Let’s talk FOOOOOOD!
If you know anything about me, you’ll know I am SUPER picky when it comes to food. Okay, let’s be honest. I’m super picky when it comes to most things (LOL). But for now, let’s talk food…
Place: Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Location: Copperas Cove, Texas
Visit their website: ( https://giovannisitalianrestaurant.com/ )
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My mother, my youngest son (11), and I went here two weeks ago. I already posted my review on Google Maps and Yelp, but figured I’d post one for all of you here on my blog.
Pros: The building is really pretty on the outside and on the inside. Has a really nice, welcoming atmosphere. The hostess was nice as was our waitress. My son had the pizza and liked it. The portion sizes of my Trio and my mom’s Chicken Parmesan were nice sizes.
Cons:
**Note how I put the waitress friendliness as a “pro”; however, here comes the cons about our waitress. **
We ordered 1 sweet tea w/out lemon, 1 unsweet tea with lemon, and sierra mist. It took a good ten plus minutes to get our drinks. Waitress had lemon on the wrong tea, but not the end of the world.
Every time she talked, she put her hand on my shoulder. I understand she was being friendly but I suffer from PTSD and don’t like to be touched)
My soup and my mom’s salad arrive. Waitress sets my soup down and asks me to check it while she is standing there because “When it’s first part of the day, the soup isn’t always warm. Try it while I’m here so I know it’s hot enough for you. It might be cold.” (My mom and I were shocked) I try the soup. It is luke warm. Again, not the end of the world. Waitress leaves. When she comes back with the appetizers (calamari and mozarella sticks). She asks how everything is. I tell her how the “Spinach” isn’t cooked in the soup. She then explained how it’s “Kale” and it doesn’t get cooked, it just gets cut up and tossed in there. She told me more but I was just shocked she was telling me again what goes on in the kitchen.
Finally, she offers to refill our teas and disappears. Ten plus minutes later she comes back (after passing our table a few times doing other odds & ends), and refills our teas. Then comes back again with our food. She mentions the temperature of the food again. I don’t know if it is Giovanni’s usual to have their food/soups luke warm & that’s why she kept warning us about the temperature. When she came to check on us, I told her my food must have been made first and waited for the others because none of mine was hot. It was barely warm. I had the Trio (Alfredo, lasagna, and chicken parmesan.). She offered to take it back but at this point, I’m disappointed. I thank her but decline. Even if it was hot, I wouldn’t eat it because it tasted very bland & generic. (I lived in Italy and have eaten Italian food all over the world. This dish had the appearance of Italian but not the quality or taste.)
My mom spilled some sauce on her shirt and was trying to clean it off, when the waitress asked her for the empty dish towards the back of the table. I know the waitress meant well, but my mother was frustrated already about her shirt and then having to give the waitress the dish right then and there.
Later we had to wait on our to-go boxes and then again for the check & to get my card back once I paid. I timed the check wait because I was curious. (nearly ten minutes)
If you have back problems do NOT sit in the booths. Booths are super cute but you have to lean forward the entire time while sitting there; otherwise, you bump.
Outside of the friendly staff and pretty restaurant, I would not recommend this place to anyone. I know a lot of people around here only go to Giovanni’s for special occasions because of their prices; however, the quality of food really isn’t worth the price you pay.
Trio
Pizza**WordPress has been acting funny for me so if some of my sentences are choppy or in a random place, forgive me. I don’t know what’s going on with it.**
