Last night we enjoyed amazing food and incredible service at Gino's. Our waiter, Peter, went beyond expectations. He immediately recognized that one of the members of our party has memory issues. He kindly staged the location of items on the table and remained alert to the special situation. He made sure the evening went well for our entire group. Congratulations to Gino's for having such an attentive young man on their waitstaff. read more

The good: * Gino's has a spectacular winre list. Some of the offerings are breathtakingly expensive. * Substantial eating implements and cloth napkins. * The ambiance is pleasant. The bad: * The menu is devoid of any veal, chicken or eggplant offerings. Very odd for an "Italian" restaurant. * Antipasto is bologna, two pieces of salami, a chopped cherry pepper, four olives and a few slices of bread. The antipasto has no vegetables, prosciutto or cheese(s). I asked for a carafe olive oil and the best they could offer after a long wait was a dish with oil on it. The antipasto was pathetic! Ziti in different forms is essentially the pasta. Ravioli is also offered. Gino's is very proud ($$$) of their steaks. Then again why the emphasis on steaks in an Italian restaurant? Gino's is an okay place if your definition of Italian is pasta (ie, ziti) with red sauce. But Gino's is not an Italian restaurant if your definition of Italian includes traditional meats, pastas and cheeses. It is essentially a steak place that also offers some pasta with red sauce. I will not return to Gino's read more

Service: 4 1/2 stars. Very attentive, nice servers! Atmosphere: 3 1/2 stars. Good for a casual date or a family with children. Not uber romantic but warm and cozy. Food: 4 stars. Vegetarian cauliflower and pasta was nice and hot, flavorful, creamy with a very crunchy topping. Ravioli was fresh pasta with tomato basil sauce. Also vegetarian, and good. Salad came with fresh asparagus, fennel and greens, very tasty! read more

Love this place. Feels like home, fresh cooking, funky cool atmosphere. I do wish they'd make their own fresh pasta, but everything else is pure Sellwood love. read more

Gino's - Cesar salad and mussels - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Good vibes and friendly staff, food is pretty good. Old school style and good spot to bring your family to enjoy a nice neighborhood Italian meal. read more

I have always really loved Gino's but during a trip to Portland our waitress seemed very annoyed by us for needing time with the menu. The whole interaction honestly ruined the dinner and our friends who I brought there were put off by the whole experience read more

Freezing cold out and asked to stand outside to wait for a table. The guy at the door did let us in and we sat at a table in the bar initially. Our server was prompt and we felt well taken care of. The food was the problem. The mushroom pasta was strange as it has onions in it which gave it a bad flavor. Garlic would be better. The Bread was good. The Butternut squash ravioli was decent. A Jamacan ginger beer was disappointing. Salad was ok. Would not tell a friend to eat there. read more

Gino's is a one of a kind restaurant/bar in Sellwood. I have had two legit lunches here. It's a bit dark upon entering, you pass thru a short of curtain and the bar is right there. It's a classic, old time, rustic tavern. Strong wood all around. It feels like this place should be in Downtown Portland somewhere near the courthouse. There is natural light too by the window seats. I love seeing cute couples dine or even a lone guest with a book and a glass of wine. Dark booths to the right, large bar top to the left, almost corridor like and an adjacent, brighter dining room further in the the left. The menu is mostly authentic pastas with a Northwest touch. I've only had lunch here, though. The ingredients are fresh and inspiring. Entrees range from $10-$22. The dish I enjoyed was a Mushroom, garlic, in spaghetti. It was brilliant, I was reluctant - with the garlic, but if I stunk later in the day it was worth it. Perfect lunch portion, too. I had the Kale Faro soup, it wasn't my favorite, but certainly worth the try. A bit lukewarm, decent amount of Faro. For a beverage I had the Sunriver Hefeweizen. It was a nice pairing. We sat at the bar and the service was solid. They have about 12 taps of local and import beer and an expansive wine list. You are in for a treat if you decide on Gino's. They offer sidewalk dining when weather is sunny, dry. The sign or facade outside says Leipzig Tavern - it's a bit faded. A nod to the former business. Adds to the charm I guess. read more

Gino's is connected to a tavern so if you're trying to find the front door to the restaurant, go towards the bar. If I'm mistaken, someone please correct me because it was dark and raining outside so I didn't get a chance to read any notes or signs if it stated otherwise. Cozy and dimly lit with tables and booths. We sat in a tall, flat cushioned wooden booths covered in old thick fabric made out of grandma's purse. The menu seems to change often from the date and little blurbs that they use local seasonal ingredients. 3 out of 4 of us got Grandma Jean's pasta ($19.75) which included the sauce made out of tomatoes, pork ribs, stewed beef and pepperoni over penne. Pasta cooked al dente, with chucks of tender pork throughout, doused in sauce and cheese. Came with two pieces of bread. THE BREAD WAS SO FREAKIN GOOD! I would've been happy with a plate of bread and maybe some red sauce to complement the crunchy crust yet soft, perfectly toasted, buttered middle. The only down side, although I did not experience this with my dish, there were little crunchy bony pieces in the rib in 2 of the 3 dishes. It wasn't just one piece but multiple pieces of meat. It was so much of an issue, they started taking the chunks of meat out of the dish and just eating the pasta as is. FYI, the portions for this dish was HUGE and I wish I knew because I would've shared with the boyfriend. Don't get fooled by this face because I COULD EAAAAAT. Kobayashi got nothin' on me! We had so much leftover, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Although it was good, I always ask myself if I'm going to crave for this dish and I'm still going to question it. There was't much of a selection for meat based pasta dishes but there were a ton of seafood options. I know they can't please everyone but I was looking for more variety. I would give it 3.5 stars. read more

This was some of the worst Italian food I've had. Plus it was very expensive for the low quality food they were serving. Everything on the menus was $20+ for not that quality food. Ordered spaghetti and meatballs and was asked if I wanted a side salad with it. I said yes and got my salad which was very small then turned out to be $8 additional on top of my $23 spaghetti. We got our main dish and the pasta was very very dry. Very little sauce with the noodles. When we got our bill it was $200 for 4 people. That is outrageous and we will never be eating here again. read more

Ventured in for an early lunch today and was so happy I did. The service was great, the food and my Negroni was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Highly recommend! read more

It took us a while to finally get to Gino's. So glad we did. Grandma Jean's.... mmmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. We both got the same dish because we had heard it was good and the description is so enticing, no one wanted to risk entree envy. We need to plan ahead and go again to try some other things on the menu. It would be nice to sit in the regular seating area next time. read more

A Portland favorite of ours. We enjoyed our cocktails, appetizers, and main course at the bar. The bartender was incredible busy but always found time for the appropriate conversation along with keeping our glasses full. The Caesar Salad, entrees (Pasta Puttanesca and Vongole) and cocktails were prepared and served with love. Don't let the crowds scare you...it's well worth the wait!!! read more

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If you are looking for traditional food, the way an Italian Grandma always made it, you'll want to eat at Gino's. You're not going to find modern takes on old world food, rather, you are going to indulge in something that people have been enjoying for generations. This most recent visit I went for the true comfort food, Grandma Jean's Pasta. It's a large plate (way more than anyone could eat in one sitting) with excellent garlic bread for about $18. Each visit I try something new, and each visit I love what is served, from Salmon with vegies and mashed potatoes to Cioppino. All wonderful, most just under $20 per entree. If they have it on the menu try the beet salad, it's amazing! read more

Parents brought me here for my birthday dinner. I really enjoyed the place, great ambiance and had a trendy feel to it. Usually packed and busy except today was a holiday weekend so we got in quickly. Caesar salad was delicious and had a different taste to it than most. A good serving for all 4 of us to share too. I got the Vongole with puttanesca sauce in it. Vongole was very good, and the broth was great with the puttanesca and of course the clams in it. However I think next time I would try the straight Puttanesca dish. Still very good and different though! Dad got the Cioppino and enjoyed it. Stepmom got the seasonal butternut squash pasta and said it was okay. It gets 4 stars from me because I really want to give it a 3.75, because I wish I had tried something else as well, but I still really liked what I did end up getting because it was a little different. I would probably go back again! read more

Gino's - My Vongole with added puttanesca sauce. Really enjoyed, had a slight kick in the broth. Very good with added sauce! - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great experience every time I've been here. I tried the ravioli with asparagus pesto this time, but I don't think I'll have it again. It looks like pesto, so my brain was expecting it to taste like pesto. My fault, I knew what I was ordering.....it was just weird. I tasted my friend's Grandma Jean's and it was delicious. Most of my fellow diners had, and loved, the cioppino. I would've tried it, but they put salmon in theirs and that's just wrong in my book.(My favorite is the pumpkin ravioli in the fall....O...M...G) Tiramisu was on point, best I've ever had. My only complaint is that it takes FOREVER to get served in the bar, perhaps because they need more than one bartender in such a busy place. Wait, I have one more "complaint." Grated (powdered, really) parmesan, really??? read more

I came here last week for the first time, and will never come back. My group had made a reservation for 7:30 and got there on time and checked in. The hostess said our table was being cleaned and we'd be seated shortly. We were standing nearby and saw there was a rude, obnoxious woman trying to poach our table and demanding she be seated there. So she just sat down with her family and stole our table. Not only did the staff NOT tell them to get up, they told my party that WE would have to wait for another table to open up. Even though we had a reservation. What kind of BS is that?! We ended up getting seated after 8:00, over half hour later after standing in the heat, and got a non-apologetic "sorry" from our waitress... and when one of our friends suggested they might give us a complimentary appetizer for our troubles, she rolled her eyes and walked away. Then we magically had a new server as if she didn't want to deal with us. Our new server was nice, and he was the only saving grace of the evening. But half of the menu was "sold out" and we barely had any food to choose from. We also had a very shortened dinner since they close at 9, and they were cleaning up around us, slamming chairs, clearly wanting us to leave. It was super disappointing as we were celebrating someone's birthday and it was just awful. I will never come back. read more

Not based on food but on attitude alone, why bother? I went to Sellwood on an impulse trip to Oaks Park and was so excited to walk by Gino's and see they had a small plates menu right as we were there. Went inside to an almost completely empty restaurant, and when the waiter first saw us he gave us an interesting look. I tried to pretend I was imagining things, and a couple of minutes later the waiter came back hesitantly set out the main drink list, saying he'd be back again in a minute. As we perused that one and decide on some drinks he came back with the small plates menu that had some drinks on the bottom we hadn't noticed, that were exactly what we were looking for in the first place. I asked for the house red wine and immediately was given a slight eye roll and a snide "ok." When my partner asked to do the same thing, he was given attitude as well and was questioned "so the happy hour one?" After my partner confirmed yes, the waiter very noticeably sighed then said "I guess" as he walked away. At that moment we were done with wanting to be here altogether. We contemplated getting up to let him know we were no longer interested and to save wine, but after waiting a minute or two we decided we just needed to leave. I have never left a restaurant in this manner before. I'm trying to figure out why the attitude and rude behavior from the get go... it wasn't busy, the restaurant wasn't about to switch over or close or anything it. It just sad and a big a** bummer to have been excited for over 4 years to visit a restaurant, only to be treated so poorly on grounds whatsoever. Sucks! Everything looked delicious. read more

I recommend calling in with a large party and pre-order family style. This will guarantee they screw everyone else in the restaurant but get their 20% tip. Because...they sure aren't earning it in the dining room. A large group dropped in at least 15-20 minutes after us, but they ate, paid bill, and were out before us (2 people). This dinner could've been salvaged, with perhaps some bread at the table, perhaps faster drink service. But nope, pretty much at least a half dozen tables got totally F"d. It had probably been about 10 years since we've eaten here, but it will officially be the last. And.... the Porterhouse was sold out. Food was just north of average. And....that was our 20th anniversary dinner. One thing we've learned in 20 years is to expect poor restaurant service and mediocre food in Portland. (That's right foodies.) ** update: I just noticed someone posted about their same crappy experience just a few hours before us. read more

Great neighborhood eatery. Never had a bad experience here. The foods great and the staff is friendly and attentive

The food was ok.. except the clams. They were old and inedible. We talked with our server and explained that the other food and many drinks we had ordered were great but that the seafood was not fresh and we were worried about getting sick from eating it. My mom was here on vacation. It was our first time together after the pandemic out to a meal. The host was fabulous and had a great experience with most of the employees. When we sent our food back, the server came back and told us that she and the chefs in the back tasted our clams and said that they disagreed with our judgement. We found it very odd that our server would get angry and argue with us. They charged us anyway for food that we literally had 1 bite of. Our service from our server was unacceptable and we will never return to Gino's based on this experience. My husband and I live in the Pearl District where we receive amazing service regularly for all of our surrounding restaurants. We have had friends recommend Gino's. I've never been treated so poorly by a staff member at a restaurant. She was openly talking with other staff members about us in front of us. Hopefully customer experience is something that is recognized in the future for other guests. read more

Seductive spot no doubt, classic corner with original signage and what not, but their knowledge of Italian cuisine, much less how to serve an Italian dinner, is regrettably mediocre, and shameful for the price. Our first crack at it we order the pasta putanesca ($17.25) and a rib eye ($43.95, they were out of the filet). The pasta was so salty that it was totally inedible. The prime rib was almost as bad, as was the vegetable side it came with. Luckily the mashed potatoes we're there. We barely poked at the pasta, and after literally 4-5 bites of the steak, we decided to do something we never do and ask to send it back. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating, but upon return told us that they would not charge us for the pasta but could only give us a family discount on the steak. Although we 30% of it at best, we didn't protest and just wanted to leave. Considering this alleged fine dining establishment doesn't provide anything in the way of complementary foods, we left hungry, but not totally defeated. We decided to give it another try, and this time went straight to the bar and had the Shrimp Scampi. Although edible, it lacked any depth to charge $15.75 (which is not really that expensive, hence its quality). We overheard at least two other tables complaining, the first about service, the other trying to find the silver lining of a meal they probably dropped way too much money on to all out criticize. To summarize, great spot to get a cocktail on your way to the olive garden, or a real Italian restaurant. Don't buy the hype here on google reviews, something tells me these patrons aint all that up on their Italian. read more

These were supposed to be 2 Caesar salads for 4 people each. Each box was supposed to be side salads for 4 people. In reality each box was a side salad portion for 2. We expected dinner size portions enough to feed 4 people for $60 worth of salad. We tried calling Gino's twice but no one answered. The salads would have tasted better but for the sour experience. Very disappointed. I was hoping to try this place for dinner some time. Because of this experience my fiancé said there's no way he wants to go back read more

Gino's - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The clams are amazing! Have ordered out here several times and never had a bad meal. Staff is also very friendly.

29Nov17 @ Noon Bar restaurant with lots of wood and really cool paintings and posters. This place is an old bar/restaurant that has a way cool vibe. Good music playing just loud enough. A little dark with lit candles on the tables. Quick friendly service. We had grandma's pasta with a salad and the grilled sausage, polenta and cabbage with celeriac soup. The pasta with pork and rib was quite good with a nice sauce and well seasoned meats. The salad was ok with cranberries and nuts. The celeriac soup was good with nice texture and taste. The grilled sausage was good as was the polenta, and grilled cabbage. The sausage, polenta and cabbage each worked well alone and also worked well together. We had a couple of well made lattes after the meal. read more

Wow! We loved everything from cocktails to dessert sitting at the counter watching the amazing and happy coordination of work in the kitchen. Best restaurant in Sellwood! read more

Love this place great Italian food! Muscles were fantastic Service was even better! Can't wait to go back!! read more

Not a great place on this busy Friday and and so I'd imagine, Saturdays as well. Bartender seemed to be maxed out emotionally and mentally so we never got a drink before finally being seated. If he could look folks in the eye and speak, maybe say something friendly, you could be encouraged to hang in there at the bar wait for a drink before dining. We finally sat at our table and then waited nearly 1-1/2 hrs tonight for our dinners. In the meantime the glacial service and wait staff forgetfulness kept us annoyed. No water provided to us for 20 minutes! Our drinks finally arrived AFTER the salad. Really?!? Ordered an old fashioned specifically "not sweet", got a sugary bad drink. We asked for a little balsamic for the bread and olive oil, never got it. Asked for a paper bag for our take home boxes, never got it. Literally the server had a retention ability of about 50%. The sea food clams mussels doesn't measure up to the price either. The sausage and polenta came on a big bitter bed of undressed lettuce. Downright weird item. The caesar salad is the best item on the menu. It's a perplexing place, they have a loads of employees but can't really deliver the goods. The service is terrible. They'd never make it on the East Coast service or food-wise. read more

Oh Gino's, today you made me so sad. This was our third trip for brunch, and the two previous times were AMAZING. You're breakfast potatoes were some of the best I've ever eaten. They'd been perfectly seasoned and had some super tasty herb n spice action. Every time we'd gone for brunch we'd get the crab cake Benedict with the aforementioned taters. Seriously mouthgasm worthy. Today was nothing like our other experiences. 1. The side of bacon was salted, yeah you read that right. Salted bacon?!? It wasn't even edible. 2. Crab is yummy, but not a shell in every bite. 3. Potatoes were deep fried and bland 4. One dry biscuit. 5. Under poached eggs. Today was a solid yuck. Our server was super solid and took the bacon off of our bill. He offered to fix our meal or discount it. I declined his very considerate off cuz what we ate costs money and we ate almost half of what he brought us. I'm giving them 3* because of the 2 times I've had brunch there it was amazing. The 2 times I've eaten dinner there was also spot on and their happy hour is great. Maybe today was a random fluke but it is going too cause me to rethink them as a brunch option from here on out. read more

Love this restaurant. Understand COVID challenges, but not an excuse to be out of chicken, filet and even soda pop, or to leave dirty dishes on the table for 15 min, or to seat us 30 min late. Sorry, but $265 for 4 people would be OK IF...but don't use COVID as an excuse. read more

This experience brought me to understand there is actually great Italian in Portland. We have been in search and been disappointed by so many restaurants. The family restaurants are sub par and the others are pretentious. This was neither, food was wonderful, service was excellent and I may have tasted the best pesto and cod I have ever had. A wonderful experience, we will be back....soon. read more

Love this place. So glad that they are doing take out during covid. Pre covid this was our special occasion spot that we can go with the whole family. Though it's a nice restaurant, I still feel like my kids are welcome. It's nice to have a neighborhood restaurant like this. My favorite dish is the grandma jeans pasta and the Cesar salad. Though lots of other dishes are great too. read more

Mamma Mia! L'alimento era cos buon lo ha parlare in Italiano! ...I'm still rooting for Spain tomorrow, but the decision became more and more difficult with every bite. read more

Hmm. I still don't get why people love Gino's. It's okay, but, expensive for what it is. You enter through a very decorative cool-looking bar and have to try to find the host. We had no idea where to stand or wait. People dress, for the most part, casually, which I love. We were seated in the bar area, which would have been fine, but because they don't have a waiting area, and they get busy, towards the middle of our meal, there were people's backs on either side of our table, and we felt boxed in. The food was good, for the most part. We got the shrimp appetizer, which wasn't always deveined (not good), though the flavor was very good. It came with a lightly-flavored garlic bread. I had the salmon, which was cooked to absolute perfection, with mashed potatoes (yum!), and veggies (too much cauliflower and cabbage for my taste, but fine). My partner had the cioppini, which came with a very flavorful broth, fresh seafood, and not homemade pasta. Our bill came to $58.00 (we didn't get any drinks). Service was fine. At times, they were more attentive than others, until the end, when they were very attentive. I guess you could say that I really love the East coast or California version of Old School Italian rather than the Portland version, if Gino's is representative of that. The East coast and California versions have a lot more red sauce, friendly and cozy atmosphere, warm baskets of bread upon arrival, homemade pasta, eggplant parmesan, calamari steak, pizza and garlic bread. There's a warmth there. Though the seafood was good, the overall feeling of the restaurant left me feeling at once alone and crowded. The food was good. But for the price and overall feeling, I found it just okay. Again, I don't understand why the people who love Gino's love it. I wish I could go with them and see it through their eyes. read more

Five stars from the fam for Gino's. We were looking for a Sunday night outing and Yelper's reviews helped guide us to this family friendly good food spot. We were pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to wait for a table, which automatically put one star up on the board. Second star goes for the complimentary kid friendly (but healthy) snack prior to our meals being served. Who could turn away apple slices, cheese and raspberries? Perfect! Third star goes for the friendly and efficient service. Fourth and fifth stars for the fabulous food. Ohhh I can still taste the garlic and in my book, that's a good thing! They were even able to cater to my husband's picky dietary needs, half orders for the kids and splitting plates was no problem. We will definitely make this a family favorite spot. read more

We finally made it back to Gino's after a too long absence and we were reminded of what we have missed: the best Italian food this side of Italy. While Gino's advertises itself as a family restaurant, this is no Spaghetti Factory. You enter the place through the Leipzig Tavern on the corner. There is a century-old oak bar which is almost always crowded. The restaurant itself is plain and rustic and is dominated by a huge mural at one end with the faces of everyone from Einstein, Da Vinci, to Verra Katz. In a word; Gino's is garlic, as good Italian fare should be. You can smell it from the street. The Caesar salad is from an old family recipe and can be a meal in itself. The Cioppino is full of shrimp, salmon, scallops, clams, mussels and, yes, "garlic." Theirs is served on spaghetti. But, my favorite is Grandma Jean's. This is an amazing dish of tomatoes, pork ribs, stewed beef and pepperoni on penne pasta; get a half order unless you want to take it home with you. If you want a steak you can choose from different cuts priced from $22 to $52. Gino's has a very extensive wine cellar with over 500 wines. Cases are actually stacked at the back of the bar. Wine bottles are everywhere. Most are Italian and the prices range from modest to astronomical. This is Italian the way Italian food is meant to be. Thank you Gino's for being a part of my culinary community! read more

I had the filet mignon medium and the cesear. Dressing was on a little too heavy for my taste and potatoes could have used flavoring. I loved the filet though.. Was very good. I have been here for brunch and was impressed. I would go back and try another dish as my partner loved his food and overall enjoyed the dish. read more

Gino's - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Likely that I will be preaching to the choir here, but Gino's, which I had bookmarked for when we actually lived in Portland, is all it is cracked up to be. After an entire day of lugging boxes & furniture, we found a couple of towels, got ourselves cleaned up, & headed over to the Sellwood for a celebratory dinner. We parked right in front & sat down at a table outside on the sidewalk (covered in the requisite red checkered tablecloth), We were quickly given beverages & the wine selection was tasty. The kitchen sent out a complimentary "snack" of cheese, bread & sliced apples along with dried cherries. This was quite a hit with the boys. Stuart & the boys decided to share a Caesar salad (which was plenty big enough for the 4 of them to sample), and I had the chilled pea with fresh mint soup. It was so creamy & refreshing...absolutely the right thing for a hot evening. For the main course, again, 2 of the 3 Musk-a-teers plus Daddy-O ordered the Nonna Jean's sugo, made with beef rib-lets, pepperoni, a dark rich sauce all over penne. It was molto autentico & reminded me of the stuff one has on the stove every Sunday in certain Italo-American enclaves on the East Coast...Those of you who are from Italian families and/or the East know of which I speak...Really soul satisfying stuff. I ordered the ravioli which was goat cheese & lightly grilled asparagus with toasted pine nuts. Exceptional for every bite! This...I would happily order again (and again!). Hostess, servers, kitchen, everyone made sure we were happy, well fed, comfortable. The kids were treated well & all the other customers seemed to be having an equally fine time. The adjoining bar looks amazing, so next visit, I hope to check this portion out. Just the light fixtures in the bar alone are enough to pique my interest. I would not hesitate to take guests here, or make this a regular family stop. It also looks like it would be great for lunch, tho' I'm not sure they serve a noon time meal. If you haven't been, it is a delightful way to spend some time. Many thumbs up...take a hearty appetite. read more

I'd like to state here: The food was great. My steak was cooked perfectly, my wife was practically licking the Marsala sauce off her plate, and I'm eating my mother's leftover pasta, wishing I had more. On top of that? The tiramisu was some of the best I've had in the city. The only thing on any of the plates that wasn't noteworthy? The mashed potatoes. everything else was really great. That brings us to the issue with service. We were initially seated in a booth suited to the 5 of us; 4 adults and a toddler, handed menus, and given a few minutes. By the time we'd settled on appetizers and initial drink selections, the waiter came out and explained that he'd just had a larger party come in, and asked if we could move outside. The weather was perfect last night, so we agreed. And now comes a list: 1) They sat us outside on two tables, one of which was missing a foot pad, so it banged around a bit. "Finally", I quipped, "We've found authentic Italian engineering in Portland." 2) They didn't bring two of us chairs for 10 minutes. 3) They didn't bring silverware for our dinner. This wouldn't have been a problem, but two of our plates arrived before the other two, by about 5 minutes...in the nice summer breeze? it cooled her meal a good bit. 4) The tables? They were 20 feet away from the dumpsters. The dumpsters? They were right next to the kitchen entrance. The kitchen entrance? It was also used as the hangout for those in the kitchen that smoked. Remember that summer breeze? That's right, we were downwind. Throughout the evening, smoke came wafting right by our table. The toddler? SHE WAS..oh who am I kidding? She didn't care. I did. it ruined the smell of the food. The waiter didn't seem to recognize these bits as issues He was a nice guy. He did a baseline of his job. He just didn't seem to want to make the service equal to the steaks. Usually? I'd bring these things up. Last night however, I was both dumbfounded that nobody recognized the problem, and had decided that placating my confrontation adverse mother was more important than making things right. 5) The final bill: 240 bucks. The food? It was probably worth it. The service? Not really. read more

Gino's, Gino's, Gino's... I expected more from you! A nice looking little Italian restaurant just blocks away was like a dream come true. If only I hadn't gone there, at least then the dream would not have been shattered. Contrary to many of the reviews here, my experience at Gino's was far from perfect. The atmosphere is average & the service mediocre. If the rest had lived up to that low standard, you'd be reading a 3 star review. But alas, the food (and corresponding prices) brought Gino's down to a measly 1 star. My wife ordered the Sausage Pasta. It sounded good, but turned out to be quite bland - it needed more flavor and perhaps some veggies as well. I had the Ravioli. Described as 3-cheese ravioli with an organic tomato basil sauce, it sounded delicious. In reality, it was far from it. The ravioli was about 2-3 minutes shy from being fully cooked, resulting in a chewy pasta. The 3-cheese stuffing was almost laughably non-existent. Lastly, the sauce had a "store bought" flavor w/ chunks of tomato mixed in. Also, each meal was served with bread that was far to tough, making it almost painful to eat! I've ripped into the food here a bit more than usual. It wasn't that it tasted bad so much that it just was very, very average. If I was paying a quick $5 for the plate, I'd have been ok with it. But when I'm eating my meal and resenting the price I will have to pay for it, something is very wrong. So when you're in the neighborhood craving Italian food, do yourself a favor and skip Gino's, walk another block or so down to New Seasons, and spend ~$10 to make your own delicious pasta dinner. Sorry Gino's, I won't be back. read more