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Today I am going to profile Giovanni’s Restaurant and Bar, located in the Minaret Village Shopping Center at 437 Old Mammoth Road in Mammoth Lakes. Giovanni’s is a family friendly Italian food spot that has amazing lunch specials, delicious dinners, a full bar, and speedy take out.
The Quick Details
Hours: Lunch served 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Dinner served from 5:00 pm to close; open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Kid Friendliness Level: Very welcoming with highchairs and a kids menu.
Dog Friendliness Level: No dogs.
Vegetarian options: Many vegetarian options and a vegan cheese option for pizza.
Gluten Free options: Gluten free crust is available.
Drinks: Full bar with a cocktail menu.
Price point: Great lunch deals; Pizzas range from $10 to $37; Entrees are $15 to $19.
Parking: Lots of parking in the shopping center.
Reservations: None.
Ability to accommodate large parties: I would call ahead. They can handle to go orders of up to 10 pizzas and ask for a contact form if you’re planning to order more.
The Experience
I have accepted pizza as my savior, and I eat it at least once a week. I have been to all the pizza spots in town and have grown to love each for their own reasons, and Giovanni’s is no exception. Giovanni’s is casual, family friendly, and has delicious Italian food options outside of pizza for my other family members who don’t need or want pizza at the same rate I do. Giovanni’s is a family go-to.
Our last visit was on a weekday evening, and we were able to sit right away in a booth next to the window. Giovanni’s will often have waits on days when town is busy. It is conveniently located in the Von’s shopping center, which makes it easy when you first get to town and want to eat and then grab groceries for the rest of your Mammoth Lakes stay. The shopping center also includes the movie theater, making it a great option for dinner and a movie date or lunch and a matinee for the kids. Another bonus is that parking is plentiful.
Giovanni’s layout makes it feel intimate when it is actually a large restaurant. When you walk in, straight ahead is the takeout counter and host station. Behind the counter is a large window where you can watch them make pizzas in the kitchen. To the right is the bar with booths and high tops. There are several TVs playing sports channels. To the left are two dining rooms with booths and tables. Large windows face the parking lot outside, and my son loves to look for trucks while we wait for our food.
I ordered a hazy IPA and my husband had a pilsner, opting to skip the cocktail menu midweek. It was very tempting though, especially the fruity cocktails “Fanta Creamsicle” and “Cherry Lemonade.” The server offered a cup with a lid for our toddler, but we came prepared with his sippy cup. The booth next to us was a family with three young children, and they shared their toys with our son. All the kids were having fun. That really upped the ambiance for us as a family.
I always start with their Caesar salad. It is a classic Caesar: no frills, no extras, no surprises. It is just what you imagine a Caesar should be, and it is delicious. My son cherry-picks the croutons from the salad, and thankfully they are abundant. They also have a classic dinner salad, Greek salad, spinach salad, or Antipasto Italiana.
One thing I love about Giovanni’s is that you can mix up a pizza. For example, many restaurants won’t let you do a half tomato sauce, half pesto sauce pizza. You have to commit to one sauce. Not Gio’s. We got a large pizza that was half plain cheese and tomato sauce for our son, and half of the “Spicy Thai” specialty pizza for us. The Spicy Thai pizza consists of a peanut sauce, chicken or spicy tofu (we got chicken), cilantro, corn, red onion, and mozzarella. It was extremely delicious.
Giovanni’s offers regular crust or thin crust in both regular or whole wheat, as well as a gluten free crust option. They also offer vegan cheese. There are four sauces to choose from: Italian (mild or spicy), New York (extra virgin olive oil and herbs), pesto, and white sauce. Of course, the 10+ specialty pizzas include other sauces like BBQ or peanut, so you really have a lot of options if you are going to order pizza, especially since you can mix up a pizza. It helps with a family of picky eaters or for those with dietary restrictions.
We also ordered the vegetable lasagna as an entrée. The veggies included artichoke, spinach, carrot, and onion, which mixed well with the layers of pasta and ricotta. The marinara sauce on top was plentiful. Luckily it came with garlic bread to sop up the sauce, which is one of my favorite parts of any pasta dish. I really enjoyed this hearty lasagna.
Our experience is always a good one at Giovanni’s. It has prompt friendly service, lots of Italian food and pizza options, and a casual ambiance that is welcoming. Don’t miss out on it.
As always, please comment with any questions, thoughts, or your own experiences.