Italian lemonade cocktail was bitter. asked for veal piccata. Sorry all out of veal. what? ordered sole fish, which was deboned at table. My first bite had a bone and tasted fishy. That was my last bite. Garlic rolls not what they used to be. very disappointed. Was never asked how my dinner was, even though I left an entire plate of fish. Ugh read more

Great Italian restaurant terrific food used to go here every time we went to the Munster theater however we had to stop because the service is very slow and even though we told them we had a theater date they couldn't get us out with enough time to get to the theater and get our seats so now it's just a place to meet friends and eat out once in a while like all the other restaurants but their food is terrific read more

Made reservartions on Saturday night at 8. Took 30 min to get water that tasted and smelled bad. Took another 30 min for our drink order. Took another 30 min for our appetizer. Took another 30 min for our entree that we couldn't even eat because they took out silverware and never brought anything else when we asked. Ended up waiting another 30 min for a to go box and our check. Over all I was so angry I didn't even want to pay for the check but I wasn't going to make a scene and ruin a date I was on. I paid over 100$ to wait 3 hours to take home cold dinner. read more

Always welcoming and great food! Daily specials have ample portions and budget friendly. They also can handle large parties with ease. There is always at least one group while we are in. Love the bar area - 4 tables to watch the games and have a great meal. read more

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If it were possible to give a zero, that's what they would receive for a really, really, really bad experience last night. Ordered a dirty martini and bottle of wine. No dirty in the martini, wine was okay. Can't really mess up a bottle of wine, can you? Ordered minestrone and a ceasar's salad with extra anchovies. Got clam chowder and a bowl of greens with croutons. Exchanged chowder for minestrone, which was a tasteless watery broth with a few bland vegetables in it. Had to request a bowl of anchovies and a small ramekin of congealed ceasar's dressing to put on the salad ourselves. The dressing was too solid to pour on the salad, so we dipped the leaves into it. Adding lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan from the table made the salad decent...but it took extra effort and creativity on our behalf. Ordered calamari and fried artichoke appetizers. The calamari came out really crispy to the point of too crispy (no wonderful chewiness, no calamari flavor, just fried batter). The marinara on the side was congealed, like the ceasar's dressing. Very little of it. No lemons on the plate either. We asked for some more lemons. The artichoke appetizer was fair, but the amazing parmesan cream sauce was no longer amazing. Just a creamy base in the plate. Ordered linguine with white clam sauce and EXTRA garlic. Got a bowl of insipid pasta with clams, which were gritty, and NO garlic. What the heck? Presentation of all food was horrible. Nothing looked appetizing. Nothing was appetizing. The server was friendly. The water glasses stayed filled. But this was such a bad dining experience as to be comical. We love supporting local businesses, but this is one that we will pass by. read more

The food at this place was the absolute worst food I have ever had before! The risotto tastes like a big ball of tasteless starch! Not even salt or pepper just nasty! I had people with me that ordered the lamb chops, and we all know what a lamb chop look like.....right. Not here!!! They tried passing off lamb shank covered in gravy sitting on top of that nasty risotto!! For the price the chops were being sold for on the menu!! Unbelievable! The service is an entirely different experience! It's like you're speaking another language and the server just stands with a blank stare clueless as can be. I asked for my dressing on the side, because I like to control the amount that goes on my salad. They always put too much for some reason. Anyway she brought my salad covered in dressing!!! Sent it back! She said I didn't ask for it that way, but the people at my table said I heard her say on the side. What really ticked me off is she was really going too jeopardize her tip all over a salad she screwed up?! As we continued we realized that would not be her last screw up! She brought out our food and that's when I took a bite of the cold nasty tasteless risotto! I told the server, and then she actually said can you please dig out your sea scallops and then give me your plate!!?? Are you kidding me! First of all they were not supposed to be barried like a dogs bone! They were supposed to be sitting on top of the risotto! I gave her a look and then I seen it again! That clueless, I don't even think I know where I am! I told clueless that it's also very cold so she might caught a clue! She then asked me if I wanted her to have the kitchen redo my meal? I quickly said no no thanks! She asked me if I wanted something else and I said I would think about it. Someone else at the table ordered the nasty fatty lamb on top of those starchy tasteless risotto covered in gravy and I mean lots of gravy! This person was actually smart enough to order French fries with her meal instead of the nasty nasty cold tasteless risotto! She of course got the nasty nasty cold tasteless risotto! Again clueless said it comes with risotto, and again we reminded her that she asked if this person wanted pasta, risotto, or potato? The potato came two ways mashed or French fries. Clueless once again tried to argue her way out of her mistake! She continued to say it only comes one way and we all reminded her, that she was the one who asked if this person wanted French fries in the first place! That's why she got them! No one that ordered the lamb chops could eat whatever it was they were given in place of the lamb chops, because they were fatty and because they were drowned in gravy and because they were on that cold tasteless nasty nasty cold risotto ! That one was a triple threat and like me this person now had no dinner too eat!!!! The manager came over, because clueless was clearly frustrated by the fact she was clueless! We told her what was happening and she took one lamb chops off and my meal! Please for your own personal peace of mind, Don't Go Here!!!! It's so frustrating, the food is horrible, and the service is clearly horribly insane, and on top of that the menu is very very very overwhelmingly overpriced!!! I did ask the manager to try the risotto (which should be made to order) and when she came back to our table I had asked if she tried the risotto and she said no I'll take your word for it! I didn't want her too taste it because of my inedible experience, but because I didn't want anyone else to have an experience like our table! No one gave a care! We were charged for two meals and one meal being a so called lamb chop! We had two desserts and then we had an appetizer and two drinks and we went over $100!!! Crazy right! Spending that much money and still being hungry!!! Well I do hope you take my advice and stay far far away from this place, unless of course you want bad service, disgusting food, and spending a lot of money! If so then this place is for you!!!!! read more

I don't normally review things but we came in recently to grab a bite and some drinks. Our group ordered Lasagna and lobster tails. The lobster tails were 45 bucks that's insanely cheap. Both of these were delicious and the service was extremely fast for being so busy. The prices for the portions were outstanding. Our drink orders came quickly martinis for under $12 are becoming rarer and rarer in the area and the staff checked on us frequently. Even now with restaurants being short-staffed this place does an amazing job. And they had live music which was a bonus. Can't say enough good things about this experience. We will be coming back more often for sure. read more

Have always enjoyed going to Giovanni's,bit,our last visit was exceptionally enjoyable. Had a somewhat late reservation (9:00pm),11:00pm closing time. We were not at all rushed,staff could not have been more attentive or nicer. A big group came in after 10:00pm and were greeted with a smile and seated immediately . Our food and drinks were delicious,as usua. Bravo Giovanni's!! Very impressed!! read more

Disappointed. I ordered the veal Parmesan which was a little tough and not very flavorful. They expected me to cut it with a butter knife, had to ask for a steak knife. My wife ordered the sautéed lake perch and it was cold and terrible. We went at 7 o'clock on a Saturday night expecting to wait and there was no one in there. Either it was the hot weather or the word is out, this place sucks. Service wasn't much better needless to say we won't be going back. read more

Appetizers were fabulous - we ordered steaks though and that were overcooked. Probably should've gotten pasta.

I love love love their pizza. We do a lot of takeout with them, so we order and pick it up. They have great beef sandwiches, their desserts are awesome, and the pizza is so authentic. The staff that works there is absolutely friendly and helpful, and they are very generous. Eating in is very nice, however it is a very busy restaurant so you want to make sure you allow some time. Great food worth the price and the wait. read more

I was recently in the hospital. When a good friend of mine asked if there was anyting she could do for me I said no but the food in the hospital is just awful. She said when you get out something will be waiting for you at Giovanni's. A few days later I learned she got me $100.00 gift certificate hooray !!! so I treated a dear friend of mine and myself. We ate like queens ! The eggplant parm was spot on and her chicken Marsal she was in love ! Love the bruchetta and the galic rolls hold a special place in a lot poeples hearts. Thank you Marrianne and thank you Mary from Gio's for making a special homecoming beautiful. I have loved this place for 40 years and hope to continue on in the years ahead. Best regards, G read more

My dinner here was nice but that's it Service was good not outstanding. Food was good but not outstanding. Menu prices were on par with most Italian restaurants in the area. So to sum up if your in the area sure but not worth going out of your way. read more

My husband and I were recommended this place by a friend and we thought we would give it a try. They say it's better than Olive Garden.... well, we got a seat right away on a Friday night (that should have been the first sign). Our waiter (Sharon I-I believe) came to our table, looked at my husband and asked him if he wanted anything to drink. He said, no. Than she walked away without asking me. My husband and I looked at each other and that was the second bad sign. She took our drink order and when she came back with them I-a beer and an apple martini -she spelt my martini all over her hand and menus and didn't clean up the mess and it was quite noticeable. (Third sign). The only nice thing she did was tell me that my New York came with a soup or salad but if I got a salad it was $6. She described it as a big salad that can feed two people. Since my husband and I like sharing food, I ordered it. Than when I got it, it was a small salad that I can easily finish myself. (4th sign) The food was okay. My side pasta wasn't that great! My steak was good but took forever to receive our meals. It also didn't help that the couple behind us complained about their meals too (5th sign). If you are an elderly couple wanting to go out for a quite nice restaurant than this place is for you- I suppose. read more

I haven't been there for at least 10 years until recently and upon entering everything is still the same from the maroon colored booths to the tired artwork in the dining rooms. We were promptly seated in a dimly lit windowless dining room with white paper on top of cloth. A wonderful basket of warm garlic rolls and sliced bread and butter was left at table ( just as yummy as I remember). We ordered calamari and crab cakes as an appetizer and they were delicious!!! Entrees were also superb. This restaurant seems to have a lot of history and it's great to preserve that but try to lighten and freshen up the place a bit. read more

We had reservations at work here for a vendor lunch, and my expectations were high. Service started off on the wrong foot when the server for our table took orders for half of our group, walked away to another table, and after an uncomfortable amount of time, came back to finish up?.!.? I must say the minestrone was mediocre, but the table rolls were garlicky and delicious. I ordered the crab cake salad with a lemon-oil-vinegar dressing, mushrooms, and roasted red-peppers. It was tasty, but there was only 1 lonely crab cake, and it wasn't very crispy. I probably shouldn't have ordered a salad... I'll give it another try. read more

I have mixed memories of Giovanni's. While I had some excellent dining experiences there, I also worked there for one night. Granted you could call me a disgruntled employee, but I was a bus girl for one night about 20 years ago & the parting of ways was amicable . I remember being told to memorize the table numbers quickly & then feeling like I was thrown to the wolves. The only thing that grossed me out was being told to put the rolls that had already been on peoples tables if "they looked like no one bit into them". Ew. Of course, this is the sort of thing that can happen anywhere & the level of sanitation may have improved since then. I hope. read more

I don't think you can go wrong with Giovanni's--I never have, at least. With ownership under the LoDuca family (Adobo Grill, Vinci), it's no wonder why this Italian food tastes so good. From just a quick glance at the menu, it looks like traditional Italian comfort food--lasagne, eggplant parmesan, linguini with clam sauce, etc; but don't let the old school options fool you. The master chefs in the kitchen are amazing and any of their specials are worth the try! I've had pumpkin ravioli in a brown butter sauce, incredible cream of watercress soup, and the best oysters rockafellar anywhere. Giovanni's is the only restaurant in the U.S. that I've had oysters as good as these. Their only shortcoming might be their dessert menu. It's a bit limited, but you can't go wrong their reknowned creme brulee! read more

Hello, FOOD SNOB, back again.I have been coming to this place for almost 30 years and just realized I haven't even written about it. First went here about 1982 and had there DEEP DISH pizza. Thats right. It reminded me of Ginos East, it was good, but I haven't had it in years.Was my favorite Italian restaurant in the region until some pretty good competion arrived. I would say it is still in the TOP 5. It is a very pleasant place to dine and the food is very good. I would say about 95% authentic Italian. I think they still have a Piano Bar, with entertainment. One of my favorites is the Linguini with Mussels. Its not on the menu but they will make it for you. Was here just this past New Years eve with another couple and had the Swordfish, was Top Notch. Came with Angel hair Pasta. read more

I am a vegetarian who loves vegetables, but I still eat eggs and cheese. What I absolutely love about this restaurant's authentic Italian cuisine is the flavor! The bread/olive oil/parmesan cheese made it difficult not to fill up before our delicious entrees (I had the linguine primavera). You may struggle to make room for dessert. Next time, we'll try the tiramisu! 10/10 must try again! read more

I have been coming here since I was little, I have always loved this place. If y'all want REAL authentic Italian food? This is the place! Make a reservation though, place gets packed ;-) read more

A classic. Yes, the decor is dated, especially the backroom. But I love the dark, smokey, old school Italian bar area. When I am there, I feel like I'm in some sort of gangster film, I mean that as a good thing! The food is consistently good. Italian comfort food, with a few modern items that are typically seasonal and delicious! I have eaten there since I was a little girl, and I can count on one hand the times I haven't been completely happy with my meal. One of the best kept secrets is the pizza! It's typically overlooked, but it's wonderful and very affordable compared to other menu items. Their staff is great, some of the best service around! read more

Nice, family owned. If you live in da region, you are bound to run into someone you know on any given night. The food: Okay. Reliable. Consisant. They do a teriffic job with banquets. Decent wine selection. Oh, oh, oh! The blue cheese dressing is some of the best I've ever had. Fetticcini Alfredo with spinach noodels is spot on. Warm, friendly, homey - a nice spot in Munster. read more

I was a big fan of this place when I was a kid, but the quality has somewhat diminished in recent times probably do to increasing food prices. Garlic rolls were the highlight and come free with every order! These have not changed much. They are freshly baked and filled with garlic. Minestrone soup was rich and great tasting without any seasoning. Ok, ordered the penne with meat sauce, and a meatball, and the penne came straight out of the box from the store. I want something homemade! I hope their other Italian dishes are homemade . Skip the penne and try their gnocchi . I think this one is homemade! read more

I'm a BIG food fan (310lbs to b exact) AWSOME, must partake in this place. Do not pass this by. read more

Always a wait, but always well worth it. Quaint, comfortable atmosphere with consistently good food. I prefer the restaurant for lunch--because it's less crowded and I think the food choices are just as good. I consider myself lucky that a restaurant this good and reasonably-priced is so close to home. Be sure to try the Crab Cake Salad if you're dining for lunch! read more

This place has no windows - the inside is dark and smells of a stale mop. Staff was incredibly friendly - and food was decent although this review is based on a sandwich. We came in after our neighbor said it was good...horribly outdated, dark funeral parlor type feel. I did not order any of the pasta because I thought the price was too high for the ambiance and market. Instead I had an Italian beef sanwich - the beef was dry, the au jus was minimal and the bread was absolutely awesome. My husband had a similar review on his sandwich. We ordered bruschetta as an app which was decent - although the bread was a bit too toasty. C'mon, don't call your self an Italian restaurant and then mess up the basics. Highly unlikely I return. read more

Giovanni's is a great local Italian eatery. It's really one of the few non-chain restaurants in Munster, but it's also one of the best. All of your standard Italian fare gets a solid representation on the menu, with the lasagna being one of my personal favorites. I love the middle dining room here because it has no windows, small, private booths, and has this very cozy, mafia movie-inspired feel. There's a larger dining room with a few windows, as well as a bar/lounge area with some tables. Make sure to try the Tiramisu: it's a great recipe executed to perfection. The perfect end to any meal. read more

Went there for lunch with my wife. The garlic rolls are amazing. The garlic infused olive oil is amazing. Very good service. Serving sizes are huge for the price. We had fried calamari appetizer which was fresh, light and crispy. The entrées were lasagna and a chicken with artichokes with spinach and peppers. Both were very good. The meal comes with a soup or salad (or at least what we ordered did). My tomato florentine soup was also very hearty. We were so full from all this food that we took about half our entrées to go and ordered a dessert and a cappuccino to share. They accidentally brought in 2 cappuccinos but charged us for only one. I could see how I could have communicated that wrong to our waitress. We would have been Ok paying for the second cappuccino but they insisted on taking it off the bill. Great food, great service. Will definitely keep coming here. The bar area looked very relaxed as well. Probably a great place to come grab a drink in the evening and relax. Nice old fashioned place. read more

Giovanni's Restaurant - Cappuccino with a biscotti - Italian Near Me - Munster, Indiana

Classic Italian restaurant fare, done by a kitchen of the quality you'd expect to find in downtown Chicago for twice the price, or New York for even more. If you're not sure what to order, close your eyes, open the menu, and point to something. It'll be good. My wife and I particularly love the linguine & clams, the gnocchi, and the fish specials (no restaurant we've found in NWI does better fish). The soups are to die for, especially the "italian wedding" soup on Saturdays. Only downside is they're closed on Sundays. read more

Tonight the "Giovanni's of Old" was back! Our server was superb, brought us a tasting of the two wines we were debating. The food from the calamari to the cappuccino was excellent. Earlier this year we found the restaurant was one star--food was perhaps frozen then microwaved--service was friendly and ok, but appeared to be inexperienced. read more

Giovanni's is a great Italian Restaurant. I agree with one of the other reviewers that Giovanni's is really one of the few non-chain restaurants in Indiana and that it is the best. The Seafood Risotto is always well prepared and consistently delicious! The special options are always well prepared also. The owner, Mary, is a delightful lady who is always a pleasure. All members of the staff are very knowledgeable, accomodating, courteous and give excellent service! I also love the middle dining room here because it has no windows, small, private booths. Giovanni's has a nice selection of wines, excellent capuccino and espresso, and wonderful desserts. Try the tiramisu. read more

My family and I go here to celebrate occasions. We've liked their delicious dishes and friendly service. Recently we ordered for pickup. They continue to be friendly over the phone when taking orders and when we picked up the food curbside. Their website was down but we found an old online menu which was fine. Their pasta and chicken entrees are very good. They come with free buttery garlic rolls! I encourage everyone to try them once and you'll keep coming back! read more

Saw this on Yelp and stumbled onto it while driving. What a gem to find. I ate in the lounge so I don't know about the full dinner service but everyone in the lounge was fantastic and the food was excellent. read more

I love this place...I know it can be a little quirky but every time I go to another Italian restaurant in the area, I always ask myself why I didn't just go to Giovannis instead? 1. the garlic rolls are the best; 2. no one does chicken vesuvio better 3. pasta/manicotti...homemade and perfect. Most of the other places are just way overpriced and the service is impersonal. Giovannis has that throwback atmosphere and generally speaking most of the servers have been there forever and are really good. It will always be my fav place for american italian. read more

Giovanni's is a great Italian restaurant. I took my fiance there after I proposed. The service is excellent and so is the food. I've never had a bad meal there!!! Highly recommended. read more

Made my 1st trek to Giovanni's today (4/8/17) and overall I would say that the 3-1/2 star review is about on the money. This place definitely has its' pros & cons. This place is billed as an "authentic" Italian Restaurant. Granted, I've lived in Northwest Indiana my entire life so I've really never been to an authentic Italian Restaurant, but I can't imagine this place being an "authentic" Italian joint. As far as authenticity goes, I would say that they're just a cut above Olive Garden. The cons: portion sizes are extremely small for the price you pay. I had the shrimp Scampi appetizer and even though they were pretty large in size, they only gave you 3 of them and it was $10 bucks! And as far as the taste goes, it was okay, but I prefer Red Lobsters scampi. It was about the same thing with my entree. I had the Cannelloni (which is similar to Manicotti, stuffed shells) and even though it was decent, it was pretty small in size. Not much bigger than a couple of normal size tacos. If you're a tea drinker like myself, there's not too much of a selection, Just plain, unsweetened tea. The pros: Despite the cons I listed, overall, the food is pretty good. The service was excellent. We were quick to get seated, our appetizer came quick, as well as our entrees. And this was on a reasonably busy Saturday evening. You can always find a coupon (usually $5.00 off or a free appetizer) for this place in the Times coupon book that's sent through the postal service. I've read numerous complaints about the lighting in this place, but I guess I'm in the minority on this one because I prefer a dimly lit restaurant. I just enjoy the privacy of the low lighting. Bottom line, would I come back here? Sure I would, but more than likely it would take another coupon to bring me back. read more

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I have been here several times and never walk away unhappy. The rolls are amazing, and the desserts are all delicious. I usually order off the daily specials menu--it's good and you definitely always get something different every time. Definitely recommend the bruschetta and, if you can get it (it's a daily menu thing) the roasted pepper soup. read more

Mediocre food, slow service and even worse manager Horrible experience. Group of people for family dinner, and the forget few peoples dinner. 45 minutes later shows up when everyone else is done eating. The poor excuse of Mananger has nerve to tell us it is what is deal with it. Waitress was good but management a complete joke. No way i would go back and give my hard earn dollars to place that doesn't give a damn about there customers. read more

A nice friendly restaurant. The food was excellent. We went on a Saturday evening on our way to the Horseshoe Casino to see a show at the Venue. We mentioned that we had a time issue and the server did her best to get us fed and on our way. Don't let the exterior fool you, This place has Italian food that is out of this world. I had the Salmon, and it come with a side of the most delicious pasta I have ever had. The Salads were plentiful and the bread is worth the trip. They have a nice wine election. The staff hustles to make sure that each table is taken care of in a timely fashion. This was my first time there, although my companion has been coming for years. She said it gets better all the time. Excellent food, Reasonable prices, Great service and just a nice place to go for authentic Italian food. read more