Paragon VIva

Excellent American food — one of my go-​to places on Thayer street for a good, slightly upscale meal.
The menu is extensive and there is something for everyone. The steaks are great — cooked to perfection and with fresh, hot grilled veggies on the side. If you want a more low-​key dinner, the burgers are also juicy and delicious. For a lighter option the salads are good, too.
The cocktails are yummy. I really enjoyed the Wolfberry Mojito as a slight twist on a classic mojito. There’s an extensive wine list, which is what I usually order from.
My complaint about Paragon is the way they charge for allergies — if they make a particular item on the plate (say, a vegetable) with something you can’t eat (in my case, dairy/​butter) and have to modify it, they will charge a substitution fee of $ 2 added onto your meal. I’ve rarely encountered this, and it seems kind of obnoxious — especially for a relatively up-​scale place.
Ive also been to several night-​time dance events here and it’s a good space — they clear out one of the rooms so there’s a large dance floor and bar. They also play a fun light show.
Overall, I’d recommend Paragon Viva!

Terrible service! Restaurants was empty at 6:30pm when we arrived. Ordered a BBQ chicken pizza which took 40 minutes. When I questioned the waitress about why it took so long, she said the kitchen messed up and then never came back to check on us. We eventually had to ask another staff member to help us pay out check. Worst providence dining experience I’ve had in a long time!

Not what I fondly remembered from my days at Brown. Disappointed by the wilted Caesar salad with? Box croutons, slow service and? frozen margherita pizza. Perhaps I will once again try the brunch but unlikely as there are so many great restaurants to choose from in town. Oh well!

Service is terrible. The food was bland and there was no flavor.
Our waiter forgot our food order and didn’t bring us drinks until we reminded him. The owner is also not friendly at all he makes weird remarks about the way people dress inside the place. I do not recommend. Do not come here at all.

Food drinks and service was amazing. We had a party for Cinco de Mayo every penny. Highly recommend for any one trying to book a event. Thanks again for a memorable experience.

I attended a wedding shower at Paragon on Sunday May 1. The shower was beautiful. We had a room to ourselves. The Buffett was decent, but I wouldn’t write home about it. The big problem was the manager of the restaurant, who kept harassing the hostess of the shower by calling her on her cell phone and sending her notes stating that she was watching her from the security cameras. Apparently, the manager that originally booked the party for my friend (who held the shower for her daughter) got fired right before the shower and the new manager (Tammy) was trying to get $ 350 for a room fee from my friend. Unfortunately the ‘harassment’ didn’t end at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon, when the party was over. This Tammy person texted my friend at work on Wednesday morning at 6:00am to continue to ask for the room fee. After my friend answered her text, Tammy responded, «I don’t know the way to the ‘hood or the barrio». This is a blatant derogatory statement made in a text message against my friend, who happens to be a minority. I want everyone to know what kind of people run this restaurant and, if you have a shred of decency, you will never step foot in that restaurant.

Tammi the so called owner is harassing her customer 3 days after we had a party booked there. Making very racial comments through text messages. She was texting her client during the event and claims she is watching us through the security camera. Would not recommend going there the waitress was very professional and bartender but tammi harassing them during event telling them what to do!

We showed up a little late, the waitress was super nice and patient with us. Ordered some wine and a meal that was decent but not that great. The menu was a little strange. It was hard to know what to go for… fish, seared ahi, ½ a chicken. The portions were large and the food decent… but neither of our meals were that great. But kudos for letting us eat late. The restaurant is very cool inside and the location in Providence is nice.

What happened??? These 2 places used to be awesome and always reliable. Not so much anymore. Food is overpriced, under seasoned and the waitstaff is pretty clueless. Too many other places to go to.

Never left a brunch so fast … Everything was horrible. Place was dirty, smallest selection of food I have seen at any brunch before. the clientele, well let’s just say it’s not the clientele I’d ever choose to eat with never mind sharing a serving spoon with. Save your 15 bucks and put it towards a real bunch that should normally go for 25 bucks like at 1149 in east Greenwich

Fine service but really mediocre food. Hummus plate came with two types of hummus, salad, and pita bread– all unexciting. Calamari was okay but could have been better seasoned. The aioli helped, but calamari couldn’t hold its own. Crab and Lobster cakes were pretty bland… In terms of entrée I got the soy and ginger marinated salmon over a bed of veggies. It was well cooked, but really not worth it.
Paragon’s location can’t be beat. Come for … a salad maybe? Dessert? Many of the options on Thayer are far better for a fraction of the price.

We came in tonight… Waited 15 minutes with no service. A waiter walked by 5 times and 3 bartenders in plain view. So disappointed!

hey
its good
seriously
i am only typing more words so that Unilocal will allow me to post this review

We went as a group of 10 for a celebration and had a very bad experience. We had made a reservation and waited 50 minutes to order the food. We ordered some drinks, one of which was spilt on the table (and us) by the waitress when serving it and when the waitress said she’d bring napkins, she never came back and we had to clean it up ourselves. We waited 1hr45 for the food to come and all we ordered was pizza, pasta and salad. We were also the only customers in the restaurant apart from one other party of 4 and a couple people at the bar. When the entrees finally arrived, one of the dishes that was a lobster ravioli, had a surprise spinach ravioli mixed in it. One of the appetisers only came with the main dishes. They also continuously messed up our drinks during that hour and 45 minutes. And when a second jug of sangria came and we said we hadn’t ordered it, the waitress said it was on the house. However, at the end of the dinner it was on our bill and when we complained, the manager argued with us that it wasn’t true, finally at the end of a lot of arguing he didn’t charge us for it. We were there for a total of 2hr and 45 minutes for a dissatisfying experience where we were mistreated and disrespected. The manager was defensive and was not apologetic for the obvious mistakes. We were very disappointed and believe some serious changes need to happen when it comes to larger group dinners.

We couldn’t stop laughing because the service was so terrible here. The restaurant week menu was flavorless and frankly way overpriced at 17/​person. It was worse than what you get at a tgi Fridays or friendlys! I seriously couldn’t believe it. We did love the side of grilled pita but that was the only thing we finished.

If I could give negative stars, I would. I’ve never had so many drinks spilled, nor have I ever waited so long for soggy napkins to be cleaned. It was really something. Unimpressive and to be honest, would have stayed in a dorm room if I had known the food would be premads and from the frozen aisle.

I hadn’t been to Paragon in quite awhile and to my surprise, it kicked it up a notch. The new interior resembles a 1930s NYC nightclub and it’s a classy look.
The menu is fairly extensive and there were numerous options that looked delicious. I chose the honey mustard chicken and it was excellent.
The drink menu also seduced me with the unique Sugar Daddy martini– it was sweet and potent. The electric lemonade may need more alcohol– ok a lot more alcohol.
Service was also attentive and friendly.
Definitely coming back in the near future!

I had higher expectations for a business on the East Side. When on Thayer St., you’d expect to see something really unique, weird, or cool. In regards to aesthetics, there was none of that at Paragon. It’s just an ordinary restaurant. No special decorations besides a black and white mural on the back wall. However, it has a decent view of Thayer from the inside.
A friend and I went here during Providence Winter Restaurant Week and got what seemed like a great deal. For $ 35, we had a three-​course dinner for two with large portions. I started with a house salad filled with fresh arugula, red onions, and shredded cheese but a sparring amount of mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers, and kalamata olives. By sparring I mean there was one olive, one slice of cucumber, once slice of tomato, and two tiny balls of mozzarella. Pathetic. This was topped with balsamic dressing, although I thought the balsamic tasted odd. It seemed as though the dressing was old. Yuck. The entrée, however, was fantastic.
I ordered Norwegian salmon that was drizzled with a mandarin orange ginger sauce. The salmon was huge, easily 7 to 8 ounces and perfectly cooked. As far as the sauce, flavorful and not soaking the salmon. Delicious zucchini and broccoli were served on the side along with rice pilaf which I didn’t care for.
Dessert: a soggy tiramisu that was falling apart.
Viva is nothing special either. I’ve been there twice and each time the music was horrible. There’s a $ 10 cover to get in too, certainly not worth it. A DJ appeared on my first visit but the music was nothing to brag about. The second time around, a local rock band came in and we left shortly after. Over crowded and too small of an establishment to have music blasting from it.

I REALLY like Paragon Viva, and I like it more every time I eat here.
The sweet potato fries are delicious. The goat burger is awesome! I’ve yet to try the pizza, but apparently it’s a must have. Definitely on my list of things to try next time I’m in the area.
The one thing I don’t like is that the last time I came here, I ordered warm pita bread, which is around $ 4. The waiter asked if I would like any hummus to accompany it. I said yes, thinking it was so sweet of him to add that in. I ended up getting charged $ 13 for a huge hummus platter. A bit misleading if you ask me.

The food is okay but after a dinner I was charge double the amount that I was supposed to pay (that amount to a few hundred bucks). I asked the restaurant and they told me it was some mistake on their side and they were supposed to cancel the original one and recharge the amount. Anyways the result came out that I was charged twice. It has been over two months and I have been asking them to cancel the charge. They told me to look for the cashier/​accountant who is never at the restaurant! I have been visiting the restaurant every other week to solve the problem. The managers all said they could not do much! I am VERY disappointed by the service. And be careful with your credit cards, people!

The service and food the night of December 19^th was great! We got the hummus platter which was massive, calamari, lamb burger, and steak appetizer. No one in our party had complaints. Then have an extensive drink menu so you will be able to find a drink catering to anyone’s tastes.
The best part though was the PHENOMENAL DJ!!! He spun so many fantastic tracks, I was literally on the dance floor all night. I had a great evening at this place and recommend it for a casual night with just food and drinks or for a fun night of dancing!

So… the bruschetta. This dish is hard to screw up, right? I mean we all know what bruschetta is. Let me tell you what THIS bruschetta was.
The bread: An enormous soggy slab of whole grain something DRENCHED in balsamic vinaigrette.
The tomatoes: A heaping, salty, wet pile of tomato hunks. Picture a tomato cut into four pieces but then picture like 10 tomatoes where someone did that.
The olive oil: None
The mozzarella: three teensy, tiny pieces we finally found under the bread sog.
The balsamic: EVERYWHERE
The lettuce: Wait, why was there lettuce?
The basil: Unsure
The shredded Parmesan: WAIT, what was that doing there?
Also, I think our waiter forgot we existed but really just focus on the bruschetta. Long story short, we ended up starving and ordered some French Fries. Those did NOT have balsamic on them.

Unique and amazing lamb burger, fantastic service!

We came in here visiting town on a whim, I am sooooo happy we did. The service was fantastic and the food was phenomenal. I got thee fillet mignon burgers and my bf had the steak tips which he said (and I agree) had the best gravy he had ever had in his life.
I am so disappointed we didn’t have a chance to come back (maybe one day) but I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you have the chance

One of the things I love about Providence is that it’s full of «hidden gem» restaurants. However, sometimes you just don’t feel like searching out and waiting for a table at these places. Luckily, Paragon is conveniently located on Thayer Street for times like this!
The menu is pretty extensive, with lots of different cuisines and categories of food. There are also plenty of opportunities for choice and substitution, making Paragon a good restaurant for people with allergies or picky eaters.
I had the Paragon pizza ($ 11), and it was really flavorful, with lots of garlic and Parmesan (mmm). It was also surprisingly filling, thanks to a big strip of grilled chicken on each slice. I ended up taking half home!
Our waitress was young, but she was still polite and knowledgable about the menu. She explained the difference between pommes frites and «Paragon fries»: the latter are the batter-​covered type of fries, yum!
They were offering a three course prix fixe menu when I was here, but I think Paragon is better for something simple like a sandwich, salad, or burger. I’d rather take advantage of similar prix fixe deals at more upscale restaurants around town.
I don’t know how often I’ll be back, since in the category of relatively inexpensive, simple, casual restaurants on Thayer, I think I slightly prefer Andrea’s. That being said, Paragon is a solid restaurant, so maybe I’ll try the brunch!

We have been here a few times over the years and have always had decent meals. I would give the food a ¾ and the service a 2. Arrived at 5:30 and maybe a dozen tables were taken. We ordered our drinks and food and made it clear that we wanted one thing as an app. Waited almost 20 min for food with nothing on the table except the drinks. They brought the app with the rest of the meal and did not remember to take the sprouts off a sandwich. Our food was good, but not spectacular. The best things were the lobster and crab cakes and grape leaves. Think I will probably stick with Andreas or Kartabar next time.

I’ll start off by saying that It has been about 20 – 30 mins since they sat me and I just received my glass of wine that I ordered about 15 mins after I sat. In the time that elapsed between my sitting and being greeted by my server (15 mins) no one came to ask if I had been helped. Had
To go inside and ask for service. Plus I have to sit behind the three most annoying young ladies I have encountered since high school (which was in the 90’s, so that’s saying a lot). Service is terrible and I am very tempted to cancel my order. Won’t be coming here anymore, no matter how good their lobster mac and cheese is.

***We didn’t eat at the restaurant so keep in mind this review is of the dance club.
My boyfriend and I came here to celebrate my 21^st birthday. We came in through the café, got carded, and waited for ten minutes with no service. We just gave up then went into the club and tried to grab a drink at the bar (we weren’t upset we just changed our minds). The bartender told me she needed me to get a wristband from the bouncer. Apparently they don’t give you one if you come in through the café, which is kind of dumb because they knew we were going to the club and didn’t think to remind me to get one from one of the bouncers. That was basically the only issue I had here.
The bar was stuffed and people weren’t budging once they got their drinks. Be prepared to get close to someone who is seated and try to get the attention of a bartender. You’ll be glad if you do because the drinks are great and the prices are reasonable. I paid $ 62 for 6 specialty martinis + tax. Since I am a Foxboro bar regular, these prices are low for me.
The dance floor is sooo small I was very underwhelmed. We got there around 11:15 or so (kind of early) and the dance floor was a sausagefest. But about 30 minutes later the place was alive. There were two very attractive dancers who traded places around 12:30. They hand out shots when they are not dancing. There were also two DJ’s and they were both very good. The music was perfect, the night never slowed down, and you couldn’t even tell they transitioned.
Just a warning about the location: it is in a college town. So if you aren’t familiar with Providence, parking is difficult to find and you really want to secure your valuables. My purse was stolen while I was waiting for my boyfriend to pull up the car.

This establishment has been a Thayer street staple for MANY years. I honestly do not remember ever having a bad meal
there! I don’t ever remember having had a bad experience there! Great food, cool environment, a WIDE array of people frequent this restaurant. From college students to professionals. It does get loud in there but that doesn’t bother me. Personally I prefer to sit on the viva side in the back as its a bit more private. I’ve always loved this place and always will!

My boyfriend and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary here. We ordered a bottle of Malbec, the Lobster and Crab Cakes, my boyfriend ordered the Ribeye special, and I ordered the Lobster Ravioli.
The lobster and crab cakes were great, but, it only comes with two (for $ 12). It also has some salad with coleslaw on it which was good.
The sever never asked how my boyfriend wanted his steak cooked and he never told her. So his steak was cooked a little more than he likes. It also didn’t have much flavor as the description claimed (stuffed with spinach and Gorgonzola.)
I was expecting to order the Lobster Mac and Cheese that I had seen on their menu online but was disappointed when I didn’t see it on the menu. So I was still in the mood for Lobster and ended up with the ravioli. The meat inside was really delicious but I don’t think it really went with the «pink» terrain sauce. The sauce was really as pink as I thought it would be, it tasted more like straight tomato sauce with a lot of parmesan cheese. I think it should have been maybe a cheesy cream sauce.
We definitely ate a lot as we were paying for it either way so we opted out of dessert feeling stuffed.
The server was sweet but failed to refill our waters more than once.
The restaurant was clean but it looks like they need new tables or at least should start using table clothes. Also the section we sat in it had bleachy smell from I guess mopping the floor?
I’m not saying the food was necessarily bad but I left full yet unsatisfied.

This was my first visit to Paragon.
Got the Paragon grilled Pizza. It was delicious. Thin, crispy, crunchy. The only odd thing is that they place 6 LARGE chunks of room temperature «grilled» boneless chicken breast on the pizza (one on top of each of the 6 slices). So you have to use a fork and knife to «dismember» the chicken.
My friend Joe, got the fish and chips and he LOVED it… The place was fairly busy on a Friday night… so maybe next time we get something different… or…stay with «what you know»… The gin and tonic drinks that my friends got were also well made… we got draft beer.

Went for early bird dinner on a warm Sunday night. There was one other party in the restaurant. The hostess sat us in the far off portion of the building near a bar that was to the left of the entrance. Almost 30 minutes later we were still sitting there tucked away. My best friend who is incredibly shy actually went and got the hostess to see if someone could serve us when I got up and said I was ready to leave. The Hostess actually came to the table to confirm we hadn’t been seen, as though we were lying. Shortly (for Paragon standards at least…5 mins) a waitress who seemed less than thrilled we blew her cover came over and took a drink order of water for me and a Blue Moon for the best frand. 10 minutes later, drinks were delivered and we placed an order.
Our food came out relatively fast as we both ordered salads, but I was not impressed with the quality of the ingredients for the price of the food. Paragon is trying to be upscale in a place where really, there is no need to be. Its in college student central. We debated a 2^nd round, but quite a while after we finished eating a check was delivered.