Giovanni's Italian Sandwich

I love this place. If you want to feel like you have stepped into the relaxing ristorante of italy, this is a great place. sure, it's not very pretty, but the food is delicious. I will admit that service can be slow, but the food makes up for it. The antipasti salad is divine. they have a large menu to choose from, and its usually hard to pick, but i've never ever had a miss on quality or disappointment with the food. Gnocchi is great, with prosciutto and mushrooms. Seriously a great place more

This is a cute, hole in the wall restaurant that provides large portions and pretty tasty food. I went with a group and we all had different pasta dishes. The bolognese was good and the pesto and veal parmesan dishes were great. This is a good place to come with friends if you want something that feels homey and low-key. We'll probably go back. more

I just stopped in last weekend (for old times sake) while driving down PCH and reluctantly shared (I wanted to eat my OWN sandwich) a hot pastrami sandwich with my husband. It was quite large and the meat was super tasty without a lot of fat that pastrami usually has. The bread was perfectly warm and toasty without being too hard to bite into. It was nice to sit outside and people watch while sipping on a Stella waiting for our sandwich. It brought back memories of the good ol' days when I was younger and life was all about driving to the coast in hopes of scoring some free food, and to hang out my friend Dino who worked in his dad's deli every weekend....those were the days... more

I have always loved Spumoni. I didn't know I'd never really had it until we stopped at this gem of a place on the Pacific Coast Highway in Encinitas. While daytrippin' the PCH, we stopped there for a submarine sandwich (very good) and bowl of minestrone soup (excellent and plentiful). My wife reluctantly agreed to share some spumoni with me and we ended up fighting for it! Their service is great and friendly, it was pleasant to sit outside and watch folks walk by, and I noticed several local people stopping in to pick up pizzas so they must be good as well. Drop by if you are anywhere near. I live about one hundred miles away but I'll be back! more

Had the calzone, it was massive, I only finished half of it and got the rest to go. It looked like they had a lunch deli selection available, I might go back for a sandwich sometime. more

could the search be over??? ok, that is a bit exaggerated but this is the best attempt at an Italian sub that I have had on the West Coast. Disclaimer, that is all I have had from Giovanni's so I cant speak for the rest of the food, but this place does feel like a legit back east italian deli/restaurant... also, regarding the prices, people in san diego are cheap and broke... if you want a cheap sandwich go to subway So the bread is not anywhere near what you get back east but its not terrible, and the sandwich is good quality meats and cheeses so you overlook the bread. Ask for an Italian cold cut combo... and this is important! get the hot peppers on the side, bring them home and chop them up and spread them on the sandwich. Again, I dont understand why they cant get the chopped up hot/sweet peppers you get at every sub shop back east, it doesnt make sense??? Also, no mayo or mustard people, oil & vinegar! Anyway, this is a great place to try if you are craving those delicious back east italian subs... a very good attempt! more

Excellent Authentic Italian food! Pizza = yummy... perfect crust, seasoning, sauce, toppings, everything. Eggplant Parm = delicious Last time I went I got the Linguine w/clams in a white wine garlic butter sauce.... the bread is good when drowned in sauce. The setting is different, after passing the tables outside clad with the old red n white tablecloths, you walk into a deli basically... the seated inside restaurant is just thru a little hole they knocked out when apparently taking over the store next to them. It's cute to sit in the window that was clearly a store front some time ago though. They have live bands some nights which is very nice to enjoy and sitting outside downtown Encinitas is always a winner in my book! If you like hearty Italian, come here! They book big parties here too! Lot's of seating on the side and back, which I see them setting up for quite often. more

Only food that has ever brought a tear to my eyes. I couldn't believe my taste buds. It's my new favorite place. AMAZING. gourmand! Honest to god opinion, those who have spoken negatively are not rating the food. the food is phenomenal. The menu is just a suggestion..you can ask for exactly what you had in Venice last time you were there and their cook will whip it up. neat atmosphere. North county's BEST KEPT SECRET. more

We really wanted to like this restaurant. It looks inviting, but we found the food to be bland, lacking in flavor and originality. The sauces were not at all appealing and our fish was basically inedible! The price was totally outrageous for the quality of food and service we received. Pasta sauces should have flavor and should be a pleasure to eat. The sauces served were uninspired and beyond cliche. Don't waste your money, there are several other good restaurants within walking distance. We considered our meals to be a gastric insult! Cons: Plenty - poor food - uninspiried more

I have to tell you about this original Italian restaurant in Encinitas CA. When you walk into this place... more

I have to tell you about this original Italian restaurant in Encinitas CA. When you walk into this place you step into the kitchen to get to the di... more

I have to tell you about this original Italian restaurant in Encinitas CA. When you walk into this place you step into the kitchen to get to the dining room. Owner Vito, a Sicilian chef with 25 years of experience who instantly makes you feel at home, immediately greets you. Besides the traditional dishes that are in every Italian restaurant cooked by who knows who, here you get these fantastic specials that this chef comes up with, some from old family recipes. This is not a fancy place but the quality and freshness of the food far outshines the dishes I have had in other top rated restaurants. more