I finally was able to come out to try this place for lunch. The Italian beef was just as good as what I have treasured in the Chicago land area. The menu has some different foods that looked interesting. Several things to try another time. Service was quick and the food came out hot. I like the long table in the middle of the room to help accommodate the lunch crowd. The bathrooms were in another section of the building but they were clean. Definitely a local place worth the visit! read more

YUM!! Thank goodness I don't live close to this place. Very cute space, clean and the smell when you walk through the doors, forget about it. I had the classis Italian beef and ate the whole thing. I had it "wet", not "dipped", and it was perfect. The peppers where crunchy and spicy. The amount of food for your money was perfect. It's big and tasty and I highly recommend. I would give 5 stars but it wasn't that busy and they lost my order, so I waited until someone asked what I was waiting on. I love the art images of the owners late daughter and actually asked about it, but the employee didn't understand me. I just Googled it, to see what the story is, and here is a beautiful tribute - https://www.giannasbeef.com/about Please go here. I can't wait to return and support this establishment. read more

One of my favorite places in Cedar Rapids. Italian beef with hot giardiniera all the way dipped. Great flavor and good fries that hit the spot on a cold day! read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian beef with hot giardiniera dipped! - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Random stop on our way home and so glad we did! We arrived with our small kids, all of us in pjs feeling very awkward, but were greeted with such love and acceptance from the owner. He was so awesome! Told us the sweet story of the restaurant's namesake and about his days serving in the marines. Sweet man gave the kids free Italian ice (which was AMAZING). The food was also amazing. 5 out of 5 didn't love my sandwich (I got the most basic of sandwiches, chicken breast sandwich. Not very good, but my husband'? Amazing. read more

Was a pleasant surprise. Was our first time and the staff were great helping with the menu and what to order.

The best place for Chicago style fast food in the Cedar Rapids area! Very clean and they prepare your order like they actually care, no attitude. I recommend the Italian Beef, Gyros or the Chicago Dog. The "Dirty Dog" is my fav. It is a Chicago style dog with an Italian Sausage instead of a hot dog. Fries are great too, perfectly cooked. read more

Now it's hard to take a good photos of an Gianna's italian beef sandwich bit the flavours are just amazing!! I had it dipped in gravy with fries on the side and was one of the best sandwiches in Cedar Rapids, I had yet. Service was quick!!!! read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian Beef Sandwich & Shoe Fries - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The Italian Beef here is amazing! I will put this place up against any Chicago place that's out there! Everyone that works there is extremely friendly. It's one of favorite restaurants in Cedar Rapids. The speed does take a bit longer but it is so worth the few extra minutes! The Chicago all beef Dogs are really good but a bigger hot dog is needed. The taste is awesome though. They use all of the original Chicago dogs ingredients. read more

Been walking, biking and driving past Gianna's for a while waiting for the day it would open. And this evening before heading to the Paramount stopped in for a bite to eat. Everybody in our party was very pleased with their Italian Beef sandwiches. I had mine dipped, and boy the napkins came in very handy. Two others in our party opted to have the dipping juice in a cup, which was a good idea. The beef was tender and delicious, and the combo that I had with the sausage was excellent. The giardiniera was awesome. The restaurant is well lit, bright and clean. The staff was helpful and professional. The prices are very, very reasonable. All in all it's a fine addition in downtown Cedar Rapids for lunch or dinner, and they are open late on Saturday night. read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

love this place! Food is great and staff friendly! If you can't drive all the way to Chicago for Mr. Beef this is the next best thing! read more

Best Italian beef in the area. The next best thing is in Chicago! Highly recommend!........

We could smell the amazingness and couldn't wait to try the dip roast beef. It was tasty, but staff forgot our au jus. It was a 25 minute drive already. Disappointed and sad I spent so much on a dinner for two. It was basically a waste. Would be delicious with dipping jus. read more

Such a cute addition to downtown CR! I've been wanting to try Gianna's for a while now and finally went! My fiancé and I went today, a Tuesday afternoon, about 12:45. Best part: no line and super fast, friendly service. Since it was our first time the guy taking our order was very helpful and patient - much appreciated. Fiancé got the classic Italian beef sandwich and enjoyed it. I got the Vienna beef hot dog - so good. I got it Chicago style but without relish or celery salt. It was definitely messy and I went through my fair share of napkins, but so worth it. Delish. We also shared a side of pasta salad and it was also very good. The location is super convenient (and I lucked out with street parking during construction season), and vibe of restaurant is laid back but trendy with window seating (we sat there and people watched - nothing better), booths, and large table seating. So happy to have more local food options here instead of all the chain restaurants we already have! read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian beef sandwich, pasta salad, Vienna beef hot dog. - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Gianna, you have got it going on girl. Your location is stellar, aesthetic and vibe is sexy as hell. And with a small but diverse menu, you're not trying to do too much-- just do a few things well. I came in for lunch on a weekday around noon. There was a line, but service was fast and kind. Of course I went with your namesake. I inhaled it. The best darn Italian Beef sandwich I've had in the area, hands down. The shoestring fries were fresh cut and piping hot. My partner ate the combo with no complaints and kiddos devoured their hot dogs. We were all clean plate club members. I love that you have lighter options-- like soup or salad. As well as a veggie panini for non meat eating folks. Portions are decent. Pricing seemed on point, but I'd love to see a value meal or combo-- including a main, side and drink in the future. Gianna, you were a missing must-have in downtown CR's lunch scene. I'll be seeing you sooner than later! read more

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What an outstanding addition to Cedar Rapids! Having a long time love affair with Portillo's I was excited to see Gianna's take shape though it opened after I moved out of state. I was in town yesterday and finally got to enjoy this stellar Italian Beef and Chicago Dog. Worth the wait! If you're a fan of these Chicago staples then you're in luck! read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Let me start by saying I grew up in the Chicago area and moved to Cedar Rapids five years ago. Needless to say I was excited about my first visit to Gianna's for that taste of home. It will probably be my last visit. I love Italian beef sandwiches but I was in a hurry so I ordered a "Chicago style hot dog" instead. It was NOT a Chicago style hot dog. Chicago hot dogs consist of Vienna pure beef franks, I don't think mine was. They don't use Chicago style hotdog buns, instead, mine was more like a hoagie roll and a bit stale. A Chicago style hotdog with everything should have a pickle and sport peppers, mine did not! I went there at 1:45 on a Tuesday afternoon and although it was pretty dead inside, I still waited over 10 minutes for my hotdog. NOT A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION! I may have to open my own place in CR and show how it should be done. read more

Been wanting to try this place forever, but the hours never seemed to align. Today was the day and they didn't disappoint! Fantastic dipped Italian beefs! Classic! I thought fries were wimpy and I'd skip them next time, but the beef was so good and plentiful it's still a five star experience! read more

They had a really good selection on the menu. I would love to come back and try something else before I make an overall judgement, but what I had was great. It was fast and the staff was awesome: very respectful and nice. The place was clean too, so that will always be a plus. I would try it out and I want to come back to try something else on the menu. read more

Updated review - tried Gianna's as takeout again. I had the chicken sandwich. D my husband the Keoni dog. His dog was loaded and soooo good. My chicken was good, nothing to rave about - chicken was dry and I did not taste the "oil and vinegar" that was to be on the Sammie. We loved the pasta salad and I ordered us the family size - we will have this delicious pasta for days!!! Sooo good. I will say I was disappointed to see workers not wearing masks - we are in the middle of COVID with many cases in this area and a mask mandate in place in Cedar Rapids. I wear my mask when ordering and in the store, I would appreciate if the workers making my food also wore masks. Please take this into consideration :) read more

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We drove past this place a few times while it was going up, then all of a sudden they were open and it was all Matt could talk about. Talked our buddy into checking it out with us the other night and consensus was "alright". We got 3 Italian beef sandwiches and an order of fries. On the one hand, we all felt that the portions were small. One sandwich wasn't enough and they offer little in the way of sides. We got a small shoestring fry and they were seriously undercooked. That being said, the boys really liked the beef. Personally, I'd rank it above Buona beef, but below Portillo's and the brand I get at Walmart. The service, however, was great. The counter staff was super friendly and enthusiastic. We'd probably come back for the beef, but I'm also really interested to try the Italian sausage and the hot dog. (Can someone also report back on that pasta salad side?? I'm curious.) read more

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This is a wonderful callback to visits in Chicago. The Italian Beef/Dipped/hot and sweet peppers. The Chicago dog is as close to Wrigley as I've gotten in this area. I've now visited three times. The quality has been pretty consistent. One of those visits, they topped the Italian beef with more of the hot peppers than the other times. If you don't like it hot, be cautious with ordering those. Overall, it's a great atmosphere with food to match. read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian beef with hot&sweet peppers/dipped. This will be a staple of Cedar Rapid soon. - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Ordered veggie panini and fries. Panini only had a green pepper, sliver of tomato , sliver of onion and cheese. Very disappointing and fries were over cooked and cold. read more

Y'all they done did it again!!Best meatball I have ever had! I used to think my mom made the best meatballs on earth but the. I met Adam who owns Gianna's and well I'm sorry mama you've been taken off the top of the list! Y'all need to come out and try this it's a Wednesday special! read more

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I was a first timer at Gianna's on a Friday when I happened to be forced off from work. I was lucky enough to have a gift card and decided this was a perfect opportunity to check them out! Everything about Gianna's was great. The staff were SO friendly, even as I customized each sandwich and changed my mind a few times. The staff were all wearing masks which is important to me, the store was clean, the food was absolutely delicious and the prices are very fair for the amount of food that you get. My daughter got the Chicago style hot dog (It's called something a little different but I cant remember at the moment) and I got two Italian beefs - one with sweet peppers, onions and provolone cheese, the other with onions, liquid cheddar and dipped. I don't typically eat bread but I 'accidentally' tucked into half of my bun because it was THAT good. The wait was short even though they were balancing a line AND what appeared to be a TON of online orders. Customers seemed happy and I was even asked by a lady if I needed a seat because they were leaving. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at Gianna's and will absolutely be giving them my business again. read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - a restaurant sign with hanging lights - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Playing around on Yelp I saw this place and had to try it. And it was amazing. Got the Italian Beef/Sausage combo with melted cheese and dipped and totally hit the spot. Very clean place located in downtown Cedar Rapids and I'll definitely be back when I'm in the neighborhood read more

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Good not great but I showed 10 minutes early and my hot dogs and Italian beefs were already made, the hotdog tasted like a Chicago dog but the bun was gooey and kinda nasty, and the dog itself had that weird gray outer shell o it. This place wasn't so busy that they couldn't wait to make my food closer to the pickup time? The beefs were good, why don't places have mild gairdenaria (spelt wrong I'm sure). I can't have jalapeños and it kinda sucks I have to buy my own does everyone only like the hot? I may be back but only after I forget how bad it was compared to how awesome it could have been. Lastly it was great listening to the staff bitch about working, I was 1 of 2 orders they filled in 15 minutes. This place may need to invest in a night manager! read more

Friendly service, decently priced for what you receive (portions, freshness, etc) overall a pretty solid product I would say that the hot dogs and sausages are probably your best bets here (the beef is not Vienna beef or boars head and could use some seasoning) but as a former Chicagoan, I can honestly rate this place as pretty solid and one of the better ones I've found outside of the city. read more

I thought the food was good. Maybe just a tad but pricey but good. There could have been more meat for the price. Especially considering we went to the new Italian Beef spot in Newbo and the sandwich was huge, nearly 30% larger. read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Beef and sausage combo. - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

This place is great... the italian beefs are good. the chicago dogs are good. the fries are just ok. I don't know why cedar rapids gets all the good places while the food in iowa city SUCKS read more

We had the Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers & provolone. So delicious! Also the pasta salad and fries. They were both awesome. So much flavor in the pasta salad. My daughter had the kids chicken strips with was grilled chicken, she ate it all! This is 5 stars 100%! read more

I had the Italian beef sandwich and it was as good as any I had ever had. Despite being located in the airport, the quality was top notch. I ordered the veggie mix spicy and it certainly lived up to that description, bringing tears to my eyes. I ordered it "wet" which is to say dipped in au jus, rendering the bread both soggy and delicious. read more

Thanks for a great dinner !!!! The fries were very crispy and delicious. My friend had the watermelon Italian ice and said it was great. VERY clean environment. I will be back. I would like to try the Italian sausage. read more

Gianna's Italian Beef - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Tried the vegetarian panini and it was delicious and had to get the shoestring fries too. So good can't wait to go back.

Juicy, messy, & melts in your mouth!!! Just like I get in Chicago! These guys do it right!!

Wet Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers is amazing. Sadly, I can't deviate from it due to how good it is and get the same thing every time. read more

Great Italian beef and lots of space ti hangout! The place was so busy when i was there which is awesome because you know theres way more on the menu that is great too! read more

Went for the first time today. First the good. The good: Beef was the right flavor, just like many of the chicago stalwarts (Al's #1, Johnnies, Portillo's). The beef itself was decent but not great, probably overcooked a shade. The bread was also decent. Giardiniera was good. The medium: Cheez wiz has no place in an Italian Beef joint. I get why they have it, but really, they should have just said no. The sausage had good flavor but was quite overdone. The not-so-good: first, the guy doing the beef, he needs to visit Chi a few times and watch. His application is WAY too slow and dainty. It should not take 4-5 tong grabs to fill a beef. Grab it like you mean it and not like you are trying to eye the difference between 4oz and 4.5oz. Keep the line moving. Also, dipped menas wet, not damp, soaking wet. The layout: OK this is kind of a fail, but the space is narrow so it's a minor fail. The booths are a complete failure, we went at noon (yes, of course it's going to be busy) but there was nowhere to stand let alone sit. The booths? Several had 2 people in them and they were big enough for 4-6 people depending on size. The ordering line snakes behind the upright tables (which are also far too deep for the intended purpose, taking up even more room, but it's tight when they busy. Not good for smooth flow. The napkin area.....there's only one and it's near the register, another traffic jam. These are messy foods, napkins everywhere! Anyway, better to a beef joint than not have one, so I will revisit the review after another try. read more

The food was okay. It didn't "wow" us but filled us up. It was overpriced for any area outside of Downtown CR, but in-line with the downtown pricing for most restaurants down there. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit them again but would happily visit if I was downtown and wanted Italian Beef. read more

This place is amazing if you like quality red meat sub sandwiches / hot meat sandwiches. Sometimes if I don't want the bread I just eat the meat with the sides. Nice, affordable stop for a casual dinner or late lunch read more

Crappy service waited for 10 minutes to be waited on and no such luck. Server walked by multiple times