We love Oliva's. The pizza is really yummy. I enjoy dining there especially at lunch to get the soup, salad and breadsticks. Their soups are homemade and delicious. Well drinks are very good. I like the cozy atmosphere too. read more

This place is great. Ordered a large pizza, salad, mozzarella sticks and an amazing cheesecake. The pizza is literally the best I have ever eaten. Thin crust,loaded with ordered toppings and lots of cheese. It was piping hot when served. The salad is likewise, best I have eaten in a restaurant. It is loaded with great salad toppings: black olives, sweet peppers, tomatoes, salami, cheese, etc. Forget ranch and order the house dressing. You can thank me later. You get a huge bowl of salad. The mozzarella sticks were crunchy and very cheesy! I don't have words to describe the hot fudge topped brownie cheesecake. I am still smiling. All portions are very good sized. The staff is wonderfully friendly and accommodating. It is a quiet, neighborhoid place that is so welcoming. I promise you you will keep going back. read more

Wow, the pizza is awful under new ownership. Pizza used to be the best thing there. They better do something because they wont last much longer. I will not return. read more

So, definitely mixed feelings here. I want to start by saying that the service was top notch. My server was wonderful. My meal started out with one of the best salads I have ever had. So much meat and cheese on it. On top of that, they brought a bottle of homemade balsamic vinaigrette that was to die for. Now for my entree, I got the chicken Parmesan and while the chicken was very tasty, the sauce was mid at best. I can't stand when I am eating pasta and there are huge chunks of green bell peppers in there. There's a time and place for bell peppers and pasta sauce it not one of them. I could not eat it once I ran into that. I would come back here for that salad alone though. Parking is slim so be prepared for that too. Overall, I will return. read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - Chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

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The best Italian beef! My husband had Oliva's signature (side) salad and said it was delicious. Nice place tucked away; pretty popular place at lunchtime today. Service was great! read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - Oliva's signature Italian salad - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

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Best pizza in Michiana hands down. Have only ever had carry out from others but I need to visit just to try a few other things. Worth the trip Just to try. read more

I give 2 stars because I know how good this restaurant can be and has been. I went this afternoon for the first time since the first new owner walked away and they were closed for two weeks to make things better. I believe $8.91 was a tad bit high for a cup of soup and a Diet Coke/pepsi. Upon arrival we were informed that Greg, their famous pizza chef is no longer there. The appetizers are reduced to six. They no longer have a liquor license (they are working on it but don't know when they will have it). Their chef left and the Italian wedding soup did not compare to his. Along with him leaving, so did his wonderful cheesecake. I love their existing staff that chose to remain with them and hope the best for them during this "transition ". I understand life is about change and life is also about choices. If we don't like the changes we have a choice of other places to go. Personally, I think I will explore some other local Italian eateries. read more

Horrible experience. Took our friends to Oliva's to share how much we loved this place and their atmosphere and pizza. Asked our service person twice to order. Both times she said "No, too busy with 2 other tables." Seems like we had a right to have our pizza order put into the queue. Because then it would be another half hour or more before our order was placed, let alone able to feed our guests. Pizza was great. Compliments to the chef. Very embarrassing. Restaurant not many tables filled. We waited an hour to order. We had nothing but wine & beer for an hour. Not even water. Even though we asked twice for waters. Still no water until pizza was served. It was bizarre. read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - 18" large pizza - sausage, pepperoni, mushroom Cabernet wine (they also have Chianti & Merlot) - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

The restaurant recently changed hands. I've only been there a few times under this new ownership, but it seems to be a good move. If the enthusiasm of the new owner is any indication of how successful the restaurant will be in the future, it's in good hands. read more

Second time I've been in since the new owners. It's sad to say after nearly 20 years I probably will not be returning . I'm not really sure why the new owners would change anything. The prices are higher the portions are smaller and the ingredients are low quality in comparison to the original. Started with bruschetta, the bread was cut three inches thick, not toasted and soggy. Then the famous salad, the cheese was thick shredded and I got several pieces of the salami casing. Then linguini a Alfredo with blackened chicken, barely had any Alfredo on it when I asked for extra Alfredo the server brought out what seemed like a watery jarred Alfredo. When I asked her why is the food so different she said the new owners are trying new things. It's shame that they don't realize they had one of the best italian places in Mishawaka , and what they are actually doing is ruining their new business. I won't be back read more

Came here today for the first time at lunch and it was packed! The server let me know she was the only one working the floor. At that point I knew I wouldn't critique the service negatively. The service however was great for how busy she was and she did an amazing job showing attention to us while ordering and asking questions about the menu. I was so excited to try the breadsticks but for $9 you got 4 generic frozen sticks that they slapped some butter on and sprinkled some green flakes and cheese onto avoid these as an appetizer. For the meal we got two marinara and penne which they enjoyed and we got a club sandwich that had more deli meat then ever but lacked any real flavor and was just seared deli meat on some toasted white bread. We also ordered the meatball sandwich with marinara and mozzarella cheese the meatballs are made in house but didn't have too much flavor if any and the cheese was flavorless the best part of it was the Italian bread it came on. The overall ambience is very welcoming and a great place to be. Parking is limited. Next time I think I'll just try their pizza. read more

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Ordered a simple items of cheese ravioli as a carry out, took forever to receive then couldn't cut it with a fork it was so undercooked! Lifelong neighborhood bar, last order EVER!!! read more

While parking is quite limited, the interior offers a cozy date-night ambience. Delicious food. Reasonable prices. We hope to be back!

Everything went well. Made reservations for 4:30 and got right in. Gave us place by door bc of walker. Wonderful waitress and food was delicious! Will be back. Heard they get busy later and reservations are probably best. read more

Typical South Bend area Italian joint - busy with locals, noisy, good food, and marginal service. In the end, it's all a good vibe except the poor table service can be a bit trying at times. This was my first visit: 1.) Pizza was excellent and the pies are huge!, 2.) salad & house dressing were also excellent and same recipie as Reggio's (now defunct), 3.) Lasagna was very marginal and cheese on top was nasty, 4.) they offer only cheap house wines and they were terrible. I would definitely dine here again or at least get one of their delicious pies to-go. read more

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We have been eating here for years. There has been a change in staff including cooks. Not good. We ordered chicken scallipini it was inedible. All the veggies were thrown on top RAW: the mushrooms green onions and tomatoes. Raw onions and mushrooms???? We complained and told they do that so it tastes "fresh" it was just nasty. Then when asked about cheesecake, we were told last week they had a lemon cheesecake but "she" was told not to make any this week. Did not offer an alternative. Wow. read more

The food was amazing!!!! Absolutely make reservations, totally worth it. The staff were very friendly & welcoming. We really enjoyed the cozy & intimate atmosphere. The bruschetta was delicious. We loved our main dishes, we both fell in love with the sauces....to die for! We will definitely be back. read more

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Let me tell you, we decided on a whim to go to Oliva's for my birthday dinner and THEY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. We were greeted like old friends when we walked in. Food (chicken Alfredo and eggplant parmigiana) was absolutely fantastic with large filling plates and the drinks (Moscato and Whiskey Sour) were amazing. Julie was our waitress and she was such a doll and was so kind and friendly to us. If you want a relaxed intimate experience with good company and welcome service and amazing food, you should definitely check out Oliva's! read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

I love this restaurant. The waitstaff, the ambiance, and the food are all. Wonderful! If you're lucky to get a desert, the cheesecake is never fail! read more

Friendly atmosphere, great service and great food. Salad is to die for and the lasagne is the best in town! Pizza is great too.

Everything here is delicious and the cheesecake is DIVINE. I highly recommend you try them!

This review is only applicable to carry out for their pizza, which I've had about 5 times now. Great thin crust pizzas with excellent flavor. The toppings leave a bit to be desired, but the result is still a top 5 pizza in the Mishawaka/Granger/South Bend area. Never tried anything else, never ate inside. read more

First visit here and it was very nice. Now to get here you'll probably have to use the YELP map because it is hidden away at a dead end street that backs up to a railroad, but make the effort as it was a good dinner place. When we visit Notre Dame we always look on YELP for a different restaurant so we get variety ... this time we found Oliva's - a nice Italian restaurant and bar. You walk in and on your left is a long bar that is nicely decorated for the season...and on your right a few high tables and booths for seating. There is also a another room for overflow on busy days or private parties. The restaurant runs a bit on the chilly side during the winter, but is still very tolerable. For food they have many of the usual Italian dishes, and all the ones we had were nicely carried off. They have the French Fry thing down, so enjoy some appetizers as they were perfect - we had the 4 star sampler platter that came with to die for garlic bread. Cheese Ravioli and Linguini Alfredo were both 4 star selections also. I had an order of potato skins and they were fine but I should have ordered without the olives - gave it a funny taste with everything else they load them up with. We didn't have the pizza but it sure looked good - next time. There is street parking and a parking lot across the street you can use from an old grocery store. The restaurant has on its front door two notes - no smoking and no one under 21 ... both nice changes. You can relax and enjoy your meal. This is a nice neighborhood kind of place that is worth finding. And with the house wines priced at $4.50 per glass, you can imbibe without leaving your wallet. Liked it a lot. read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

Six of us ordered takeout dinners, all different selections and we were all pleased. The orders were ready as promised, and the food was warm and delicious. The fettuccine Alfredo was creamy, rich, and fresh and not over or undercooked. I will absolutely go to Oliva's again. read more

The food is average at best. The pizza is the exception. It's very good. The service is adequate but can be slow on busy nights. The space is very loud and hectic on the weekends so if you are meeting friends that you haven't seen In awhile don't expect quiet conversation. The bar itself could be a nice place to enjoy a cocktail or two but the feeling is that if you aren't a regular you wont fit in. It's foo bad but the bottom line is if you want a good pizza try it out otherwise it's not worth the visit. read more

The food is very solid and the customer service is impeccable. I had a few different types of pastas. The meatballs were really delicious.

The food is very good and the atmosphere is nice. I haven't had a bad dish there. The pizza is my go to, but all the pasta and other dishes are quite tasty . read more

My husband I use to eat here when we lived in Mishawaka. We came to town visiting friends and invited them to eat there. They had no idea Olivia's was so delicious. Members in our group had Prime Rib, chicken scallopini, salmon, Italian chicken and appetizer Italian stuffed mushrooms. All the food is flavorful and tasty. Definitely make a reservation. We had a group of 6 and it was tight seating. They have pull tabs here as well! read more

We got carryout pizza here tonight...the building Olivas occupies now ised to be another decent restaurant.many moons ago. The pizza was very good...possibly top 3 in South Bend. Thin crust...not cracker crust like St. Louis style pizza...but thin and not bready Sauce was cooked and nice and mild...good quality cheese...real sausage...and onions and peppers were shaved into rings. Olivas serves a really good pizza. I bought an 18 in 3 topping and a 12 inch cheese and sausage...at 40.00 i thought it was a good value. The interior of Olivas will remind you a bit of a supper club circa 1979. It was busy...bar was full. The hostess intercepted me and sent me to tje bar to pay for the pizza and another lady got my pizzas while I paid. The bartender was busy and snarky...but not hostile just sort of too busy. I woukd return for dinner when ( and if) we get past Covid Theres zero social distancing....unmasked people were shoulder to shoulder in the bar etc Staff were wearing masks though. The dinner menu looked interesting...some italian...some steakhouse regime items and a few wierd one offs like..." Baja shrimp made with ""Tai sauce"" and served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer. Check out Olivas for the pizza...maybe veture back a second time for the rest of the menu. read more

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We've lived in the Michiana area for 20 years and never been here. Had a native tell me about it late this afternoon, so I called to see if they took reservations on my way home to pick up my wife (with no clue where we were going for dinner) and they set us up with a 7:30 reze. It was the perfect place we had long hoped this area had. Atmosphere was great with an old world Italian feel. We sat at a 2 top booth-like table parallel to the bar (a nice one at that). We had the antipasto salad, which was very fresh with crispy lettuce and a delicious homemade dressing already set on the table. We had bruschetta for an appetizer and it was spot on. It was suggested by the native who recommended this place to try the pizza, so we obliged by ordering a 12' pepperoni, beef, onion, and mushroom. Even though they whiffed on including the pepperoni, it was still a wonderful pie. Crust was excellent throughout; crispy on the edges and perfect in the middle. We will return, no doubt! Looking forward to diving into some of their classic pasta offerings. Need to remind ourselves to make an earlier reservation so we don't miss out on their famous cheesecake. That was the only letdown on this maiden voyage, but enough incentive to sway us for another visit (in addition to the great food we experienced). read more

Food is excellent, the service is great , the atmosphere is great , the overall experience is very satisfying and we have been there several times ! One of the best restaurants around ! read more

Seeing Oliva's facebook page posting their delectable cheesecakes I gathered family and friends for a night of deliciousness. After waiting an hour for our table (6:30 on a Friday night very expected to wait time) we enjoyed bruschetta, tomato basil soup, their house Italian salad and then the wonderful meal. I had the crushed red pepper shimp over bowtie pasta. Very flavorful with their vodka sauce just enough kick to add pep. The others in the party had their pork special which I did manage to get a bite and almost regret ordering what I did. Subsequently stuffing ourselves on our feast we HAD to order salted ca0rmel cheesecake on a pretzel crust! We each ordered our own to prevent a fork fight and blood being drawn. This overall experience ranks at the top of my HolySmokesThatWasGood! list. read more

Oliva's Bar & Restaurant - Pardon the bite off the end. Salted Caramel Cheesecake on a Pretzel crust. Couldn't wait to take picture before trying this deliciousness - Italian Near Me - Mishawaka, Indiana

Our neighbors invited us to Oliva's for dinner. They had met at this location many years ago at the previous restaurant, Union Station. The food and service were both great! Kind of retro but delicious! We will definitely be going back! read more

Chicken piccata was not good. Not a complainer. Tasted rubbery and noodles were just ok. read more

Food was excellent! Really enjoyed! Were there for a relaxful dinner with friends. Got so noisy (loud!) we could not carry on a conversation. Waitress was rush rush rush! Far from relaxful evening. read more

My husband and I stopped in Oliva's for an early dinner today. All eyes turned to see who we were when we walked in. I felt like we were walking into Cheers, lol. We were immediately seated in a cozy booth. Our wonderful waitress Julie came right over to give us menus and take our drink order. I ordered the grilled Italian chicken breast and my husband ordered a pizza. We received a big salad to share while waiting for our meals. It was delicious. I also got a cup of tomato bisque, which was amazing! We both enjoyed our entrees as well. My husband's pizza was covered with plenty of toppings, lots of cheese and he really enjoyed it. My chicken was very tasty. It was served with a huge plop of the best mashed potatoes. The entire meal from start to finish was not a quick event so be prepared to spend some time here. It was nice to sit back, relax and enjoy ourselves. Our glasses were never empty and our waitress paced everything out nicely. The restaurant was crowded and noisy and there was great music playing the entire time which all added up to a very enjoyable experience. It was our first time here but we will definitely be back. read more

My husband & I have dined here multiple times but, most recently we dined @ Olivia's last weekend. Every single time we have been incredibly happy w/all aspects of this bar & restaurant! This place truly is a hidden gem in Mishawaka, IN!! Take one look at the online menu to find real Italian dishes, as well, as American options...at very fair prices. Throughout the years we've tried everything from their mouthwatering prime rib to their stellar pizza w/housemade sausage. As tempting as it is to just order whatever we've tried before & liked...we have done our best to order something different every time. Therefore, I cannot say that we've had "every dish", from their menu. But we've tried just about everything... and the truth is that you can't select a bad meal, from their menu options! Btw, the entrees come with a family style salad w/thinly sliced salami & provolone cheese, black olives, tomatoes, banana peppers, croutons & their housemade creamy Italian dressing! OMGoodness, it is to-die-for-good, good, good! Plus, they have housemade soups of your choosing! (*just a lonnng side note here: my husband & I are NOT crazy about soup. Yet, since we were very hungry when we arrived & it came w/our 2 meals, last weekend we had chosen (for the 1st time that we've been dining here) the beef & noodle and ham & bean, to share. Usually, at other restaurants, IF we ordered the complimentary soup, we would reluctantly take a quick, small spoonful of soup...to politely taste it...and then we'd gently shove it aside & patiently wait until, "the good stuff came out". However, not this time!! Olivia's soup is Mmm-mmm good! We loved it SO much, that we both consumed every single drop!! Afterwards, we laughed at ourselves, as we shook our heads in disbelief over how delicious our soups were. The truth is that we've never-ever favored soup before that night! ha ha) So, if we liked the soups, I'm confident that Soup-Lovers will be in Heaven! Trust me, you'll likely be stuffed after devouring the salad, soup & bread (*btw, I must apologize for another side note: according to our friendly waitress, "you must ask for the bread & butter, if you want it". If I had to name a "Con", this would be it! lol Trust me, we all want the carb loaded warm bread... so, if you're like us, politely ask for it. The bread & butter are complimentary... and who doesn't love bread?! Seriously, if you're in an Italian restaurant, you are probably not there to watch your figure on that particular night! C'mon! Let's be real, bring on the bread & butter, please, please, oooh please ) Yet, even after the soup, salad & bread, you still get another "side of choice" w/your entree (my husband & I both chose garlic mashed potatoes...yum)!! I also req'd a take out container before my entree & side came out... and I ate that the following day. My husband dove into his ginormous prime rib...and he only made it halfway thru. Which was impressive, considering the prime rib was as big as the entire plate (it truly looked as big as an entire Sunday roast that I prepare for our whole family after church! No joke. He said that was The Best prime rib that he has ever had! Woot woot! So, there's that. The next day he enjoyed his leftovers, as much as I enjoyed mine. Ooohhh, I almost forgot to mention how good my pineapple-upside-down-cake martini was!! Our waitress brought the martini shaker to our table to pour it...and to my delight, she left the shaker w/me. In which, I was able to get another full glass of deliciousness...making it, 2 drinks for the price of 1! Again, this wasn't our 1st time dining here... but I always forget to write my Yelp review. Probably bc I'm, very likely, in a carb overload... in which I rush home to take a nap! hee hee ~ Just kidding! Bottom line...if you haven't tried this place, you're missing out on grrreat food, service & atmosphere, at a more than fair price. One last thing, this is a bar & restaurant...soooo you must be 21 to dine here. Now that our kids are older, I personally wish more restaurants were 21 & up... but IF you do have precious lil' ones, and you cannot get a sitter, they have an incredible take-out business. Esp. PIZZA, it truly is magnifico!! Don't take my word for it, just stop reading all of the reviews and go directly to Olivia Bar & Restaurant on Union St. in Mishawaka... It's next to the railroad tracks! It sounds cliche to say, "you'll be glad that you did"... But I wouldn't take the time to recommend this place, unless I was confident that everyone else will love this place as much as we do! Salute! read more

Awesome hometown neighborhood restaurant. The salad and the meal were great and so was the service.

If you're in the mood to get out of the house and relax and unwind, but you want to deviate from the posh dining scene Olivia's is the place. Olivia's is a mom and pop style restarant and one of the local favs. This restaurant has a homey kinda vibe where when you walk in you feel like everyone knows your name. However, since it was my first visit here not everyone knew my name, but I felt at home. When I was seated and got comfortable, I viewed their menu options, and the selection offered was basic American and Italian comfort food, seemingly all delicious. But sometimes when it comes to food the simplest and most basic of foods can be the best. My first dish to arrive was the Italian house salad. The SALAD: Based on the picture the salad may seem pretty ordinary, but don't be deceived. This salad was by far one of the most memorable and delicious salads I've ever eaten. All of the components of the salad came together with perfection. I could've, and almost made the salad my entrée while dining. I hate to admit this, but I must eat my words........ yes, yes Ill do it. In previous reviews I've made it known that I haven't been a fan of iceberg lettuce BASED on the past experiences I've had with eating it mainly in FAST FOOD quality products. Browned edges, and iceberg not being paired well with other foods turned me against iceberg. But this salad MIGHT have won me back over MAYBE. But either way this salad was sooo good I had to force myself to stop eating it so I could maintain room for the rest of my meal. The other highlights of the meal were the stuffed mushrooms!! Oh my, they were divine!! Now as far as recommendations for entrees if a person in a traditional Italian mood and wants something filling, their pizza and lasagna is sure to please, which is what I ordered. The sauce on the lasagna was extremely fresh tasting as if it were homemade and was infused with herbs. Also, the slice was very hearty, filling and thick. Similarly, the pizza was also very hearty and had herbs baked into the cheese which added nice flavor notes. Overall, Oliva's is a great homey, restaurant with delicious filling food, and a great inviting atmosphere. As my waitress told me "If you leave Oliva's hungry, something is wrong." But I'll also add if you leave Oliva's unsatisfied something else if wrong. Oliva's is definitely a win-win, and a hidden gem. read more

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First time at Oliva's. What a hidden gem. Old time cozy Italian restaurant atmosphere, loved it!! It was a Tuesday night and the place was fairly full with a lot of people eating and at the bar having conversations. The pizza and chicken parm were great. Service was on point. Overall a great experience. I will be back. read more