Patsy’s Tavern & Restaurant
“If you aren't in the mood for pizza, there broccoli rabe is out of this world.”
“Their brick oven pizza, garlic bread, rice balls, mussels and every pasta is the best in New Jersey.”
“I recommend this to any old school Italian family.”
Patsy’s Tavern & Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
3 reviews
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I have been going to Patsy's literally my entire life. Reason is because my father has been going there since my grandparents first took him when he was 7 in 1942. Little has changed since then, decor wise. They never bothered to renovate anything at all. Same dingy old tiny booths, same cheap beer signs and grungy curtains. And while some may take exception with this, it provides with a degree of comfort that no other restaurant seems to have. The pizza and all of their food is consistently excellent, service attentive and birch beer, rich and creamy. I remember playing basketball in the back with Steve and Gary when we were kids while Ralph and Marilyn manned the kitchen. Now it's the sons' turn and it's always great to see them. Patsy's is home for me. I remember being 9 or 10 years old in the back seat of my father's Oldsmobile arguing with my sister about where to go. I always wanted Patsy's, she preferred Chinese and I usually won. Ha, ha Jennifer. The fortunate thing for anyone reading this its that it's never too late to start a tradition, especially where family is concerned. Sure, the neighborhood is questionable, but you'll be fine and go enjoy what my family and I have for many, many years. Love, love love Patsy's.
It doesn't give me any pleasure writing this review. Patsy's (no relation to the NY one FYI) has to be one of my favorite pizza PLACES I've been to. The part of Paterson it is in doesn't look very inviting but frankly a lot of you are acting like wimps; the area isn't THAT bad. The inside is dark and everything looks ancient. It's almost like entering a tomb from the change in air as you step in and the old chandeliers and hand-carved wooden signs. Unlike many other New Jersey Pizzerias where the staff like to bust balls or are assholes for the sake of being assholes, the staff here cannot be nicer. Just about everyone who goes here is a regular or has ties to the area, so it is literally a neighborhood watering hole and an extremely rare and interestingly sociological find.
But–and this is a big but–the pizza I got here wasn't any good. Not at all. It was of the "bar" genus, with the added twist of the crisp crust being turned upward on the outer rim to form something that resembles a pastry crust. This crust was dense, lacked a flavor other than grease, and was like a stale cracker. The sauce had just a slight hint of tomato flavor with the rest coming from an unbalancing dose of oregano. The cheese was good, but it was either very oily or oil had been added to the pizza. The sum total was a oily, cheesy cracker which I couldn't find anything to like about. I had been chatting up the bartender and other regulars so I didn't want to be a dick, so I got it to go and subconciously left it behind. Of course every regular in the damn place point this out to me before I was out the door and I went back to grab it. Quietly I wished that they hadn't.
Nice people, bad pizza. I've had this style of bar pie elsewhere since and it was much better, so this style can work. Maybe this was an off night for them, but others seem to be describing something similar so that may not be the case. Patsy's is such a great place that it hurts me to seemingly "out" it, and that has never happened before. If this isn't an instance of people loving a restaurant's other so much that they ignore the slippage of the food, I don't know what is. I'm happy that Patsy's still exists and that so many people love it, but I can't eat that stuff again.
Note: Extra star for for all-of-the-above. Pizza itself is 1 star only
Been coming here since I was a child! Local family owned Italian restaurant. There is a very tavern feel with the bar in the front and wood paneling everywhere. The waitresses have all been there over 20 years and know all of the regular patrons.
I always order the muscles and cheese garlic bread. The sauce is perfection and I love to dip my bread in to get every last bit! They have small portions of pasta and regular size – I usually skip the dinner selections and order pizza. The pizza has a thin crust but is cooked to perfection. I love getting pepperoni and extra cheese. The pepperoni is small and crispy which is delicious. Be aware when you order the extra cheese it can be a bit oily – but nothing a little blotting couldn't fix.
There isn't much parking in the area, but this place is a true gem and I will be back! Love a taste of home 🙂