Just realized I started this review back in November and never finished it... Best Veal Osso Buco I've ever had. It was a busy Thursday night when we were in and it seemed that one of the servers was out. The staff there were hustling the entire night to keep everyone happy and the kitchen didn't disappoint. Everyone in our group of 5 really enjoyed their dish as well as the bar service. Definitely recommend Gusto! read more

The food is incredible and delicious with the service being stellar!! The daily specials are always good. Thursday nights prime rib is The best in town. read more

Gusto - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

The atmosphere was pleasant with live music. The decor was brilliant and took me to the middle of Italy. The Wine selection is the best I have ever seen. Unfortunately that's where the appeal ended. The food was mediocre at best, too much olive oil for my liking. It took over 45 min for two entrees to be served and no bread was offered. (I had to request it) There are obviously some communication issues between the Staff and the Kitchen. I chatted with the table next to me and this was their second visit with the same results. The service was definitely lacking and the Management needs to pick up the slack. I voiced my dislike with the Manager on duty and she readily admitted that they were "working" on these issues. I was informed that the Owner was on location and it appears that he is more interested in chasing the skirts than greeting his paying customers. I will not be back nor will I recommend this establishment to friends. read more

I can't add too much more to what everyone else has said - this is a great Italian Restaurant. We have followed Chef Tonino from his original location in Arlington to the St Johns Bluff location and now to the beach location. Fabulous food - great atmosphere -GUSTO. read more

I was impressed with the POTENTIAL of this restaurant if they can master their service routines. There is something wrong in the kitchen. They probably need another sous chef because the food just wasn't coming out the way it should. On the other hand, the service may have been a nod to Roman authenticity because fine fast food dining is not what native Italians do but, lamentably, is what Americans have come to expect. The dinner took a long time but, to me, that was one if its pleasures. We had a party of seven and it was our first booking at this restaurant. They had a really inexpensive happy hour going that was reason enough to visit Gusto's long sleek bar. The decor was generally open, warm, and welcoming. The table setting and white tablecloths were delightfully upscale and all the glassware glistened. The overall effect of the dark decor was lovely. We were greeted by a handsome young server with a fascinating handlebar mustache. He was polite, brisk and efficient. The appetizer and the main courses took a very long time to arrive. Unfortunately, my husband's meal of lasagna did not arrive with all the others and when I insisted that it be served, it was cold. There is no excuse for this type of tomfoolery in a restaurant kitchen nor is there anything that more quickly ruins a dinner party than to have one customer sitting for ten minutes or more without their supper while others are forced to eat before their entrees are cold. My husband was livid when his cold lasagna arrived. So I can guarantee that we won't return as a couple because his mind is now closed about Gusto. Mine is not. I found the food delicious but the portions are a little skimpy for the price. We had a light pizza with arugula as an appetizer and most of us had the veal saltimbucca special as an entree. The wedding soup was great. The bread and the dipping sauce were delicious but I would suggest that the chef go a little lighter on the lemon in the sauce and a little heavier on the oil. My husband was totally unimpressed by the lasagna but the disgraceful kitchen service colored his opinion. It looked like it was properly prepared. Gusto has the opportunity to be a 4.5-5.0 restaurant if they can get the quirks out if their service. I hope that they can get it together before Gusto acquires a reputation for poor service that overwhelms all its many positive attributes. read more

1. The waiter was very inexperienced. Unable to open a wine bottle without destroying the cork...twice. 2. Lengthy wait for food to arrive. 3. Ordered baked manicotti al formation...anything but baked. Two manicotti with no baked cheeses on top...sauce on the side...just warm read more

What a great Wednesday evening at Gusto with my bff!! I wanted my best friend to experience Gusto so I made reservations for 7:00pm and table was ready for us. The hostess greeted us with a beautiful smile and proceed to show us our table. Our waitress, Gloria was fantastic! We arrived during happy hour and enjoyed our glasses of wine with a delicious and decadent goat cheese bruschetta. Our waitress was making sure we were enjoying our time. By 7:30pm live music started, and the phenomenal jazzy band added to the ambiance. People were dancing and enjoying themselves. The food was delicious, like always! We had the linguine with clams, which we shared because we were thinking of ordering another round of the delicious bruschetta (it was that good!). When we "cleaned" the plate we were stuffed, the serving was perfect. This is one of many visits I've made to Gusto, and many more to come, they never disappoint. My girlfriend keeps texting me and telling what a great time she had and can't wait to go again. Next time, I am bringing her on a Saturday night so that she can enjoy the live Latin band, and more delicious food! read more

Took way too long for pizza. Ordered and it took almost 2 hours. Was quoted a shorter time. Had a work team of 15ppl waiting and looking forward to this.... sad face. Edit The owner posted a series of events that's not accurate. They said the food would be ready an hour before they actually delivered. If you can't make it happen don't do it. Under promise and over deliver Walter. read more

My 2nd dining experience was awesome. The spinach salad was perfect with walnuts, cranberries, mushrooms and sweet raspberry vinaigrette dressing and goat cheese. The drinks awesome as well. We were there on Wednesday night and the band that played provided an atmosphere that rivaled any 5 star restaurant. They were Steve,David and Carlos. Can't wait to return !! read more

Gusto - The owner is an awesome guy - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

This was my first time at Gusto since moving to the Jax Beach area and my boyfriend and I were very impressed! The restaurant seemed pretty empty on a Wednesday at 6PM which is what I thought would be prime dinner time, but the place filled up by the time we got our meals and it looked like a jazz band was getting ready to play. The complimentary bread came out first with a delicious garlic olive oil for dipping. Each entree came with a mixed greens salad with a homemade Balsamic Caesar dressing (yum!) The entrees themselves were beautifully presented and came out hot. I had the Chicken Francese and my boyfriend got the Chicken Parmesan. Both exceeded our expectations and the sauces (lemon for the Francese and Marinara for the Parmesan) were delicious! The one star deduction (more like a half star if I could!) is for one longer than expected wait time to get boxes for my leftovers and the check, but otherwise the service was warm and friendly. We will certainly be back!! read more

Gusto - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

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My wife and I enjoyed a night out here for dinner. The service was great, start to finish. Food came at just the right pace. Italian wedding soup was great, and we loved the house dressing on the salad, very unique. Spaghetti sauce was perfect - it is often frustrating to me that Italian restaurants don't have a good basic red sauce, but I really liked theirs, as did the woman at the table next to me who said she was an Italian from New York and was particular about sauces. She loved it too. Only criticism is that that tables where we were sitting were very close together. Next time I will ask for a booth in the back. All in all, an awesome experience. Can't wait to go back. read more

This place had very mediocre to poor food. There was nothing special about it. The prices did not match the quality of the food. The bread was stale and bland and the tomato sauce was something you would get out of a jar. read more

I came here with a lady friend on Valentine's Day to celebrate our mutual singleness (yes, I created a word, and no, my name is not Bush). We started with an antipasti that was decent, and I ordered the chicken marsala as my entree. The Caesar salad that came with it was fine and about what I could have done at home, but the marsala was barely okay. I was sadly underwhelmed by both. When I (and most people, I think) imagine the perfect marsala, I imagine a sauce that is a little thick (like two-teaspoons-of-flour kind of thick), not wedge-something-under-your-plate to contain the flooding thin/watery. I also imagine just enough sauce to mostly coat the items on the plate, but not so much that you play "let's fish for our chicken" before you are able to eat it. Needless to say I did not get my ideal plate. That being said, the service was pretty good and, for the price paid, I think we got about what we -should- have expected. I'm sure that I will give this place another chance, albeit with more realistic expectations in mind. read more

Great food...our party had calamari, pizza, tortellini /vodka sauce, sausage/raping , and shrimp Alfredo, all delicious and served promptly. Our server ( Stephanie) was fantastic...I highly recommend this place read more

Went for drinks and apps with some friends and while the food was good, the bartender Def had an attitude. Don't know if I'd go there on purpose again read more

Tasty and authentic Italian.. they accommodated a special meal request from me on a busy night! Best Italian you will get in Jax beach, warm and inviting staff with Sinatra playing in the background! Now that's Italian! read more

Do not judge a book by its cover! This restaurant is located in a shopping center but once you get inside it looks like an old Italian restaurant very nicely decorated. All of the food is homemade and they butcher their meats in house. Some of the recipes are straight from Rome and Sicily and some of the recipes are the chef's grandmother's recipes who is from Italy. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Great Italian food stop for anyone in the area. read more

Amazing food, good drinks, and great music. This place never disappoints if your looking to eat and dance it off.

Best strip mall restaurant in all of Jacksonville. Every meal in the last 3+ months gets better and better. My sister and I order something different every week just to see if one of the meals would be off, however that has not happened. All of their food is fresh and delicious. I recommend this restaurant 100%. read more

We had read good & bad reviews but so happy we decided to go try for ourselves. Gloria was excellent as our server. Husbands beer was ice cold. The meatball appetizer which she recommended was delicious. My chicken parmigiana was tender and delicious. Husbands italian wedding soup was the best we've had. His Zappa di pesce was amazing! Only complaint was desert menu to pick from...lol Cannoli's next visit I hope. I even had lunch for the next day. Will be back soon! read more

Without doubt, the best Italian food I've ever had. Chef Tonino, from Rome, is a maestro in the kitchen. His partner, Walter, has curated the perfect atmosphere with dining, music, and dancing. Fabulous food, spectacular wine and cocktail list, and entertainment, all in one convenient location on the beach. You need nothing more! read more

Gusto's is a wonderful authentic Italian experience. The owner is professional and friendly, and really goes the extra mile to make customers feel welcome and taken care of. And the food!! Delicious! It's like they channeled my grandma and brought her recipes to life! I loved everything about my experience at Gusto's, and I think you will too. Two thumbs up! read more

Without exception the greatest Italian food in Northeast Florida. Every time I fly in from Los Angeles the first thing I think of is the amazing pasta creations made by this incredible bistro. The food is fresh the service is spot on perfect and the prices are reasonable. I can't think of a single thing that I would change. I understand why this is Jacksonville's go to restaurant quality Italian food.They have mastered the art of quality Italian cuisine and I am so grateful I found it. I promise you will return bravo read more

This place is great and has phenomenal live music and a wait staff that is friendly and cheerful! The food and atmosphere and music combined to make a great experience for groups or couples! read more

One of the best Italian restaurants here in Jax. I'm from NY and a harsh critic and have to say evetything I had here was excellent. As an appetizer, I had half of that 8 oz. meatball, took the test home, then a lite salad with their own ceasar.....then the main entre linguine with white clam sauce. Awesome. The whole meal was great. Sat at the bar and was taken care of by Anthony. Have tried several places here in town, this place wins hands down. read more

One of the best Italian restaurants at fine dining in Jacksonville Beach,Florida owned by one of my good friends Walter Bianchi. If you are coming into town want to try an awesome dining then this would be the place. I highly recommend the famous meatball appetizer. read more

Tried Gusto for the first time as a Valentine date with the wife. We had reservations for immediately after they opened. We were promptly seated and bread and water were immediately brought to the table. The owner brought a red rose to the table and gave it to my wife (very nice gesture). Our waitress was covering for the host/hostess who was late so she was spread a little thin. She got our order in and while we were waiting I overheard another waitress tell her table of first timers that all orders were cooked to order so they could take a little longer to come out. We waited about 30 minutes after our order was placed before our order came out (might have been ready a few minutes earlier but our waitress was doing double duty). I had the Spaghetti Ragu (with italian sausage) and my wife had the Eggplant Parm. We both enjoyed the sauce and the pasta was perfectly done. The eggplant was nicely cooked while the sausage had a nice spice kick to it but was nothing special. Overall we enjoyed the meal and plan to return. Maybe try the pizza next time. read more

I normally don't do reviews, but felt the need to for Gusto. We had a reservation for 5 adults and 1 baby. It was not overly busy. My wife and I and our baby were on time, but the other 3 were running late. We were greeted immediately and seated within a minute. It took almost 10 minutes for our server Jennifer "Jenny" to approach us. Because our friends were running late, we decided to order an appetizer and something for our daughter. We ordered the Salsiccia & Rapini and my wife ordered the wedding soup. The Salsiccia and Rapini was good, however, the soup was ridiculously salty. After bringing these appetizers to the table, it was quite some time until we saw Jenny to tell her about the soup. When I mentioned it to her, she looked like a deer in headlights, not knowing what to do. My wife decided to ask for some boiling water to add to it to make it hot again and to try to dilute the saltiness. (She hates to send things back not knowing what may happen in the kitchen). It took about 15 minutes for that water to come, and Jenny didn't apologize for the issue. I suggested the let the chef know and to taste it, no reply from Jenny. The food we ordered for my daughter arrived (pasta with alfredo sauce and steamed broccoli. These were actually good. At this point, the rest of our party arrived, so they decided to order appetizers and wine. Another Salsiccia & Rapini was ordered, and when theirs arrived, it looks way nicer and fresher. On to the main courses. I ordered the Risotto, 2 of our friends ordered the Fettine di Pollo Scarpariello and one person ordered the Fettine di Pollo Rustico. My wife just had a side salad and shared with me and my daughter. My Risotto was again, very salty, and I am a salt lover. On top of that, there was no mushroom flavor, more of a tomato flavor. The dish also looked more like a fried rice. The Fettine di Pollo Rustico was also salty. I do have to say that the Fettine di Pollo Scarpariello was very good. I mentioned that the Risotto was extremely salty and Jenny said nothing. She didn't ask if I would like something else, apologize, nothing. The friend that had the Rustico didn't want to bother our server, she's just like that. So, one of our friends tried to strike up a conversation with Jenny asking her is she was having a bad day or been working long. She said her shift pretty much just started, and she was really looking forward to getting off to have a drink. Not a big deal, but she told us she was 18. I asked if she is allowed to attend the tastings when the wine reps come to the restaurant, and she said, "oh yes". She took my Risotto and I told her I did not want it any longer. I assume she took it to the back and then returned with a new plate of it (to my surprise), even though I didn't ask for it, nor did she ask if I wanted something else. Again, no mushroom flavor, and the extreme in reverse, it needed salt. At that point, I didn't want anything else. The main point of our dinner was to see our friends and enjoy the evening, and try a new place. One of our friends is Italian, and I asked him if he would come again, and he emphatically said no, that he was disappointed. One would expect after sending more than one dish back, that the manager or even the chef would come to our table and apologize, or something. We were not looking for anything free, but a simple apology goes a long way. We certainly understand that ANY kitchen can have an off night. On a side note, they had live music, on the piano, and we quite enjoyed that. read more

The band was great but the food was bland. I was there on a recent weekend night. Its clean and has nice decor. The local band Cloud 9 played and was excellent. They had moved tables and created a roomy dance floor. We ordered a pizza that was bland. It had no flavor. I've had tastier frozen pizzas. The head chef needs to supervise the kitchen staff better. If I go back it will be for the entertainment and not for the food read more

I've lived in jax my whole live and I finally found the best Italian restaurant. The food was outstanding, I had the tortellini with vodka sauce and I could've eaten about 3 more bowls of it. Someone with me had the eggplant parmesan which she said was amazing, and someone else had a calzone which was huge. Finished the night with the best Tiramisu I have ever had. Truly took me back to Italy. read more

The pizza is superb and the sauce is complex with the perfect balance of spices. The tortellini in red cream sauce took me back to the dinners all the Italian grandmothers in my neighborhood used to make. Go there on a Saturday night and you'll also be treated to some excellent, live music. Great ambiance, wonderful hospitality, I looking forward to our next visit. read more

I have come to this establishment many times. My friends and me like to go out on a Friday or Saturday for drinks and appetizers or sometimes a heavy meal plus listen to music or enjoy the the company of people in our age group. Unfortunately this place has become a dance school instead of a local restaurant. They have a band after 9:30, but don't want to accept people who come for music, drinks and some food unless you pay $20.00 cover or purchase a huge meal; yet the other patrons come later without paying or eating and because they are part of the dance school they are welcomed and not rudely either. Like the way the manager the lady with the black hair of perhaps Asian heritage did my friends and me. When I paid the bill which was over $120.00 for 3 persons she was sure to check what it was that our table ordered and the amount. I was very disappointed with the atmosphere because even if you wanted to join in on the music and dance there was no room due to the dance class group there and them hogging the dance floor. I am not going to patronize this place again. They have lost touch with customer service, which should mean to all who visit and not just a group who uses the place a school or practice area. read more

The food here is good but they are not practicing safety measures. We were there this past weekend and our table was very close to two others. The servers were not wearing masks nor were many of the patrons, as masks are not required upon entry. Our server did not have a mask on and stood right over us to take the order. No social distancing. During these times I would recommend you order to go from here. read more

Ate there a few weeks ago and it was a great time. The food was excellent and the Latin band did a fantastic job. I am taking a party of twelve there tonight to show everyone how cool it is there. read more

The food is not good at all. Super salty. There are a lot of better Italian restaurants in Jax. Please go somewhere else if you are looking for good Italian. read more

Fantastic place! Wonderful upbeat bustling vibe. Good food, great music. Service a tad slow, but given the crowd. A real treasure at the Beach read more

Gusto has always been on our lists of places to check out since they opened but being that I am a creature of habit I always end up at the usual spots. After our experience this past Friday, Gusto is now in my top pick of favorite places in Jax Beach! We walked in around 7pm and being on a Friday night and never have been there I was unsure if a reservation was necessary. To my surprise the entire restaurant was packed! The hostess was very accommodating in finding us a table given the volume and not having a reservation. We lucked out and there was a table that was being bused that we could snag. While waiting at the front I asked the hostess what her favorite entrée was and pizza and with much enthusiasm she described her favorite dish and pizza so enticingly that I could almost taste how delicious it was. After a few minute we were escorted to our table, while walking through the restaurant I observed the layout and design of the restaurant and I was quite impressed with being in a strip mall location. The decoration makes you feel like you back in Sicily and smells like grandma and grandpa's kitchen making you feel right at home. After the hostess sat us she filled our water glasses and offered to take our drink order. We decided to take a few minutes to review the wine list so she offered to bring us some fresh bread and oil while we decide. Shortly after our server Abigail came to the table and introduced herself with such a welcoming and genuine smile. She asked to see if we had any questions over the wine list and suggested a few of her favorites. We decided on a bottle and also threw in the calamari for an appetizer. I absolutely love calamari and I pretty much have to get it whenever its on a menu, especially when dining at an Italian restaurant. Lets just say we could have ordered two because we inhaled it when it came out. They prepare it the exact way it should be done; lightly seasoned flour breading and fried to a perfect tenderness. The plum tomato marinara that is served with it is just like sauce back home. You could almost just eat it all by itself! Now for the hard decision of what entrée to get, being that I wanted it all! I ended up choosing the grouper francese that came served over spinach that was perfectly sautéed with garlic and olive oil and instead of the pasta that the dish is normally served with I substituted for the broccoli rabe. All of the entrees are served with a small house salad comprised of mixed greens and a cucumber ribbon, shaved carrots and red onion dressed with their house dressing; a homemade Caesar balsamic. It was perfectly portioned to not detour me from thoroughly enjoying the main course. When my entrée came out everything looked so fresh and I delicious I almost didn't realize that it came with the pasta and missing the broccoli rabe. When Abigail check to ensure that everything was prepared to our liking before I could even mention, she realized the missing side and immediately corrected it. I'm not too picky so it wasn't an issue. She retuned to the table with the broccoli rabe even though it was actually broccolini it was still excellent; l love both just the same.The grouper was so moist with the perfect traditional francese egg batter, so light and topped with a lemon butter sauce married with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. I don't finish many entrees but I couldn't stop taking bite after bite till I was left with nothing on my plate! We managed to finish off the evening with Abigail's personal favorite desert the Almond Tiramisu and a shot of espresso. The tiramisu was so wonderful, the light and fluffy lady fingers and fresh mascarpone with the almond was a excellent take on the traditional version! This was a perfect way to finish such a wonderful experience the entire evening had been. We will definitely be back to check out happy hour that they have Monday thru Friday till 7 and also to try the homemade pizzas that just won them the best pizza of 2016 in the area! Gusto you have my vote, two thumbs up! To the management, FOH and BOH thank you and keep up the great work. Gusto is a gem! See you all very soon! read more

First time here and have found my NY version of an Italian restaurant that feels like home. They have regular seating tables, high top tables, nice intimate booths and bar seating. Menu is great and food is awesome ! I had lasagna, portion was generous ( could not finish it) the gravy was outstanding! My wife had Zuppa de pesce and it was so full of seafood, we are taking that home too !! Lori was our server and she is the best !! Ask for her when you come in !! Buon appetite !! read more

Wonderful restaurant run by two of my good friends and keeping it in order.Yes hey serve delicious food and wonderful entertainment environment for gatherings parties and celebrations run by a wonderful staff of workers. read more

Very good italian food. Service was excellent. Have become a frequent visitor and customer. Music and dancing in the evening.