Giovanni's Pizza and subs — Restaurant in Florida

We had heard many things about this place and decided that since we were in the area, we'd give it a shot. I can say that the reviews you've read aren't wrong, assuming they were on the high end.

Judging this book by its cover, you might find yourself missing out. The location is in a small strip mall with a lot of other neighboring businesses, including some restaurants. The interior was very simply decorated, in the fashion of an old-school family restaurant. It was actually kind of funny in that the restaurant is an Italian place, but was playing country music with a hockey game on the TV. Quite a mix going on here. This place is known for its pizza, calzones and stromboli, which is what we were looking to try. They also have quite a bakery selection with different types of desserts, including tres leches cake, strawberry shortcake, tira misu and cannolis. The whole front of the restaurant is screened and lined off so that people can place to go orders safely. If you choose to dine-in, the whole side is available to sit in, except for the spacing, with every other table blocked off.

Being new to the location, we took our menus to the table and studied them, finally landing on the calzones - one meat lover and one Giovanni's calzone. If you intend to have these, take my advice and figure out what the people in your party like, because there is no need to order one per person. These can feed at least two and probably easily 4-5 per sitting. They are simply massive. As it was, we ended up taking half of them home and eating them the next day. They didn't warm up enough to do them the justice they deserved, but were still good.

Everything about them screams homemade and it's obvious they were thrown together and baked in the kitchen upon ordering them. The ingredients were fresh and tasty and you could definitely identify the ricotta cheese, italian sausage, onions, parmesan cheese and other ingredients. In addition, my wife was a big fan of the cannoli, telling me how good it was.

Finally, on top of how great the people working there were, I'd add a few more things. While the line to get food here wasn't long, it was steady. People came and went regularly while we sat there eating, which vouches for the quality of the food here. One of the clinchers for me, strange as it may sound, was the bathroom. I don't believe I'm the only person that judges a restaurant by the bathroom cleanliness, and if this fits you, trust me - they keep the place perfectly. If they do the same in their kitchen and produce the food that I just enjoyed, this place will see me as a frequent flyer.

Update 03/22/21 There are only a few pizza places that I highly recommend to people looking, and this is one of them. They have a very loyal crowd of locals, and I guess I'm starting to be one of them, judging by how often we meet each other there.

I call it a pizza place, but to be frank (Sorry Frank), this is so much more. They have amazing pizza, great calzones and incredible homemade desserts as well as some other things.

This trip, we decided to branch out and try something besides the regular Calzone. My wife went for the Lasagna, which is fresh made, while I had the two pizza slice deal with the Meat Lover toppings. The two pizza deal is $7.99 with a soft drink, and two dollars more adds the toppings. That's pretty reasonable. These are large pieces of pizza too. It took me two meals to finish both.

For some reason, my wife's lasagna was served with enough garlic bread to feed a small village, and the house salad added even more. Both meals were excellent. We finished it off with some Baklava and Tiramisu.

This is a small family operation, but their food is incredible and well worth a trip. Because of the size of their operation and the size of their fan club, there are times this can get very busy, and a long wait may await you. If you are able to, call in and place the order for pickup so it's waiting. Unless you just want to sit and drink a beer while you wait. Then that's an...

Giovanni's Pizza and Subs - 42641 US-27, Davenport, FL 33837 I recently visited this Italian restaurant with high expectations, eager to enjoy an authentic lasagna dish. While there were certainly highlights to the experience, there were also some areas that left room for improvement.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was fairly neutral. The ambiance lacked a warm and welcoming feel, which was unexpected for a place known for its Italian charm. The decor was simple and clean, though it could benefit from more personality to match the cuisine it serves. The cleanliness of the establishment was adequate, which was appreciated.

Unfortunately, the service fell short of expectations. The host displayed a stoic and somewhat unapproachable demeanor, leaving me with the impression that I was an inconvenience rather than a valued guest. The interaction felt rushed and impersonal, as though I was simply part of a transaction. This lack of attentiveness detracted from the overall experience.

The lasagna, on the other hand, was the highlight of the visit. It was cheesy, savory, and delicious, with a satisfying flavor profile that left me impressed. However, I did feel that it lacked an adequate amount of marinara sauce, which would have elevated the dish even further. The portion size was reasonable, and the presentation was simple but appealing.

In summary, while the food quality—particularly the lasagna—was a strong point, the service and ambiance left something to be desired. With improvements in hospitality and atmosphere, this restaurant has the potential to provide a much more memorable dining experience. For now, I would cautiously recommend it, especially for those who prioritize food quality...

I would give them no stars if I could.. tonight we went for pizza and ordered a 14" supreme pizza with garlic knots and 2 sodas, the guy repeated it all back to me and then I paid. We went to sit down and they brought out the knots, and shortly thereafter brought out a cheese pizza, I stated that we did not order a cheese pizza that it was a supreme and the guy said well they told me to bring the pizza to this table and I said nope not ours, so he went back and another guy came out and said oh well I ordered the cheese pizza that is what you paid for so you will have to pay the difference in the price, and that there was a supreme pizza already in the oven, I reluctantly said ok, which was not our fault especially since the person repeated it to me but I pulled my card out to pay and he just gave a look cause he thought that we would pay the difference in cash.. he left and by then my husband said lets just go so I went up to tell them that we weren't going to take that pizza and to just refund me the pizza portion back. he gave me cash back, but he obviously was trying to run a scam on us and against the owners of the place, cause makes me wonder how many of us did get scammed tonight? the cheese pizza that they brought to the table in fact went to the table beside us so they obviously knew, as well as why would there be a supreme pizza already...