Okay atmosphere is strange. Big speaker in the bar area just playing random music, pictures on the wall were all crooked, had a coat hanger at the door with a belt just hanging off of it and clothes just piled in the corner. Amelia the bartender was honestly great, fast, and attentive 10/10. She recommend the 2 entrees we got. We split the Alfredo, rigatoni vodka, and a cannoli. Alfredo noodles actually tasted homemade and authentic and sauce was light and really good Vodka sauce was tasty but the serving was a tad small. Cannoli was good and tasted fresh. Bread came out fresh and the vinegar oil blend was delicious. Atmosphere 6/10 Service 9/10 Food 8/10 read more

I didn't think I could write a one star review but yeah. This deserved it. And unfortunately my lobster ravioli was delicious but the service was horrendous. I went with my friend I literally went right after work and he got a lasagna and I got the lobster ravioli. We were sitting in the bar area and it was nice and clean however you can hear the kitchen staff in the back today and they were arguing. My ravioli was great the house salad was good but my friends lasagna was lacking meat and he told the waitress/bartender this so she took his plate back. The OWNER came back out with the same plate saying that the meat is very ground up and chunky and claimed my friend ate most of it and that he refused to keep making pasta dishes and that he'd come back with something else. Which he did, he came back with some random rigatoni dish that neither one of us ordered. My friend said that he wasn't going to eat any of it and that he'd still pay to which the owner turned around and said that my friend of course still had to pay for the lasagna that he barely ate. He left after that and never came back outside Two of the waitress's came back apologizing, and a couple who was sitting nearby also expressed disappointment. The waiters added that the owner had been belittling them all day and I told her that the lobster ravioli was amazing and she said she'd tell the chef but he walked out. I would give negative stars if I could. read more

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This was our first time at Giovanni's. We have been curious about it since moving to the area but it's never been open during the times we are driving by so I made reservations for a birthday dinner. Even though I had originally made the reservations for outdoor dining, the weather did not cooperate but it was not an issue and they had moved us inside per my reservation request. The hostess was very friendly and polite and we were seated immediately. Our server Denise came over quickly and was very friendly. Ste asked if we had been a guest before and offered some recommendations. She brought out some fresh baked bread with olive oil and balsamic for dipping - the bread was FANTASTIC! I ordered a Limoncello Martini and a bottle of Merlot, as well as the Burrata and Prosciutto appetizer. The appetizer went fabulously with the bread! The appetizer had a bit too much olive oil and balsamic in the bowl- just a drizzle if both would have been sufficient, especially with the little side plate of both that comes with the bread, but was still great! We then ordered the Lobster Ravioli and the Spaghetti alla Carbonara for our main dishes. The Lobster Ravioli had great flavor and had a good amount of lobster filling but WAY too much of the cream sauce. It could've had 1/3 of the sauce and been just as good if not better. The Spaghetti alla Carbonara was ok. Definitely NOT a traditional Carbonara. It was more of a Spaghetti Alfredo and again WAAAAYYYY too much sauce that was definitely more of an alfredo sauce than a traditional Italian Carbonara dish. I brought it home to add broccoli and chicken to the leftovers so not completely disappointed but wouldn't order it again. We also ordered the Key Lime Pie and Tiramisu desserts to go. The tiramisu was definitely not a traditional tiramisu as it had a heavy chocolate sauce/ganache on top rather than the traditional cocoa powder dusting but was ok. A tad on the thin/soggy side. Would probably not order this again either. I will say that the ambiance was great and the staff was so friendly! The appetizer and martini were so good that I will DEFINITELY be back for the appetizer, service and to give something else on the menu a shot. We are looking forward to hopefully being able to enjoy the outdoor dining next time and will definitely ask for Denise again. read more

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Went there for a celebration dinner. The hostess was very nice upon entrance yet there was confusion of where to place my family in the almost empty restaurant. The place looked nice until taking a closer look: vents missing covers, the vents that had covers were covered in thick dust. Additionally, there was nice pictures however they too were covered in significant dust. Walls with cracks in the plaster and exposed nails. The booth we were placed in also had significant tearing. We waited over 10 minutes for our waitress who informed us she was waiting on our bread. Majority of the time there she was MIA. The food. I had calamari which was good. The meatballs, which was good along with the mozzarella sticks. That's where it stopped. The spaghetti sauce was off leaving a significant unpleasant aftertaste. It did have spicy sausage in it which was the best part of the dish. Kids had cheese pizza and it was not good at all. I'd rather order from Domino's than receive another pizza from them. The wife had the lasagna or what appeared to be lasagna; it was the worst lasagna she had ever had. Everything was covered in basil and parsley and was over seasoned from garnish standpoint but was significantly underseasoned with regard to their cooking. I do not recommend.. read more

Eeek not sure how one can mess up Italian cuisine. Pasta and sauce are always a win, but somehow this restaurant missed the mark big time. The ambiance is loud and chaotic. The service is terrible, and the food is even worse. There was a flimsy "room" divider covering some boxes they have in the middle of the dining area, the divider fell on top of a person that was dining right next to our table. The gentleman was injured and the server barely apologized and proceeded to pick up the divider and place it back up despite it being on the way and clearly flimsy. I ordered spaghetti carbonara and added a side of grilled chicken. This was the worse carbonara I've ever had, it was more like an Alfredo gone wrong. It was drenched in a heavy creamy sauce, inedible. The chicken was as dry as the desert, overcooked and flavorless. Service was extremely slow, inattentive and unfriendly. Save yourself the headache, you will be better off at McDonald's for 1/10th of the price. read more

This was my first time at Giovanni's and they did a great job hosting my friends and I for my birthday dinner! The restaurant is beautiful and the service was great from start to finish. I started with the Oysters Rockefeller and the escargot. They were both delicious and quite flavorful. For those who haven't had escargot, to me, it tastes like well seasoned mushrooms lol. Lastly, I had the Zuppa di Pesce with linguini for my entree. It was DELICIOUS! With my appetizers being so delicious, I didn't know it could get any better. But, it did! Luckily, I have table manners because the pasta was so good that I was tempted to lick the plate! Everyone in my party also thoroughly enjoyed their food. My friends, family, and I will definitely be back! read more

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My husband and I were very excited to try this restaurant for his birthday. We were "welcomed" by a harried hostess, who just seemed to have arrived. The restaurant itself was very nice. The tables were already set, and I did notice my bread/salad plate was dirty. The meal was fantastic and the homemade bread they brought out was delicious and warm. I got the chicken involtini, and it was very good. The lemon wine sauce was very lemony, though. I got pasta as a side, and that was great too! My husband got the tiramisu, and it was seriously amazing!! Our service was okay. At one point, we had to ask another worker if we could order our main dishes as our servers didn't come back for a while. I also asked for another salad/bread plate, and never received one. I would expect a little more attentive service for this type of restaurant, hence the 4 out of 5 stars. read more

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First time at Giovanni's and it definitely won't be the last! I loved the vibe of the place and the decor. We arrived at 5:30 on a Friday early for dinner. They seemed like they weren't quite ready to open as the service was a bit slow upon arrival. Especially considering we were some of the only people there. But the food definitely made up for it! I ordered the lamb lollipops and escargot as appetizers. Both were amazing! I also loved the bread and oil it was served with. I couldn't get enough! The wine list by the glass was a bit lacking but the Chianti was pretty good. For my main I ordered the lobster ravioli. It was amazing as well! As it was my birthday they provided a complementary dessert. The tiramisu was some of the best I have had! Overall a great night aside from the bit of slow service at the beginning. I will for sure be back! read more

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We had reservations through Open Table for a birthday dinner. When the hostess seated us, she apologized and said there might be a wait for service because there were only 2 people waiting tables. The service was not the issue. The Mozzarella Giovanni we had for an appetizer was tasty. The complimentary bread & dipping sauce were divine. Our server was very attentive without being intrusive. The wine pour was generous. We both ordered chicken fricassee for dinner. When served, it arrived semi-warm with "mushy" breading - as if it had been sitting a while. One of us ordered it with a side of spaghetti with the garlic & oil. After one bite of the pasta, it was obvious the garlic had been burned, which left an extremely distasteful, acrid taste that was impossible to overcome. It was also obvious the pasta was overcooked and had been sitting there quite some time. It was barely warm. We're not likely to return and would not recommend. read more

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I pass this place all the time and tonight I finally went with my mom who has been multiple times. I really love Italian food and have been wanting to give it a try. We did come in on a day that it got up to 100° so it was very warm inside the restaurant I believe the AC was struggling to keep up, but that's honestly understandable. Every single thing I ate was very delicious aside from the Italian dressing on my house salad was a bit too vinegar-y for my liking. Aside from that, our waiter was very kind and quick with bringing our food out and refilling our drinks. We were also sat quickly originally as well. We had a pretty good experience! Best Alfredo I've ever had- thought I would mention read more

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This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Greensboro! The lollipop lamp chops are tender and in a wine gravy sauce that is heaven. The sausage in the spaghetti is spicy good. I crave this food. Run to this restaurant. read more

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I went here for the first time last night and it was such a fun time. They had an awesome DJ on their patio playing salsa, bachata, and merengue. Beautiful outdoor area and plenty of room for dancing. The whole outdoor area is so nice and really big. I had a delicious limoncello martini. It took a while for them to make the drinks but it was fine because everybody at the bar was so friendly and they drink turned out delicious. Also martinis were only $8 so that was really nice!! The inside of the restaurant is beautiful they had live music and a cool aquarium near the bar. All of the staff I interacted with were incredibly warm and friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back! I was having too much fun to take pictures of the drinks and food but just got one picture outside so you can get an idea about the ambiance, sorry not a great picture but definitely recommend you go check this place out!! read more

Giovanni's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

It's pretty nice inside and our server was terrific. She gave us everything correctly and was very attentive. The food was incredible and I would definitely go back there again. There was a strange guy though at the front though, and he was acting really strange. Yes he did work there. read more

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Went Monday night. Only ONE server. Slow to get waited on. No bread came out salad. Entrees were ok. Not much meat in meat sauce on manicotti. Husband liked eggplant Parmesan. Bread eventually came out. Server polite and apologized. Left her a good tip. Owner said he can't get help On Sundays and Mondays. Don't go there those days. They need more help! read more

Hope the food and service is better than the way the owner or manager treats new employees he BEGS to work. On Craig's List begging for help, #1 sign NOT to work at such an establishment. Can't hire descent help if you treat people like trash. read more

Entrees were amazing. Very filling. Oyster wasn't my best choice. Ambiance was wonderful! read more

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Lamb lollipops was a 10 for me and it's always a 10 for me and the bartender Kristiana was very amazing and helpful read more

Giovanni's Restaurant - Bar area I got the Lamb Lollipops - Italian Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

I ordered the swordfish. It was fishy. I think it should be cooked in lemon juice to combat the fishy taste. My husband got the filet mignon which he enjoyed. He ordered an old fashioned but got a negroni instead. I got a glass of white wine which was refreshing. I love the oil and bread. Staff was nice. The food did take a little while though. It was not busy on a Sunday night. read more

Giovanni's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

The food was good. The service was fine. But the "ambiance" was outrageous, as a party of twenty five (25!) arrived at 6:30 on Father's Day with NO reservation! Tables were moved, diners were moved. It was very disruptive and the noise was insane. We won't return, as there is good food at other restaurants. read more

Friendly staff. Owner came out and spoke with us. All very personal and caring. Restaurant has been around for 20 years, which comes to no surprise. The food was outstanding. We ordered the lasagne and the spaghetti carbonara; already ready for our next visit. Thanks Giovanni's. See you soon. read more

Giovanni's Restaurant - Should have taken a photo when the food first arrived - Italian Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

Purchased this restaurant on Groupon about 3 months ago! Decided to finally go last night with low expectations due to previous reviews I have seen. However, when my husband and I walked in we were instantly greeted and seated! The lights were dim and the place was clean and quiet. Our waitress provided us with the best bread and oil dip I have ever had! & a small side salad with a light vinegar/oil dressing!! She then took our appetizer order which were the lollipop lamb smothered in some type of mushroom sauce, I told her I didn't like mushrooms and she recommended we put it on the side to at least try it she said "The sauce is the star of the show" so we tried it! & it was delicious!!! I was so thankful she recommended that option otherwise I would never know how tasty it was! For our entrees I ordered the shrimp linguine and my husband ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken! Both of our meals were so good!! Even though we were full we couldn't stop eating. Lol If you have never been to this place I highly recommend checking them out! You will not be disappointed! read more

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Food was good, service was good, ambiance was not. Cigar smoke clouded the experience. Inside bar and patio was soaked in it. That didn't go well with the fine dining experience. 2nd visit, same result. read more

They were overwhelmed with too many reservations and not enough help. We were seated ad then no one came to our table to bring water or ask us if we wanted drinks for over 30 minutes. We wound up leaving. read more

Of our party of 6, my husband's food didn't come out till the rest of us were almost finished eating. And they didn't give him his pasta with his chicken parm. We had to ask for it. They didn't comp us his meal but brought tiramisu for us to share. They should've comped his meal. My shrimp scampi but was just ok. Everyone said their chicken parm was good. The bread and tiramisu were good. Overall not worth the $100 for two people. Thankfully we were in good company. read more

UPDATE: Husband is now in hospital for severe food poisoning due to the spoiled sea bass and Lobster Stay FAR FAR away from Giovanni's. My husband and I had a nightmare of an experience. We came on a Wednesday night and sat in the main dining room. We had the whole place to ourselves, we were the only customers. Server was friendly and kind, but as soon as our food started rolling out, it got bad. We ordered the filet mignon and lobster, Sea bass with vegetables, and chicken picatta. The Sea Bass was a filet of heavy salted rubber. The fork could barely pierce it. The lobster came out alone because they forgot about the Filet Mignon. The lobster was so tough that our knife could not cut through the meat. We told the manager lady about it and she did not seem too worried and just took our plate. The vegetables tasted like a microwave steam bag with zero seasoning. Our server apologized and said she will take $15 off our meal. When we asked about the Filet Mignon our server apologized and said it will come right up. We ordered it Medium Well, and it came out Rare. At this point we were so embarrassed to have to complain again, but for a $54 plate (Filet & Lobster) we should at least have the meat cooked somewhat close to how we ordered it. The Server apologized and said she will take $5 off. I questioned her why we would be charged anything at all for those items if it was their own error? She said that she was too afraid to say anything to management because she had already taken money off. At this point, my husband didnt even want to argue and wanted to get out of this place, and so we did. I kid you not, the moment we stepped out the door, my husband vomited. He has been sick for the last 3 hours from the spoiled seafood that was served to us. We will never ever return to this place, no wonder there were no other customers, this place is a dump!! Overpriced, spoiled, and trash food quality. What an embarrassment of an establishment. read more

lol, if I can give this a 0 star. We drove by this place several times and decided to try it. If you are going to advertise "we make our own bread" At least serve bread instead of dinner roll (this is a difference). Or don't advertise it at all and say "we are out" or we do not have any. Service was nice but why lie? It was also very loud, they had live music. read more

Had dinner here yesterday. The Pepperoni pizza was good and so was the Chicken Parm. My friends lamb chops was plentiful and the server was attentive. Had a great experience. read more

This visit was surprisingly disappointing. We have been there previously over a year ago, and things seemed to have changed. I should have known when I went to Open Table to set a reservation at 6pm Saturday night and every 15 minutes was open until 8pm. When we arrived at 7:15pm for our reservation, there were a few couples waiting but no host greeting. As I was standing near the door, other patrons were entering, and I learned there were multiple parties. I ended up getting the names of the parties and I became the host. When people came thru the door, they saw me and I directed them to the proper area. I did not get paid, lol. Finally, somebody came to the area. This ended up being a waitress, who grabbed a couple menus, then spoke to her 5-year-old son who sat in the waiting area chair on his phone. He was still there when we left along with another waiter's daughter. After 45 minutes, somebody finally came over and sat us. It looked great in the dining room. The waitress (Hannah) came pretty quickly and took our order. That was the last we saw of her. No salad, nothing. After 50 minutes, I went towards the bar to see if I could see her and spoke to the bartender. It seems another of the waiting couple had the same issue and they just got their food. The bartender asked the kitchen about our food and I sent back to my table. It seems they pulled our waitress off tables to make salads. Two other tables sat with menus for this same amount of time without placing an order. It seems the large parties took priority. A few minutes later somebody brought our two wedge salads and my pasta meal, not my wife's meal. My wedge salad came with very little dressing, no bacon, but I got fresh mushrooms (???). Our meal was supposed to come with a salad. When our waitress asked what salad we would like, we asked our options and chose one of those options. We were charged $5 for each salad as what we picked WAS NOT a salad that comes with the meal. I asked for a box to just take my meal home and to put my wife's pasta in a to-go box. 1. It seems nobody monitors the reservations, it just approves everything. 2. There is no host taking charge at the entrance. 3. Took 45 minutes to be seated. 4. Waited over 50 minutes until food came. 5. Salad was wrong, pasta came same time for one and never came out for other. 6. Charge for salad that we were told came with the meal. My advice: Go on a non-peak time. read more

Two stars is honestly generous for this meal, but the restaurant/bar/patio is gorgeous! Food, drinks, and service were average, bad, and abysmal. We came around 6:30 and sat on the patio for live music - which was awesome! Our service was slow and often brought the wrong items or nothing at all. Their drinks were just bad - stick to beer or wine. Food was incredibly average and I would argue so many similar restaurants in the area are better and cheaper. The caprese salad (which was to be my meal, and came out first) was honestly insulting. It was served with a vegetable oil (?) and parsley! No basil, no flavorful olive oil. It was just oily tomatoes and mozzarella with no flavor. Everything else was average - once we got it. Those with Caesar's as their meal waited an additional 10 minutes for it. We were overcharged for some things and didn't receive others. Luckily, we got that squared away and didn't have to pay. I wish I could say good spot for a drink - but unfortunately cannot. Maybe a good spot for live music and a beer? Check out EPGT if you're looking for some good food in the area. read more

Our book club met here and it was a breeze to make reservations. Dry friendly staff and like most, understaffed. We were sat in the main finding room since we were a large party of 8. White tablecloths and lovely place settings. The ambiance is nice and they have some fun artwork and a fish tank where the owner let us feed their lion fish! I ordered the chicken dish listed in my photos and it was delicious and cooked perfectly to absorb all of the yummy sauce it was served in. The hot bread service was great too and helped me sop up the extra sauce. Dirty martini went great with it also! I would recommend trying this place out and keep an eye out for their live music and patio events! read more

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This was probably the worst restaurant experience I've had in a while. First, there would be a 30 minute wait with a reservation, ok I can let that slide. When we sit down, we notice the lights kept flickering. CLEARLY, there is an electrical issue that needs to be addressed ASAP! We order our food (complimentary bread was good) and beverage and about 20 minutes later our waitress comes out and says it's possible our food would take an extra hour! I'm NOT happy b/c we already waited to be seated and I'm getting HANGRY. Apparently, there were some issues in the kitchen however, this is information we needed to know before we ordered. Some of our food comes out at 8:36. Food was ok...Nice portions. My friend arrived about 7:30 ( about 10 minutes after we are seated and orders). She still doesn't have her food. Although our waitress, LIZ, was awesome and apologetic about the delays, I really think she forgot to put in her order. We asked three times ( twice to Liz and once to the lady who said she's worked there for 25 years) to speak to the manager. Never came..My friend didn't get her food until 9:26! Unacceptable especially after the wait! AND..Her sea bass was overcooked. She had them take it back. Smh..Manager still didn't come out and the last time we were told "he left". Again, our waitress was very attentive but I see why this place has a 2.6 rating. Always trust a YELP rating! read more

great food, great staff, love spring at bar when alone. pizza is the best. Good wine list and drink specials

I drive by this place often and have always wanted to check it out. Unfortunately it was a cold and rainy evening so sitting in the outdoor space wasn't an option but looks like a fun time out there and told they have live music on occasion. The interior could use some upgrading and overall cleaning but wasn't terrible. Loved the salt water tank! The food and drinks are pretty pricey but the flavors were delicious! I had Chicken Picatta and a cannoli for dessert. The server could have paid a bit more attention to when we needed more drinks! We would sit for long periods of time without. Overall I'd probably come back to have drinks in the outdoor space and check out the live music! read more

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We went there Valentines Day weekend and let preface this by saying we have been there over the last 40 years from time to time but not in the last few years. We were great fans when it was on Market Street and owned by the late Giovanni. Those days it was the best in town and very popular. Looking at their regular menu it looked like it had become just another Italian restaurant with very generic pastas but on this weekend they had a special menu including some of the classic upscale entrees that made it so good in the past. We were greeted immediately and seated right on time. Our waitress was Haley and she came right over and was very good. She was very attentive and kept our drinks full all evening. The appetizers were very good and if you like plain old cheese sticks try the mozzarella logs, they are outstanding and anything well worth it. My wife ordered the lobster ravioli and I had the Gamberi Giovanni Livornese. First was a nice mixed salad, cold and crisp with a nice Italian dressing. Then to the main event. The ravioli and shrimp were both very good and in particular the shrimp dish took me back to the days of the old restaurant both in Greensboro and at Myrtle Beach. The bread that was brought out was very good and served with a very good but typical dipping sauce. We didn't save room for dessert so can't speak on that. The service was very good with lots of wait staff and as we finished each section of the meal they were right there to clear the setting and bring the next course. The ambiance is nice with dim lighting and candlelight. YMMV on a regular night with their regular menu but we had a great experience reminiscent of days gone by and enjoyed it very much. We will give it a shot on a regular night and I'll let you know how it goes....... read more

Service was great except sheb didn't understand the wine menu. I was asked if I wanted meat sauce on the side for my veal piccata. The Piccata was good but I've never had that piccata wasn't breaded. Overall, the wine, food, and ambiance was good. It would be a great place for a date. If your a foodie or chef, I would not recommend. read more

Great food! The service is questionable because they have new staff under training, but the hostess/trainer Gina made all the difference!!!! She was so helpful, courteous, friendly and made what could have been a disaster a great experience! She deserves 10 thousand stars!!!! Thank you Gina! Coach and Gale read more

I believe they're having help issues. Last year service and food were awesome, this year our little waitress was overwhelmed having to take care of everyone there. Food took a long time to arrive, escargot was delivered after everyone had finished their meal. read more

Giovanni's NEVER fails!! I have not had the privilege of dining at this fine establishment in many years. I was NOT disappointed! Same great service! Immaculate Food! Entertainment was amazing!!! The atmosphere was elegant and cozy!! Once again, may I mention the food?! I have promised myself not to ever stay away so long!!! The only other Italian favorite of mine was located in SoHo NY!! This is a great replacement! Cheers to many more! read more

I took my family of 6 to Mothers Day lunch at Giovanni's, and everything was a disappointment. Only reason I gave it 2 stars is I had a past experience here that was good. The menu was shrunk to help serve a busy lunch crowd but the prices were still their dinner prices. The food was mediocre and service was slow. Lots of screaming kids - not the restaurant's fault. Two in our party ordered cocktails and they were very weak. Italian wedding soup came out after entree. Salad was pitiful. After tax and tip, no way this was worth $50 per person. Not even close. read more

if i could give zero stars i would! i waited over 30 minutes for a vegetable medley with no tomatoes .....still served tomatoes, sent back, tried anyways and given same entire and went into anaphylactic shock....used my epipens and still had to go to the hospital.....server mitchell still checked on me days later tho! willing to give another try! :) paid full price btw read more