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A diamond in the rough. That's what comes to mind when I pulled up to this hidden gem in the city of Shafter. I've heard of Giovanni's from coworkers who stopped by when they were in town. Told me it was a fantastic Italian joint. But, you get a two-fer here. Not only does Giovanni's specialize in Italian food, but Thai food, as well! And no, it's not a fusion-type grill. They sell each type of food separately. When you walk inside, it's still got all the Italian-esque decor. It's got lots of seating. The lighting is not too bright, so it could provide some level of intimacy for dates. Today, I tried the Pineapple Fried Rice to go. Drove all the way back to Bakersfield and it was still piping hot! So delicious! It was a good portion that saved me some for tomorrow's lunch. It came with several shrimps, sliced carrots, chicken, pineapple, and fried egg. The next time I visit Shafter, I'm thinking of trying the Baked Mostaccioli!
Had Giovanni's last night and it was delicious. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious. We had the garlic chicken fettuccine alfredo with broccoli, lasagna and the tortellini alfredo. Everything was served hot and delicious. Noy and Angel are great. Angel was waiting by himself and the service was great.
One of the great gems of Shafter! I did not expect such good service and food from this place. It just shows that the owner really does care about their customer base. I was on a travel assignment from Los Angeles to the Bakersfield area for work and came across this small Italian restaurant on Yelp. It had the best reviews and everyone was chiming on how amazing the owner and the Thai food was. So naturally, I had to give it a chance! I arrived a few minutes before opening and saw multiple cars waiting outside too. Unlike me, they already knew to call in and place the order as he is very attentive to the phone. I walked in and was greeted by the owner, a local man originally from LA area too, he explained the menu and his best seller and offered the local Thai menu too, as many stated that this is the best Thai food in town. I ended up ordering the shrimp pad thai with tiramisu as he seemed very proud of it. He told me to wait in my car as he would hand-deliver each order to their individual while making small talk about their day. I can genuinely see the connection that he made with the locals thoroughly. The Thai food was very good but not great compared to some of the places I visited in Thai Town in Los Angeles, but it fills a niche in Shafter which people needed, a real authentic Thai location which has the best service hands down of any place I visited in Shafter during my week stay. The price was very reasonable at $12ish for the pad thai and $4ish for my slice of tiramisu. I would come back just for the service and to actually try their Italian cuisine haha! tl:dr Great personalized service with good food at a little small town. A gem of Shafter indeed!
If you have cravings for Italian and Thai food then you have to travel to Shafter! A gem down the street from the DMV on walker street. Celebrated a birthday with family and the food was great! The bread rolls were excellent with just a little butter dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My son ate two of them and I wanted to save my stomach for other things but I still ate 3/4 of the bread! We started with stuffed mushrooms and pepperoni cheese bread. Couldn't get a picture of the stuffed mushrooms because it was devoured before I could get my phone out. The pepperoni garlic cheese bread was delicious (the French bread was light and airy). I was told the pizzas and calzone was great. I didn't get a picture of the already devoured tortellini in alfredo sauce because I was eating the delicious fried pineapple rice and panaeng chicken curry! The best pineapple fried rice I had so far. The panaeng chicken curry was on point!
It's been a really long time since I walked into this place. When we arrived the place was empty and our service was great. Our drinks were always being filled. When our dinner bread came out, I was in awe, I don't think I have ever seen more prettier looking bread. It was hot and buttery. My only negative was that we were given country crock instead of real butter. But we did get some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip our bread into. The menu was decent but looked like it could use a few more pasta choices. Maybe like some linguini and clams or eggplant parmesan. We finally decided on what we wanted. I ordered the mushroom and olive lasagna, he got the Portabello mushroom ravioli with their pink sauce and our daughter got a pizza. We weren't disappointed when our plates arrived. I was a little shocked to see my lasagna in a bowl but once I paid attention to my dish I understood why. It was hot and oh that cheese was smothering my dish. The sauce was poured on generously and I had a generous amount of olives and mushrooms. There were more than eight - ten ravioli on that plate. It was a real dinner serving and that sauce looked delicious. The pizza, you could tell that was hand made. The crust was a pretty golden brown, the pepperoni was a gorgeous looking brick red and black olives to top it off. Again, oh that cheese. One thing I always wondered was why doesn't anyone ever season the dough. That's just me. Service was great and so was our meal. I'm glad no one cooked today since it gave us the chance to dine out. I'd say this was a successful dine outing.
Was a bit hesistant to order from here but a friend said that their thai food was good so i gave it a go and im glad i did. The pad thai was tasty just a slight salty but other then that it jad good flavor. I believe they do free delivery if u live within 3 miles of the restaurant so thats a plus all in all ive only had the thai food so i can only recommend that at the moment
2 months ago
This is a different restaurant, reminds me of a pizza parlor where you order upfront and you select your table. The pizza is delicious and lasagna is good. It looks like it's a mom and pops restaurant. read more
4 months ago
9 months ago
5 months ago
A diamond in the rough. That's what comes to mind when I pulled up to this hidden gem in the city of Shafter. I've heard of Giovanni's from coworkers who stopped by when they were in town. Told me it was a fantastic Italian joint. But, you get a two-fer here. Not only does Giovanni's specialize in Italian food, but Thai food, as well! And no, it's not a fusion-type grill. They sell each type of food separately. When you walk inside, it's still got all the Italian-esque decor. It's got lots of seating. The lighting is not too bright, so it could provide some level of intimacy for dates. Today, I tried the Pineapple Fried Rice to go. Drove all the way back to Bakersfield and it was still piping hot! So delicious! It was a good portion that saved me some for tomorrow's lunch. It came with several shrimps, sliced carrots, chicken, pineapple, and fried egg. The next time I visit Shafter, I'm thinking of trying the Baked Mostaccioli! read more
4 months ago
9 months ago
The food was so delicious and fresh! I loved it the service was absolutely amazing, the place was also very clean and nice! 10/10! read more
11 months ago
10 months ago
1 year ago
Had Giovanni's last night and it was delicious. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious. We had the garlic chicken fettuccine alfredo with broccoli, lasagna and the tortellini alfredo. Everything was served hot and delicious. Noy and Angel are great. Angel was waiting by himself and the service was great. read more
11 months ago
1 year ago
One of the great gems of Shafter! I did not expect such good service and food from this place. It just shows that the owner really does care about their customer base. I was on a travel assignment from Los Angeles to the Bakersfield area for work and came across this small Italian restaurant on Yelp. It had the best reviews and everyone was chiming on how amazing the owner and the Thai food was. So naturally, I had to give it a chance! I arrived a few minutes before opening and saw multiple cars waiting outside too. Unlike me, they already knew to call in and place the order as he is very attentive to the phone. I walked in and was greeted by the owner, a local man originally from LA area too, he explained the menu and his best seller and offered the local Thai menu too, as many stated that this is the best Thai food in town. I ended up ordering the shrimp pad thai with tiramisu as he seemed very proud of it. He told me to wait in my car as he would hand-deliver each order to their individual while making small talk about their day. I can genuinely see the connection that he made with the locals thoroughly. The Thai food was very good but not great compared to some of the places I visited in Thai Town in Los Angeles, but it fills a niche in Shafter which people needed, a real authentic Thai location which has the best service hands down of any place I visited in Shafter during my week stay. The price was very reasonable at $12ish for the pad thai and $4ish for my slice of tiramisu. I would come back just for the service and to actually try their Italian cuisine haha! tl:dr Great personalized service with good food at a little small town. A gem of Shafter indeed! read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
If you have cravings for Italian and Thai food then you have to travel to Shafter! A gem down the street from the DMV on walker street. Celebrated a birthday with family and the food was great! The bread rolls were excellent with just a little butter dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My son ate two of them and I wanted to save my stomach for other things but I still ate 3/4 of the bread! We started with stuffed mushrooms and pepperoni cheese bread. Couldn't get a picture of the stuffed mushrooms because it was devoured before I could get my phone out. The pepperoni garlic cheese bread was delicious (the French bread was light and airy). I was told the pizzas and calzone was great. I didn't get a picture of the already devoured tortellini in alfredo sauce because I was eating the delicious fried pineapple rice and panaeng chicken curry! The best pineapple fried rice I had so far. The panaeng chicken curry was on point! read more
8 years ago
It's been a really long time since I walked into this place. When we arrived the place was empty and our service was great. Our drinks were always being filled. When our dinner bread came out, I was in awe, I don't think I have ever seen more prettier looking bread. It was hot and buttery. My only negative was that we were given country crock instead of real butter. But we did get some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip our bread into. The menu was decent but looked like it could use a few more pasta choices. Maybe like some linguini and clams or eggplant parmesan. We finally decided on what we wanted. I ordered the mushroom and olive lasagna, he got the Portabello mushroom ravioli with their pink sauce and our daughter got a pizza. We weren't disappointed when our plates arrived. I was a little shocked to see my lasagna in a bowl but once I paid attention to my dish I understood why. It was hot and oh that cheese was smothering my dish. The sauce was poured on generously and I had a generous amount of olives and mushrooms. There were more than eight - ten ravioli on that plate. It was a real dinner serving and that sauce looked delicious. The pizza, you could tell that was hand made. The crust was a pretty golden brown, the pepperoni was a gorgeous looking brick red and black olives to top it off. Again, oh that cheese. One thing I always wondered was why doesn't anyone ever season the dough. That's just me. Service was great and so was our meal. I'm glad no one cooked today since it gave us the chance to dine out. I'd say this was a successful dine outing. read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
Was a bit hesistant to order from here but a friend said that their thai food was good so i gave it a go and im glad i did. The pad thai was tasty just a slight salty but other then that it jad good flavor. I believe they do free delivery if u live within 3 miles of the restaurant so thats a plus all in all ive only had the thai food so i can only recommend that at the moment read more
3 years ago
Food was absolutely amazing. Ribeye's, shrimp scampi, calzone, took a pizza to go. Small town gem. Jacob the server is very personable and attentive. Love this place. Thank you for a wonderful meal. Don't forget to grab a piece of carrot cake before you leave! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Pretty good for a convenient Italian meal in shafter. There isn't much variety here so having an option of getting Italian with out having to drive over 20 mins was a plus. I hadn't had Giovanni's in over 10 years but would rate it a solid 6/10. The calzones were pretty big and I ordered a small garlic chicken. The chicken had the frozen taste but it had good flavor over all the Pepperoni calzone was better. I ordered to go and it took 35 mins for my food to be ready so the service was decent. They are open for lunch then close, then open again for dinner. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
Wow! Seriously wow. Where have you guys been hiding?! I somehow ended up in Shafter when a wave of hunger enveloped me in its angry fist of rage. I yelped "restaurants" and found this place. I can't believe something this good is hidden here. I love food. I love good food (I'm actually surprised why I'm not morbidly obese by now). I really love italian food and will actually travel distances for a good plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Back in NYC, my wife and I would travel to the South Bronx (a very, very scary place) to hit up Arthur Ave. Arthur Ave in the Bronx is the *real* Little Italy. The Little Italy you probably heard of in NYC off Mulberry St is a tourist trap. This, along with Times Square, is the romanticized, disneyfied NYC that the city uses to corral tourists away while us locals eat the good stuff. Maybe I just like the idea of a restaurant good enough to travel to, but Giovanni's reminds me of this. Yes, I know... this place is owned by Thai people and is technically not "authentic." I've read reviews on Yelp about how disappointed people get when some pizza place isn't ran by some dude named Mario and his brother Luigi and was passed down to them by their father, Geppetto. Meh... One of my favorite pizza places in NYC is own and ran by Dominicans. Also, Bobby Flay is Irish, but can make an eggplant parmisan better than Vinny's (Jersey Shore) mother. To me, good is good. When I try new Italian places, I have to try three things: Meatballs & Marinara, alfredo, and some form of pizza. Meatballs with marinara sauce, because it shows if they have an understanding of the basics of ameritalian food; Alfredo, because who doesn't like that; and pizza, because why not. Today, I ordered their meatball sub, fettuccine alfredo w/chicken, and a calzone with pepperoni, green peppers, & tomatoes. The Meatball sub is one of the best i've ever had, and I've had a lot of meatball subs; I mean, look at my pics! It was beautiful! The alfredo was also great, although it needed some salt, but whatever. The calzone was much much larger than I expected ... which, in this case, was a great thing. I was very happy with my food here and had enough for leftovers. Now to try their Thai food.... read more
7 years ago
Ordered the lasagna and there is so much taste to it!!! I was kind of worried because it was empty inside, but the food was delicious read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
Outstanding service and food, we waited a bit but it was a busy night of valentine, wait was worth the food we got. The flavor of the spinach raviolis was amazingly delicious, the stuffed mushrooms as well where perfect ! Would definitely would come again soon. Prices where better than a lot of places. read more
11 years ago
Today I ordered a calzone, 25 minutes ahead of time as suggested by the restaurant. And when I showed up 30 minutes later a beautiful warm slightly greasy folded pizza awaited me with open arms. And there sat my ticket, about 12 bucks for a pepperoni sausage and bell pepper calzone. My first bite, overwhelming. The food is god damn delicious. However I only received 2 of my aforementioned 3 toppings. Which hurt because I love bell peppers, regardless. The calzone was great, and a small could feed the average person twice. Or an average bear cub once. All in all, great meal great restaurant. Great California mandated lunch hour read more
5 years ago
9 years ago
This place has been here "forever"! I love this place! The food hasn't changed... I appreciate this Italian eatery. You must come and try! I highly recommend it. read more
6 years ago
6 years ago
9 years ago
The food here is hands-down phenomenal. I love the spicy fried rice, baked turkey sandwich, and the mushroom ravioli. I've never had anything that wasn't delicious! The Thai menu is as extensive as the Italian menu, and both styles are done so well. This is my favorite place to stop for lunch when I'm in the area. Do yourself a favor and try it! read more
15 years ago
16 years ago
17 years ago
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