Giovanni's Pizzeria & Kitchen — Restaurant in Four Corners

Before you read anything further, understand one thing, Giovanni’s is a truly great restaurant.

Because recently, I had the pleasure of meeting everyone at their new Davenport location and sampling a large selection of the menu and bar items. And, yeah, it’s good. Really, really good. I recommend it and would definitely go back.

For context, Giovanni’s is a casual, upscale but fun and not-snooty Italian restaurant and bar. The owners and chefs go out of their way to import unique, genuine Italian ingredients. Then infuse these culinary finds into all aspects of the food and drinks. The result is an authentic Italian dining experience, but with an American injection of energy and first-rate service.

Let’s break it all down.

ATMOSPHERE: This Davenport location is beautifully decorated, without being overly ornate and gaudy. There’s a huge bar at the front with big TVs and an inviting high-top social area. The lighting is just right and the aesthetic is pure class. If you want sit-down fancy time, then you can also sit in the dining room. Or go family-style in their mob-boss-esque round tables. (Order the Soprano Old Fashioned if you do that, you won’t be disappointed.)

SERVICE: From Roberto the Italian-native manager, to all of the wait staff and the GM Danny, everyone here is excited about this new location, attentive, friendly and super knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients. And this last bit makes a big difference, as not enough restaurants take the time to make sure their staff knows everything inside and out. But Giovanni’s does.

DRINKS: Their cocktails are A+ all the way. Each one is culinarily crafted and features something uniquely Italian. The presentation is beautiful on all of them. Whether that’s the elderflower-forward Nona’s Garden, the luxuriously delicious limoncello gin drink, espresso martini, or the already-famous Soprano old fashioned, you just can’t go wrong. And the bartenders clearly take pride in their work. Of course, their wine list is above board, meanwhile, the beer selection is rather pedestrian, featuring the familiar American restaurant rotation, although, they do have Peroni in the bottle.

FOOD: So let’s talk about what I had. Perfect Fried Mozzarella that puts the usual stuff you get to shame. A hearty Stuffed Pizza slice, which is basically a creative take on stromboli in appetizer form. Housemade bread and butter that’s probably some of the best bread I’ve ever had, for real. Ridicilously flavorful wings. Excellent salads, one featuring their original, tart but lightly sweet House Dressing, and an honestly killer Caesar Salad with a secret recipe Caesar dressing that apparently has 14 ingredients in it! Wow. Of course, the pizzas there are made with only the freshest dough, and custom blend cheeses. I’m not trying to be long-winded here, but this is important stuff. So let’s close with a mention of their light and fresh lasagna, a crazy good fettuccine alfredo, and a wildly decadent homemade Tiramisu.

OVERALL: It’s such an inviting place that takes freshness, ingredients, flavor, presentation, service and vibe seriously. They execute on it all with excellence. It’s a great date spot. Wonderful family dining with space and comfort. A Happy Hour heaven. And just a casual chill spot to watch a game, have a few drinks and share a pizza. I can’t say enough good things. This is an easy 5-star review for me. Can’t wait to hear other folks' thoughts...

Broken Glass near Ice Bin-SERIOUS HAZARD Under cooked pizza

Review of Giovanni’s Pizzeria & Kitchen – Davenport, FL

I was excited to try Giovanni’s Pizzeria & Kitchen, a new addition to the growing Davenport area. Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired, making it one of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve had since moving to the area.

Major Concerns: • Lack of Customer Engagement: From the moment I entered, the atmosphere felt unwelcoming. There was no host at the stand, and when a staff member finally approached, her reserved demeanor and extremely soft-spoken voice made communication difficult. After seating myself at the bar, the bartender did not acknowledge me—no greeting, no welcome, nothing. • Serious Safety Violation – Broken Glass in the Ice Bin: Shortly after arriving, I witnessed the bartender break a glass directly over the ice bin. Having seen best practices in the food and beverage industry, I know that any glass breakage behind the bar should result in an immediate stop to service, removal of all contaminated ice, and a thorough cleaning of the area. Shockingly, none of this happened. The bartender continued serving drinks, including ice from the contaminated bin. • Unprofessional Behavior: The bartender’s demeanor was already tense, and after breaking the glass, she appeared even more frustrated. At one point, I overheard her using profanity while speaking with another guest—completely inappropriate in a professional setting. Despite me being the only person at the bar ordering food, she never engaged with me directly, except when she abruptly informed me that her manager said I was ready for my check. • Manager’s Response: A manager eventually approached me and asked if I had been helped. I politely declined his offer for water, mentioning the broken glass. While he did offer to get ice from a different source, the fact remained that no corrective action was taken to address the contamination at the bar during my visit.

Food Quality Issues: • Undercooked, Flavorless Pizza: I ordered a 10-inch pizza with sliced meatballs and sautéed onions. Unfortunately, the dough was gooey and undercooked, making it unenjoyable. I took a couple of bites, asked for a box, and planned to finish cooking it at home. However, after attempting to eat a slice, I realized the pizza lacked any real flavor, which was disappointing as a pizza enthusiast. • Lackluster Salad: While I was given a salad as a courtesy, it was unimpressive. The iceberg lettuce was cut into large chunks, and the purple cabbage was also in oversized pieces, making it difficult to enjoy. • Best Item Served – Warm Bread & Spread: The only highlight of my meal was the warm bread and spread the manager brought out. This was, by far, the best part of my dining experience.

Final Thoughts:

Given the rapid growth of businesses and residential areas along Highway 27, I hope establishments in this area focus on hiring well-trained, professional staff who prioritize both food quality and customer safety. The failure to properly handle broken glass behind the bar was a major health risk to every customer. The staff’s lack of professionalism and the poor food quality make it difficult for me to recommend Giovanni’s.

While I always believe in giving restaurants a second chance, this experience left me with serious concerns. I wish Giovanni’s well, but I will not...

My boyfriend and I went out to dinner with another couple we’re friends with that have come to this location a few nights ago and enjoyed themselves and wanted to bring us to check it out. When we arrived the hosts were nice and took us immediately to our table. We noticed a large group of guys that were VERY loud and yelling to carry a conversation with one another while we were getting seated and thought they will get quiet as the meal progressed. The complete opposite happened. Our party could barely hear each other even while sitting next to each other. We noticed while we were eating our appetizers that a good portion of the female staff was lingering around their table practically egging them on to be loud and obnoxious to those around them. Other tables around us even noticed what was going on and were just as uncomfortable as us. After our entrees hit the table we asked to speak to the manager. Our server grabbed Danny and my friend was explaining to him what was going on and asked if there was something he could do. The manager responded VERY rudely and cold towards him that he basically can’t tell a “birthday party” what to do and that we should’ve said something about it when he could’ve done something about it. Mind you, the large party was still in the building they just moved to the bar area and would keep coming back and forth to their table. My friend then mentioned how something could be done and the manager responded with “thank you for telling me how to do my job” and walked away. At that moment we all looked at each other and knew we will not be bringing our business here again after the way the situation was handled. Not long after our server came back to the table Danny tried to offer a dessert for the four of us and we quickly denied that because of the way his demeanor and attitude was. We knew immediately he must be friends with the “party” people and didn’t want to upset them which I think is just rude. We had a good server and I wish I could remember her name but she’s from Argentina and was very kind. The lobster ravioli was good-good portion of lobster inside. Fried mozzarella was a good appetizer to share. Truly wish my experience was better at this place especially since it’s close to home for me. Will most likely not be returning-shocked if...