Your typical Italian carb-fest. Â This place is good for large groups. Â The pizza was good, the pasta dish was meh. Â I ordered spaghetti pomodoro and the sauce was very watery - I would not order this again. Â However, as a group we ordered a couple of pizzas and those were good. Â The past dishes come with garlic bread and I think a salad; I ordered the petite plate and that only comes with the garlic bread.
Review Source:Two stars for the customer service, that's all I can give it. Â I eat at Gio's each time I'm in town. Â The food is almost always great, but the service has really gone downhill. Â Once your meal is served they don't come back and check on you. Â I recently waited 10 minutes with finished plates on my table and no check, Nd the servers walking in and out of the dining area not even noticing our table. Â It hasn't happened with just one server, it's all of them. Â I could understand if it was always slammed, but the poor service seems to be the new standard. Â Really bummed!
Review Source:Our experience at Giovanni's was poor at best. Â The pizza was below average in quality and presentation. Â The taste was to be forgotten. Â The service was average and the pricing or lack of pricing left a lot to be desired. Â There check was a total surprised in how high it was for such a bad meal experience.
This is the worst pizza I have ever tasted.
My advice is to go to one of the other two pizza establishments in Mammoth Lakes.
Good pizza - 3 stars  Nothing special, but a good pie.
Service - 1 star.  The  waitress spilled soda all over my lap while she was trying to clear the table.  Only a  half hearted, "I'm sorry". Â
No offer of consideration to compensate for the unfortunate accidentl. How about taking the soda off my bill? Â The drink was on me (pun intended), maybe the cost should be on them.... Â How about a coupon of something, anything, which says we want to keep you as a customer. (0 Stars)
There was no manager in sight to address the situation (0 stars). Â This is screwed up.
Sorry, I won't be back . Â There are TOO many other options in Mammoth Lakes that understand customer service
I had a fantastic pizza there! What I did was order half a large pizza as a "Meatzza" and got creative with the other half. I like white sauce, so I ordered the other half as white sauce with chicken and a couple of vegetables. The Meatzza is similar to an All Meat Pizza at Pizza Factory. The white sauce side was killer! Everybody loved it!
I visited their web site before going there and wrote down exactly what I wanted on a piece of paper and handed it to the waiter. I suggest that if you like pesto sauce or white sauce that you be brave and invent your own pizza. That is the way to get your money's worth at Giovanni's in the over-priced Mammoth Lakes food market.
The restaurant is divided into two parts: the bar and the restaurant. You get the same food in both halves. I went to the restaurant side this time and there were enough servers to cover the room. The last time that I went to the bar part, there was one guy trying to serve the whole room, so the service wasn't too good that night. I had fine service this last time in the restaurant half, though.
I don't understand all the confusion over the pizza sizes. We had a large pizza. The menu says that this size serves 3-4. There were three of us and we had two pieces left over (one from each half). The Giovanni small pizza is smaller than normal. The medium size is larger and the large size is equivalent to an extra large. I don't have anything to compare the Mammoth size to. Here is a diameter table:
                Giovanni's        Domino's and Pizza Factory
Small                9"                      10"
Medium             13"                      12"
Large               16"                      14"
Extra Large                                  16"
Mammoth           19"
Area (what you are paying for) is (pi times diameter squared) divided by 4.
I remember this being so much better.
I got the cheese tortellini puttanesca, with a dinner salad. Â She got the fettuccine with vodka sauce and sausage (for a petite appetite). Â It was nice that you could get smaller versions if you didn't want too much.
Still, it was not memorable. Â Service was good, but seemed strained. Â More like hit or miss, I guess.
I ordered the petite appetite, really didn't feel too hungry and didn't feel llike being stuffed, it was kinda late in the evening. My meal consisted of vodka sauce, fettuccine, with sausage (2.95 extra) with small slice of bread. He opted for the Puttanesca cheese tortellini with dinner salad and a side of bread. Since its our first night here, we opted to drink water. He wasn't wowed with his meal. I've had better else where, the sausage was good.
However the staff was helpful and friendly, and food came out hot, but I don't know...
Great pizza! I was able to feed a large group of 14 people on 3 Mammoth-sized pizzas with a few slices left over. Everyone RAVED about the pizza. The pesto with chicken, artichoke, and bell peppers was demolished with the pepperoni, sausage, bell pepper, and mushroom following soon after.
Management was helpful and accommodating. Made all the right suggestions to make sure my group had a great dining experience. Thanks guys!
Who doesn't love a good group Mammoth trip where board games and alcohol are the medicine to the aching bones of controlled snow falling. Well that's what we're doing right now and the goal for dinner was to find a place that would accommodate my group of 15 people with less than 2 hours notice. Giovanni's was up to the task. They were friendly in keeping us informed of how our table outlook was while we were lounging the waiting room. So 5 stars for the greet and registration staff.
Once we were sat, service would be a different story. It was friendly, but didn't come as often as we'd like. I never heard the question being asked if I wanted a drink refill, or how the food was. Now I feel I've taken those things for granted, but it's totally noticeable when it doesn't come. This lowered the experience quite a bit.
-=-Calzone-=- (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/giovannis-restaurant-and-lounge-mammoth-lakes?select=tkeRgnXNmQeyMOiiomh7vA#5eva5hL1vUGLkplD8Rfw7w">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>) I considered these the best bang for buck on the menu. It was cheaper than most of the entrees on the menu, and it was way more substance. I can't say that I had the signature dish here (pizza), but from my two toppings (mushroom and shrimp) in my calzone, I would think that a pizza would be top notch here.
Superbowl Sunday at Mammoth, my friend busted his knee skiing, so we decided to stay in and watch the game instead of hitting the bars.
Ordered just after coin toss and food arrived in 45min sharp to our door. We were expecting a much longer wait time given the event, a plus.
The Mammoth size pizza (suppose to be 19") was smaller than expected. The menu says feed 5-6, we only have 4 people and killed it in 30min... Quality was nothing out of the ordinary. Other stuff like Caesar salad and buffalo wings were ok too.
Good place for pizza delivery around the area, but obviously wouldn't make the trip to old town to dine here.
If you have children, this is where to take them. Â
Very family friendly pizza joint. Â I got the mushroom ravioli with pesto sauce. Â Nice to have a choice for sauces. Â We got the chicken tenders for my daughter and she liked them. Â And they have a few good draft beers, we got Fat Tire. Â
Just go early during the winter. Â We left at 6:30pm and there looked like a long wait.
Again my ratings is for the area of what is available in Mammoth, in no way am I rating this 4 stars out of all the Italian places I've ever ate at. I'm from LA, so I've had my fair share of amazing food.
Anyways we also didn't dine in, way too tired after boarding all day, so we ordered for delivery which is also a $5 charge, I'm not sure if this is the standard in Mammoth, I guess they don't do free delivery if it's a minimum order, their delivery price is set. Which yes, I may understand since it's cold and always snowing pretty much I guess.
Anyways the lady I spoke to on the phone was extremely nice, never rushed me and answered all my questions.
We ordered the following:
Large Caesar Salad (4)- anchovies in the dressing, but pretty much every Caesar does. I enjoyed this, the salad was good, and so was the dressing, my brother who loves Caesar's and orders them every time even approved!
Margherita Pizza (4)- NOT BAD for Mammoth, not one like I'd have in LA maybe for the most part, but the sauce was good, basil, tomatoes were fresh, and garlic, everyone actually really enjoyed the pizza ALOT! If you have good flavor it works, and we also ordered on thin crust!
Vodka Sauce with Penne (3.75)- Not bad, wish I asked for extra sauce, had a little spicy kick to it, I would probably have thought it was an arrabiata sauce not Vodka Sauce, but nonetheless, it wasn't bad, had flavor for the most part even comparing to Olive Garden (sad excuse for Italian)
Pesto Sauce with Penne (2.5)- Again, wish I asked for extra sauce, it came a little dry, also since it's pesto it isn't really saucy to begin with, tasted better with parmesan cheese, but I could taste the basil so it wasn't bad!
Garlic Bread and a Side Salad come with every entree and your choice of dressing too! Standard, garlic bread and salad were good enough for me (4). My dad really enjoyed the balsamic dressing I got for him, and they have many others including the following: ranch, italian, thousand island, blue cheese, honey mustard etc.
We also received cutlery and plates from them, how nice, if I was in Mammoth again and wanted some Italian take-out I would order from this place again!
It was AWESOME!!! The bartender/server Rick was absolutely hilarious and very positive and upbeat. We had the lasagna, cheesy bread (which is handmade by God himself,) and the customized pizza. Everything was great.
Super cool atmosphere and it wasn't too packed at all. We got to watch our 49ers game in a booth so it was very comfy. Â I'd say it's a pizza parlor with lots of other choices and also a little bit of a quiet sports bar too. GREAT EXPERIENCE!
Thanks Rick!
"Unexpectedly awesome."
Come on! We all know that Italian places are a dime a dozen, and sadly, most places are mediocre at best - especially the ones that try to be a pizzaria with a full menu. Well, not Giovanni's.
I really didn't want to come here. I had bad memories of another Italian place in Mammoth, that will remain unnamed. However, the family decided Gio's, so I rolled with the punches. SO glad I did.
AMAZING Minestrone!!! Probably one of the best bowls of Minestrone I've ever had... anywhere. Rich and full-bodied without being heavy, aromatic, and chuck full of fresh veggies. I'm not kidding at all when I advise you to get a bowl to go, if you have the time. You might just see God.
Look, the pizza was awesome... The salad bar was fresh and delicious. No joke, everyone in our party was happy. EVERYONE. 12 or so folks... everyone was pleasantly surprised. We all agreed that it was unexpectedly awesome.
I can't wait to return. Shoot, the second I drive into Mammoth, I'll probably get a bowl of Minestrone to go. HUGE THUMBS UP and hats off to Giovanni's, a Mammoth establishment that been around for decades, but still manages to surprise and impress.
Some extra jazz:
- Parking is not a problem. It's in the same huge lot as Vons, Booky Joint, etc.
- They have a bar area, with TVs. Nice place to lube up and watch the game.
- The All-You-Can-Eat soup and salad was what I ordered and will certainly order again.
- Their pizza whoops the pants off of Domino's, but I'm a shameless Nik-n-Willies fan. Still, Gio's is a great option for pizza.
This joint was recommended by the guy at our hotel. Â He said it's the best Italian in Mammoth and he was right.
Friend had the ravioli and I had the chicken parmigiana. Â We shared a bottle of red and a couple of salads.
Although the wine was a bit warm upon arrival, Jeff immediately brought us an ice bucket to chill things down a bit. Â Although my dish was a bit heavy on the red sauce, it was still one of the best I ever had. Â Next time I'll skip the spaghetti side and just get it straight up.
Great ambiance, food and service. Â Looking forward to our next visit. Â Thanks Jeff!!
I've decided that I'm not returning. As it is I'm only able to come up here once a year but my family always wants to go and no matter what I eat..I feel sick later. I've given it chance after chance and I can't do it anymore. Plus, our waitress was pretty shoddy. She took 15 minutes to come to our table to get our drink order after being seated, only checked on us once which was inconvenient since we needed to order more food & refill drinks and it took forever to get our check and we needed to get on the road.
All in all. Deuces Giovanni's.
This place has a pretty good menu. Â I've only done their pizza lunch special for $8.95 plus tax and I get the two items usually with pepperoni and either mushroom or olive depending on the day and ask for the more spicy pizza sauce. Â It also comes with a salad which they have to best croutons ever. Â Most places will have 2-4 sauce options.
You can call your order in advance otherwise you would have to wait about 15 minutes which takes time way from your lunch. The counter service is very friendly. Â I like their regular crust but they have wheat, gluten free, thin, thick and a few other options. Â I eat it all. Â Crust tastes really good compared to some other places in town. Â If I get back to Mammoth, I assure you I will do their lunch special again. Â They do have other options like pastas and sandwiches for the same lunch special if you don't want pizza and if you want more options, you just pay for the additional items.
Good place for family too. They have a bar inside for happy hour which I have no idea what that would include and the restaurant side is pretty big.
Parking is easy breezy. Â It's in the same lot as the Minaret Cinema and just a stones throw from Von's grocery store.
Everyone knows that up in the mountains it is really hard to find some good food. Most of the time when you are up here, it all taste soo soo bad that you just want to throw it away.
Well Giovanni's is not at all like that. In fact this place blows many pizza places out the door. If you crave pizza with a lot of cheese and good amount of sauce..come here and try it out. It is located in the same plaza as Von's.
A party of two ordered an entire large pizza half with mushrooms and the other half with with pepperoni. We kept eating slice and slice and after all of it we only had three slices left. It was just that good!
Our service was spectacular, our waitress was soo on top of it with our drinks and getting us all we needed to enjoy our food. One of my best experiences I've had in a long time, when your up i the slopes.
GREAT pizza! Â The pizza itself gets 5 solid stars. Â No compliant on the pizza at ALL.
However, the other dishes we ordered were just BAD. Â We should have just stuck with pizza and nothing else. Â Not knowing any better, we also ordered their salad, lasagna and pastas. Â I now understand what Robert Irvine from Food Network meant when you could tell food was made from canned food. Â With the $$$ we paid, the quality of food (besides the pizzas) was worse than TV dinner. Â The portion was ridiculously small. Â The pesto pasta was a big joke. Â No flavor whatsoever. Â Where was the pesto??
This place should really just sell pizza and nothing else. Â I would have given this place 2 stars if it wasn't for the nice server we had. Â Will return ONLY for the pizza.
Yes on the pizza, no on the pastas. Oh ya, the soup is okay.
Came here fairly late on a weekend, and it was pretty busy. The right side of the restaurant is a room with TVs and booths, and has a sports bar feel. The left side is a bunch of tables that has that small town restaurant feel.
We had the Mammoth sized pizza half and half with our specified toppings. The crust and sauce were excellent and the toppings were loaded on. Pizza here is a must. I also had the Minestrone soup which was just average. The pasta however, was not great. The alfredo sauce was bland and lacked that kick and boldness that it should have.
The service was great and our large group was the last one there around 9:30pm.
The best pizza to get after a long day of snowboarding! Â Lotta toppings & nice thick tasty crust.
Too bad they don't deliver. Â Though there is a delivery service that charges you an arm & a leg to pick up and deliver for you.
I tried their pasta and realized - just get their PIZZA! Â Gets packed so I would suggest pre-ordering by phone - drive up - pick it up - take it back to the cabin & chow down!
Thanks yelpers!
Came here on Valentine's Day for a quick snack after a long day on the slopes.
My BFF and I shared a small chicken & mushroom pesto pizza. I was bummed out because they ran out of whole wheat crust. booh for me.
Service was standard. A little on the pricey side. Free parking. Parking wasn't an issue. Casual indoor seating. There wasn't a wait ( we beat the crowd that day).
If you're looking for pizza in Mammoth Lakes, Giovanni's is your best bet.
I still like the pizza's. Â The service is OK. Â But I dined alone and got the lasagna and just wasnt impressed. Â The pasta was hard in corners, and its just smothered in their marinara. Â Not much effort into it, I wouldnt get it again or recommend.
The beers are good tho. Â The double nut brown tastes like a Guinness.
I'm going to give Giovanni's four stars because it is one of my favorite places to go to in Mammoth. However, I think I should say that if Gio's was in LA, I'd have to take it down by at least a star because while it's good, it's never great. The best thing about this place (for me) is their unlimited salad bar option. Yeah, they've got good pasta, and yes, they have made a cheeseless pizza for me on occasion which is very sweet, I just love their unlimited salad bar.
Good beer selection too, nice staff, and a very family-friendly place. Not a bad place to grab some simple grub on your vacation.
I started my review with 4 stars and how I liked this place. Â But the more I wrote, I realized that it was not in the 4 to 4.5 range that was in my head. Â But more like a 2.5 or 3. Â I think a long day on the mountain left me deliriously happy for any sort of sustenance I could find. Â My small pizza was $11, not expensive but also not cheap. Â Our server forgot our water, served us flat soda, and added a large pizza to our bill that we did not order. Â
But in all fairness, the pizza was good and the Beer was delicious so I shouldn't complain too much.
In terms of going out, there's not much to do in Mammoth at night. Â Then again, I wasn't entirely thorough when inquiring about the local underground asian gambling halls, kumites and massage parlors with happy endings. Â If the crowd at Grumpy's sports bar isn't your thing and you don't feel like watching a three hour chick flick with two other dudes in a sub-zero temp movie theater, you can always eat at Giovanni's. Â The pizza is decent, but the price is rather the opposite.
After stuffing yourself silly with pizza and domestic beer, you can go back to the hotel and order p0rn on TV...if you're into that kind of thing.
A solidly mediocre experience. Â 2.5 stars. Â I would say the pasta here is on par with that served at the Spaghetti Factory. Â After a long day on the slopes, we were in need of some serious carbs. Â (Hey, falling on your ass multiple times burns a lot of calories!)
I ordered the spaghetti in vodka sauce with meatballs. Â The sauce was good, but not great. Â The meatballs, however, were delish! Â He ordered the chicken parmesan and it was garbage. Â The meat was dry, tough, and not even breaded I don't think (it was really hard to tell). Â All the pasta was cooked WAY beyond al dente. Â Our salads with Ranch dressing were good, but how the hell do you screw that up anyway?
We'll go for the pizza next time. Â If there is a next time.
2009 is the Year of the Eggplant for me.
So that's what I ordered from Giovanni's for take-out. Â I beat out Hoover's suction speed the way I devoured this dish, eggplant baked with tomatoes, cheese, and basil in a neopolitan sauce. It came with a side of minestrone soup and garlic bread which was also quite tasty and hearty after a day of riding.
Fatty ordered the fettucini alfredo and a side salad, both of which which were just okay. Â But dinner was delivered to our hotel in pretty good time, maybe 30 minutes at the most, which on a Saturday night in Mammoth is good time. Â Or maybe it is just a sign of the times... Â
Well, I would definitely order from here again instead of further exhausting myself, waiting at a crowded restaurant for dinner. Â Ay-and, our entrees were only $12.25 each, which I thought was pretty fantastic. Â Restaurants with good food and outstanding prices, that cater to both my laziness and fatigued muscles are almost always guaranteed a good review ; )
3 stars.
The Special pizza that we ordered was pretty good - good crust, good toppings, and they didn't charge us for subbing jalapenos for the green peppers.
It gets dinged for the service being kinda slow that night. Maybe it was crowded for a Monday night, but when we have to wave our arms to flag down a server, meh.
The garlic bread was really filling, and they didn't charge for the marinara sauce.
I might be back.
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