The staff all were sitting down and eating. The waitress came over gave us water and menus and sat down to eat. She got up, chatted on the phone and walked past 2 times as we sat menus at the end of the table waiting to have our order taken. We waited 5 more minutes until more people came in and finally just got up and left never acknowledging us or even looking up. read more

It was yummy in my tummy Service was nice I liked the coke and joe petals peach it was really yummy read more

A true hidden gem of Chicago. This little Italian restaurant/deli is tucked away on a sleepy side street in Bridgeport. Very unassuming location. You can see the top of a huge, old church looming over the place off in the distance. It kind of has a Boston feel to it. Very old school. It takes you back to how Chicago may have looked/felt in the 1940's or 50's. The food is fantastic. Everything I've tried has been great. The Italian subs are great if you are going for lunch. The antipasto salad is very good and very filling. The broccoli salad appetizer is loaded with garlic, which makes it incredible. They even marinate their olive oil which adds a little extra something to that bread and oil appetizer. You just don't see places like this anymore. I feel like Tony Soprano would love this place. read more

Went at an odd time (a VERY late lunch) and we were the only people there. Everyone was really kind and service didn't suffer at all. As other reviewers have said, it's very unassuming. It's just good food! Would definitely come back at a "real" meal time. Most important, they have a house made giardiniera made with olive oil which is super hard to find! Got a couple bottles to bring home. read more

First and foremost, you should know you're going to be eating fantastic food in the middle of a corner deli. That's right. There will be neither mood lighting, modern decor nor art collections hanging from the walls. Amidst freezer cases and shelves filled with Barilla pasta, you'll wine (it's BYOB) and dine. Still with me? Good. Let's talk food. Last night, the hubs, daughter and I sampled four dishes. We started with the fried mozzarella served with marinara sauce. I enjoyed the triangular, finger friendly shape of these and the taste was superior to most fried mozzarella appetizers. However, at almost $9 for four, it's a little pricey. Next, for our entrees, we shared the tortiglioni carbonara. Yes, you need to order this dish. Served piping hot, the explosive flavor transported me back to sidewalk cafes in Florence. It's a perfect pasta dish. We also tried the capellini alle scoglie, a pasta dish with plenty of clams, mussels and two shrimp. This one was very good, but not as good as the tortiglioni. Finally, we knew we had to finish the meal off with the tiramisu. Ooo...it was tasty. It wasn't necessarily the prettiest version I've seen; but it was eye pleasing enough and the taste delivered. A couple of non-food related notes: - We came at around 6:30 on a Saturday night and only had to wait twenty minutes or so for a table for three - Service was friendly and fast - Street parking was easy I'm so glad to have found Gio's on Yelp. We'll bring some friends and be back soon. read more

The food is delicious!! Everything is fresh tasting and made to order. My friends and I each ordered a dish to share. It was all sooo good. The tiramisu was to die for but not very tasty as a leftover. Alcohol was too strong for me. If you like arancini rice balls, they do not disappoint!! For the price and the size it is well worth it. A stand alone meal. It's a must try!! I will be back. read more

Love this place but lately they put way too many green onions on everything ! Please note on the menu if green onions are added. I don't like them! I ordered Capellini alle Scoglie & spent a half hour picking out tons of onions. No onions!!!! Please cut the green onions!!!! read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Why all the onions??? - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is mostly good service average the prices are way overpriced for this small neighborhood deli. Your eating in a small neighborhood joint and then BAM you get the bill and say I'm not downtown am I read more

Their food is always delicious with large portions!! I always get the carbonara. You always get fresh bread and butter. The place is hidden, but a gem. It has charm and has been there since 1980s I believe!!! read more

Food is good for the most part but I will not go back again. I purchased pasta and added shrimp which they charged me $10 for literally 4 pieces of shrimp that was added. I called them back and they told me so sorry we only give four shrimp. Literally ended up paying $40 for some noodles with 4 pieces of shrimp. read more

This place is GOLD! My party of 3 decided to check out this neighborhood hotspot. So glad we did! We stopped in around 7pm on a Tuesday. They were packed! We were kindly greeted and seated. Complimentary bread was promptly set down with olive oil and parm cheese on the table (bread was great-perfect crust). This business is BYOB so we popped open a bottle of wine and checked out the menu. We started with the fried cheese-good but nothing outstanding-basically a cheesestick. We ordered our main entrees next to share that consisted of chicken parm, rigatoni vodka and my favorite the tortiglioni carbonara. The tortiglioni carbonara was so creamy and delicious...rich but not too rich. The pasta itself was cooked to perfection on all dishes. Rigatoni vodka was good but a bit bland. One member of the group said the chicken parm was her favorite while it was my least favorite. We finished by sharing a cannoli and house make tiramisu along with coffee and cappuccino. The coffee is a must here...especially the cappuccino! Desert was good...no complaints. The service was pretty good. They were busy so we didn't see our waitress much but I guess if we needed something we should have yelled to someone. Overall we had the fried cheese, a bowl of soup, 3 pasta dishes, a side order of grilled shrimp, 1 cannoli and 1 tiramisu and the total was $92 including tax. We all left full and had two small togo boxes left. This place is wonderful...we will be back FOR SURE! read more

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Very helpful, but a little pricey. My daughter lives nearby, and I was craving an afternoon snack while I was visiting. A stroll over to Gio's, and $10 later, and I had a half pound of a couple of different cheeses, and a big bottle of Pelegrino water, which we shared after I got back to her apartment. The staff was very helpful, the restaurant was immaculately clean, and other than the price, an altogether pleasant experience. read more

When you look from the outside, it doesn't look like much. And honestly, the exterior could make you pass this up quickly. But don't! Gio's is really THAT good. It's what these reviews say and more. Delicious, priced well, fresh, Italian food that would otherwise be missed if you just looked at it from the outside! read more

Have frequented this place this place ~30 but only dined in once. Never have I once been disappointed. From the soups and salads, to the spaghetti and chicken parm, everything is phenomenal! My personal favorites are: 1. Spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs 2. Pasta carbonara 3. Anything with Bolognese sauce ...obviously I'm a pasta guy, but I don't think you can go wrong with anything on their menu! It feels like you are in someone's kitchen and they are making you a homemade dinner. Do yourself a favor and get to it! read more

We catered chicken vesuvio for about 20 people and I was shocked to see al the peas poured on top, as if they opened two cans of peas. The chicken was dry with very little sauce and no taste. Low quality chicken. Will not be catering from Gio's again. read more

Good sandwiches and a very good arancini (but be sure to request the sauce on the side if you take it to go or the arancini can get soggy).

Tried this Italian eatery based on check please recommendation. Greeted with a luke warm reception. The waitress was no smiles, barely answered our questions. I asked if the eggplant parm sandwich came with anything like a side of pasta and she said No followed by asking me if I wanted cheese and peppers--I said yes. She asked me if I wanted sweet or hot peppers and I responded hot. We asked for a 1/2 portion of spaghetti for our 2yo. Once we received the bill, I was shocked that a small "1/2" portion of spaghetti was $9 (not listed in the menu) and that I was charged for cheese and peppers on the sandwich. When I questioned her, she said everything is extra BUT no where on the menu is this stated nor did she explain this. The cashier took off the charge for cheese but stated he could not remove the peppers. Honestly, I didn't ask them to remove any charges, just explained the waitress should have explained what was extra. Overall--mediocre place, prices are expensive and service is poor. read more

A perfect place for my 100th review!! Gio's is a magical hidden gem in Bridgeport, totally authentic Italian in a quaint little space. That being said, the dining area is quite small and you may need a reservation on a Friday or Saturday evening. The wait staff is very friendly and helpful. A huge plus for people driving in, free neighborhood parking!! Try anything, try everything you won't be disappointed. read more

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What a difference a year makes!!! I have been to Gio's several times and I have had some great food but I am sorry to say I believe that run is now over. I was taking my Dad out for a special lunch today and I was totally letdown with the food. My chicken parm was not hot at all and we were sitting right next to the kitchen. I believe that our food might have been sitting for a while, which is not acceptable. Now that I look back I may know why our food was just warm! The waitresses today were busy stocking and prices the sodas at the front of the store. (for those who have never been here this is a grocery store with tables in the middle...it is a cute novelty) Also, It was not crowded for lunch today which is surprising because the last couple of times I have been here it has been hard to get a table. Also the Cajun pork chop special today was killed and killed again...talk about cooking a piece of pork until it was dry and tasteless. It is so sad because I have no idea what has happen here. I know that Gio's has new owners and things change but it is sad to see such an amazing place turn bad. I spent over 50 bucks for lunch today and it was terrible...some of the worse food I have ever had. I cant even call it an off day for the cook because the restaurant was almost empty...there was no pressure on the cook to get a large amount of orders out. The last straw...I noticed there is a new 4 buck charge for a corkage fee. I have never had that fee in the past. And guess what? I opened my own bottle...if I could go back in time I would have made the waitress open the wine...she didn't even come around and fill up anyone's glasses. Now I know but it would have been nice if she would have said something to me about it in the beginning...so there wasnt that shock after getting the bill. I was also charge tax on it too...honestly if that charge is going to be on the bill it needs to fall under the service charge area and not as an item because I didn't actually order anything! Oh yeah and it makes the bill look even larger but don't worry I didn't tip on it. I am sure the waitress is mad when she did the math but hey enjoy your 4 bucks because it will be the last one I will ever spend here! read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Total cuteness!!! - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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By far one of the best restaurants in the city! This cozy little cafe is tucked away in the Bridgeport neighborhood so it can be hard to find but worth the trip! Their chicken parm is easily the best dish on their menu but there's so many good options it's hard to pick recommendations. This is a BYOB restaurant so I suggest bringing a bottle of wine or 2 and enjoying great Italian cuisine on the Southside! read more

From the outside, Gio's looks like a corner store. Inside its a little bit different. Came in on a Wednesday night and was lucky to find a table. The place has about 8-10 tables so its easy to see why it can get packed. Walk in, seat yourself and immediately someone comes out to serve you bread to start your order. Our waiter was very helpful. Told us everything that was on the menu and they also have about 8 other specials on the chalk board as well. Now to the food. I order the Chicken Parmesan, which was delicious. Chicken was breaded perfectly and cooked perfectly. And the portion size is huge. 2nd plate ordered was the Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. Pros - Shrimp was great and so was the pasta sauce. Cons - It needed more shrimp. It was basically a plate of Fettuccine and 4 shrimps. Funny part about our visit is we saw the couple next to us order the calamari and it looked delicious. So our waiter decided to give us a small order of it (their order was huge) and its definitely one of their specialty plates. You can almost order that and 1 dish and be satisfied for 2 people. Don't forget its... BYOB BYOB BYOB Bottle of wine or some beers if you are there for lunch, you're good to go! Also check Groupon for a deal as well. read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Chicken Parmesan - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I don't understand all the rave reviews about this place. We decided to check it out because this place got such great reviews, and we were in the neighborhood. Mannaggia, I left my bottle of wine at home as I didn't plan on coming here. Anyway, I tried the arrancini as an appetizer and the clams over linguini in white wine sauce as an entree for lunch. The arrancini was ok, but I prefer other places that specialize in arrancini in my neighborhood. The pasta was kind of bland and overcooked. They gave a large portion that I couldn't finish and it wasn't tasty enough to finish. The groceries they have on the shelf is kind of interesting, but it's not really something that I would consider unique. You can go to Caputo's and buy a lot of this stuff at about 25-40% less than what they are charging here. Just saying. I visit Italy at least 1 a year, and to me, the food is made to the American palate. It is another restaurant in Chicago that all' Americano. Che schifo. read more

Went to Gio's twice in a week's time. That's how great it is! Believe the hype - it is an authentic Italian restaurant with a deli and Italian grocery store. The food is the real deal - delicious, fresh, authentic and gigantic portions. It is a no frills restaurant that doesn't look like much - but give it a chance to blow you away. The first time we ordered an appetizer of sauteed escarole and white beans and the mushroom risotto, both the dishes were specials for that day. The food was too much for 2 of us, we had leftover risotto enough for dinner the next day. The escarole and beans was stellar - it sounds like a simple dish but it was sooo good. The risotto was delicious as well. The second time we ordered the goat cheese bruschetta and got two sides - sauteed broccoli and the polenta with marinara - YUM !! The polenta was soo good and the broccoli was finger licking good. We just grabbed a box of their spumoni from their grocery selection and took it to go. It was fantastic! Come here to be surprised by how good their food is and take a few Italian groceries home. read more

Travelled to Chicago for quick up and back for one day, wanted to try authentic Italian in their Little Italy before we left and a local recommended this to us. Soooo glad!!! We would've never known this was a restaurant nor the INCREDIBLE food!!! Backstory - my moms side is from Sicily, I've grown up with authentic handmade Italian food and this felt like taking me back to corner of Italy just in a corner of Chicago neighborhood. I stocked up on imported sauces, pastas & oils - LOVE this place! If I didn't live 13 hours away, this would be my husbands and my date place every time. For our strict budget too, this was a HUGE win!!! Large portions and price is right. Mouth waters from moment you step inside, homemade bread delivered with refreshments full whole time. Staff are helpful, sweet, food bar none, worth it. Atmosphere is casual, in a deli & mini store like setting but super cute and known locals we saw know to BYOW. Can't wait to come back! had a love affair last night, and it was at Gio's. read more

So, I've been back to give their pastas a try. There was only one waitress and about 4-5 tables so it took a little longer to get service, but she was nice. Fried Mozzarella - Ok, nothing great. Homemade Baked Cavatelli - My guy ate most of it, but I just sampled a little and didn't really care for it. Side of Hot Sausage - He said it wasn't even hot as in flavor not temperature. =) Tortiglioni Carbonara with Chicken - I ordered this and I thought the pasta was cooked nicely, but had to dig to the bottom to get to the sauce. The chicken was dry and for $4, not worth it. Overall, I think there are tons of better options and for cheaper. I also think it's overpriced as portion is good, but not like how most Italian places where you can eat 2-3 meals out of 1. I think for what you get, they need to lower the prices by a few bucks. Lunch with 1 appetizer and 2 pasta with the add on of the sausage and chicken and no drinks was $50 including tip. Sorry, but just not worth it. read more

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Last minute catering request - nacho and his team were wonderful! Thank you for making our sons birthday extra special with your yummy food!

I was craving Italian and wanted to try a new place nearby (I'm in south loop). Gio's did not disappoint! Straight up Italian deli on a residential street (almost passed it right up). The tables and chairs are set up in the entire space along the grocery walls. Ordered caprese to start, rigatoni vodka sauce for my meal and it was fantastic. Great service and I loved the authentic/cozy/neighborhood feel. Will be back no doubt. read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Rigatoni a la vodka - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Always excellent, every time. Gio's is a very nice, neighborhood restaurant, deli & Italian specialty store all rolled into one. I order carry-out from Gio's all the time as they are just down the road from my house. I usually order sandwiches & salads for carry-out... plus the occasional cannoli. The staff are so friendly & attentive & have come to recognize me every time I stop in. I am very much looking forward to going out & having a proper dinner at Gio's. Considering it is BYO wine, I am just dying to dine-in with a bottle of red wine & try yet another one of their amazing pasta dishes... & maybe a cannoli for dessert if I have been good. :) read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Trying our best to shop small and local even in other neighborhoods. So, when I had to be in Bridgeport and saw this little place that reminded me of the fantastic deli and grocery store on my childhood corner, I stopped. The frozen sauce was delicious and the meatballs were very good. We enjoyed the tiramisu and will definitely go back. read more

This was a great place! Some of the absolute best Italian food I've ever eaten! Really great atmosphere and the waitress was super helpful. Be prepared to be there for a while. One waitress, few tables, and lots of people wanting to eat there! I will definitely go again and would highly recommend this place! read more

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Gios has some amazing dishes! Delicious for sure. I've been happy with everything we've gotten but the calamari grilled tasted burnt and was even a little over cooked. Just a little sad when we had amazing grilled calamari in the suburbs. None the less i highly recommend Gio's. Def tasty and great staff! read more

It was my first time checking out Gio's Cafe and Deli. The establishment reminds me of a comfort and cozy atmosphere for lunch crowd. Their menu seems to be very attractive with their Italian cuisines and desserts. I sat down with a friend and shared a breaded steak sandwich. It wasn't too bad. I will look forward to trying something else on their menu next time like perhaps their pasta dishes. I felt the service was very nice and I felt comfortable eating there for the first time. I would return and try something else with a friend or my husband. read more

I heard some good things from people that live in the area, its byob which is cool, the dining area is kind of small, there isn't a whole lot of space, plus it's also like a grocery store. We got the bruschetta app, and then i got the special of rigatoni and sausage, both were really good, as was the bread n butter even lol maybe a little pricier than i was expecting, but i still liked everything i had and wouldnt mind going back read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Baked rigatoni and sausage - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very expensive 18.95 chicken Marsala and it was so bland. They must of only put a tablespoon of the actual Marsala wine. Downtown restaurant prices for a Bridgeport deli. Italian sub was good but small. read more

Ordered 2 pasta chicken dishes and calamari for delivery!! The food was Awesome. Calamari was fried to perfection: Not to hard or overcooked. The food was still hot when it arrived.... very impressed. The anticipated delivery time arrived as promised. read more

Really good food and large portions! You definitely get what you pay for. The pasta is hot and the bread is hot and soft. Gio's food is delicious and they also have a seamless ordering process for pickup due to their dining area being closed. read more

This little Italian restaurant is a hidden gem in the heart of Bridgeport. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. Definitely order the grilled calamari for starters! The calamari was so fresh! We also ordered the sausage and peppers appetizer, cream of sausage and potato soup, chicken Parmesan, chicken vesuvio, and tortiglioni pasta, and of course Tiramisu! You won't be disappointed with any of their dishes. Side note: the bathroom is in the basement, but it is very clean! Staff is very friendly and attentive as well. read more

Came in on Christmas Eve for dinner and it got pretty busy. Never even knew this existed till we came in with a couple of friends. It's a grocery store but it is also a restaurant. It has a family feel to it and everything we ordered came in huge portions and I recommend people splitting two to a plate. Everything seems it's good for family style. We all had 4 different types of pasta and they all had their own unique taste. The waitress kindly gave us plates so we can try one another's dishes. I like mine the most (pictured). We also had some appetizer: calamari & mozzarella. Both were pretty great but very oily due to it being deep fried. It's also BYOB too! Family friendly and more family style. read more

Gio's Cafe & Deli - Delis Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This rating of 2 stars is for dining in because the place doubles as sort of a Italian dry goods store. First thing when I came in I was greeted with a friendly smile by the cashier. So far so good. I'm looking forward to a good dining experience. The gentleman asked me if I would like a high chair seat or a table. And I said I don't really like the high chairs so if you don't mind I'll do a table but if there's nothing else I'll settle. Then he told me there's no tables available and pointed me to the high chair seat by the window. Not a biggie. But this seat is a little awkward and annoying in the sense that other patrons who walk in stand awkwardly close to you, and furthermore block the line of view of the servers or waitresses to you! My drink order-- I asked if they have coffee because it is not on their menu. They looked confused and said we have coffee and cappuccino. I asked if they can do iced coffee-- 2 people looking a bit puzzled. Then "yeah we can do iced coffee". Should've been a red flag. The male cashier/server comes back 2min later with the big translucent red Coca-Cola cup half-filled with ice and asks me looking worried, do I want cream and sugar in my coffee-- and if I wanted it mixed before or after the ice. I said before, but thought to myself, this is not a good sign. My drink comes back-- and I swear-- it was the most comical ice coffee I've ever seen. I am surprised the waitress or person manning the bar would allow that drink to be sent out. It looked like what you would get if you shook a can of Guinness and poured it rough into a pint glass, somehow scooped just the foam and lopped it on top of ice in the cheap soda plastic cups. I was appalled. I had some trouble getting service which is an aside, but allowed the drink to sit for 5min. And yet the foam barely settled half an inch and still was 3-4 inches of the top of the glass. I finally got the male server/cashier over and as I was explaining to him how the top 3rd is all foam, and politely that I've never had an ice coffee like this he didn't quite get what was wrong. He didn't seem to get that it was quite apparently not up to any standard for drinks. The drink came back "fixed". Iced coffee with a little sugar, cream on the side. Would've been "perfect" except it had the color of 1/2 low quality diner coffee mixed with 1/2 water over a half cup of melted ice. After I added a touch of cream my iced coffee came out looking transparent off-white, or white with a tan-translucent tint. Other than espresso drinks, which are sometimes poured into ice like an Americano, or Vietnamese style drip-espresso iced coffee, the proper way to make an iced coffee is either to brew, chill, then ice, or cold-brew and ice. There are also ice coffee makers that chills brewed coffee. This was more like the first time an amateur ever tried making homemade coffee. Don't say yes to things you've never made and charge for awful execution. That's not a way to build a reputation as a restaurant that cares. It was low quality diner coffee from a cheap commercial coffee maker, and the hot coffee sitting on a hot plate poured over half a cup of ice melting a lot of the ice, which is why it was extremely watery. I wasn't going to send it back again. I needed my caffeine and despite the blandness, the extra H2O was probably good for me on such a hot day. My food order: I ordered Chicken Marsala. Order and delivery to my table was smooth. Moderately timely. Chicken was soft. Penne was al dente. But the sauce was rather runny. It wasn't bland but a little more on the sour/tart side than I'm used to in a Marsala. But more than the taste which was ok, was the fact it was a pool that would run off the penne and chicken. Maybe it could've been reduced more. I'm not sure but it was runny and a lot of it just sat on my plate even after I finished my meal. Portions were very large. Check-out: ~$17 and change for chicken Marsala. (Maybe $4 overpriced and 30% too much volume unless you're a huge guy-- I'm 190lbs and could barely finish my plate). $4.50 charged for "iced cappuccino" ? Damn. All-told after tax it was about $24 and change. Pricey for kinda home-made quality Marsala and something called "iced coffee". I tipped $4 (Total damage $28 bucks for a mediocre meal), and reluctantly handed them the bill and when I did said-- "it's not a big deal but 4.50 for that "iced coffee" rung up as an iced cappuccino..." and the cashier saw my displeasure and apologized and said the other server must've thought my drink was an iced cappuccino, and he refunded me $2 in cash. Final damage: $26 for a decent mediocre marsala, and quite frankly the worst attempt(s) at iced coffee ever. Their niceness is why I give them 2 stars and I'm probably generous. I think if the owners or management, or staff do read this, the lesson here is don't offer what you can't deliver (Table seat, iced coffee). I probably won't return here, and can not recommend it. read more

This place is my go to for great Italian food. Chicken Siciliana is my favorite dish here but everything here has not disappointed. Even there tiramisu is great here. read more

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