family and I went to eat, food was excellent and hot, I ordered a cocktail- excellent as well. service and severs was great. well worth the money. great place for lunch or dinner. We will be back. read more

I've been 3 times and the server has forgotten about me 2 times, the latest time they actually just finished their shift(?) and left, so I had to go to the bar for service; but it should say something I'm still giving 3 stars after those experiences. I've only been for the wine & jazz Wednesdays and only had the wine. So I can understand why I wasn't a priority for them. It's Lawrence-fancy, and again I haven't had the food but the menu prices seem reasonable. As for the music, depends on who's up that week. read more

We ordered some food to go as we stopped in Lawrence for the evening. We headed to our hotel to eat it, and even 20 minutes after picking up our food it was still nice and warm. My boyfriend ordered these spaghetti and meatballs, and I ordered the penne Bolognese. The meatballs had lots of flavor and were not very dry. I do believe that the meatballs were used in the penne Bolognese and we're just chopped up finally. Lots of flavor in the sauce as well! The Caesar salad was nice and fresh with plenty of croutons and lots of Parmesan. The bread on the side of the pasta was grilled lightly on each side to add a little bit of flavor and crunch. We ate every last bit of our food! Would highly recommend eating beer! read more

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Came in to celebrate my brother's graduation. Food was great. Unfortunately the server Ella was absolutely nasty from the moment we walked in to the moment we paid. She tipped herself 20% because she knew there's no way she would get a tip if it wasn't for that. She grabbed the tab and said "let me make sure it's all there"....Even while I was talking to the manager she was rude and kept interrupting. The manager Sabas didn't do much to alleviate the situation. Hope they learn to filter people like this out of their positions so the business doesn't end up paying for their worker's attitudes. Shout out to the chefs that saved this review. read more

The server we had was rude weird, and kept running around like her butt was on fire but it wasn't even busy. Idk her name but she was very rude, didn't server the whole table to once brought our dishes out one by one. But it took at least a minute between each dish coming out. The food was okay, it said fried egg sandwich but the eggs were scrambled. The drinks from the bar though was good read more

A perfect spot for date night- the ambiance in the restaurant was nice, the server we had was amazing and the food and drinks were delicious. Would definitely come back here again to try other dishes as well as their desserts. read more

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Last week my husband and I went to this Amazing restaurant. We sat at the bar like we usually do and were waited on by Haley before she left. She got our drinks out very fast and then turned service over to Alex. She has waited on us before and we had a positive dining experience. Alex did a great job explaining the specials of the evening which included Grilled Halibut and then assisted me with my questions about the homemade pasta dishes. My husband got the Halibut which was a mild flaky white fish grilled perfectly with asparagus and potatoes, he said it was delicious but the empty plate said it all. I chose the Fettuccine Alfredo which was delectable with the tender fresh noodles and tasty sauce. In the past Ive had the Pappardelle Pasta with the sauce that came with it and with a different sauce. They will accommodate almost anything you want to change (sauce wise) from my experience. We had the Burrata as an appetizer, very delish. Also some other favorite appetizers of ours is the Tuna Tartar and Zucchini Chips. I almost always get the Limoncello Spritz and my husband gets an old Fashioned all pleasurable to the pallet. It was a Wednesday evening and they have live jazz music which is welcoming and cozy. Also they have wine pairing dinners, Cinco de Mayo event coming up. I highly recommend giving them a try!!! read more

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Loved that they were able to squeeze us in on short notice during graduation weekend. This place is a gem, from the ambience to the delicious food, you can't go wrong. We started our evening with the goat cheese basil appetizer that comes with bread just the way I like it, grilled, and it did not disappoint. My son had the fish special, and he throughly enjoyed that, except for maybe the asparagus which was a bit chewy for him. My daughter loved the gnocchi with marinara sauce, and I had the excellent penne with bolognese sauce. Our server Ella worked very hard, as did all the staff. Really respect that the owner/manager came by tables checking to see if everything was good. Highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

I shared the chicken Parmesan with my Daughter. We got the spinach, fettuccine and Alfredo sauce instead of the spaghetti. It didn't have much flavor. And we weren't sure if it was the olive oil or what but it left a bad taste in your mouth. We had bruschetta as well and the oil and vinegar didn't taste quite right. Tasted like cheap oil. read more

Please bring back the smoked salmon breakfast pizza, hands down the best thing on the menu! read more

Genovese Italian Restaurant - Smoked salmon breakfast pizza and mimosa - Italian Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

The problem was with a $75 gift card. I tired to use the gift card and the owner brought it back saying he couldn't get it to work and he knew that there was money on there. He tried calling the gift card company-his words, but no one answered? He then told us to come back and use it again.... Seriously?? Why, so I can take a risk of it not working again?? Why are you taking money for gift cards and not honoring them? this is the same as stealing. read more

Had a really bad experience down the street and came in here, starving and frustrated. Our server was incredibly kind and apologetic about ANOTHER businesses bad behavior. He was also extremely accommodating in providing a wheelchair seat. Our water glasses were never empty and the service was very quick. The mac and cheese, pasta, and meatball sandwich were amazing and the chocolate martini was delicious. I loved the cool and quiet environment, which was much appreciated after our first restaurant encounter. They even let us plug a phone charger into the wall, since we were traveling! I would HIGHLY recommend coming here, it can be reasonable - more pricey depending on what you order, but it's WORTH the money! read more

High quality, tasty food. Cloth napkins, excellent service. The bolognese was A+, the chicken parm was huge and came with risotto read more

Genovese Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This excellent Italian restaurant, which previously had been a few blocks south on Mass St. before the pandemic, has now reopened in the location of the former Mexquisito Restaurant. The restaurant is on the east side of Massachusetts St. just south of 7th St. There is a parking lot immediately behind it on New Hampshire, and you literary can walk directly into the restaurant from the parking lot through the restaurant's back door. The name of the restaurant is not on the back door, only the 712 street number. The sign on the door says employees only. But a server told me we could use it to enter and exit to or from the parking lot. We were very happy with the food and the service. In fact the chef is among the best in Lawrence, but I was very much annoyed by a misleading error on the menu, which I doubt was an accident. There is a (v) after the entry for risotto, indicating vegetarian. But it is not true. I checked and was told that it includes chicken broth. This is not a trivial error to a vegetarian. We are not vegetarians, but we are pescatarians, so we found that erroneous entry on the menu to be very offensive. I ordered the salmon entree. I explained that I needed a substitute for the risotto, since my dietary restrictions prevent consuming their risotto. I pointed out that there is a misleading entry about risotto on the menu. I asked whether I could substitute a vegetarian pasta for the risotto. I was told there would be an upcharge. That added insult to injury. For example, I asked whether they would substitute gnocchi for the risotto at no upcharge. They said no, only plain potatoes, which they provided. My need for a substitute for the risotto was not based on personal preference, and the menu contained erroneous information about the risotto. In addition, in northern Italy there would be no upcharge to substitute pasta for risotto. In fact it might be the opposite. I have the highest regard for the chef and the servers in this restaurant, but I am less than enthused about the management. I did not at all like the offensive misinformation about the risotto on the menu. Under the unpleasant circumstances, I think they should have accommodated me with a pasta substitute for the risotto without an upcharge instead of just plain red potatoes. When I am in China, I often find that restaurants list dishes containing pork as vegetarian. The management at Genovese seems to think that chicken broth is vegetarian. Pigs and chickens are not vegetables. read more

Nice atmosphere great service and the food,well, I loved it all. The tiramisu was the best.

Genovese is reborn! Cause for celebration and a good reason to get beyond the pain their customers felt when they closed at the beginning of the pandemic. In the space where the owners reopened the other namesake, La Parilla, this Italian favorite didn't lose a step in the process. Same chef, same bartender, same owner, a couple of the same servers. We recognized them on our first visit. What we liked about it over the years remains true. Favorite appetizers that regulars adore like their zucchini chips, risotto fritters and bruschettas are still there. Only the pizza is missing, which is a big deal, but the new space was not appropriate for a true pizza oven needed to make what they had perfected many years ago. Solid Italian food, no funny business, no kicking it up too much with obscene amounts of butter, cream, salt, sugar, etc. If you just want a rock solid bowl of honest pasta with a good glass of wine, this is the place. One of the owners who is at the local farmer's market on Saturdays even told me he was amazed that most of the people who worked for them for years were still around and barely needed any additional training, so it opened day one firing on all cylinders. Granted the new space is different, possibly not as intimate as the old, but on a first visit we just weren't used to it. I think we will in the very near future. We had: salmon with risotto and asparagus, and a simple penne bolognese that was utterly perfection for our needs. A couple of Chardonnays and a Tuscan and then Piedmont red for us. We're not dessert types, but they've always been good here in the past and based on what we experience tonight, would expect no difference. Glad to have an old friend back in business. read more

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Pasta was great, you can tell the noodles are homemade, the sauce was mid, nothing special. Portions were pretty small. Service was sooooo slow, outside seats and music were cool. read more

Lovely restaurant in a great space with a full bar. Server and owner were very attentive and did a great job marketing the establishment. Mussels were fantastic and would go back for mussels, bread, and a salad. Spaghetti with meatballs was underwhelming as the pasta sauce was very watery and didn't stick to the meatballs or pasta. Will definitely go back, but would try something other than the meatballs and pasta. read more

The spaghetti bolognese was incredible! And they have gluten free options. My brother had the chicken parm which was also great and an extremely hearty meal. read more

Lovely attentive service and my husband and I wanted to spilt a dish and they did it for us in the kitchen so neither one of us had to eat on a toddler plate! Good wine list. read more

Appetizers - calamari, bruschetta, risotto fritters were all pretty good but the fritters were a little lacking in salt. The entrees - chicken parm, penne Alfredo, spaghetti, meatballs were all completely lacking in flavor and spice and the chicken was the consistency of a frozen dinner. The gnocchi was good though definitely get that if you come. 2nd star for high quality of cocktails and service. read more

This classy little joint has it all, ambiance, service and amazing fresh Italian food. If you are craving authentic Ligurian fresh pasta this is the place. Transports me to Portofino! Legendary zucchini chips appetizer so light, so crispy. Best meatball and sauce we can find. Beautiful pastas, the paparadelle en sugo is my favorite. The spinach fettuccine is so fresh tender, notes of fresh garlic and rich homemade alfredo sauce. Wine specials, food specials, happy hour, nice outdoor seats enjoying the sunshine in downtown Lawrence. Great parking directly behind the restaurant. read more

Genovese Italian Restaurant - Zucchini chips-light crispy salty and delicious meatballs with sauce for perfect shared appetizers - Italian Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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The service was so slow and food wasn't good. We waited 2+ hours to get through our meal because of how long it took the servers. 30 minutes to get our check read more

Questions about order number MIEXZYFWAIL4 So I am not one to complain about food delivery quality--sometimes you just get what you get. But the quality of this order was really bad. And not what you'd expect for $118. - the pasta was under-seasoned and contained little of the beef and pork bolognese - a slice of (supposed) Italian bread was not grilled or seasoned properly - both Caesar salads were just lettuce and some shaved parmigiana with a few commercially-produced croutons. For $13 salads these should have been grilled and cut croutons, well seasoned and hand cut and had a higher quality dressing - the pork chop was inedible. Tough, unable to the be cut, and the veggies were not a seasoned properly. All in all a very disappointing meal. The only great part about this order was the Eat Street delivery. Sent from my iPhone read more

1st visit after the new opening. We tried the tuna tartare with olive tampanda. Mostly olive taste. Unfortunately, the tampenada overpowers the tuna and really does nothing to compliment it. I was tempted to wipe each piece of tuna off and try it that way. Ditch the olives and serve with lemon wedges would have been far superior to this. read more

I love their menu! They have something for everyone! Pizza on the patio is so great! Love the cocktails!

Bread was thin sliced toasted Italian bread from a grocer, one might expect baguette. Served with tasty marinara and a pesto, tiny amt of olive oil. Alfredo was tasteless and homemade pasta was clumped together on the plate. Parm not offered with meal; s/p might have helped but not available. Partner had meatballs which were tender and delicious. Service was great; waitress attentive. Food in need of course correction. read more

Everything about this place is awesome. Real deal not imitation, owner is from Italy and knows his stuff.

The steak was well cooked at medium rare, the vegetables were steamed properly, the pork chop was cooked to where it became the consistency of the heel of my shoe and entirely unbearable, the pasta with pesto was tasty but nothing extraordinary, the meatballs appetizer was delicious and the best part of the meal. The server worked really hard and tried her best and did a good job. She kept apologizing for the kitchen as they were in her words "overwhelmed" but all they had was one group of about 10 people and the rest of the restaurant was 1/2 full. Wines were bottom shelf and overpriced for the quality. read more

Was excited to see an Italian place opening, but this one is way more fancy and expensive than I expected. Went in once for a happy hour drink and they were listing a piece of pie ala mode for $13. I'm sure it's good pie, but $13 should probably be bigger than the equivalent of a slice. I'm not opposed to spending money on a good meal (believe me, I have), but I probably won't be back for pasta at those prices. read more

Risotto balls very good, better wine selection than. Had the Home made pappardelle sugo which was solid, very long and wide noddles.

Yummy food and classy atmosphere. They need a bigger menu, but it was still good. A bit pricey. Service was friendly.

What a lovely evening--fabulous live music on the patio, wine Wednesday and great food. Service was prompt but not hurried so we could enjoy the music. We will definitely be back! read more

From the beautiful piano music to the kind service and great food I highly recommend Genivese. Everything we ordered was solid. Pasta. Meatballs. Risotto balls and chicken with fettuccine. Chocolate desert was light. read more

Went there for brunch. Italian omelette was amazing! Great menu options and all delicious!