Pagelli's Italiano

Pagelli's has it's ups and downs.  I like the nice ambiance inside and the live music with old people dancing outside.  The food is OK.  It's Italian, nothing too memorable.  Pricey for the quality in my opinion. The drinks are expensive as well.  I've been around Florida, and I think this place is trying to mask itself as an upper class Italian Restaurant.  It's pretty average and I'd give it 4 stars if it didn't cost more than it's value.

My wife and I decided to give this place a second try. We arrived without a reservation and waited about 25 minutes at their outdoor "happy hour" bar. The bar featured a "special" price of $5.00 for the "Trinity" house wine...so we each ordered a Cabernet. The wine was awful (probably one of the many made-up labels from Gallo which supplies most of the banquet hall trade).

Upon being seated our waiter asked if we would like another wine. He was apparently used to comments about the house wine and proceeded to up-sell us on a better Cabernet at $12.50/glass. We ordered two of the menu's Italian specialties. The food was delivered in a timely manner, but barely lukewarm. Our impression was consistent with our first visit...mediocre Italian food, lacking  flavor and zestiness. Pagellis has a very nice atmosphere, and features outdoor seating with very good singers..but as a dining experience it fails to deliver.

This is a loud, Italian chain resto.  But it's pretty inside, and the bar does good pours of vodka for only four bucks.  When asked to put the pomodoro on the side, the staff were cheerful and the order came in a separate soup bowl.  Generous..

In season, the outdoor dining is the best. There are views of a lake, plus excellent singers that croon to a the crescent that is an outdoor dining patio shared jointly by Pagelli's and Hemignways.  Pagelli's also has an outdoor fireplace that is a godsend on chill December evenings.

Half the appeal is the central location between friends and family who are north in Lee and south in Collier , but who try to meet somethere in between.  Pagelli's is great solution to this, there on the north side of Coconut Pointe.  It's also super convenient when you have an extra hour or two and need somethng reliable to eat while enroute to/from RSW.