I was less enthusiastic about this establishment than was my dining partner, Steve W. On a Friday night, Gino's was less than 1/5 full ... So other people might share my point of view. However, there was really only one objective thing wrong with Gino's on 51st street. Everything else was a matter of personal taste. Personal tastes can vary in what one wants to see in an American Italian restaurant. * * * The only objective fail was a fried calamari appetizer. The fry job was not good and the calamari were tough and not too tasty. People don't go to Italian restaurants just to get fried calamari, even though it is a common enough appetizer. * * * The one objective WOW WOW WOW was their chocolate cake. Steve W and I split one of these babies. It is kept in the refrigerator and served ice cold. The stuff is totally addictive. No matter how the rest of your meal goes, The chocolate cake will atone for all sins. * * * Now for the matters in dispute. The big question is do you like your American Italian tomato forward or tomato restrained? I grew up in Boston in the 1950s and 1960s where all the Italian food was tomato restrained. This included the famous Italian houses in the North End and our family's favorite, Simeone's in Cambridge. The recipes at Gino's could have come out of any those establishments. This explains Steve W's vigorous thumbs up. * * * American Italian in Philadelphia is tomato forward. Boston has evolved into a tomato forward town although exceptions do exist in particular houses. After I graduated high school and went out in the world, I discovered tomato forward. (Including, in Manhattan, a Legendary Spaghetti Caruso which was tomato forward with chicken livers. Sarah Vaughan was singing gospel to the diners. Now THAT was one meal I will never forget!) Once I discovered tomato forward, there was no going back. Whenever I cook Italian, I cook tomato forward. Whenever I encounter tomato restrained, I go "That's Nice, Dear." * * * Steve W.'s chicken parmigiana and my cioppino were both tomato restrained. I make a killer cioppino myself (although I have been bested by more than one West Coast seafood establishment.) Cioppino needs to be tomato forward all the way - and when you get down right to it, totally heavy-handed with the tomato. Needing tomato was especially important at Gino's where the seafood was on again off again. (Scallops and clams were legitimately superb. The shrimp like the calamari, not so much.) So I enjoyed part of my meal. * * * Fortunately, Steve W. is a dazzling conversationalist with a wealth of knowledge about a wide range of topics. So the dinner was marvelous, when I thought less about my food and more about the ideas he was putting forward. And there was that cake. So as a total experience, the night was five stars. * * * However, if you are going without Steve W., Then watch yourself on the menu. Something like an Alfredo or a Piccata might be a better main dish call. That - and be sure to order dessert. (Heh heh) read more

I was looking forward to meeting a friend here for dinner. Since I had already been to the Round Rock location, I had confidence the food would be good here as well. With this place coming up on almost 500 Yelp reviews and sitting at four+ stars, that says something. It's located at a convenient location on 51st just a few blocks from I 35 and sits at the corner of Lancaster beneath three stories of apartments. There's only about six parking spaces available in front of the restaurant, otherwise you'll have to park in some other retail spaces further away. Inside it's quite small and intimate with about a dozen tables on the floor and 8 chairs at the bar. They do post some daily specials on the board when you walk in or you can stick to the menu. They do have a wine menu, but it's only limited to 22 choices at 2-3 times retail. We started off with some fried cheese ravioli and calamari. I loved the light breading on the calamari rings and no tentacles were included. My main course of chicken Parmesan was some of the best I've ever had. My guest enjoyed his entrée of shrimp and muscles. We washed it all down with a glass of their organic primativo. We then finished it all off with a dense chocolate fudge cake. You can easily spend $200 a couple for apps, entrées, wine, dessert, and tip. We showed up on a Friday evening without a reservation and there was just a few people in the restaurant, but it's best to make reservations for Valentines. If you're looking for pizza, you won't find it on the menu here. It's a place I'd come back to. Check out the informative photos. read more

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Right off the I-35 lies your next Italian date night spot. Gino's is a cozy spot serving up savory pasta in a quiet, intimate setting. The service is great, and the interior screams Italian restaurant (in a good way). Our waitress was phenomenal, making jokes, taking photos of us, and giving fantastic dining recommendations. We were there for a birthday dinner so we came as a large party and everything from arrival to the end was very smooth and done with fantastic service. Parking is easy to find but you may have to settle for the accompanying lots as their front of house lot is somewhat small. Our party ordered many different things but what we ate/tried were the house bread, burrata, gnocchi di pesce, spaghetti e polpette, chocolate cake, and the tiramisu. We also ordered their berry cosmo as a drink. Here's a quick rundown of everything we ate: the house bread was great, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. The burrata was creamy and pretty filling, well balanced. The gnocchi di pesce was very good with chunks of fish and shrimp throughout, very filing and savory. The spaghetti e polpette was surprisingly a miss; it was unexpectedly spicy and the texture was a bit al dente. The chocolate cake was very rich, absolutely delicious with every bite. The tiramisu was perfect, creamy and full of coffee flavor. Last but not least, the berry cosmo was sweet yet powerful, a bit too strong for our liking but we can see how others would love it alongside their meal. By the end of our meal we were very happy with the food, service, and atmosphere. The price was a bit high but that's to be expected in an Italian restaurant of this quality. Even when we were there till past closing they never made us feel rushed and took care of us like we were the first customers of the day. Gino's is a great spot for an intimate date night or for anyone looking for good, classic Italian food. We recommend it to anyone looking for a spot in the area to eat or go out on a nice date. read more

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We came in at 6 PM on a Saturday night and there was plenty of seating still available. There was plenty of parking available in the parking lot when we went. The interior is decorated as an old school Italian family run restaurant. Our server was very friendly and gave us great wine recommendations and even brought us some tasters. She came out with complementary garlic bread. One was nicely toasted, but the other was not toasted. I ordered ravioli, which was delicious, but had too much cheese on top for my liking. Their portion sizes are large, and I left feeling full. read more

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Nice place, really nice people. Well made cocktails. Nice wine selection. Generous apps. That bread is really all you need. Got the special - mushroom ravioli and sausage in Alfredo sauce. Pretty tasty. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. read more

Gino's Vino Osteria - Special - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place has good customer service but the food disappointed me, it was very bland no flavor it was like something that I could off just made at home. It's not what I was expecting, not a place I would recommend. read more

The chicken piccata is so good! I get a side of veggies with mine and mix it in. It's very filling and flavorful. The bread that they give you is so tasty; I guarantee you're not gonna be able to just have one piece! The servers are attentive and are always there when I need them (even before I know I need them)! Let's not forget that the moment you walk in you enter a nice elegant room with ambient lighting. It serves all vibes expectations (romantic dinners, dinner with coworkers, drinks with the girls or the buds). It The old fashion's are so good and even though it was for a limited time, the chocolate cake was so good and I miss it! read more

this is the first restaurant me and my husband went to when we moved to Austin. It's a small charming restaurant with low noise level. The food is amazing. The calamari is better than most calamari I've had. Lasagna is the BEST lasagna I've ever had. I also really enjoyed the Gorgonzola and steak pasta. I ate every bite of my tiramisu for dessert. Highly recommended. read more

If you are looking for traditional Italian food then look no further. This place is a hidden gem in my book now! I enjoy Italian food and I have found that many places don't deliver on some of the more basic items this jersey boy grew up on. Austin I love you but it takes me back to have Veal Parm or a nice Spaghetti and Meatballs or Lasagne dish. This isn't a chain either like Boca do Beppo or Olive Garden. When I sat to eat here I saw one of the owners working. The place is quaint yet there were enough tables when I ate here although to be fair it was Super Bowl day so it was a bit slow. The drinks are great, the bread is great, the mains were amazing, and of course the wine was delicious. You have to try this place and it will be on my rotation from now on. The one item to look for though is parking - it has a weird one way are so you may find yourself circling to park and walking up. Enjoy! read more

Gino's Vino Osteria - Blood Orange Martini! - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

If I could give 6 stars to Gino's I would. We were staying at The Residence Inn of University Area, where we've stayed a few times, however we just found this fabulous wine bar/restaurant that is 2 doors down on the backside. We arrived 30 minutes before they were set to close with the intention to have a quick glass of wine. Walked in to a quaint environment that will take you to New York neighborhood restaurant. The aroma of Italian food made me almost feel hungry though we just stuffed ourselves at dinner right before. They have a nice selection of wines by the glass or bottle and various cocktails. The bartender was wonderful! We ended up getting the lemon cake for dessert and Wowzer, it was fantastic! I will be coming back every Austin visit! read more

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Great service, good ambience, one-note food. Had the special, braised beef stuffed ravioli with sausage. Was good, but tasted the Alfredo sauce more than anything. App ravioli tasted like the oil it was fried in more than anything, sauce was advertised as spicy but was fairly bland. read more

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Ginos is an odd place, in a somewhat odd and unexpected location. But it feels like the famous, old school Italian restaurants we used to go to in the Italian neighborhoods on the near West side of Chicago: small but personable, with Sinatra and other 195Italian-American music playing in the background. Food is great, service is great, and I always enjoy when I eat here. read more

Delicious food and great experience overall. We had been wanting to go here for a while and always passed it up. However it was such an intimate and romantic aura and the servers were super nice and sweet! The drinks are a win and we tried snails for the first time and they were a delight! Definitely will be coming back when we're back in town. read more

Best Italian restaurant in Austin. Me and my wife came here on are honeymoon to eat and the food and service were phenomenal. Gino's Vino has a nice romantic and elegant atmosphere perfect for a date night with your wife and perfect for family get together very relaxed and calming. read more

Food was decent, flattest lasagna I've ever seen and was a little soupy. I didn't really care for my cocktail and all the waitress did was offer to add simple syrup. Even after trying that I didn't drink it and was still charged for it. Very skimpy serving of bread and salad. My partner stated his Parmesan chicken was kind of soggy. read more

Eggplant parmigiana went to the top of my husband list of the best. The filet mignon and ravioli special was so good. We sampled two Montepulcianos. Both good. read more

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I hope no one else discovers this place. One a Friday night, walked in at 7:30 looking for a nice quiet place to connect with my husband after a long week. We got seated immediately and had a wonderful evening. I'm so weary of the Austin "must have a reservation" vibe to go anywhere on the weekends. The "it" places are noisy and overpriced. It's so refreshing to go to Gino's. Is it a throwback to a forgotten time? Absolutely. Am I there to be seen? Nope. Is it kinda weird with The Mary Tyler Moore show playing along side women's soccer at the bar? Yep. All in all, a hidden gem that I hope no one else discovers. read more

There's nothing not amazing about this place. The vibes - the food - the service. All of it is divine. Great place for a date night. If I can give you any advice - it would be to get the Chicken Alfredo. LITERALLY the BEST Chicken Alfredo in the world. You think, "how good can Chicken Alfredo really be?" Well, if you give this place a try, you'll find out. SO GOOD. P.S. - I cannot tell you how many brownie points I got with my wife for bringing her here. Men... I promise you will not regret picking this place for your next date. read more

I enjoyed my dining experience at Gino's. The food was cooked well. Pasta was al dente and the sauces were delicious. I got the seafood linguine and gnocchi. The gnocchi dish is a cheese lovers dream. I will definitely go again. read more

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The food was so good and flavorful. Very nice family owned restaurant with great service. I'd highly highly recommend and will come again. Ps the bread is so good it's dangerous.. read more

Gino's Vino Osteria - Salmon Griliata Amante Della Carne - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

10/10 Phenomenal hand made food. Great service. Apps, pasta, drinks all great. For this price point cant beat it. read more

This was my second time reserving a table at Gino's for a friends birthday. We were so impressed last year that we agreed to celebrate all her birthdays here. I had the pleasure of bringing my boyfriend this time and another mutual friend of the birthday girl. I spoke about the escargot for a year and finally had it for the second time tonight- delicious!! We tried the fried ravioli this time and it was great. The lasagna is my go to and it did not disappoint. I'm laying in bed with a good baby now. Definitely worth checking out. Our waitresses name was Taylor and she was absolutely lovely- very patient, kind and friendly. read more

Stumbled across this place on a Saturday night needing dinner, we drove up south austin and it was well worth it. It was super intimate, felt like I was back in a small Venice, Italy restaurant without a huge crowd, 1:1 service, and intimate atmosphere. Staff was so helpful and fast even thought they are short staffed, the food was incredible. The table bread is crack and the best I've ever had anywhere, this is in the top 3 of my favorite Italian places in ATX and I've been searching for that for 8 years... Anyone who says it isn't good... doesn't get it. It truly is a hidden gem you need to seek out, because without a little searching I didn't even know it didn't exist but I'm glad it does. read more

It is a pretty good restaurant. Although the place is nothing special. The service was good and the food was better than expected. Good pasta with handmade sauces. The Carbonara and Bolognese were very good. read more

Entire restaurant is in one small room with a bar taking up the entire left side. Tables on Valentine's Day were two feet apart and we had to squeeze past other couples to get to our table. Tablecloth was clearly stained in multiple spots. Salad took 25 minutes to come out and the lettuce was soggy and croutons were stale. We came early in the evening and the entree took almost an hour to come out despite the Menu being preset. Couples who arrived considerably after us got their entrees before we did. The single chicken cutlet on my girlfriend's chicken piccata was bone white and unseasoned. There were literally only three capers on the entire plate. Chicken Alfredo sauce was incredibly thin. Server offered Parmesan when giving us our entree and my girlfriend and I both said yes - she never came back with any. Manager came around asking how food was, we asked for parm. He said he would get some and also never came back. Within thirty seconds of taking my last bite the plates were taken away and replaced with dessert. Cannoli was rock hard and covered in wet chocolate sauce- not sure how we were supposed to eat it without making a mess. For $60 per person there are FAR better options in Austin. Positive reviews are misleading. read more

Veal was tough and not tasty Pork chop could not be cut so tough & hard. Overcooked. Spaghetti not seasoned. Meals totally disappointing. Service was very pleasant and helpful. Not recommended. read more

Good food, great service, very nice atmosphere. The veal picata was very good and their wine selection is good.

A very fun and inviting atmosphere that is complemented by the service and food. We came for a quick and easy dinner and received exactly that! read more

This place makes me happy. Gluten free options abound. Will be back! Cocktails are tasty too

The food was amazing and our server was great! It's such a good atmosphere! I would definitely go back for sure.

Fantastic cocktails and food in a low key setting. Great place for a casual night out

I recommend the chicken piccata and a glass of Prosecco. The service is always great and never a wait. It's always a great place for a special occasion . The place has an intimate feel but would really work well with family dinner night. read more

Gino's Vino Osteria - a glass of wine and a candle - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had a wonderful meal. Veal marsala was excellent and the mushroom risotto was the perfect complement. My friend had the veal parmigiana and spaghetti which was very good but after tasting my order she regretted not ordering her own. We ordered the tiramisu to go but unfortunately it did not make it out the door--delicious. Thank you Yelp! for helping me find this charming independent restaurant. read more

Food was so bad. Bread was cold and dry and had definitely been recently thawed. Caesar salad tasted strange (fishy?), croutons were hard and dry, fried raviolis were dry but the sauce was good. Sausage ravioli was strange filling was very wet and I couldn't place what it was concerned it was pork and undercooked, pasta was hard. Overall the experience was poor. Glasses were dirty. Incredibly over priced. The atmosphere was cozy, but more attention needs to be given to the flavor of the food. Service was decent. Surprised the place has as high of ratings as it does. Maybe we caught them on an off day, but we were very disappointed. We paid so much and could have gone to Mandolas for half the price and twice the flavor. read more

Service and ambiance were fine. Food was also good. If you are in the area it is a place to try, but nothing to travel for

We stayed at the hotel nearby and walked to the restaurant, but we all agreed that even if. We stay across town, we will be back. The food was great. The service was spectacular. read more

I grew in NJ and I've had a lot of Italian food between there and NYC. I gotta say, a lot of the review last here having me thinking people haven't eaten good Italian food. If this pasta is made in house, they need to stop cooking it likes it's dry. The squid ink pasta I had fell apart when I tried twirl around a fork. Miraculously the scallops in it were the driest, blandest scallops I've ever had while swimming in a bath of the sauce. I can't emphasize how awful this food is, especially considering the audacity they have to charge. Patrizi's serves at a food truck and puts this place to shame in terms of food quality and flavor. The ONLY good dish was the escargot, which, really, you can't mess up as it's just a vessel for garlic and butter. The service was okay but whoever is staffing hurts them. They had one bartender who was taking every table and making all of the drinks? Why would that ever be accountable? I've never seen a restaurant not at least have one person on the floor if they have a full service bar. Poor management. As for the decor, place looks like a dreary, bleak restaurant that hasn't had a face lift since 1990. Spending close to 250 for three people you expect the food, service and and ambiance to at least be decent but it's three strikes here. Highly recommend you pass and head to Il Brutto or Patrizi's for a less embarrassing representation of pasta dishes. read more

Great local restaurant. I've never been disappointed coming here! Ambiance is intimate and great for dates! The food and drinks are reasonably priced and delicious. Service is impeccable. read more

What a gem to find! Although it was empty when I arrived (6pm), this place was absolutely amazing. Ordered the Gnocchi di Pesce. Good, soft, pillowy, tender, melt in your mouth Gnocchi is not easy to find but Gino's has it! Definitely will come back when I am in this part of Austin and would recommend to everyone.! It's a dinner place, check their hours before going. read more

Gino's Vino Osteria - Gnocchi di Pesce - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Got the Amante della Carne which has Italian Sausage. Now I'm not sure if all Italian sausage is supposed to pack some heat, but that was definitely unexpectedly spicy. So just something to keep in mind for any of their sausage dishes. I could barely eat half of it because of the spice level. Also, their menu said there's gluten free pasta available (which is part of why I selected this restaurant) but when I picked up and went to pay there was a charge for that. I don't mind that in general but would have been nice to know in advance of ordering. My husband got the Bucatini Arabatia (sp?) and liked it a lot. Appreciated that they were not skimpy with the portions especially the sausage. Hence my 4 star rating instead of 3. For Italian in East Austin I prefer Il Brutto. But may give Gino's another try DTR. read more