OH GROSSS! I was busy working so my mom, who watches my daughter decided to order from here via doorstep delivery. I had tried it once and hated it but this time I was unaware. I ordered eggplant parm, my daughter got chicken parm. So it arrives and come to find out its piesanos ... I decided to be brave and try it anyway and once again it was severely unpleasant. My mom is diabetic and all of our red sauce had such a highly sweet taste you almost had to wonder if a bag of sugar fell off the shelf by mistake and landed in the sauce undetected. After getting over that intial shock it had a large amount of cooked onion (gross), if there were herbs I saw none. So here is the not so secret recipe to piesanos lousy sauce: Take a flavorless can of stewed tomatoes and drop it in a pan, add a large bag of sugar, several onions diced (cry your eyes out you can never have enough onion). Do not add any traditional ingrediants like basil, oregano, salt & pepper, GARLIC(why when onions are so much better!), and lightly cook it. Just for the record we all deemed our meal inedible and had to throw it away. We dined on salad and the rolls that came with it. Money wasted. I promise you Italian people do not run or own this place or their mother would slap them silly. The "chef" probably worked for the state prision last. I wouldn't set foot in here. Ragu from Publix (next door) is way better than anything you will ever be served here.
(1)
Andy D.
Their chicken parm sub is yummy. I've also tried the meatball parm sub, but their meatballs are too big for a sub, so it's hard to eat. I've also had their calzones - which are basically two meals worth of food. My friends got one of their specialty pizzas once (I forget which one - something Greek-ish) and I had a slice. It was great. The service is usually fine and sometimes it's great. However, once or twice I have had that odd occasion where someone irked me slightly or else I'd give them 5 stars.
(4)
James L.
Pizza is very good. Service....I called to order a pizza and they wouldn't honor my coupon. Then they said it was going to be more than the price on the menu because "I can't put it in to the computer right..." Not my problem. So I just went to Leonardo's instead.
(1)
Cindy P.
I've only had take-out here so I can't comment on the atmosphere, but I wasn't impressed by the pizza. I've had stone-fired pizza before and this didn't stand up that well to my previous experiences. I think that there are better places in Gainesville for pizza at a comparable price.
(2)
Jason S.
I haven't been to all the italian restaurants in Gainesville but this place is by far my favorite. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the service. Not to make excuses but this place is relatively new and I am hoping the service bugs work themselves out because the food is amazing for the price. Everything I have had there taste like they bought it 10 minutes ago at the grocery store next door (yes it is in a strip mall). I have been about 5 times over 3 months and haven't gotten the same thing twice, just because the flavors are amazing and I want to know what flavor surprises they might be hiding. Their calzones are the best I have ever had, I mean most of us can agree most places have calzones that are 80% bread that is like cardboard and 20% mediocre toppings, here it seems to be 50:50 bread topping ratio, and the bread is something I could have with every meal. If you go before 7 on the weekends service is not that bad but once a crowd develops service seems to slow down incredibly. I have never been for lunch but their lunch menu offers a lot of food at a very cheap price.
(4)
Eric A.
Disclaimer: I am very picky when it comes to food, especially Italian. This place just opened up in a strip mall next to our Publix. It boasts "stone fired pizzas" and other Italian dishes. Eating Italian in Gainesville is like eating it on a first date, it's never a good idea. There are some of the worst italian/pizza places in this town, so naturally, I was skeptical when this establishment opened. We tried a plain cheese pizza and an onion/mushroom pizza with a gorgonzola salad and the complimentary garlic rolls. The rolls came out with the house italian dressing drizzled lightly over the tops with nice chunks of fresh garlic. Superb! The salad had roasted red peppers, which appeared to be done in house rather than coming from a jar. It was equally solid with loads of fresh greens and other good veggies you'd hope for in a salad. The pizzas came out looking good, smelling good, and tasting dead on. If you conducted a survey of restaurants that ruin a New York Style pizza, Gainesville would have the highest percentage hands down. Fortunately, Piesanos will help to counter that statistic because this pizza was perfect. The onions were sauteed, adding a nice extra layer of flavoring. I'm really happy about this place, especially since it's so close to my house. I will definitely be back and be back often.
(5)
Britni K.
Anyone who gives this place a bad review is nuts. Piesano's has some of the best food in town, and I have never had a single bad experience with any of the staff, bartenders, or anyone. I have had them let me in the door early before opening, and late around closing time, always with a smile on their face. I order Piesano's to go regularly, and they always get my order correct, even with all of my strange modifications. I think the prices are more than fair considering the quality, and quantity of the food you receive. Hats off to Piesano's!!
(5)
Alexandrea M.
One word: LOVE This place is amazing. Everyone is always so friendly and the food is amazing. Pizza, salads, pasta, bread, you seriously cannot go wrong with anything you order. They have a full bar and the place is very cozy. They have a few different locations and all are awesome! Especially the new one off 13th and University. Go to place for pizza!!
(5)
Jim W.
Quality food at affordable pricing. Piesanos continues to be a great restaurant for lunch or dinner. Try the Mediterranean pasta, my fave. Great service, great food, and great bar. They also have swamphead beers on tap. Don't like beer? My wife prefers the house sangria. Good stuff.
(4)
Erin W.
Great food, great service, reasonable prices! We come here often and are NEVER disappointed! If you are looking for a lower calorie option, the small house salad with blackened chicken is fantastic! Guilty pleasure- pepperoni rolls!
(5)
NORI R.
The garlic rolls are amazing here !! Everything is good but the house garlic rolls that are served with all entrees are soaked in balsamic vinegar and its really something ! The kids menu is awesome, my son loves the ravioli and the ambiance is sweet, there is a bar and the lighting is dim. Its conveniently located in a strip mall and there's plenty of parking, they don't deliver but you can get take out anytime. The service is very good, they are always the same group and they seem to get to know the locals on a first name basis.
(3)
Miss. Foodgurl S.
Piesanos is wonderful! I could eat their rolls all day long. Even though it is just a roll with herbs cheese, and an italian-like dressing, they are honestly out-of-this-world! Whenever I go, I always order their pasta with grilled chicken spinach, and tomatoes. I cannot for the life of me remember the name, but it is really really good! Once I had a waiter named Mario and he was really crazy and hilarious, and kind of weird, but he always made the dining experience very enjoyable, until he joined the army. With that said, I am still a regular!
(4)
Max P.
I've only really had the pizza here, plus the breadsticks...I have no idea why some of these people say that the pizza blows chunks but I thought it was awesome, certainly the best in the ville. The only place that compares is pizza vito. I think this place uses a lot of olive oil so the crust and such is always crispy and chewy. I love it, you will too.
(4)
Susan E.
Mediocre food and service in the restaurant. "To go" might be a better option for service but it won't protect you against the bland food.
(2)
Coty S.
I had no issues with eating here. The large booths are comfortable and make you want to extend your stay to visit with friends and order a beer. The service was excellent, and everything tasted above average in general. The bread service was a little disturbing at first, but it starts to grow on you, especially if you are extremely hungry. That being perfectly fine garlic knots, that are then covered in balsamic salad dressing. It did bother me at first, but then I remember that I dip my breadsticks in salad often, so why should this be any different? The Calamari was above average, and served in a large portion. Lightly battered and tentacles included, that was a plus. I would definitely order this again. The Mussels were decent, but I would not order it again. However, the Breadsticks were only $4.00 for a huge portion (8 sticks) and they were freakin' good! I am definitely wanting to come back and either getting more or trying out the cheese covered garlic knots. We ordered a large Pepperoni Pizza. I think that this was a mistake because more gourmet toppings would have made for a better eating experience. Next time I will definitely try one of their specialty pizzas to see what Piesanos recommends to compliment their delicious crust. The crust is crispy and all of the ingredients are top notch. The sauce is not too sweet and tastes very natural with just the right amount of seasoning. The cheese is stretchy, creamy, and has a clean chew. If you are expecting NY style pizza, you will not find that here. Just high quality pies. One of my main ratings when reviewing pizza is the crave worthy factor. And, yes, I am in fact craving this pizza again right now and must return again soon.
(4)
Coleen T.
Tried the chicken parm sub... FRIGGIN GREAT! Comes with fries... soooo delicious!! I want to try the philly cheese steak next time :)
(5)
Barry R.
My 5 year old grandson takes taekwondo right across the street from this restaurant, so after his class my wife and I along with my daughter, son-in-law, and 3 grandkids decided to give Piesanos a try. We were seated immediately at a large table and the very friendly waitress brought out garlic rolls and took our drink orders. She came back a few minutes later to take our food order. I would like to tell everyone how the food was, but after waiting for over a half hour for our food, the waitress came back and said she was very sorry but that she had forgotten to put in our food order. The grandkids were starting to get cranky, so I offered to pay for the drinks and the bread and told her we had to go. She said that there wouldn't be any charge for the drinks and bread and apologized again. I guess sometimes things like this happen. But based on the experience I can't rate the restaurant any higher.
(2)
Rob G.
The pizza is incredibly, there are only 4 pizza places I will eat at in the area and this is one of them. The rolls are the best in town, love the dressing on them. Pasta and soups are also extremely good. I have never before found a pizza place with pasta any where near as good as this place. I highly recommend this place especially since it so reasonably priced.
(5)
Adam G.
I don't see why this place got as many bad reviews as it did. The intererior is far nicer than I expected (which wasn't much other than a small pizza joint). Nice enough decor, full service bar with 3 Swamphead brews on tap (though $5 a pint for the Swamphead is pushing it). It was busy, but still fairly quiet. A nice and relaxing experience. The waitress was very attentive and polite. As mentioned, the garlic rolls are very good. I ordered the Spicy Italian Combo pizza (Ham, salami, pepperoni, red onions, banana peppers & mozzarella) and it was delicious (and still is as I'm eating it cold for breakfast right now). The crust was perfectly firm and crisp. The only downside of the pizza is that the cheese isn't easy to bite through, so it's easy to pull most of the cheese and toppings off in one bite if you're not careful. No big deal though. I sampled my wife's meat lovers + spinach calzone and it was very good as well. Completely stuffed with ingredients, crispy outside, decent marinara, would have fed us both. Only a couple minutes from my house, I'll definitely be going back here to try a few other pies and calzones.
(4)
Simon P.
Okay, disclaimer - I only ate here one time. But the reason I only ate here one time is that it was truly foul. Imagine that you want to open a restaurant but you don't like to cook. So you drive to Sam's Club and buy a bunch of frozen pizzas and bags of salad and bottled dressing. You haul it back to your restaurant and then you wait for people to walk in and pay $$ for what you are serving. Our pizza was basically melted, synthetic cheese on a large disc of toast with ketchup. Crust? What's that? I imagine that in the kitchen they just cut open a plastic bag and pulled out a preprepared frozen pizza, pop it into the oven, and it's ready for table 15. Okay so maybe that is how 60-70% of restaurants prepare their food, but that is not a place I'm going back to any time soon.
(1)
Gene E.
My favorite place to eat! The spaghetti is the best and the shells are to die for!!!!!!!
(5)
Christina L.
Bread ROLLS = AMAZING. Salad, especially summer salad is perfect and fresh.
(5)
Thomas B.
The beginning: You walk in and are your sense of smell is immediately attacked by the wonderful aromas from the kitchen. The kind of smell that just instantly makes you hungry! The Rolls: Delish. Small dinner rolls (probably homemade..?) but slathered in garlic, oregano, a little cheese and a mix of Italian dressing and oil. The Pizza: Stone fired and has a slight smoky taste. The dough is not thin and not thick, just right. You can actually pick up a piece and it won't double over and fall apart. Cooked to crispy perfection on the crust and underside, while still being soft on the front. Definitely up there with great pizzas!
(4)
Chris T.
Pretty damn good pie. Full (and highly underutilized) bar.
(4)
April O.
I've been here twice so far, and not managed to eat any pizza yet. I'll have to correct that soon. In the meantime, though, I'll review their other items. Last night we came in, eyeballing the other table's dinners and trying to decide if we wanted pizza or not. We eventually went with "not" and I settled on spinach ravioli, a side of meatballs and cheese knots. Brice went with the gorganzola-bacon burger. Oddly enough, after I ordered the cheese knots, the server returned to ask if we wanted the 'complimentary bread' as well. This confused me because the cheese knots are $6.95 and the menu clearly has regular rolls listed as a $1.50 side item. But there's also free bread available? ... well, anyway, bear that in mind if you go there for dine-in and save yourself the $7.00. The cheese knots were a cheese and butter sandwich with bread in the middle. You may die if you eat this. I'm just sayin'. The food came out quickly enough. The spinach ravioli turned out to be just as promised, the meatballs were tasty. Judging by the intestinal noises I heard yesterday evening, the burger didn't go over nearly as well, but in all fairness, since Brice doesn't eat the garnishes that come with a burger, he literally ate a small loaf of bread, a meat patty, and another patty of bacon-cheese (when they say cheeseburger, they are NOT kidding). That probably SHOULD upset your stomach. Besides, I've had a burger from here that I liked just fine, so I won't dock for that--he can do that on his own if he survives, lol. The cannoli I wolfed down for dessert was pretty good. I believe it was filled on the spot, and the filling was mildly sweet with chocolate shavings instead of chocolate chips, so I didn't feel like I was eating Rocky Road. Definitely one of the better cannolis I've had around Gainesville. I'd return. I'd bring friends. 3.5 stars.
(3)
Mike W.
I had ordered take-away pizza from Piesanos a few times and it was ok, though not especially impressive. Tonight, my parents asked me to join them here for dinner. The atmosphere is nice, rustic but in a charming way with a lot of decorative stone and large, comfy, booths. I was impressed with how busy the restaurant was for a Wednesday night, and service appeared to be prompt and attentive. There were also a lot of customers leaving Piesanos through the seperate door for take-away orders, so that business was obviously turning a good profit for the owners, too. I had a pasta and chicken dish with a sauce described on the menu as a white wine sauce and I was told by the waitress it would be a very light, olive oil and wine-based sauce. This sounded good, so it is what I ordered. The dish which came out however tasted very off . . . as if the sauce had been made a couple days prior and reheated, plus the chicken was a bit tough and had very little flavor. I told the waitress and she apologized and asked if I would like something else: I chose a chicken carbonara dish which was the same price and looked promising (and difficult to mess up), which the waitress returned with quite promptly, so she--and the kitchen--have my respect for turing over a new dish for me so fast. However, the waitress also said twice to me about the original dish "well, some people like it and some don't" . . . as if to imply I simply did not care for the dish. I think I might have liked it just fine had it been prepared correctly. She also stated that all their sauces are made on the spot and there was no way the sauce therefore could have been "old". Ok, if it wasn't old, let us consider the other possible reasons why it tasted nasty: (and folks, it did taste nasty--there's hardly another word for it): either it was burned while being cooked (easy enough to do with a wine sauce) or the oil involved was rancid. Or both. It tasted worse than simply burned. Something rather ghastly had befallen that sauce. The chicken carbonara dish was fine, though not impressive. The rolls served with our meal were pretty good, too. My parents both liked their food: my dad had a burger and my mom a salad. The prices here seem in keeping with most casual Italian-American places in town and in the region. Here are my complaints and why Piesanos only gets two stars from me: --when a customer complains, you do NOT tell him anything that sounds like an argument or even a hint that his issue with the dish is not valid or a prejorative opinion. I was very polite and said with tact that the dish tasted "off" and I thought the sauce might be old. This was so the waitress could convey to the kitchen that the sauce, if prepared to use throughout the night, might be bad. I would think the chef would want to know. The waitress did apologize for the dish, and I told her it was not her fault certainly, but she also rolled her eyes around and gave me this rather patronizing look. It is quite rare I send a dish back to the kitchen, but this one should never have come out of the kitchen in the first place. I don't care if the waitress and chef and everyone else laugh in the kitchen about how picky I seemed, but don't roll your eyes and seem like you have it on the tip of your lips to say the customer is plain wrong in his opinion. Because that's the feeling I got with this waitress. --beyond that one dish, the other dish was not remarkable, and was really pretty bland. The overall quality, and of the pizzas I've had too, is Olive Garden food, not what you'd expect for a private venture. They may in fact put a lot of effort in cooking things fresh as the waitress told me, but the taste of everything I've had from Piesanos is unimpressive and recalls a chain restuarant. I've eaten at plenty of small, private, casual Italian places that have more authentic Italian dishes and everything tastes glowingly fresh. Bella's in Savannah, Georgia, would be one such stellar example. Also, they don't have a cold antipasto here. --I have no way of knowing where their chicken comes from or how it is prepared, but in both my dishes, it was cut into uniform strips and had little flavor--neither chicken flavor nor of the spices used in the specifc dishes--so I presume the chicken may come from a supplier frozen or pre-cooked. Again, I have no proof of this, but the chicken tasted much like chicken you'd find at a place using frozen prepared chicken tenders. There were also potatoes in the first dish I ordered and these were quite tough and flavorless, too. I would give them another try. I don't hold it against them that the dish I ordered was horribly bad because something apparently went wrong in the cooking process and I realize such can happen even at the best places. For now, though, I am very unimpressed with Piesanos.
(2)
Adam N.
I was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere of this strip-mall restaurant. It has a very upscale-casual vibe to it. Great place for a relaxing family dinner or friendly get together. I have to say that the pizza here is quite good. It is very much like the pizza you would find in NYC. The kitchen is also more than happy to male the pie to your customized taste... just let them know! However the rest of their menu needs some work. Most surprising was how expensive most of the non pizza Italian dishes are: 12.99 for ravioli? I think they should concentrate on their strength - being a family style restaurant not a 12.99-a-dish date night place. Maybe consider having family size portions of pasta that an entire family can share. Service was great even though they were super busy and is one of the things that separates this restaurant from others in it's class. The bar area looked very nice - great place to hang out while you wait for a table (and chances are you will be waiting for a table... their pizza is worth the wait). We ordered a bottle of their Pinot - and I have to admit it was perfect. Not too expensive, not too cheap, and tasted great. Great job all in all... a wonderful addition to the local scene. I recommend stopping for the pizza the atmosphere and the service..ignore the rest of the menu.
(3)
Brice O.
I've been to this place about 4 or 5 times now and it may be becoming my favorite pizza place in Gainesville. Granted, that's not saying a lot, but it is something. More than anything I like having an alternative to my wife dragging me out to Blue Highway. The pizza at this place really is worthy of a 4-star rating. They have some creative combinations, are very happy to and capable of customizing your pizza and their standard combinations of ingredients are pretty good. The toppings are plentiful without being overdone and I like their slightly sweet tomato sauce. It also probably doesn't hurt that they have at least one pretty good bartender. Unfortunately, they put other things on their menu. If I was evaluating them on the non-pizza portion of the menu it would probably be a 2-star or worse rating. None of the non-pizza items I've had at this place have been particularly good (although, their calamari was decent) and some have been close to inedible (I'm looking at you, Bacon Gorgonzola burger). I'm also still not sure what to make out of their rolls. The first set of rolls we got from this place came out burnt, covered in butter and what I think was Italian dressing, and were just a sad experience. However, when we went back this past week we asked for them without the dressing and they happened to come out light and fluffy, leaving us to wonder if we just got a bad batch before and why anyone would cover bread in Italian dressing. But I digress. Go here for the pizza, try other parts of the menu at your own risk.
(3)
John L.
Server: "What would you like?" Me: "May I have a medium pie, half eggplant, half pepperoni..." Server: "Anything else?" Me: "..yeah..could you make sure the pie is extra crispy? If they could just give it a few more minutes in the oven and...?" Server: "No problem. Anything else?" Me: "Also with as little cornmeal or semolina as possible; preferably none." Server: "I'll make sure and tell them." The Resulting Pie The ingredients are very good. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the large pepperoni. Whenever I order pepperoni I secretly wish the pie comes with the unrivaled, dime-sized Rosa Pepperoni, Hormel's high-end line. These, while not as good, are still quite good. The cheese is also very pizzeria high quality (I think they use Grande mozzarella). The crust is almost ideal except for the coating of semolina/cornmeal along the bottom. Damn! This pet peeve of mine is following me around. If not for that semolina/cornmeal thing this place would, most likely, be my favorite pizza in the 352. The pie is good enough for me to not even consider ordering anything else.
(4)
Nicole H.
Well I am sad to write this. I have been a steady weekly customer but lately the service has tanked. The last time we ordered take out pizza when my husband got there (30 minutes after calling) he paid and waited. And waited. After about 15 minutes he asked about it and oops they did not make it. The manager came over and did . . . nothing. Said whoops we will make it now. By the time a simple large cheese pizza made it home it was well over a hour after being ordered. No real apology, no discount, nada. It's pretty good but to wait that long and get attitude, I will just use that time to drive to Satchels or Blue Highway. Customer service matters. I don't plan to return. Only go if you have over a hour to wait for a cheese pizza and don't care about customer service. Too bad, was excited to finally have decent pizza nearby.
(1)
Josh S.
My wife and I came here once about 6 months ago and dined in and I was pretty impressed with the interior of the place, especially considering it's in a strip mall. Service was fine if not overly memorable, but that probably means I was happy at the time. Prices seemed a little higher than what I was expecting, especially on basic pasta dishes, but it was our first visit and we came for the pizza anyway. Garlic rolls were decent, caesar salad was average, pizza pretty solid. Fast forward to this past weekend. We called and ordered a small city disguised as a calzone for take-out. It should have probably(definitely) fed more than 2 of us(a small army), but it was tasty enough to knock out pretty easily. Tons of ricotta and mozzarella, good garlic flavor in the crust, and a lot of sliced italian sausage all made me happy. It was just over $11 which again seemed a little high, even taking into account the quality of the food. I always have trouble paying a premium on pizza, otherwise I could easily justify 4 stars to this place. I'm sure I'll be back, but probably not until the wife mentions it.
(3)
Danny D.
SERVICE SUCKS STARTING FROM THE MANAGER AND THEY WILL OVERCHARGE!!!! Make sure you check your bill!!!. But if you find a mistake, good luck! They added charges to my bill without ever telling me until I got my bill. It made no sense that if there are two pies that cost EXACTLY the same, making a single pizza with half of these two pies should cost any different. The manager was very cold, dismissive and made no sense when we explained the situation. The service was...well she was new.... The food: OK... ...last time they will see this face...
(1)
Peter M.
Great Pizza at this new stone Fired pizza oven restaurant which is a welcome addition to Gainesville. In addition to pizza, they have a nice variety of appetizers, salads, pastas and subs. They also have good lunch specials for under $10.
(4)
Allison H.
Delicious! The fried ravioli is so delicious and I love the pizza crust but I have to admit that I disagree with several of the other reviewers on here and I think the garlic rolls are the weak point. Who wants rolls soaked in vinegar when they could be soaked in butter?
(4)
Rachel E.
MMMMMM garlic rolls. Everything was delicious! They offer DICED pepperoni, the pricing is affordable, the interior is way nicer than I expected. We even got cheesy garlic knots to go once and they were great the next day. Salad is fresh, service is friendly and fast, calzones are enormous. I wish I could go here more!
(5)
raquel c.
Went with the whole family and everything we had was delicious!!! You can tell the ingredients were fresh and they did not skimp on the pizza toppings. Large portions, excellent service, reasonable prices! This is the place to be if you are in Gainesville.... Go gators
(5)
Mike F.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Gainesville! If you haven't been here, you're missing out. The service is great and the food is incredible. You have to try the chicken parm or one of their pizzas! AMAZING!!
(5)
Belle C.
I might have a new favorite pizza place. I ordered two of their specialty pizzas (pesto chicken and mediterranean veggie) and both were really delicious. The crust was crispy without being too thin and both pizzas were loaded with toppings. I can't comment on the dining experience since I got take-out, but I noticed that they have a full bar, which is cool.
(4)
Jim B.
Meh. After hearing great things about this place I popped in today expecting awesomeness... and, well... it was OK 1. The manager(? owner?) came up to seat me. Empty booths by the window, and a whole empty middle section... and he marches me back to the last table by the freaking KITCHEN. #fail. I put the kibosh on that and he put me at one of the window booths. Seriously, at 2:30 on a Saturday there is no excuse for putting me in that seat when the place is half empty. 2. So, I wanted to try one of their specialty pizzas in the personal pan pizza size. Fail #2. They do not have that option. I complained. The manager person came back over to explain that it was a 'business decision' Really? Don't offer to take care of the single diner? What about a couple that might want to try two different combinations and share? Newsflash: LOTS of places offer this option BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO BE HAPPY. Your desire to want higher ticket averages conflicts directly with my desire to enjoy hot fresh pizza hot off the stone cooker. Sure "You can take it home and have it later" and - thats what I chose... but the re-heated pizza won't be as good as the fresh pizza from the oven. So 5 of 8 slices are cooling in my fridge. 3. The food: The waitress was nice and brought me a couple of their house rolls to try. They are decent, but seem like a food service dough with parmesan and salad dressing on them... not terrible, but not great either. The pizza: I got the philly 3 cheese. Lots of topping, decent crust, good value for the price. Too bad it was 3 times what I actually wanted. If it had been a personal pizza, they'd get 3 stars and I'c come back to try it again. I live downtown and its a hike out to BFE to check this place out. (Aside: WHY do people live way the f**k out here? Jebuz the 'burbs suck) Verdict on the pizza: For Gainesville, its pretty good. Overall, its not quite up to the hype. The 'specialty' pizzas are pretty mundane - they'll never challenge the tastebuds with any of these comnbos. 4. Waitress: Good. Efficient. Probably the best part of the experience overall. Thats not a good sign, now is it? Verdict: They simply do not seem to want to take care of the single diner. Plus, trying to stick me in the absolute worst seat in the place when the place is half empty is just unforgivable. They seem way more interested in their own needs, and not the customer's.
(2)
Jlynn L.
YUM YUM YUM! This place makes the olive garden taste like frozen garbage! We have gone several times and I LOVE this place!! Highly recommend their Eggplant parmesaon, salades, pizzas and GARLIC ROLLS! Dont fill up on those yummy rolls before dinner that becomes a parade in your mouth! They are amazing! Staff and servers are really nice. Its also a great place to get take out! :*) Enjoy!
(5)
Deb D.
Thankfully we live 5 minutes from Piesanos! They have the best Eggplant Parmesan Sub in the entire world. I order eggplant at every restaurant that offers it (and have had it many times in Rome) and no eggplant compares to this! It is served with crispy, delicious fries which are delicious. These subs easily serve two people, so left overs are a bonus the next day! I've heard many great comments about their pizza, pasta dishes, etc, but nothing could be better than their eggplant!
(5)
Superglass G.
Quite possiblyThe most consistent pizza place I have ever gone to. The rules are to die for the pizza is always cooked to perfection . The ingredients and toppings are always fresh. The soups are delicious the sandwiches are delicious the calzones are to die for the muscles are fantastic so if you really like Italian food with the northern states crust, flavor this is the place for you. We eat there at least 2 to 3 times a week. When we can't decide where to go we just say looks like it's Old Faithful
(5)
Dave C.
The good - they have an excellent spinach salad - perfect. The OK - the pizza is about like a Papa John's - but they are large. The less than OK - we were told 10-minute wait - it was a half hour. And this was a Thursday evening.
(3)
Lawrence C.
I'm being generous, but they're better than 2 stars. We called up and ordered to go. 20 minutes later we had our food in the car going home. Chicken parmigiano was a little dry (overcooked ) even with the marinara sauce. Salads were fine. Pizza looked good. An average place. ...good for a quickie.
(3)
Fred P.
Here's the story of why I won't be returning to Piesanos... But first, the food review. In a single word, the food is "meh." Best part of the pizza is the crust... but the pizza itself is too greasy and "tries too hard." Now, why I won't be returning. My wife, in-laws, and I head to Piesanos.... I run about 10 minutes late. They get there at 8, I arrive before 8:15. Place closes at 10. I sit down, and no joke... less than 1 minute later, the waitress asks if we're ready to order. I start to apologize for being late, she cuts me off and says "I'll come back." Not sure why the attitude, but yay. She comes back at 8:30. Wife orders two pizzas... one of them being a "White pizza" with an extra topping of chicken, the other being a Palermo. Just after 9pm (we're pretty hungry at this point)... Waitress comes by with the Palermo and a Hawaiian with Chicken (Ham, Pineapple, and Chicken). We all just look at the Hawaiian... I said, "Is this the white pizza?" Waitress says, "No it's the Hawaiian with Chicken." "But we ordered a white pizza with chicken." She says, "I heard Hawaiian. If you want a white pizza it will be 10 minutes. Do you want a white pizza?" "Yes please." At 9:16 (I was checking my watch), I move the Hawaiian over to an empty table to make room for the white... she comes by a few minutes later. "Do you not want this now?" "No, we didn't order a Hawaiian. You put in the white, right?" She says something to her manager... he drops of the pizza at 9:25 saying "There's your pizza. Anything else?" At no point does anyone say "I'm sorry" or anything. We didn't start on the Palermo (we figured it would be 10 minutes and you know... rude and all (since 2 people couldn't have the red sauce)). Long story longer... I pay the check and leave. Wife asks if they discounted the bill or anything. I say "Nope." She calls the manager... says to him yatta yatta yatta... should have had a discount... no one apologized... etc. Manager says "I took the Hawaiian off your bill." I don't mind a mistake. I mind an attitude. Even if the food was awesome, an attitude like that would keep me from coming back. With "meh" food and an argumentative staff, I won't be back. Granted this place is busy. They won't miss my business.
(1)
Jeff M.
As good as it gets!!!
(5)
Jenn H.
Definitely my favorite place for pizza. Everything is always delicious, whether you dine in or get it to go. The garlic knots will get you in trouble but are so good! One of my favorites is the buffalo chicken pizza!
(5)
Eric M.
We showed up on a Saturday evening and were almost immediately seated, even thought the restaurant was crowded. They offer booths, tables, and appeared to have a bar area. Our server brought us some complementary rolls dipped in Italian dressing and dusted with cheese, which was a wonderful treat. After spending a few minutes looking at their vast menu, it was a hard decision but we finally decided on the MeatEater Calzone and Chicken Carbonara. Both dishes were awesome. Service was quick and our order arrived without issue. We enjoyed our visit and will be coming back to try more of their menu. Great food, quick service, and awesome prices. Well done Piesanos.
(5)
Ben P.
Consistent is probably the best word I can use to describe Piesano's. Whether it be lunch or dinner, pasta, pizza or sandwich, the food is ALWAYS good and the prices appeal to every budget.
(5)
Lisa K.
Excellent pizza! And they have these rolls...OMG they're so simple but so so good! Oh and there's happy hour on Tuesday and Thursday, yummy Mojitos! This is easily my favorite pizza in Gainesville.
(5)
Jenn P.
Good food. Slow to come out whether eating in or especially ordering out. People answering phones are pretty rude, after I questioned why a small to go order was going to take 45-55 min they hung up on me and hung up again when I tried to call back repeatedly. The people at the Piesano's on university are a lot quicker and a whole lot nicer. Much happier going there now!
(2)
Peter P.
We were here from out of town and picked the closest place to our hotel with good rating. The few times Yelp delivered as we had a string of bad recommendations recently. Supreme pizza and garlic breadstick with marinara was tasty with nice dough texture. Calamari was delish too. Docked it a notch for the puny dessert after everything was so awesome but it was the last thing we remembered. Our server was top rate tho.
(4)
Mauricio H.
This was our first recommendation when we moved to Gainesville and it wasn't wrong!!! It's a great local family hang out with awesome pizzas and even better gigantic calzones!! They even carry local Swamp Head beer!
(5)
Sarah S.
Good pizza and great service! We were seated promptly and served quickly. We will come back again. The only awkward part of the night was that some of the staff were on the receiving end of some lengthy constructive criticism/ reprimands that I just didn't want to hear. Take that to the back office, not the dining room!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
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Diana O.
OH GROSSS! I was busy working so my mom, who watches my daughter decided to order from here via doorstep delivery. I had tried it once and hated it but this time I was unaware. I ordered eggplant parm, my daughter got chicken parm. So it arrives and come to find out its piesanos ... I decided to be brave and try it anyway and once again it was severely unpleasant. My mom is diabetic and all of our red sauce had such a highly sweet taste you almost had to wonder if a bag of sugar fell off the shelf by mistake and landed in the sauce undetected. After getting over that intial shock it had a large amount of cooked onion (gross), if there were herbs I saw none. So here is the not so secret recipe to piesanos lousy sauce: Take a flavorless can of stewed tomatoes and drop it in a pan, add a large bag of sugar, several onions diced (cry your eyes out you can never have enough onion). Do not add any traditional ingrediants like basil, oregano, salt & pepper, GARLIC(why when onions are so much better!), and lightly cook it. Just for the record we all deemed our meal inedible and had to throw it away. We dined on salad and the rolls that came with it. Money wasted. I promise you Italian people do not run or own this place or their mother would slap them silly. The "chef" probably worked for the state prision last. I wouldn't set foot in here. Ragu from Publix (next door) is way better than anything you will ever be served here.
(1)Andy D.
Their chicken parm sub is yummy. I've also tried the meatball parm sub, but their meatballs are too big for a sub, so it's hard to eat. I've also had their calzones - which are basically two meals worth of food. My friends got one of their specialty pizzas once (I forget which one - something Greek-ish) and I had a slice. It was great. The service is usually fine and sometimes it's great. However, once or twice I have had that odd occasion where someone irked me slightly or else I'd give them 5 stars.
(4)James L.
Pizza is very good. Service....I called to order a pizza and they wouldn't honor my coupon. Then they said it was going to be more than the price on the menu because "I can't put it in to the computer right..." Not my problem. So I just went to Leonardo's instead.
(1)Cindy P.
I've only had take-out here so I can't comment on the atmosphere, but I wasn't impressed by the pizza. I've had stone-fired pizza before and this didn't stand up that well to my previous experiences. I think that there are better places in Gainesville for pizza at a comparable price.
(2)Jason S.
I haven't been to all the italian restaurants in Gainesville but this place is by far my favorite. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the service. Not to make excuses but this place is relatively new and I am hoping the service bugs work themselves out because the food is amazing for the price. Everything I have had there taste like they bought it 10 minutes ago at the grocery store next door (yes it is in a strip mall). I have been about 5 times over 3 months and haven't gotten the same thing twice, just because the flavors are amazing and I want to know what flavor surprises they might be hiding. Their calzones are the best I have ever had, I mean most of us can agree most places have calzones that are 80% bread that is like cardboard and 20% mediocre toppings, here it seems to be 50:50 bread topping ratio, and the bread is something I could have with every meal. If you go before 7 on the weekends service is not that bad but once a crowd develops service seems to slow down incredibly. I have never been for lunch but their lunch menu offers a lot of food at a very cheap price.
(4)Eric A.
Disclaimer: I am very picky when it comes to food, especially Italian. This place just opened up in a strip mall next to our Publix. It boasts "stone fired pizzas" and other Italian dishes. Eating Italian in Gainesville is like eating it on a first date, it's never a good idea. There are some of the worst italian/pizza places in this town, so naturally, I was skeptical when this establishment opened. We tried a plain cheese pizza and an onion/mushroom pizza with a gorgonzola salad and the complimentary garlic rolls. The rolls came out with the house italian dressing drizzled lightly over the tops with nice chunks of fresh garlic. Superb! The salad had roasted red peppers, which appeared to be done in house rather than coming from a jar. It was equally solid with loads of fresh greens and other good veggies you'd hope for in a salad. The pizzas came out looking good, smelling good, and tasting dead on. If you conducted a survey of restaurants that ruin a New York Style pizza, Gainesville would have the highest percentage hands down. Fortunately, Piesanos will help to counter that statistic because this pizza was perfect. The onions were sauteed, adding a nice extra layer of flavoring. I'm really happy about this place, especially since it's so close to my house. I will definitely be back and be back often.
(5)Britni K.
Anyone who gives this place a bad review is nuts. Piesano's has some of the best food in town, and I have never had a single bad experience with any of the staff, bartenders, or anyone. I have had them let me in the door early before opening, and late around closing time, always with a smile on their face. I order Piesano's to go regularly, and they always get my order correct, even with all of my strange modifications. I think the prices are more than fair considering the quality, and quantity of the food you receive. Hats off to Piesano's!!
(5)Alexandrea M.
One word: LOVE This place is amazing. Everyone is always so friendly and the food is amazing. Pizza, salads, pasta, bread, you seriously cannot go wrong with anything you order. They have a full bar and the place is very cozy. They have a few different locations and all are awesome! Especially the new one off 13th and University. Go to place for pizza!!
(5)Jim W.
Quality food at affordable pricing. Piesanos continues to be a great restaurant for lunch or dinner. Try the Mediterranean pasta, my fave. Great service, great food, and great bar. They also have swamphead beers on tap. Don't like beer? My wife prefers the house sangria. Good stuff.
(4)Erin W.
Great food, great service, reasonable prices! We come here often and are NEVER disappointed! If you are looking for a lower calorie option, the small house salad with blackened chicken is fantastic! Guilty pleasure- pepperoni rolls!
(5)NORI R.
The garlic rolls are amazing here !! Everything is good but the house garlic rolls that are served with all entrees are soaked in balsamic vinegar and its really something ! The kids menu is awesome, my son loves the ravioli and the ambiance is sweet, there is a bar and the lighting is dim. Its conveniently located in a strip mall and there's plenty of parking, they don't deliver but you can get take out anytime. The service is very good, they are always the same group and they seem to get to know the locals on a first name basis.
(3)Miss. Foodgurl S.
Piesanos is wonderful! I could eat their rolls all day long. Even though it is just a roll with herbs cheese, and an italian-like dressing, they are honestly out-of-this-world! Whenever I go, I always order their pasta with grilled chicken spinach, and tomatoes. I cannot for the life of me remember the name, but it is really really good! Once I had a waiter named Mario and he was really crazy and hilarious, and kind of weird, but he always made the dining experience very enjoyable, until he joined the army. With that said, I am still a regular!
(4)Max P.
I've only really had the pizza here, plus the breadsticks...I have no idea why some of these people say that the pizza blows chunks but I thought it was awesome, certainly the best in the ville. The only place that compares is pizza vito. I think this place uses a lot of olive oil so the crust and such is always crispy and chewy. I love it, you will too.
(4)Susan E.
Mediocre food and service in the restaurant. "To go" might be a better option for service but it won't protect you against the bland food.
(2)Coty S.
I had no issues with eating here. The large booths are comfortable and make you want to extend your stay to visit with friends and order a beer. The service was excellent, and everything tasted above average in general. The bread service was a little disturbing at first, but it starts to grow on you, especially if you are extremely hungry. That being perfectly fine garlic knots, that are then covered in balsamic salad dressing. It did bother me at first, but then I remember that I dip my breadsticks in salad often, so why should this be any different? The Calamari was above average, and served in a large portion. Lightly battered and tentacles included, that was a plus. I would definitely order this again. The Mussels were decent, but I would not order it again. However, the Breadsticks were only $4.00 for a huge portion (8 sticks) and they were freakin' good! I am definitely wanting to come back and either getting more or trying out the cheese covered garlic knots. We ordered a large Pepperoni Pizza. I think that this was a mistake because more gourmet toppings would have made for a better eating experience. Next time I will definitely try one of their specialty pizzas to see what Piesanos recommends to compliment their delicious crust. The crust is crispy and all of the ingredients are top notch. The sauce is not too sweet and tastes very natural with just the right amount of seasoning. The cheese is stretchy, creamy, and has a clean chew. If you are expecting NY style pizza, you will not find that here. Just high quality pies. One of my main ratings when reviewing pizza is the crave worthy factor. And, yes, I am in fact craving this pizza again right now and must return again soon.
(4)Coleen T.
Tried the chicken parm sub... FRIGGIN GREAT! Comes with fries... soooo delicious!! I want to try the philly cheese steak next time :)
(5)Barry R.
My 5 year old grandson takes taekwondo right across the street from this restaurant, so after his class my wife and I along with my daughter, son-in-law, and 3 grandkids decided to give Piesanos a try. We were seated immediately at a large table and the very friendly waitress brought out garlic rolls and took our drink orders. She came back a few minutes later to take our food order. I would like to tell everyone how the food was, but after waiting for over a half hour for our food, the waitress came back and said she was very sorry but that she had forgotten to put in our food order. The grandkids were starting to get cranky, so I offered to pay for the drinks and the bread and told her we had to go. She said that there wouldn't be any charge for the drinks and bread and apologized again. I guess sometimes things like this happen. But based on the experience I can't rate the restaurant any higher.
(2)Rob G.
The pizza is incredibly, there are only 4 pizza places I will eat at in the area and this is one of them. The rolls are the best in town, love the dressing on them. Pasta and soups are also extremely good. I have never before found a pizza place with pasta any where near as good as this place. I highly recommend this place especially since it so reasonably priced.
(5)Adam G.
I don't see why this place got as many bad reviews as it did. The intererior is far nicer than I expected (which wasn't much other than a small pizza joint). Nice enough decor, full service bar with 3 Swamphead brews on tap (though $5 a pint for the Swamphead is pushing it). It was busy, but still fairly quiet. A nice and relaxing experience. The waitress was very attentive and polite. As mentioned, the garlic rolls are very good. I ordered the Spicy Italian Combo pizza (Ham, salami, pepperoni, red onions, banana peppers & mozzarella) and it was delicious (and still is as I'm eating it cold for breakfast right now). The crust was perfectly firm and crisp. The only downside of the pizza is that the cheese isn't easy to bite through, so it's easy to pull most of the cheese and toppings off in one bite if you're not careful. No big deal though. I sampled my wife's meat lovers + spinach calzone and it was very good as well. Completely stuffed with ingredients, crispy outside, decent marinara, would have fed us both. Only a couple minutes from my house, I'll definitely be going back here to try a few other pies and calzones.
(4)Simon P.
Okay, disclaimer - I only ate here one time. But the reason I only ate here one time is that it was truly foul. Imagine that you want to open a restaurant but you don't like to cook. So you drive to Sam's Club and buy a bunch of frozen pizzas and bags of salad and bottled dressing. You haul it back to your restaurant and then you wait for people to walk in and pay $$ for what you are serving. Our pizza was basically melted, synthetic cheese on a large disc of toast with ketchup. Crust? What's that? I imagine that in the kitchen they just cut open a plastic bag and pulled out a preprepared frozen pizza, pop it into the oven, and it's ready for table 15. Okay so maybe that is how 60-70% of restaurants prepare their food, but that is not a place I'm going back to any time soon.
(1)Gene E.
My favorite place to eat! The spaghetti is the best and the shells are to die for!!!!!!!
(5)Christina L.
Bread ROLLS = AMAZING. Salad, especially summer salad is perfect and fresh.
(5)Thomas B.
The beginning: You walk in and are your sense of smell is immediately attacked by the wonderful aromas from the kitchen. The kind of smell that just instantly makes you hungry! The Rolls: Delish. Small dinner rolls (probably homemade..?) but slathered in garlic, oregano, a little cheese and a mix of Italian dressing and oil. The Pizza: Stone fired and has a slight smoky taste. The dough is not thin and not thick, just right. You can actually pick up a piece and it won't double over and fall apart. Cooked to crispy perfection on the crust and underside, while still being soft on the front. Definitely up there with great pizzas!
(4)Chris T.
Pretty damn good pie. Full (and highly underutilized) bar.
(4)April O.
I've been here twice so far, and not managed to eat any pizza yet. I'll have to correct that soon. In the meantime, though, I'll review their other items. Last night we came in, eyeballing the other table's dinners and trying to decide if we wanted pizza or not. We eventually went with "not" and I settled on spinach ravioli, a side of meatballs and cheese knots. Brice went with the gorganzola-bacon burger. Oddly enough, after I ordered the cheese knots, the server returned to ask if we wanted the 'complimentary bread' as well. This confused me because the cheese knots are $6.95 and the menu clearly has regular rolls listed as a $1.50 side item. But there's also free bread available? ... well, anyway, bear that in mind if you go there for dine-in and save yourself the $7.00. The cheese knots were a cheese and butter sandwich with bread in the middle. You may die if you eat this. I'm just sayin'. The food came out quickly enough. The spinach ravioli turned out to be just as promised, the meatballs were tasty. Judging by the intestinal noises I heard yesterday evening, the burger didn't go over nearly as well, but in all fairness, since Brice doesn't eat the garnishes that come with a burger, he literally ate a small loaf of bread, a meat patty, and another patty of bacon-cheese (when they say cheeseburger, they are NOT kidding). That probably SHOULD upset your stomach. Besides, I've had a burger from here that I liked just fine, so I won't dock for that--he can do that on his own if he survives, lol. The cannoli I wolfed down for dessert was pretty good. I believe it was filled on the spot, and the filling was mildly sweet with chocolate shavings instead of chocolate chips, so I didn't feel like I was eating Rocky Road. Definitely one of the better cannolis I've had around Gainesville. I'd return. I'd bring friends. 3.5 stars.
(3)Mike W.
I had ordered take-away pizza from Piesanos a few times and it was ok, though not especially impressive. Tonight, my parents asked me to join them here for dinner. The atmosphere is nice, rustic but in a charming way with a lot of decorative stone and large, comfy, booths. I was impressed with how busy the restaurant was for a Wednesday night, and service appeared to be prompt and attentive. There were also a lot of customers leaving Piesanos through the seperate door for take-away orders, so that business was obviously turning a good profit for the owners, too. I had a pasta and chicken dish with a sauce described on the menu as a white wine sauce and I was told by the waitress it would be a very light, olive oil and wine-based sauce. This sounded good, so it is what I ordered. The dish which came out however tasted very off . . . as if the sauce had been made a couple days prior and reheated, plus the chicken was a bit tough and had very little flavor. I told the waitress and she apologized and asked if I would like something else: I chose a chicken carbonara dish which was the same price and looked promising (and difficult to mess up), which the waitress returned with quite promptly, so she--and the kitchen--have my respect for turing over a new dish for me so fast. However, the waitress also said twice to me about the original dish "well, some people like it and some don't" . . . as if to imply I simply did not care for the dish. I think I might have liked it just fine had it been prepared correctly. She also stated that all their sauces are made on the spot and there was no way the sauce therefore could have been "old". Ok, if it wasn't old, let us consider the other possible reasons why it tasted nasty: (and folks, it did taste nasty--there's hardly another word for it): either it was burned while being cooked (easy enough to do with a wine sauce) or the oil involved was rancid. Or both. It tasted worse than simply burned. Something rather ghastly had befallen that sauce. The chicken carbonara dish was fine, though not impressive. The rolls served with our meal were pretty good, too. My parents both liked their food: my dad had a burger and my mom a salad. The prices here seem in keeping with most casual Italian-American places in town and in the region. Here are my complaints and why Piesanos only gets two stars from me: --when a customer complains, you do NOT tell him anything that sounds like an argument or even a hint that his issue with the dish is not valid or a prejorative opinion. I was very polite and said with tact that the dish tasted "off" and I thought the sauce might be old. This was so the waitress could convey to the kitchen that the sauce, if prepared to use throughout the night, might be bad. I would think the chef would want to know. The waitress did apologize for the dish, and I told her it was not her fault certainly, but she also rolled her eyes around and gave me this rather patronizing look. It is quite rare I send a dish back to the kitchen, but this one should never have come out of the kitchen in the first place. I don't care if the waitress and chef and everyone else laugh in the kitchen about how picky I seemed, but don't roll your eyes and seem like you have it on the tip of your lips to say the customer is plain wrong in his opinion. Because that's the feeling I got with this waitress. --beyond that one dish, the other dish was not remarkable, and was really pretty bland. The overall quality, and of the pizzas I've had too, is Olive Garden food, not what you'd expect for a private venture. They may in fact put a lot of effort in cooking things fresh as the waitress told me, but the taste of everything I've had from Piesanos is unimpressive and recalls a chain restuarant. I've eaten at plenty of small, private, casual Italian places that have more authentic Italian dishes and everything tastes glowingly fresh. Bella's in Savannah, Georgia, would be one such stellar example. Also, they don't have a cold antipasto here. --I have no way of knowing where their chicken comes from or how it is prepared, but in both my dishes, it was cut into uniform strips and had little flavor--neither chicken flavor nor of the spices used in the specifc dishes--so I presume the chicken may come from a supplier frozen or pre-cooked. Again, I have no proof of this, but the chicken tasted much like chicken you'd find at a place using frozen prepared chicken tenders. There were also potatoes in the first dish I ordered and these were quite tough and flavorless, too. I would give them another try. I don't hold it against them that the dish I ordered was horribly bad because something apparently went wrong in the cooking process and I realize such can happen even at the best places. For now, though, I am very unimpressed with Piesanos.
(2)Adam N.
I was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere of this strip-mall restaurant. It has a very upscale-casual vibe to it. Great place for a relaxing family dinner or friendly get together. I have to say that the pizza here is quite good. It is very much like the pizza you would find in NYC. The kitchen is also more than happy to male the pie to your customized taste... just let them know! However the rest of their menu needs some work. Most surprising was how expensive most of the non pizza Italian dishes are: 12.99 for ravioli? I think they should concentrate on their strength - being a family style restaurant not a 12.99-a-dish date night place. Maybe consider having family size portions of pasta that an entire family can share. Service was great even though they were super busy and is one of the things that separates this restaurant from others in it's class. The bar area looked very nice - great place to hang out while you wait for a table (and chances are you will be waiting for a table... their pizza is worth the wait). We ordered a bottle of their Pinot - and I have to admit it was perfect. Not too expensive, not too cheap, and tasted great. Great job all in all... a wonderful addition to the local scene. I recommend stopping for the pizza the atmosphere and the service..ignore the rest of the menu.
(3)Brice O.
I've been to this place about 4 or 5 times now and it may be becoming my favorite pizza place in Gainesville. Granted, that's not saying a lot, but it is something. More than anything I like having an alternative to my wife dragging me out to Blue Highway. The pizza at this place really is worthy of a 4-star rating. They have some creative combinations, are very happy to and capable of customizing your pizza and their standard combinations of ingredients are pretty good. The toppings are plentiful without being overdone and I like their slightly sweet tomato sauce. It also probably doesn't hurt that they have at least one pretty good bartender. Unfortunately, they put other things on their menu. If I was evaluating them on the non-pizza portion of the menu it would probably be a 2-star or worse rating. None of the non-pizza items I've had at this place have been particularly good (although, their calamari was decent) and some have been close to inedible (I'm looking at you, Bacon Gorgonzola burger). I'm also still not sure what to make out of their rolls. The first set of rolls we got from this place came out burnt, covered in butter and what I think was Italian dressing, and were just a sad experience. However, when we went back this past week we asked for them without the dressing and they happened to come out light and fluffy, leaving us to wonder if we just got a bad batch before and why anyone would cover bread in Italian dressing. But I digress. Go here for the pizza, try other parts of the menu at your own risk.
(3)John L.
Server: "What would you like?" Me: "May I have a medium pie, half eggplant, half pepperoni..." Server: "Anything else?" Me: "..yeah..could you make sure the pie is extra crispy? If they could just give it a few more minutes in the oven and...?" Server: "No problem. Anything else?" Me: "Also with as little cornmeal or semolina as possible; preferably none." Server: "I'll make sure and tell them." The Resulting Pie The ingredients are very good. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the large pepperoni. Whenever I order pepperoni I secretly wish the pie comes with the unrivaled, dime-sized Rosa Pepperoni, Hormel's high-end line. These, while not as good, are still quite good. The cheese is also very pizzeria high quality (I think they use Grande mozzarella). The crust is almost ideal except for the coating of semolina/cornmeal along the bottom. Damn! This pet peeve of mine is following me around. If not for that semolina/cornmeal thing this place would, most likely, be my favorite pizza in the 352. The pie is good enough for me to not even consider ordering anything else.
(4)Nicole H.
Well I am sad to write this. I have been a steady weekly customer but lately the service has tanked. The last time we ordered take out pizza when my husband got there (30 minutes after calling) he paid and waited. And waited. After about 15 minutes he asked about it and oops they did not make it. The manager came over and did . . . nothing. Said whoops we will make it now. By the time a simple large cheese pizza made it home it was well over a hour after being ordered. No real apology, no discount, nada. It's pretty good but to wait that long and get attitude, I will just use that time to drive to Satchels or Blue Highway. Customer service matters. I don't plan to return. Only go if you have over a hour to wait for a cheese pizza and don't care about customer service. Too bad, was excited to finally have decent pizza nearby.
(1)Josh S.
My wife and I came here once about 6 months ago and dined in and I was pretty impressed with the interior of the place, especially considering it's in a strip mall. Service was fine if not overly memorable, but that probably means I was happy at the time. Prices seemed a little higher than what I was expecting, especially on basic pasta dishes, but it was our first visit and we came for the pizza anyway. Garlic rolls were decent, caesar salad was average, pizza pretty solid. Fast forward to this past weekend. We called and ordered a small city disguised as a calzone for take-out. It should have probably(definitely) fed more than 2 of us(a small army), but it was tasty enough to knock out pretty easily. Tons of ricotta and mozzarella, good garlic flavor in the crust, and a lot of sliced italian sausage all made me happy. It was just over $11 which again seemed a little high, even taking into account the quality of the food. I always have trouble paying a premium on pizza, otherwise I could easily justify 4 stars to this place. I'm sure I'll be back, but probably not until the wife mentions it.
(3)Danny D.
SERVICE SUCKS STARTING FROM THE MANAGER AND THEY WILL OVERCHARGE!!!! Make sure you check your bill!!!. But if you find a mistake, good luck! They added charges to my bill without ever telling me until I got my bill. It made no sense that if there are two pies that cost EXACTLY the same, making a single pizza with half of these two pies should cost any different. The manager was very cold, dismissive and made no sense when we explained the situation. The service was...well she was new.... The food: OK... ...last time they will see this face...
(1)Peter M.
Great Pizza at this new stone Fired pizza oven restaurant which is a welcome addition to Gainesville. In addition to pizza, they have a nice variety of appetizers, salads, pastas and subs. They also have good lunch specials for under $10.
(4)Allison H.
Delicious! The fried ravioli is so delicious and I love the pizza crust but I have to admit that I disagree with several of the other reviewers on here and I think the garlic rolls are the weak point. Who wants rolls soaked in vinegar when they could be soaked in butter?
(4)Rachel E.
MMMMMM garlic rolls. Everything was delicious! They offer DICED pepperoni, the pricing is affordable, the interior is way nicer than I expected. We even got cheesy garlic knots to go once and they were great the next day. Salad is fresh, service is friendly and fast, calzones are enormous. I wish I could go here more!
(5)raquel c.
Went with the whole family and everything we had was delicious!!! You can tell the ingredients were fresh and they did not skimp on the pizza toppings. Large portions, excellent service, reasonable prices! This is the place to be if you are in Gainesville.... Go gators
(5)Mike F.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Gainesville! If you haven't been here, you're missing out. The service is great and the food is incredible. You have to try the chicken parm or one of their pizzas! AMAZING!!
(5)Belle C.
I might have a new favorite pizza place. I ordered two of their specialty pizzas (pesto chicken and mediterranean veggie) and both were really delicious. The crust was crispy without being too thin and both pizzas were loaded with toppings. I can't comment on the dining experience since I got take-out, but I noticed that they have a full bar, which is cool.
(4)Jim B.
Meh. After hearing great things about this place I popped in today expecting awesomeness... and, well... it was OK 1. The manager(? owner?) came up to seat me. Empty booths by the window, and a whole empty middle section... and he marches me back to the last table by the freaking KITCHEN. #fail. I put the kibosh on that and he put me at one of the window booths. Seriously, at 2:30 on a Saturday there is no excuse for putting me in that seat when the place is half empty. 2. So, I wanted to try one of their specialty pizzas in the personal pan pizza size. Fail #2. They do not have that option. I complained. The manager person came back over to explain that it was a 'business decision' Really? Don't offer to take care of the single diner? What about a couple that might want to try two different combinations and share? Newsflash: LOTS of places offer this option BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO BE HAPPY. Your desire to want higher ticket averages conflicts directly with my desire to enjoy hot fresh pizza hot off the stone cooker. Sure "You can take it home and have it later" and - thats what I chose... but the re-heated pizza won't be as good as the fresh pizza from the oven. So 5 of 8 slices are cooling in my fridge. 3. The food: The waitress was nice and brought me a couple of their house rolls to try. They are decent, but seem like a food service dough with parmesan and salad dressing on them... not terrible, but not great either. The pizza: I got the philly 3 cheese. Lots of topping, decent crust, good value for the price. Too bad it was 3 times what I actually wanted. If it had been a personal pizza, they'd get 3 stars and I'c come back to try it again. I live downtown and its a hike out to BFE to check this place out. (Aside: WHY do people live way the f**k out here? Jebuz the 'burbs suck) Verdict on the pizza: For Gainesville, its pretty good. Overall, its not quite up to the hype. The 'specialty' pizzas are pretty mundane - they'll never challenge the tastebuds with any of these comnbos. 4. Waitress: Good. Efficient. Probably the best part of the experience overall. Thats not a good sign, now is it? Verdict: They simply do not seem to want to take care of the single diner. Plus, trying to stick me in the absolute worst seat in the place when the place is half empty is just unforgivable. They seem way more interested in their own needs, and not the customer's.
(2)Jlynn L.
YUM YUM YUM! This place makes the olive garden taste like frozen garbage! We have gone several times and I LOVE this place!! Highly recommend their Eggplant parmesaon, salades, pizzas and GARLIC ROLLS! Dont fill up on those yummy rolls before dinner that becomes a parade in your mouth! They are amazing! Staff and servers are really nice. Its also a great place to get take out! :*) Enjoy!
(5)Deb D.
Thankfully we live 5 minutes from Piesanos! They have the best Eggplant Parmesan Sub in the entire world. I order eggplant at every restaurant that offers it (and have had it many times in Rome) and no eggplant compares to this! It is served with crispy, delicious fries which are delicious. These subs easily serve two people, so left overs are a bonus the next day! I've heard many great comments about their pizza, pasta dishes, etc, but nothing could be better than their eggplant!
(5)Superglass G.
Quite possiblyThe most consistent pizza place I have ever gone to. The rules are to die for the pizza is always cooked to perfection . The ingredients and toppings are always fresh. The soups are delicious the sandwiches are delicious the calzones are to die for the muscles are fantastic so if you really like Italian food with the northern states crust, flavor this is the place for you. We eat there at least 2 to 3 times a week. When we can't decide where to go we just say looks like it's Old Faithful
(5)Dave C.
The good - they have an excellent spinach salad - perfect. The OK - the pizza is about like a Papa John's - but they are large. The less than OK - we were told 10-minute wait - it was a half hour. And this was a Thursday evening.
(3)Lawrence C.
I'm being generous, but they're better than 2 stars. We called up and ordered to go. 20 minutes later we had our food in the car going home. Chicken parmigiano was a little dry (overcooked ) even with the marinara sauce. Salads were fine. Pizza looked good. An average place. ...good for a quickie.
(3)Fred P.
Here's the story of why I won't be returning to Piesanos... But first, the food review. In a single word, the food is "meh." Best part of the pizza is the crust... but the pizza itself is too greasy and "tries too hard." Now, why I won't be returning. My wife, in-laws, and I head to Piesanos.... I run about 10 minutes late. They get there at 8, I arrive before 8:15. Place closes at 10. I sit down, and no joke... less than 1 minute later, the waitress asks if we're ready to order. I start to apologize for being late, she cuts me off and says "I'll come back." Not sure why the attitude, but yay. She comes back at 8:30. Wife orders two pizzas... one of them being a "White pizza" with an extra topping of chicken, the other being a Palermo. Just after 9pm (we're pretty hungry at this point)... Waitress comes by with the Palermo and a Hawaiian with Chicken (Ham, Pineapple, and Chicken). We all just look at the Hawaiian... I said, "Is this the white pizza?" Waitress says, "No it's the Hawaiian with Chicken." "But we ordered a white pizza with chicken." She says, "I heard Hawaiian. If you want a white pizza it will be 10 minutes. Do you want a white pizza?" "Yes please." At 9:16 (I was checking my watch), I move the Hawaiian over to an empty table to make room for the white... she comes by a few minutes later. "Do you not want this now?" "No, we didn't order a Hawaiian. You put in the white, right?" She says something to her manager... he drops of the pizza at 9:25 saying "There's your pizza. Anything else?" At no point does anyone say "I'm sorry" or anything. We didn't start on the Palermo (we figured it would be 10 minutes and you know... rude and all (since 2 people couldn't have the red sauce)). Long story longer... I pay the check and leave. Wife asks if they discounted the bill or anything. I say "Nope." She calls the manager... says to him yatta yatta yatta... should have had a discount... no one apologized... etc. Manager says "I took the Hawaiian off your bill." I don't mind a mistake. I mind an attitude. Even if the food was awesome, an attitude like that would keep me from coming back. With "meh" food and an argumentative staff, I won't be back. Granted this place is busy. They won't miss my business.
(1)Jeff M.
As good as it gets!!!
(5)Jenn H.
Definitely my favorite place for pizza. Everything is always delicious, whether you dine in or get it to go. The garlic knots will get you in trouble but are so good! One of my favorites is the buffalo chicken pizza!
(5)Eric M.
We showed up on a Saturday evening and were almost immediately seated, even thought the restaurant was crowded. They offer booths, tables, and appeared to have a bar area. Our server brought us some complementary rolls dipped in Italian dressing and dusted with cheese, which was a wonderful treat. After spending a few minutes looking at their vast menu, it was a hard decision but we finally decided on the MeatEater Calzone and Chicken Carbonara. Both dishes were awesome. Service was quick and our order arrived without issue. We enjoyed our visit and will be coming back to try more of their menu. Great food, quick service, and awesome prices. Well done Piesanos.
(5)Ben P.
Consistent is probably the best word I can use to describe Piesano's. Whether it be lunch or dinner, pasta, pizza or sandwich, the food is ALWAYS good and the prices appeal to every budget.
(5)Lisa K.
Excellent pizza! And they have these rolls...OMG they're so simple but so so good! Oh and there's happy hour on Tuesday and Thursday, yummy Mojitos! This is easily my favorite pizza in Gainesville.
(5)Jenn P.
Good food. Slow to come out whether eating in or especially ordering out. People answering phones are pretty rude, after I questioned why a small to go order was going to take 45-55 min they hung up on me and hung up again when I tried to call back repeatedly. The people at the Piesano's on university are a lot quicker and a whole lot nicer. Much happier going there now!
(2)Peter P.
We were here from out of town and picked the closest place to our hotel with good rating. The few times Yelp delivered as we had a string of bad recommendations recently. Supreme pizza and garlic breadstick with marinara was tasty with nice dough texture. Calamari was delish too. Docked it a notch for the puny dessert after everything was so awesome but it was the last thing we remembered. Our server was top rate tho.
(4)Mauricio H.
This was our first recommendation when we moved to Gainesville and it wasn't wrong!!! It's a great local family hang out with awesome pizzas and even better gigantic calzones!! They even carry local Swamp Head beer!
(5)Sarah S.
Good pizza and great service! We were seated promptly and served quickly. We will come back again. The only awkward part of the night was that some of the staff were on the receiving end of some lengthy constructive criticism/ reprimands that I just didn't want to hear. Take that to the back office, not the dining room!
(4)