believe they served both of these items since they clearly were not up to par. I ordered the fish special. It was dry and over cooked too. All the herbs on the top were burnt black so I couldnt even begin to identify exactly what it was. We also ordered a cake for everyone to eat as dessert. It was dry and hard and seemed to be very freezer burned. I am guessing it was stored in the freezer for a really long time. My wedding cake topper from 5 years ago was much better then this. Even my 4 year old said the cake "didn't taste good". She will eat anything sweet and refused. I am not a complainer with food. I just will never go back. It makes me sad to even write this since this was a place I grew up with. My grandparents and parents have also been coming here for years and will also never be back. Maybe it was a off day for the kitchen but since everything was so bad and the server never batted a eye it makes me think this is just normal for this place now. Next time I am driving over to the east side and going to frenzies restaurant in warren. It is a hike form home but worth it.
(1)Steven L.
My wife and I went here to grab a bite before viewing a house we are looking to purchase in the area. This is an important detail that will come up later. We split the calamari and vegetable lasagna. Both dishes we not great but not the worst either. However, while viewing this potential purchase, it hit both of us. The Michigan Quickstep was in full affect and needless to say we committed a no no when viewing a home. We both used their facilities. We did not get a chance however to try their pizza, which looked good. Other than that we will be skipping coming back unless we need a cleanse.
(2)Trish O.
So very disappointed in this restaurant. In need of some updates. Our waiter was so wanting to be doing something else other than wait on us. The waiter kept wiping sweat from his brow and you could see his pit sweat! That's appetizing! Gives us one drink and one appetizer menu for fifteen people. I could go on and on! Won't be back!
(1)S M.
This is my favorite pizza restaurant in the area. I have been coming here for over 25 years since I was just in high school going with our group of friends. Their pizza is the best with crunchy pepperoni. The antipasto has the most variety of veggies Ive ever had in a salad. The complimentary bread sticks are plentiful and soft and warm. Friendly, homey atmosphere simply one of the best.
(5)Michelle M.
This place used to be great (this was the FIRST restaurant my husband and I ate at and we loved it). We went back for our ten year anniversary and it was horrible. Green beans served from a can. Disgusting. I couldn't eat anything as nothing had flavor and I don't remember it being that bad ten years ago. The veal was pounded so thin I think I could see through it. Sadly, we will never be back and this was a very special place to us.
(1)Richard F.
We hadn't been to this place in well over 30 years. No, really! We went once or twice when we first moved to Michigan. Coming from the east coast where Italian cuisine is an art form, we thought this place was not up to par, so we just never whet back. Then we were at the Yelp event at Cameron's and decided to get something to eat afterwards. So we cruised south on Woodward. It was late and most everything was closed, And we weren't starved anyway, so we were about to just head home and we say the Pasquales sign. So we decided to stop. Now either we are less discriminating now than we were over 30 years ago, or Pasquales has gotten their act together. I ordered a small combination pizza that had loads of meat and veggies and I took half of it home to serve another day, IT was really nicely prepared and quite a generous preparation. We will have to try Pasquales again for a real meal and see what they serve up.
(3)Rhonda L.
Had a party of 7 for Mothers Day. Our waiter treated us like we were a burden to him our entire visit! Food was served cold and was so dry that we had to ask for extra sauce! Nephews chicken tenders were so burnt that we had to send them back. When the food was brought out, 5 men were served while us 2 Mothers had to wait about 5 minutes for them to bring ours out. The waiter brought a round of refill drinks out for the men - again, nothing for us Ladies! At first I thought it was because it was Mothers Day and that they may be busy - but it was pretty empty at the time we were there! Brought our bill without ever even asking us if we wanted dessert then waited over 1/2 hour before they returned with our credit card - the whole time sitting with nothing to drink! Definitely would not recommend this restaurant and definitely wont be returning!!
(1)Michelle J.
Truthfully, the food is in the 2-star range but it is reasonably priced, very family friendly, and the service has always been great. The pizza is okay, but lacks a really good taste. The pastas are okay but the noodles are usually overlooked and the sauce is grocery store can quality. If you have small children (an are looking for a place where you are not likely to get too many looks if your little ones start acting like hethans) and want a reasonably priced meal without being too picky about taste - this is a good place
(3)Greg Y.
I've been back a few times and the food and service appears to be back to what I expect, hence updating the rating back to 4/5 stars from it's previous 2/5. Veal parm for the win.
(4)Dawn H.
I was surprised to see all the area natives giving this joint 1 and 2 and 3 stars - it's not like Michiganders have anything of quality in the way of food - and certainly all the old school joints are either way downtown or well - out if business. You all should be a bit ashamed of yourselves... If you don't support your long time Mom & Pop establishments, who will. After 60 years , yes SIXTY - and lord knows economic hardships this state has faced - show some respect - this place still holds up on the pizza end finished with one of THE Best cannoli's I've eaten outside of any little Italy This is good , old fashion Italian food and even better pizza - great with a large party and a full bar (can't beat that) for a good old fashioned Manhattan. Go! Support your traditions and your locals! Help keep these Unchained places alive!!
(5)Jason M.
Pasquale's is the definitive 3-star restaurant. It's not spectacular, but I don't think it wants to be. They hired me for my first job busing tables more than 10 years ago and I made pretty good money. Even today it would be a little over minimum wage. Yes - the pasta is bagged and frozen. They use the same brands you find for sale at Julian Brothers on Rochester Rd, or probably any italian store. The staff are disgruntled and the managers a little too serious. When I worked there, the kitchen consisted of one guy making pizzas and 2-3 behind the pasta station. They had vats of precooked pasta sitting there and would quickly be able to create almost any dish on the menu. A ladle of pasta, a ladle of sauce, done. The price is appropriate to the taste and portion of your food. The pizzas are good. As someone else mentioned, this place is far better than Olive Garden if you want an Italian food fix but don't want to spend Andiamo's or Piccano's prices - or just want a place to sit down and have pizza where a mullet is not required (Pizza Hut represent!). I would only come back for nostalgia I think. There are some questionable sanitation practices that I've witnessed, but again that was 10 years ago so probably not fair to call them out for it. Suffice it to say, if I did go back, I would treat the croutons and ice cubes like they have Hep A through C.
(3)Sarah R.
The pasta is average, the portions are decent. Kind of run-of-the-mill Italian food. I enjoy the pizza and have often got it carry out, I like that they use little pepperoni. There house salad dressing is tasty.
(2)Andrew R.
Love the saled hated everything else..witness the so called manager chewing out one of the workers,
(1)Neil Y.
Mediocre at best. A previous Yelp review noted that perhaps Pasquales perhaps isn't actually trying to be the best. I concur, they aren't. It's a long way from Andiamos but much closer to Olive Garden though priced accordingly. We have never had great service here even though we almost always get seated next to or near the server/bus station. Service is actually quite lousy and btw, if the employees have gripes, you'll hear them. Our server today must be a magician because he sure knew how to make himself frequently disappear. Refills are nonexistent. Salads and soup are actually decent here. Hard to tell if the soup is homemade and the salads could be more fresh. Pizza is just ok. All pasta dishes are middle of the road and made "sin amore de nona." Skip the bread sticks and ask for the warm sesame rolls. Desserts are not at all homemade and always come to the table cold. The cake is actually cold which of course takes the moisture out of it. Cold and dry. Pass. We ordered a pizza today. Half cheese and half Italian sausage. Our guy asked me if I wanted crumbled sausage or sliced sausage. I opted for sliced sausage. The menu says all toppings are $1.50 but what our server failed to tell me is that the sliced Italian sausage is actually and up-charge of $4.50 and on only HALF OF THE PIZZA. A magician he may be but i hate surprises that show up on the bill. One thing I do like about Pasquales is that they have draft beer that can be ordered in an ice cold boomba glass.
(2)Jason H.
I wish I could give a zero. The veal Parmesan was terrible. The chicken was cold. The salads came our rotten, and the service sucked. Stay away, save your money!
(1)Suzette O.
A perfectly average Italian restaurant that has been in the community for years. The food was fine, the service was a little bit slow. We had a party of ten and it took over an hour to get our dinners. Note - the bathroom is on the bottom level. You'll need to get in the freight elevator - and give the door a yank to make sure it's not in use. The button is not correct. it will show "in use" when it's not.
(3)Ted H.
Run down, slightly smelly, and fairly dirty. Pasquales might have been good in the old days when people weren't very discerning, or picky but by todays standards they are far behind. Frozen bagged pasta, canned sauces, and overly salty food don't cut it today.. Overall I think they need to close down for a few months, renovate the entire place, clean the kitchen, and hire real chefs if they plan to stay open for many more years. Frankly, I don't see how they are still open at this point. Bagged lettuce doesn't cut it when people want organic, and fresh cut produce! I saw the owner smoking a cigar and going in and out of the kitchen. Really? Sneak a peek into the kitchen and notice NOBODY wearing food service gloves.. Gross! Bottom line - you can skip this place and not miss out on anything!
(1)Ashley H.
Pasquales is great for groups. This isn't where I'd go if I were craving Italian, but if I wanted to spend time with a large group of friends or throw a shower and have decent food, Pasquales immediately comes to mind. They have a pretty good selection of draft beers (plenty from MIchigan!), some very affordable wines, and a full bar sure to please everyone. Their menu is quite extensive and includes pizza. If it's you and a special someone, you can find better Italian in the area. If you're meeting friends, head to Pasquales!
(3)Kristin B.
Had a hankering for Italian food so I ordered a carry out, got veal scallopini, chicken parm and a piece of tiramisu. Had the veal last night it was pretty good but a little chewy, had chicken tonight. The sauce was only so-so, not much flavor. Unfortunately lights were low and I was several bites into the chicken when I realized it was raw in the center. Yuck. Hoping I don't get sick. Not good guys, make sure poultry is fully cooked please. On the bright side, the tiramisu was delicious. Probably won't be back again for dinner.
(2)S S.
The pizza was really good...the half without bacon. The bacon was far too undercooked and chewy for our tastes, but the side without it was great, not the best, but everyone can't be the best. Really good pizza if you are in the area, a good bar list, great breadsticks, and bland but fresh Caesar salad.
(3)Betty B.
I love this place Has a family feel with good cooking. So glad it has stood the test of time.
(4)Deborah R.
Okay, I need to stop myself here from being too hard on the poor place. I had always driven by here, but never dropped in, assuming it was too fancy and that just isn't my thing. But my boyfriend's birthday dinner was here last night and whoa whoa whoa- my assumptions were wrong. The interior was like an Italian themed Big Boys. Nothing fancy at all here. Booth and wooden tables to sit at- nothing too crazy. The service was really good and the menu was standard as far as Italian places go. The portions all around the table were monsterous. I ordered the Manicotti and it was so delicious. It was far better than the same dish at Salvatore Scallopinis. No complaints here, but their french dressing tastes like mayonnaise- I asked for ranch after instead.
(4)Joe B.
While I'd give the food here 3 stars, the service was 4 stars easy. In a town where it's obviously not trendy to take reservations, Pasquale's lays out the red carpet for you with a massive facility offering numerous dining rooms, great service and solid food, not to mention 32 oz. draft beers. We ordered the Eggplant Parmesan and a small deep dish pie. While we waited our server brought us some wonderful garlic bread breadsticks that are pure addiction. The eggplant parm was a little weak...a simple batter and fry with some sauce and cheese before broiling. Tasty but unremarkable. The pie is worth a try though. It's closer to a Chicago style with its buttery crust rather than the Detroit style (which isn't as heavy) but I liked the flavor. Their sauce is pretty good, the toppings were fresh and the their crumbly sausage is great. All in all a total win since they take reservations while offering a menu I'd like to explore more of. I'll be back.
(4)Chris M.
had the chicken parm. was good and the serving size was very big and big enough to share for sure and bread was pretty good not the best I have had but good. I would not go out of my way to go back but if I was in the area I would most likely eat there again if I was in the mood for Italian.
(3)John K.
I don't really understand what is happening......The past 3 visits the "deep dish" was hardly "deep" at all. The last time we ate there (as opposed to carryout) we stopped our server because we were convinced we had gotten the wrong order...."We ordered the deep dish, not the thin" All we got was, "Yeah, they have been coming out thinner lately" No explanation, no apology, no offer of something else, no courtesy to ask if it would be ok, not even some sly fib about new dudes in the kitchen, etc.,,,just a shrug. I know I sound like a snotty child but it is human nature to kinda fly off the handle when someone messes with perfection. The last 2 times we carried out, the pizza was way thinner as well. Caesar and breadsticks are still the best in the city, hands down.
(4)Tate V.
Great deep dish pizza. We have tons of choices for pizza close to where we live so driving here is way out of our bubble. The entire experience was delightful from the choices of beer to the antipasto to the fantastic deep dish za. A place to return!
(5)Beth S.
Old and tired so very out of date. Mediocre food and service. Banquet facility is in the basement, decor from the 70 's. Low ceilings in the banquet room so it is very loud. Too many stairs to get in and to get to the bathrooms also in the basement. There once great garlic sticks tasted like garlic salt.ease don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(1)Stephen H.
A Woodward Ave Institution. Great service. Delicious food. Ravioli and salad was delish. Vesuvio cake. Italian wedding soup. Cleanliness. 4 star. Very popular restaurant on the Woodward corridor!
(4)Evie B.
I wasn't impressed with our last visit, so was hoping for good things, this visit. Service was great, as usual. The unfortunate thing, she was new and really didn't know the menu well as evident in the number of times that we had to explain what we wanted to order and how she had to keep looking at the menu. I love the old school waitresses that work here. They know that menu up/down/around and know exactly what to ask. She returned to our table to find out what sauce my hubs wanted on his carbonara noodles...um the carbonara sauce LOL I ordered the Lasagna forno...which I swear I've had their lasagna without MUSHROOMS. I hate canned mushrooms and this lasagna is loaded with them. I swear on my previous visits they've asked if I wanted it with/out mushrooms. I picked out what I could and note that I won't order this again. If they do have a non-mushroom version, please show me : ) My hubs LOVED the spagettin carbonara. I had a nibble and it was very flavorful. YUM YUM on the garlic and perfect creaminess. Son ordered a small cheese pizza and it was big enough for two. Nice thin crust and ratio of sauce to cheese was perfect. Our bread was HOT and so garlicky delish. The soup and caesar was PERFECT, PERFECT. We had plenty of leftovers for today's lunch. The waitress even threw in some bread. The tomato sauce at Pasquales is PERFECT. It tastes so fresh, light...and is the reason (among others) that we return.
(4)Marin C.
I went as a third wheel with a couple of friends. They do have some darned good bread sticks here. Nom noms. I ordered a small greek salad (it was huge), and an appetizer plate of eggplant parmesan. Sooooo good. I could've gone for more kalmatas on the salad, but I'm crazy for olives. My friends had pizza and the egg noodle dish. I think the prices were about average. There were lots of cool cars out in the area, so that was fun. Decent atmosphere. Only thing to detract, our friend got olives on his pizza and he didn't order them. Such is life.
(4)Chelsea K.
My partner and I like to try new places and Italian is my favorite plus she was having a craving for Marsala! The waitress was wonderful but the place is very very outdated and just needs something! First they are apparently getting rid of the Marsala which we do not understand, so we both got chicken Parmesan (my favorite) the sauce was like out of a can and way too salty! This place could be family friendly favorite but it needs work!
(2)Heather J.
From what I can gather, competition between restaurants, bars, and cafes along Woodward must be something fierce. Thousands of hungry commuters traverse the artery at key dining hours, all potential customers to tear away from their kitchen. As any restauranteur knows, who the heck wants to cook dinner when someone else will cook it for them? Like a Mediterranean angler-fish, minus the enormous maw of pointy needle teeth, Pasquales uses the largest blinking sign this side of Vegas or the MGM Casino to lure in dazzled visitors. I wanted dinner as a prelude to a night of novel-writing next door at Caribou, so convenience and the multitudes of flashing lights convinced me to enter the maw of doom... err, restaurant. Pasquales is a much larger place from the inside, multiple floors and dining rooms catering to private functions. A party was in full-swing when I scampered downstairs to use the ladies' room, possibly a temporal warp to 1989. Once I find my scarf and David Tennant or Matt in a dashing bowtie, surely I can nip right over to investigate. The nostalgic feel survives thanks to many newspaper clippings and historical memorabilia recounting the forty-odd years of success in Royal Oak, but the dining room upstairs has a more modern, brick and flowers feel. The menu divides into three main categories: pizza, pasta, Italian entrees of classic origins. I'm not sure if any offerings are specifically Neapolitan, but the deep dish pizza rolled by with enough regularity to advertise it as a popular choice. My beau and I both favoured pasta, he the baked ravioli and I the baked spaghetti. We added an entree of roasted red peppers, which I have a fatal weakness for ever since a memorable introduction at a tapas bar in DC. I've strived -- in vain -- to find anything remotely similar to that infernally good dish, and Pasquales fell short of the mark by offering shredded peppers rather than whole or sliced. The olive oil glaze was mostly drained off or caught on a lettuce leaf, so I was markedly disappointed. On the other hand, the garlic breadsticks were surprisingly tasty and chewy. We ditched any mixed basket of bread for the buttery garlic doom to healthy living. I've given up on healthy eating in November and supplemented my diet with plenty of nutritious "I intend tos" for December. That should work, right? Holiday parties feature celery sticks and tomatoes. Is creme brulee in the dairy food group? Service was good, though not spritely, and our waiter helpful about providing refills and updates. A couple behind me specified green, not black, olives for a pizza and when the kitchen made an error, the server offered immediately to put in a fresh order for a brand new pizza on the spot. That's service. The couple dismissed the notion (black olives are a-okay, and that effort wasn't necessary), but Pasquales being so quick to make things right is a big bonus. Alas, the pasta came out awfully salty; too much so for my beau, somewhat less a problem for me with my tolerance being slightly higher (or my tastebuds much less sensitive?). I found the spaghetti passable, if not remarkable, the sauce too bland for my liking. Bring out the herbs, throw oregano and sweet basil with impunity at my tomato-based sauces. Rob Penzey's of their stock, fling Tuscan Sunset (call it Vesuvian Sunset if you prefer, just spare the pyroclastic ash flows), and amp up the flavour. I am depressed of late by how many Italian places about don't do much for flavourful, rich sauces. My final verdict: feast on the breadsticks and a glass of wine, be done for the night, and enjoy yourself.
(2)Amy P.
I love Pasquales for what it is, a family style, italian restaurant that has been around decades. i don't know what people expect from a family run restaurant that is a family restaurant that welcomes large parties and kids? white table cloths and waiters in tuxedos? Come on people. There are 4 things I come to Pasquales for... the breadsticks, salad, pizza, and cake. All this makes Pasquales a special occasion restaurant as my waistline couldn't tolerate it otherwise. I've had pasta from here on occasion when the mood strikes, but after having their pizza, I don't think there is anyway I could eat here again and not get pizza. The deep dish is awesome! The homemade italian sausage topping is where it's at. So much flavor is in the sausage, slightly spicy and slightly sweet, mixed with their tasty tomato sauce ends up being an unforgettable combination. The breadsticks are like crack. We usually order their antipasto salad before the meal and it's delicious and the small is enough to split between 2-4 people. It comes with julienned toppings and their delicious house dressing which is nice, light and tart, a nice welcome to the heaviness of the rest of the meal. By the time the pizza comes there is only room for 1 slice, which is perfect for leftovers the next day! My only annoyance with Pasquales is that service is inconsistent. Also, after seeing their dessert selections when you first walk in, my boyfriend and I decided to take a slice of cake home to split for dessert. I just have to say that there are days I think of this cake, my mouth waters. I've never had such a delectable, tasty cake before in my life. My boyfriend and I love love love their cakes. He is partial to the chocolate with the checkerboard in the middle, and I like the white cake with raspberry. Do yourself a favor, if you never come to Pasquales for dinner, at least stop in and get a slice of cake to go to drown sorrows in later. You won't regret it in the least bit.
(4)Quianna J.
I enjoyed this restaurant. The food was good and the server was nice (although a bit slow). The only downside was it was pretty cold where we were sitting and the lemonades were pretty expensive to be so basic, and the cups were pretty small to. All in all, i would go back, but im still on the search for a Italian restaurant that can give me that authentic cuisine.
(3)Vernon B.
I usually have a good meal at Pasquales and frequent the place often. HOWEVER, the experience last night tought me never go to Pasquales during the month of the redneck traffic jam (er, dream cruise). The food quality is way below what they usually serve the rest of the year. The "dream cruise bread" as we called it, was as tasteless and bland as the people who enjoy this annual traffic jam from hell. We waited 45 minutes to get our food and when we did, it was cold. Also for the month of August, they did away with all the family dinner specials they normally have the rest of the year (the reason we went there in the first place). Do yourself a favor and stay away from Pasquales in the month of August.
(2)Ani B.
just learned they are not open for lunch anymore. i do not go out for dinner. They use to have some of the best pizza. had gone for years. in the last year or so the place has changed. the new help is rude. if you really want to go now, ask for one of the ladies, they have been there for years; this means you will probably sit in the bar. after the last visit, a couple months ago, i doubt we will ever go again. even if it had been open for lunch. they have changed too much.
(2)Dan N.
If you check out Pasquales, be prepared to go back in time about 30 years and try to imagine what Pasquales once was. It's old fashioned, casual Italian dining--a huge restaurant with a huge menu of Italian classics. For me, what better place to try anchovies on my pizza than my Pasquales--and I loved it. Again, nothing special about this place, but if you don't feel like waiting at Red Coat or the other Royal Oak "hot spots", it will for sure fill you up for a reasonable price. Also, the service was less than adequate, so you won't want to be in a rush.
(2)Sophia C.
We went there for dinner as a second choice after our first choice was an hr wait, we have 3 kids and it was already 7 so we couldn't wait. We went across the street, since it was a cocktail bar and family dining. First off they sat us down with five ADULT MENUS my kids are young and clearly to young for adult menus. The waitress comes over and says are you ready to order? I said spaghetti and she said kids size? I said u have a kids menu? She said yes they didn't give u one? No. So she ran and got some and crayons. We order and get a 6 dollar cocktail in the size of a Dixie cup. The food comes and it's like big boy style. 14.5o for chicken strips with marinara and cheese My hubby ordered the veal parm, for 12.50. How is veal cheaper then chicken? On top of this the man next to us found a metal what he thought was staple but the waitress came out and said it was the metal clip for the noodle bag. Wtf? Noodle bag? Skip this place unless you want SERIOUSLY overpriced food
(1)J S.
Our waitress. Kim was great. Good food. Worth the $$$, will go again. Had pep, tomato, olive, thin crust and ravioli. I recommend.
(4)Amby M.
My (now) husband and I have been going to Pasquales since we first started dating..in fact, we had our first "let's get married!" discussion there. It's not a lah-dee-dah place, but it serves up decent Italian food, I could eat my weight in the breadsticks alone, the employees are friendly, and the prices are decent for the serving size. In terms of the customer service...we've never had anything but great service in the 13+ years we've been going to Pasquales. In fact, there was one incident a few years back where I bit down on SOMETHING (it felt and looked like a little rock) in my spaghetti...I froze, convinced I'd cracked a tooth or something. The waitress saw my expression, came over to find out what was wrong, and immediately went to get one of the owners. They apologized profusely and comped our entire meal, INCLUDING drinks. THAT is the kind of customer service that keeps us coming back. (For the record, no cracked tooth, thank God, and it could have been something grosser!) One star docked only because sometimes they're almost TOO fast with bringing the food...when the entree literally comes out a couple of minutes after our salads. Two tips: first, don't be turned off if the parking lot looks packed, odds are there is probably a large party (or two) going on in the banquet facilities downstairs. We've NEVER had to wait for a table. Second, if you're dining sans kidlets (and would prefer to keep it that way), ask to be seated in the bar. The regular dining room can get a bit rowdy and screechy.
(4)Sarah T.
Pasquales's.... the closest to Italian I get other than my grandmother.. I love the food, and especially love their homemade desserts!! My dad use to work for Pasquale's back in the 60's when they were on the north bound side of Woodward, and we've been going to Pasquale's for as long as I can remember.. I think it's the only restaurant in the area that's authentic Italian, still family and Italian owned.. I know the taste has changed over the years, but I'll pick Pasquale's any day!!
(4)Matt M.
I really like Pasquales. I've been eating there since i was a kid and still do. I usually just get their pizza, which is great but the italian dishes are also good as well. The garlic breadsticks they give you are also really good. Highly recomended!
(4)Misty J.
I went here with a group of six friends, the parking lot was packed but we were promptly seated in a fabulous room straight out of 1986. Light pink booths, mirror walls with shiny gold sconces and an interesting recessed square of red lighting over the center of the room. Dreamy. I ordered the martini sampler tray, lemoncillo, tiramisu and a rum punch one. They were so good! The waitress was nice and attentive. I do like when you are out with a group of people and they ask if you want separate checks. We didn't this time because we ordered the family meal deal (that came with a pepperoni pizza, antipasto salad, rotini with marinara sauce) and an extra pizza Therese for our veggie friend. The best thing was the garlic bread sticks, closely followed by the pepperoni pizza with the thick pepperonis that turn into grease cups. The salad presentation was amazing, complete with radish flowers and giant thinly sliced pieces of carrot. Overall we had a great time and everyone enjoyed their dinner choices.
(4)Patrick R.
I've lived near Pasquale's for many years, but never tried them, until now. The place seems huge from the outside. Inside... Very old school, almost to the point of tacky. Our server was very nice. We started with the calamari, which tasted fresh, and house battered. The one drawback was all of the plates/silverware/cups. They seemed like something they bought from an Old Country Buffet that went out of business 25 years ago. For our salads, our server deftly guided me away from the light Italian dressing (not house made), and recommended the blue cheese that she said they made with PBR, but costed an extra $.50. I was ready to be wowed... But it was relatively bland for the hype. For mains, I had veal Parmesan (tasty and tender) with sides of Luke warm spaghetti and frozen broccoli. My fiancé had the baked penne with bolognese and sausage. It was good, but a little over cheesy to sauce ratio. The desserts looked amazing (in house pastry chef ftw!) we got some giant layered mousse cake that was pretty awesome. Overall, this place is about 3.5, and could get to 4 or 4.5 with a little work. I'll take it over the Olive Garden, but probably won't be a regular unless they update some of the details.
(3)Carolyn C.
Disgusting food. Nothing is fresh or authentic. The service was fine but the building smells and is run down and dirty.
(1)Samantha C.
I really love coming here when I have a pasta craving. The eggplant parm is my go to, but the veal is also amazing. Last time we went for dinner I ordered a glass of their house merlot and I enjoyed about half the glass until our waiters assistant accidentally tipped it over while setting down a plate! Somehow I was lucky that it only got to the edge of the table and not my lap. Without question or request another (very full) new glass came out free of charge. I would give 5 stars but sometimes the marinara sauce just doesn't do it for me, and that makes up half of the dish! Still, Pasquale's is my top pick for italian food in the area.
(4)Russ H.
I have been coming to Pasquales all my life. It's been a Woodward Ave. fixture since before I was born. Great italian food. Not if the fussier-than-thou sense, but in the really darn good sense. If you are looking for deconstructed, reinventions, and new twists on old classics then look elsewhere. This is about family dining, pizza, pasta, and drinks. And the pizza is AMAZING. Classic basic pizza. I used to work at a place where I would drive by on the way home. So I would order a pizza as I left and pick it up on the way home. Also this place is HUGE. The lot may look full, but I have rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat, and they have a full bar that you can wait at as well as a waiting area. And with two giant fnction spaces in the downstairs, you can have a big event/dinner here as well. I know I am never dissapointed to come here. My favorite dishes are Pizza, Chicken or Veal Parmesan, and they have a really good Fried Chicken! They have TV in the bar, but not the dining area.
(4)Natalie Z.
We went to Pasquale's on New Year's Eve, and it was super busy. The hostess told us it would be about 30 minutes until we'd be seated, but luckily we only really waited about 5 minutes for a table. Our server was nice, but I think he was overwhelmed. We waited a while to order, and we also waited some time for our food. Our salads were pretty much just lettuce with dressing, but that ranch is fantastic! I think the gnocchi is so tasty, and as I end up taking most of it home, so I get 1-3 meals out of it.
(4)Kim W.
I have been coming here since I was a child-- and have great memories here. From the grandma-aged waitress that made a place setting and served my stuffed animal my first time, to now enjoying some wine and baked pasta on date night with my spouse--it's one of my favorite Italian eateries in the area. Best items to order are the pizza, and any of the baked dishes (baked cheese ravioli with no mushrooms is my favorite.) What's not to like about a baked layer of cheese over cheese ravioli? It's a celebration of cheese!!! As has been said by many, the garlic bread sticks are heavenly. In fact I usually ask for just these rather than a "mixed basket" that has plain rolls, and those hard pretzel rod type bread sticks. Who needs those if you have buttery garlic bread? The most honorable thing about place is the prices. The baked dishes are still in the $10-15 range, so you can have a full meal (includes bread and side salad) plus leftovers and even a glass of wine for well under $20. The only thing that made me hover between 4 and 5 stars is the service. It is hit or miss. The last server I had there had the same voice as Tim Meadows "Ladies' Man" character from SNL, and was a close talker, but was very nice and polite. Problem was, he brought out our wine when our salads were almost gone, and took care of the bill pretty slowly. Otherwise this place is a true 5 stars for the price.
(5)Dan O.
Don't have a ton to say about this place. I've been here a handful of times. One of the best Italian places on this side of town. Service is decent, and prices aren't too bad, especially for the portion sizes. As for my fav meal here. I go with the Gnocchi w/ meat sauce. It's CRAZY filling, and delicious. Take the fam, it's almost a guaranteed great night out.
(4)Viet N.
Pasquales is a slightly more upscale version of Olive Garden, or a no-frills version of Buca di Beppo, depending on how you look at things. I too enjoyed getting hot bread + breadsticks at the beginning of the meal, and this was by far the best part of the evening. For certain things, I'm simple - hot bread gets you a point (or a star, in this case). No hot bread = no win. The rest of the meal was just okay. We ordered veal scallopini, baked ravioli, and spaghetti alla carbonara. The carbonara was the best, but let's face, it's really hard to screw up pasta, cheese, egg, and bacon. It didn't even have that much bacon either. The fillings in the scallopini and ravioli were a little...strange, as in, I had doubts about what type of meat I was eating. (Edit: Thanks Janelle!) Cost: Pastas generally run about $12-15, the veal dishes $15-20. Pizzas run $10-$18. Beers are about $5 per 12oz glass. Would I go back? Probably not. The bill amounted to $53, and I think you could get the same experience at Olive Garden for less.
(3)Jorge C.
This is what Pasquales is in a nutshell. When Royal Oak and Birmingham was living large in the 50s, 60s, 70s I can imagine Pasquales was the place everyone in the neighborhood bragged about going to. It is a time capsule of an era where it was enough to have good honest food with a neighborhood feel. The oven baked pasta was great, and the wedding soup was terrific. Wine by the liter always makes me happy, and the server was a real human being with a real personality. I will be going back.
(4)Marie S.
Great garlic bread. Great saltiness to spaghetti. Shrimp were lame - so don't bother adding shrimp to any of your dishes.
(3)Suzanne S.
this place has gone to Hell in a hand basket - got the antipasto - the salami, cheese, etc. was hard to find - went through some grinder thing one eighth inch thick at best - bread is now dry BLECH
(2)Lourdes A.
The service was awful. The waiter quickly took our drink order but then completely forgot about us. It took him over 20 minutes to finally make it back to our table and take our order. Thing is, he didn't even bring bread to tide us over. Finally, the food comes. I ordered the rotini pesto special. Fail. The rotini was not al dente and they were stingy on the pesto. But my boyfriend ordered the pizza and it was very tasty. So, they get points for their pizza but their pasta sucks. Their desserts didn't look too promising (slices of cake looked dry) so we skipped them. Point is, if you're jonesing for pizza, this is your place. Stay away from everything else. And frankly, stay away from this place altogether. The interior is outdated and dingy. I'd order pizza for delivery but I would not return to this restaurant.
(2)Katie G.
Like many of the reviewers here, I have been going to Pasquales since I was young. I've had a nice range of their menu over the years - from various pasta dishes to pizza & beer. My favorite go-to dish is the gnocchi: simple, yet delicious! I've attended numerous school hosted banquets in their rooms downstairs and remember always looking forward to the large spread of good food. My family threw my sister's baby shower there a few years ago and it turned out to be a great place to host a party. I decided to have my daughter's 1st birthday there this year and had the family style pizza, pasta, and salad. Half of the people invited had never eaten there and were pleased with the food. There were plenty of leftovers, so many of our guests were excited to take home food. Yes, the decor is outdated as others have mentioned, but everything looks and feels clean so it has never kept me from enjoying my meal. I continually recommend Pasquales to family and friends when they're in the area and I haven't had to worry about making a bad recommendation.
(5)Dina B.
"Yum that was so delicious and well prepared!" Said NO ONE EVER after eating here.
(1)Jen R.
pasta was delicious, staff is also great
(4)Elly L.
Really not a fan. Everything is prepackaged, precooked and really just unappetizing. Maybe it's just me, but I have always found this place to be a bit dirty, as well. If you're near Pasquale's and are in the mood for Italian, I guess go for it. But if you have a little more time (and money) drive down to Salvatore Scallopini's in Birmingham for a more quality meal.
(2)Nina K.
This review is not as much for the food, but the excellent customer service at Pasquales. I'm usually a last minute carryout order for a busy work night. The care that is paid to each part of my order and the continual checking to make sure they got it right is top notch. Who pays this much attention to a cup of sauce and a side of meatballs? Thanks!!!
(5)Kristin G.
I've been coming here since I was a wee lass. My reality here has gone from pizza and balloons to pizza and beer. Yes, beer. They have a 32 oz option where you can get a variety of different beers served to you in a giant chilled glass...well...let's call it a "chalice" that's as big as YOUR FACE! It's a double handed operation just to take a sip. Janelle has it right, the breadsticks are really the highlight. In fact I hardly get to the pizza. Just to add insult to calorie injury, I often order a side of ranch to go with the buttery garlicky bread wonders. Yum. Their salads are decent too, but what isn't when doused in ranch? The pizza here is pretty good. Overly cheesy in my humble opinion, but it does the trick. I'm cool with any place that has pepperoncini's aka banana peppers. I honestly haven't had anything else on the menu other than the pizza. Why mess with a good thing? Keep on kickin' it Pasquale's. The service is solid. Seeing as it is Birthday central, they are not easily flustered by big parties or chaotic patron situations. They still have a handful of the same waitress's that were there since the days of my youth. True veterans. One always refers to empty beer cans as "fallen soldiers," it never gets old. Classic.
(3)Paul T.
Best pizza in Detroit hands down. We lived less than a mile from here for two years and never stopped by because it didn't look like it would be a good restaurant. The place isn't fancy, but the deep dish pizza is ridiculous! Every one rants and raves about Buddy's but this place beats it by a mile. The five star rating is for the pizza. I have never tried their other food. The pizza is so good, I wouldn't want to go there and not have it.
(5)Cristopher B.
Here's a place that I'll admit right off the bat, I'm a little biased due to history. I've been going to Pasquale's for 28 years, my father's been a regular for more than 50. I will say without hesitation, if perhaps through rose tinted glasses, that they're doing something right. True - it's not authentic Italian: you're not going to find some culinary genius crafting dishes from the hills of Tuscany or classic Sicilian dishes passed down from generation to generation. What you're going to find is good, robust pasta dishes, pizza and salads that have satisfied folks in the area for decades. This is not a place for snobbery. It's not a place for high-end cuisine. It is also not a place for amateur food critics who read a New York Times restaurant review once and suddenly think they work for Zagat's. Pasquale's is a great little suburban restaurant serving giant beers and honest food at pretty decent prices. My personal recommendation is the special baked spaghetti, with mushrooms and extra sauce. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
(5)Brian B.
We were in the mood for Italian, so we decided on Pasquale's. I haven't been here much even though it's only a couple miles from my house. We started with a fried zucchini appetizer. it was really good. The breading had a nice crunch to it and it was served with some killer marinara sauce. Salads and bread came. The salad was average. Maybe they should pgrade to romaine lettuce instead of iceberg. Just a thought. The bread, as others have said, is a good thing and a bad thing. It's delicious, but everyone had a hard time not to overeat on it. I ordered the veal parm, which was enjoyable. Nothing spectacular, but filled the void in my stomach nicely. I couldn't eat the whole thing and it's waiting to be my lunch today. My girlfriend ordered the turkey meatloaf, which I thought was very good. Well cooked, not dry, and smothered in marinara. A recurring theme here is the abundance of food. The portions are definitely not lacking. The food won't blow you away in awesomeness, but it does the trick for a good, decently-priced meal. I must add that the service was perfect. Our waitress was the best I have had in a LONG time. Good service can make a decent meal into a great one and this is what happened. I know service is very dependent, but we happened to get a person who was very attentive to everything.
(4)Bitsy S.
I have to say I'm not impressed. I will say I've never had their pizza but there's certainly nothing stand out about their other dinners. First off, I ordered bruschetta and they pronounced it incorrectly. Second - and this is a big one - I ordered a Bloody Mary and I was charged NOT for the drink as is customary - but for the vodka and then for the tomato juice. Huh? And it wasn't cheap, either. Service is not good - not bad - but not good either. All in all, I don't think I'll be returning.
(2)Ken Z.
Had lunch today (Sunday) at Pasquale's. Food was okay, service was okay. When we arrived, seated right away at a table with plenty of room. I ordered the (boneless) Chicken Scallopine ($13.60) - it was okay, but I would not order it again. You can order on bone as well. One of the nice parts of Pasquale's is that with your entree, you get salad plus two sides (spaghetti with marinara, vegetable, or potato). Salad was good - arrives pre-dressed. I had the house Italian which was tasty, but the salad was absolutely drenched. This dressing was a little biting by the end, but it may have been because the lettuce was swimming in it. Need to remember to ask for on the side next time. For my sides, first, I went with the vegetable which was corn today. Hot and tasty. Second side was mashed potatoes. Gravy was congealed on top when it arrived - recommend passing on mp. Baked potatoes that family members had didn't look like anything to write home about - I'm guessing most people go with the spaghetti instead. My food was lukewarm when it arrived as were the entrees of two of my family members. Another family member ordered the lasagna which was piping hot - perhaps our entrees had to wait while his finished cooking. One of those lukewarm entrees was chicken parm - that diner remarked that Sila's is much better. Server mentioned that they have their own pastry chef now which I think is impressive for a family restaurant. Server was personable, but disappeared for a little too long at times. Plus, I had to ask for water multiple times. We ended up taking our check up to the cashier since he wasn't around post-dessert. Most people around us ordered pizza - will have to go that route next time. I had the baked pasta years ago and remember it being good. Almost forgot fantastic, soft bread sticks. Today's experience just so-so. UPDATE: 5/7/2010- went to a banquet tonight at Pasquale's. Not writing a new review/changing rating since this was downstairs in their banquet hall and was buffet-style. Food was hot. Mostaccioli w/ alfredo sauce was good. Potato was excellent. Pizza was soggy. My companion said the roast chicken was outstanding. Impressed that they were able to churn out so much food and have it all be hot at the same time. Would go back for another banquet.
(2)Dominique K.
Decent food at a decent price with decent service. Pasquale's is our go-to place when we simply don't want to cook and want a little comfort food. I've gone here since I was in high school, and it's been around much longer than that. I don't get the Pasquale's haters as the restaurant is what it is, and doesn't pretend to be otherwise. Large groups and families are welcome here, and the bigger groups don't seem to fluster the wait staff or the kitchen. Portions are big, and I usually end up taking about half of my dinner (usually the special baked egg noodles) home for lunch the next day. We always liked sitting in the little bar section as it was quieter (who wants to sit next to a big party celebrating Aunt Bertha's birthday when you're looking for a quiet night out?), but had to give up on that for a while because it got way too smoky. I'm overjoyed that we can again hop over there and have a quiet meal in the bar. Get on the birthday mailing list--we've each gotten $20 gift certificates on our birthdays from Pasquale's for several years now!
(3)Jill H.
One more time that I can say I have no idea why I have not had dinner here bofore tonight. Fast, friendly and really good food. They also have michigan wine.... I am a big fan of!!!!! You must eat here!! I can not wait to go back!
(5)Bobbie B.
I read the reviews and thought this would be a good place to try. Well, epic fail. The only good thing about it was the bread...it was absolutely fabulous. Buttery, garlicy goodness. I had the shrimp alfredo. Under seasoned and the shrimp were overcooked, which made for chewy shoe leather. Hubby had the stuffed shells and a side of meatballs. Although the meatballs were huge, they were mediocre at best....just tasted like a hamburger..nothing standout. I wouldn't go here again.
(2)Amber C.
Pasquale's is one of the reasons why I miss living in Royal Oak. THE PIZZA! Oh god, it's a miracle. I prefer to keep things super simple when it comes to something so good (just pepperoni, original over deep dish). This is pizza done so right that it tastes like a throwback. Bellissima!
(4)Sparkely K.
What a fantastic place!! Homey, comfortable, family-oriented, amazing (!!!) pizza, and great service. We each had individual pizzas and my pepperoni was AWESOME!!! Deep dish just the way I like it with a tasty sauce and gooey cheese. Our server was delightful and we had a great dinner. I'll definitely go back when I am home again!
(5)tina w.
I have been going here several times a year for the past 20 years, and I've finally decided that I won't be going back for awhile. I've noticed the quality of their food has declined recently. My 'salad' last week was nothing more than a plate of rusty lettuce. Also, I don't think its a good business practice to have FOX News (or any other biased political channel) displayed on multiple large flat screen TVs. It was just a turn-off for me to dine with Karl Rove's fat head displayed in every corner of the room. The local area is roughly 50/50 Republican/Democrat, why would a business risk alienating half of their customers by having such a biased TV channel on during the dinner rush hour?
(2)Wendy S.
All 5 stars are for the deep dish pizzas and the antipasto salad. My hands down favorite in the metro D area. And I've eaten my share...:-)
(5)Ben W.
I give this place a three on the back of the amazing table bread, otherwise I don't understand why it's such a landmark. The decor is schizophrenic, mixing kitschy Italian quaint with cafeteria and high-volume reception hall, the food is overly rich with a kind of preparatory malaise you find in chefs who are totally phoning it in. Too many TVs, not enough focus. I will say service was excellent and quite tip-worthy and the bar is extensive and well run. The food, meh.
(3)Michael M.
Simple, strong Italian food. Sure, the place looks like a throw back that hasn't been updated since the late 80's... but the food is decent. We had some fried Calamari as a starter, which was excellent. They're very KID friendly as well. My nephew LOVES their garlic bread and Ravioli for kids. Very niced sized portion for a kid. I had a side salad with Creamy Italian dressing... the dressing is just enormously delicious. Very sweet, and yet, still tastes like Italian dressing. Baked Penne special was also good. I like their sauce because it's basically unpretentious: here's some tomato sauce with your pasta. Nothing overtly fancy here, just well done.
(4)Sarah M. B.
Ok, do not expect cuisine straight out of Italy, but there are a few things that make this cheaper Italian joint a decent place to go every so often....it has been around for like 50 years, so they are doing something right!!! First off-AWESOME ranch dressing...the best ever, really. It makes a fantastic complement to the amazing breadsticks that are served upon arrival...I mean you can get a salad and breadsticks and ranch and you will leave more than happy. I usually start out with a garden salad with ranch(for the bread mainly) before each meal...the antipasto salad with a mix of ranch and italian dressing is also a winning combo. The pizza is very good...I have only had the round, but it's very typical of a restaurant of this caliber. The pepperoni are small and crunchy...just the way it should be so that is great, it does add quite a bit of grease but not in a gross way...more in the NY style way...the crust? Also an excellent choice for dipping in ranch!!! The pastas are average, but again this is a basic place...their marinara with veggies is good as is what I had last visit when I branched out from the pizza-green fettuccine with the garlic and olive oil sauce with broccoli....it was plain, yes, but had a good flavor to it. Also, their baked ziti is pretty fantastic-loaded with cheese and every pasta portion is enough for a meal the next day...for about 10 bucks you get a shitload of pasta and a salad...not a bad deal. Pretty cheap wine list, but they do have a full, basic bar...again...what do you expect??? As long as there is booze of any kind, it's a-ok with me ;) The waitstaff is hit or miss....you can get a great server or someone you are laughing at the whole time or a horrible server...luckily the food isn't too complicated here and thank god all they have to do is bring it to you... Desserts...I have only had the cannolli's but goddamned are they the BOMB...I stop in just to get cannolli's sometimes because they are that amazing, it's tough not to get one to go after every meal!!! All in all...I wouldn't go out of the way to go here, but if you live in the area and need your cheap carb fix....this is the place!
(3)Jonny P.
Stopped in here last weekend off the recommendation of a 6 year old (seriously). Looking @ the menu it seemed a shame to just order pizza but I should have listened to little buddy. Ended up splitting an order of Chicken Marsala and Veal Scaloppine both were good. Service was very prompt and courteous, just seemed like we were seated on top of each other. I am definitely going back for the pizza and will update later...
(3)Chris L.
Great menu with all the Italian staples. I ordered a Pizza and it was very good. My family ordered pasta's and they were all excellent. My mother also very much enjoyed the dessert.
(4)Lisa K.
This is by far the best Italian place anywhere around. We live pretty far away, so when we are in the area it's a VERY SPECIAL treat. The service is great, the food is fantastic. I look forward to the Dream Cruise just to go here!!!! No place in Lansing even comes close.
(5)Wm W.
This place has been here forever - since I was in high school. Pizza has always been good to great!
(4)Corydon S.
This place is great for dining with kids. I used to ask my parents take me here when I was little. It's close to the mini golf place, so it makes for a good place to have a family night out. The pizza is the star here, though the pasta is not bad. It's inexpensive and the staff is friendly. There is a reason this place has been around so long, it's good.
(3)kelly w.
Pasquales used to be the destination hot-spot for any sports banquets or middle school birthday parties. I hadn't been there in years until a friend of mine had her rehearsal dinner here. We weren't in the main dining room, but rather downstairs in our own private room. I was surprised by the quality of food-- the pizza was greasy but in a good way, the fettuccine alfredo was really creamy and flavorful. They also serve good ranch. Also, I think we only had one waitress for the party of about 40. She was EXCELLENT. I have never heard such detailed descriptions with such enthusiasm from any waiter or waitress.. she really grabbed the bull by the horns to do the best job she could do-- all with a smile on her face.
(4)Karl L.
Good pizza. Full Bar. Pretty clean. Decent family restaurant. Good prices for what you get. It's always busy, which is a good sign. Consistent food and friendly staff. It's basic italian.
(3)Heidi R.
I almost always ordered the cannelloni and it was so good every time. Near the cash register is a display of their history, which I love that they have. Great Italian food here!
(4)Andrea D.
One night when feeling a bit under the weather, my daughter wanted Italian. I chose Pasquales because it was close and seemed pretty generic. We each had the Italian wedding soup, which was HOT and yummy and good for the soul. My daughter ordered the kids ravioli and it looked homemade. At the end the waitress brought a desert tray around. My daughter was thrilled with the option for a bit of chocolate cake, vanilla pudding and sprinkles in a shot glass. I took home the most delectable looking piece of German chocolate layer cake for my hubby - - - he savored every bite with a big, cold glass of milk.
(4)Samuel W. B.
I can honestly say that this pizza is my favorite. I get the deep dish with garlic, and a side salad with creamy Italian. The bread in the bread basket is the best. I ate there a couple times per month and did for years. Awesome wait and bus staff that is very prompt and organized. Well run place.
(5)Kevin R.
Absolute garbage. DO NOT GO HERE. My food was inexplicably salty and the service was worse than being at a Coney Island. DO NOT GO.
(1)Ted S.
I'm not sure why elitist snobs like to target Pasquale's. Is it something about the size and popularity of Pasquale's that draws out their venom? Perhaps Pasquale's is popular and well liked by many because it is actually good? Sure popularity often doesn't translate into quality, but it doesn't follow that popularity indicates the lack thereof either. In any case, calling it a "disgusting mess" and "completely inedible" is one of the most over-the-top ridiculous exaggerations I have ever seen. I haven't had *that* many dishes there, but the pizza at the very least makes it easily worth a trip . As was already pointed out, the pepperoni here are simply *amazing*. They also do a fantastic meat sauce. Love the breadsticks, love the Tiramisu. The atmosphere is hardly fancy but it is hardly "run down". I have never seen anything to indicate any sort of lack of maintenance. Just because an establishment was built some decades ago and has not bothered to become slick and modern does not make it like a Big Boy's.
(4)Todd E.
The fact that its vast parking lot is always swarming with cars just goes to show you how little some Metro Detroiters actually know about GOOD food. This place is an absolute disgusting mess. The decor looks more like a run down Elias Brothers'. The food was completely inedible. It was so salty and over-cooked that it was like sucking on a salt lick. The canned Italian Wedding Soup seemed to have Chef Boy-Ardee Meatballs in it. I've heard the Pizza is okay, but it's hardly worth walking across the mega parkinglot to sit in this dump to eat it. A revolting shit-hole at best. The waitress was super friendly, but there were no bus boys to clear the tables.
(1)Prashant D.
Are you kidding me? "Best pizza in Detroit"???!!!! If you want salt for dinner, eat the pizza.
(1)Peter W.
Casual and tasty pizza.
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