Giovanni's Family Italian Restaurant

Dined here on Thursday, 1/30/25.Contrary to some reviews, our service was excellent. We had a cocktail before ordering and we were still ready to leave in a little over an hour.The food was excellent and be aware they do serve knotted rolls with dinner. Our guests were newbies and they loved it.

A little piece of Sicily, everything made from scratch. I almost gave three stars, but the food was amazing. Everything was made from scratch. This is not a hidden gem the westsiders love it. Service was great , and the ambiance was very simple. Don't leave without the Chardonnay to wash it down.

Giovanni's is close to home, so I was excited when a friend recommended we meet there for lunch.We arrived at Noon on a Thursday. The place was pretty empty. When we left around 2, it was very busy.There's nothing especially fancy about the restaurant, but it's very comfortable. Trust me, it's much more about the food! Giovanni's has flavor in spades!There seemed to be one person waiting on all the tables. This was not an issue for us until it came time to pay. It took a little time, but it was excusable. Most everyone absolutely LOVED the food. I had Giovanni's Special. I ordered it with penne and it was fantastic! From the very first bite I was in heaven. I was a little nervous about it being topped with feta cheese. My concern was unfounded. I ate until I was comfortably full and had the rest for dinner, cold. It was still delicious. One friend ordered the Chef's Special with chicken. It looked amazing and the serving was huge! She loved it.Another ordered Eggplant Parmigiana. She also raved about the food.Mark ordered the Trio Delight. He said it was good, but he was not as over the moon about his meal as the rest of us were about ours.It's definitely pricey, but worth it. We all took food home; each meal was easily enough for two (meals).We will bring other folks here. I'm already looking forward to it.

No fancy decor, but OH MY GOSH, the food is excellent!! The staff is very nice. Our server, Eleanor was very kind. Unless my memory is faulty, that was just about the best lasagna I ever had!! My better half ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Very tasty. The garlic knots are awesome! Everything from scratch, great job!

First time here and it was awesome. Greeted and seated by Mr. Giovanni himself. Food was exceptionally good. Hubs had shrimp scampi and they did not skimp on the shrimp!! Delish calamari appetizer!My recommendation is the Giovanni special. We will be regular customers for sure. Staff very attentive.

Great Italian food. All options are good. Not the fastest in town but well worth the wait for fresh food.

Visited at end of August, happy they'd reopened after the family trip to Italy so this eatery had been closed! We've been visiting since my daughter was a freshman at UC so wanted to celebrate her start of Senior year with a family lunch visit! Giovanni's never disappoints, always delights! I tried the stuffed eggplant this time and... wow! I could only eat maybe half of it despite how delicious it was! Our son finished every bite of the huge portion of fettuccine as it's the 'best anywhere'. Daughter ordered tortellini and we my husband ordered a huge calzone. I forgot to snag a photo of what my stepdaughter ordered but we all five enjoyed our meals and the friendly service! When our daughter graduates we may still trek to Cinci just to eat here on occasion, it's that good!

Excellent.I feel the need to qualify myself with that statement. I eat a lot of pasta. My folks are Italian, we've eaten pasta atleast twice every week for my entire life. Giovanni's pasta is excellent. Just as good as some 5-star restaurant with no need for flair or filigree. It is a Mom-and-Pop restaurant to it's core: no fancy seating or setting. Just a room full of people chowing down on big dishes of tomato and noodle. I normally warn people about price. If you're going as a couple, expect to drop about $50. That said, you are not buying a single meal. You are buying atleast two meals worth of food in a single order. You will have leftovers. Great place. Happy it's here, and hoping for many more years of it being here.

Fresh Family Italian come and get it here. Giovanni's is an authentic Italian restaurant, they make everything from scratch and the taste proves it. Everything from our appetizer to entrees were amazing and delicious. Prices are comparable for what you get and we all left full and satisfied. The ambiance is a nice mom and pop feel to it and not very ostentatious. They can accommodate groups with several tables being arranged in the middle for just such a case. The server was both quick and very knowledgeable as to the menu and how things were made. Though busy we treated well and received great service.Tips to make your visit a success:1) Come early. We came around 5:00PM and it was fine we were seated immediately but soon the place was packed with people. So if don't want to wait then come early.2) From scratch food takes a while. Our server let us know that the food because it was prepared fresh would take a while. We didn't mind but others might so come knowing this isn't a quick dinner spot.If you're craving Italian come to Giovanni's Family Italian Restaurant today!!

I Googled " BEST Chicken CACCIATORE in Cincinnati " and Giovanni's came up first, at the top of the list. NO disappointment. I've had this dish from Chicago to New York , and Giovanni's is right up there in taste and and authentic preparation. Easy free parking, super friendly staff, large portions, reasonably priced, considering the excellent quality. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK.