So as I write this under Papa Gio's restaurant name, it is meant for the new Venezianlo's restaurant that's at this location. Interestingly the same thing I'm gonna describe below happened on more than one occasion when it was Papa Gio's too. I've been in Lexington, SC for a couple years now and I'm always on the hunt for the best. I've visited Papa Gio's quite a few times and Veneziano's a handful as well. The best way to describe both places is great food but inconsistent quality and presentation. Let me explain... I'm the guy who comes in, orders my food at the counter and waits in the restaurant for it. I want it hot and fresh. I don't call and order ahead because I don't want it soggy from steam rising up and dripping off the top of the container while it sits on a shelf waiting for pickup. There is a method to my (food) madness. The food at Papa Gio's and Veneziano's is absolutely incredible. Quality ingredients, everything is seasoned perfectly and clearly made with love. Incredible food, so why the lousy review you might ask? Keep reading! Inconsistency in the counter service and even in the presentation of the food. The people are always super nice but not very attentive or focused. On way too many occasions, like tonight I order, I pay and sit or stand there waiting and pfft... there I sit or stand and wait and wait and wait. Tonight was one of those nights, As I listened to the staff up front singing, laughing talking and generally having a good time. The energy there is incredible! Seems like a great crew of awesome people working together. Over the top. Again, why the lousy review? Because on way too many occasions my food comes out, someone sticks it on a shelf nobody at the counter says a word. It gets placed on a shelf and sits there getting cold and soggy from steam rising. One time not too long ago, what started off as a crispy toasted meatball parm hero became a cold, wet, soggy sponge by the time I got it. Tonight it was a pizza. I waited and waited, the counter was not very busy while I was there. The kid at the counter even commented that I came in at a good time, it just slowed down. After waiting and waiting, I walked up to the counter, there was nobody at the counter. Everyone was in the kitchen doing something else. Not too much time passed when the kid came back to the counter to help me. He realized I was the "waiting guy"! He turned and pulled my pizza off an open shelf and put the box on the counter and said it's been ready for a while. As I felt the cold box, I disappointedly commented about the pie being cold. I opened box and felt the cold pizza in the box, I mentioned to the kid that this sucks. Now one might ask how cold could the pizza actually be. Well, it's February and they had the pickup counter door front door wide open the whole time I was there with cold air streaming in. That combined with the open metal shelving and the time it sat definitely put the chill on. The kid offered to put back in the oven to heat it back up. While I appreciated the offer, if I wanted a reheated pie, I woulda bought this one yesterday and reheated it myself at home today. Many times, perfect food, perfectly cooked and placed in hand hot out of the kitchen. However, this exact same cold soggy food thing, with inattentive counter service has happened more times than I care to admit. Pretty lousy attention to customer service. Everything short of saying hey is my food ready, every couple minutes, which in my opinion should not have to be done and that is not the kinda guy I am. Many times, it is perfectly executed and they do a great job. But many other times once they get your money in the register, it seems they forget about you. On the upside, the pie tonight probably started out perfectly cooked and would have been a 10 out of 10 if it wasn't gummy and chewy from sitting in it's steamy cardboard box, needing to be reheated. I did my best to crisp it up while reheating it, Thanks for the offer to reheat my pie. Can you imagine for a second what it would have been like if I let him reheat it and what it would have been like if I had to reheat it again (that woulda been a third time) for leftovers later? Woulda had the taste of great pizza but the texture of a pool noodle. Great pizza and other great food is an art. At the same time, it's kinda simple. The chef made that pie with his hands, with quality ingredients, care and love! Letting it unnecessarily degrade, is a bit of a slap in the face to the pizza guy and to the waiting customer. Even my dogs know a good pie! They wait patiently for what we call "pizza bones", what normal people call the crust! Tasted great although the texture was not so good. Would I recommend them? Meh! Probably, but with a note of caution of the inconsistency. If you're still with me, thanks for caring enough to read this far. Happy eating!!! read more

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Renamed Venezianos but still the same awesome food! The owners are great and the food is delicious! Plus you get enough for leftovers!

What a great experience my little family and I had here a couple days ago! From the warm welcomes as soon as we walked in, to the wonderful service and hospitality, to the delicious and fresh food & the lovely vibe in the dining room, it was such a great dinner we had. The only issue we had while we were there was they were out of certain appetizers like the stuffed shrimp and mozzarella sticks. So, we decided that next time we come eat here, we need to come earlier to get those menu items. I ended up ordering the linguine with white wine sauce, clams and mussels. My husband ordered the carbonara with shrimp & my son had the kids spaghetti with meatball and meat sauce. My meal was perfect and everything I expected and wanted from a linguine with white wine sauce. It was light, flavorful and refreshing! I wish I had ordered extra clams because they were simply delicious. I loved it! My husband said his carbonara was very good. It was so good, he left nothing left on his plate. My son enjoyed his kids spaghetti and meatball. The meatball was very big, tender and full of flavor. The meat sauce was hearty and filling too. All of our pasta was served properly, not undercooked and not overcooked, but just right... Al dente, if you will. The atmosphere in the dining room is that of a family style Italian restaurant with beautiful murals of famous Italian architecture in Italy. The booths and tables were clean and the whole vibe in there just felt like what a nice, cozy, family friendly Italian restaurant should feel like. The bar is beautiful! I was able to see it from my seat and they have quite a selection of liquor. Our server was very helpful and attentive. The new owner took over in November and has really changed this place for the better! It was full of customers when we walked in, which is always a good sign. They are slowly incorporating more change into the restaurant, little by little and I couldn't be happier to see it happen! The food alone is just a million times better than what it was before he took over. He and his wife are from New York and from what I witnessed, they are both very hands on when it comes to running their restaurant. I saw the owner wiping down tables, the bar & conversing with his customers with a smile on his face. I also spotted him in the kitchen when we walked in, working away. I saw his wife bussing tables and seating customers too. I just admire management like that. They're not just owners, they're leaders, which says A LOT. We will be coming here way more often and not just because we want to try more meals on their menu since the food was so good and they offer so much variety, but also because it's such a great family friendly restaurant! I would love for this place to be our new go to Italian restaurant we eat at regularly as a family. It just feels like a great family runs this place there's nothing I like more than supporting a local small business run by good people. read more

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I basically never give a one star review, but this meal was inedible. I ordered chicken piccata, which via door dash is $16. At first glance it looked like raw chicken with no sauce on noodles. There was no flavor at all. The pepper in the picture I had added to attempt to salvage it - but no... this went in the trash. There was also a random thorny ball in my food, which may be from the capers but regardless I'm glad I didn't bite down on it. Hubby enjoyed his pizza - but I doubt we will ever be back. read more

Happy to hear about Papa Gio's. I had the baked cheese ravioli and loved it, especially the gravy that tasted just like Aunt Lucy used to make back home in New Jersey. My husband also loved his spaghetti and very fresh salad with delicious balsamic dressing. I tasted the meatball and wasn't impressed. It just had no flavor. The rolls are more Southern than Italian, but they are very good and served with real butter. My teenage grandson ordered a cheese and sausage pizza and declared, "This is the best pizza I ever ate." I had to take a piece of tiramisu home, and it took me three days to finish. I went three times in one week, and I took my friends back. Great food and good service. read more

Wow! This place is AMAZING! Food is so good and has so many options on the menu. You can even buy their sauces to take home. Don't forget the cheesecake! read more

The pizza was ok. Crust was good, sauce was minimal as were the toppings but not bad. I ordered take out... service is as to be expected these days; nothing great. read more

Will NOT be returning. While waiting for my take out order, I watched a waitress make a salad for another customer. She made their salad using only her hands to pick up salad makings. Lettuce tomato etc. No glove or tongs. Did not even wash her hands before doing so. Stay away unless you want to chance getting sick. read more

love they hire teenagers to support the value of hard work the pizza flavor is the best around the area and the salads are large portions we love doing take out for a different diner read more

The service was excellent. Ambiance was nothing to rave. The prices are reasonable. My spouse had Chicken Picatta, and she was surprised by how good it tasted. The sauce was a bit thin but better than too thick. I had Veal Parmagean. The veal slices were thicker than I am used to, and the meat was tough to chew(must have been an older calf). The side salads could have been more imaginative and consisted of 2 large cucumber pieces, miniature tomatoes cut in half, wedges of onion, 4 olives, and iceberg lettuce. The red sauce for my Parmagean was tasty. There are no options for types of pasta for your meal. The default was pene. All in all, it's better than the O' Garden. Veteran discount given. We will return. read more

I ordered the meat lovers calzone and had to take half of it home. The flavors were great but even better the next day

Sicilian pizza was very good. Only complaint is that they were short handed , but still the service was good.

The pizza wasn't bad, my kids enjoyed the burgers. The appetizers were ok, nothing special. I really didn't mind the food, it was the service that killed it for us. Took entirely too long for our food, when there were only a handful of other customers in the building. read more

Food and Pizza here are just ok. Nothing special. The tiramisu tasted like old refrigerator smell..they need to clean out the case and put some baking soda in to get rid of that. Sadly, they are not very good at making authentic Italian dishes such as penne alla vodka or chicken parm :( they also do not know how to make Margherita pizza right. read more

This place is beyond frustrating.... the first time I ordered here we received a pizza with the cheese slid off because of the driver. We called and received a rude-toned apology and they sent out a replacement. The second time I tried to order they refused to put their white sauce on anything other than their speciality pizza. They said if I wanted the white sauce I'd have to pay the specialty price for the whole pizza (white sauce plain cheese pizza btw). Before they told me this they ran me threw a few people who couldn't figure out what I even meant by white sauce. I had to literally spell out the difference between the red tomato sauce base you use below the dang cheese and the the white Alfredo sauce base used on their white cheesy pizza. They are always so dang rude! That puts me off from this place alone. Y'all need to fix your attitude AND the way you do things. I shouldn't have to pay full price to swap out a dang sauce. Talk about nickel and diming! read more

We have only done pickup or ordered through doordash, but each time the food has been 5 star, except for the mozzarella sticks. We usually get a 12 inch pizza and they're always perfect. Even when I accidentally put toppings on only half (didn't pay attention to doordash options). Ended up with half a cheese pizza only to discover it tasted amazing. As someone who usually wants 6 toppings, that's saying a lot. Hubby and I always questioned why cheese pizza is a thing and yet this place has pizza so good, we both agreed we could easily order it from them. The crust on the 12 inch pizzas are thin with a crisp bottom but still chewy and soft where the sauce hits. Even the outer crust is good enough to eat without dipping it in anything. The medium or large pizza we got, however, was disappointing. It was quite a bit thicker and dry. Wasn't tender and chewy, the flavor was all wrong. We don't know if the smaller ones are always better but we've never been disappointed in the little ones. They are also very generous with toppings and cheese! Their alfredo is also perfect. Generous with the amount of pasta and sauce so I never feel like we need to order a side of extra sauce. Their marinara for dipping is also 5 star. It tastes fresh and I suspect they use low acid tomatoes to make it. I personally didn't care for their mozza sticks because the coating was a little too thick but the flavor is nice. I actually prefer my mozza sticks a little on the greasy side and these are not. Overall, we haven't had any issues. We get what we order and it always hits the spot. I highly recommend trying them but if the other reviews about staffing issues and poor service are turning you off, I suggest picking it up or using a delivery service. read more

I absolutely love this pizza and I get it every time I visit my family in South Carolina!

DO NOT GO HERE!!!! I can't stress how bad if an experience I had here, I ordered Saltembocca that literally had NO SAUCE not an unsatisfying small amount, literally 0 sauce. I called in & was told by the "manager" Tonya that she made it herself & she's been working there 20 years & it had sauce and that the noodles must have soaked it up. These are bone dry noodles they're charging $15 for. She said I can't get a refund but she'll remake it. I said if this is what she makes I don't want it. She told me not to come back. This is a disgraceful place & is no wonder they can't keep staff. I was checking this place out to order pizzas for my 50 employee team next week, but I'll definitely go literally anywhere else now. read more

Papa Gios - a plate of pasta with ham and spinach - Italian Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Calzones and pizza are excellent! Service is always pleasant. Pick up time is always on point.

If I could rate less then this I would and that's saying a lot for me. I usually give any business the benefit of the doubt but when I know I've been lied to there's no excuse. We've been coming here since they've opened and always loved the pizza. Service has always been questionable ( rude servers - one was the owners daughter I'm positive , Unknowledgeable staff taking phone orders ) but we've dealt with it until now. Leaving Publix my wife called in an order for two- three topping medium pizzas , $40 , ok no big deal, hung up. We back out of our spot and started to leave but decided we'd be better off getting large pies instead so call back , literally no more then 60 seconds later !!! My wife said "I just spoke to you a few seconds ago ordering the medium three topping pizzas" the same guy as before said "yes" my wife then said we'd like to change those to large pizzas instead - Ok no big deal right ? He told her he couldn't because they were already in the oven !!!!! Really ??? I wanted to meet this cook who could prepare two three topping pizzas in a minute !! She only said ok and hung up but I wanted to cancel the whole order because I knew we had just been lied to because nobody there wanted to take the time to void and order and replace the order !! Unless they just didn't know how to do that because we could clearly hear the kid talking to someone in the back ground. Went inside and paid for the pizzas that were ready after 20-25 minutes like they said and I could see why once we got home. Everything pretty much ended up in the middle of the pies sauce to the edge which was good but no toppings what so ever. Asked for extra cheese as one of the toppings but only received the normal amount for sure. Maybe 12 slices of pepperonis for the entire pies - each. Not putting down lil caesars but they would of won a gold medal compared to these things. How can you let your place of business decline this way after certainly working hard to build it up ?? Needless to say their now on my list ( not to return ) and I'll be telling my friends too. People out this way have basically three choices close by and in my book it just went to two , might add Publix to those choices and just get totinos pizzas because I'd feel I got my money's worth. read more

We tried this place for the first time today. The calamari appetizer is right on time and cooked perfectly so it was tender and it had a mix of tentacles along with body rings. The Margherita pizza was excellent with a great crust and fresh taste, we got it to go. The wife ordered the salmon over spinach (SALMON ALLA BRACE) and found it less then remarkable and I ordered a shrimp dish with marinara over pasta (GAMBERI CAPRESE) and it was OK but the pasta was not cooked thoroughly. Overall it was good and we will be returning but have limited our target foods to pizza and the calamari appetizer. read more

Egg plant was so tough. Penne was hard. I'll stick to their pizza only from now on. Their pasta not so good. Sauce was tasteless

I would leave 1/2 star if possible. Called in a carry out order to pick up on our way home from the Publix parking lot after grocery shopping. Ordered 2 medium 3 topping pizzas. Young male said ok, it will be 25-30 minutes. Did not tell me the total, did not ask my name. Less than 60 seconds later,literally 60 seconds (I looked back at my call log) I called back, same young male answered, I told him I just placed an order for 2 medium 3 topping pizzas he said yeah and what did you need? I asked what the total was and would like to know what the total would be for 2 large pizzas with the same toppings. He said hold on. Came back and said the total was $40.66 and for two large 3 topping pizzas would be $46 and change. I said ok can we change that to 2 large pizzas? He said no, it's already in the oven. Now, how in the hell could they have rolled out dough, put sauce, pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese, and rolled out another one, put sauce, pepperoni, meatball, and extra cheese and placed them in the oven in 60 seconds?? As we drove to pick up the pizzas, only 5 minutes away my husband and I couldn't understand why they would lie about them already being placed in the oven. Especially since we were told it would be 25-30 minutes before it would be ready to pick up. AND they would be making an extra $6 on the deal. We sat in our car for about 10 minutes before we went in. Girl at register asked if she could help us. I said yes, we placed and order for carry out. She said , ok what's the name? I said he didn't ask me for a name. She said ok looking at the computer screen and said ok is it Traci? I said yes. She told me the total and printed receipt and asked me to sign while she got the pizzas. Turned around and they were sitting on the rack. She sat them down on the counter and proceeded to open them up for me to look at them. They looked pitiful! See for yourself in the attached pics. This restaurant used to be really good. Even though the prices were a little on the hide side (more than one of the chain stores) you felt like you got your money's worth because they were a bit larger than the chain pizza places, the ingredients seemed fresher and they gave you good sized helpings. They have certainly gone down hill. My husband and I have a "list" we put restaurants on if we are unhappy with the service, the taste, or anything really. We will not give them our business anymore. This place unfortunately is going to have to go on the "list". read more

Papa Gios - 3 topping pizzas. I think a 5 year old could've done a better job honestly. - Italian Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

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My delivery was great! Food was still hot and the delivery guy was polite and professional. They even came a little early which I didn't mind. (I placed it in the morning to come at 7pm) it came around 6:45 or 6:50 which was great cause I was hungry! Definitely will be ordering again. read more

Papa Gios - BBQ chicken pizza!! THE BEST. - Italian Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

To preface this post I don't bash places unless it is EXTREMELY warranted . I'm sorry but This place is extremely inconsistent. Never get same quantity of food OR same quality of order. Order a dish. One day it comes small One day it's larger. One day it's fresh Next day it's garbage. Told owner. He said "I don't believe that! I've had the same cooks forever". Owner had told me "if you ever have any issue let me know". News flash. The managers refuse to relay your message and try to quiz you as to why you want to talk to him. I finally got thru. Have visual proof of what crap was delivered as he requested and got no response. The order was obviously something they scraped off someone's plate or another order. The sausage was a piece of a link. Ok Was told that the order comes with two links. When I asked the cook staff says that's not true and you have to specify. Owner said his staff is wrong. Owner never called me back after receiving pictures of his order; Sausage piece that looked like it was chomped on and half the plate fresh and the remainder looking like it was pulled out of the garbage. . Tried to give benefit of the doubt and went in again during covid. No masks by anyone! Asked why and was told that it was because the new manager told everyone not to wear them because they "don't look good" and they don't have to because the county ordinance expired. What a joke!!! It's unfortunate because some of the food like the pizza is actually ok. Buyer beware. Place started out good. Be careful. No longer the only game in town! read more

Papa Gios - a plate of spaghetti with meat and sauce - Italian Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Terrible service and mediocre at best food. Waited over an hour for our food out and the "chef" had the audacity to come to our table and shrug and say "we're doing our best". read more

Pizza was terrific. Staff was so friendly and just a great place to get some good food . Will be going again when I'm in the area

Two words, Don't Go. Tried to dine in tonight and it took the hostess longer than 10 mins to acknowledge us. Please note that we were standing right in front of her stand and only one other table waiting to be seated. While we were waiting another group came in and wasn't as patient as us and left. Still waiting, we noticed the same hostess that was cleaning tables, handling menus making side salads with one gloved hand and one bare hand. Yes bare hand and she did not go to the restroom to wash her hands in between cleaning tables and handling menus. Needless to say, we left and will not return. Oh and side note: the side salad bar she was making salads at was open and she never closed the cover. DHEC, where are you?! read more

Great customer service and the food is amazing. You must try the sweets!! Easy order and takeout read more

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The food here is amazing! Best pizza in Lexington, hands down. Great service. Went in thereto try it out once and have become regulars. I am very particular about my pizza, so this is high praise coming from me. read more

Honestly a disappointing experience all together. We ordered a medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a fettuccine Alfredo entree with added grilled chicken. The pizza was decent, but nothing extraordinary and would have been a huge let down if not for the side of ranch dressing we ordered to go with it (an additional fee). But the fettuccine alfredo was an absolute disappointment. With hardly no flavor, a questionable smell, and a rubbery texture we failed to manage more than three bites before counting the loss and moving on. Paired with an embarrassing side salad and a roll that resembled a brick, we were quite sad from the experience. read more

Good quality Italian food definitely bring my repeat business here it's quick and convenient for a to go Pizza.

Inconsistent, sloppy, floppy, limp pizza. Asked kindly for a side of hot for wings, received none. I was asked if I wanted ranch or bleu cheese for wings, received none. I requested a extra salad dressing for chicken caesar salad, received none. I'd even pay for it, if I received it. The garlic rolls/knots were soggy, stale disgusting tid bits of crapola. The food, the order takes, the pizza makers, the wait staff...there is no consistancy at all. Go to Ferrara's down the road. read more

I love the pizza here but there are so many issues I won't be eating here again. First, they can't understand a word you say on the phone because it is so loud in their background. 2nd, not only does the chef not wear a mask, I witnessed him shake a customers hand twice and go back to making pizzas touching the dough. The customer forced the shake but the guy making pizza didn't sanitize or wash his hands before tossing dough again. Just too much wrong from a sanitary perspective. read more

So disappointed. I used to love this place and would go there or order in fairly often. So, when we were doing a big staff dinner at my house for 22 people, I was quick to recommend them. We were in a staff meeting when we called to place the order. We said the dinner was at 6p and they recommended that they come at 5:45p to set up. We paid (including tip) and were all set. The event came, and it was just after 6. My friends asked if we should call and I said, 'no, they are probably just a minute late'. Thankfully, they ignored me and called anyways. It was a good thing because Papa Gios had no idea what we were talking about. We had 22 people here ready for dinner, and no food, and it wasn't even on the way. We told them we needed it here ASAP (we had no back up plan for 22 people!) and they got it here fairly quickly (around 7p-just over an hour late). For not having it ready, I was actually impressed with how quickly they got it here. The problem was that it was a bit cold and we didn't have time to let it warm back up in the servers because everyone was hungry! Additionally, it wasn't exactly what we ordered. All of that would have been ok (at least they got it here, and we were all friends so didn't mind hanging out and waiting), but they REALLY SHOULD have done something to make it right. When we followed up with them after the event, they took NO responsibility and did NOTHING to make it right. Not only have they lost my business forever, but the business of all 22 families (and likely many of their friends) that were at the event. An unfortunate reality of business is that folks are 8 times more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. Yelp has probably made that number even higher! *Case in point* I would think any business owner would know that. All they had to do was say something like, 'we're so sorry, let us take 20% off to help make up for the trouble', or 'here are some appetizers cards for the people at your event'. We didn't pitch a fit. In fact, I tried to be very nice, understanding that the poor delivery folks were walking into a tough situation. I helped unload and joked with them as we set up. However I was shocked that they did nothing. It was a silly mistake that will cost them much much more than a simple apology and discount to make up for it would have. I'll never understand folks that run a business that way. read more

Couldn't get anyone to take our order, then when the male (third person) answered he was rude, abrupt & unhelpful (when we asked if we were in their delivery area he said, "well 20 is a big highway," what?!) Anyway, we decided on Miyabi Jr's &, as always, they were awesome! We gave 1 star for Papa Gio's answering the phone. read more

Went to PaPa Gio's a few days ago and observed a server working even though she was obviously extremely sick. She was sweating and congested and coughing. I couldn't believe it and left immediately. I will NOT ever go back. read more

Very good pizza and very customer centric team as we were .8 miles outside the delivery radius but they were understanding and worked with us in delivery. read more

My goodness where to start, I ordered food last night, the Italian Trio, let me just say they're pre-made as per rude Manager. She personally makes them herself... can I just say no meat whatsoever!! Also the stuffed shrimp come embedded in the greasiest so called butter- which wasn't the best! I called today to avoid this review! But if you answering a business call by saying, Hello? Are you really a good representative of this restaurant! I ended the call with" Not how I thought this conversation would go" she had no problem with it! Will never return! Same one that moved from the Flight Deck center- do yourself a favor, and order Chinese, or Anything other. Sadly! read more

I've been a customer since they came to town. I've watched the quality go up and down throughout the pandemic, but over the past few months I've seen the quality of the staff improve greatly! my server the past few times was just delightful and he really made my experience pleasant. keep up the great work! The food was great as always! read more