Papa Joes Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

RESPONSE TO THE OWNER/WHOEVER WROTE THAT It’s a good thing that you went into the restaurant business and not journalism. I’m not sure if Joe, Donna, or a busboy wrote that, but here’s my response. I have been to Italy, numerous times, thank you for asking. As a matter of fact, I just got back from Rome four months ago. It is customary when serving Sicilian food, to say that it’s Sicilian food. But, let’s not dwell on that. There is a fairly large divide between normally Italian fare, and Sicilian fare. What your restaurant serves is generic, Italian American cuisine. When I say “cuisine”, I’m being very generous. I’m glad you admit that your pasta is boxed, your cheese is jarred, and your salad (thank you for looking out for us regarding the sanitary conditions of salads, but bagged salad has more chemicals and pesticides than any other form of greenery) is bagged. So no argument there, thank you. As “authentic” as Joe is, his food certainly is not. There is no difference between Joes and every other ma and pa Italian restaurant in any other shopping center in the U.S. You’ve been in business for a long time, serving mostly people that wouldn’t know the difference between “authentic” and non “authentic”. As Brooksville diversifies, population grows, and local household incomes grow, you will see that those people will know the difference. Based on a lot of your recent reviews, it has already started. Instead of being defensive and unprofessional, maybe, just maybe, take to heart what we have to say. Now, as far as Donnas bodega next door, no one wakes up saying, “lets get spaghetti and a facial!”- NO ONE. I’m sure she’s a very good esthetician, but there is a time and place for things, as you should know; considering you’ve been in business for 30 years. Do what you want with the space, I don’t care. It’s your money she’s playing with, not mine. I was just trying to give you some constructive criticism and feedback. Based on the half inch of dust on some of those items, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a big turn around. I have said my peace, and won’t bother to respond anymore. In the last week, you’ve received multiple sub-par reviews, so obviously I am not your only issue. Maybe you, Donna, and your staff should take a look in the mirror. Maybe I’ll come back and try you pizza sometime. :)

This is NOT “authentic Italian cuisine”. It’s your typical American Italian pizza place, but with nice decor. The mushroom appetizer was very good. The salad was a bagged salad with bad lettuce (the waitress even admitted it was bagged salad). There were no croutons or cheese for the salads. I ordered the chicken parm and spaghetti. It was good, not great. The pasta was NOT made in house and was boxed generic pasta….lol def not “authentic Italian”. Again, no grated cheese option for the pasta/chicken parm, instead they had the generic “pizza place” do it yourself cheese dispenser on the table (not very “authentic”). The “gift shop” was a huge fail and a waste of their money. They should sell Italian keychains, wineglasses with their name on it, the bottled wine that they serve, cornacello necklaces, etc. instead the shop is something you’d see in Tarpon Springs…a lot of misc stuff. Oh you can also apparently get a massage there….. I couldn’t tell what this place wanted to be; a regular pizza joint masked behind cute decor, or an upper scale Italian restaurant that missed the mark. I know the owners have been to Italy, so I know they know it’s not authentic. As a regular pizza joint I’d give them a B- (I’ve never had their pizza, just the chicken parm and my wife had the sampler). To grade them on an authentic Italian restaurant scale, it would be C-, no cheese grating, bagged salad,...

We have been driving by Papa Joes for years and never stopped. After seeing a post on Facebook and reading the reviews on Google we decided to go for my birthday. The pictures of the food looked good but looks can be deceiving. For starts what I assumed was the owner and his wife were standing near us speaking about business that they should not have been talking about near customers. The wait staff was also talking loud enough for us to hear about stuff as well. It was very unprofessional. Had the staff spent less time chatting and more time doing their jobs our service would have been better. I will explain. Our order was Stuffed Mushrooms, Antipasto A'la Papa Joe, Chicken Cognac, and New York Strip Palmero. The Antipasto A'la Papa Joe was good, but we had asked for the Gorgonzola and Anchovies on the side as I am the only one that likes those on my salad. The issue was when the Antipasto came out the gorgonzola and anchovies did not come out with it. Our waitress said they were getting some fresh gorgonzola for us. By the time she got around to getting it to us the salad was almost gone. I was not sure why you would deliver food to a table that was not complete. Our main dishes came out to us and they looked good but again they looked deceiving. Will start with the NY Strip. The steak had zero flavor, it was just not a good cut of meat, even with the peppers, onions, and cheese it did not help it. The Chicken Cognac was a chicken breast coated in a very bland bread crumb seasoning. It was so bland that it took away from the cognac sauce that was good. The flavor was so off when you mixed the two it just made the whole dish unappealing. For my birthday they gave me a mini cannoli. Thank God that was the best part of the whole meal. As for our waitress she was very disorganized and not all around very friendly I would use the term fake friendly. We had to ask multiple times for refills. She would disappear for extended periods of time. We had to wait over fifteen minutes for our check then another ten or so minutes to get our card back. It was ridiculous. Also, never once were we asked by anyone how our food was. The owners were walking around, and you would think as an owner you would want to speak to your customers to get input. I guess not. The inside is nice and clean so there is that. I will not be coming back and to be honest I am surprised how busy this place is sometimes. I guess people do not know what good Italian good taste like.

To reply to the response from restaurant. I would ask why the owner was not out meeting guests to ensure things where ok? As I said in my review, the owner and his wife were walking around talking to each other so I fail to see why they could not...

My wife and I had the absolute pleasure of getting married at Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant, and we can confidently say—if we could do it all over again, we absolutely would… maybe even twice!

From the moment we started planning, the team made everything seamless. The service was beyond exceptional—every detail was handled with the kind of care you’d expect from family, not just staff. The owner himself was always available—before, during, and even after the big day—ready to lend a hand, answer a question, or simply check in to make sure everything was going smoothly. On the day of the wedding, he was a reassuring presence, anticipating needs before we even voiced them. That level of attention is rare, and it meant the world to us.

The venue itself has a warm, welcoming, Tuscan charm that makes you feel instantly at home. We had 45 guests, and the room was spacious, elegant, and easily accommodated everyone with comfort and style. The lighting was perfect—and the fact that we could customize the colors of the ceiling lights to suit our mood and theme? That was the cherry on top.

Every guest was treated like royalty. The staff didn’t just serve—they connected, with smiles, kindness, and a sense of genuine joy to be part of our celebration. From setting up our wedding cake to cutting and serving each slice, they handled it all with care (and no one had to lift a finger—except to pick up their forks).

Ah yes—the food. Let’s just say… we’re still dreaming about it. The Formaggio Fuso was so good, we should’ve ordered a dozen for my wife and I alone. The Beef Tips Toscano and Penne Vodka were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Guests are still raving about the meal, and thankfully we had leftovers—enough to relive the magic for at least two more dinners (and maybe a midnight snack or two). Honestly, the only downside of the whole experience is that we can’t get married there again!

Papa Joe’s gave us a day we’ll never forget, wrapped in laughter, love, and the best Italian cuisine this side of Tuscany. If you’re looking for a venue that feels like home—with top-tier service, a caring and present owner, and unforgettable food—look no further. We walked in as clients, but left feeling...