Giovanni Pastrami
227 Lewers St,Ste 118, Honolulu, HI, 96815
Giovanni Pastrami Menu
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Appetizers
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Salads
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Sandwiches
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Premium Specialty Pizzas
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Create Your Own Pizza
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Beverages
Healthy Meal suggestions for Giovanni Pastrami
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Appetizers
-
Salads
-
Sandwiches
-
Premium Specialty Pizzas
-
Create Your Own Pizza
-
Beverages
Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
227 Lewers St,Ste 118
Honolulu, HI, 96815 - Phone (808) 923-2100
- Website https://www.giovannipastrami.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 12:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast, Brunch
Parking : Garage
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 : No
Categories
Pizza
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.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Alecia S.
Not very friendly, over priced food and way way way to loud!
(1)Christopher D.
For those of us who's day isn't complete without a good breakfast, Giovanni Pastrami's is a must-try! Now I'm not going to lie - their prices are a little on a high side, BUT that's only if you look just to the food. My wife, son, and I drove into town this morning - past the huge crowds waiting outside Original Pancake House, Eggs&Things, and even Denny's and we cruised right into a great booth at the shockingly UNCROWDED "G.P."! This place is a freaking secret in a town where you can almost never escape the crowds!! I ate honest and true eggs benedict and some tasty almost mashed potato hash browns while watching hundreds of people walk on by the front door probably thinking the few of us inside where just diehard sports fans! It was worth the est 20% higher food cost for me to walk right in without waiting, get my food in minutes after ordering, have fresh coffee refilled just as my cup was getting empty, enjoy my little window onto life at Lewers St without hungry people staring at me wondering when I'll give up my table, and more.. Food = Excellent / Staff = AWESOME! I can see myself becoming a regular...that is until the day comes that at 8am on a Sat or Sun morning I'm told to "take this beeper and we'll buzz you when a table opens up".. Aloha!
(4)Robert C.
Might be the worst corned beef sandwich I've had. Bread was tired and the meat was fatty, chewy and had no flavor. For $16 I expected at least a mediocre sandwich.
(1)Channing B.
Hmmm... This looks like a glorified Round Table Pizza restaurant and you as the customer are the ones paying for the glorification! Giovanni's Pastrami is located in the relatively new Beachwalk area of Waikiki. It's a great looking restaurant with lots of big screen HDTVs showing every game imaginable. When my wife, two teenage kids and me showed up on Sunday, December 20th at about 2:00 p.m. the restaurant was empty (with paying customers). There were three employees talking story adjacent to the front entrance, two other people hanging out with the hostess, a bartender talking on her cell phone, and two kitchen workers just standing around. We were seated in the lower section by the hostess and our wait person followed soon after. I asked if there were any specials and he said "no, only during happy hour Monday through Friday." I responded by commenting that the reason the restaurant was so empty, was because there were no specials. We then proceeded to order on of their $30.00 pizzas that really should cost no more than $22 or $25 at the very most. We asked about a pitcher of beer but the wife and I passed after hearing it was $17! The pizza was ok, the service was minimal and the prices were a bit too much for me. A pastrami sandwich was $16.00 and it didn't look like anything spectacular!
(2)Cherri A.
Absolute delight!! Found this gem on Yelp and was so glad we tried it (twice) Has something for the whole family and the portions were just right and couldn't have tasted better!
(4)Lauren L.
Go somewhere else. Ridiculously high prices for food no better than Subway or McDonalds. Ordered their chef salad for $16.00!!! Ick!! Overpriced for a salad that tasted no different than what I've purchased at McDs. Also, sandwiches for $14-$16?? Kidding me?? Plain, slapped together sandwiches. No wonder they got bad reviews. Should've checked Yelp first.
(1)Larisa M.
I honestly don't know if I'll be back to this restaurant. There wasn't anything terrible and there wasn't anything great (other than speaking to someone on staff on the phone prior to getting there...he was a riot). My husband, 6 year old, and I went here for Mother's Day. Before anyone knocks my husbands choice of taking me here for my "special" meal, I have to say it was entirely my choice. I love pizza and wanted to give theirs a try. Simple as that. I should probably divulge that I don't eat meat (I eat seafood...so however you want to categorize my food choices, or lack there of). You might think it unfair for me to review a place with PASTRAMI in the title. I assure you the Pastrami sandwich my husband had made me want to change my tune about the no meat thing. My kid had pancakes, bacon, and eggs despite it being midday and was totally stoked on his selection. I rediscovered my love for Round Table Pizza. I had the personal gourmet veggie which I gobbled up in about five minutes. I was confused why Round Table was providing the pizza, but decided I didn't really care since it was a trip down memory lane for me and it was covered with zucchini and artichokes! We had good food at an okay place with okay service. If it were closer to home, I'd probably go a LOT more often, but seeing as how it is in Waikiki, I'm sad to say I'd probably go across the street to the Yard House instead. But for those of you looking for a deal and who love LOST---they do have LOST viewing "parties" and a free pizza deal that I noticed...on our way out the door!
(4)Cameron C.
12/13/2010 Stopped in for the Pastrami, but it was game time and they sat us in the back. Then we learned for every drink you order, you get a free slice of pizza. Two Beers & Two pieces of pizza, my GF & I were taken care. The walls are covered with TV's with various games on. A relatively inexpensive place to hang out.
(3)Lucy L.
Went here for a Sunday breakfast and wished I ate at the Denny's nearby. The atmosphere is a sports bar feel and it's a great place to watch a game (been here before for Monday night football). The breakfast menu is pretty extensive and I ordered the corned beef benedict (think eggs benedict with corned beef instead of ham). The portion was pretty large but the food sucked. All I tasted after taking the first bite into the corned beef was SALT. It was so salty I had a hard time finishing it. I think the rest of the food was okay but couldn't enjoy the taste of anything except SALT. The service is pretty good and they serve Round Table pizza (I believe they own it) as well. Great place to have a few beers during the game but skip it if you're going there strictly to eat.
(2)John C.
Atmosphere was nice and the hostess very helpful. The waitress however, not so much. Pretty much delivered our food and forgot about us. I had to send back a draft beer because it was funky tasting and the Reuben was only so-so. I won't be back.
(1)Sogol G.
We went there to watch the football game since it is a sport bar. They were showing all the games and the hostess would ask you at the door about the game that you would like to watch and make sure that you have good seats. They have one of the best buffalo wings that I have ever had and the service was great. Will go back there again!
(4)Lil T.
The food deserves 3 stars. Just mediocre food, nothing spectacular or tasty. You get ordinary sandwiches and pizza. The menu is extensive and expensive. Great for hanging out with friends. However, I bumped it to 4 stars because of the front desk clerk who took my to go order one day. She was very pleasant and polite. I can only remark on her, don't know about the table waiters.
(4)Cherryl D.
My Ratings: Quantity: 3 Stars Quality - 3 Stars Price - 2 Stars Location - 4 Stars Service - 3 Stars Speed: 3 Stars My Opinion/Story: If it wasn't for our beach bucks, we wouldn't even try this place. It's a nice place but the food is quite on the high side. We ended up getting a Round-Table Pizza since it's the only thing we can afford. Nothing too special about this place and if you're on a budget, try another place. It's not exactly a bad spot and if you're hungry enough, they have the food for you. Service is a little on the slow side. You will have to try to catch one of their servers in order to get them to refill your water glass. But other than that.. it's not so bad but it's not so great either.
(3)Ellen Mae V.
Came here for breakfast with a friend. Eh.... We ordered the pancakes which were huge but nothing really special. We also ordered the pastrami eggs benedict, which were tasty. Still, the two plates were rather pricey. Otherwise, I don't think I'd come here again.
(2)Connie C.
We came in for breakfast one day, and the food was actually pretty decent. The portions were huge, as they should be at their prices. We had the pastrami eggs benedict (had to try their pastrami) with hash browns, and a short stack of macadamia nut pancakes. I can't imagine who could have a tall stack -- maybe a family of four. I still prefer Lulu's banana macadamia nut pancakes. Slices of banana embedded into the pancake... mmm! I'd stay away from this place if you're hungry for lunch or dinner though. If you're coming here and expecting an authentic New York style deli, you'll be sorely disappointed. And forget about the pizza. It's not even their own, they serve Round Table Pizza! The space is nice and new though, and if you want to catch a game or two, they've got tons of flat screens all around for you to get your sports fix.
(3)matt k.
Crummy Service. Crummy Attitudes from the Employees. WAY overpriced food. $17 for a sandwich? Better have white truffle shavings for a $17 turkey sandwich. We got up and left after dealing with a server with an attitude. Paid for our drinks and left. This place is NOTHING like Cheesecake Factory in Honolulu, which, BTW, we thoroughly enjoyed. The atmosphere is like an over done sports bar. I just get the impressive of, dirty, in this place. A positive? They have Round Table pizza, which is good, but it's still more expensive than the actual Round Table pizza at the Hilton. Do yourself a favor, walk on the sidewalk along the beach to the Hilton and find the Round Table restaurant there and eat and enjoy.
(1)Michelle O.
Wanted to check this place out for a while, as each time I passed it I felt the giant flat screens constantly tuned to ESPN callin me...Got seated & served quickly, just beating a mess of people that decided they'd dine there too. We ordered the 'Roundtable' Western BBQ chicken supreme which had a great crust--neither thick nor thin and fresh green peppers, red onion, chicken, and various cheeses and a BBQ sauce that complimented all the flavors well. It was excellent! If you aren't in the mood for pizza, they also have a full breakfast menu, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, & salads. The decor is great--light and airy, tile floors and a huge bar area. Would definitely return!
(4)Max M.
Our second visit to Giovanni Pastrami and not a good one. We stood at the front door for a good 3-4 minutes with no hostess in sight and the restaurant was no where near busy...mostly empty in fact. FINALLY got a table....took forever to get a drink order. Food was ok.....we only had Round Table Pizza, salad and beverages, but the service was so poor I doubt we will return when we are in Waikiki again.
(2)Steve K.
I am just rating their bar as we only stopped for drinks and some appetizers...they have a pretty cool sports bar in the back surrounded by flatscreens..we were watching the Japan vs Korea baseball game and it was pretty loud in there due to the cheering Japanese fans (Japan lost). We just had some brews and some wings (super spicy). The bartender, Sophia, was the best, cutest and sweetest!
(4)Sheena L.
Good place to enjoy a game, a few pints and a great pizza!
(4)Alice A.
Soggy rye bread, processed pastrami and undercooked fries. I wasn't expecting NYC in Honolulu so I wasn't disappointed
(2)David C.
Best place for round table pizza. Come with friends, cover the table with food, select any HDTV in your peripheral, and enjoy.
(4)Ross R.
lots of sports food is ok would go back for any football game they have them all
(3)James S.
Giovanni's is one of those touristy type places flanked by a lot of shops and hotels in Waikiki. Not usually my kind of place while I'm in Hawaii. I'm giving Giovanni's 4 stars because of their great service and because they did my breakfast exactly how I wanted it. I ordered the bacon and eggs plate, expecting at par food; Oh boy was I wrong. The food came out much better than I was expecting, the waitress making sure that it was perfect. The eggs scrambled with perfect texture. The bacon fried crispy ( the way bacon should be eaten). Most importantly of all....my hashbrowns came out the way I wanted, extra crispy. I will definitely stop by for breakfast again next time I'm in Waikiki. Bon Appetit'
(4)Jeannanicole D.
Roundtable pizza can never go wrong. Giovanni's homemade caesar salad is also an excellent choice. I've been here a few times and haven't been disappointed once.
(4)Anjyl J.
First of all the hostess, I think her name was Jenifer, was talking with her friend at the door for so long we didn't even know she was an employee working there. So we waited all that time to be helped. When she finally came around to helping us, it was like she resented us for being there. She gave us attitude while seating us. Then we were finally rid of her when the waitress, Julia, came around. She began polite but when we asked a few questions about the beer, I caught her rolling her eyes. We ordered cocktails and beer but she never offered us any water, so we never got any. To put it in a nutshell ...THE SERVICE HERE SUCKS! WE ate, paid and left. The food is tasty but the service makes it not worth coming here again!
(1)Dan M.
Well we decided to stop here before heading to the airport... Tried the corned beef/pastrami combo...very Uneventful..meat very fatty, apparently they do not know how to trim meat. Bad choice, won't be back. Try the Yardhouse across the street...better choice. Giovanni's also has a promotion about getting a FREE Pizza with any purchase...in reality it is a small SLICE of pizza. Do yourself a favor...try somewhere else.
(1)Patti W.
It was bad from the beginning. The cheese sauce on he nachos is very nasty(upside the ground beef wasn't that bad). The brisket bbq had a horrible taste to it, along with the salad that was bitter and wilted. The pickles were good though, however it is hard to mess up getting a pickle out of a jar.
(1)Nathan N.
Pastrami eggs Benedict? Why not, sounds different and I do like pastrami. Sat at the bar, meal came up right after I ordered it. Apparently they made 2 by accident right then, lucky me. It was still hot too, so I didn't mind. Pastrami was a nice touch. Salty though for a Benedict. Eggs might have been a little too runny, but ok. Lots of food, so you you don't leave hungry. Bartender was busy, running around a lot. I could have gotten a quicker refill, but not a big deal. Overall the rest of the menu looked good, made me want to order other things. Maybe another time. Now the bad, pricey. My eggs Benedict and coke were 19 bucks. Sandwiches were also 15-18 dollars!! But again, this is Waikiki, so it's also the location. So who knows, I might try it again, but then again, I'm not really a pastrami from New York professional like some of the other people who apparently are doing reviews. I just review what I think tastes good.
(3)Linda P.
Ate breakfast here twice and ordered to go once. Menu says BJ Penn likes their pastrami benedict, and so did we, as well as the pastrami hash. Weren't as impressed with the second breakfast. We took out a corned beef ruben which was tasty enough. The other sandwich was ok, but can't remember what it was, so.... It's Waikiki, so it's not cheap.
(3)Edwin G.
Good food a little pricey for breakfast.
(4)Mike B.
Happy Hour is as promised with 2 free slices of Round Table Cheese Pizza for every drink purchased between 3 PM and 6:30 PM Hawaiian. Service is slow...even with Bartender. Seems to mix drinks well and take care of many customers outside her area (ie The Bar), but is too preoccupied with details. Doesn't pay attention to her customers needs...often leaving them waiting for a beer or a slice of pizza. Doesn't maintain a good repore (sp) with her bar crowd...but definitely makes sure you're bill is right. When a bartender won't and doesn't communicate with you....be concerned! M.
(2)Edwina K.
I saw "New York Style Deli" and became nostalgic of home. Of course I wanted to try this place. After picking up a farewell gift, my co-worker and I stopped here for lunch. It was empty (first sign) so we were looking forward to hopefully good food and fast service. We tried the poke and it was ok. A small serving of poke on a large bed of purple cabbage was not worth $15 - go to Safeway. The menu was diverse. It was kinda difficult to choose an entree with so many choices. It's nice to know they serve a breakfast menu all day 'til midnight. The eggs benedict looked appetizing. Anyway, I took the safe route and ordered the club sandwich. Not bad, good size. Sandwiches are served with shoestring fries & a pickle. My co-worker had their grilled cheese tomato sandwich w/ a side of cole slaw. The cole slaw looked like soup of the day. The waiter was cool and on top of things which is always a plus. However the food was not as good as an authentic deli. Please don't advertise you serve NY style deli food if you really don't. I know tourists can be stupid but come on! I won't be coming back.
(2)Mike Z.
Came here for brunch and ordered the Meatloaf Loco Moco. The outer layer of the meatloaf was hard as rock. The service was decent, I haven't tried anything else on the gigantic menu,
(3)gregory t.
Just back from a couple of weeks in honolulu- ate at this place twice.Both times I noticed how unprofessional the staff was- sense there is a lack of management because of the poor service. The food will not carry this joint! The sands were just thrown together- the 2nd time there, I ate a sand in the morn and I could tell the bread was hard and stale form the past day- I paid $15 for it! The owner should have a major hard look at how his operation is run because he is headed for a fall. I would NEVER go back.
(1)Amber W.
Schizophrenic menu, surly servers, LOUD tvs everywhere. Is that the reason it is always empty while everything else on Beachwalk is packed? Yep. Beyond that, this place has bad vibes.
(1)Chesley B.
Very fast delivery to the Wyndham... 10 minutes ahead of schedule and order exact to spec. Great service... great food... great experience! "Personal" size pizza is only 7" so more like kid-menu size.
(4)Dave K.
Hey! The food is a little over priced - but they're right in the middle of Waikiki - what do you expect? They do; however, have a ton of TVs and I'm going to say their are one of the Best Sports Bar/ Tourist Traps [not the other way around]. The place gets major points for cleanliness (it is impeccable), consistency of food, and friendly staff. They not only have a ton of TVs, but they have the little speakers at the tables so that you can choose which TV you want to listen to; that's a sign of a legit sports bar I've had a bunch of their sandos and salads, and although none totally blew me away, they were all pretty good, especially the title track pastrami. Lastly, if you're willing to drop $14 on an omelette here for breakfast, you could likely feed four people... Auf.
(4)Erin K.
Two words "Gross food!". The salsa was clearly from a jar, the chips were stale. Pizza seemed frozen and microwaved, pasta very dry. Very overpriced! The only thing that was my saving grace were the Mai tai's which were actually good! Husband found a bug in his beer!
(1)Katherine M.
A friend reccommended this place to me since it was right around the corner from our hotel in Waikiki (Waikiki Parc). They had a good selection if a lot of different types of food. I'm a pretty small eater so I got the Two, Two, Two combo fir $7.50. They made my eggs exactly how I asked, lite scramble, which is easy to mess up. The real reason I gave them 4 stars is my husband ordered the Patrami Eggs Benefict, $12.50, it was fantastic!!!!! Don't let the small whole in the wall size truck you. Eat breakfast here for sure! We didn't have a chance to try lunch or dinner but it was definitley a good reccommendation!
(4)Alene T.
Came here for breakfast thinking they couldn't possibly screw that up, but lo and behold, they did! There was a piece of plastic in my husband's omlette, and to make matters worse, they actually served us moldy bread. Stay away from this place...don't think of convience; think of your health! Even though our meal was free, we wish we never ate there in the first place.
(1)Matthew N.
I'm a sucker for pastrami, so when I read about this place I was compelled to go try it out. It's a sports bar, with dozens of LCD monitors tuned to every variation of ESPN on the planet. Which is good when it's football season because you can watch almost every good game while having breakfast/lunch. It's kind of hard to get to in that a) it's in Waikiki and b) it's in that newly renovated 'boardwalk' area. But there is valet parking on a side street that, with validation, is only four dollars. I've been there a few times and they never really seem crowded; I wonder if it's because Yard House is just across the street. The pastrami is okay - nothing spectacular. Their corned beef is also just okay. Fries are shoestring - therefore too crisp and lacking flavor. Early reviews talked the place up as being a gourmet sandwich joint but, honestly, it's just another sports bar with food that tastes great provided you've had a few beers. The breakfast portions are plentiful but nothing spectacular. For the money you'd be better off staying out of Waikiki and going somewhere else. I can't say the place sucks because it doesn't, but I'm sure you could find better pastrami somewhere else for a lot less.
(2)Josh P.
I am always one to give a place a chance regardless of the reviews on Yelp. The initial wait for greeting and order taking by the server was less than 10 minutes and we were seated quickly. The server took our order and I assumed she would put it in and we would receive our food in a timely manner. Wrong. She came back about 15mins later to tell us she not only forgot to put our order in but she forgot what we ordered. Coffee cups were empty for the majority of our late breakfast and nobody seemed to really care. The food came out pretty quickly after she did put it in and we enjoyed the pastrami eggs benedict. Yeah, listen to the other reviewers people and skip giovanni pastrami. I certainly will.
(1)Todd K.
Gross. Stale chips (& salsa from a jar); bug in beer; dry pasta; pizza was probably out of a box.
(1)Christopher E.
This place is horrible. Service was horrible!!! First off our waitress never once came by our table to re-fill our refreshments and once our food made it too the table we never saw her till the end of the night when she dropped off our bill. Another thing is that they add 15% gratuity with a party of 5?!?!?! what kind of shit is that??? Next the food was horrible. A friend of mine had the corn-beef reuben which he said tasted like horrible and another friend of mine and myself had the pastrami dip. Let me tell you the pastrami dip was gross. If you want pastrami that looks like it came from a pack of hillshire farms go here, not to mention my roll was cold,old, and stale. My girlfriend chose the chicken bbq burger which when it came out looked good till you took a bite. The bun was soggy as if it had sat in a puddle of water and the bbq sauce drenched over the top tasted like old chocolate syrup. it was horrible. Finally when our waitress came back to give us our bill she never asked how the food was because it was apparent we did not like it because most all our plates had hardly been touched. Furthermore if you want to pay 125+ for 5 horrible sandwhich's, and sit on the shitter all nightcome here!!! if not walk across the street to yardhouse, its way better.
(1)Stephanie W.
The overpriced food along with poor service is what inspired this poor rating... We sat down next to the bar area... the bar tender was to be our waitress, kept walking back and forth for a good 5-8 mins before she even acknowledged we were even there... I ordered Hawaiian punch and the husband ordered ice tea. She did not want to refill my drink, she walked by 3 times before she asked if I wanted a refill - what the hell man! Its a freaking fountain drink! She seemed to be more concerned about getting the bills paid on other tables. I should have read the reviews before I went to this place... I won't be returning!
(2)Brooke P.
Seated immediately, waitress was decent, but not memorable. We came in around noon, and everyone but me ordered breakfast, I got a personal pizza. Everything came in huge, delicious portions, but my food took about ten minutes longer to show up. I'll probably try breakfast next time, judging by the bite of coconut macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup I tried. Yummmmm.
(4)Satoru Y.
Great breakfast; mediocre lunch. We were spending the weekend in Waikiki for a wedding, and decided to make a day of lounging and dining. We got a late start, and were hungry for some breakfast food; preferably a breakfast buffet. Then, one of the hotel workers suggested going to Giovanni Pastrami. I was surprised to hear that they served breakfast all day till midnight. All the worker had to do was say "Eggs Benedict", and I was there. We were suprised how expansive their menus were. We both ordered different variations of the Eggs Benedict. I had a Traditional, and my girlfriend got the Pastrami Benedict. Her dish was much better than mine. The flavors all worked well on the Pastrami Benedict. The Pastrami brought a nice spice and texture to the dish. The Traditional had a thick slice of ham, but the Hollandaise Sauce was nothing too spectacular. We both ordered Country Fries with our dishes. The Country Fries were more of a Tex Mex version. They had a little bit of kick to them, and I love that they added peppers to the Fries. After vegging out of quite some time, we later wandered out of the hotel room to check on getting some food. Luckily, Lewers Street is very close to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Unfortunately, Taormina was booked up. We decided what the hell, and went back to Giovanni. The second visit made my hopes began to crumble into disillusionment. After having the Pastrami Benedict earlier, we were anxious to try their sandwiches. We decided to get the Chelsea's Treat (Pastrami, Corned Beef, etc.) and Meatloaf Sandwich. Of course the sandwiches have many NYC references in their names. I also added on a Tomato Bisque Soup to my meal. When I got my soup, it was like sipping on Marinara sauce. Where was the heavy cream in this, and what made this a Bisque? Then we got our sandwiches. Now, the Concept Chef probably took lessons from a Magician: Deceive the eyes of your customers. They loaded on so many fries, undercooked fries at that, on the plate to make it seem like a full platter of food. The actual sandwiches are smaller than expected. The meat was of better quality than people are used to here in Hawaii; way better than places like A Taste of New York Deli in Kaimuki. However, there seems to be something fundamentally wrong going on here. My girlfriend again got the dish I enjoyed more this time as well: the Meatloaf Sandwich. It had a good gravy and was a very tender Meatloaf. She too had a small sandwich with a pile of undercooked fries. Sandwiches dishes aren't incredibly complex; how about some effort here. All in all, a very dualistic place to eat; I would highly suggest coming for breakfast.
(3)Sarah W.
Anytime I can get breakfast for dinner is a definite plus! I had the eggs benedict which was ok, not the best I've ever had, but not too bad. I just enjoyed the fact that at 9pm I could order eggs :) They also serve Round Table Pizza which is some of the best pizza! Would go back just for the breakfast!
(3)Becky T.
This sports bar has a big bar and tons of screens and their draw is large deli style sandwiches with inches of stacked meats. They also have Round Table Pizza, which in general I'm not a fan of. The booth we were in was extremely lumpy and uncomfortable. Although nice place overall, not one of my first choice sports bars.
(3)Tara O.
I really enjoy the food here! The Round Table Pizzas are all great: tons of toppings and a not too thick crust. I also really enjoy the pastrami Rueben. It is definitely not for someone who is on a diet but if you're looking for comfort food, I've found it here! The happy hour (3-6 pm, M-F) is worth checking out! $5 personal size pizzas, discounted appetizers, and a free cheese pizza with any purchase between 3-5 pm. There are also drink specials, all drafts are $3. I would love to give Giovanni Pastrami 4 stars, since I am raving about their food, but the service is horrible. Every time I have been there it has been really slow. The waiter rarely made an appearance at the table and my water never got refilled, which doesn't go unnoticed when eating the salty foods there. I understand that their busy but I think they should add some people too their staff so they can give their customers an enjoyable experience. It's a great place to go to watch a sports games. Their TV's are top of the line and can be watched from anywhere in the restaurant. Next time you're in Waikiki and you're looking for a casual dinner, try Giovanni Pastrami!
(3)Christina T.
Maybe people go here for the football environment....me...not a fan. I had the pastrami benedict, nothing special, I would stick with normal egg benedict. They have a very extensive menu on the benedicts, might be their specialty? Or you just can make many twist to it. I was not impressed. The guava juice was VERY OVER priced, I wish I didn't order it. It didn't taste fresh, just very sweet and it was $5.50 for a little glass...
(2)Lauren Y.
This place has great food with good prices. The service is friendly and quick. The pizza is a must have. Next time I'm in Hawaii I'll be stopping here.
(5)Vicky B.
If you have the word pastrami in your name, you'd think they carried it daily. Nope, they were out. This is how our night started. The server never came back for about 20 mins after telling us we couldn't order the pastrami sandwich b/c they were out of pastrami. I'd only go back to watch sports on the TVs if every other decent bar on the island was filled. We've also had the experience of being told there was a 10 minute wait, waited 25, then walked into an empty restaurant. Skip this place, definitely doesn't belong on the Beachwalk.
(1)chuck m.
I see everyone not fan's of this place but i like it. The corned beef reuben with a couple of beers. It may be a little pricey but it's a great place to hang out and watch college football and hang out with friends. I would recommend it if you don't have anything going on.
(4)Wedge L.
Giovanni Pastrami is in Waikiki and went to try it when I stayed in Waikiki. The location is Great, clean, large tv's, large booths and comfortable! The Pastrami sandwich is very tasty and the bread was fresh! A little more Pastrami in the sandwich would be Great. It was more on the higher priced side, but you are in Waikiki. Service, well it needs help. No one came to see if we needed anything once the food came. It was not like the place was packed and the staff was so busy! If you don't mind eating a higher priced Pastrami sandwich in a comfortable place with poor service, this is the place!
(3)Jesse I.
This is my first review, so it may suck, but i'm gonna try. Me and the GF were in the area and I remembered the place from a friend. The place was very nice and clean and TV's were huge! We got to watch the 4th quarter of the Jets/Colts game, which turned out to be a really close and exciting game. Our server was Russell. He provided us with excellent service. We quickly had waters on our table and he took our orders without writing anything down. I was afraid he was gonna mess it up, but got it on the money. Since this was our first time there, I asked what his recommendations were, which he provided a few suggestions. We started with the poke and my GF got the lox. I ended up going with the pastrami reuben sandwich since pastrami was in the restaurants name. I got it with the sweet potato fries. I also ordered a dark castle and a lava flow for the GF. Russell was good enough to ask what the dark castle was to make sure it was right (guiness/new castle). We skipped the pizzas because it was round table and we wanted to try Giovannis food. The poke came and seemed like not very much for the cost. But it was good. It was a mix with limu, red onion, lettuce, red cabbage, and their sauce. The lox my GF got was good. They put a ton of smoked salmon on there. She loved it, but wasn't able to finish because it was too much for her. it came with tomatos, onions, capers, a pickle and coleslaw. My pastrami reuben was excellent. lots of pastrami and sauerkraut. The rye had tons of butter to make your fingers oily. The juices from the meat and sauerkraut made the bottom bread soggy. Still very delicious though! The sweet potato fries were just okay. by themselves it was a little bland, so i had to eat it with ketchup. By the end of the meal, we were both very full and my GF had a doggy bag. The bill came out to be a bit of a sticker shock. However, I think we'll be back, if not for the lox and pastrami reuben, it will be to try for the other things on the menu like the pastrami eggs bennedict.
(4)Greg S.
I came here with a bunch of people to watch UFC 83. Pros: The service was very friendly and they were accommodating to everyone watching the fights. It was also easy to see from any seat because there are roughly a dozen flat panels. Drinks were reasonable for Waikiki and the mini sliders/sandwiches looked delicious. Cons: I'm not sure how many people the Round Table pizzas feed, but the price for the medium almost made my eyes pop out. The wife and I split a personal size instead. The rest of the menu is typically priced for the area, i.e. overpriced. I do think that I will be back though, not only to watch more UFC but also because I haven't had a pastrami or corned beef sandwich in a long time.
(3)Mike D.
Just wanted to thank the guys at GP for making the New Years Day UFC fight an awesome first time visit and I can't wait until the next time we do it again. The atmosphere is so accommodating the food is great and the service was top notch! From all of us in the Duarte Ohana Mahalo nui loa!
(5)Kathleen M.
We came here twice during our trip to Waikiki. The service was good. They gave you free pizza if you ordered anything during happy hour. The pizza was good. On our last day in Hawaii, I was trying to get a good buzz going (I am not a huge fan of air travel) and decided happy hour at Giovanni was the solution. I had four pina coladas, which it turns out, were not discounted during happy hour, at $9 a pop. At the end of those FOUR cocktails I was sober enough to read a book. I was sober enough that I could have danced across a balance beam, delivered a flawless speech, or lead a discussion on quantum physics. Mission not accomplished, flight= unpleasant. Giovanni's, if you are going to call yourself a bar...try putting some alcohol in your $9 cocktails.
(2)Jennifer K.
Co-worker and I went here for breakfast one day. Co-worker ordered Lox and Bagels (yeah, I don't know either...). I ordered the Macadamia Nut and Coconut Pancakes - I was in heaven! They were very, very tasty. Plus, the table had coconut syrup to put on my cakes - super tasty! I've never seen the coconut syrup before, but if I ever see it again, I am going to pick some up! I read some of the other reviews here, and it doesn't sound like the other food is that great, but I highly recommend the Macadamia Nut and Coconut Pancakes - you won't be disappointed!
(4)Emmy D.
I ordered the Suzy Q. sandwich which had lots of pastrami and some brisket and it was delicious..except for the part where the tomato ruined the bread. The meats are very soft, unlike most sandwiches where you bite the meat and everything falls off. The pastrami lacked some basic flavor and could be mistaken for plain old corned beef, but still good. The brisket is very, very good. I switched my fries for potato salad and it quickly grew on me after the first bite of it. I figured hey I'll eat my sandwich so I can attack the salad full on! Mmm.. Unfortunately, it felt like the staff wanted to get rid of us as quickly as possible. We were kinda rushed to order and to eat our food. Enough they took over 25 minutes to get the food to us. They asked us if we wanted our checks already in the middle of eating but we planned to wait for happy hour to order drinks. We got to stay and when we finally wanted our checks there was quite a wait before anyone noticed us. What bummed me out the most though, was that as soon as I finished my sandwich and went for a sip of my drink, the waitress took my plate away and quickly walked off never to be seen, ever, again. I didn't get a chance to stop her, and I didn't even get to enjoy any of my potato salad :\ Good to know the last thing I bit into was a piece of tomato-sogged rye bread. The thought of all that wasted salad still saddens me. *sniffles*
(4)Benjamin N.
Decent bar, good location. The food wasnt as good as i expected. A little overpriced.
(2)Remee A.
I enjoy Giovanni's all day breakfast selection. Sometimes the service is questionable? All the benedicts are wonderful especially with country fries. If you love pastrami this is the place to go! The drinks are a little pricey. This is also a good place to watch games or fights!
(4)Sahar H.
Stick with the pastrami or sandwiches. I did not come for breakfast but there was always a line. I think the prices were kind of high for what you get. The service was good and there are a lot of flatscreen tvs but it was empty and the food was mediocre and thus 2 starts. We had a chili burger and the chili was very dry. The pastrami sandwich was good but with such an extensive menu it was hard to know what would be good.
(2)Singto K.
Looks like a pretty cool spot, however the food is overpriced and below average, not so good "Grindz"!
(1)Yasuo O.
Not too sure if I would go back to this place. I met a buddy for lunch over there and here it is. 1) atmosphere is like a sports bar with a bunch of TV's but.. with higher prices ($17 for my turkey ruben) 2) parking is a pain in the okole. Course the Wyndham and Embassy offer free valet but.. 3) service is baaaad. we waited for ever to get our orders in and once the food came, they came back every two minutes trying to see if we finished. 4) food was greasy... big time. i ate half the sandwich and came feel the incredible grease. 5) dont count on it to be a place to be going to often. I have a feeling that with the high rent in Waikiki, this place might not cut it. 6) pretty big menu... 7) nooo customers.... when i walked in, there were maybe 5 tables taken..this during a lunch crowd btw...when we left? about 4. 8) walked right past 5 employees/hostess/servers and not one said goodbye or thank you....strange.. maybe i expect too much? like i said, nothing really horrible but certainly nothing really good either. just one of those places... priced like hotel food and really nothing special. had good expectations of it but... better to save it for another place.
(2)Glenn L.
Well, let's keep it simple, 1. crap as usual if you need to park. 2. wait service needs a kick in da okole. and food, c'mon round table pizza that is more expensive than others in Waikiki??. Go to R.T.(round table) elsewhere less expensive: Hilton Hawaiian Village,just past the Sheraton P.K., or at the back of the Sheraton Waikiki.. and as far as a true deli pastrami sand. The best was in the Deli that closed in Kailua. Shame this could be a good deli, but missing the critical thing good deli product, at a fair price...Way to expensive for the size of the plates!! save some money and time!!
(2)Snickerdoodle W.
FOOD: Ordered the Deli Three Meat Platter and it should have been called a veggie platter instead. The meat servings on the platter were shamefully small for a deli, the meat was barely enough to make one decent sized sandwich. Albeit, the sandwich, once made, was okay. Do NOT expect to order this to share. Also had the King Arthur Supreme Pizza and thought it wasn't bad. The pizza tasted like a standard Round Table pizza, nothing to write home about. Although, the Portuguese sausage added some nice heat to it. SERVICE: No complaints about the service.
(2)Geminyna J.
Yes it's a tourist trap. Definitely eat @ the plethora of options within walking distance. But COME FOR FOOTBALL and drinks. and football! If your home games are 3 hrs ahead of local HI time, GP opens @ 6:45am on game days, just in time for 10am West Coast kickoffs at home. Be warned, it gets CROWDED. Fast. for any sports event.
(3)Daniella L.
Restaurant is just ok but won't be coming back. Portion sizes are good but flavor is lacking. We only had breakfast here so maybe lunch and dinner items are much better. My omelette was not cooked all the way through and hash browns had no seasoning. Of the 3 meals we ordered, the third came out almost 10 minutes later.
(3)Sherry W.
This place has all the games! It was packed but the hostess was very helpful and we still got good service! Definitely try the honey BBQ wings. Edit: We returned later in the day to catch the Giants game and unfortunately the hostesses that were now on duty were rude. With a restaurant that was at least 60% empty she tried to seat us at a table too close to the TV and said "because of stadium seating we could not sit at a different table". We had to speak with a different hostess to be moved. Goes to show a restaurant's quality really depends on its staff.
(3)Rick B.
Came back from a hike and was looking for some food...ended up in Giovanni Pastrami. This place is like an Italian sports bar...if you can wrap your head around that one. Pretty sizeable place...is much bigger inside than the outside entrance would let on...set up sort of like a tri-level home. Food, TVs and a large bar...so it had all the makings of a hit. Had a large menu so they provide lots of choices. We started out with a margarita and a daiquiri...after all we are in the islands. The drinks were ok but they were pretty small...I'd vote for the margarita although it needed some more oomph...for my taste give me a Pepe's margarita back home in Illinois...but this one was an ok substitution. The daiquiri took second place...ok, but weak and small. Now for food. Only one of us ate so this will be short...we had a Reuben pastrami with a side of cole slaw...it was all right...nice size and a sufficient amount of tasty meat...good sandwich all around. All in all this place served out purposes after a long hike...refreshments and food. Service was good too. This place is nice, just nothing to make it stand out.
(3)Nadia K.
Giovanni Pastrami has been a long time favorite of our family mostly because they serve Round Table Pizza. Their menu is extensive and they serve breakfast all day! The service used to be really poor, but nowadays it's been pretty awesome and they are always able to accommodate our large group of 9. The portions are huge and the kids meals are great. It's so awesome to find a restaurant that can satisfy every palette in the party. Did I mention they serve Round Table Pizza???
(4)Gluten L.
Both of us love this place. They have a huge menu, and all of the food is great. It's a great place to get breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late night snack. He loves the bagels, salmon and cream cheese. I love all of the sandwiches. I usually get the Chelsea's treat. They have really good cole slaw, too! I have to eat gluten free and they're very knowledgable about which foods have it or not. They have pizza, too. (not gluten free) Sometimes it can be a bit crowded or noisy, and it's a bit pricey for a sandwich-and-pizza place. Otherwise it's great. I would say it's more like 4 1/2 stars.
(4)BeN J.
Came here after a long day of sight seeing through out Oahu. Our hotel room was just next door to Giovanni's after a few days of going in and out of our hotel room and seeing this restaurant we decided to try this place out. To my surprise this place has some delicious pepperoni pineapple pizza which my wife ordered. The pizza was thin crust and had just the right amount of cheese on it, it was so delicious. I had the kalua pork slider with bbq sauce which was alright but just had to try something new and something that had kalua in it. The ambience was definitely great, the music, the place is just chill. As for our waitress she was great! Very attentive always checking and making sure we had our drinks filled up. I wish I knew her name so that i can give credit and thank her on here but yeah she was bomb!. All in all I had a great experience in here.
(5)Julie L.
When we told them we were in a hurry, they made sure to get us our food and check quick. Had the chicken burger, pastrami sliders and the pastrami sandwich. All items were good. Toasty, soft bread w/ generous amount of meat. Garlic fries were yummy. However, we had already paid our check prior to finishing the meal but when we left, the hostess chased after us as if we tried to bail on the tab. Should've checked w/ our server first. Just sayin'.
(4)Gina P.
Just another average bar in Waikiki. Lots of TV good for watching sports. Waitress are nice
(3)Brad G.
Lots of seating, good drink and happy hour menu. The food was just okay, but I bumped it to four stars because when I said I felt like the sandwich (which was supposed to be the big double decker turkey and pastrami) skimped on meat big time, they remade it for me no questions asked.
(4)Kathy N.
Surely I had died and gone to heaven. Not only was I in paradise but there was a restaurant next door to my hotel (Wyndham) with the word "pastrami" in it's name. My group hit up Giovanni's for dinner and had a pleasant, not top-notch five-star, but pleasant evening. L and A each ordered a personal Round Table pizza. A's Hawaiian Style pizza was average but L's pepperoni pizza was rubbery and awful. She couldn't even eat it. B had a pastrami reuben and he quickly finished it off. I ordered a hot pastrami sandwich with provolone and pickle chips on the sandwich. I was really excited for my sandwich as I'm a HUGE pastrami fan. When it was set down in front of me it looked wonderful...and it was! The meat was flavorful, moist and not fatty at all. My only disappointment was with the bread. I was wishing it had been toasted or grilled or at least heated but perhaps that was my fault. I probably had to ask for that. Sandwich sides were not memorable. Our service that night was good. We went to Giovanni's on our last morning to once again take advantage of the Wyndham's 10% discount and the convenience of it being next door. This experience was not so good. Our waitress was impossible to flag down and she seemed annoyed by her customers. My corned beef hash breakfast was just so-so which really surprised me. L and A shared an order of the Haupia French Toast and it was not only delicious but gorgeous too. And that coconut rum sauce? To die for. I don't even eat sweet breakfasts and I was wishing I had ordered that dish instead of my corned beef hash. Sadly our waitress ruined our final experience at Giovanni's. It was damn near impossible to get her attention to get our check. After checking out many of the reviews here it seems that Giovanni's could benefit from some customer service training.
(3)Lil R.
Looking for a place to eat with no crowd? Looking for a quiet place to write that novel? Look further, because this place is loud and very crowded. Great for a decent pastrami sandwich away from new york, but be ready for a wait, as the line will build up during the usual rush for lunch and dinner. The service is great if you come before the crowd, which is my reason for the 4 stars. They def. Got to us, ask the questions, filled our order and water very often. To also add the water was extremely friendly and chatted a little bit when she could. The one star minus is for the price. A standard large pizza is roughly 30.00 and a pastrami sandwhich with fries is about 18. So def would be a $$ and really bordering $$$.
(4)Kenji S.
Good food, tons of sports, and service on point. Great place to catch sports games. There are huge TVs all over the restaurant. Several times a large group of us, Florida Gators fans, reserved an area to watch our college teams play. You can also come here to watch the big pay-per-view event, particularly UFC fights. The food menu is extensive, covering everything from deli sandwiches to shrimp fettecini Alfredo. The servers are also pretty good about customizing orders to fit your liking. Pro Tip: the chicken wings here are some of the best I've found on the island- tender inside, crispy outside and a great buffalo sauce. The service is timely and accommodating. My server, Nora, was great at helping me find the baseball game I wanted to watch. She also let me know about their military discount. Negative: during football season sometimes the restaurant can get pretty packed, even early (7am) due to the time difference out here.
(5)Denise R.
Ok so we've been here a few times and this place is so good! They serve round table pizza which for us is the top pizza you can get! So yummy! Everything we've had is super yummy! Def gotta try it out if you get the chance!
(4)Sean P.
Ordered the Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich and it was the best I have ever eaten. I will definitely visit again next time I stay on Waikiki Beach. Cynthia was my server and she is very professional and attentive, the atmosphere of the restaurant is very nice and I look forward to my next visit. I have already recommended to my friends to dine here before our journey back home.
(5)Gene A.
Their pastrami Reuben was one of the best I ever had! Love this place, great atmosphere and awesome food.
(5)Megan D.
This will do the trick if you're trying to get a quick meal near your hotel that will please everyone in your group, but overall it was very pricey for what we got. If you've got time to look into other options, I would suggest going elsewhere. It did look like they've got a pretty decent happy hour though!
(3)Carolyn G.
We arrived late to our hotel at the Wyndham, which sits right above Giovanni Pastrami. We needed something quick and easy for dinner, so we strolled in here at about 10 p.m. As we sat down, I quickly looked up the Yelp reviews to find it out falls below my four-star threshold. However, it was too late to turn back! We ordered a bunch of apps and a few pizzas off the happy hour menu. I saw they had a Stoli martini for like $6/$7 on the HH menu as well, so I bit! I got it extra dry, a little dirty and it was pretty epic. I really needed that after the long flight from San Diego! The food was also really good! I am from Buffalo, N.Y., and typically hate chicken wings outside of the Northeast....shockingly, they had some pretty good wings. They were crispy, yet moist, in a nice Buffalo sauce (prob Frank's Red Hot). The nachos were also really good. They had a great layer of chili beans on them! My family also enjoyed their pizzas, though I didn't try it. The menu said that the pizza was from Roundtable, which was confusing... Overall this place has a nice atmosphere and good service. The happy hour prices can't be beat in Waikiki!
(4)Chris S.
Had a great time over dinner at Giovanni Pastrami. Time: 7:30. Location: the heart of Waikiki. Wait time: SEATED IMMEDIATELY!!! Incredible because they were busy, but well organized. Dinner was great. The menu was extensive and varied. Nola, our server, was very responsive and helpful. The food was flavorful and had healthy portions without going overboard. About midway through our meal, the manager, Russ, politely asked if we could help him out by relocating our table to accommodate a party of 15 and comp'd us dessert. We were happy to oblige, and he was a real sport as we had fun with him over "sweetening" the deal!!! I was laughing as he verbally sparred with my girlfriend causing laughter around the whole table. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Thank you, guys!!!
(5)Trenton N.
Happy Hour Special: Buy a drink get a free slice of pizza. I think that's all you need to know.
(4)Dwayne Y.
So this place isn't that great to me. Service was slow and the food was not spectacular at all. For the price of their food I should have: 1) Made sandwiches at home 2) Ate at Arancino's close by 3) Ate Tonkatsu for lunch down the street. We ordered the Pastrami Reuben and French Dip. The Pastrami had decent flavor, but the bread was soggy. The bread was full of grease and while it was toasted, it was soft and falling apart. The fries were mushy. The French Dip just tasted old to me. The onion rings were pretty good. But the sandwich had a sour flavor to it. I would not order this again. Plus I had to flag down our waitress 3 times for a soda refill, and then the bill two times. Our waitress spent more time behind the bar than trying to check on us. I do not believe a patron should have to flag down the server so often. Anyway for $18 & $19 I could have and should have went to Helena's...
(2)Sharay D.
Came here for breakfast and the review is only for the food not the waitress cause she had no people skills; so I ordered the kalua pork loco moco with scrambled eggs. Very very good. The portions are huge. Th e gravy had good flavor to it and the pork was tender, the rice was cooked perfectly. This was my third time coming here but my first for breakfast. My son got the silver dollar pancakes which where big and they too were good (I tried some). I recommend coming here atleast twice (once for breakfast and once for lunch or dinner)
(4)Tammy K.
This place looks small from the outside but stretches pretty far back into the building. They were going to seat us at an awkward table with a post right next to it. We asked if we could have a booth instead and they immediately seated us in a nearby booth. After ordering a drink, we heard a different waitress at a table next to us talking about specials. Too bad we didn't know about them first. Once served our order we were asked if we needed anything else. We asked for a side of ranch. Our waitress came to ask the same and we said someone was bringing us ranch. Awhile later, our waitress came back and realized we didn't have it, still, and went to get some right away. Food was good, lots of choices, just a little inconsistent service.
(3)Farrah F.
I've had good food here, but tonight was a bust for beers. Greeted at the bar, "Sorry, all out tap beers are warm. Bottles only ." I order the Cast Away IPA. Later, I order another. "Sorry, we're out. Here's the beer list." Okay, so I order a Sierra Nevada. "Sorry, we're out." Got my tab. I'm out.
(3)Bryan W.
We came here for lunch on Saturday at about 1145 hours. The place was empty. We were seated right away and our waiter arrived soon after. She brought us our water right away then took our orders. The food came pretty quickly. My wife had the pastrami sandwich with fries ($14) and I had the Suzie Q sandwich ($16) which is a double decker with pastrami and brisket. My sandwich tasted very good. My wife had to wait a while before she could eat because she needed mustard. I think that anytime someone orders a pastrami sandwich, mustard should be brought to the table automatically. My wife thought that her sandwich was just okay. Hard to eat pastrami in Hawaii when you have eaten a pastrami sandwich in New York! Our server Abigail was very friendly and efficient. My wife would not come here again. I might because my sandwich was pretty tasty.
(4)Johanna M.
So, this is a great place to watch sports. It's a big restaurant with lots of seating and a nice bar. This is not one of my favorite places to eat, but they have some okay items on their menu. I've had the cobb salad which is pretty filling and they serve breakfast all day, which is always nice. I've also had the triple play breakfast which comes with mini versions of pancakes, loco moco and an egg benedict. The food is alright, but we usually only come here if we want to catch a game. It can get pretty crowded, so make sure you call ahead to find out the wait time, if there is a big game or fight going on. During football season, this place gets slammed and it can be a pretty fun place to watch the game. The last time we visited, we did have a longer meal, as we had a waitress in training. She was sweet, but the cocktail we ordered was a little watered down because it was sitting for a while. Service has been fine on other occasions though. I will say that I think this place is pretty overpriced, but it is in Waikiki, so that contributes to the price. One bonus is that they do offer a military discount, which always helps. They also offer round table pizza and garlic bread, I haven't had it yet, but a lot of people appear to order these items. I also have heard that they have a pretty dope happy hour, so we might come back to try that another time. In short, come here to watch sports and don't make the food and drinks the main point of your visit.
(3)Mari S.
We were down in the area. Hungry! I for once did not check yelp and happy I forgot. The sandwiches were amazing. Served with fry, or your choice of slaw or mac salad. I did the Ruben with corned beef and my table mate did the Ruben with pastrami. Then we switched half. What a win. To both of us the corned beef was the big winner. The frys were average but good. Not exceptional. Our service was good and attentive. The drinks were cold and refilled as needed. I ordered from the bar. They were fast and good. The desert menu was sparse but I was full and happy.
(5)Lesley S.
I had the pastrami rueben sliders and he had the Georgie's sandwich with brisket, turkey breast, bacon and Jack cheese with lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing. Well my slider didn't have sauerkraut from my part of german... Thud a knock of stars. His sandwich didn't fit in my mouth. Well that's not their fault lol. And our server was from KC, Missouri. US MO folk are amazing lol he interacted well with my Little one
(4)Brian G.
Brought my daughter here for brunch. Hostess was really nice and professional. Our waitress, Dianne, was awesome!!! (Other places should bring their staff here to observe great customer service) The food was great and the portions were humongous!!! Definitely coming back!!!
(5)Carl B.
Okay so this place is located on Lewers St just a block of the hotels on he beach in Waikiki. Very big place with lots of seating and TVs. Everything on the menu has pastrami in it. From breakfast eggs Benedict to lunch and dinner. We had the pastrami fried rice with three eggs on top. Looked so good but was a little lacking of pastrami. Hence the four stars and not five. We ordered an extra side of pastrami and that made this a five star selection. Rice cooked perfectly with excellent flavor of smoked pastrami. Nachos were just okay but they didn't have pastrami so e lesson here is if you come to a place with pastrami in the name then order something with pastrami in it. Live and learn I guess. All the Kona beer on tap but no IPAs. The pale ale was excellent and he beer is very cold.
(4)Kristin C.
Giovanni's was always such a treat for my husband and I, and we rarely get out. My husband and I took a vacation day, and celebrated our wedding anny on 5/4 at GP. My hubby had his usual, Pastrami Benedict. The sauce was as thick as mayo with no flavor, and the egg was pretty much hard boiled, no yolk, the pastrami didn't have any flavor. We officially won't ever crave for Giovanni's again, as we use to... HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT...
(1)Chance H.
Super convenient and great entree selections :) plus they validate from open to 6p it's $3 and after it's $6 for 4 hours after 6p with validation. Very large portions with prices ranging from $8-22 with sides. Def order to share unless your hotel has a refrigerator for left overs. Also they deliver to the Wyndham hotel and give hotel guests 10% off: PRETTY SWEET, only chose to eat here bc of the hotel marketing in the hotel room Went here late night after a wedding, lunch and now for breakfast. Great service and pretty quick. Great cocktails. I liked the lihing Mui martini and lychee cocktail :)
(5)Jaz L.
We have never been disappointed with our meal. They serve breakfast all day and the portions are big. Prices run $14 and up. Their macadamia nut pancake is awesome specially with coconut syrup. They serve a variety from sandwiches to pasta and even pizza. Staff is very friendly and the restaurant is comfortable.
(4)Dave W.
Just here for dinner last Friday. Food was good, came out fast even though they were busy and portions were good size (needed to go boxes). as a family with 2 kids we always have special requests or need help getting items brought out quickly. Our server, Tomas, and his team were on point and made it a great experience. thank you!
(5)Darlene B.
MEDIOCRE. Nothing about this place screams "OMG... We have to go to Giovanni Pastrami" Menu "looks" good for breakfast/brunch. Arrived for lunch and the restaurant had 2 tables filled. All TVs were on designated sports channels. I had the bacon something pizza. $12 for a personal size... I would have actually been happier just ordering from Pizza Hut. Bloody Mary was simple. Husband got a pastrami sandwich and a beer. Ordered Mini Hot dogs for $8 on the kids menu for my 2 year old. Came with 2 mini hot dogs in a bun and side of fries. My 5 year old got a mini Loco Moco. Service was a bit slower than what I expected for the amount of customers dinning but our server was nice. Prior... We ordered the garlic shrimp for take out and that was good.... But other than that... I don't see anything special about this place. My husband likes this place.. He's a man... Its a sports bar. Need I say more?
(3)John L.
Ordered the Suzy Q Sandwich. Brisket with pastrami on rye bread. Good and huge (double decker). I would come back again. Food, sports atmosphere, and good customer service.
(3)Kylie P.
So we came here during Happy Hour because we knew their was free Cheese Pizza (between 3-5pm) and the drinks were reasonably priced. We only stayed for one drink and I had a Chicken Garlic Personal Pizza which was pretty good. Our server was a little weird though. Not sure if it was the over peppiness or the fact that she couldn't apparently look my boyfriend in the eye but it wasn't the greatest of experiences and we left to go to another Happy Hour across the street. But Pizza and Beer for $5 plus tax and tip is pretty good especially if you want to watch sport at the bar.
(4)Sherry H.
Ok to be fair, the food is pretty good, but I'm giving 2 stars because of the service. The hostess did not crack a smile and barely greeted us. There were a total of 3 tables seated in the whole restaurant but when we were done eating breakfast we waited...and waited....and waited for our server to come check on us, give us our check, etc. She was just hanging out at the bar chatting with a guy there and other employees were in and out. I was trying to get their attention for 15 minutes-totally ignored us. Again the food is pretty good but the over all feeling I get from the place is that they do not care about patrons unless they know you.
(2)Lisa S.
I came here with my friends during Happy Hour, and we did not enjoy the drinks nor the service. All of us ordered a Mai Tai or the Blue Hawaii and all of the drinks were consistently terrible. Personally, no one should screw up on making a Mai Tai. Another concern is the service. The restaurant was not busy but the waiter took awhile to serve our drinks and provide us our bill. And most importantly, this place doesn't validate your parking ticket even though it's located in the Royal Hawaiian shopping center. For those reasons, I will not be coming back.
(2)Izumi K.
Was looking for a place to watch the Woman's FIFA soccer championship and my friend suggested we go to Giovanni's and he watches NFL games there all the time. We arrived about a half hour before the game was to start, they provide valet parking for a very reasonable price in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. When we arrived we saw it was already packed and had a long wait to get a seat. We decided to check out the bar and found one open seat, so we decided to hang out at the bar and put our names on the list, their was only one bartender and it was obvious she was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. This resulted in her being pretty rude and unprofessional towards the customers at the bar. Well to make a long story short the hostesses screwed up the seating for us, so we decided to be friendly and asked to sit with a couple that had open seats at their table, the couple agreed. The waitress serving the table was super friendly and had no problem with is joining the table and provided excellent service. We order the beef brisket sandwich and it was excellent, the drinks were flowing and we all were having a good time. Even though my team, Japan, lost we had a very good time overall and I will join my friend to watch NFL games here when the season starts. Apparently during NFL games they have stadium type seating where they fill every empty seat regardless if you know the people or not, I'll see how the system works out when I go back in a couple months.
(3)Amber G.
The spaghetti looked to good but had zero flavor. The pizza was a miss also. The Cobb salad was very good. Get the salad.
(3)Brad R.
We ordered carry-out to take to the beach. As this was our mistake but still, check your food before you walk away! We didn't even receive one of our entrees... Our Caesar salad had 0 dressing on it. And I'm not exaggerating, literally just plain lettuce in a box. Our Fettuccini Alfredo was bland and had little taste. I would avoid this place..
(2)Richard K.
Looking forward to a great pastrami. Bread was completely soggy. The pastrami was overly fatty. I expect some fat, but come on. To be honest, the meat was not flavorful and I've had better pastrami from Subway, and I'm from NJ. Ambience was okay, server was great she moved quickly and notified the manager that I was unhappy. I didn't ask for a discount, but they gave me 15% off. Shoud have been free as they threw more than 1/2 away. Would not recommend unless just getting drinks.
(2)Adina B.
The garlic shrimp came out different than they looked on the menu but they were still good. Nice atmosphere in Waikiki. The mango mojito was weak but the waitress was nice. I would recommend it!
(3)Steve V.
Great pastrami dip ,Just loook how tasty that is! Also cool little bar area with tons of flat screens.
(4)Nick B.
Overall, this place is good. But the service SUCKS! I work in the service industry. I know when I'm giving poor service and I do what I can to fix it. The staff that I have interacted with here does not give a *u*k!!! They were bitching about work amongst themselves and not paying attention to anything around them. Come here but realize that your service will suck.
(2)Wes J.
This place is nice. One step above standard food. I had the Kalua sliders which were real tasty but they came out warm as if they sat for a bit. Their nachos are real good too, they come with sour cream and guacamole. Our waitress was awesome, she was very friendly and attentive. She made out experience there enjoyable. Desserts, ohh man are these good! I had their bread pudding that was enough to feed four people. Had an amazing coconut sauce that the bread pudding was bathing in. I am a lover of bread pudding and this place ranks high in that dessert! Overall I was very pleased with our dining experience. Good food, good service and a clean restaurant equals business success. I wouldn't be apposed to dining with them again!
(4)J And K A.
We were looking for a casual dinner option that was reasonably priced, Giovanni's met the mark. We split the nachos - very cheesey, nice dollop of guac, no meat. We asked for a side of salsa, and I'm pretty sure it was just Pace Picante. I had the meat-pizza and it was good. Crispy/toasty crust, nice mix of flavors. I think its just Round Table, but maybe weird toppings. Wife had kalua pork sandwich and fries. Fries were good, McDonald's-esque flavor, crispier outside. Server was very friendly and quick. Overall, an average casual, sports bar with range of pub food options and a little bit of Italian/pasta as well.
(3)Jessica B.
This is a round table disguised as something else. Don't be fooled by the large menu. Out of our 3 dishes none of us liked them and the price was way too high for the quality of food Giovanni doesn't not have a clue
(1)Paul P.
Pizza we had here was good, however the pasta was a little under cooked I would say 3.5 star if it was possible. Overall service was good.
(4)Laura A.
By far the worst food. 1 star goes to the great waiter who knew the food was less than average. Ordered hot dog sliders which were literally tiny wieners on buns. French dip was stale and not good at all. 5th grade cafeteria food is better. Everything was bland and very plain. No garnishments to be found. But to make up for that they charge way too much for it all. Subway across the street would've been a better option.
(1)Trevor F.
This is a 1 star experience!! Ordered the tuna sandwich which was just ok. The server was cute but NO personality what so ever!! I would not go back because of the service, for whatever reason she just rubber me the wrong way!!
(1)Duane G.
Meatloaf Loco Moco. Absolutely Horrible. $17.00. The server Nicole and the Greeter were just as bad. Wasn't crowded and took forever to get water and coffee. Don't even know if she likes her job. Maybe they can get away with this because of the tourist business but don't do it to the people that live here. You'll never see me again.
(1)Amanda U.
the first morning after arriving in Hawaii my sister and I were starving and this was the first restaurant we pass after leaving her hotel. we wanted a full service breakfast and this was our best bet we were Immediately seated however the server took way too long to even greet us and bring us waters. Long enough that we gave the server five more minutes or we were going to walk out surprising to since we were one of the three tables seated. we ordered the breakfast trio sampler with eggs Benedict pancakes and the loco moco. was so delicious that we did a round two of the macadamia nut and coconut pancakes. must try with coconut syrup! even my mom joined us after placing order number two and she got the pancakes too , they're that good! first experience went well other than the crappy service, she sucked at "serving" (ie had to wave her down to bring syrups for the cakes and having to ask the hostess for extra utensils /napkins) conveniently our hotel being next door we're allowed to get food delivered to our room with even a little discount. When we ordered delivery I wanted the pastrami burger but figured I wouldn't eat all of it and since it was the last night i knew it would go to waste I noticed they had sliders so I settled for that only to find out when it arrived that it was just pastrami and bread .... no meat no lettuce no sauce nothing but bread and meat, maybe you should specify that in the menu because for what I paid and what I got is ridiculous , I could go to subway across the street and get more "sandwiches with depth" than I did with Giovanni's even my sisters sub was very basic bread/meat/sauce it's as if they're only good at creative/tasteful breakfast items and if that's the case then just stick to that ...
(2)Eric M.
A quiet relaxed atmosphere for breakfast. We stumbled upon this place slightly before 9:30. There was immediate seating so we decided to give it a try. For whatever reason it took a good 10 minutes for our server to arrive but once she did, drinks came promptly and the food not far behind. We shared the Triple Play, and it was a tasty and satisfying sampler for two. The guava mimosas were also a treat.
(3)Great W.
Just had lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Service was attentive. The mac and cheese from kid's menu just needs to be more cheesy. The pastrami sliders were excellent and very taste. The fried calamari starter was lightly breaded and crispy. The Caesar salad was flavorful without being too creamy to be heavy.
(4)Adriane R.
This should be a 5 star rating but won't be based on the douche bag of a bartender they have here. Went this afternoon to watch the basketball game based on good reviews and proximity to our hotel. We ordered a pitcher of beer which was flat, no problem just bring a new one. When the waitress brought the pitcher back to the bar we could hear the bartender telling her there was nothing wrong with the beer. He poured a little from the tap and shoved it in her face saying "there is nothing wrong with this beer". Mind you our table is two feet from the bar. Instead of pouring a new pitcher he topped off the same pitcher and said "this is fine I can see bubbles". Last time I checked I the paying customer should like and be able to enjoy what I am served. If it's not right instead of taking it personal give me what I asked for. This guy has some kind of chip on his shoulder and not only insulted me but was disrespectful to his co-worker too. On the flip side food and waitress were great.......proceed with caution!
(2)Annalei A.
After walking around Waikiki, we decided on this place. Didn't look busy since the front tables were empty. But we still had to wait 15 minutes. We got seated in the back, asked if we could sit in the booth area but waiter said it was only for party of 4. So we said okay and sat. Looked around and we saw 3 different parties of 2 sitting in a booth. We let it go and ordered. Food and price is okay. Got the Hawaiian pizza and Parmesan chicken sandwich. It was good, nothing special about it. Service was okay too. Waiter kept coming by to check on us. Might come back and try other things.
(3)Karen T.
I got the Corned Beef Reuben sliders with garlic fries. Very good! The service seemed just a little slow but it worked. We did have a party of 13 so I can totally understand. :) Would I go back? Yes. Would I recommend to others? Yes. :)
(3)Mo G.
We've watched the Seahawks play at Giovanni's in the past so we decided to check it out again for an early 7AM (Hawaii time) game. It's pouring outside so this has affected our game time experience. We've been sitting in the restaurant for 40 minutes and have watched a total of 5 minutes of the actual game. Oh Directv, you have failed us today .. Finally the game has returned! Onto the food.. Husband ordered the kalua pork moco and I opted for the kalua pork eggs benedict. Both items are new on the menu. For the kalua pork benedict I asked for the hollandaise sauce on the side when ordering. Entree showed up with hollandaise sauce on the eggs, I'm a dipper and prefer that all sauces come on the side, but it wasn't bad, sauce wasn't overpowered with lemon. Eggs were cooked just right. The kalua pork was good. It was moist and flavourful, but not as good as the one I make at home :) The kalua loco portion was very generous. Eggs were on the buttery side. The fries were awesome. Service was okay considering the turnout to watch all the early NFL games. I think they were at capacity. I would recommend if you're looking for decent food and a place to watch football. They also have speaker boxes so you can listen to the game.
(4)Waiki C.
I should've paid attention to the reviews. Both the food and the service sucks here! Spend $25 more per person and go across the street to Ruth's Chris steakhouse!!
(1)Maruel U.
Ordered the bread pudding French toast - very filling for a Sunday breakfast and it wasn't packed! Loved the texture of the corn flakes and bread pudding - it was a bit dry but the syrups and glaze were a great contrast. Tried the omelet too - enjoyed the flavor. Nicole was our waitress and she was very prompt with our waters and gave us perfect timing to order our food. Thank you Nicole! Also, I'm a KU alumni and this is the bar to go to for the games especially for basketball. I never went to this bar for the games but now I know where it is and would love to come back. It has some great seating in the back to watch the games. Rock chalk Jayhawk! Go KU! :-)
(3)Jboogie B.
Love the place. I come here for there loco moco, rueben sandwhich and sports! Lots of tv's to watch what you like. I sit at the bar. Service is usually faster.
(4)Joe R.
AN awesome experience. The same guys that own CJ's. Sandwiches are ok but pastrami is to die for. Amazing a must try. Cob salad was great too. Girls were great, changed the TV to put the nrl footy on close to where we were sitting... I must come back, great upmarket feel, better than CJ
(5)Tabatha P.
Fast and friendly service and a great place to go for eggs Benedict and watching your favorite sport. The eggs Benedict's here are not only unique but cooked to perfection. The pastrami eggs Benedict is delicious. Sides could be a hair less expensive, that would be nice. They treat their regulars well. Fresh coffee and ingredients. They have little speaker boxes you can put right on your table to hear the TVs. It's a clean place as well, very accommodating.
(5)Kristine C.
I've only been here twice. Once for breakfast and then lunch. Breakfast I had the Traditional Loco Moco with Wagyu Beef for breakfast with a friend of mine. The Loco Moco sauce was okay but not exactly good enough for me to remember or be swept off my feet awesome. The Wagyu beef was suppose to be better than the traditional beef but it was a bit hard for my liking. The white rice was too over cooked than what I would have preferred it to be. Note: A friend I went with here for breakfast also mentioned their corned beef hash didn't have potatoes and was not worth getting and lack taste. Lunch Went here for lunch before trying their breakfast and had their BLT. It was fine but again it was a forgettable lunch. The atmosphere for watching sports is good. There are flat-screens on the entire restaurant. I would only recommend this place for drinks but not if you're a hardcore foodie and have better expectations on food. Otherwise nice and friendly staff.
(2)Robert G.
Large menu to choose from. Staff is very friendly. The food isn't anything special. You can get the same type and quality food from any chain restaurant. Big red flag is that their pizza isn't even made there, it's from Round Table. Won't be returning for the food.
(2)Jason B.
Worst service I've ever experienced in my entire life! Not accommodating what so ever and the food was less than stellar. I will never come back here and never tell anyone they should try this place, stay away!!!!
(1)Don D.
Rip off! Ordered the $17 Dickman - all bread no meat! Seriously, had one piece of pastrami and a small portion of turkey. A real N.Y. Style deli has enough meat to choke a horse. Server never asked about quality of food - barely checked on us. Even with a 10% discount coupon it was not with the $70 for 2 sandwiches, a waffle and chicken wings. Won't go back.
(1)Yosi E.
Overpriced sandwiches that are mediocre at best; also the beer was warm. Two "okay" sandwiches & a warm beer came out to $50. I guess I shouldn't have had any real expectations for a deli on a island.
(2)Brooke O.
Those of you reading my reviews know by now that I do not care for loud places while dining, right? This place is beyond LOUD! First, when we walked thru the door we were totally ignored, period, rude. 20 minute wait, doable. Get seated at the 20 minute mark by seconds. The menu is huge, too much to absorb, so many choices not only in lunch/dinner food but also breakfast food, so overwhelming. I don't like that. T.V's at every angle, ridiculous. Loud music blasting, why? So loud that I can't even hear my friend, the waitress or the manager when he came over to visit and chat for a bit. Lastly, the food. Not so great!! That's really all I can say about that. I should have ordered breakfast because even a poor cook can get that right.
(3)David P.
Able to watch the Chicago Bears & grab breakfast since the game was at like 7am. Great football crowd! Highly recommended!
(4)Barry G.
Great location .. Terrible service but cold fries hated sending them back but I believe the FRESH were no better Pastrami was fat and lots of it They can do such better
(1)Rhys A.
There is a manager that came over to visit, his name is Nate, and he was so awesome! They have a menu that is way too much and one would need at least a full hour to look thru it, gee these kinds of menus are so ridiculous and I'm getting sick of it!! How good can the food be when there are so many different items to cook? Oh, and yes, I did eat there, the food was, "OK" only, not great or left me wishing for more or thinking I'd like to return. Nope, once was enough. The place had a 20 minute wait before getting a seat, the music was like being in a nightclub for dancing, it was so loud. Plus side, they serve breakfast all day.
(3)Kevin W.
I read the reviews and was nervous. We went and It was a great experience. Friendly wait staff, great food, and quick! Would recommend to anyone. And the do offer a military discount as long as it isn't happy hour prices items
(5)Lance G.
Terrific breakfast -- served piping hot. Great coffee. Try Spicy Huevos Rancheros. Breakfast served all day which is nice on those late mornings.
(5)Rachel ..
Enjoyed the food and spending time with the boys. BBQ chicken salad was so good and fulfilling. Football is football, many big flat screen TVs hanging everywhere. Been here only once, but I do plan on coming back :)
(5)Watah H.
I ordered the Pastrami sandwich....and their name contains Pastrami...What a joke. The thinnest, fattiest pastrami sandwich I've ever seen. They haven't received a full coterie of honest reviews. These Waikiki purveyors of food is on notice as they do not deliver value. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned that the "manager" was on his smartphone the whole time...what a leader. I almost thought I was on the set of Bar Rescue.
(2)J W.
Watched nfl playoff game here. Loved the TVs everywhere. Servers are like visiting old friends you've known for years!! Great vibe. Good menu selections! Saw many pizzas go out to tables (not my thing) and no leftovers so I'll assume they're good! Deli sandwiches were good. Fries yummy! Yep we'd go back again.
(4)Mary D.
Watched the World Series Game @ the bar. Very gracious, polite bartender- out of draft Hawaiian beer? Food was good, but not great. TV screens were good, but sound was poor. Safe place for women, family friendly.
(3)Tim J.
Well, my girlfriend and I decided to pop in on our last afternoon in Oahu and try this out.... First off service was going to an issue we could clearly see by how we were greeted walking in. Then when they realize you are not ordering booze.... Well it goes down another level. We ordered Rueben Sliders... Asked to please substitute the regular fries for sweet potato only to be told we are not allow to do that on starter dishes... Ok ok so we went with that. Placed our entire order which was that slider dish and a salad and pasta.... 20 mins later the cold sliders came....then 10 minutes later the waitress tells us they screwed up our dinners and it would be out shorty.. 10 minutes later I lost it... Called for a manager which showed up with my bill saying sorry he should have discounted it. I told him what a poorly ran joint he had going and how awful his kitchen was and a bit more fowl language then I care to share... Don't give this place any of your business if your smart. Tim Johnson California
(1)Iris J.
Service is okay considering the busy flow. Parmesan twist bread is Amazing...fresh & plenty flavor...pesto pasta was good, but excess sauce makes it difficult to enjoy so even with the side order of plain pasta to mix in didn't help much. The spicy salad option wasnt anything fabulous & garlic shrimp was pretty good, but again excess sauce can be a bit much!!! You pay for what you get...portions and quality of food is well worth the price!!!
(4)David C.
This place is so expensive for what you get and parking here is so inconvenient and also expensive.
(1)David T.
Texas A&M Aggies met here for the game against Alabama. The place was crowded with people rooting for several teams, but the Aggies turned out in great numbers. The bar was the perfect place for us to watch the game. Many TV's for us to watch the game without straining to get a view. The waitstaff were great and kept us plied with food and drink throughout the game. Parking was validated and the valets knew of our arrival and welcomed us. That was a nice touch and set the day off right for me. I had corned beef hash and eggs with home fries. All was delicious and the timing was prompt. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to watch the rest of the season there! Good job and thanks for having the Aggies in your sports bar.
(4)Melissa T.
Let me just start off by saying that we were in Hawaii during the Seahawks vs Saints playoff game (I know, I'm 6 months late on the review, oh well!) .. AND my boyfriend is a HUGE HUGE HUGE Seahawks fan. So there was no way we were going to miss this game. We were looking up different sports bars in the area and did not know where to go to catch the game. Luckily, we met a fellow local Seahawks fan the night before and he told us that tons of Seahawks fans always come here to watch the game. We probably would not have even thought of watching it here, especially since there was a Yard House right across the street from Giovanni's. We thought we'd give it a shot! To our surprise, the entire place was filled with Seahawks fans! (besides the two Saints and three 49ers fans... let's just say it made the game even more interesting ;) There was also a 12th man flag hanging on the wall! There was two different seating areas, the dining room when you first walk in, then the stairs lead up to the bar area; that is where we were. Because we were there to watch the game and knew we'd be there for hours, we decided to order a large pizza and start off with a pitcher of beer. I like that they allowed the pizzas to be half and half, I like variety. We ordered half Maui Zaui and King Arthur Supreme. And let me tell you, that Maui Zaui is DELICIOUS! You must try it. It is an island pizza, if there is such thing! Our waitress was super friendly. The place was packed with people, but she was still able to check up on us often. Every time our pitcher got low, she'd come and see if we wanted another, we never had empty glasses! I also ordered a soft drink, she always kept that full as well. The entire staff was super chill. Also, they had these cool speakers for each table. Because it does get fairly loud & it's difficult to hear sometimes with all the chatter going on in the restaurants... I thought that it was an awesome idea to have. Wish every sports bar had these! If you do try this place, get the Maui Zaui! You won't be disappointed!
(4)Consuela M.
Menu looked good. Just had drinks. Service was fair.
(2)Ka ne M.
Food is always fresh beers are cold Lots of tv's to catch the game Orders the garlic shrimp it was very good Mac salad was a little dry maybe substitute it with some fries or toss salad I would of prefers they brown the garlic as the garlic sauce can get a little pasty but cooking it longer would of made it perfect The strawberry cheesecake was a winner very light Fresh and Ono liscious Got the pizza to go half meet lovers half veggie lovers Win win combination Enjoy
(4)Kimo K.
No sound Monday Night Football rebroadcast prime sure during 2;30 live broadcast , but dude some fans like go beach day watch game replay at 6:00 ... Never go again
(3)Katy T.
We came for dinner about 8:30pm on a Wednesday night. We were told there would be about a 20 minute wait, but we only waited 10. The service was not the friendliest I've had, but it was definitely fast and efficient- covered all the essentials. The decor is fairly nice... it would be a nice place to watch the game with plenty of TVs around. I just find it strange that they have an open kitchen (big windows to the kitchen), but there's all kinds of kitchen equipment against these windows so you can't really see what's going on in the kitchen, and all you see is the back of machinery. Seems pointless to me. Anyway, the food was good. Not out-of-this-world good, but I really enjoyed the mini corned beef reubens that I had, and the nachos that my boyfriend and I shared. Overall, a decent place to eat with pretty good food.
(4)Sam M.
This review is based entirely on our service. I had just finished working at my job in one of the stores right near Giovanni Pastrami. I hadn't heard much of this place but I was in the mood for a pastrami sandwich so I decided it was worth a shot. Outside I took a look at their menu, and when I was ready I made my way inside to order. I stood at the front for at least 10 minutes. No host/hostess in sight. There were servers who made eye-contact with me from the back of the restaurant near the bar, and not one of them made it a point to come to the front or get someone in the front to be a hostess. Reading the reviews, it doesn't seem like the food there is worth it anyway. I will not be returning to Giovanni Pastrami.
(1)Gretchen H.
Food is Great!! Wait Staff is courteous and nice. Hostess Staff is Horrifying. Watching them bumble basic seating would have been humorous, if I was watching it happen to someone else. We waited 20 minutes to be seated in an empty restaurant at a table that was open the entire time. Recommend if you want to try out Giovanni's great food, do it during nonstandard times where the hostess can't get confused!
(2)Shaun K.
Great loco moco! It was more than a meal for one. My wife got a breakfast dosh and that was not as big and left a little to be desired. Staff was a little slow with drinks, but we are fast drinkers. Overall it was a good place.
(3)Robert D.
Very seldom my review would be scathing ....however this NEEDS to be done. 1. I havent eaten there but the menu looks interesting and decor is fabulous. 2. I went there to simply get a take out pizza which many have acclaimed. BIG MISTAKE!!! Their Roundtable brand pizza is simply VILE! !!!!!! MOST frozen supermarket pizzas are better than this crap! The pizza base was machine made, tasteless and like stale bread. The cheese was just ok as were the sparse toppings. DO NOT waste your time and money for this EXPENSIVE ($24 med size) pathetic excuse for pizza! . Put it this way....you would be EMBARRASSED to give this to a homeless/hungry person. ** whoever said this pizza is great is an absolute moron. Aloha and have a great day!
(1)Raymond S.
I don't what this two stars one star reviewers are talking about but I just had a great experience at Giovanni's. Service was great, Shannon took good care of my needs as far as food and drinks. Food was delivered promptly and hot. I ordered the corn beef pastrami hash and eggs. Had a beer and then coffee with my meal no fuss but served promptly and with a smile . So my first experience was great and I will be back.
(5)Chris R.
I travel to Waikiki about four times a month on business. We figured we would try something new for dinner and popped in here. It was quickly apparent why the average review here is pretty low. The hostess was kind but seemed slightly confused despite the slow evening. After we were seated the waitress came, gave us some menus and the selection looked quite promising. When both are orders finally came out they were both incorrect and had to be returned. I asked for a pastrami dog with no sauerkraut and it was smothered in the stuff and my coworker had ordered coleslaw instead of fries. These corrections only took a few minutes however when the food returned it was cold. We decided to give it a try anyway and the flavors were rather unremarkable. I would have to say for a restaurant with pastrami in the name the pastrami was some of the most disappointing I have had anywhere globally. To be fair I've given them two stars because our waitress, although a bit spacey, was very sweet and tried her best to make us happy.
(2)Krysten I.
The one thing great about Giovanni is that they seem to be open alllll the time. Need to watch that game thats on at 8am HST? Try Giovanni Pastrami. I'm not that into sports, but I live in Waikiki and my best friend begged me to watch an early morning USC game with her at Giovanni. Whatevers, I'm down for eating breakfast with my bestie. The food was just okay and overpriced (but that's what you get in waikiki). The service was pretty terrible. The game was pretty terrible too....But back to the service, I had to ask for a menu, a fork and for refills on water.....stuff that should be no brainers.... I don't think I'll be back, sorry Giovanni.
(2)Austin M.
This was a first. I was seated at a table with another customer watching a football game. I feel like it was a effort to clear the other customer out however when the waiter started refilling his drinks I asked to get up. Slightly Wierd for a place that has $20 dishes on their menu. After that I get moved and the other waitress made me feel very uncomfortable after asking if I can order a water with lemon. After 3 times of asking she finally brought a plate of lemons over. Overall fantastic layout. Horrible customer experience.
(1)Letty J.
Went during happy hour and they have pretty good deals plus a free slice of cheese pizza with any purchase (only during happy hour). The food is ok nothing great but not bad. Staff was very friendly.
(3)Helpful L.
We were excited to try a new restaurant in Waikiki. We visit the island often and hadn't seen Giovanni Pastrami, so on our last night, we decided to try it. Made a reservation and headed over. We were seated immediately! Our server was professional, not over the top, but fine! We ordered 2 waters, 1 RootBeer, and a tea. She made them at her station and went to take care of 2 other tables while our drinks sat there. I thought that was odd. We asked many questions of our server about the menu and she stated that the items we had asked/chosen were her favorites. She must not have any tastebuds...because everything was tasteless. We ordered the Macadamia Nut Pesto Pasta, no taste...no macadamia taste, no garlic taste, no basil taste, no taste AT ALL! I really mean, NO TASTE AT ALL! It was terrible!! My husband and I were going to share our meals, he sent his back and was done. She took it back, offered to get him something else, but he was done! I ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad...that, as well, had NO TASTE! VERY bland dressing and the all the crunchy extras were stale! Our server brought our check and she took the pasta off the bill. We will not be going to Giovanni Pastrami again. I wish we would have walked across the street and eaten at the Yard House!
(2)Janet F.
Okay so..... I work right by Giovanni Pastrami and so I decided to grab take out one day despite everyone telling me how bad this place was and after seeing the bad reviews. I got the chicken fingers with sweet potato fries because there's no way you can mess up on chicken fingers. I'm going to start off by saying the girl I spoke to on the phone was not friendly and the chicken fingers and fries tasted horrible. I'd rather have eaten the frozen Tyson's chicken fingers lol!!!! The fries were soggy and tasteless (no, I did not let it sit) and the chicken tasted rubbery as if it was undercooked (It wasn't undercooked though). I paid $12+ which I think is overpriced but then again everything in Waikiki is overpriced haha. Yeah. Just save your money and time and don't come here unless it's for drinks while watching a game.
(1)Alan W.
I'm not usually someone to complain but I'll give you my 2 cents. We stopped by for dessert. They burnt the dessert so as anyone would do that just paid for food I asked for a new one. All they did was give us a cold brownie from the same batch that was also burnt. Worst service I've have in a long time. This was probably the worst food I've had in a while as well. I'd probably skip this place and go somewhere else if I were you.
(1)Eri C.
This was my first and LAST visit to this restaurant. The service was horrible. They took FOREVER just to come & take our order, plus they got it wrong (& it wasn't just mines that they messed up with). I don't know if they were just slacking that day, but the food wasn't even that great. The waiters were having their own conversations & seemed like they could care less about the customers. I just remember not being satisfied at all with the place. :/
(2)Nick B.
When I see negative reviews I try to be objective. This time I can't .. Excellent food, consistently. Excellent service, consistently. Incredible atmosphere every time . We really like the menu choices, consistent quality of the food, and the "home" atmosphere right in the middle of Corporate Oahu. We will come back every year!.
(5)Jhonny C.
Hostess and Waiter Tomas was awesome!Soup arrived immediately and HOT! FOOTBALL GAME@the bar and more tv's than I can count. Definitely returning
(5)Kamaria N.
The service was so so, but I ate a great new french toast dish for brunch with my fiance last Saturday morning. We watched a few of the games playing on the large tvs. I wasn't impressed though. They really should improve their service, but being on the strip, they know they'll get business anyway I guess.
(2)Rose H.
There for New Years Night breakfast for dinner. Staff was great. Actually no wait I guess because everyone was across the street for Hard Rock Cafe. Nice open place, probably would be a packed place when sports occur. For us, it was nice with staff checking often, food was yummy not overly spiced or "flavored" as most sports bars, and breakfast all day who can go wrong with that!!
(5)Hillary G.
I might be updating this review based on if we come back for breakfast. We stopped in based on a few friends suggestions. I got a pastrami and my boyfriend got a veggie sandwich. The sandwiches were pretty good. I don't think they were worth $16 each. The fries and chips were very basic absolutely nothing special and the salsa was obviously Pace salsa lol. But the main part was the sandwiches-both very good - just a little pricey for what they were.
(4)Alex W.
We came here around 8 am and was not busy at all. Staff was very friendly and nice. As always I got the eggs Benedict but I got the pastrami as the meat and it was very delicious. The wife got the trio sampler (strawberry pancakes,moco loco, and one egg Benedict). I tried both the moco loco and pancakes and they were very good. Price wise it was moderate. Location is great right outside all the shops so you can eat then start your day shopping. All in all would recommend to try but not a place I would say I would want to go everyday
(4)Victoria S.
Love coming here to get a corned beef Reuben. They are so good and filling. I wish they had more options for sides though and more options for kids. Service is good. Can't wait to go back for another Reuben.
(4)Fred W.
Had the triple play (loco moco, pancake, Egg benedict) and nachos with kalua pig. The hamburger for loco moco over cooked, and egg had that outer thin overcooked remnant of egg white. pancake was tasteless. egg benedict and sauce was good. Nachos totally sucked. Service by our waitress friendly which is why I gave two stars instead of none. Lastly, wish the other staff would stop dragging the chairs on tile floor. Annoyingly loud!
(2)Dale M.
We went to during happy hour. The cheese pizza was a bonus, but the main dishes took a while to arrive. I got the nachos, and they were about average. My friend got the pizza, and it was much smaller than I would've expected. It tasted good though. The environment is nice, and it's reasonably affordable if you eat off of the happy hour menu.
(4)Sheena Y.
Not bad. Had the Kahlua pig pizza. Also tried my friend's 3 in 1 breakfast, the wagyu beef Loco moco wasn't the greatest. The beef was too hard. Wagyu beef is supposed to be so soft that you can use a butter knife to slice it. The pizza was yummy but it could have for Kahlua pig in it.
(3)Dan M.
My wife and I are huge pastrami fans and this seemed like a good spot to hit up right by our hotel. We got seated right away. Service was underwhelming. We came in around 2 and it was pretty slow and empty, which usually means better ticket times. We waited 25-30 minutes for our good. I ordered a pastrami burger and my wife ordered a pastrami Reuben. Nothing too complicated, or so we thought. Once the food came out, we were both disappointed. My burger was cooked as I ordered it, but for being a pastrami burger, it had next to no pastrami on it. My wife's sandwich fell apart and the pastrami in it was super fatty, a sign they're either using very cheap meat or not cooking it properly. She couldn't finish it because the pastrami was so fatty that it was impossible to take a bite and separate the meat. If you want to get quick service and quality deli food, go somewhere else. You'll save a lot of money and actually enjoy your meal. Unfortunately, this is a place that has relied on gullible tourists and has stopped paying attention to quality food and prompt service.
(2)Craig Y.
Just had dinner there ..... Very disappointed with the food we had...Chinese chicken salad very watery dressing,, soggy won ton, pastrami sandwich okay, nothing special. Our service was ok seems as if other employees don't enjoy their job....NO smiles NO greeting NO Aloha.....even when leaving the establishment we passed several employees and the hostess counter and NO acknowledgement at all...
(2)Brittany J.
Short wait on Sunday evening. The ambiance is nice with a large bar. TVs on walls, good place to come for a game and "bar food." My boyfriend and I started with the wings.... They were good. I ordered a steak sandwich and my BF the meatball sandwich. He said it was soggy and unmemorable. I'm from the east coast and was expecting a steak and cheese but I received was a NY strip on four pieces of toast. Won't be returning.
(2)Esther S.
I'm vegetarian and I ordered mendezova or something and the waitress says that they don't serve that anymore. So, why is it in the menu? I asked if I could add eggplants to my meal and she said no. Wtf? It doesn't make sense to me to put food in the menu that they don't have. So far, they have made bad impressions and am not happy with the service. Also, no wifi? So my fiancé orders pizza and I ordered pasta. They serve him his dish but not mine. It's been about 15 min and it's not here. Meanwhile my fiancé is almost done with food. I was gonna give 2 stars but now it got reduced to one.
(1)Dan H.
Great food. Great atmosphere. The service is excellent. We will definitely be back to try out more of the menu. Seems like a great place to watch the games too. I'll have to remember this place during football season.
(4)Paul A.
The free slice of cheese pizza at happy hour was nice. Other than that pretty over priced. If you are in from out of town it is a great place to catch a game. The personal pizza is really small. Loco moco was delicious, but 17 bucks come on man!
(3)Jennie M.
Game time in Honolulu! This means a MUCH earlier start then anywhere else, which isn't a bad thing! Hey, you may have to get up crazy early to watch the NFL pregame show, Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, like 6am early! But, that means the Sunday Night game is over by 5:30pm and you still have a whole night in front of you! One thing that gets me outta bed with a huge smile on my face (besides Chris Berman of course) is the thought of throwing on my jersey, flip floppin' down Kalakaua towards Giovanni's for the most amazing, crazy good, bigger then my face, macadamia nut pancakes (see picture)! Ooohhhh dear lord do I love those fluffy circles of love. It makes my morning football ritual complete. Giovanni's has a ton of flat screens on every wall of the place, a relaxed vibe (especially compared to some sports bars that can be loud and aggressive) and always a diverse mix of locals, tourists and implants that are cheering for different teams. I once spent the entire Stanley Cup final playoffs in Gio's when Chicago won it, that was a blast! We made such good friends because you see the same people every day or second day for 10 days. The food is fantastic, the drinks are great and there is always free pizza slices during happy hour(s). Oh, and did I mention that during regular season when there are multiple games on, they provide portable mini speakers at your table so you can hear your game if its not the featured one! Love, love, love Giovanni and his Pastrami!
(4)Adam G.
Every football game is on here every Sunday! If my team isn't on cable at home, I come here for breakfast and football. My favorite breakfast is the ham or Kalua pork eggs Benedict
(5)Kristine E.
Their good was literally so bad we didn't even eat it. Oh and we're pretty sure this food is what caused my my boyfriend appendix to have to come out that night. And they served us shrimp with the shells still on but with a sauce all over it? Ya, that makes sense. NOT! So bad, just so bad.
(1)Tyler Y.
First time coming here. Saturday night, don't even think about going to Cheesecake Factory. So we came here for a family dinner and were seated within 10 minutes. I liked the food, it was yummy! Price is a little above average for the food quality but that's just Waikiki for you. Our primary server was great. However, the girl who was helping our server deliver our food was rude. FYI, the rude servers name is Lauren (?). She got all sassy because we weren't sure if what she was delivering was the actual plate we ordered, so we asked twice what that was and her attitude sucked. Just those 15 seconds of attitude was enough to kill the vibe with family.
(3)Lily B.
I definitely will have to up my rating from my last review, and the 4 stars is well deserved! We were having a little farewell for a couple *amazing* co-workers who were about to PCS, and we chose Giovanni Pastrami as our lunch spot. We were seated right away. I can't remember the name of our server (sorry!) but I really wish that I did because she was pretty cool. We had a party of about 20, and she didn't write a SINGLE ORDER DOWN!!! She memorized EVERYTHING! Now I used to be a server... for a loooong time, and I could remember a party of 4, prolly 6 at the most, but 20?! I thought for sure she'd mess up on something, but NOPE, all orders came out correctly. I was IMPRESSED! She was (at the time) about 6 months pregnant and when I asked her about her memory she said she wanted to keep her mind 'sharp' while pregnant... well kudos to her! Service with her was efficient and very friendly. We had split checks and she was on it! The BF and I shared garlic twists. Ooh if you love garlic, these are for you! Garlicky deliciousness. You really didn't need the ranch dipping sauce that accompanied it as the twists were so good alone. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My friend got the reuben sliders which she enjoyed. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My other friend got the chili burger which is HUUUUGE!!! He finished half of it. yelp.com/user_local_phot… The BF and I weren't too hungry, so we shared a caesar salad (forgot to take a pic, but it was good!) and the nachos. The cheese on the nachos was VERY lumpy and it was pretty disgusting. I took a tiny bite and couldn't do it. My BF ate a few pieces (mainly because he was hungry) and no one at the table like it either. I let our waitress know, and the manager came by and said that the nachos were definitely NOT supposed to look (or taste) like that. Something about the cheese not being stirred enough or hot enough... he was VERY apologetic and offered to make us a new one, or give us something else on the menu. The BF and I thanked him but passed. It was nice that he stopped by to explain what the issue was (and of course to remove it from our bill) This is what the nachos looked like: yelp.com/user_local_phot… I didn't take a picture of everyone's food but honestly, there were no complaints from anyone! In the end, we got 10% off of our total bill as well. Everyone really enjoyed their food (with the exception of us and the nachos - which was addressed and taken care of). Service was great. The atmosphere is loud; sports bar like of course and fun. More TV's than I could count with basketball, baseball, football, racing, etc... sports galore! It was a fun lunch and we were well taken care of. Would we come back? After that last visit, yeah, we'd give em a third try!
(4)Mark H.
I have read other reviews by locals complaining about treatment by management from Giovanni Pastrami, but I only have had pleasant experiences here. Well, I don't watch local sports much... The pizza is Round Table's pizza and is delish. If you get a large pizza with a pitcher of beer, you can get buffalo wings for a buck. Pretty good deal and my groups have always capitalized on that offer! We tried their pastrami & cheese fries. Pretty good. I would say worth for you to check out and make your own determination. Great venue for watching sports with tons of large flat screen TVs and even smaller screens around the bar area. The crowd is a knowledgeable sports crowd so I appreciate the cheering that goes on. All the girls are hot. We had Allison serving us--such a cutie! XD
(4)Sandra a.
Very good. Highly recommend. Happy hour very good. Salads great. Good service. Discount if staying at Wyndham. Yes. Yummy.
(5)Noelani C.
I visited this place about two months ago. I think our server was Rockie?! She was amazing! Great EXCELLENT service! The food was good and the chicken wings were yummy! Tons of tv's to watch the fights/games etc! She gave us yummy desserts too! The drinks were yummy! I had a few fruity drinks on the rocks. I can't remember at the moment... She seems very personable and genuine. You dont get many genuine servers nowadays. They are all just in it for the money and no aloha spirit. I feel the quality of the food could be better...and its a great place for beers and appetizers and to watch the game.
(5)Erin T.
One step above regular standard bar food. Sandwiches are good and portions are big. Nothing seems particularly creative or unique- fries and sides taste like they came out of a frozen bag. Decor is really blah and borderline ugly, even by sports bar standards. Service is pretty good, although not super quick. Biggest gripe is price. WAY OVER PRICED! One basic sandwich is $16 and if you want to add cheese it's $2 more! $18 for a roastbeef and cheese sandwich?! That's crazy even for Waikiki where everything is overpriced! You can go next door to PF Changs or across the street to YardHouse and get way more- better- food for the same price!
(3)Jerry A.
been here twice. first time went in for breakfast on a sunday, was able to get a table for 5 after waiting about 10 minutes. Had just buttermilk pancakes, was pretty standard, nothing amazing. 2nd time i went was for lunch for party of 5 but inadvertently it was during a football game so place was packed so decided to come back later for dinner. dinner time was less crowded. I had just spagehtti meat sauce without the meatballs. again it was pretty good but nothing fantastic.
(3)Leslie Y.
Service started out ok, she got us water......then kept talking to her coworkers....all the girls did were hover around each other and talk, not taking care of the few tables around them......I had to flag them down for more water......and they were right at the front door talking..... The food prices are ok, considering the area.....Waikiki is not cheap, so peeps, don't forget that...... We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, the meatballs were dark and dry like my feet........like it had been sitting there for a long time...... We also ordered the garlic shrimp.....didn't even try it.....my friend did and she got the runs right as we returned to the hotel....... The place is quite comfortable as their booths are big.......that's about it......
(2)Harley H.
Nice Sports bar with good food. Guava Mimosas after sun down, the best. A must try while in Honolulu. Thank you Meagan for great, friendly service!
(5)Lara F.
Food is reasonably priced for kids meals and adults. Great fresh orange juice. We ordered the waffles and French toast with sides. Great atmosphere and servers were nice!
(5)Risa C.
I don't normally post a review on Yelp unless an establishment is absolutely outstanding or absolutely horrible. I should have listened to the other reviews on this place. My husband and I went in here for dinner tonight and were highly disappointed. 30 minutes AFTER we ordered, the waitress came back and told us the kitchen was out of the fried rice. WTH, my husband was pissed because it was his dish, not that they were out but because we had been sitting there for 30 minutes waiting for our food and then be told they didn't have the dish. The waitress apologized and asked if we wanted to order something else. Needless to say we didn't and left. Good customer service would have been if the manager came out to our table himself and apologized and offer to comp our dinner. Of course that didn't happen.
(1)E C.
We came in when the business was jumping and the crowds on the street were teeming so we expected a long wait. Our actual wait was about ten minutes and we were served up very quickly. Ordering mainly salads, a sandwich, soup and a couple of cocktails, we were impressed by the hustling service by the staff and the short time it took to actually serve up in spite of the full house. The quality of the food and drink was very good and we were definitely impressed by the server crew. The restaurant is only one block from our hotel and we will definitely be back next time we return.
(4)Clarissa M.
This is a great place if you are craving matzo ball soup (which I enjoy) and anything with pastrami like pastrami and melted cheese on fries or pastrami high on rye sandwiches. This restaurant does not offer dessert I believe - because the portions are super dooper huge! This is a sports bar environment with lots of tv. It gets pretty busy but overall the food satisfies the cravings and the service is attentive and pleasant.
(3)Leah G.
I go here every Sunday to either watch a Seahawks or Carolina Panthers football games. I LOVE the environment! Everyone there is a fan of football. They have plenty of tvs and they always try to sit you in front of the game you're there to see. I've never had a bad seat. There is a huge amount of Seahawks fans who go there so if you're a fan, this is definitely the Hawks Nest of Hawaii! The waitresses are nice, they are always BUSY but they take care of you. The food is good, nice portions! I would check it out if I was you and I will be returning!!
(4)Jen D.
Extremely overpriced. Definitely not worth the money...we had garlic shrimp which was alright I was weirded out by having to peel the shrimp. The pork sliders were mediocre...Mac salad was good.
(2)The C.
I really enjoyed this place. The atmosphere and staff were great. It's this unique combination of deli, pasta place and sports bar. Lots of TVs all over the place. I ordered a couple very boring dishes. The Chef's salad and some angle hair pasta with chicken. The salad was great. Real deli meats cheeses and eggs. The pasta was pasta. It isn't an executing dish and it came as expected. Others around me went for the Pastrami and other sandwiches. I just wasn't in the sandwich mood. I'll be going back.
(4)Angela S.
Worst experience ever. Bad food, Bad drinks and really bad service. The server kept disappearing, I had to hold up my hand for 15mins to get ketchup and mustard for the hotdog sliders we ordered.. I also felt cheated since they publicized drinks at a different price on pubclub.com from what they served and when I mentioned this, it was shoved off with a 'oh, that isn't correctly stated' And did I mention no parking validation!!!!!! Never again
(1)Joel W.
Excellent food and service. The best place to watch Ohio state football on the island.
(4)Kelly G.
Giovanni Pastrami is one of those places that you go to in Waikiki because of its name. The food and drinks are well in the upper range, but its in tourist central so no surprises there. It caters to the traveling sports fanatics. They have lots of tvs with various sports playing. And if they aren't just ask one of the staff to help out. Most of staff is friendly - especially when we asked to substitute the tomato for sauerkraut in our sandwich and for free! Food is to be as expected in this area. Filling enough. Not extremely greasy. Extensive menu. Breakfast, lunch and dinner items are always served. Appreciated the military discount as well!
(4)Robert W.
We went there a few times during our two week stay on the island. First, I want to say HAPPY HOUR is great. Wait staff is GREAT! Front hostess staff is just terrible. You get the impression they don't like their job all three times we visited. I would highly recommend this place just ignore the hostess staff. Good Prices Good Food Great Service
(4)Christen F.
Found this place today and it's amazing! They have a huge selection of good to choose from and they serve breakfast all day! Atmosphere is upbeat and positive. The food was delicious and the portions were very generous. For sure coming back here again!
(5)Catherine H.
We went here today for lunch and were very disappointed unfortunately. The hostess was rude and after being seated we sat there for 20 minutes (literally!) and no one ever greeted us, no one offered us water and no one took our order. We got up and left. :-(
(1)Jim C.
Just had a great dinner and I must say it is always a pleasure to eat here, Celebrated my best friends anniversary and had the PASTRAMI REUBEN Hot pastrami piled high with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, grilled to perfection on rye bread. hmmmmmmm soooo ono. My friends had the same. Our waitress Jennifer was superb and even though she was 8 months pregnant she buzzed through the place like she owned it... She was the BEST. Large screen TV's keeps the cheering crowds happy and add to the lively atmosphere. I love this place....
(4)Abigail S.
I literally created an account so I could comment on how upset I was with this restraunt. Im here on vacation visiting family and this is the first place my cousin brings us to eat. Convinced that this is the best place to be. I gave this place two trys because first impressions aren't always accurate. The first time our waitress was to be busy flirting with the men at our table that all of our orders were wrong. But thats fine we all have our moments. The next day I walk in to order pizzas togo. My cousin and I are literally standing at the front for 15 min waiting to get acknowledged. I even smiled at a waitress hoping she would walk over, nope straight turned around. I had to walk up to the bar to get some kind of service. No matter what you should always make the customer feel welcomed and respected. If not they will just turn away and go somewhere else. I will say that their food is good. I had kalua pig and pizza both excellent.
(2)Jamie M.
The food here is great. The service is not! I first came here for an alumni association event to watch our college football team play. The set up is pretty nice. There are a number of big screen TVs all around the place playing various games. The bathroom was clean too. My boyfriend had the eggs benedict, and he liked it. I had the spinach, feta, and cheese omelet. That was also tasty. The mimosas are tiny and they cost $7. I would pass on those because the cost adds up quick, and they are nothing special. The ones at Hula Grill are better. The service was terrible. We had a large party, but the food came out really slow. Getting our drink orders filled was like pulling teeth. The waitress often times was standing around doing nothing, and we would be staring straight at her trying to flag her down! Of course, trying to get our check paid for was a pain as well. I returned to Giovanni's hoping the service would improve. It was the same thing when just my boyfriend and I went, so I think the service is poor no matter what. One thing that is weird about here is that you have to sit with strangers if there are not enough tables/booths. The people that got placed with us were cool, but it would have been weird if we had to sit that close to people who were not. I think I've given this place enough chances, so I will only go here if I happen to be in Waikiki and really want to catch a game on TV.
(2)Jay D.
Good Sunday brunch, was a little pricey but everything is in Waikiki. I had some kinda bread pudding French toast, it was pretty awesome. Coconut flakes, fresh blueberries and strawberries, server ex with coconut syrup. Yum, congrats from the mainland hash browns are a disappointment almost anywhere here as were Gio's however service and other food was good!
(3)Gspot H.
Good large food servings. The Soup was good. a bunch of the things on the menu are tempting but U can't have all now can you baby. Staff are nice. Issue's with parking unless U a pimp.
(4)Chelsea W.
If you are an OSU fan this is definitely the place to go. The team spirit is awesome. It's their alumni bar. Food and drinks are great and all of the staff is very friendly and quick.
(4)Candy C.
Great food. A bit pricey, but plenty of food for your buck. Very yummy! Watched Sunday football at 7am and it was the best time. Every waiter and waitress was kind and service was always quick. I'm surprised by the poor reviews. We came here almost everyday of our stay
(4)Kameron S.
GP' s is a midsized sports bar and deli type restaurant on Lewers in Waikiki. They have a good big screen tv setup for the sports minded and an extensive menu serving breakfast all day long and totally legit sounding deli sandwiches, etc. I have only frequented GP's for the last 8 weeks on Sunday mornings to watch NFL with some friends and a couple times on my own. Therefor, as far as food is concerned, I can only comment on a very limited portion of the wide array of selections available. What I feel very comfortable commenting on is the excellent service by the friendly, energetic and cute waitress staff. They all deserve a shout out because it's crazy busy in there on Sunday mornings yet the team of girls, mostly wearing their teams jersey, keep all the patrons food and drinks coming promptly with the most pleasant service one could expect. Breakfast: Tomato, Avocado and Bacon Eggs Benedict. Served with hash browns or home fries. This has been my go to on Sun. mornings and I can hardly finish it. The key is the hollandaise sauce is pretty good so I would probably like the 3 or 4 other versions of Eggs Beni they serve. Lunch: The Patty Melt. There was not a thing to complain about when I tried this old school simplified burger. It's the classic patty melt on grilled Rye Bread with melted swiss and grilled onions. Really, I'm more of a burger aficionado but I used to order this as a kid once in a while and GP's does not disappoint. Strange that I'm not a fan of swiss cheese or big on Rye Bread yet I gobbled it down and it was delish, I wasn't even nursing a hangover. Drinks: Full bar, plenty of beers but a small standard draft selection and a good Bloody Mary with Jalapeno Stoli as an option. Conclusion: I'm not sure what goes on there after 1 pm or any other time aside from Sunday morning, but if they maintain the level of service I have experienced all the time, then GP's really has it going on.
(4)Linh D.
Great sport bar to watch football. My friends and I came here to wach the 49ners vs GB wild card game. We only had drinks and an order of pancakes. So this review is only for the experience of watching sports. We stayed at the Wyndham hotel which is just above this place. As we passed this place on our first day in Wakiki, we saw alot of Ohio fans in the back room where the bar is located watching one of the college bown games that day. Since it looked like this was where football fans would go watch the games, we decided to watch the NFL play game here. There are tvs all over the walls and at the bar area as well so that you do not miss any action of whatever sport you are watching.
(3)Kim M.
I'm not sure why I haven't gone here more, but I feel like I want to make more of an effort. Their menu is huge and I'd like to try more of what they have to offer. The things I've tried thus far were good, but probably not the best that GP has to offer. I really want some good pastrami -- it's in the name, so it must be good. Right? Giovanni Pastrami is an often overlooked Waikiki eatery with pretty good food, generous portions and spotty service. TRIPLE PLAY This is a great (and filling) sampler-esque entrée that allows you to try three of GP's breakfast dishes. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… No substitutions. It comes with: 1. Mini Wagyu Beef Loco Moco - Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not sure I'd order the loco moco as an entree bc I've definitely had better elsewhere. But it was good. 2. Bacon, Tomato, Avocado Eggs Benedict - I loved the varied traditional Canadian ham substitutions in this dish. I thought it was a pretty fresh and delicious idea. The avocado was delightfully smooth and great against the crunchy and sinful bacon. 3. (Coconut) Mac Nut Pancakes with Strawberries - I had mine sans the coconut and the coconut syrup. The strawberries were fresh and the pancakes were better than I had initially anticipated. So... If you're really hungry and unsure of what to order (and love breakfast foods), the Triple Play may be a good dish to order. Overall, I liked it, but I'm not sure if I'd order this on a regular basis or anything. It's really quite filling. In fact, I needed help finishing it. ROYCE'S SPICY NACHOS ($15) A ginormous portion of homemade tortilla chips smothered in pepper jack cheese sauce, spicy taco-seasoned beef, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… This was the highlight of our night. It was huge and the pepper jack cheese sauce was incredible. We had quite a bit left over, so I'm sure you can guess what we had for our midnight snack later that night. The bf and I will be back for this for sure. SERVICE Service was good...ish, so I fully understand the mixed reviews. Nothing went extremely wrong or anything, but we received the bare minimum. I always like it when servers offer things instead of having to ask for everything. Just saying. Sorry if that seems ridiculous, but servers get paid and tipped to serve. VERDICT 3.5 Yelp Stars If it weren't for the service, I'd probably go with 4. The spicy nachos were a home run for the bf and me. Our friend had the Pastrami Reuben and gobbled the whole thing (without sharing)... I'm totally ordering that next time btw. Anyway, GP is G with me and I'll be back to try more.
(3)Shauna F.
Some of the best wings and pizza I've ever had. Happy Hour between 3-5. Free cheese pizza slice with any order, every time.
(4)M M.
We had a fabulous family dinner here. Round Table pizza on the menu, great wings, lots of beer choices, and excellent service! Management was friendly and helpful. We'll be back next week for pizza night!
(4)Ricky S.
This place is great. It's standard bar / chain pub food but the service was good and there's TVs EVERYWHERE playing all kinds of sports. Came here twice in 4 days during our trip to Waikiki... once randomly to catch a bite and happy hour. Prices were great during HH and they walk around and give out free pizza. AWESOME. The 2nd time it was to watch the SF Giants sweep the Tigers for the World Series. Good times.
(5)Jacob B.
Went with some friends on a Saturday. Not a very long wait, which was refreshing in Waikiki. Drink prices are average. The food came out super fast and was very good. Will definitely go again. Everyone seemed really happy about their food.
(4)Tammy T.
I'm not usually one to make a "quick" review but I just need to put my 2 cents in, and frankly, isn't that what Yelp is all about. :) I've been here more than once ONLY because of NFL Sunday games (7AM). They have lots of games going on which is great, what's even better is that you can get your own speaker! Each speaker can be link to the TV you are watching. None of this hear another game see your game sh*t. The service is good.Dallas Fan server. has been the best. Pleasant, talk-storyish, and attentive. Sadly, the food is over priced (then again perhaps that's just Waikiki standards). Don't get me wrong, if it was good I wouldn't mind paying the price, but the food has always arrived luke-warm to room temperature. The Country Omelet yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… which was $16 (REALLY!?! GTFO), arrive with "skin" on the hollandaise sauce and dry edges. Wa waaaaaa. For the price you pay for food, the valet; we parked at the Embassy Suites Hotel, the walk from the parking lot to the restaurant it's not worth it. I can't say if you can or can't park at the Embassy Suites for this place. Maybe Royal Hawaiian is better? But since day one, where Rob M pulled up in a Patriot's shirt, the boys at the valet have been uber awesome! So we choose to park there and sh*t talk football. ha ha. Silver Lining: Due to the fact I don't choose to go back, it allowed me call around and check out other places for NFL Sunday Morning game. ( yelp.com/topic/mililani-… ) ***Disclaimer: If you are a die hard fan, or even tend to swear during a football game (which I feel MOST people do) This is NOT the place for you. We were told after a our friend dropped a F-Bomb, to tone it down or we will be asked to leave***
(2)R M.
Food was good, or server was attentive. But got some eye rolls and attitude when we asked for separate checks
(4)Stacie K.
Good pizza close to our condo kinda on the expensive for what you get but with a cold drink in one hand pizza in the other watching the sun set from wiakiki shores condo right on the beach can't beat it.
(3)Brian M.
I never ever ever gave a one star till today.. Giovanni Pastrami I want to really try your food and give you a decent review even though others have given you bad reviews. GP your hosts gave me a bad taste right from the start. I know that it's football season but really trying to squeeze my wife and I on a community table when you clearly have six open tables..WTF?? Our host seats us in a open booth after I tell her NO! ,Then asks us if it's OK to put people in our booth if it starts to get crowded? Hello! Biatch the booth is for four people and I know that you want to squeeze people in here but I'm not that desperate to eat at GP! Sorry GP I just had to walk out and eat at somewhere else! I don't feel the need to ever eat your food and give you a honest review. I have to just believe to other Yelpers and say I pass!
(1)Melissa B.
::::::Take in that this place was not busy at all:::::While standing by the sign that states "please stand here to be seated" the hostess is standing there doesn't say a word. As I had to say excuse me is this where we need to be to be seated. She says "this way" as she is seating us. She hated her life that night. Then as we are seated the manager gets us something to drink which I'm all for teamwork. But the waiter did not state his name nor say hi or anything just asked if we were ready to order. Get the food I ordered a chicken sandwich which the chicken was dry and my bun was dry and falling apart. Not what I expected from this place. Waiter never came back to ask how we were until I asked for the check then he decided to ask if we wanted refills on our drinks which we were out for quite some time. Unfortunately I will have to go back as my girlfriend liked the chicken noodle soup. But I was upset about the staff. The place itself is set up nicely but the Bathrooms were not very clean.
(2)Patrick S.
It wasn't so much that I was disappointed, but rather I was unimpressed. The double decker pastrami and corned beef sandwich left a lot to be desired, including more meat and rye bread that wasn't dry and bland. Although the server was very pleasant, she could have been more attentive. There are better alternatives in the area for a good meal.
(3)Kasey T.
Positive: they give 20% off for military, they have many TV's displaying sports, friendly service, and reasonable beer prices. Negatives: the food is over priced and plain Jane. Our shrimp fettucinni alfredo was very bland and the shrimp was rubbery (it was on their favorites list.) We added a Caesar salad for $8 and also had two Blue Moons. Our total tab came close to $40. We were quite disappointed. The Italian restaurant next door (Taormina) has a wonderful lunch special. It's a little high end, but totally worth it. Cheers!
(1)Dina F.
The French toast, a bread pudding variety, was the best French toast we have ever eaten!! Use the rum sauce and coconut syrup! The portion was huge so split with someone you love! You won't be sorry.
(5)Conchita C.
Standard sports bar Salads were standard fare, service was standard and pleasant, atmosphere was too loud for good conversation
(2)Jason M.
Free pizza during happy hour!!! Also, the pastrami sand is pretty good. my only issue is it's in waikiki.
(4)Michael C.
Thank god I wanted a while before I wrote this review. My immediate reaction was I got the food I would have expected at a sports bar. The staff was very nice. A little later my friend and I both had to do a mad dash to the bathroom. Where we both had to sit for a long while
(2)Christopher S.
Excellent spot to watch the game - if you can find a spot! Great sandwiches, pizza is just ok, great beer and bar selection. Friendly staff, open early for NFL and college games. Limited parking, however.
(3)Ashley W.
Mediocre food, high prices. $15 burger with a stale bun and patty that didn't taste any better than a frozen patty from the box. Won't be going back here for food, maybe just drinks.
(2)Amber J.
Service lacked luster. No real enthusiasm. Food was good. Not amazing, not bad. I know it's Waikiki but still overpriced for American fare. VERY convenient being off Lewers st. I'd come back if I were shopping the center.
(3)Vince B.
This place seems to be wildly popular for several reasons. Lots of TV's for football games and their fans. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… Breakfast served all day and night. Large quantities and big servings of most items. Plus, it is American food!! Pizza, pasta, omelets and burgers etc. Food: Huge menu that seems to please many. Other than the loco moco there was no local style food. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… Mostly American tourists but there were some Japanese visitors spotted. Challenge for me was to find a "lighter" non meat entree. My friend got the Kalua pork Loco moco. It was so huge that he couldn't finish it. Other friend got an omelet with hash browns that he could only eat half of. Someone else got a dinner salad and took half home for the next day. The personal size pizza was pretty small. Vegetarian in Carnivore Land: OMG what did I get myself into? I chose the "Sadie" grilled vegetable sandwich with cole slaw. I have to say it was good. I can recommend it. It took longer to prepare than the other items. I don't think they get too many requests for this. There were several other vegetarian options too. Service: Very friendly and helpful waitress. We picked this place because it is not as crowded as the Yard House on Saturday Nights. I'd come back if invited but would not choose this one myself. It still gets a strong 3 stars though. There is a reason it is popular. Parking: I have no idea for this one. Call them first for parking.
(3)Kat W.
Pasta carbonara was bland and the open meatloaf sandwhich was super salty. Stick to the pastrami
(2)R S.
Great place to go for a couple of hours to watch a football game at the bar and have a late lunch / early dinner. The food serves are huge and quite tasty really for everything that comes with fries. Don't be fooled this is not a family restaurant for a birthday or special occasion. The deserts are great However. I really enjoyed dropping into this place on holidays while my wife and kids went shopping again and again. There was something I couldnt put my finger on. Sitting and watching, it hit me - The girls behind the bar are incredibly rude to people sitting at the bar that aren't locals. They drape themselves all over the local guys coming in after work and snarl at the rest of if you ask for a drink. I thought serve drinks where what they were hired to do , but they are not happy about it. Almost like you need to be 20 something and local be be in the club. Don't go for dinner - service is hit and miss. A shame really as the foods good and a good place to go. Poor form not letting in a wheel chair bound guy in the side glass doors as there where stairs In the front entrance. Seems under staffed.
(3)Carlton B.
Great food! I have came to this spot quite a few times. The wings and the breadsticks are great starters. I have never ordered anything I wasn't pleased with. For breakfast I highly recommend the pastrami eggs benedict. Also, if you are military, show your ID and get 20% off!
(4)Asako O.
Giovanni Pastrami restaurant is located on Beach Walk on Lewers Street in Waikiki. This sports bar has 17 plasma TVs mounted on walls throughout the restaurant and tuned into the latest sports event. Round Table pizza is offered here along with salads, soups, pasta, burgers, hot dogs and their specialty deli sandwiches. All their sandwiches are served New York style with very generous heaping portions of deli meat with your choice of french fries, potato salad, macaroni salad or cole slaw. On this visit I decided to try something different, so I ordered the pasta delight for $14. Angel hair pasta is tossed in a light garlic and basil butter sauce and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. This dish tasted nice as it was light and not loaded down with a heavy or rich cream sauce. The only down side I had with this dish was that remaining at the bottom of my plate was a pool of butter sauce. My husband enjoyed his patty melt burger for $16. It is black angus hamburger on a grilled rye bread with melted cheddar cheese and grilled onions and served with french fries and cole slaw. This is one restaurant where we will visit every now and then as we've enjoyed their food and received great service.
(4)Rick F.
Meh! Just OK! Service was slow and inconsistent! The server did not know what to recommend or suggest! I had the french dip, this hard to mess up but every now and then a place can really let you down. Seems the management has fallen prey to a tourist area and regardless of service or high food quality you are always busy! The TV's are great and plenty of them everywhere, I'd go for drinks and a sporting event and eat elsewhere!
(2)Vance F.
Despite messing up my order twice and somewhat slow service for not being too busy (I'm guessing they were short staffed for Easter), the food was pretty good especially the corned beef hash (probably the best I've had?), French toast was really good, my family liked it; besides it's breakfast, can't be too difficult... I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(3)Kawanna L.
Much better food than I anticipated. Ended up coming here as other places had long waiting periods. Glad we made the trip. Got a table as soon as we arrived on a busy evening. I got the teriyaki chicken sandwich. It was very good, the sauce was wonderful, and chicken portion was great. Fries were hot and seasoned well. Overall great experience. Dispute some of the previous low reviews from others my service was quick and pretty on point. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a quick go to place on a busy night.
(4)Ma S.
It's alright. The western burger was good and the fries were good too, but it's really nothing special, especially for to the price they're offering. They do have some flat screens to watch sports. That's about it.
(2)Shanisse I.
Sooooo.... what to say about this place.. This past saturday, my bf and friends and I were waikiki to celebrate a birthday. Before the party, we decided to go have dinner somewhere close, upon checking out the places they have on beachwalk, we came across Giovanni Pastrami and thought we'd try it since we heard some pretty good things about this place. Little did we know, it was a bad decision to make. We entered the restaurant and stood next to the register area waiting for the hostess to come back. That should have been my first clue to get the hell out of dodge. The young lady that sat us was not very friendly at all. Walking towards us, no "hello" or anything just straight up "how many". Not even with a smile. So that was the first flag. We knew that it was a pizzeria/italian/bar kind of place just by observing the crowd and hearing the noise level but my goodness.. It was so loud. The table sitting behind us was yelling and screaming.. Not because of the game that was on.. they were just "conversing" with each other as if they were across a canyon or something. Not to mention the waitress serving them was just as loud. Our waitress was very nice. The rest of our party was still on their way so she was nice enough to get us drinks and checked back every so often to see if everyone was there. Was they were, she took our order. The food was relatively fast but for some reason, it looked like it was sitting there for a while. Three of us ordered pasta.. (their alfredo and pasta carbonara). You know how pasta "sets", like it has that look like the sauce is cooling down just starts to harden.. well that is how our pasta looked. The taste.. was terrible! It was so bland.. I just tasted noodles cooked al dente. Couldn't taste the sauce or anything. But we were starving so we just ate it anyway. My other friends ordered the eggs Benedict and the Rueben. The eggs benedict sucked but the sandwhich was good. I mean I would hope so since they are called Giovanni Pastrami. But the other food? why serve it if you're going to half ass it. I can say that the only thing I like was their Caesar salad. The price was ridiculous for such crappy food and we ended up going to denny's later that night for late night/early morning munchies and we were satisfied a lot more there than this place. Bad bad bad. 31 Yelps Review Challenge: #5/31
(1)Audrey P.
This place is nothing fancy but it turned out to be great. I had their pizza which was really good.... Cheesy, fresh basil and tomato goodness. My husband had a great spicy chicken salad. It really had a kick and everything tasted fresh. There is a big bar and lots of TVs playing sports too if that's your thing. Casual and good prices.
(5)Hansen L.
My egg white omelet was $22.00? Not even fancy restaurant in NYC would charge u that much... What the hell. The wait staff here are friendly , and they got all the games.... But $22.00 for egg white omelet?? Come on man!!
(2)Holly B.
Did take-out because I was in the mood for Round Table Pizza, which they supply. The staff was helpful and the food was hot when I received it. OK by me, though the prices in Waikiki are so expensive to locals who have to work there! Give us a break and offer kamaaina discounts, would you?
(3)Greg B.
Giovanni is very posh. I mean that in a good way. Everywhere you sneeze there is a television screen showing four channels. The televisions are set in a wooden frame. The seats are all along the sides, some in the middle, and there is a bar. The lunch menu is extensive. The place is expensive. It clearly transcends the words "sports bar". Maybe it is a "sports avenue". I had the kalua pig burger. It came with coleslaw. Both were quite sweet and tasty. The price is high. It is in Waikiki and you literally have to park somewhere else or walk here from another place. The service is quick and the waitress was quite considerate. I did like how the sandwich was prepared. All in all it is a good place to go to. I never knew that onions could enhance a kalua pig burger.
(4)Jay C.
I came here few times, good food, good portion, friendly staffs and the big bonus is they give 15% off to the military members so thank you GP for thinking about the troops.
(4)Brandon S.
I was not sure about coming here because of some of the reviews I read. We chose here because we wanted to watch a few games and grab some dinner. I did not experience any of the problems I had read about. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager also seemed to be on top of things. I ordered the spicy nachos for my meal. They were solid. It is a large portion. You get a lot of toppings too. The nachos actually had a little kick. It was not top notch, but it was good for a sports bar/pub.
(3)LooLicious L.
Great location, very good Pizza. Love their Happy Hour!
(4)Gregg S.
This place was terrible. Well the food was awful. I could tell that the kitchen cuts corners with there food. The only thing good here was the wait staff. I wont be going there again.
(1)Lisa W.
If you are from California and want to compare this place to, I would say this is like an expensive Applebee. The food here is bad and not fresh. I was staying at the Wyndham and we get 10 or 20% off and I always walk by this place and saw their garlic shrimp special. Yippee! Don't have to drive to North Shore to get some garlic shrimp...I believe it was $17 for 8 medium prawns, 2 scoop of rice, mac/cheese, a TON of garlic & oil... Ummm... save your money! The shrimp was not fresh, and they just put a WHOLE bunch of garlic and oil on the shrimp. Which then made the shrimp taste even worst because you scrape off the garlic and oil, then the shrimp is left with no flavor. But even that garlic and oil taste had no good flavors! The rice was the worst part, it was soooo mushy. Like someone chewed it up and spit it out and then they served it... horrible rice cooking skills... I say AVOID by all cost, there are better chains and hole in the wall places around. I would say this is only good for the sport bar area where they would play good sporting games... Overpriced horrible food...
(2)R W.
The restaurant has a nice modern decor and good location but the food was over priced and the service was poor.
(2)Randy G.
Always under staffed, always rude. Way to treat locals so good. Never change games for you. 8 tv's showing two games. Sad piece of business. I wouldn't waste your time here. There are better local sports bars for site. Mahalo nui loa!!!!!!!
(1)Amanda T.
Absolutely fabulous. Why have I never been here before? First was the Chef's House Salad. Meats were soft and the flavors were so amazing together. My meal was a baked ziti, with added meatballs thanks to the waiter. My drink, a mango daquiri, not too icy and not too watery. Just perfect. Our waiter, Tomas, was so efficient. He had everything out in a timely manner and always checked to see if we needed anything or how our food was tasting. Excellent food, excellent service. I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Tim B.
The reviews are very accurate. Food was decent but not for the price. My family ordered the pastrami Ruben a cheeseburger and a grilled cheese and it was 80 bucks. Food was nothing spectacular by any means. I would not return for just the food. Hostess and waitress were nice and good came out fast.
(2)Teresa S.
My friend and I ate here after coming from a long day on a tour and wanted a quick bite to eat. It was conveniently located across the street from our hotel and it wasn't that crowded. I ordered one of the Reuben sandwiches and really enjoyed it. My friend didn't like hers but still ate every bite of it. Our waitress wasn't too familiar with the menu when we had a few questions but overall it was a cool spot and I would go again.
(4)Gabriela S.
So we come here for a drink and a appetizer. Waiting 25 minutes for the food I ask the bartender where our food is since we have a dinner reservation at Ruth's Steak across the street? Then the manager comes back says- sorry they never made your wings. Doesn't offer to pay for our drinks not offers another round. Says " maybe u can come back for a desert " yeah right! What a joke of a place!!! I should have looked ahead of time- there is a reason why this place has 2.5 stars- and that is too generous. Do yourself a favor and stay away- spend your hard earned money in million other places in Waikiki- you will be glad you did.
(1)Dianne H.
Only been here once, but I must say it's pretty dang awesome. Very big sandwiches! Most of the items are very similar when it comes to the pastrami sandwiches, so you can't go wrong.
(4)David H.
I would love to give these folks a better rating, but I was rather disappointed with my lunch there today. My guest and I actually sent 2 dishes back. First, the fried calamari was woefully under cooked, which, when serving fried calamari, is a terrible mistake to make. Second, they got my guest's order incorrect, so we sent it back for correction. It seems like it has the potential to be a terrific spot! They have many tv's, and a terrific looking breakfast menu, so, come football season, it could be a winner. My plan is to return again to give them a second chance, after all, all of us deserve a second chance. Side note, Michiko, our server, was terrific! Friendly, attentive and apologetic about the mistakes. Her attitude and demeanor alone earned them a second chance in my book! Looking forward to going back! :)
(3)C T.
Very disappointed! We call to make sure there is no wait, when we get there we are told that we have to wait for ten minutes. We are the only customers waiting outside and we wait for more than ten minutes. The hostess finally comes outside to tell us that they are over booked and there will be another 25 minute wait. Why didn't she tell us this when we first got there, not to mention we walked from the zoo. What a waste of time and poor service!
(1)Pat A.
Went here for dinner because nobody would decide what they wanted. I always like a good pastrami sandwich and it looked clean and lively so why not. I ordered a pastrami which they advertised as a "generous portion." That was $14 and it was 1/3lb of pastrami on dry rye. Want cheese add $2. Want nice spicy mustard on your New York deli style sandwich not a chance. You'll get Frenches yellow mustard after you ask for it. The pickle you get is a spear on the side. The fries are shoe string from a bag. Cheap through and through but you are expected to pay premium prices because your in down town Waikiki. Don't go here you'll want to throw a plate at an underdressed waitress like I very nearly did.
(1)Maricris K.
Been here a few times before but what clenched it for me today is their triple play (available all day); loco moco, pancakes, and bacon egg benedict- it is simply TO DIE FOR!! If you eat nothing else, be sure to go here and have it- you will NOT be disappointed!
(5)Keith M.
Had dinner here tonight at 9PM and were seated without delay. My wife ordered a Mango Daquari and Pina Colada for me...both were excellent. We ordered a Spicy Chopped Salad which was great and pastrami beef and barley soup that was very good. I ordered a cup of chili and the spicy spanish omelette. Chili was the best I've had in a while.
(4)James N.
Never had a pastrami dip before. Imaginea French dip only better. The Kailua pig sandwich wasn't so great. Definitely worth trying if you like sandwiches. Their pizzas are round table, so they are so so.
(3)Tiffany C.
I like to come here if I'm in the area. The waitstaff are normally really friendly and check up on you often. Today we had Kim; she was polite and even before I asked she asked us if we would like any refills on our beverages and brought out additional waters for us. My husband really enjoyed their coffee which Kim said was a premium know blend. My husband really knows his coffees since he always has a cup wherever we go. He got the kalua pork loco moco but said that the onions weren't cooked down well. I got the omelet with hash browns and a bagel. The hash browns and bagel were perfect probably the best I've ever had. The omelet was a little bit to cheesy so I scraped off about half a cups worth. All in all the experience was good for Waikiki the prices were avg for the two of us we spent a little over 40 before tip and taxes.
(4)Shanah C.
Any bar that you can walk in wearing your bathing suit is a good time! Pretty large bar/restaurant with lots of TV's to watch the game. Had a simple salad (my man had a burger) Nothing amazing, but no complaints. Service was so so, but it was crowded. The menu was pretty extensive though (I like having "options")
(3)Santiago T.
Just went in for breakfast. All the food was mediocre except the SOUR TASTING Belgium waffle. I asked the waitress why it was sour? She said she would make us another one. 15 minutes pass and the waitress is avoiding our table like the plague. So I ask the bus girl the status of the waffle. The manager eventually comes out and explains that we were given an expired batch of waffles and the are waiting for the new shipment. I ask, "well why would you guys serve expired food?" His response was sorry. They comped the waffles and gave us a 9 dollar discount from our bill. The best part was the waitress starred the bottom of the check identifying how much in tip she deserved... classy joint with exceptional service...
(1)Luis R.
Not sure what all the hype is about. Maybe I got the wrong dish. I felt like eating pasta and that is what I got. Dry, pasta. Maybe I will revisit in the future.
(2)Shay F.
Drove all over the place to find a lunch place that was open (1:30~2:00 ish)...and landed upon Giovanni's. I had the Gourmet Veggie personal pan pizza. It had garlic sauce, cheese, artichoke hearts, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, red and green onions, and garlic. Totally YUM! I inhaled that pizza! LoL. I want to go back to breakfast since they had a pretty good looking breakfast menu...and yes, they have FREE cheese pizza between 3pm and 5pm (w/ purchase)
(3)Chad A.
First off they offer an impressive 20% off for Military, which is awesome. The food is still somewhat pricey even after that. My wife and I consider it rather tasty, but it isn't at all catered to the Asian tourism which is why I suspect the lower ratings. It reminds me of good restaurants I have been to in NYC, and the service and decor is impressive. The only caution is that the grilled sandwiches can get soggy on the bottom if not eaten quickly after being cooked. Overall a great place to eat.
(4)April J.
For $16 I expected a better turkey reuben than what I got. The turkey was good, but the bread not grilled just greased up. Had to degrease hands after each bite. Definitely not worth the price. If you are in the area, skip tbis place. Service was okay. With tax, tip and glass of water, it was $20 for a greasey sandwich with an odd side of potato salad.
(1)Flora M.
Came here twice with family while we were on vacation. The first time, the restaurant didn't have too many customers (definitely not packed). The bartender took our order. My father in law asked her to change one of the TVs to play a hockey game. She went back to the bar, put in our orders, and took a while to get back to us with our drinks. I was watching her and didn't really know what was taking so long. Meanwhile, FIL asked her again to change the TV and she gave us some attitude and said they were really busy (they didn't look busy...). A manager came out and changed the TV for us, but it took about 20 minutes. The second time, we walked in and couldn't find the hostesses because they were sitting behind the front desk. The rest of the waitresses were by the bar, watching a football game and cheering while a few customers waited to be seated. This place is conveniently located and the food is alright, but the service generally sucks. If it weren't for their constant stream of sports, we would have gone elsewhere.
(3)Karen R.
We liked this restaurant. The kid had breakfast which was 2 HUGE pancakes and some hash browns. The husband had the roast beef sandwich which was full of roast beef and he loved the sauce it came with. I had the steak sandwich which was the perfect size and delicious. My only negative is that they had Pepsi products and I hate Pepsi. I thought the service was good. it was a Friday at around 5p and we were seated right away with no problems at all.
(4)Tiffany W.
Nothing super special about this place. It's a sports bar. Is much bigger than it looks from the street. Prices were in line with the rest of Waikiki which is to say, not cheap. Portions were big and the food was edible. Not sure I'd go back here, only because there is better tasting food in Waikiki for roughly the same price.
(2)Lauren F.
Three and a half stars. We had brunch here on our last day of vacation. I had the Triple Play breakfast dish which was awesome, if overly enormous, especially for the plate it was served on. I had to keep a close eye on the edges so nothing slopped off onto the table. Either get new plates or make the portions smaller, because it got annoying. My favorite of the three mini dishes was the coconut macadamia pancakes, but it was all super yummy. My husband ordered the pastrami Reuben and he really liked it. My main complaint was how expensive everything was. $3 for a fountain drink, are you kidding? Unfortunately I didn't see the price before ordering, or I would have stuck with water. I felt like the price for the Triple Play was fair since two people could totally share it, but $19 for the Reuben with onion rings instead of fries (a $3 upcharge) seemed pricy.
(3)S H.
All sports- great bfast! Loco moko is awesome! Get there early in the section watching your game. Good cold beer at 9 am! It can get busy and the servers to their best during game time. Patience is key. 4 stars - attitude and atmosphere and eats!
(4)Matt W.
I agree- the menu is toooo much! It could be cut down to 1/3 the size it currently is. Show me your best dishes... what can I eat that will make me come back! I sat at the bar and the bartender was all over the place. She needs a bar back to help her out... I didn't enjoy my dining experience because all I did is watch her run around with her head cut off barking at customers.
(2)Malia W.
Came here the other day for breakfast. I'm knocking down two stars because we were seated in the back with all the tvs. The sound was SO loud I was getting irritated because I couldn't hear anything. The food was pretty good. I got a half stack of coconut and macadamia nut pancakes. Very filling! It came with regular syrup and coconut. My husband got the pastrami eggs benedict. It looked bomb but he said it was alright. I guess its in alright place to come for breakfast if your over eating at the Dennys down the street.
(3)Seiko M.
The wait staff was nice. I was torn between the spicy Spanish omlette or the pastrami Ruben. The waitress didn't hesitate and said that the pastrami Ruben was her all time favorite. I trusted her and went with the pastrami. It was delicious. The only thing that made it less than perfect was the bread. The bottom was soggy and the top piece was half toasted. But still a mouth full of flavor and packed w delicious fatty salty pastrami. It was huge. I ended up taking half of it home. It was well worth the $14 price tag. The crispy shoe string fries was an excellent compliment. I also tried the Tripple play. It was a tapas tasting of tomato, bacon, avo eggs Benedict, strawberry short stack w shaved coconut, and mini loco moco. This was the best for those that want to taste a little of everything. The bacon was cooked perfect! Crispy and crunchy to compliment the perfect egg and soft English muffin. The pancakes come w a coconut syrup and the usual maple. The loco moco was covered in luscious brown gravy. A winner in my book! And last but not least, I had the Hail Mary. It was a great breakfast/brunch glass full of veggies! Yum! I highly recommend going for brunch. It was not busy and we sat quickly at 10am. Everything was priced between $12-$18. It is alittle pricey but with the right company and the perfect pastrami Ruben your experience will not be forgotten.
(4)corey k.
Giovanni's owner and Managers need to understand that there is NO point in boasting that they show multiple games if they reserve half the upstairs area to fans of one team and set half of the TV screens to that game. WTF This is what happened yesterday. Me and two of my friends go to Giovanni's to watch the UH game and the Notre Dame game. We get there at 1pm and half the upstairs area is reserved for the Ohio State game. There was one TV playing the ND (and they are undefeated) game and one playing the UH game. We ask the manager to please change the Texas game shown on one screen to the UH game. He says no because there are people watching the game. We ask how many... he says 2. We tell him that there's 3 of us as well as 3 other UH fans so why do the 2 Texas fans rate higher? He says because UH and SD St aren't ranked teams. Seriously??? We live in Hawaii, we should show some local support for our home team despite our record. Then to make matters worse half the upstairs is reserved for Ohio State fans as well as 6 TV screens. The manager's response to that was "Well they have been coming for years". So what then, why say you show tons of games if you block off half your screens for one game? And Ohio State isn't even Bowl Eligible. The most irritating part is that the fans were so effing obnoxious. Whenever they scored they played a Trumpet... yes a fricken Trumpet in the bar and blasted music on their own Bose Speaker system they brought. Basically what Giovanni was saying is that if you want, bring your mega phones, cannons, air horns, and PA systems cause it's all good. There were so many other people complaining, and management did nothing. Great job supporting Hawaii's only college football team, and for allowing your patrons to disturb the enjoyment of other fans watching THEIR favorite teams!
(1)Steve N Petra N.
Just ate here and the food was really great. Had the Pastrami Eggs Benedict and my wife had a personal pizza. Service was friendly and prompt. Definitely recommend!
(4)Deb L.
Long wait on the food and food was cold when they came out!
(1)Morgan S.
The atmosphere was very cool and seems great for couples or guys. It's a sports bar but sort of classy. We got the cheese sticks twizzles and they were good. Only comes with ranch so if you ask for marinara, then you might get a weird face from you're waiter and attitude. Food was as after that. We ordered the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and the western burger. Chicken fettuccine Alfredo was disgusting!!!!! I eat at every Italian and non Italian place chicken Alfredo pasta just to say I tried it there because it's my go-to food. It was the absolute worse I've tasted and we live in California so I've tried many. Please DO NOT order this plate. Very dry and I had yo ask for more sauce. Didn't help much but better than being watery sauce with bland sauce. $16 + chicken $6 = $22 NOT WORTH IT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! The Western burger was ordinary and ok to eat. It tasted like your regular hamburger and nothing special. For something they highlight in their menu and make it their special, then that tells me a lot. $16 To be honest, the cheese twizzles were good, the added marinara sauce was disgusting so if you try to make it better with that then we suggest to just try it since it didn't cost more. $6.95 for 6pcs We sat right next to the swinging kitchen door so it was a horrible location. They should never have made a booth there because if I got up, one of the waiters could have slammed the door on me. I'm not exaggerating when it came to how hard they were hitting the door open and it would fly hard that even the waiters got hit 3 times and just laughed when they swung it hard in front of them. The server was kind of rude when we only wanted to order water and have us attitude. Unfortunately we were drained from the day and we didn't care for filling ourselves up with alcohol or soft drinks but the waitress seemed up make it known that it was an issue for her. Will not go back to this place again.
(2)Julie N.
Not a huge fan of this place, I've had numerous meals from here because it's on the way home from work and my boyfriend goes to the bar here all the time. The dishes are pretty pricey, except for the happy hour menu. Don't care for the pasta here. The pizza is from Round Table Pizza. The burgers are probably the best part, but I've had better at Teddy's and for less. Hmm, the sandwiches are alright.. I guess. The loco moco is not bad, but again, I've had better at Genius. The pancakes are good though.
(2)Vanessa S.
Don't waste your time. Over priced tourist trap. Plus the overwhelming smell of the poorly-cleaned bar lingers. We came here to watch football and realized we should've gone anywhere else.
(1)Ryn C.
Lost another customer I have been telling people since I arrived that Waikiki should not be ignored or overlooked. One such place I always recommended was Giovanni Pastrami. But, not anymore. Friends who have taken my advice and ventured into the chaotic parking mess that is Waikiki would return and tell me of the horrible service they received or the poor food quality. Now, not gonna argue that their food isn't wonderful, but one should take into consideration the quality of food when they rely more on advertising a "NY Deli" to actual tasting comparisons. (Force feeding your customers you are a NY Deli is as absurd as someone from NY ever being caught dead with an "I Love New York" T-Shirt.) A few weeks ago a friend and I were looking for a place to eat and I suggested Giovanni. I was going to convince her that her previous experiences (notice the plural) were just an anomaly. So, rather than sitting and waiting for a table we went to sit at the bar. The traffic was fairly light. After sitting for 5 minutes, we were finally acknowledged by the person behind the bartender, (I did not recognize her as one of my regular bartenders, so I didn't get her name.) with a "I will be right with you." 5 minutes isn't bad, but not spectacular either. I remember looking over to my friend who was growing impatient and I knew this was not going to be a good start. Well we watched the bartender disappear and reappear, take orders, deliver food... she did everything except bring us menus, water, take an order. After another 15 minutes we finally left and went to an establishment nearby where we were immediately acknowledged, drinks brought, food ordered. Sorry Giovanni you failed. Well thinking that the service couldn't possibly get any worse (my bad for assuming anything) I decided that I would try again. With football season starting, I thought I would try again. Prompt service and orders when I arrived in the early afternoon. The wings were a bit too salty, but wasn't the worst wing I have ever eaten. Besides, I was here for football. Everything was running smoothly, until the "manager" decided to change the station in the middle of the 4th quarter. When I asked Russ what happened, he apologized and said he would tell them to change it back. Well a few minutes go by, still no change. Now granted it was getting busy, but why would they change the station. Russ flagged down the "manager" who stood there trying to explain why he changed the station. (it was on a commercial and he "assumed" no one was watching. Can someone explain the logic on that? How do you assume no one is watching a game when there is a commercial?) Now I am getting frustrated. As he is explaining himself and he fails to realize he is wasting time and NOT changing the game back. I keep telling him just to change the game back. And he keeps telling me why. Now I am getting upset. Just change the station and talk afterwards. But, now he recognizes my frustration (good) and tells me to calm down. Calm down? What? Just change the station. Fix the problem. (On a side note, in the time that my game had changed on the television, my team was down. Kicked a field goal, recovered an onside kick, and threw a touchdown pass to go up by one.) As a manager, if one of your responsibilities is to fix issues you should have a better grasp on being able to read body language, tone, and an overall grasp of the entire situation and environment. Obviously he was more interested in CYA rather than CS or at least fixing the problem. Because while you did apologize multiple times (fake apologizing too) you failed to fix the issue at hand or understand the urgency of the situation. To the owner: I would also recommend a course in Empathy for both you as well as your manager. Because when I approached you on the issue you were as inept as your manager. A little bit and maybe you would have lost just one customer. Now, you will lose more as I will tell everyone of my poor experience with yourself and your "manager". Sure I know you don't care and have some sort of blinder to social media or fail to grasp social media's impact. but with only 2.5 stars enough of these 1 star review will have an impact. Empathy can overcome any issues, especially poor food and high prices. But, folks there are a lot of other great bars out there in Waikiki. From Yardhouse across the street to Rivals a few streets over. See you there.
(1)Jeanne C.
This place is expensive and no better than Denny's. For $23, I got 2 pancakes, 4 TINY pieces of hard sausage, scrambled eggs, over-cooked hash browns and one slice of toast. The coconut macadamia pancakes tasted like regular pancakes with chopped nuts sprinkled on top, no hint of coconut whatsoever. You can get the same quality food at Denny's next door for $9. The hostess was very nice. I hope this place gets better.
(2)Michelle M.
Yelp 31 Challenge: 15/31 Ever wanna have fun with friends while catching a football game and some beer? Well, we sure did! Checking the Yelp reviews, I really wasnt all to jazzed about coming but I figure...WHY NOT? SUPER SIZED TV Screens abound...I found myself suffering from major sports ADD. I could not keep my eyes on the same game or sport for more than 3 minutes. Commercials made for the perfect break to set my gaze on yet another magic box. Wish they kind of had better happy hour items to choose from. The beer was nice and cold, so I really enjoyed my Kona Longboard. Service was a bit slow. Maybe because they were just as busy watching the games as we were :) As many say...the place is really loud. Hard to have a casual conversation. Oh well, what can you do. Just stick to watching the game and enjoy!
(3)Jennie E.
Food is pretty tasty. However, rarely is there service that comes with any type of friendliness or professionalism unless you're a group of men (an obvious slight at tables with couples or a meal with girl friends), the drink are the most watered down in town and you're bill gets quickly out of control. IF EVER I go back it would be for the Round Take pizza or a few other items. Get more disappointed each time I go!
(2)Beth G.
Technically this may not be a review because we had to walk out... When we were seated in the bar the floor was sticky walking up, bad sign. Then we looked around at the food which looked like bad diner food. Finally we took a look at the menu and saw most of the sandwiches were around $17. Nope. The final blow came when the overpowering smell of bleach and old beer could not be ignored, I assume for table cleaning rags stored somewhere nearby. The smell was so bad I couldn't possibly eat a meal and smell that the whole time. Good thing a waitress didn't come to our table, because it made it easier to walk right out. Save your money. Tourist trap alert.
(1)Kathleen F.
Great food and service from Amanda at the bar. Full menu all day. Opens early about 0630. Military discount if staying onHale Koa. Wi go again
(5)Tom K.
Not bad. Pretty close to real NY but not quite the same. Works when you are 1000's of miles away from NY.
(3)Kevin T.
Came here with friends to grab a beer and a sandwich. Drink specials are good. Huge menu ranging from all day breakfasts to sandwiches, salads, etc. I sample their Corned Beef Rueben with a side of Cole Slaw. Pretty good for Corned Beef while not in NYC. Cole slaw was rather delicious. They did have NYC prices with this sandwich being $16. If you have military ID, show it & get a discount. I like to try out new places and with the constant renovations around Lewers Street, there are lots of options, but all extremely touristy, trendy & commercialized :( But again, I was with friends, so I went along with their pick. I'd come back here to watch a game on the big TVs they have all around. Lots of dining space around, but the best spot is sitting right at the bar.
(3)Emma K.
I loved the look of the place as soon as I walked in. There are tv's all over, great place to go if you're gonna watch a sports game. But it seems a little difficult to get a bartender to change the channel! I've been here 3x and the place is always near empty. The wait service wasn't all that great either. It's never been when I go. Our waitress the last time we went nearly knocked over my beer....twice! For Appetizers, I've only had the Fried Calamari. Thumbs down for this. No taste and undercooked...every time. I keep ordering it in hopes it will get better :( Their Beef Dip is delicious, served on a French roll, with au jus, cole slaw and french fries. But it cost $16. I think that's a little high. Even for Waikiki. I've also tried the Corned Beef Reuben. Good sandwich and a very large portion. I think they skimp a little on the fries though. Also $16. Overall, I enjoyed the times I've been here. Spent way too much though each time. It's gona cost about $15-35 per person. I plan to go back to try their breakfast. They have many choices on the menu.
(3)Darby C.
We ate here again last night and it was great as it always it. I think the mistake that a lot of people make, is that they come here for something other than the happy hour menu. Their other food is way too "overpriced" for what you get, But keep in mind, this is waikiki... everything is more expensive. But the happy hour is just right... Wing, pizza, and drinks for under $15... that's a fine time.
(4)Dave And JM T.
Went in for dinner two times this week and loved this place! The first night we had Rocky and our second time in Jenn waited on us, they were both great! Rocky went over their new menu items and suggested we try their new ale Amber Ale they just added... We ordered a pitcher and loved it! Jenn was fast and efficient, and brought all of our food out correctly and had no problem splitting the check up for us. For food we ordered the deli shredded salad (similar to an antipasto tossed with their spicy lemon dressing), pastrami Ruben (#1 seller) King Arthur pizza, Greek Salad w/ chicken and garlic parm twists. Tons of TV's, great service, fun atmosphere... highly recommend this place!
(5)Saarah S.
I really enjoy this place!!! I've always come here for breakfast and it actually was a lucky find!! They make really good eggs, hash browns and the pancakes are REALLY tasty (they are def comparable to IHOP). Most (if not all) dishes come with a slice of pineapple. :) Now I haven't had lunch or dinner there, so I couldn't tell you about those items, but they are known for their pastrami. And if you're in town trying to see a sports game....football, soccer, hockey....whatever the case....most likely it will be playing on one of their screens. What's great is that they have these small speakers that they put at your table so you can hear the game better, as other people in the bar may be watching other games. OH!! and if there is a final or semi-final of ANY sport....be prepared for standing room only unless you get there super early! Make sure you get there well ahead of game time so you can reserve a table...otherwise you'll have to eat/drink standing up (no fun) and even after the game is over, will still have a wait. The service here is really great and everyone is very friendly.
(4)Jensen S.
I'va came here twice in my life. Both to watch football games. On the plus side my team has won both times. (1 star for good luck) The service here is pretty good. I've never had a problem with it unlike some of the other Yelpers have. It's mostly a tourist spot since it is in Waikiki and it is pretty pricey for the food, but I don't feel like I get different service because I'm not White, unlike Denny's or Red Lobster (See Red Lobster review) (1 star) Their Happy hour is from 3-6 on the menu, and 3-5 on the poster outside the restaurant, not sure which one is correct because I ordered everything after 3 and before 5... sorry. The happy hour was really impressive. Drinks are still expensive as ever as pitchers don't get discounted but draft pints are a dollar cheaper. But the food choices made me give this another star. They had 1/2 order Nachos, 1/2 order wings, and Personal Pizzas (a little bigger than the Personal Pizzas from Pizza Hut that you could get after you read all your books in elementary school) all for $5, win!. (1 star) That is all about this place I can give stars to. The time I ate the happy hour, they were playing Monday Night Football. They seated us on one side of the restaurant and apparently there was a horse race going to happen later in the evening so they kepy the side of the restaurant I was on, on those tvs for the whole MNF game. The horse race lasted about 15 minutes and I don't think most of the people that came to watch that even stayed after and ordered anything. IDK. The first time I came here was for breakfast. It was the football playoffs last year at 8 in the morning. I ordered the breakfast and was extremely dissapointed by the eggs benedict. Overall, prices are high for decent quality food. I guess it's what you should expect in Waikiki, I'm just saddened when I could get a plate lunch for 1/3 of the price from Rainbow's or something and have it taste wayyyy better.
(3)Janet K.
This place is really really bad!!! So shitty that I can't even think of a better word than shitty! Service is the worst! First time I came here I walked out and went across the street to Yardhouse. I stood at the host stand and no one greeted me or showed me to a table. I stood there for a while looking at the menu waiting and no one came. No, it wasn't busy. So many open tables I wanted to seat myself. Finally maybe after 10-15 minutes, someone came and showed us to a table. Hallelujah right? WRONG!!! Little did I know, I was just getting started with the waiting game. The server never showed up. Well, maybe he did, but I didn't want to wait another 15 minutes to see if he was going to so that's when we got up and left. Second and final time was the day after my birthday party. Wasn't my choice to come here, but I figured everyone deserves a second chance. Luckily this time we were seated right away. Okay, off to a good start, maybe I was wrong about this place... WRONG AGAIN!!! 30 minutes for the water and an hour and 45 minutes for the food! He got the food orders wrong, and even got the toast order wrong! He put the water pitcher on the table so we could refill our waters ourselves. Hmmm... one less thing for him to do in this empty restaurant. Food was cold and crappy... How do you eff up breakfast food? Never again!
(1)Halei J.
Gotta say I hoping this place would be good, saw some decent reviews on it so what the heck. Came here after Aloha Bash and was starving, I guess I was craving some grease cuz I order chicken strips and fries.....pretty good actually and I ordered a individual pizza which was not very good, thick crust, very cardboard like and not so good toppings, I guess I like italian thin crust pizza. The service was pretty good, quite friendly. The price was a little high for this kind of place but they are in Waikiki so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Overall probably wouldn't come back.
(3)Kristen N.
I should've listened to Raych D! The service was TERRIBLE. The waitress threw our coasters across the table, did not greet us when she approached our table. She said "What do you guys want to drink?" No "HI," no "hey"...but I let that go. We ordered our food and I ordered a Cobb Salad--looked pretty good in the picture. Not many ways you can mess up a cobb salad either, I decided to go with something fool-proof. WRONG! the turkey was Oscar Meyer-esque slices of turkey! and they didn't even cut it into smaller pieces or anything to try to make it more presentable. NO SHAME TO THEIR GAME--two slices of turkey on a bed of lettuce. ummm..really?? for fifteen dollars.... I'm all for second chances, but I can almost guarantee you I will not be visiting this establishment again.
(1)Teri H.
Had a late Sunday breakfast there today. Despite the other reviews to the contrary, the service was great, the food came out very timely and the sandwiches were awesome. The brisket sandwich was very tasty, the meat was soft and the added peppers made it special. The corned beef was very good as well. Enjoyed the great food while watching a baseball game - even better!! We're definitely going to come back again.
(4)Nicholas W.
Buckeye Football! Stumbled in here on a Saturday morning to watch the bucks play Iowa and was delighted to see about 30 other OSU fans sitting around ready to watch! The bartender was busy but on top of everything! She worked her but off and made sure I always had a drink!
(4)Darrell A.
Started with pitcher of Kona Firerock pale ale. That was the highlight, went on a Saturday night and it is no wonder there was not a wait. TV is on all over the place to different stations (okay it's a sports bar). Not sure if the service was slow due to being poor or food taking too long. If it was the food, then they should have spent a few more minutes making it taste better. New Kalua Sliders were boring, Reuben sandwich was meh. Waikiki - busy + blah food = Eek! Methinks not.
(1)Shane W.
Definitely not a NY style deli. Hamburger was average at best and the French fries are little string fries cooked to oblivion. Definitely not deli style fries. Very loud atmosphere. Service was good. Also their pizza is from the round table pizzeria.
(2)Jill J.
We are visiting from Ohio & a true Buckeye Bar on game day! Food & service -outstanding! Everything we ordered was delicious-eggs Benedict, pastrami sandwich & Maui Zaui pizza! Back left side of bar is reserved for Buckeye fans! Alumni fans bring blow up Brutus & music! Feels like Ohio minus the snow! O-H...!
(5)Michelle O.
Good place to watch the games! Love the free pizza slice with purchase during happy hour. Heard they have the best matzo ball soup but i didn't get to try it. Waitress was super friendly!
(3)Glenn D.
Food is overpriced. Came for early morning Sunday football multiple tmes. Always order the same thing - the Trio. Every now and then the rice is cold on the loco moco or the pancakes are stale. DON'T GET THE CHEESE FRIES. They use this awful cheese sauce that crumbles. Who knows what it looks like before they melt it? Best thing is they have NFL Sunday ticket.
(2)Jon M.
We've been here a couple times and we really like the food. They have some pretty good pastrami and ruebens and the Giovanni Pastrami Fries are pretty ridiculous. Fries piled with cheese and pastrami? Why even get a sandwich. There is a ton more on their menu so pretty much expect everything a deli-style restaurant would have (except, I believe they also serve breakfast any time of day). Everything is quite good. The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 is the prices. They do seem a bit high. Not outrageous (for Waikiki), but you can't help but think that $2-3 less would be just about right. Ambiance is upscale deli style sports bar and restaurant. Everything inside is pretty nice. They have a full bar in the middle of the main dining room that you can also sit at. They have lots of TV's playing sports, some of them will always have soccer on. I think they separate themselves from the other sports bars by catering to soccer fans as well. But there aren't so many TV's that they become the only focus. They do have a full bar, so you can go ahead and order whatever drinks you like. I never park down there so I'm not positive on the parking (usually a hassle or expensive in Waikiki). I'm sure they validate somewhere (maybe Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center?) but you'll probably want to call ahead and double check where. And it will likely be something like 2 hours for $5. Overall, really enjoy the food and the soccer emphasis. But prices, service, etc are just mediocre. I've been there 3 times so far and nothing has really grabbed my attention.
(3)Raych D.
WARNING-----DO NOT COME HERE!!!!.....unless you want to be ignored with bad bad food! One weekend for my coworkers birthday bash we decided to do a staycation at Sheraton and being that we we're all hungry and hang over and not wanting to pay an arm for brunch we decided to go to Giovanni pastrami. Ohhh man was that a bad idea. Not only did we have to wait to be seated, but they tried to fit us a party of 9 in a small booth that was meant for a 5 people party. So we literally had to ask and use to have both booths to dine. Okay, once we got our menus I SHIET YOU NOT but it took them at LEAST 30min to pour us our gawd damn water and take our order! when the place was completely unoccupied!!! When our food finally did come in, me and everyone else was not happy eating what tasted like board paper. I ordered the bagel, sausage and eggs and that which is something so easy to make was ruined I mean how can you ruin the basic breakfast foods???!! After eating and having our hang over become worst TIMES 100 with the shitty ass service and waiter who kept forgetting our drinks, ketchup, cream cheese and dogie bag we finally left after i swear 2hours! This place was a FAIL, FAIL, FAIL!!! especially in a place like Waikiki. So, just be warned if you do decide to go here!
(1)En I.
Been here several times for lunch and breakfast and food and service is great. Parking a little difficult as well as dropping people off.
(4)Chad G.
Love it here. I'm not normally a pastrami kind of guy, but at the insistence of my wife, I tried the pastrami sandwich. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my Jewish buddies. It was awesome! My lovely bride got a pizza and it was great too. Make sure you request the military discount when you order. It saves a little time when you are paying the check. Mozel Tov!
(5)MannyAndKelly F.
Blah blah yuck! This place is set up to serve expensive drinks to men who think they are going to get laid by tipping a part time stripper/server while watching sports in a dark bar when they are on vacation in Hawaii. The food is bad, the service is bad, the atmosphere is only ok if inebriated. This place made me want to drink, I can get that back home.
(1)Sarah D.
Went into Giovanni Pastrami because Yardhouse had a 30 minute wait, but I was glad we did! Me and 3 of my coworkers had to work during the UFC fights so we wanted to go somewhere where we could watch the replay. They had music playing over the speakers but gave us our own little personal speaker box to put on our table so we could listen to the fights, super fkn cool! Our server was Berklee and she was very attentive and sweet, pretty damn awesome. We didnt have to ask for refills and gave us an industry discount because she saw my coworkers tshirt uniform. We ordered appetizers to start with, the buffalo wings and cheesy parmesean bread. The parmesean bread was addicting but i've had better buffalo wings at other places. We each ordered an entree after that and just shared everything. We got the baked ziti, bobs favorite (burger sliders), loco moco, and pastrami reuben. The pastrami reuben was to die for!!! The loco moco had a kobe burger in it which was magnificent! The burger sliders were not your standard sliders, they were pretty damn good! The baked ziti was kinda, eh... but overall we were stuffed at the end! It probably didn't help that we were drinking coors light draft beers the whole night. Usually I come here to watch the Celtics games and their food is always a hit or miss. Overall I think its a great place to hang out with friends, drink some beer, and have a great time! Definetly going back for more.
(4)Roberta M.
We really enjoyed our unique breakfast at Giovanni Pastrami. Corned pastrami, white rice, and eggs along with fresh squeezed orange juice were delicious not to mention the great coffee. Our server was very friendly and attentive making our breakfast dining experience a very good one.
(4)Daphne F.
I hate how convenient this place is when you're staying at the Wyndham. They deliver to your room for free and give you a 10% discount while you're staying at the Wyndham. I just can't look past the room service since the resort itself doesn't have any. If they didn't serve Round Table pizza, though, I would never order anything from them. The last time I sat down inside, I hated every second. Good thing they deliver delicious pizza so you don't need to deal with their crappy service or the rest of their menu.
(2)Jayson D.
I'm torn between giving two stars for "meh," and three stars for "A-ok." This is the place the Sports Animals rave about on their local AM ESPN rag. They're always giving away gift certificates to GP as prizes on their show, blah, blah, blah. At the end of the day, though, it's just decent. Nothing special. The interior is modern and clean, and it can be a good spot for catching a game--TVs abound everywhere. And provided they're not all spoken for, you can get a little table-top speaker system so that you can hear the sound for whichever screen you like (good luck hearing that speaker over the cacophony of noise going on about you, though). Food's just okay. I expected better. I ordered their namesake: their hot pastrami sandwich. The meat was piled high and narrow, giving the cross-section an illusion of inches and inches of meat on the thing. But I believe this is simply a presentation trick---you're honestly not getting any more meat than anywhere else. Quite honestly: I prefer the hot pastrami sandwich at South Shore Grill. It's loaded with additional toppings and served on a ciabatta roll. Sorry, but GP's comes off as phoned in by comparison. Sweet potato fries were decent, though, I'll say that. Folks will rave about the "free pizza" offered at Happy Hour. It's nothing special. A skinny slice of overcooked cheese pizza that you'll only get one of because the servers will be "so busy" they'll not come by to offer you any more. Beggars can't be choosers as far as free anything goes, but GP highlights this feature so much to get you in the door that I do feel justified in clarifying in more detail what you'll actually get. Service is as described in other reviews: hit or miss on its best day. If I'm catching a game, I'd much rather go to Buffalo Wild Wings. I like their food better, their beer selection meets my needs, and PARKING is easier thanks to the attached Discovery Bay Center ramp (only $1 for four hours with BWW validation). I'll never recommend GP myself, but I'll hit it up if it's someone else's preference and I'm just trying to be a good friend. :)
(2)Kathy A.
Good food for a sports bar type place with cheerleader type staff. Usually come here once each staycation in Waikiki, whether breakfast, lunch or late night bite and cocktail. The mood of the place changes by the hour and clientele so if you want quiet at midnight this is not the place. If you are looking for loud, pumped young scene, this is the place. Great bloody Mary at breakfast, not many places serve them when you need them!
(4)Tracie F.
This is another 3 and a halfer. Yelp, when are you going to do half stars? The food was not bad. My husband had an egg white omlette which was great! It was quite tasy. There was plenty of meat in it and the portion was pretty generous. Presentation? Um not much but he really isn't a food snob. If it tastes good he is happy and that he was. I had the sky high which was pretty good for Hawaii standards. If you are search of a NY deli style pastrami sandwich you might want to skip this joint. While they do try they just don't get it. The thing is...I can't tell you why. The spreading of the Russian dressing was weak. It really needed more. Coleslaw was ok. Nothing special. I actually think the pastrami was a little weak on the flavor side. I am not sure what it needed but it needed something. Fries were super yum-O! Service was really good. Refills on drinks kept-a-comin. Glasses never went dry. Food was served really quick and the waiter had great suggestions. Overall, would I go back? Probably. I am still pining for a great New York style deli here. Until we get one I guess this place will have to suffice.
(4)Marci C.
A few members of our party came here before and raved about the food, so we all agreed to eat here this past weekend for dinner. We made reservations cause this place gets crazy crowded and were seated quickly. Service was pretty good, the food came out reasonably fast, and there were tons of TVs in the back part of the restaurant playing different things, so we could each choose what to watch. The taste of the food, however, was... ehh. Overpriced and alright... nothing great. We ordered a bunch of different things and I only tried the fried calamari, fettucini alfredo with shrimp and pastrami reuben bites, but didn't particularly enjoy any of them. The reuben bites were really disappointing cause Giovanni is best known for its pastrami reuben sandwiches and even that wasn't good. The alfredo was especially junk... very dry and tasteless. Wouldn't come here again, BUT the waitress was amazing; she memorized all 11 of our orders flawlessly. Very impressive; she deserves major props.
(2)Courtney O.
Service: ZERO!!/5 Food: 3/5 I really love pastrami. This place makes me want to cry!! So much potential and NOTHING!! Anyways, the service here is horrible. I have been on multiple occasions throughout the years and it has ALWAYS been bad. The food is okaaay. I like the pastrami eggs benedict but it isn't anything to write home about. They used to have an awesome happy hour where you would buy beer and get a whole pizza for your table for free! Now they limit you with one SMALL pizza slice per beer. I will probably never eat here again. Even though I love pastrami, it just isn't worth it.
(2)Ryan M.
This was my first time eating here and it was way too loud to hold a conversation with anyone. I guess if a football game is on and you want to talk to your friends, this place is a bad idea. Fans here are way too loud and can be quite irritating because it's soo loud. We sat down promptly and got pretty good service from our server. He got us our drinks really quickly and took our order promptly. However, it go so loud, it scared our friends son (1 year old). So we decided it was best to get our order to go. I ordered the pastrami melt and my gf ordered a pastrami sandwich. After we got our food, we went to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center food court to eat and yes, we bought drinks here so weren't sitting there without getting something. The moment of truth came when I took my first bite of my burger! It was awesome; it was juicy, it was tasty, and it was GREAT! The food made up for the noise in the restaurant, but sure wished we could've experienced the whole experience of sitting in the restaurant. The next time I come here, I'm going to be sure no football game is going on or we'll try to come here a little earlier! I would've game them a 4 or 5 star if it wasn't so loud because the food here is great! Don't be afraid to try here because of less then stellar stars, it's just loud during football.
(3)Stephen L.
This place could be awesome. I reiterate, could be awesome. Seriously if the owner of this place cares the slightest about his business, then head our warnings here on Yelp and do something about the pathetic service. Great menu for the area. I mean the absolute greatest menu on Waikiki Beach. But I have to agree with everyone else when I say the wait staff is very ... well let's say relaxed about their job. It wasn't even very busy. I was very excited about trying this place but left thoroughly underwhelmed. Ordreed pastrami fries and was going to order a sandwich as well but just topped at the fries. Why you ask? Well I ordered Pastrami Fries .. Thats Salty Meet, Salty Fries and Cheese Sauce. The waitress never came by to refill my soda and only came by when i was almose completely finished. I really really wanted a Pastrami Sandwich. REALLY wanted one. But I could not get the waitress around enough to care about me or my order. Ok at best.
(2)Stan S.
Good pastrami, new york style. Sandwich a bit on the small side. Wait staff friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Wife had mixed salad, said it was good. Pepsi establishment.
(4)Ram K.
We went here once, not too long after they first opened. What a big disappointment. Nice restaraunt, lots of tv's to watch sports. Ordered the pastrami sandwich, that was the big disappointment! Over priced! Even I can make a beter sandwich.
(1)Jessica S.
We visited Giovanni Pastrami the morning after we arrived in Oahu on our honeymoon. We were ready for some great food, and they sure did deliver. We both had a foodgasm. Best pastrami egg's benedict I have ever had in my life. My husband's loco moco surely was right up there in taste. We were almost in food coma's and we each took half of our plates to go in doggy bags! Both of our plates were $15 or so, but definitely worth it. The atmosphere is more on the sports bar side, but upscale. The drinks were delish but a little on the pricey side. If you are staying at the Wyndham property you get 10% off your bill. Yes!
(4)Derek S.
It can be a great place to catch your games (see other review regarding Ohio State game times), but if you get Amanda as your waitress prepare to stifle keeping your buzz. She'll disappear off the floor for a good thirty minutes, leaving you with zero opportunity to even flag her down.
(2)Caz C.
Pros: - Good food - big food portions (if you're a fatty then you'll find it small.. but trust me.. it's a lot of food always) - Good service Cons: - BAD music!!! They play loud annoying pop songs all the time!!! - a bit pricey
(4)Emi H.
It was the World Cup Finals (Spain vs. Netherlands) and my BF was dead set on watching this game at a bar. I told him we could go and see watch it at my parent's house but he insisted that watching at a bar full of soccer fans was going to be 10X better. He was right! He had called Giovanni's two days ahead and to our dismay they were completely booked for the World Cup. He was put on a waiting list and we were 5th in line. We headed down at 7:15 am to try and get seats at the bar. Denied! The bar was completely full by the time we got there so I chilled at Coffee Bean next door while he tried to woo the hostess into getting us a table. Denied! We were still on the wait list and we waited til 8:15 am to see if we'd be able to get seats. Wow, they really must be booked I thought because my BF is really cute and I wouldn't have been able to say no to him! My BF must have called in a favor from God because we were seated at 8:20 am at a crowded table full of anxious World Cup fans. The waitress came to take our order and I could barely make out what she was saying over the cheering and applause. The World Cup is way better at a bar! Not that hanging with my Grandma isn't a wild time. We ordered our breakfast and I decided to get their signature pastrami with three eggs and rice for $14.95. I've never had pastrami for breakfast and I rarely have pastrami because there aren't too many places in Honolulu that offer it. It took awhile for the food to come but when it did I was blown away by the sheer size of our plates. Whoa mama! This is enough to feed me for the week! The pastrami was really yummy and I couldn't stop eating it. I didn't even touch my eggs because I wanted to save as much room as possible for my pastrami. Although I was disappointed that Spain beat the Netherlands it was really a fun morning of World Cup watching, screaming and pastrami eating. I was so happy that we decided to come to Giovanni's instead of stinky, sticky, yucky Varsity! I didn't have to disinfect myself when I got home, so that was a definite plus. Thumbs up for watching live sports at Giovanni's and next time I'll be sure to bring Grandma just to mix it up!
(4)Dee B.
Our desintation for game 6. I think the average rating of 2.5 stars is fair and since I can't push 2.5 stars, I'm pushing 2. Pros: - tons of TV's for hockey watching enjoyment - good Canadian crowd cheering on the Canucks - round table pizza available to order (not Rocky Mountain, but a good shitty pizza option for sure) - free wifi Cons: - no toilet paper in disgusting bathroom - after an hour into the hockey game, you could tell the staff was totally tits up. The patrons were stacking their beverage glasses on their tables (us included) - the servers were nowhere to be seen - it was impossible to get your water refilled - the nachos. FYI, no one likes burnt nachos
(2)Daniel H.
This bar is the go-to place for gameday sports. Great selection of beers and decent prices compliment the array of big screens and dedicated fans. Our server Allison was prompt, fun, and very personal in her great service. An added plus, a group of Allison's close friends joined the fan scene and brought a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. G.P. should continue to encourage their staff to allow friends and family to join the festivities, seeing as this brings a great personal touch.
(5)V J.
Right in the heart of a great shopping area. Also has a great happy hour! Sat with some locals who were very friendly and gave us some good recommendations for things to do nearby. We will definitely be back.
(4)Beff S.
Ugh. This place was terrible. When I lived on Oahu I always heard them talk about Giovanni Pastrami on the oldies station that I'd listen to at work and wondered how it was. Unfortunately it sucks. We ordered to go from them for lunch yesterday. I placed the call at 10:45am. We ordered a corned beef reuben and a vegetarian patty melt. The girl on the phone told me it'd be ready in 15 mins. I walk down there and arrive around 11am. Walk in and up to one of the two hostess stands at the front and stood there for about 5 minutes before anyone noticed me. I paid for the food and the hostess said that it'd be out in a few minutes. This is already almost 10 minutes past the time that they said it'd be ready. Five minutes later she comes up to me and tells me that they made the veggie patty melt with real meat instead of the veggie patty and that the kitchen was fixing it and it should be out in just a few more minutes. TEN minutes later the food comes out. I get back to the hotel and we open up our food only to find shreds of paper in my reuben! And MEAT on my boyfriend's VEGETARIAN sandwich! I walked back down to the restaurant and asked for our money back and gave them their papered, meaty food. Gross. This restaurant obviously focuses more on hiring "hot" chicks than it does on their food. And by "hot" I mean "skanky". If you are in Oahu and want REAL New York style deli food, fly to LA and go to Jerry's Deli. Or better yet, go to New York.
(1)Derek M.
The food is bland bar food to say the least, but it was a good place to watch an NBA playoff game since they will change the TV to whatever channel you ask. I gave it an extra star because they have the portable speaker that gets tuned into your tv channel that goes on the table so you can actually hear what you are watching!
(2)Chris E.
BBQ wings, as well as the bacon on my burger were extremely greasy. Not going back there anymore
(1)Pam S.
The food was good but I wouldn't make a special trip to Waikiki for this place. Not many places on the island to get a good reuben and since my coworker has never had one I thought I would take her here & use my gift certificate. We debated between sharing a full-sized sand. & getting the minis - we should have chose the full sand with coleslaw. For $2. more it was probably a better deal. The minis weren't browned & crisp enough and were much smaller than I expected. They were packed with meat though and not greasy. The sauerkraut was also very flavorful and the fries were nice and crisp. The deli shredded salad had an oily taste and needed more vinegar and possibly some seasonings - garlic, oregano, something - and maybe some artichoke hearts. Didn't care for this salad. The calamari was really good - light dusting of flour, not greasy, and a light crispy texture . It was good without any dipping sauce and a nice sized portion too. Decent (not extravagant) selection of beers. I recommend the Kona Fire Rock with the corned beef or pastrami. Sports Bar atmosphere so very loud.
(3)Kyle G.
Food is delicious. A little expensive but its Waikiki. And you get to watch sports which is always a plus
(4)Stacy B.
The host was too busy talking with a co worker even though i was standing right in front of her with my family. i had to interrupt their conversation about how wild their friday night was and how she left with some random guy at the bar...i should of went with my gut and not go in but i told myself that dont let two young girls ruin it, not all of them could be morons....but i was wrong! Our servers were rude and came to the table once (just to take an order). Our server was too busy flirting and grabbing ass with her co worker right in front of my kid. Even my kid caught on to what they were doing. Where is management to watch their silly employees? There was no manager to manage....Im a bartender in waikiki and this place is unacceptable. I have already told so many people about this incident and they also will never go there again.
(1)Jason S.
Pros: lots of TVs to watch sports & the waitresses are cute Cons: food is average & service is slow. Figured the pastrami would be good given the restaurant name, but the pastrami is oily with no flavor. My reuben came out with soggy bread from the oily pastrami. Gross.
(2)Scott K.
Im not really a fan of Giovanni Pastrami itself. I just like the fact that you can order Round Table Pizza here. Ive been here on numerous occasions to give them a chance but the service for a party of 10 took about 45 minutes for the food to come and the service was slow. Now days, Im in there for happy hour to order the pizza and cruise out at the bar. The bartenders are friends and are always friendly. I am lactose intolerant but nothing my lactaid pill wont help out with. They do have a BJ Penn special...if you you order a pizza and a pitcher of beer then you can get a tray of wings for a $1. Its nice inside and the bar sits towards the top of the bar. There is tv's if you want watch the games. Since this place is located in a re-designed district of Beach Walk, you have many options for food.
(3)Steve F.
Made a reservation which was not honored because of long walk up wait. There is no sense in making reservations then. Just plain bad business and I won't recommend. Unfortunately, zero stars is not an option.
(1)Sher M.
It's ok. The onion rings at cheeseburger are waaaaay better. They do have a good military discount though. The pizza is too saucy. Not overly impressed.
(3)Steve Z.
I am 70+ years old and have never found an old fashioned bread pudding that equaled my Mothers creation. But the bread pudding at Giovanni's was equal to and to be quite honest with the coconut rum and ice cream sauce better than my Mom's. Sorry Mom! If you are a bread pudding lover and happen to be visiting Honolulu, don't walk, RUN to Giovanni's and taste the finest bread pudding ever!
(5)Ivan B.
Why did I do it?! Why!!! I've been here once before and I would've given it a 3 stars for that experience, but my second time around was horrible! The wait wasn't long, the server was nice and understanding, but the food.....just not what i wanted all!! I was not that hungry so I wanted something small like nachos. Since I heard this place is good for gameday, i assumed that their nachos should be good. I looked at the menu and saw the Spicy Nachos staring at me with a little chili pepper teasing me to try it. I'm thinking this will taste amazing...what I got was soooooooo boring and NOT SPICY at all. I thought that maybe my order was wrong and they gave me the regular nachos, nope. The waitress said they changed the recipe because people had complained that it was to spicy...really? If you cant handle the spiciness then you should get a regular nachos. This thing did not even have a hint of spicy at all, not even one kick. There was not even a jalapeno on it!! The waitress had to bring me jalapenos and hot sauce to pour on top to make it somewhat better. What a major disappointment that you even make me pay $16 for that failure. I'm sticking with my YardHouse nachos because those are amazing , giant, and less than $10. I'm still going to give you two stars though because some of the other food is ok, but meh....I definitely have experienced better.
(2)Stephanie R.
We ordered the eggplant pasta and Alfredo fettuccine with shrimp...very disappointing! They both looked and tasted like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for about an hour...prefab. Sandwiches looked good. I will not be going back!
(1)Alain C.
I stopped by on my way back from the beach. While i was there, they had specials on pizza for 5$. The place is nice and clean, lots of tv's to watch events like UFC fights, great staff and really good food for the price when on special. They charge 10$ a head for special events so thats not bad at all. For sure I will be back. I didnt give it 5 stars because the pizza is really good but not the best Ive had on the island.
(4)Gisela H.
I have to admit I was surprised to see only a 2 1/2 star rating on this restaurant. I ordered the Wall Street sandwich and it was huge, the meat fresh and flavourful. Others in my party had a pasta dish and a burger. Again both portions were substantial and the chicken challenged the pasta for quantity. The burger too was very flavourful. Our server was engaged and friendly. Without a doubt we will be back to try more of their 5 page menu - 9 Eggs Benedict options! The prices appear high on their face ($16.00 for the sandwich) but don't be fooled, you get your money's worth and they are easily on the lower end of the Waikiki norm.
(5)Jenn H.
Great service, menu with many choices and plenty of t.v.'s to watch the game. Ordered the Giovanni fries and they were delicious!!
(5)Jerrene T.
I came here the first time for dinner... it was our first hotel stay for the hubby and i and we were kinda hungry after spending time at the pool. He kinda felt like watching sports and i just wanted food. Go figure... I don't remember really what I got but the waitress kinda scolded us for tweeting at each other at the dinner table... We're an odd couple, so what? Service was kinda lackluster, not because of our minor scolding, but half the time i wanted water, she was no where to be found... even for beer. The food wasn't all that spectacular the first time but it wasn't the worst because i don't remember anything about the first time. The second time we went was for breakfast... fast forward to my birthday. We wanted breakfast food but we didn't feel like fighting the crowd at Shorebird for a decent Waikiki breakfast. We had all kinds of options but nothing sounded that great until i stumbled upon fresh corn beef and eggs and rice... this was when i was really having morning sickness day in and day out. Anyway, the food came and it was true to its word... fresh corn beef with all the fat rubber and all. It was completely and utterly disgusting to me. I will never go there to eat breakfast again because just thinking about it, i threw up just now. Okay so i'm still pregnant and sick but seriously, it was awful. There wasn't any piece i could eat that didn't have a lot of fat rubberyness stuff attached. It was gross... they even stuck in guacamole in my husband's omlette and he HATES avocado but it wasn't on the menu so he was kinda irriated. However the second time, our waitress was much nicer and more attentive... but i would never go back for breakfast... maybe a midnight snack but to see that corn beef again... we would have issues.
(2)S H.
I went to Honolulu to watch the Superbowl (2/3/13). As soon as I got there, I scoped out several locations in Waikiki and decided on Giovanni's Sports Bar. I sat at the bar and the bartender, even though she was a Raven's fan and I a 49er's fan, really made the experience fabulous! I had the Kalua Pig which was to die for and went back the next morning for breakfast and had the Triple Play (Loco Moco, Macadamia Pancakes & their Specialty Eggs Benedict) which was a real treat!
(4)Ax C.
Clean, bright, friendly, with varied menu. Decent enough but pricey, skimpy on meat, and rather bland. Won't go again. Tied to Round Table Pizza and CJ's Deli (identical menu and quality).
(2)Shasha C.
sorry, Giovanni. i hate giving bad reviews. i saw a review video of you and i was really excited to walk downstairs from our hotel and grab a quick dinner after a long day @ the beach. maybe it was an off night. my sis and i ordered a medium rare sumo loco moco. really simple, really local food. it came very tough, very well done and eggs were stiff. its just one of those odd experiences you cant really believe is happening because its such an easy predictable dish. needless to say, i needed a mixed drink to lift me up. blue hawaiian. oh boy. what is this stuff? ok, i'll stop here. i was disappointed. but your location was perfect. i *might* give you a another chance in my next life.....
(1)Amina M.
Went here for pizza after massively craving it and having numerous disappointing pizza experiences in downtown while on business (except for Zero's NYC pizza which is, from what I hear, now closed!). It was seriously, seriously amazingly good... for a tourist spot in Hawaii. Maybe I was just really, really hungry. Apparent'y it's Round Table Pizza? I've never had it before. I think I heard angels singing from the heavens and a booming voice coming out of nowhere saying, "FINALLY! HE HATH GIVEN YOU DELICIOUS PIZZA!" There's never a huge wait to get in. It's a sports bar type atmosphere. There were a bunch of people in here watching soccer and singing a national anthem I didn't recognize (NZ maybe?). It was cool. The TVs are kind of loud. Good service. Place is fairly clean. They have great specials considering the pricing in the area. Worth checking out. I would go back.
(3)Francis C.
Great service and I really enjoyed my pastrami sandwich.
(3)Bobby And Estee F.
We had a very different experience than most of the negative reviews. We had excellent service from start to finish. Our server Jazz was wonderful, very quick and attentive. She had our cups filled and handled three very complicated orders perfectly. The food was ok. Nothing special at all... just ok. The deli sandwiches were actually disappointing.
(3)Shalin P.
We are big football fans, so we took some time out of our Hawaii vacation to hit up a sports bar for the 7 am NFL games. We had settled on Giovanni Pastrami before our vacation because they had a big menu and NFL Sunday Ticket. We got there right before 7 am and there was already a decent amount of people in there (a good mix of fans for every team). We spent about 4 hours there and we had a very fun time. They have a wide variety of TVs. One of my biggest issues with sports bars is when they are not on top of the ball about having all the games on or waiting until last second to put the games on. But this place was on top of things. They also have those individual speaker boxes so you can get volume for your specific game. The food was better than I expected, and the huge breakfast menu was a bonus. The bloody mary's were also good. They have some very attractive waitresses and the service was more than capable. I guess the only negative of this place is that the food is expensive. But you can go to their website and get a 10% off coupon. While this may not be a foodie destination, if you are in Honolulu and can't miss your team's game, definitely check this place out.
(4)Kaneohe G.
Husband been dying to try it out, we just don't get to Waikiki often. Went for Fathers Day breakfast and took the kids. Food was great! Had the pastrami Benedict and split the coconut Mac nut pancakes with my kids. Great choices I must add!!!! Bar type atmosphere with lots of TVs for sports games of all kinds and waitresses that looked like they came from Hooters except in black attire. Totally tacky!, however they were good waitresses and the food an A+
(4)Leana L.
We randomly stumbled upon this place while exploring Waikiki at night. We just wanted some place to get food to bring back to our hotel room, so we placed our order at the front. For the pesto pasta with chicken, a BBQ chicken salad, and another salad with a spicy dressing (I forgot what it was called), our wait time was 30 minutes. It's a good thing there were tables, chairs, and benches outside on the sidewalk, as well as other stores to walk into, because it was a long 30 minutes. When our food was ready, I could smell the pesto sauce! We opened our orders in our hotel room and man, were they HUGE! All of our orders were served in large boxes with the hinge on one side and a tab that goes into the slot on the other side and they were completely filled edge to edge. My sister's pesto pasta lasted her three meals! I was super hungry and it was just a salad, so I was able to demolish my salad (aside from the ranch dressing that I asked for on the side and the small piles of cheese that came with it). My mom split her salad into two meals. Once we were done, we were all quite satisfied with our food. Even though the wait time was long (granted, they were pretty busy), the food, taking into account the taste, price, and portion size, was worth it. It did the job and hit the spot.
(3)Seth H.
Went with the family to see the Christmas decorations at the hotels and decided to have dinner here, was our second time here, we also enjoyed it that time too. We all ordered the various combo deli sandwiches, I had the one with beef brisket,turkey and bacon with Russian dressing on rye bread, was very good and I would order it again, came with a side of cole slaw for about $17. A little on the high side but not if you consider it's in Waikiki. Did want to recommend the garlic twist we had as an appetizer which was nice and hot, buttery and delicious- definitely try this. The service was top notch.
(4)Faye M.
So the fact that I've been here like 3 times w/in the first 2 weeks of June must show something, right?!?! LOL Well, I've been coming here for a few years now: breakfast, lunch, dinner, pau hana...everything! Their breakfast items are soo good! I don't eat eggs benedict, but I do like their omelets and pancakes! And the serving sizes are huge!! I should try their eggs benedict one day, but I haven't had it since I was like 4 years old, so why start now?! Lunch & dinner is good too...pastrami sandwiches (duh!) and Round Table Pizza! Yum! The pupu are good too!! Dude - they even have karaoke on Thursday nights!! That's where one whole star came from! Parking is valet or street, or if you walked over from somewhere else. To find the valet lot, just go down Lewers from Kalakaua and take a left right before Yard House (it's a small side street looking thing) and go up the first ramp on your left...the last time we were there (this past Sunday) Giovanni Pastrami's validation was good from 6am - 6pm for $3!! I'll probably be back this weekend...since we'll be staying in Waikiki for Father's Day!!
(4)Raeann B.
Once we found this place we ate here for 3 lunches in a row (the last 3 days of our vacation sadly) so I think that will show you how my husband and I both felt about it. Yes the prices are high, hello you are in tourist-land and at Christmas no less. but it seemed on par with every other place we ate price-wise. The food was awesome. Everything I had here was delicious, and huge portions. So either bring your appetite or share with a friend! Getting a "doggy bag" wasn't an option for us hotel dwellers...fridge in the room but no microwave :( The Kalua pig Loco Moco was amazing, and the Triple Play (3 of their most popular breakfast options in smaller form) was also just wonderful. I'm not a big coconut fan but the macadamia nut/coconut pancakes with fresh strawberries on top nearly converted me. And as for service, well we had lunch there on Christmas Day and it was slammed, but despite all that we had a very nice server (she was also from the Bay Area!) who was friendly, attentive, and on the ball. Hard to beat that for Christmas Day! Our only regret is that we didn't find this place sooner in our stay. Definitely became our favorite place!
(5)Barbara C.
Met some colleagues for breakfast and had the best omelette ever. Server was very accomodating to my special order of an egg white omelette with spinach, mushrooms and onions, no cheese and all the ingredients were very fresh. The fruit bowl was also full of a variety of really fresh fruit. I'd forego the decaf coffee in favor of regular. Service was fast, food was excellent and I'm going back soon. You can go for lunch and park for free right in the hotel from 10am until 3pm or so.
(4)Vira P.
Waste of my time and money. The food and service were lacking. It seems like a place where the over-40 tourist goes to try to get laid.
(2)Bert M.
The thing about Giovanni is their pizza...oh, yes, and their pastrami. Being a sister store with Round Table Pizza gives them a leg up in the pizza department. Eggs Benedict with Pastrami? Yes please! Now, sometimes I find the wait staff to be less than what they should be. Over-all I enjoy going to Giovanni and I will go back again. Get a different selection of drought beers...please...soon!
(3)Dave M.
We went to giovanni for lunch and had the "georgie "sandwich. it was a briskett with turkey. the brisket was actually old roast beef ,sliced thin and was tough as leather. the bread was moldy and they took it back and did'nt charge for the sandwich. i also had a chi chi which was terrible. the servers were not good and not friendly. certainly not worth 70$ for 3 lunches! i have been there a few times before and will not go back
(1)Deanna P.
I've never been here for a non Steelers morning event so I can only judge the atmosphere with a couple dozen people with Pittsburgh accents running around. The TV's are really nice and they have great bloody marys, but man is the food expensive. I got an omelet today that was $15!! That's a little ridiculous. There is valet parking which is validated for the games (not sure about regular dining times). There is also a 20% military discount.
(3)Maria R.
Stopped in here while my cousins were visiting and staying at the Hale Koa (I live in Moili'ili) because my cousin wanted to watch a baseball playoff game. (I don't know much about sports! I just know it was an important game to him). It was Monday, so the football game was on. They have probably at least twenty huge television sets in here, lining the walls, and sound things that you can put on your table to hear the game in case multiple games are on. My cousin and our family purposely sat in front of the tv with the baseball game on it so he could watch it. Half way through the meal, the one television set in the corner with the baseball game on was switched to the football game. We asked our server if he could change it back to baseball but he said the manager said he wanted the foot ball game on. There are about TWENTY television sets in this place (if not more) and it is impossible not to be able to see at least three or four of them from any given set. Doesn't seem really considerate that ONE tv couldn't be on baseball, even though it was on when we came in. Wasn't the servers fault though. My cousin and I have both been servers in the past so we knew not to blame him. Just careless management. And it was $11 for a PLAIN hot dog ($13 dollars if you wanted anything on it.) SERIOUSLY? $11 for a hot dog? Give me a break. The only saving grace about this place is it's cool with a nice interior, and during happy hour (3-5) they walk around giving out a free slice of cheese pizza with any purchase. Also the hostess was friendly, nice and attentive. The only reason I would go back to this place would be if someone else was going during happy hour. They can make a purchase, and I'll just have a beer and a free slice of pizza. Oh yeah. And I heard they had Motza Ball soup on the menu. I'll go back to try it out because I love Motza Ball soup. But if it's over $10 they can forget it! I get that it's Waikiki and the rent is high but give me a break. There's no forgiving a $13 hotdog unless it's got fries, bacon, chilli, cheese, a large soda and a salad on the side!
(2)Alex Y.
Heard some great things about this place so we decided to try it out. Big mistake, first of all the service there is horrible. If you have several hours to kill this is the perfect place to do so. The waitress we got was beyond horrible, we actually sat before a family of 4 and didn't receive our menus and water until after they received their meal. Note it was just me and my girlfriend eating. I was too hungry to leave and find another restaurant, so I bit the bullet and waited it out. Our food came maybe 30mins later for a hamburger and some fish. Food was okay, but the service is not. I do not recommend this place at all!!! Not local friendly, more tourist friendly...
(2)Mae D.
Came here to watch the NBA Playoffs for happy hour. Place was pretty busy. Happy hour prices were decent. Their happy hour runs from 3-6pm everyday and you get a slice of cheese pizza with just one purchase. The cheese pizza tasted exactly like the pizza they served at Chuck E. Cheese's! Great place for happy hour. Except don't expect great service during happy hour because it does get busy (I had to hunt down our server just to order another round of beer). I rated 3 stars only because the food and happy hour prices made up for the lack of customer service.
(3)Jennifer T.
Amazing pastrami reuben and beef barley soup. Perfect shoestring fries. Really . We are from NYC and know our pastrami. Nuff said!
(5)Andy K.
Went to Giovanni Pastrami today to watch a soccer match. I was disappointed and probably won't return again. The service was atrocious. Yes, the restaurant was busy, but we waited over 1/2 an hour just for coffee. The breakfast food was uninspired. The hash browns that came with my Eggs Benedict were still cold and devoid of flavor. The Eggs Benedict was acceptable, but for $16 the portion was really small. My friend had the same feelings about his meal. The restaurant was clean, but the servers weren't especially friendly. Beer selection was very disappointing. The only German beer available (Becks) was in non-alcoholic form. Prices for (Samuel Adams) were rather ridiculous at $6 a bottle. I certainly don't mind paying for *good* beer, but the standard offering of Coors Light, Budweiser, and Heineken just doesn't cut it. Overall it wasn't a good experience. The company and the event were the focus, but the restaurant needs some work.
(2)Chad Y.
Tell me about your worst service experience and I'll tell you mines! It's Giovanni Pastrami's by a landslide! First, I would like to say sorry to my co-workers for suggesting this place for lunch today! I had an okay experience before, but this time was the pits! Second, I want to state that this review is mainly on the service. It stinks and so does the food. LOL. Here are some highlights or should i say LOWlights from this place. -When our server Asland came to our table she said, "are you ready to order?". We said "yes we are. And we have only a short time for lunch." and she said "I'll be back with your waters"?? It took our server 15-20 minutes to bring us waters. Then take our orders! By this time we had only half of our lunch time left! We had a meeting to get back to afterwards.If you ask if we are ready to order and someone says yes then what should your next question be?? We are ready for you! -After she took our order we asked if we could have them on separate checks and she said " it's impossible to have separate checks, but I can do three checks." We had six in our party and I can see how having separate checks requires a little more work, but impossible?! I don't think so! And she could have said it a little more nicely and without the attitude. In the end she actually gave us separate checks, so, I guess you can do it, huh...? -also by this point we saw Asland give the same quality of service she gave us, none, to every one of her customers. She would ignore customers, she had a poor attitude saying things like "here's your waters. Your welcome..." saying your welcome even before people said thank you then walking away! This made us think customers are an inconvenience to her. -But the finally to our meal was when we heard our server talking to a customer about us! A lady in her late forties who was clearly drunk ended up hassling us about getting separate checks. Again I don't think this is unreasonable. The word unprofessional is very fitting in this situation. When is it okay to talk to other customers about other customers? And create a scene at that?! I feel this lunch took a wrong turn and it started by choosing to go to Giovanni Pastrami's. I don't feel like her behavior was provoked by our table. We sat down, maybe that was the problem? Management needs to grow a pair and whip their business into shape. It is sad that people can let their employees get away with giving horrible service and watch their business crumble. I will not be going back. And neither will any of my co-workers and friends. Don't make the same mistake we did...
(1)Justin S.
Dear Management, Today is 05/28/11, ad the day of the Champions League game. Big business day for you, I'd guess, by the fact that there are 150-200 customers seated here at 8:00 AM. Our group had a reservation for 30, and every seat in the restaurant is also occupied. You knew it was going to be a busy morning. So I have a simple question for you: why are there only four servers working? I lied. I have more questions. Why was our group of thirty people assigned to just ONE server? Why did it take literally ONE FULL HOUR for our poor server to get to our table and inform us that it would be TEN MORE MINUTES before she could manage to get us a cup of water? Why am I sitting here, two hours after sitting down with ONLY THAT CUP OF WATER to show for it, and no food? Are you incapable of predicting your busy days, or do you just lack the business acumen to understand how important it is to staff up? This place is such a waste of potential. And it's your fault for letting it be this way. PS. Follow up to this story: After receiving the bill, I clearly and politely asked that we be comped for at least one of the meals. I explained that I was extremely disappointed by the fact that it took two solid hours just to get food on the table, while most of our group had their food out in little more than an hour. For god's sake, we barely finished our meals by the time the game was over. The result? The manager took off $6. Six. Measly. Dollars. After posting this review, the same manager offered to "take care" of me if I ever come back. WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST "TAKE CARE" OF ME TODAY, WHEN I ASKED YOU TO? This place is trash. If they weren't fed by a constant flow of none-the-wiser tourists, the restaurant would have crashed and burned at the hands of angry past-patrons. Look at the reviews, and look at the trends in the statements: ONE STAR, horrible and slow service, less-than-mediocre food, and ridiculously high prices. Save yourself a trip, and dodge Giovanni Pastrami at all costs. You'll thank Yelp! for the insight.
(1)Diana B.
WOWEEE!! This place was expensive!! PROS: -In the middle of the Waikiki area with lots of other places to check out..(ie. Yard House, Ruth's Chris, etc.) -Good service -Yummy virgin Bloody Mary's for 5 dollars. -Vast selection of food. -Good place to watch football (OH! IO!) CONS: -Pricey. -Not a good place for the kids especially during football games. -So-so food. -Not the healthiest menu either. We ordered the garlic chicken gourment pizza for a whopping $21 bucks. It was medium size so we finished it between two people. Add a Bloody Mary and four draft beers and the total is over 50 bucks. But the place is nice and what can you expect when the joint is located in the middle of Waikiki? Our football team meets there so we have no choice but to be coming back! Try it for yourselves!
(3)T F.
Only two reasons this place is getting ONE star.... I cannot give it ZERO stars and they have a Round Table Pizza.... wish we would have stuck with the Round Table Pizza. We decided to eat off of the menu instead of just getting pizza. What a MISTAKE! The food was COLD by the time it got to us and it was mediocre at best. For the price we paid, it should have been MUCH better! They have a kids menu which includes mac-n-cheese, DO NOT ORDER THIS!!! It is HORRIBLE! We even sent it back it was SO bad... and I don't ever do this. If you want beer, sports tv and Round Table Pizza this is the place for you. Otherwise, this place is NOT worth it!
(1)Scott F.
Went here once last week on vacation: Think Cheesecake Factory (overpriced bland food, generic menu, mediocre service...) but with no cheesecake. It took a while to get our food, and my $16 cobb salad was the same thing you'd get at any Chili's for $10. I sampled some of my wife & family's food: Yep, that's a burger. And those are french frys. Shrug? They have Round Table pizza on the menu - kind of campy and lazy in my opinion. There are SO many fresh local twists you could put on pizza in Hawaii, why invest in the oven if you're not going to offer something original? What really bothered me was that the entire place was full of thick smoke from the kitchen. It was physically unpleasant to be in the seating area, and I left the restaurant for about twenty minutes to take my young son for a walk outside in order to clear our lungs. We overheard other customers discussing it too, so it was pretty bad. After that walk -our food had still not been served and we got to wait some more. It was a bad decision to have gone there in the first place in hindsight. Buy a microwave dinner at an ABC store, heat it up in your hotel room, while waiting for it to get cold before you eat it, close the doors & windows and light one of the pillows on fire. You will have had the same experience and saved yourself $80...
(1)Lisa C.
The menu at Giovanni consists of a good mixture- burgers, hot dogs, breakfast (even for dinner!), pizza (Round Table), pasta, and sandwiches. There's also a full bar upstairs, so there's something for everyone. If you like sliders, you may find the Reuben bites an enjoyable alternative. I ordered the Reuben bites with pastrami (but you also have the option of corned beef or turkey breast) grilled with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye bread. An order comes with four reubens and a side, so the meal is filling. Nothing too special about this place, but the location was convenient. I'm between a 3-3.5 stars.
(3)Amy C.
Sooo not impressed with this place. Came here for lunch while in Waikiki and the place was EMPTY. First ding. I ended up getting the veggie burger. Ordered a side salad with the lemon oil dressing. The salad dressing was disgusting, tasted like oil and nothing else. I told the waitress I couldn't have any other dressings because of dietary restrictions. I asked for fruit instead, she said they had just served the last bowl. To whom? The place was a ghost town. Went to the bathroom, and on my way I passed by the kitchen. Just a glimpse into it showed a massive bowl of fruit sitting on the counter, unattended. I informed her of this on my trip to my table so she said she'd get me some. The "some" ended up being a ramikin of strawberries. I'd say one strawberry sliced. Thanks a lot. When the bill came, she had charged me for fruit and salad. I asked her take off the salad since I hadn;t taken a single bite. She said her manager said no, SO sorry. Whatever. This place sucks.
(1)Frank A.
I hadn't been down here for two years or so. Last Saturday afternoon, a friend of mine and I went to watch a football game on the pac-12 network. We called ahead to make sure it was on. We also called Dave & Busters. We went to D&B because we didn't want to deal with hassle of Waikiki parking. D&B lied and didn't really have the game. When we got to Giovanni's we were going to sit at the bar so we skipped the hostess. Once in the back area we decided on a table instead so we sat down. A busboy (Scott?) came over asked if we wanted the table instead of the bar. We indicated yes and he said let me wipe the table for you, get silverware and inform the hostess to bring menus. He didn't make a big deal about it or say we had to go back to the front. Our server Allison was pleasant and efficient. The food was very good,( the place smelled fine - I've been here a half dozen times and its been fine) It isn't cheap, we spent $40 each on lunch - salad, pastrami reuben and beer with tip. My only complaint was that Allison had some friends in there celebrating someones birthday. Very friendly with Allison, they were twenty-something and having fun but drank a bit too much (Jager shots at Noon), got loud and eventually somewhat obnoxious. Management might want to consider not allowing friends of servers to sit in their section or at a minimum monitor it better. It was at times like she was at the party not serving it. (Maybe Allison just needs higher quality friends because she was a nice young lady). Another server named Jennifer did help pay attention to our needs when Allison was distracted by the partying group. We will definitely go again.
(4)Ben F.
This place is just...well...it's just awful. The only reason they get 2 stars is because they have Round Table pizza. It blows me away they claim to be voted "best sport's bar in Hawaii". Voted that by who? The owners? That doesn't count. Sorry guys. Okay, so the food here is awful. The customer service is worse and the prices are RIDICULOUS for the terrible food and service you receive. I could see paying $16 for a ruben and fries if it were good and the service didn't suck. Unfortunately that is not the case. How can you call yourself "Giovanni Pastrami" and make terrible rubens? Pastrami is in the name!!! FAIL. The only redeeming factor to this place is that they serve Round Table pizza and you get 10% off if you're staying at the Wyndham and they're delivering to your room. If you're hungry and are considering this place, do yourself a favor and WALK AWAY. Unless you want pizza and are staying at the Wyndham that is.
(2)Elle S.
Food was really good, no complaints here. Just a bit pricey for me! The restaurant has tv's all around and a personal speaker at your table to tune in whichever channel you want to listen too. Deducted two stars since our waitress sucked i think her name was khris! She was never around so we had to ask for assistance from other waiters who were very helpful.
(2)David D.
Ok this is not the best pastrami Reuben, that would be at The Refuge in San Carlos, CA ... but its ranks up there in the top 10. I had the pastrami reuben, no cheese, with fries. Tasty for sure. Order was correct. Maybe on the small size, but prefect for me for this evening. Kitchen as backed up, so probably took twice as long to get my food as it should have (1 top, at the bar), but in my case I didn't mind and didn't think it took too long.
(4)Matt T.
I last visited for the 5/28/11 UEFA Champion's League Final soccer game. in the morning. It was by far the worst experience I've had here. To learn more details about that morning, you can read the review by Justin S. that starts with "Dear Management." I happened to be sitting at the same table as him. My review will attempt to be more general, in addition to mentioning the details of the 5/28/11 service. Pros: Convenient location, with ample parking nearby. My usual thing is to park in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center parking lot, and visit Starbucks on the way home for a drink and a parking validation. Ends up about the same cost as valet service. Clean, well-lit interior. Comfortable seating, with tables, booths, and bar seats available. Plenty of TVs carrying just about any sporting event imaginable. Portable speakers are available so your table can watch and listen to your own event if the majority of customers are watching something else. Clean, well-stocked bathrooms. I'm a fan of paper towels, but they have the Dyson airblade blow dryers, which work well. Delicious Bloody Marys. I'm a fan. Cons: So-so food. Yes they do serve 24/7 breakfast and have a substantial array of eggs benedict varieties. However, on several occasions Giovanni has screwed up the meat n' eggs breakfast which should be virtually impossible for a restaurant. More on that later. Average service at the best of times, and downright horrible during special events. Expensive. But hey, it's Waikiki. You can't eat here as often as you can have the dollar menu at McDonalds. My main beef with this place is that even though they've been around a fairly long time, they have not learned how to run a smooth service when the place is packed. During the 5/28/11 event, they had 2-3 servers and we were told they were short staffed in the kitchen. Soccer is not big in America, but they should have learned their lesson from the 2010 Champions League Final match, at which they I was served a $4 coffee in a foam cup. How can you run out of coffee mugs if you serve breakfast? This time, I was able to get my coffee in a real mug, but they ran out of spoons, even more ridiculous than mugs. How does a restaurant run out of silverware? It was a pretty full house, but everyone had a seat. Should a restaurant not buy enough spoons to set all their tables? It took roughly an hour before we were able to order. I ordered a bacon breakfast with sunny side up eggs, and a bagel. It took roughly another hour for the food to arrive. My eggs were cooked so long, half of the yolk was hard when I got it. I could tell the kitchen was all screwed up because my eggs were hot, but my rice and bacon were cold. In addition, my bagel arrived an additional 30 minutes after my breakfast plate arrived, after two reminders. I requested Tabasco sauce, which never arrived. After waiting 20 minutes, I went to the back and picked one up from the kitchen staff directly. This place is so-so for an ordinary day. I can't recommend it for any special events. If they can't handle a soccer game, their football and UFC events must be even worse than this.
(1)Chris S.
Have to say - love this place - going to miss it when I leave Hawaii - Great atmosphere - Only place on the Island to show all the soccer games - the atmosphere is electric - being an Englishman - I certainly appreciate it - Staff are great - know what I drink and always have it ready for me when I walk in - the management all the way through the staff are friendly - if you take time to get to know them of course ! Home from home - thanks guys
(5)Kerry K.
Greasy process pastrami lunch meat for 16 bucks--Stay away--gross
(1)Matt T.
First the positives: the place is clean (even the restroom), and the staff seems friendly enough, the beer is cold. But I ordered a Greek salad, you know: Kalamata Olives, cucumbers, feta cheese , tomatoes on a bed of fresh crisp Romaine lettuce...or not. No peperoncinis, no banana peppers, but oh they offered to give me Jalapeño peppers...really? The "feta" was a flavorless small smattering of tiny cubes. That could all be overlooked though, but the cold crisp lettuce was anything but that! It was room temperature and therefore not crisp at all. Really a disappointment given the cost and the myriad of alternate dining options all within walking distance.
(2)Jacob N.
Best burgers and hot dogs... I Highly recommend this place for casual dining, the place had sports bar setup.
(4)Liz H.
Ambiance is very nice. Staff has been great so far. A little expensive for portion. I wanted the loco moco but its $14!
(3)ManOf J.
very mediocre food and 2 servers--one was very nice and the other was rather unpleasant and standoffish. no reason at all to go to this place except for convenience (it was essentially adjoined to our hotel). such a prime spot shouldn't be wasted on mediocrity.
(2)Gidget A.
I am going to rate this high because I am including the Round Table in the Hilton. I was born and raised on Oahu and never ate here. DUH! Where the heck was I?? We had family come over and they were staying at the Hilton. We were all at the beach and my daughter in law suggested Round Table. I am not a pizza fan but my little one also wanted to go. I have to tell you, I am a FAN! Bacon and creamy garlic and some other things. Yummy! We returned to Giovanni's to have this delicious pizza just last week. They also have a killer Greek salad.
(5)May L.
Pricey, food is just okay. Too overrated I think.
(2)Amy M.
This is a sportsbar. We decided to try it out of curiosity since we were on vacation after all. We were seated at the back by the bar with the TVs everywhere you turn. It was noisy of course, but we didn't have alot of expectation because we knew what sort of place this was. Yes, it was pricey, too. It did have alot of choices for everyone who is craving for breakfast all day, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, etc. It wasn't too bad overall with the food and the atmosphere; it was lively and our server was nice, but it's not the place we would visit again if we came back to Waikiki. We ordered the Giovanni Sliders (4 pcs): the mini-BBQ Brisket $13. And we ordered the Crab Cakes (4 pcs) $19. Both were good to share and quite filling.
(3)The Wendy B.
Ordered the Kalua Pig Reuben and it taste nothing like kalua pig. The menu clearly stated that it come with swiss cheese & rye bread. It had no cheese and it was originally served to us on a bun before we sent it back for rye.
(1)Owen B.
Some of the worst food I have had from a restaurant. The chili dog was cold and the cheese wasn't melted. My wife's sandwich had red peppers on it that were going bad.
(2)Jason H.
Went and watched the Anderson Silva UFC fight. I was late on reserving a table so they informed me that the bar is first come first serve. Of course that was full also. The ladies at the front were really nice and said if anyone cancels they would let us know. With still 1.5 hr before the start of the PPV we were allowed to sit at a table and at least eat. When the people that had reserved our table arrived we had to get up....understandable. Within 30 min of standing around the bar watching the fights the manager came up to us and informed us a few people had canceled and we could have there seats. The fights went the way I expected. The staff was awesome, friendly and very helpful even during the chaos. The food was also good.
(4)Kara K.
THIS REVIEW IS FOR BREAKFAST AND SERVICE ONLY. Now that we've got that out of the way, I do NOT recommend you come here for breakfast. We were told they had excellent eggs benedict here...completely wrong. The menu for eggs benedict is rather extensive, James F. got the original eggs benedict. I ordered the huevos rancheros which also came with hash browns. Coffee was $2.75. The coffee and food here is at the top of my "most wasted money ever spent on food" list. Awful, all of it except for the hash brown which was maybe 3 stars at most. Eggs benedict was small. Huevos rancheros was not good...everything tasted super canned. I guess at a sports bar I should have known better, right? The coffee was terrible. The service was also bad. I think the staff partied too hard on Friday night and were just plain unhappy at work. They were not friendly. I am not interested in coming here ever again. Unless it's for a friend's party, no way. I would rather go to Round Table or a local sports bar.
(1)Geoff G.
At first glance it looks like a complete tourist trap in Waikiki. If you can't get into the Yard House (like us) this place probably soaks up a good amount of the overflow. So, expectations going in were pretty low...we just wanted something to eat. Interior has a nice feel, upscale sports bar type of place. The prices seemed way too high though for what they were offering (sandwiches, pizzas, etc.) Damn, how much is a personal pizza? $10.95 So, I had the Mexican BBQ pizza (round table) but it claimed they were made fresh...and that was a great little pizza. My buddy had a bacon cheeseburger and he said it was great. It's a solid three star, most likely since I got a $5 Newcastle draft for downtown. Very good and fast
(3)Travis A.
This place is pricey, as most things are in Waikiki. We came here for the Round Table Pizza which they serve...so the 3-stars is really for the restaurant itself and not the pizza. The Maui Zaui pizza is AWESOME. One of--if not THE best pizzas I've ever had! Apparently, it's available at all Round Table Pizzas on the mainland, so def. having it again.
(3)Randi J.
With all the choices in Waikiki, this place is NOT worth it. The BF and I had a bland caesar salad for $10 and a double-decker pastrami sandwich with sweet potato fries for $16 - it was aite. For $16 I'm expecting a so-good-it-makes-me-drool-just-thinking-about-it kinda sandwich. It would've been a 1 star but they give a 20% military discount - can't hate on a patriotic establishment too much. Oh well, it is what it is. I probably won't eat here again.
(2)a m.
I arrived a little after 6am to watch an NCAA football game and the place was already packed. Crazy: meet Crazy. It's a Sports Bar, so you should expect anything. The service was a little slow but when you are slammed at opening, it is understandable. I had the Coconut Macadamia Nut Pancakes served with Coconut Syrup, and they were amazing. I only ordered 2 and could not finish them. They were delicious! The restaurant is in a very touristy area so you get what you get. I would definitely like to try this place again during dinner hours but am not sure I want to be in that crowd even when I'm a tourist. I go to Hawaii to hang out with the locals.
(4)Melissa F.
The only reason this place gets an extra star is because their happy hour is pretty decent and there's a late night happy hour M-Th. $5 mai tais & blue hawaiians, a variety of pupu (appetizer) options for $5 which were all tasty - especially the buffalo wings. Pupus are small, but the meal portions are pretty big so if you're just looking to get full at a place with TVs Giovanni is alright, but their food is sub-par at best. Burger was bland, even with pastrami on it, and their steak sandwich was truly awful. Service was average. I recommend heading there to grab a few $5 cocktails at happy hour before setting out on a dinner or evening out...elsewhere.
(2)Sarah G.
The food here is terrible. Three Egg Breakfast: $9 for three super greasy eggs, a rock hard bagel with gritty/crumbly cream cheese, and four slices of mealy, almost inedible tomato. This is the cheapest breakfast option on the menu; omelets and the like will run you $15+. Service was mediocre. Our server wasn't rude or anything, but it was pretty obvious he didn't want to be there. Way overpriced + gross food = skip this place.
(1)Mitchell O.
Good food and service, dont be a bitch if its busy, its busy!
(5)Wayne S.
A fun place to go and watch sports but I am not a fan of the food. The 4 times that I have gone there the food has always been really salty. Last night we had pizza and wings and again its been really salty. Can we say blood pressure.
(2)Quagmire Y.
Giovanni Pastrami can gargle my balls. You are a sports bar. Monday night football is on TV. Staff accordingly so that people can get a beer quicker than 25 minutes after sitting down. Giovanni Pastrami = Management Fail
(1)erin s.
Very expensive for average food such as sandwichs and pizza. Wouldn't go back with all the other places to choose from in the Wakiki area. Husband had a sandwich which was average. I had a garlic pizza recommended by the waitress.
(2)D.J. Y.
I'm not sure what this place is really all about. I mean the headline of their menu reads, "A New York Style Deli, Pizzeria, Sports Bar." Okay....then why is there a little sign out front stating the pizzas are made by Round Table!? Here on the mainland, in the NW, most of the Round Tables have gone, well, under ground. So, when I saw this sign out front I was a bit worried about eating here. We had two meals here, dinner with family and breakfast a few days later. Round Table or not the pizza was pretty good, nothing amazing but a nice surprise served on a nice thin crust. The Maui Zaui, according to my wife, was outstanding. Starch-boy really enjoyed his pepperoni pie as well. Get this, they even serve the Hawaii standard, Loco-Moco! Here they use their "home made" meatloaf, instead of the usual hamburger patty. And you know what, the meatloaf even sold the locals we had with us!! It was really outstanding, plenty of gravy and the eggs were cooked to perfection. While the "deli" side of the house didn't really hold up well, I had a Reuben or should I say, I had "The Reuben", personally I think they need to toast the bread a bit longer. The Russian dressing was served on the side, which I found weird, as most Reuben specialists such as myself know the dressing needs to soak into the meat during the grilling process to make things just right. I really enjoyed the homemade pickle served with my sandwich, if that tells you anything about the sandwich... My Dad had a regular pastrami sandwich, the bread needed to be toasted first, if you ask me, and they grilled the meat beforehand making it really tough to chew. Breakfast the following AM was done very well, while the kitchen had a bit of a hiccup, getting the orders out, when they did come all were served piping hot. Overall, it's a bit pricey but heck it's located on the new Lewer's Street beach walk area, a nice hip new area of Waikiki, plenty to see in the bar with all of the big screens surrounding you, yet the front area still let's you see outside to do some people watching. Take your time reading the menu, I'm sure you'll find something to like. Check out this review from the local newspaper: print2webcorp.com/news/H…
(3)Kat D.
My bother wanted to come here for lunch...I guess he's been before? Or maybe he just heard it was good? Either way, it was alright. Very expensive for what is was, but probably due to the location. Anyway, 3 stars because my food was good, and my brother claims that his Pastrami was soooo good (and that the mustard "just made the whole sandwich"). We ended up spending almost $60 on lunch, which can get you a pretty fancy lunch elsewhere. This was for a turkey club with onion rings, huge pastrami sandwich with potato salad, cole slaw, and 2 drinks. Nice atmosphere, but probably will enjoy lunch somewhere else when in Waikiki again.
(3)Brent S.
It's ok. The pastrami reuben sandwich is decent. But you definitely pay a premium for being in Waikiki. But it is a good place if you're looking for a nice noisy bar, where you can just hang out and not worry about getting a little drunk. If you're here on vacation, there's a lot of other restaurants to check out.
(2)Kayla J.
Love love love Giovanni's! Best for breakfast or lunch while catching a game! Can't go wrong with the eggs Benedict or pizza! Their bread pudding is the best I've ever had and the servers are friendly and attentive!
(5)Marisa R.
3 words Meatloaf Loco Moco! It's soooooo good. If eating it everyday wouldn't give me a heart attack when I'm 25, I'd do it.
(5)katherine k.
$15 for a pitcher works for me.
(4)Jose J.
Great food love the pastrami benedict, the pastrami sandwich the pastrami everything!! I only wish you opened another location than waikiki.
(4)Ashley S.
We found this place just walking around the open mall shopping area. Its got a nice sports bar feel. It was Sunday, so there was football on, and the fans were exited. It got a little loud at times, but that's a sports restaurant, right? The food was really good. They kept our drinks filled, and bused our tables pretty efficiently. We would go again for a good sandwich and fries.
(4)Kathryn D.
Ive been wanting to go to Giovanni Pastrami for so long. I'm not interested in watching the game or drinking beer, I'm interested in eating the food. Listening to their ads on Sports Center made it sound so good. We finally got the chance to try it out for breakfast. They offer everything from pancakes to a variety of eggs benedict to locomoco. I opted for the 3 eggs, choice of meat. All I have to say is this is seriously a a plate made for 2-three eggs, 5 strips of bacon, a huge hash brown potato patty, and your choice of rice or bread. I could not eat it all. I wish I could have though because it was so good! I really want to go their for lunch though. The pizza and sandwiches sound so so so good! Next time for sure!
(4)Angela A.
I go to Giovanni's every weekend for the Steelers game so I have plenty of comments. I'll keep it simple with a PROs/CONs list: PROs - Food is very good Nice TVs Cold beers Delicious bloody marys 20% military discount CONs - Overpriced food ($17 for an omelet?!?!) Service is just "EH" - I often get the feeling the servers just don't care Parking is valet only which is convenient. It's typically $3, but when we have the late game or a Monday or Thursday night game it ends up being around $6, which can be a problem if you're like me and don't usually have much cash.
(3)Michaela D.
Don't do it! It may be a fine place to get a quick drink or to enjoy some NFL but the prices and food are just not worth it. The bacon is like cardboard (I know there is more than Hormel available on the island). The pancakes have ok flavor and are enormous but I think it was the butter and syrup that made them worth putting in my mouth. The pastrami benedict was absolutley meh. It was far too sweet. The pastrami was nothing special. But the worst part was the bill. I know it's in Waikiki but I could have gone to an elaborate buffet for what breakfast cost. Disappointing all the way.
(2)Angela G.
Ugh, FAIL. Went here for breakfast with the hubby on our first day here. Manager was charming and he made us feel like welcomed guests. Our omlette and meatloaf were mediocre and the waitress a little forgetful, but our Pineapple Mimosa and Creamsicle were strong and she was sweet, so all was fine. A little pricey, but after hearing from the manager that they had the baseball package and based on his charm, we told him we'd come back. All was chill in muffinville. We return as promised and the hostess waits to finish her conversation with another waitress before acknowledging our presence. She seats us and my husband asks for her to put on the baseball game. She looks at us quizically and runs off to ask someone to put it on. She returns and says that they can't put it on. Wait, wha? Despite what your manager told us yesterday AND the giant 10 ft. banner of A-Rod on the wall advertising the baseball package, you DON'T have it? Lame. We meander across the street and talk to the incredible nice guys at the Yard House and ask if they have the game, but unfortunately they don't have the package. They do give us great recommendations on where to go and chuckle at our story of how Giovanni Pastrami messed up. The Yard House manager told us he wished they had the baseball because they would have sat and watched it with us, LOL. I would definitely go back to the Yard House and am so glad we decided to leave GP before foolishly ordering breakfast.
(1)Kevin D.
Normally, I love this place. Good Food, lots of TV's to watch the games. I attempted to go today for breakfast. The place was mostly empty, but we were stopped at the door and told since it was Super bowl Sunday we had to pay a $10 cover to enter. I can understand this if the game was coming on now, but we were there FOUR hours before the game. I even told the guy we were going to eat then head to the beach. Had no intention to watch the Peelers play the Stackers. Regardless, bad decision. I was a regular before today, but I will not be returning.
(1)Jason Y.
Its a shame to call this New York Pastrami! I've been here lots of times, usually for some beers and pizza. I finally went there for dinner and tried the "authentic" pastrami. I'm so not impressed. After having the real stuff from Katz in NYC, nothing compares and here, there is just no comparison! Plus its expensive, for what you pay, i'm better off flying to NY and getting a REAL sandwich. If you want to spend money on expensive beer and so-so food, then this is the place for you, but i'd just let the tourists hang out here and go elsewhere.
(2)Joelle L.
There is nothing better than a pastrami reuben sanwhich after a long hard night partying in Waikiki! I have made 7 trips to Waikiki in the last 2 years. One of the essential part of our visit it to go to Giovanni's. Propy the GM is like family to us whenever we roll into town. Asland the bartender is a pistol! She knows how to cure a hangover! I love the food and I love the staff even more. See you in February friends!
(5)August A.
All my visits here have fallen under the same category as better than average. So far the food, service, and environment are all great. Giovanni's has a Las Vegas sports bar feel to it, maybe the reason why I frequent it so much. Giovanni's food is actually mediocre but gets the extra stars for having such a huge menu, breakfast served 24/7, and Round Table pizza. I usually enjoy this place because the hours are late night. I definitely enjoy having a king arthur's special (no bell peppers) and an order pancakes, pure epic foodgasm. The wait staff and bartenders are friendly, quick, and accurate. I've been coming here for about 3 years and have never had a mishap, even on the most crowded nights where the wait was over 45 minutes. The environment is probably the biggest draw: clean and hip. The multitude of TV screens are mostly fixed to different events so picking your poison is mighty easy. Everyone should come here. It's sad that most find this place as an alternative to Yardhouse because you their long lines so for those of you in the know, I believe we should keep it that way. haha
(5)Chynnagirl C.
This eatery has been in Waikiki for a few years and this was the first time I ever had the opportunity to try it. It's a lot larger then it looks on the outside and on a Saturday evening didn't look like it had a long wait so we gave it a try. The decor was simple and clean and it's obvious that the owners are big sports fan because there were flat screen tv's bolted to almost every crack, cranny and nook in the joint. As I survey the kind of guests around the restaurant which looked like 60% tourists, but a strong 40% of local people, most of them were either enjoying watching one of the many football/soccer/sports games being shown on the tv's or they were consumed with their cell phones. The sports on TV I can understand but the incessant need to have your face plastered to your smart phone not so much but thats a whole other blog. lol. The menu was HUGE and offered everything from appetizers, to salads, to pastas, to sandwiches to pizzas (They are the same owners as Round Table mind you). Being from the restaurant business I personally wouldn't have chosen such a large menu because its a little too much for the guest to have to peruse through yet at the same time, I noticed that many of the products were used in various items throughout the menu so hopefully they don't have too much waste. Being a pastrami lover of course I had to try the little pastrami reuben bites for $14 which came with what seemed like a thousand island dressing and fries. Although the presentation was very nice, I thought the sandwiches could have been a little bigger, still they were tasty nonetheless. My friends had an eggs benedict (little over cooked and the server herself noticed it and offered to have them redone) while the other had good old fashion buffalo wings which he said he enjoyed (and he's eaten a lot of wings in his time lol). All in all we each walked out at under $20 apiece which isn't bad for Waikiki! We saw their Happy Hour table tents promoting HH from 3-5pm daily where you can be served personal pizzas for $5 as well as a host of other smaller sized appetizers. Although I wish HH ended a little later because 5 is still a little too early for normal folk to make it into Waikiki (and maybe that isn't who their target market is) it certainly looks like a great deal. We'll be back Giovanni's...leave your cell phones in your bag people!! lol
(4)Jenifer G.
Excellent breakfast! Ordered the pastrami benedict ($14.95) with country fries and was impressed. The pastrami is a good portion, and was both tender and delicious. The hollandaise sauce was made very well and I ate almost everything off my plate. Country fries were not bad. Flavor was not as fresh as I would have liked. Had a bite of the regular eggs benedict and the ham slice in there was pretty hefty. Came back for dinner (was in Waikiki hanging out all afternoon). Meatloaf sandwich ($14.95) was good (open faced, gravy on top), very easy to dig into, but I prefer more texture and oomph. It was "okay" to me, but I think some people may like it that way? The cole slaw was good but not flavorful, so the good thing was that I didn't feel as guilty eating it. The fries were almost fully cook -- they were much lighter than a golden brown, so it didn't crunch as much as I like them to. TONS of flat screens. Booths in the lower seating area, and throughout the outer perimeter of the upper level. Bar tables in the inner perimeter, and bar in the middle. Cool sports bar that would accommodate any group. Windows so you can see the kitchen (a definite plus in my book!). Not sure if I'd come here again any time soon but I'd definitely recommend getting the pastrami benedict. Taste of New York in Kaimuki when they FIRST opened was AWESOME. Then it did a complete 180 and was complete crap towards the end before they closed. I'd say the pastrami at Giovanni's is a lot thinner and has a different taste to it, but it's still good. Just wish there were more pastrami places here...
(3)Devon S.
FIGHT NIGHT!!!! Money Mayweather vs Sugar Shane! After a houseparty for the fight fell thru, I turned to Yelp for a quick point-in-the-right-direction to catch the fight of the year (so far). Michael S.(thx, for that bro) gave me a lead on Giovanni Pastrami and what a great lead it was. I have passed by the place a thousand times and never realized it was a sports bar as well as a restaurant. It looks too nice to be a place full of people screaming and yelling to cheer for their favorite teams, or in this case, fighters. The ambiance was very nice. Hardwood floors, perfect lighting, big screen TV's all over the place! Very nice layout. The food was very good as well. I tried the nachos, wings, and sliders with the table for the pre-fight, then had a delicious eggs benny with bacon. Omg, bacon, perfect poached eggs, and hollindaise. Nom...nom...and...nom! Service was exceptional, esp given the fact that it was sooooo crowded. The servers were very tentative and keep the water, boos, and food coming in a very timely fashion. 4 stars easy for GP. Ill be back for sure for the NBA playoff and future fights as well. If for nothing else, im coming back for the eggs benny. Once again...nom! "S"
(4)Jimie R.
I loved my sandwich, but the spaghetti wasn't as good as it used to be, it was too sweet. My daughter wasn't happy with her spaghetti. After reading all the reviews I have to agree with many of them. The waitress didn't ever check on us to see if we needed anything. I had to call out to her several times before she came over to check. She only had 4 tables so I'm not sure what the problem was. We have always loved this restaurant and hope the manager will do something to improve service. I would hate for them to lose their local customers because of complacency.
(3)Richard C.
This is the last meal that I had in Hawaii on my Honeymoon. I wanted to go out with a bang, but it was more like a crash and burn. We walked in for brunch time and after staring at the menu, could not find anything that was too appealing. It would have been awkward to just leave so we decided to order. I had the Loco Moco and the lady had their eggs benedict. I think i ordered the most expensive loco moco on the island, so i figured, heh, it must be good right? well, it was large, and it was boring. I had better loco moco in hole in the wall fast food joints. And the quality definitely does not justify the prices. All in all, i truly regret eating here as there are far better options near Waikiki for far better prices. The service was very lack luster as there were only 2 customers in the front area, and it took the server 20 minutes to take my payment. I like the concept, i like the name, i just don't like the food and prices. I probably won't be going back, but I will give this place 2 stars just for their decorations and concept. Apparently they are more known for their happy hour specials, so I may re-review it after I try that. 2 stars for now- much room for improvement.
(2)Cole P.
Have had the pizza twice here and it is always really good. The godfather pizza take out and dine in were both awesome and service was great. Don't go for breakfast as most places that exist on the mainland are nothing special here. Find small local dives a little out of the strip of chains for breakfast.
(4)Timmy F.
I have visited this establishment three times, on this last trip we went twice. Styled like the typical sports bar theme with tv's and sparsely strewn sports memorabilla across the restaraunt. Me being the longtime MMA fan I am, I was impressed by the BJ Penn pictures and an item on the menu known as the "BJ Penn special" which is delicious. The turkey and avocado sandwhich, was damn good. The time before I got the pastrami which was pretty close to the best I ever had. They serve a round table pizza and a variety of beers. Overall a pretty good experience. There is a little bit of "just another group of tourist" vibe however.
(3)Esteban W.
If the Cheesecake Factory and the Yardhouse were to have a love child I'd hope they'd have the sense to be pro-choice. And if Yelp would allow it, this place would get a half star, if that. I was really excited to try out a new place, even if it was in Waikiki. To tell you the truth our first choice for the night was the Yardhouse, but I heard about Giovanni's and... didn't check the ratings on Yelp... So we ended up at Giovanni's. I was amazed by the shear size of the menu they put on display outside the front door. With its tiny print and podium, it makes you feel like you're entering something fancy, like going to a Double Tree or something, and it makes you feel like you're going to be treated like some big movie star, or at least a local KHON news broadcaster. Norm D. and I had little wait, we walked in and as quickly as someone could dash for the front door, we were being led to our seats. I should have taken it as an omen when they felt that the most logical choice to seat two guys looking for a Burger and a Beer was a six-seat round table in the walkway near the drink station and surrounded by a total of zero televisions...wtf. We were then told that if we wanted we could go 'up top' and find our own seats. We journeyed up and found a spot at the bar. Overall the place is small... but LARGER than what I imagined, and larger than what it looks like from the street. It's also a 'high end' sports bar, you can tell because their happy hour prices are as much as a regular beer at a regular sports bar and they post posters of half naked athletes glaring into each others' faces on the wall. THE GOOD: I am assuming because no game was on in the world, this place was pleasantly quiet, I was actually able to hold some conversation. They have Kona Beer on tap and I got to enjoy a couple Fire Rocks which I thought were pretty good. Its really clean inside and the place is larger than it looks. THE BAD: After ordering the Fire Rocks, I looked over the menu and they help you out by posting little pictures of the food you might want to order, then they add some arrow to know what you're really getting. I say Pastrami Eggs Benedict and thought that would probably be the most awesome thing EVER to consume... but with a Fire Rock beer- not so much. Instead, I went for the Giovanni Pastrami Burger. It looks gorgeous - in the photo - and I added Provolone and bacon because if you're gonna' die from food, might as well add cheese and bacon. HOW could this go wrong, BUGER + PASTRAMI + BACON divided by CHEESE = FLAVORF**K in your mouth, but it wasn't! It was sooo sad, the burger was TASTLESS, bland and boring; I didn't know you can make bacon taste boring, but Giovanni Pastrami did it. This was such a disappointing meal, a meal with so much potential. Not to mention that I ordered my burger medium well and my friend Norm D. ordered his medium raw, I took a bite of my burger and thought it was a little more red than I was used to - of course, the burgers were mixed up - sad news, I guess I shouldn't blame the bartender, it's not like bartending academy teaches you to be a server, but he F**Ked that one up. It's not like it wouldn't have mattered, the other burger was just as boring, except in addition, it was dry. OVERALL: Sub par service - on a SLOW night. It has TV's everywhere for your enjoyment, awesome looking menu, but a REALLY disappointing meal, doesn't really make me want to risk it in spending an excessive amount on something that may come out bland and flavorless. I saw they serve Roundtable Pizza...but can't you get those from Wal-Mart? Not enough to make me want to re-visit. The only thing holding this place up is the beer, which I could also get at Wal-Mart and the appearance of the place, but it's located in Waikiki, which is probably how it survives - by feeding on the unsuspecting tourist that have nothing but disposable income and don't know any better. If this place were any where else on the island, away from senseless tourist, I doubt it would survive. To add salt to the wound ( because they dont add it to season their food) the burger ended up being $12 plus cheese $1.50, plus bacon $1.95 = $15.45 times two and three beers + tip + parking in Waikiki = TOO DAMN MUCH. Not worth your money to try. RECOMMENDATION: If you're dying for a burger and aspire to dine with the tourist, go to Islands.
(1)Alexandra K.
One of the few places where you can have a relaxing casual lunch without pigeons walking all over the place looking for their next meal. I liked what I ordered, my husband didn't... I think its just a hit or miss when it comes to food at this place. Its worth a try.
(3)Juan L.
This place is the only restaurant that I know that serves Round table Pizza and has a plethora of HD televisions that make you turn so much in every direction you get dizzy. Of course the pizza is amazing but nothing else on the menu is all that great including their desserts. Also be prepared to wait for everything you need because the customer service is not so great. This place is only good to come and watch a sports event with friends, eat some pizza and have some drinks. Everything else try at your own risk.
(3)Kama K.
Love Love Love! The Ruben Sandwich. Salad are good too. Nora that was working in the front was very professional. I wil be back very soon.
(4)Richard W.
We went here because there was no wait to be seated, or so we thought. While being ignored at the front register for several minutes by one of the hostesses while the other was helping a customer get an order for take out, I got a bit concerned. It was a long enough wait that I was surprised when she grabbed a couple of menus and seated us. By that time, I had assumed it wasn't part of her job. When the food came, I realized the other reason the place wasn't busy. I paid $16 for a french dip sandwich, and it was just a bit less than mediocre. At half the price, I would have been disappointed. My friend got a tuna salad and only ate about 1/3 of it because it was bland. Our waiter was very good, but that's the only positive I can think of about this place. When he asked if we would like boxes for the food we'd left, I imagined it's a question he's used to asking. I'm also sure our "no" was no surprise.
(1)Erin O.
Okay food...BAD service.
(2)Cody Y.
This place was open at 7am for the football game which was nice and the service was great!! Great atmosphere too.
(4)Katrina F.
So, with all of these bad reviews you would think they would start to get the hint and make their food better? I gave this place three stars because I like the environment, kind of a clean and pretty sports bar. Works for the guys and the girls! :) TVs everywhere, comfortable seating, and free pizza at happy hour! However, the food is so absolutely awful. The servers are super rude too...one female bartender in particular. The next time we come here, which I know we will because my boyfriend loves his sports, I will be sure to get something to eat before hand because the food here is so bad...not to mention waaaaayyyyy overpriced!! Booo. Cummon Giovanni's... just make your food good and we will come more often and spend more money!!
(3)Robin W.
The Hula Gator Club (U of Florida) meets here for football games, so of course I come here frequently in the fall. They have an extensive menu (3 pages) for breakfast, which is good for our 6 am games. They also have pizza, burgers, big sandwiches, and matzo ball soup. They will validate the parking too. The staff are friendly and attentive.
(4)Amanda K.
Can anyone say matzah ball soup!! Well I can and I say it every time I order!!! Great place for a quick non pricey breakfast/lunch/dinner!!
(3)Hannah S.
I had the tuna melt and sweet potato fries which were very good, yet over-priced. Our service was great, the waitresses friendly, and the food was good but the prices were not. They also charge $0.75 for any sides of ranch and $3 for a side of alfredo sauce! A little much for already paying a bit for the meals.
(3)Rio R.
After a drawn out conversation about the practicality of a handle bar mustache. The next pragmatic step was to mosey on over to Giovanni's. I ordered a few long islands. They gave us free pizza slices for all our troubles. I had a very good time here. The staff was pretty darn good looking prior to drinks. They were very helpful. I must say that their Rueben sliders were excellent. That's about all I remember. Will go back next time I'm in Waikiki.
(3)Chris Q.
Wound up here cause my stomach was yelling for food. After reading the menu, I was intrigued by the Giovanni's Pastrami Reuben Pizza (Russian dressing sauce, Swiss cheese, and 1/2lbs of pastrami, topped with sauerkraut). While it is essentially a Round Table pizza and only offered in a large . . . it was surprisingly TASTY! Based on this item, I'm a fan but service drops it down 2 stars. It took quite a while to order and takes quite a while to get refills on drinks. The place itself is a nicely setup sports bar. HDTVs galore; available in just about every angle.
(3)Cy C.
When visiting Waikiki, one of my favorite places to visit is Giovanni Pastrami. Gotta love this place because it serves one of my favorite pizzas in Hawaii, Roundtable pizza. Great place for beer, pizza and sandwiches. When you walk in, you automatically think sports bar. Yes it is a great place to watch the game. In fact I just spent almost the whole day watching UH football, baseball playoffs then the UFC fights. Yes I know I pratically spend the whole day. there. With many TVs to watch from and comfortable sitting great place to spend the day to watch the game(s). Be aware they do charge to watch the UFC fight (UH game was free) for $10. The staff is always friendly and ready to serve you. Its a sports bar, but its a great place for grindz. As much as I love Roundtable pizza, I occasional order sandwiches. (Okay I lied I ordered both) Love the Reuban sandwhich and fries. Ohh did I mentionn they serve Roundtable pizza. Yes Roundtable Pizza!!!!!! This is by far one of my favorite Happy Hour joints. Check this out order a beer and happy hour price and get a free slice of round table pizza. Order a few beers and you got a meal. Now be aware they used to give you a different selection of pizzas but now its just cheese. Not sure when happy hour ends, but I remember I just missed the happy hour, however for an hour you can order a personal pizza for $5. If this wasn't in Waikiki I would go there a lot more. However they do have validated parking in the back. So definitely worth a Waikiki visit. Please someone take me, to get some beer and grindz and GIovanni Pastrami.
(4)Chris B.
The food was pretty bad and extremely over priced.
(2)Belle C.
Its on the beach walk & we get 10% off for staying at Wyndham. Good drinks, we had blue hawaiian & mai tai. Free cheese pizza slice with any order during happy hour... So 4 stars, were feeling generous!
(4)S H.
Overpriced lousy food. We were looking for a soup/salad/sandwich place. Had a quick glance at the menu and it looked ok; they claim to be a deli. After sitting down and looking closer at the menu, all the sandwiches are more than $15. We should have walked out at that point. Instead got soup, salad, and a sandwich. Soup was lukewarm at best. Salad was reasonable. Grilled sandwich was grilled just long enough to melt the butter and make the bread super greasy without toasting it. Service was slow, despite there being only 4 occupied tables. Our total was near $50 for 2, lunch with no alcohol. Tons of TVs and a decent sized bar, so it's probably a decent place to watch a game. If you just want lunch, maybe try the Subway across the street instead.
(1)Steve H.
Ate breakfast there today. Wife's omelet was good. Service was fine too. I'm still hurting from the weird sourdough tasting pancakes. Coffee is $3.50 ?!?! Won't go back.
(2)Rob T.
Bu! If you like the pupu and drinks, and watching sports all around you, this is the place for you. I went there recently to watch UH volleyball and the staff there was pretty cool about getting us close to a TV -- albeit, they have flat screen TVs all over the place. Everything is in HD ... talk about clarity :-) I love the food, but it's still bar food. Great pizza and New York style food. I love how their menu have some local style flare in the mix, you know, poke and stuff. Only in Hawaii. Anyway, I had hella fun there. Great environment to hangout with friends. You have to check it out.
(4)Brandon B.
A restaurant with a sports bar feel. I thought the outside looked okay and pleasant enough to walk in. Interior looks pretty decent, except a few sticky parts and the smell of spilled beer reeking in some places. Bunch of TVs to distract you. Service felt kind of slow and indifferent. The food was ok. Generally, I like Round Table pizza so if they serve their pizza, then it's all good. The sandwiches are kind of unimpressive. The prices are pretty high. Going to have to try Round Ta--err-- Giovanni Pastrami again and give it another shot.
(3)Dirty S.
Watched games 1 & 2 of world series featuring the SF Giants vs Texas Rangers.. The staff was very accommodating to my wife and family, which included 4 children under age 5! Great service, OK food (minus the pizza)
(4)K F.
The reuben pastrami bites and western burger were delicious!! We were initially not thrilled with the menu but glad we ordered something!! The service was ok.
(4)Michael C.
Was recommend to this place by the guest service at our hotel. Place was fancy and sandwiches was huge. Tastes was lacking and pricey.
(3)Dan S.
Simple: overpriced below average food. Shame really as the decor is nice, the staff and service was fine. I guess the money they make goes towards those areas and the food/kitchen gets left behind. I'll take an ugly place with lazy service but good quality dishes over a place like this any day.
(2)Matt W.
It's true, a $16 rueben is pretty unbelievable. But equally unbelievable is the free pizza happy hour from 3-6pm Mon-Fri, when you can get 2 slices of pizza with every $3 domestic, $4 premium/import beer, or $5 Mai Tai/Blue Hawaiian. Added value if your favorite game happens to be on while you're taking your extended executive lunch, you high roller you. If you're a gastronome and you somehow get stuck here by accident, the gourmet vegetarian pizza is actually pretty delicious, believe it or not, and they make a pretty tasty, freaking huge loco moco if your blood feels like it's flowing just a little too freely through your unclogged arteries. They've also got about 70 different kinds of Eggs Benedict and their hollandaise sauce isn't too bad, though I'd guess it's probably not made fresh on the premises. If you can afford it, this is probably the best spot in town to watch a pay-per-view UFC fight or boxing match due to the endless array of flat screens, the large amount of space, and the partnership GPs has with some liquor companies and local fighter BJ Penn--they give out lots of door prizes and it's generally a pretty testosterone-choked, bling-heavy, cash-flaunting, rollicking scene--if that's the kind of thing you dig. The service has been consistently good in my experience, though like many spots in Waikiki the turnover seems pretty high and it's rare to meet someone who's worked there for more than a year. In summary, if I was on vacation on Oahu with my wife, who loved the beach and the water and the mountains and the culture and anything else that's cool about Hawaii that we couldn't get in our hometown of Valdosta, Georgia, and I had a fat wad of spendin cash, loved sports, and hated the beach and the water and the mountains and the culture and anything else that's cool about Hawaii that we couldn't get in our hometown, I would totally camp out here for my entire trip and take my chances that my wife didn't run off with a hula dancing local boy. Enjoy!
(3)Melissa W.
Allison is an amazing bartender. Worth coming back just for her!
(5)Joe K.
Great place to watch NFL football! HD screens are abundant! The food is great! Having Round Table pizza as an option is great as well. The ONLY downfall is the service time! Terrible. I started timing how long it would take to get a 2nd beer or even a menu and average time was about 10 minutes and I was sitting right next to the bar! It seems to have enough staff members but they need to get it right ASAP. I've been there 4 times have dealt with different wait staff with the same result. In fact I was warned by someone else beforehand that would be the case. They could use more specials as well, it gets pricey after a while.
(4)Steph X.
good place to watch games and munch on yummies
(3)Crystal B.
My boyfriend wanted to go watch the Miami Heat game somewhere other than our house but I was a little wary when he suggested Giovanni Pastrami only because I remembered seeing mediocre Yelp reviews and the name makes me think of a deli, not a sports bar. In fact, I had no idea that it was a sports bar. Whatever, I figured it didn't matter too much if it wasn't amazing. When we arrived (after parking in the Wyndham lot, which they validate) I was very pleasantly surprised by the modern and just-barely-upscale bar decor. It was clean and most importantly the Heat game was on. Perhaps the coolest part about this bar was the speaker boxes that they give each table so that you can have audio for whichever game you're watching rather than having to hear it jumbled with all the other games playing in the bar or not getting audio at all. The volume is adjustable and provides the perfect solution to the classic sports bar war over whose game gets sound. Awesome. We got berry lemonades, a Captain Ron (mango and coconut rum), followed by Blue Moons. All of the drinks were good, and when I got buffalo wings I was pleased with those too. Good flavor and texture. Pizza is provided by Roundtable pizza. I'm pretty sure they have the same owner. Our server was Roclyn and she was great! She was personable without being intrusive and she kept our drinks coming. She took great care of us. She also recommended the cheesecake when I asked a out dessert which was a GREAT choice. Yeah, I know- wings, beer, and cheesecake. I went to the gym later, I swear. Basically I had a great time and was totally surprised by how much I liked this place. I have a feeling we have a new go-to spot for games that are not being shown on our cable channels.
(4)Cody Z.
Visited this place about 7 or 8 times in 2 years. Usually because I'm in Waikiki and want watch a Red Sox, Celtics, Patriot or Bruin game. Place is clean, well air conditioned with lots of HD TVs for easy viewing. I aways sit at the bar, and order Pepsi, or Bud Lite, or New Castle and a personal Round Table supreme pizza. I love that supreme pizza, So good, spicy, flavorful, zesty and filling. And the female bartenders and servers and hostesses are sooo hot. I think the owner hires based on how hot looking the female applicants are. And they are all so friendly. And I like the uniform, black tight pants. so if the game is boring or my team is getting blown out, there is all the female staff eye candy to keep me entertained.
(4)Brad H.
This place caught my eye from the street. Clean, HD galore, and the sounds of a basketball game playing throughout the bar. Winner? Eh, kinda. It was all over when I opened the menu. Everything looks amazing and we all know Round Table Pizza is good but everything here is CRAZY EXPENSIVE even for Waikiki! Luckily we caught the end of their pretty respectable happy hour. Five dollar personal pizzas and $3 domestic drafts. I had the Chicken Garlic Supreme and as usual Round Table stayed true to its deliciousness. I didn't notice any service issues but I was also mesmerized by the plethora of HD screens surronding the bar. Overall, this bar has potential to be a great local hangout if it dropes the prices.
(3)Neni E.
Yummy food! I had the patty melt with fries and my friend had the hot pastrami with the mac salad. He finished before I did, only because I wanted to enjoy mine and take my time. I devoured my patty melt and ate most of the fries. Didn't eat the coleslaw or pickle only because I was enjoying my patty melt too much. The cosmo I ordered was too strong and got a buzz right away. I ordered a Mai Tai next and that was yummy, but I noticed the it was a little strong too. I came to the conclusion that the bars/restaurants in Waikiki make drinks strong =). I was definitely buzzin' that night, but still enjoyed my patty melt. Liked that they had plasmas all around the restaurant, so I didn't have to strain my neck. I definitely would want to come back here the next time I'm in Oahu.
(4)David E.
I love Gio's. For the past two years, I've woken up on fall saturday mornings, rode my bike to GPs and joined the sixty odd other Ohio State Alums and Fans for a second to none college football saturday morning. The food is good, but the staff is great. The girls work really hard to make sure you've got what you need and they'll always recommend things if you're not sure what you want. BJ Penn is often seen in here, and he loves the place. The Pizza is great, The breakfast is good too, but the reason to go to Gio's is hands down the Happy Hour! Best in Waikiki. Crazy cheep drinks and FREE PIZZA! I mean, free in Waikiki is like a place in Dallas paying you 20 dollars to eat there. (You'd have to pay me 100 dollars just to get me in the state of texas, but that's another story). Long story short, Gio's is a great place with great food, a great bar, hardly ever a wait (except UFC fight night) and a great staff. I'd chose Gio's over Yard House anytime, so walk the 20' across the street.
(4)kelly k.
the one and only time i've been to giovanni pastrami was for, i think it was...game 5 or 6 in the NBA playoffs. of course it was a little packed with yellow, purple, green, and white all over the place. and yes, i had my green shirt on ;) go celtics!!! our party got seated immediately which was nice. in a good position too, so no matter where you sat you could see a television. we came in for a bit of a late brunch and i felt like eating eggs so i ordered the spicy chicken omelet. one of my other friends had ordered an eggplant omelet and halfway through our meals, we noticed we had each others' omelets and switched. when we switched plates, i noticed that the omelet that i had ordered (spicy chicken) was waaaaayhayhayhaaaay better than my friend's omelet that i had been eating for the past 15 minutes. darn! i got robbed! anyway, the omelet comes with two starches and i had ordered hash and an english muffin. i also got to have a taste of one of my other friends' reuben bites. those were pretty gosh darn yummy. after all of us had finished our meals, the game was STILL going and being the fatty mcfatsters the five of us are, we ordered the nachos. the nachos were...ok. not the best i've had and not the worst. we then went on to order a brownie with ice cream because no meal can be complete without dessert! once again, it was just ok. nothing spectacular, but still yum. i don't know...i'm pretty indifferent about this place. it was good, but it wasn't GREAT. the service however, was great :) but if you're in waikiki and you want some decent food, or there's some kind of game or event going on on television, then maybe you should go there. oooooor maybe i should take another excursion to giovanni pastrami's, try their pastrami, and re-review this pace?
(3)Sita L.
You say the word Pastrami and you have my attention. My husband and I have eaten there twice. It was ok. But certainly not worth the money. Of course, it is in a tourist area, that has to be kept in mind. Not a place I will see out again.
(2)Inigo M.
3 stars for loud atmosphere (expected if you're into the sports bar atmosphere). 2 stars for slow service. Decent quality food. They serve Round Table pizza (the owners own a couple RTP franchises).
(2)Lil D.
Decent food but expensive. Service is slowwwww. For breakfast, corned beef hash benedict was a good deviation from the traditional. Make sure you have a healthy appetite cuz you'll get alot of food. Pancakes were not that memorable. For sandwiches, they offer the usual deli fare.
(3)suzanne f.
First let me say that the food is delicious, and the place is big and nice looking. But the staff brings the score way way down. The place was busy this past Saturday, but i imagine it's always like that during football season. The hostess wrote our names down ,and we were given a pager and told it would be about 15 minutes. We came back before the pager went off and my husband went up to check on the time. He could see the list where our name had been written, and could see that people who had come after us had been seated (their names had been crossed out) When he pointed this out, the hostess said "oh". There was no apology. She seemed like a bit of a dim wit who was having a hard time doing her job. There was only 2 of us, so there's really no excuse for another party to be seated before us. When we were seated, the waitress took a long time to come over to introduce herself / take drink orders. After she did take drink orders, it took her another long period of time to bring our drinks to us. It was coffee and soda, no assembly required. The food came rather quick though and it was Delicious. Although I had asked for the potatoes, i ended up getting hash browns. Tasted great, though. Please please please get some better service here!!!
(2)jinny p.
The place was just okay. The server was nice. I thought their wine selection was terrible except for the glass my server recommended. I thought for the price, the place was okay. My sandwich was bland. But the chili was really good. The place does have alot of flat screen tvs which is cool. nothing to write home about though. kinda a lyons on steroids with a slightly cooler bar scene.
(3)AJ T.
We came here one morning intending to have a quick breakfast before heading out to the North Shore because it was downstairs from our hotel and the menu looked pretty good. It was a bad sign from the very moment we stepped into the restaurant: the server did not speak a single word to us, and simply led us to our table. He then gave us menus in JAPANESE, obviously because he assumed we were Japanese and didn't read/speak English before bothering to ask us. I ordered a fruit bowl with yogurt, and he ordered a pastrami with eggs, thinking we could be in and out with good time since there were only a few other parties in the restaurant. To our dismay, we ended up waiting 30 minutes for our food (Note: 4/6 parties in the restaurant were already served breakfast when we ordered). To top it off, my fruit bowl wasn't exactly a bowl-- it was a cup filled with 5 grapes, 2 dismal slices of pineapple, and 4 chunks of cantaloupe. The yogurt amounted to half the size of a small Dannon yogurt you get for $1 at the market. Oh, and don't forget the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Let me also not forget to mention that this fruit bowl was more than $8! Other annoyances:The coffee was cold, and the waiter, although nice, seemed a little lost. The one star belongs to the pastrami and eggs, because although I didn't try it, it looked better than what I was served. I can't say anything in regards to their dinner menu, but I would not come here for breakfast-- if you're looking for coffee, go next door to the Coffee Bean or better yet, to the ABC store for 79 cent Kona blend coffee. At least it will be served warm.
(1)Piper L.
Very pleasantly surprised. The food is New York style, which means large portions. The chicken breast sandwich had two large pieces, the coleslaw side was enough for two. The salad was fresh with big tomatoes, thick creamy dressing and crisp cold lettuce. The personal pizza had delicious sauce and tasty crust. Yummy Mai Tai. Good service, fresh food and reasonable prices. I recommend this place to all visitors to Waikiki.
(5)Gabriel C.
Their pizza is awesome, but it's Round Table's not theirs. Pizza is over-priced. Good beer selection, great that they show the real football.
(3)Pete T.
Good food and great service. A bit pricey but I paid the same for a crappy meal the night before at Cheeseburger in Par***** so this was worth the bucks. I ate breakfast on a Wednesday so I didn't care about the TVs and programs on at the time. Clean place, modern tidy restrooms and friendly staff. This is the high rent area of Waikiki so the prices didn't surprise me.
(4)Maryammalle P.
The service was excellent and the food was good. It's a little pricey but they have a military discount of 20% off your entire meal purchase with proof of id. I had the meatloaf sandwich which was yummy but you must get the sweet potato fries...they were delicious and I can't wait to go back for more! It's a sports bar so expect to have sports blasting throughout and I believe they open early on the weekends to play college football. I haven't tried their breakfast yet but they do serve it all day so that's always nice. All in all, I would definitely go back! Oh the only draw back for me was that they serve Pepsi products and I'm a Coca Cola girl!
(4)Earl G.
Don't go here. I mean it. It is completely overpriced for the less than mediocre food. Service is almost nonexistent and unresponsive. I should have taken the hint when I saw "Round Table Pizza" on the menu (I'm not kidding), but I decided to go for it anyway and order the Pastrami sandwich. What I got was very underwhelming: over-salted stringy Pastrami that was soaking through the bread and a tiny sliver of a pickle that looked like it was out of the jar too long. It was depressing. For the amount of money they charge for a sandwich I was expecting more if even just in the presentation. Last night's leftovers are looking really good compared to this. 0 stars if I could rate it that low...
(1)Imran M.
I'm giving this place 5 stars 'cos the Corned Beef and Pastrami sandwich was ridiculously good. And they give you free pizza with your beer. Free pizza with beer. Imagine that ? This is a sports bar type place though a higher end type of sports bar with plasmas adorning the walls. Service was good, the interior looks good and the location is great.
(5)Lance L.
My family and I went for dinner on a Sunday night. We were seated promptly, our waiter passed out our menus, took our drink order, and came back promptly for our dinner order. The manager acknowledged us with a warm greeting. The restaurant was about a third to a fourth full. Our waiter seemed like he was trying. We ordered a round of drinks, a large King Supreme pizza, an appetizer ( pastrami sliders. The pizza was excellent, though pricey ( $27, but it is prime real estate Waikiki ), the sliders were tasty but very small in size ( order the regular sandwich, the price is the same but you get fries and the sandwich is three times larger ). Everything was going pretty well, BUT we had the worst time trying to get our water and soft drinks refilled. Our waiter walked past us about eight times and we had to flag him down to get our drinks refilled EVERY single time. The interior is very well done and parking is at the Wyndam timeshare or across the street at the Embassy Suites. Cost is $6 not including a tip for 4 hours, reasonable considering you are in Waikiki.
(3)Kaili N.
kinda hit or miss here. most of the time, the fries are served cold. i used to come here on my lunch break sometimes, but i stopped because the food usually took too long. i would end up having to scarf down my food...even though i eat like that normally, i don't like to be forced to! :P
(3)Steve Z.
This will be short. I stopped in while walking around Waikiki. I ordered a corned beef Reuben, which I thought would be a pretty safe bet in a place with Pastrami in the name. No such luck. The corned beef was fatty and greasy. It came on burnt toast. The whole thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a sick feeling in my stomach. Hey, the draft beer was okay. Service and setting were both good. But not the place to come for corned beef. Next time I'll hike a few extra blocks over to the deli in the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
(2)Jeannie C.
Is it just me? This place sucks a**! Yeah it's on nice, new Lewers Street with nice, new decor, fancy schmancy flat panel TVs, comfy booths and one hell of a misleadingly good menu. Unfortunately we were suckered in by a photo of a deceiving fab looking Reuben sandwich which b/f was craving. What he got instead was a puny kid-size sandwich w/ a gargantuan side of fries. After splurging so many days in a row, I wanted to be good and get something somewhat low fat, and thought the roast turkey w/ fresh veggies fit the bill. I even asked the lamo waitress if it's fresh roasted turkey and her lamo response was, "yeah, I'm preeetty sure it is..." I should've taken that as a warning sign but ordered it anyway. I wish I took a pic of the disgusting slab of processed TV dinner "turkey" the size of Texas smothered in gray gravy, overcooked, dried-out veggies and a perfectly round scoop of cafeteria style instant mashed potatoes. We sent that nastiness back and then lamo said she'd still charge for the side salad that came with it which I had the misfortune of picking at so whatever no biggie, until we got the bill -- 25 mother truckin bucks for the kiddie sandwich and a side salad. When we questioned lamo just out of amazement she said "yeah, that's how much a side salad is...you wanna see the menu?" No what I want to do is too mean to post but nice people that we are, just paid and vowed to Yelp as many people as possible away from here.
(1)Ben K.
This place is a joke. First of all i'm asian, i'm korean, and as i'm walking in, this pretty stupid waiter hands us japanese menus. He doesn't even ask, just assumes. I consider this racist, anybody else would as well. We ordered beverages, iced tea at breakfast. 2 hours later, i get it, no iced tea. He then comes runing back with the iced tea, so he's just lazy. My contention is that he's flirting with some girl in the back, and putting the customers last. It's actually a pretty nice space, good booths, nice chairs, tv, THAT'S TO FRICKEN LOUD. it's just that, your eating (i'll get to the food later,), and it's just to annoying. And then the food, my friend got macadamian nut pancakes, that were 4 bucks more expensive then the normal. It's just the fricken pancakes with nuts on top. No extra labor, just a hunk of nuts. Then my potato pancakes, had raw onions in it. it was gross, the experiece the guy i hate this place so should you
(1)Tiffany W.
Run do not walk past this place. Poor service...45 minute wait past ordering for breakfast to be delivered to table. Omlets cold. Portions were big, but that's about all you could say. Could have gone to Denny's for under $25 bucks for the 3 of us...could have kicked self afterward. Overpriced service and food with a friendly attitude. But with prices like that I would be smiling too.
(2)C K.
this place is ok. Nacho did n't have a lot of toppings, and the pizza was ok. Service was ok.
(2)R W.
If you want a better pastrami sandwich than you can get at Giovanni Pastrami, go to Subway!!! If that doesn't say it all we don't know what does. In one of the other reviews a guy states that they delivered a "puny kid sized" sandwich, and boy was he right. I wouldn't have expected a place called Giovanni's Pastrami to send out what they call a pastrami sandwich that was smaller than the size of a Macdonald's hamburger, but they did! This was their "HOT AND THICK" sandwich. It was served on a non-toasted bread with a slice of cheese (we paid extra for the cheese) that was still cold. It was bland with only a very small portion of thinly sliced meat. It wouldn't even make at good appetizer at $15. Thank God there were a few fries that came with it. The guy below who writes the 5-star review must either be related to the owner or on some really good local stuff. The place is very dark and loud, which is probably to be expected from a sports bar, and to make it even louder you get an individual adjustable speaker at your table to tune into one of the many screens. This would be fine except that when you turn up your speaker, the guys next to you turn up theirs and so on. It's probably a good thing for them that they have a bar, the food we received wouldn't support a business. Since we didn't eat breakfast there we can't knock that, but after trying dinner we won't go back for breakfast. If they can't turn out a pastrami sandwich as their name implies, we can't imaging how the other food on the menu would rank. We will NEVER go back!
(1)Lisa K.
Cheesecake Review Rich, creamy and dense New York Style cheesecake. Crust was a bit soggy but the flavor of the upper portion made up for it. If you're not into cheesecake, you may want to bypass the place since on the day I visited, they were out of 4 of the 6 desserts. The only other dessert available was the strawberry shortcake which was extremely dry with little to no strawberries or flavor to the whipped cream.
(4)Jason G.
I won't rehash what has already been said on the awful service and overpriced food. Even if I was a local, I'd never go back.
(1)Katia G.
Worst food poisoning ever!! I used to like going to Giovanni Pastrami, but after today, I won't come back again. bad service and the food tasted (i had a personal pizza and my husband had a turkey reuben and we shared our food) good but We have got the worst food poisoning ever. It's sad, but this place is out of my favorites in Waikiki.
(1)C O.
So let's break this review up in to sections. We'll explore the service, the atmosphere, the prices, and the quality/selection of food. Section 1: Service It's terrible. Usually. Sometimes you get a rising star in the restuarant world but, for the most part, you get folks who really don't care whether you are a tourist or a local. They know you are spending money and they don't care if you come back. I know the management has been working on this but, as of late, it doesn't appear to be the most successful service campaign. Section 2: Atmosphere This is a fun, classy, and clean sports bar in the heart of Waikiki. While it caters to tourists it doesn't feel like a tacky, kitchy Hawaii hole-in-the-wall. The TVs are big, the sound is clean, the booths are huge, the decor is great, the parking is simple, and the over all experience is pleasing to the auditory and visual senses. Section 3: Price This place is expensive. It's expensive even by Hawaii-tourist trap standards. I understand The DONALD probably charges way too much for rent (he is bankrupt, remember) but I have to question whether exorbinant prices are really an appropriate business model. The answer may lie in the longevity of the place but, as of this writing, the prices are a bit high to make this a regular, year-round, weekly hang-out spot. Section 4: The Food. It's awesome. There's really no way you can argue against the depth of the menu, the quality of the ingredients, or the presentaiton of the food. The pizza is Roundtable and is some of the best you'll find in Hawaii (and no, I don't buy into that "its NY-style or Boston-style or who-gives-a-shit style. It's good, who cares). The sandwiches are great---just like you'd expect from a neighborhood sandwich joint back on the mainland. And their breakfast, ohhhhh their breakfast, is served all day and makes me happy long into the night. The shortcomings in service and price are easily overcome by the atmosphere (including your favorite sporting event, like the Packers winning) and the depth, breadth, and quality of the food. This place is a great spot---especially during their "free pizza" happy hour!
(4)Leo T.
I'll go with OK. The food is somewhat overpriced but fairly good quality. There are a ton on TV's for watching games and that's a plus. The drinks are also somewhat overpriced, so its tough to say anything really bad nor anything really good.
(3)Justin W.
We went here last night after watching Eddie Griffin at the Waikiki Shell. We walked in and there were 3 hostesses waiting to seat people and this was 1030pm. There weren't a lot of people in here so I thought that was kind of excessive. Anyways we sit down and and are looking over the menu and the prices are mediocre for being in Waikiki. $10-20 a person. For drinks to start out got water's and I ordered a blue hawaiian and my wife ordered a tropical itch, this is when we noticed that the service was kind of slow. It took a good while to get our drinks. As a matter of fact the water was brought just before the alcoholic drinks. For food I ordered the chicken alfredo, which was alright, there was a lot of chicken in there though which I liked. The portion size matches the price. The portions are relatively big. They also do serve their breakfast items all day which is kind of cool. And there are enough LCD televisions all over that no matter what sport is on I'm sure it will be on of the televisions in there. One thing we did notice though was that it was pretty loud in there even though there were not a lot of people in there. I would suggest this more for breakfast because I think that is more their fortay.
(3)Matt W.
I'm not sure if this is a chain restaurant, but I was too tired to drive off the strip and landed at GP's b/c I'd never heard of it and it seemed like it had a fun vibe. Well, it did. And good service too! The food was average, defintely not bad, but nothing write home about. If you are in the mood for a fun environment with oh kay food and decent beer choices that doesn't sound like the name of every chain in your home town, this isn't a bad choice!
(3)Brett B.
What a disappointment. We first heard about this place from a pair of Aussies who were raving about how many breakfast options there were. Excitedly, we found this place the next morning but were sorely disappointed. The omelette was nothing to write home about, the hash browns were way too greasy/buttery, and the pastrami eggs benedict were bland. The pastrami also wasn't great, despite the name. The meal was also very expensive! The one good thing about our meal there was the virgin lava flow.
(2)K K.
Since we were playing tourist this weekend we stopped by Giovanni Pastrami for a late night meal and some drinks. It has a nice inviting atmosphere for a "sports" bar because of the bright lighting and multiple LCD TVs on the walls. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The bar area is towards the back of the room and the bartender was a friendly local woman. Sitting at the bar you get quick service when it comes to drinks and even food. I'm a fan of Round Table pizza so we ordered the King Arthur supreme. Loaded with toppings and cooked perfectly. The bartender places the order with the kitchen and goes back there to bring it to you. Came out hot and delicious! The beer prices are not bad for Waikiki. Domestic bottles are $ 4.50 and Import bottles are $5.50. But if you buy a draft (16oz) it's $4 for domestic and $5 for import. I prefer drinking draft beer so it's a plus for me. The 4th star is because they have Budweiser, New Castle, and Guinness on tap! The only beer missing is Heineken. 3 out of 4 is still awesome. The downside is they close at midnight but for me it's perfect. Nice atmosphere, draft beer, and good pizza. Ya! I'm a fan....
(4)Mark G.
I went to Giovanni Pastrami to watch a UH game. The game was on a Friday so I went for the Happy Hour and the free pizza. The service was slow but they were packed and I could tell they were trying. They weren't going to serve the free pizza, by the way since it was going to be so crowded for the game. However either though the goodness of their heart or because it was announced on the radio they decided to pony up the slices. Before I knew that the free pizza was coming though, I ordered a Cobb salad and I thought it was a pretty substantial and quite fresh and tasty salad. My buddy ordered Corned beef and eggs, go figure. But that looked good too. The pizza is Round Table but I thought it pretty good. Certainly the price was right. The have a many TVs and it's a pretty nice restaurant. This is a good place to go between 3 and 6 just to load up on pizza and have a cold one and watch some tube (I guess plasmas don't have tubes). WARNING: They only validate for 4 hours no exceptions, no double validation. It ended up costing us 18 dollars for parking WITH the validation.
(3)Ai M.
8 of us went here to eat lunch today. Waitress was so-so, wasn't all that friendly. We asked the waiter "What's for soup today?" and she said "Oh we don't have soup ready yet"... Um... it's LUNCH time and don't have soup ready yet? We went there around 11:30am. We are the local that work around the neighborhood hotels, and felt like other tourists who were dining here got better and friendlier service. I asked for some lemon for my ice water, and this waitress brought 1 slice of lemon IN HER BARE HANDS, tried to stick it on the edge of my glass, and SHE DROPPED IT ON THE TABLE. Ugh. We come here often, bar is great, but not too sure about the service from the watress/waiter... very inconsistent. When we got the bill, some of the items we ordered were $2 more expensive than what it said on the menu... we just paid and left.
(2)Aris S.
Went here for a late breakfast only because I could catch Moto GP on the TV. It was the first time eating here and will be the last. If I need to watch a sporting event I will only order a beer. My wife and I split an omelet and potatos (their portions are big enough to split) and the food was room temperature and very mediocre. Later we both didn't feel that great at all. The food really sucks and is over priced. Twenty bucks to split an omelet and get sick isn't worth it.
(1)Mitchell O.
Good food and service, dont be a bitch if its busy, its busy!
(5)Geminyna J.
Yes it's a tourist trap. Definitely eat @ the plethora of options within walking distance. But COME FOR FOOTBALL and drinks. and football! If your home games are 3 hrs ahead of local HI time, GP opens @ 6:45am on game days, just in time for 10am West Coast kickoffs at home. Be warned, it gets CROWDED. Fast. for any sports event.
(3)Daniella L.
Restaurant is just ok but won't be coming back. Portion sizes are good but flavor is lacking. We only had breakfast here so maybe lunch and dinner items are much better. My omelette was not cooked all the way through and hash browns had no seasoning. Of the 3 meals we ordered, the third came out almost 10 minutes later.
(3)Sherry W.
This place has all the games! It was packed but the hostess was very helpful and we still got good service! Definitely try the honey BBQ wings. Edit: We returned later in the day to catch the Giants game and unfortunately the hostesses that were now on duty were rude. With a restaurant that was at least 60% empty she tried to seat us at a table too close to the TV and said "because of stadium seating we could not sit at a different table". We had to speak with a different hostess to be moved. Goes to show a restaurant's quality really depends on its staff.
(3)Rick B.
Came back from a hike and was looking for some food...ended up in Giovanni Pastrami. This place is like an Italian sports bar...if you can wrap your head around that one. Pretty sizeable place...is much bigger inside than the outside entrance would let on...set up sort of like a tri-level home. Food, TVs and a large bar...so it had all the makings of a hit. Had a large menu so they provide lots of choices. We started out with a margarita and a daiquiri...after all we are in the islands. The drinks were ok but they were pretty small...I'd vote for the margarita although it needed some more oomph...for my taste give me a Pepe's margarita back home in Illinois...but this one was an ok substitution. The daiquiri took second place...ok, but weak and small. Now for food. Only one of us ate so this will be short...we had a Reuben pastrami with a side of cole slaw...it was all right...nice size and a sufficient amount of tasty meat...good sandwich all around. All in all this place served out purposes after a long hike...refreshments and food. Service was good too. This place is nice, just nothing to make it stand out.
(3)Nadia K.
Giovanni Pastrami has been a long time favorite of our family mostly because they serve Round Table Pizza. Their menu is extensive and they serve breakfast all day! The service used to be really poor, but nowadays it's been pretty awesome and they are always able to accommodate our large group of 9. The portions are huge and the kids meals are great. It's so awesome to find a restaurant that can satisfy every palette in the party. Did I mention they serve Round Table Pizza???
(4)Gluten L.
Both of us love this place. They have a huge menu, and all of the food is great. It's a great place to get breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late night snack. He loves the bagels, salmon and cream cheese. I love all of the sandwiches. I usually get the Chelsea's treat. They have really good cole slaw, too! I have to eat gluten free and they're very knowledgable about which foods have it or not. They have pizza, too. (not gluten free) Sometimes it can be a bit crowded or noisy, and it's a bit pricey for a sandwich-and-pizza place. Otherwise it's great. I would say it's more like 4 1/2 stars.
(4)BeN J.
Came here after a long day of sight seeing through out Oahu. Our hotel room was just next door to Giovanni's after a few days of going in and out of our hotel room and seeing this restaurant we decided to try this place out. To my surprise this place has some delicious pepperoni pineapple pizza which my wife ordered. The pizza was thin crust and had just the right amount of cheese on it, it was so delicious. I had the kalua pork slider with bbq sauce which was alright but just had to try something new and something that had kalua in it. The ambience was definitely great, the music, the place is just chill. As for our waitress she was great! Very attentive always checking and making sure we had our drinks filled up. I wish I knew her name so that i can give credit and thank her on here but yeah she was bomb!. All in all I had a great experience in here.
(5)Julie L.
When we told them we were in a hurry, they made sure to get us our food and check quick. Had the chicken burger, pastrami sliders and the pastrami sandwich. All items were good. Toasty, soft bread w/ generous amount of meat. Garlic fries were yummy. However, we had already paid our check prior to finishing the meal but when we left, the hostess chased after us as if we tried to bail on the tab. Should've checked w/ our server first. Just sayin'.
(4)Gina P.
Just another average bar in Waikiki. Lots of TV good for watching sports. Waitress are nice
(3)Brad G.
Lots of seating, good drink and happy hour menu. The food was just okay, but I bumped it to four stars because when I said I felt like the sandwich (which was supposed to be the big double decker turkey and pastrami) skimped on meat big time, they remade it for me no questions asked.
(4)Kathy N.
Surely I had died and gone to heaven. Not only was I in paradise but there was a restaurant next door to my hotel (Wyndham) with the word "pastrami" in it's name. My group hit up Giovanni's for dinner and had a pleasant, not top-notch five-star, but pleasant evening. L and A each ordered a personal Round Table pizza. A's Hawaiian Style pizza was average but L's pepperoni pizza was rubbery and awful. She couldn't even eat it. B had a pastrami reuben and he quickly finished it off. I ordered a hot pastrami sandwich with provolone and pickle chips on the sandwich. I was really excited for my sandwich as I'm a HUGE pastrami fan. When it was set down in front of me it looked wonderful...and it was! The meat was flavorful, moist and not fatty at all. My only disappointment was with the bread. I was wishing it had been toasted or grilled or at least heated but perhaps that was my fault. I probably had to ask for that. Sandwich sides were not memorable. Our service that night was good. We went to Giovanni's on our last morning to once again take advantage of the Wyndham's 10% discount and the convenience of it being next door. This experience was not so good. Our waitress was impossible to flag down and she seemed annoyed by her customers. My corned beef hash breakfast was just so-so which really surprised me. L and A shared an order of the Haupia French Toast and it was not only delicious but gorgeous too. And that coconut rum sauce? To die for. I don't even eat sweet breakfasts and I was wishing I had ordered that dish instead of my corned beef hash. Sadly our waitress ruined our final experience at Giovanni's. It was damn near impossible to get her attention to get our check. After checking out many of the reviews here it seems that Giovanni's could benefit from some customer service training.
(3)Lil R.
Looking for a place to eat with no crowd? Looking for a quiet place to write that novel? Look further, because this place is loud and very crowded. Great for a decent pastrami sandwich away from new york, but be ready for a wait, as the line will build up during the usual rush for lunch and dinner. The service is great if you come before the crowd, which is my reason for the 4 stars. They def. Got to us, ask the questions, filled our order and water very often. To also add the water was extremely friendly and chatted a little bit when she could. The one star minus is for the price. A standard large pizza is roughly 30.00 and a pastrami sandwhich with fries is about 18. So def would be a $$ and really bordering $$$.
(4)Kenji S.
Good food, tons of sports, and service on point. Great place to catch sports games. There are huge TVs all over the restaurant. Several times a large group of us, Florida Gators fans, reserved an area to watch our college teams play. You can also come here to watch the big pay-per-view event, particularly UFC fights. The food menu is extensive, covering everything from deli sandwiches to shrimp fettecini Alfredo. The servers are also pretty good about customizing orders to fit your liking. Pro Tip: the chicken wings here are some of the best I've found on the island- tender inside, crispy outside and a great buffalo sauce. The service is timely and accommodating. My server, Nora, was great at helping me find the baseball game I wanted to watch. She also let me know about their military discount. Negative: during football season sometimes the restaurant can get pretty packed, even early (7am) due to the time difference out here.
(5)Denise R.
Ok so we've been here a few times and this place is so good! They serve round table pizza which for us is the top pizza you can get! So yummy! Everything we've had is super yummy! Def gotta try it out if you get the chance!
(4)Sean P.
Ordered the Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich and it was the best I have ever eaten. I will definitely visit again next time I stay on Waikiki Beach. Cynthia was my server and she is very professional and attentive, the atmosphere of the restaurant is very nice and I look forward to my next visit. I have already recommended to my friends to dine here before our journey back home.
(5)Gene A.
Their pastrami Reuben was one of the best I ever had! Love this place, great atmosphere and awesome food.
(5)Megan D.
This will do the trick if you're trying to get a quick meal near your hotel that will please everyone in your group, but overall it was very pricey for what we got. If you've got time to look into other options, I would suggest going elsewhere. It did look like they've got a pretty decent happy hour though!
(3)Carolyn G.
We arrived late to our hotel at the Wyndham, which sits right above Giovanni Pastrami. We needed something quick and easy for dinner, so we strolled in here at about 10 p.m. As we sat down, I quickly looked up the Yelp reviews to find it out falls below my four-star threshold. However, it was too late to turn back! We ordered a bunch of apps and a few pizzas off the happy hour menu. I saw they had a Stoli martini for like $6/$7 on the HH menu as well, so I bit! I got it extra dry, a little dirty and it was pretty epic. I really needed that after the long flight from San Diego! The food was also really good! I am from Buffalo, N.Y., and typically hate chicken wings outside of the Northeast....shockingly, they had some pretty good wings. They were crispy, yet moist, in a nice Buffalo sauce (prob Frank's Red Hot). The nachos were also really good. They had a great layer of chili beans on them! My family also enjoyed their pizzas, though I didn't try it. The menu said that the pizza was from Roundtable, which was confusing... Overall this place has a nice atmosphere and good service. The happy hour prices can't be beat in Waikiki!
(4)Chris S.
Had a great time over dinner at Giovanni Pastrami. Time: 7:30. Location: the heart of Waikiki. Wait time: SEATED IMMEDIATELY!!! Incredible because they were busy, but well organized. Dinner was great. The menu was extensive and varied. Nola, our server, was very responsive and helpful. The food was flavorful and had healthy portions without going overboard. About midway through our meal, the manager, Russ, politely asked if we could help him out by relocating our table to accommodate a party of 15 and comp'd us dessert. We were happy to oblige, and he was a real sport as we had fun with him over "sweetening" the deal!!! I was laughing as he verbally sparred with my girlfriend causing laughter around the whole table. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Thank you, guys!!!
(5)Trenton N.
Happy Hour Special: Buy a drink get a free slice of pizza. I think that's all you need to know.
(4)Jensen S.
I'va came here twice in my life. Both to watch football games. On the plus side my team has won both times. (1 star for good luck) The service here is pretty good. I've never had a problem with it unlike some of the other Yelpers have. It's mostly a tourist spot since it is in Waikiki and it is pretty pricey for the food, but I don't feel like I get different service because I'm not White, unlike Denny's or Red Lobster (See Red Lobster review) (1 star) Their Happy hour is from 3-6 on the menu, and 3-5 on the poster outside the restaurant, not sure which one is correct because I ordered everything after 3 and before 5... sorry. The happy hour was really impressive. Drinks are still expensive as ever as pitchers don't get discounted but draft pints are a dollar cheaper. But the food choices made me give this another star. They had 1/2 order Nachos, 1/2 order wings, and Personal Pizzas (a little bigger than the Personal Pizzas from Pizza Hut that you could get after you read all your books in elementary school) all for $5, win!. (1 star) That is all about this place I can give stars to. The time I ate the happy hour, they were playing Monday Night Football. They seated us on one side of the restaurant and apparently there was a horse race going to happen later in the evening so they kepy the side of the restaurant I was on, on those tvs for the whole MNF game. The horse race lasted about 15 minutes and I don't think most of the people that came to watch that even stayed after and ordered anything. IDK. The first time I came here was for breakfast. It was the football playoffs last year at 8 in the morning. I ordered the breakfast and was extremely dissapointed by the eggs benedict. Overall, prices are high for decent quality food. I guess it's what you should expect in Waikiki, I'm just saddened when I could get a plate lunch for 1/3 of the price from Rainbow's or something and have it taste wayyyy better.
(3)Janet K.
This place is really really bad!!! So shitty that I can't even think of a better word than shitty! Service is the worst! First time I came here I walked out and went across the street to Yardhouse. I stood at the host stand and no one greeted me or showed me to a table. I stood there for a while looking at the menu waiting and no one came. No, it wasn't busy. So many open tables I wanted to seat myself. Finally maybe after 10-15 minutes, someone came and showed us to a table. Hallelujah right? WRONG!!! Little did I know, I was just getting started with the waiting game. The server never showed up. Well, maybe he did, but I didn't want to wait another 15 minutes to see if he was going to so that's when we got up and left. Second and final time was the day after my birthday party. Wasn't my choice to come here, but I figured everyone deserves a second chance. Luckily this time we were seated right away. Okay, off to a good start, maybe I was wrong about this place... WRONG AGAIN!!! 30 minutes for the water and an hour and 45 minutes for the food! He got the food orders wrong, and even got the toast order wrong! He put the water pitcher on the table so we could refill our waters ourselves. Hmmm... one less thing for him to do in this empty restaurant. Food was cold and crappy... How do you eff up breakfast food? Never again!
(1)C T.
Very disappointed! We call to make sure there is no wait, when we get there we are told that we have to wait for ten minutes. We are the only customers waiting outside and we wait for more than ten minutes. The hostess finally comes outside to tell us that they are over booked and there will be another 25 minute wait. Why didn't she tell us this when we first got there, not to mention we walked from the zoo. What a waste of time and poor service!
(1)Pat A.
Went here for dinner because nobody would decide what they wanted. I always like a good pastrami sandwich and it looked clean and lively so why not. I ordered a pastrami which they advertised as a "generous portion." That was $14 and it was 1/3lb of pastrami on dry rye. Want cheese add $2. Want nice spicy mustard on your New York deli style sandwich not a chance. You'll get Frenches yellow mustard after you ask for it. The pickle you get is a spear on the side. The fries are shoe string from a bag. Cheap through and through but you are expected to pay premium prices because your in down town Waikiki. Don't go here you'll want to throw a plate at an underdressed waitress like I very nearly did.
(1)Maricris K.
Been here a few times before but what clenched it for me today is their triple play (available all day); loco moco, pancakes, and bacon egg benedict- it is simply TO DIE FOR!! If you eat nothing else, be sure to go here and have it- you will NOT be disappointed!
(5)Keith M.
Had dinner here tonight at 9PM and were seated without delay. My wife ordered a Mango Daquari and Pina Colada for me...both were excellent. We ordered a Spicy Chopped Salad which was great and pastrami beef and barley soup that was very good. I ordered a cup of chili and the spicy spanish omelette. Chili was the best I've had in a while.
(4)James N.
Never had a pastrami dip before. Imaginea French dip only better. The Kailua pig sandwich wasn't so great. Definitely worth trying if you like sandwiches. Their pizzas are round table, so they are so so.
(3)Tiffany C.
I like to come here if I'm in the area. The waitstaff are normally really friendly and check up on you often. Today we had Kim; she was polite and even before I asked she asked us if we would like any refills on our beverages and brought out additional waters for us. My husband really enjoyed their coffee which Kim said was a premium know blend. My husband really knows his coffees since he always has a cup wherever we go. He got the kalua pork loco moco but said that the onions weren't cooked down well. I got the omelet with hash browns and a bagel. The hash browns and bagel were perfect probably the best I've ever had. The omelet was a little bit to cheesy so I scraped off about half a cups worth. All in all the experience was good for Waikiki the prices were avg for the two of us we spent a little over 40 before tip and taxes.
(4)Shanah C.
Any bar that you can walk in wearing your bathing suit is a good time! Pretty large bar/restaurant with lots of TV's to watch the game. Had a simple salad (my man had a burger) Nothing amazing, but no complaints. Service was so so, but it was crowded. The menu was pretty extensive though (I like having "options")
(3)Santiago T.
Just went in for breakfast. All the food was mediocre except the SOUR TASTING Belgium waffle. I asked the waitress why it was sour? She said she would make us another one. 15 minutes pass and the waitress is avoiding our table like the plague. So I ask the bus girl the status of the waffle. The manager eventually comes out and explains that we were given an expired batch of waffles and the are waiting for the new shipment. I ask, "well why would you guys serve expired food?" His response was sorry. They comped the waffles and gave us a 9 dollar discount from our bill. The best part was the waitress starred the bottom of the check identifying how much in tip she deserved... classy joint with exceptional service...
(1)Luis R.
Not sure what all the hype is about. Maybe I got the wrong dish. I felt like eating pasta and that is what I got. Dry, pasta. Maybe I will revisit in the future.
(2)Shay F.
Drove all over the place to find a lunch place that was open (1:30~2:00 ish)...and landed upon Giovanni's. I had the Gourmet Veggie personal pan pizza. It had garlic sauce, cheese, artichoke hearts, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, red and green onions, and garlic. Totally YUM! I inhaled that pizza! LoL. I want to go back to breakfast since they had a pretty good looking breakfast menu...and yes, they have FREE cheese pizza between 3pm and 5pm (w/ purchase)
(3)Chad A.
First off they offer an impressive 20% off for Military, which is awesome. The food is still somewhat pricey even after that. My wife and I consider it rather tasty, but it isn't at all catered to the Asian tourism which is why I suspect the lower ratings. It reminds me of good restaurants I have been to in NYC, and the service and decor is impressive. The only caution is that the grilled sandwiches can get soggy on the bottom if not eaten quickly after being cooked. Overall a great place to eat.
(4)April J.
For $16 I expected a better turkey reuben than what I got. The turkey was good, but the bread not grilled just greased up. Had to degrease hands after each bite. Definitely not worth the price. If you are in the area, skip tbis place. Service was okay. With tax, tip and glass of water, it was $20 for a greasey sandwich with an odd side of potato salad.
(1)Flora M.
Came here twice with family while we were on vacation. The first time, the restaurant didn't have too many customers (definitely not packed). The bartender took our order. My father in law asked her to change one of the TVs to play a hockey game. She went back to the bar, put in our orders, and took a while to get back to us with our drinks. I was watching her and didn't really know what was taking so long. Meanwhile, FIL asked her again to change the TV and she gave us some attitude and said they were really busy (they didn't look busy...). A manager came out and changed the TV for us, but it took about 20 minutes. The second time, we walked in and couldn't find the hostesses because they were sitting behind the front desk. The rest of the waitresses were by the bar, watching a football game and cheering while a few customers waited to be seated. This place is conveniently located and the food is alright, but the service generally sucks. If it weren't for their constant stream of sports, we would have gone elsewhere.
(3)Karen R.
We liked this restaurant. The kid had breakfast which was 2 HUGE pancakes and some hash browns. The husband had the roast beef sandwich which was full of roast beef and he loved the sauce it came with. I had the steak sandwich which was the perfect size and delicious. My only negative is that they had Pepsi products and I hate Pepsi. I thought the service was good. it was a Friday at around 5p and we were seated right away with no problems at all.
(4)Tiffany W.
Nothing super special about this place. It's a sports bar. Is much bigger than it looks from the street. Prices were in line with the rest of Waikiki which is to say, not cheap. Portions were big and the food was edible. Not sure I'd go back here, only because there is better tasting food in Waikiki for roughly the same price.
(2)Lauren F.
Three and a half stars. We had brunch here on our last day of vacation. I had the Triple Play breakfast dish which was awesome, if overly enormous, especially for the plate it was served on. I had to keep a close eye on the edges so nothing slopped off onto the table. Either get new plates or make the portions smaller, because it got annoying. My favorite of the three mini dishes was the coconut macadamia pancakes, but it was all super yummy. My husband ordered the pastrami Reuben and he really liked it. My main complaint was how expensive everything was. $3 for a fountain drink, are you kidding? Unfortunately I didn't see the price before ordering, or I would have stuck with water. I felt like the price for the Triple Play was fair since two people could totally share it, but $19 for the Reuben with onion rings instead of fries (a $3 upcharge) seemed pricy.
(3)S H.
All sports- great bfast! Loco moko is awesome! Get there early in the section watching your game. Good cold beer at 9 am! It can get busy and the servers to their best during game time. Patience is key. 4 stars - attitude and atmosphere and eats!
(4)Matt W.
I agree- the menu is toooo much! It could be cut down to 1/3 the size it currently is. Show me your best dishes... what can I eat that will make me come back! I sat at the bar and the bartender was all over the place. She needs a bar back to help her out... I didn't enjoy my dining experience because all I did is watch her run around with her head cut off barking at customers.
(2)Malia W.
Came here the other day for breakfast. I'm knocking down two stars because we were seated in the back with all the tvs. The sound was SO loud I was getting irritated because I couldn't hear anything. The food was pretty good. I got a half stack of coconut and macadamia nut pancakes. Very filling! It came with regular syrup and coconut. My husband got the pastrami eggs benedict. It looked bomb but he said it was alright. I guess its in alright place to come for breakfast if your over eating at the Dennys down the street.
(3)Seiko M.
The wait staff was nice. I was torn between the spicy Spanish omlette or the pastrami Ruben. The waitress didn't hesitate and said that the pastrami Ruben was her all time favorite. I trusted her and went with the pastrami. It was delicious. The only thing that made it less than perfect was the bread. The bottom was soggy and the top piece was half toasted. But still a mouth full of flavor and packed w delicious fatty salty pastrami. It was huge. I ended up taking half of it home. It was well worth the $14 price tag. The crispy shoe string fries was an excellent compliment. I also tried the Tripple play. It was a tapas tasting of tomato, bacon, avo eggs Benedict, strawberry short stack w shaved coconut, and mini loco moco. This was the best for those that want to taste a little of everything. The bacon was cooked perfect! Crispy and crunchy to compliment the perfect egg and soft English muffin. The pancakes come w a coconut syrup and the usual maple. The loco moco was covered in luscious brown gravy. A winner in my book! And last but not least, I had the Hail Mary. It was a great breakfast/brunch glass full of veggies! Yum! I highly recommend going for brunch. It was not busy and we sat quickly at 10am. Everything was priced between $12-$18. It is alittle pricey but with the right company and the perfect pastrami Ruben your experience will not be forgotten.
(4)corey k.
Giovanni's owner and Managers need to understand that there is NO point in boasting that they show multiple games if they reserve half the upstairs area to fans of one team and set half of the TV screens to that game. WTF This is what happened yesterday. Me and two of my friends go to Giovanni's to watch the UH game and the Notre Dame game. We get there at 1pm and half the upstairs area is reserved for the Ohio State game. There was one TV playing the ND (and they are undefeated) game and one playing the UH game. We ask the manager to please change the Texas game shown on one screen to the UH game. He says no because there are people watching the game. We ask how many... he says 2. We tell him that there's 3 of us as well as 3 other UH fans so why do the 2 Texas fans rate higher? He says because UH and SD St aren't ranked teams. Seriously??? We live in Hawaii, we should show some local support for our home team despite our record. Then to make matters worse half the upstairs is reserved for Ohio State fans as well as 6 TV screens. The manager's response to that was "Well they have been coming for years". So what then, why say you show tons of games if you block off half your screens for one game? And Ohio State isn't even Bowl Eligible. The most irritating part is that the fans were so effing obnoxious. Whenever they scored they played a Trumpet... yes a fricken Trumpet in the bar and blasted music on their own Bose Speaker system they brought. Basically what Giovanni was saying is that if you want, bring your mega phones, cannons, air horns, and PA systems cause it's all good. There were so many other people complaining, and management did nothing. Great job supporting Hawaii's only college football team, and for allowing your patrons to disturb the enjoyment of other fans watching THEIR favorite teams!
(1)Steve N Petra N.
Just ate here and the food was really great. Had the Pastrami Eggs Benedict and my wife had a personal pizza. Service was friendly and prompt. Definitely recommend!
(4)Deb L.
Long wait on the food and food was cold when they came out!
(1)Morgan S.
The atmosphere was very cool and seems great for couples or guys. It's a sports bar but sort of classy. We got the cheese sticks twizzles and they were good. Only comes with ranch so if you ask for marinara, then you might get a weird face from you're waiter and attitude. Food was as after that. We ordered the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and the western burger. Chicken fettuccine Alfredo was disgusting!!!!! I eat at every Italian and non Italian place chicken Alfredo pasta just to say I tried it there because it's my go-to food. It was the absolute worse I've tasted and we live in California so I've tried many. Please DO NOT order this plate. Very dry and I had yo ask for more sauce. Didn't help much but better than being watery sauce with bland sauce. $16 + chicken $6 = $22 NOT WORTH IT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! The Western burger was ordinary and ok to eat. It tasted like your regular hamburger and nothing special. For something they highlight in their menu and make it their special, then that tells me a lot. $16 To be honest, the cheese twizzles were good, the added marinara sauce was disgusting so if you try to make it better with that then we suggest to just try it since it didn't cost more. $6.95 for 6pcs We sat right next to the swinging kitchen door so it was a horrible location. They should never have made a booth there because if I got up, one of the waiters could have slammed the door on me. I'm not exaggerating when it came to how hard they were hitting the door open and it would fly hard that even the waiters got hit 3 times and just laughed when they swung it hard in front of them. The server was kind of rude when we only wanted to order water and have us attitude. Unfortunately we were drained from the day and we didn't care for filling ourselves up with alcohol or soft drinks but the waitress seemed up make it known that it was an issue for her. Will not go back to this place again.
(2)Julie N.
Not a huge fan of this place, I've had numerous meals from here because it's on the way home from work and my boyfriend goes to the bar here all the time. The dishes are pretty pricey, except for the happy hour menu. Don't care for the pasta here. The pizza is from Round Table Pizza. The burgers are probably the best part, but I've had better at Teddy's and for less. Hmm, the sandwiches are alright.. I guess. The loco moco is not bad, but again, I've had better at Genius. The pancakes are good though.
(2)Vanessa S.
Don't waste your time. Over priced tourist trap. Plus the overwhelming smell of the poorly-cleaned bar lingers. We came here to watch football and realized we should've gone anywhere else.
(1)Ryn C.
Lost another customer I have been telling people since I arrived that Waikiki should not be ignored or overlooked. One such place I always recommended was Giovanni Pastrami. But, not anymore. Friends who have taken my advice and ventured into the chaotic parking mess that is Waikiki would return and tell me of the horrible service they received or the poor food quality. Now, not gonna argue that their food isn't wonderful, but one should take into consideration the quality of food when they rely more on advertising a "NY Deli" to actual tasting comparisons. (Force feeding your customers you are a NY Deli is as absurd as someone from NY ever being caught dead with an "I Love New York" T-Shirt.) A few weeks ago a friend and I were looking for a place to eat and I suggested Giovanni. I was going to convince her that her previous experiences (notice the plural) were just an anomaly. So, rather than sitting and waiting for a table we went to sit at the bar. The traffic was fairly light. After sitting for 5 minutes, we were finally acknowledged by the person behind the bartender, (I did not recognize her as one of my regular bartenders, so I didn't get her name.) with a "I will be right with you." 5 minutes isn't bad, but not spectacular either. I remember looking over to my friend who was growing impatient and I knew this was not going to be a good start. Well we watched the bartender disappear and reappear, take orders, deliver food... she did everything except bring us menus, water, take an order. After another 15 minutes we finally left and went to an establishment nearby where we were immediately acknowledged, drinks brought, food ordered. Sorry Giovanni you failed. Well thinking that the service couldn't possibly get any worse (my bad for assuming anything) I decided that I would try again. With football season starting, I thought I would try again. Prompt service and orders when I arrived in the early afternoon. The wings were a bit too salty, but wasn't the worst wing I have ever eaten. Besides, I was here for football. Everything was running smoothly, until the "manager" decided to change the station in the middle of the 4th quarter. When I asked Russ what happened, he apologized and said he would tell them to change it back. Well a few minutes go by, still no change. Now granted it was getting busy, but why would they change the station. Russ flagged down the "manager" who stood there trying to explain why he changed the station. (it was on a commercial and he "assumed" no one was watching. Can someone explain the logic on that? How do you assume no one is watching a game when there is a commercial?) Now I am getting frustrated. As he is explaining himself and he fails to realize he is wasting time and NOT changing the game back. I keep telling him just to change the game back. And he keeps telling me why. Now I am getting upset. Just change the station and talk afterwards. But, now he recognizes my frustration (good) and tells me to calm down. Calm down? What? Just change the station. Fix the problem. (On a side note, in the time that my game had changed on the television, my team was down. Kicked a field goal, recovered an onside kick, and threw a touchdown pass to go up by one.) As a manager, if one of your responsibilities is to fix issues you should have a better grasp on being able to read body language, tone, and an overall grasp of the entire situation and environment. Obviously he was more interested in CYA rather than CS or at least fixing the problem. Because while you did apologize multiple times (fake apologizing too) you failed to fix the issue at hand or understand the urgency of the situation. To the owner: I would also recommend a course in Empathy for both you as well as your manager. Because when I approached you on the issue you were as inept as your manager. A little bit and maybe you would have lost just one customer. Now, you will lose more as I will tell everyone of my poor experience with yourself and your "manager". Sure I know you don't care and have some sort of blinder to social media or fail to grasp social media's impact. but with only 2.5 stars enough of these 1 star review will have an impact. Empathy can overcome any issues, especially poor food and high prices. But, folks there are a lot of other great bars out there in Waikiki. From Yardhouse across the street to Rivals a few streets over. See you there.
(1)Jeanne C.
This place is expensive and no better than Denny's. For $23, I got 2 pancakes, 4 TINY pieces of hard sausage, scrambled eggs, over-cooked hash browns and one slice of toast. The coconut macadamia pancakes tasted like regular pancakes with chopped nuts sprinkled on top, no hint of coconut whatsoever. You can get the same quality food at Denny's next door for $9. The hostess was very nice. I hope this place gets better.
(2)Michelle M.
Yelp 31 Challenge: 15/31 Ever wanna have fun with friends while catching a football game and some beer? Well, we sure did! Checking the Yelp reviews, I really wasnt all to jazzed about coming but I figure...WHY NOT? SUPER SIZED TV Screens abound...I found myself suffering from major sports ADD. I could not keep my eyes on the same game or sport for more than 3 minutes. Commercials made for the perfect break to set my gaze on yet another magic box. Wish they kind of had better happy hour items to choose from. The beer was nice and cold, so I really enjoyed my Kona Longboard. Service was a bit slow. Maybe because they were just as busy watching the games as we were :) As many say...the place is really loud. Hard to have a casual conversation. Oh well, what can you do. Just stick to watching the game and enjoy!
(3)Jennie E.
Food is pretty tasty. However, rarely is there service that comes with any type of friendliness or professionalism unless you're a group of men (an obvious slight at tables with couples or a meal with girl friends), the drink are the most watered down in town and you're bill gets quickly out of control. IF EVER I go back it would be for the Round Take pizza or a few other items. Get more disappointed each time I go!
(2)Beth G.
Technically this may not be a review because we had to walk out... When we were seated in the bar the floor was sticky walking up, bad sign. Then we looked around at the food which looked like bad diner food. Finally we took a look at the menu and saw most of the sandwiches were around $17. Nope. The final blow came when the overpowering smell of bleach and old beer could not be ignored, I assume for table cleaning rags stored somewhere nearby. The smell was so bad I couldn't possibly eat a meal and smell that the whole time. Good thing a waitress didn't come to our table, because it made it easier to walk right out. Save your money. Tourist trap alert.
(1)Kathleen F.
Great food and service from Amanda at the bar. Full menu all day. Opens early about 0630. Military discount if staying onHale Koa. Wi go again
(5)Tom K.
Not bad. Pretty close to real NY but not quite the same. Works when you are 1000's of miles away from NY.
(3)Kevin T.
Came here with friends to grab a beer and a sandwich. Drink specials are good. Huge menu ranging from all day breakfasts to sandwiches, salads, etc. I sample their Corned Beef Rueben with a side of Cole Slaw. Pretty good for Corned Beef while not in NYC. Cole slaw was rather delicious. They did have NYC prices with this sandwich being $16. If you have military ID, show it & get a discount. I like to try out new places and with the constant renovations around Lewers Street, there are lots of options, but all extremely touristy, trendy & commercialized :( But again, I was with friends, so I went along with their pick. I'd come back here to watch a game on the big TVs they have all around. Lots of dining space around, but the best spot is sitting right at the bar.
(3)Emma K.
I loved the look of the place as soon as I walked in. There are tv's all over, great place to go if you're gonna watch a sports game. But it seems a little difficult to get a bartender to change the channel! I've been here 3x and the place is always near empty. The wait service wasn't all that great either. It's never been when I go. Our waitress the last time we went nearly knocked over my beer....twice! For Appetizers, I've only had the Fried Calamari. Thumbs down for this. No taste and undercooked...every time. I keep ordering it in hopes it will get better :( Their Beef Dip is delicious, served on a French roll, with au jus, cole slaw and french fries. But it cost $16. I think that's a little high. Even for Waikiki. I've also tried the Corned Beef Reuben. Good sandwich and a very large portion. I think they skimp a little on the fries though. Also $16. Overall, I enjoyed the times I've been here. Spent way too much though each time. It's gona cost about $15-35 per person. I plan to go back to try their breakfast. They have many choices on the menu.
(3)Darby C.
We ate here again last night and it was great as it always it. I think the mistake that a lot of people make, is that they come here for something other than the happy hour menu. Their other food is way too "overpriced" for what you get, But keep in mind, this is waikiki... everything is more expensive. But the happy hour is just right... Wing, pizza, and drinks for under $15... that's a fine time.
(4)Dave And JM T.
Went in for dinner two times this week and loved this place! The first night we had Rocky and our second time in Jenn waited on us, they were both great! Rocky went over their new menu items and suggested we try their new ale Amber Ale they just added... We ordered a pitcher and loved it! Jenn was fast and efficient, and brought all of our food out correctly and had no problem splitting the check up for us. For food we ordered the deli shredded salad (similar to an antipasto tossed with their spicy lemon dressing), pastrami Ruben (#1 seller) King Arthur pizza, Greek Salad w/ chicken and garlic parm twists. Tons of TV's, great service, fun atmosphere... highly recommend this place!
(5)Saarah S.
I really enjoy this place!!! I've always come here for breakfast and it actually was a lucky find!! They make really good eggs, hash browns and the pancakes are REALLY tasty (they are def comparable to IHOP). Most (if not all) dishes come with a slice of pineapple. :) Now I haven't had lunch or dinner there, so I couldn't tell you about those items, but they are known for their pastrami. And if you're in town trying to see a sports game....football, soccer, hockey....whatever the case....most likely it will be playing on one of their screens. What's great is that they have these small speakers that they put at your table so you can hear the game better, as other people in the bar may be watching other games. OH!! and if there is a final or semi-final of ANY sport....be prepared for standing room only unless you get there super early! Make sure you get there well ahead of game time so you can reserve a table...otherwise you'll have to eat/drink standing up (no fun) and even after the game is over, will still have a wait. The service here is really great and everyone is very friendly.
(4)Halei J.
Gotta say I hoping this place would be good, saw some decent reviews on it so what the heck. Came here after Aloha Bash and was starving, I guess I was craving some grease cuz I order chicken strips and fries.....pretty good actually and I ordered a individual pizza which was not very good, thick crust, very cardboard like and not so good toppings, I guess I like italian thin crust pizza. The service was pretty good, quite friendly. The price was a little high for this kind of place but they are in Waikiki so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Overall probably wouldn't come back.
(3)Kristen N.
I should've listened to Raych D! The service was TERRIBLE. The waitress threw our coasters across the table, did not greet us when she approached our table. She said "What do you guys want to drink?" No "HI," no "hey"...but I let that go. We ordered our food and I ordered a Cobb Salad--looked pretty good in the picture. Not many ways you can mess up a cobb salad either, I decided to go with something fool-proof. WRONG! the turkey was Oscar Meyer-esque slices of turkey! and they didn't even cut it into smaller pieces or anything to try to make it more presentable. NO SHAME TO THEIR GAME--two slices of turkey on a bed of lettuce. ummm..really?? for fifteen dollars.... I'm all for second chances, but I can almost guarantee you I will not be visiting this establishment again.
(1)Chad G.
Love it here. I'm not normally a pastrami kind of guy, but at the insistence of my wife, I tried the pastrami sandwich. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my Jewish buddies. It was awesome! My lovely bride got a pizza and it was great too. Make sure you request the military discount when you order. It saves a little time when you are paying the check. Mozel Tov!
(5)MannyAndKelly F.
Blah blah yuck! This place is set up to serve expensive drinks to men who think they are going to get laid by tipping a part time stripper/server while watching sports in a dark bar when they are on vacation in Hawaii. The food is bad, the service is bad, the atmosphere is only ok if inebriated. This place made me want to drink, I can get that back home.
(1)Kathy A.
Good food for a sports bar type place with cheerleader type staff. Usually come here once each staycation in Waikiki, whether breakfast, lunch or late night bite and cocktail. The mood of the place changes by the hour and clientele so if you want quiet at midnight this is not the place. If you are looking for loud, pumped young scene, this is the place. Great bloody Mary at breakfast, not many places serve them when you need them!
(4)Derek S.
It can be a great place to catch your games (see other review regarding Ohio State game times), but if you get Amanda as your waitress prepare to stifle keeping your buzz. She'll disappear off the floor for a good thirty minutes, leaving you with zero opportunity to even flag her down.
(2)Caz C.
Pros: - Good food - big food portions (if you're a fatty then you'll find it small.. but trust me.. it's a lot of food always) - Good service Cons: - BAD music!!! They play loud annoying pop songs all the time!!! - a bit pricey
(4)Sarah D.
Went into Giovanni Pastrami because Yardhouse had a 30 minute wait, but I was glad we did! Me and 3 of my coworkers had to work during the UFC fights so we wanted to go somewhere where we could watch the replay. They had music playing over the speakers but gave us our own little personal speaker box to put on our table so we could listen to the fights, super fkn cool! Our server was Berklee and she was very attentive and sweet, pretty damn awesome. We didnt have to ask for refills and gave us an industry discount because she saw my coworkers tshirt uniform. We ordered appetizers to start with, the buffalo wings and cheesy parmesean bread. The parmesean bread was addicting but i've had better buffalo wings at other places. We each ordered an entree after that and just shared everything. We got the baked ziti, bobs favorite (burger sliders), loco moco, and pastrami reuben. The pastrami reuben was to die for!!! The loco moco had a kobe burger in it which was magnificent! The burger sliders were not your standard sliders, they were pretty damn good! The baked ziti was kinda, eh... but overall we were stuffed at the end! It probably didn't help that we were drinking coors light draft beers the whole night. Usually I come here to watch the Celtics games and their food is always a hit or miss. Overall I think its a great place to hang out with friends, drink some beer, and have a great time! Definetly going back for more.
(4)Jayson D.
I'm torn between giving two stars for "meh," and three stars for "A-ok." This is the place the Sports Animals rave about on their local AM ESPN rag. They're always giving away gift certificates to GP as prizes on their show, blah, blah, blah. At the end of the day, though, it's just decent. Nothing special. The interior is modern and clean, and it can be a good spot for catching a game--TVs abound everywhere. And provided they're not all spoken for, you can get a little table-top speaker system so that you can hear the sound for whichever screen you like (good luck hearing that speaker over the cacophony of noise going on about you, though). Food's just okay. I expected better. I ordered their namesake: their hot pastrami sandwich. The meat was piled high and narrow, giving the cross-section an illusion of inches and inches of meat on the thing. But I believe this is simply a presentation trick---you're honestly not getting any more meat than anywhere else. Quite honestly: I prefer the hot pastrami sandwich at South Shore Grill. It's loaded with additional toppings and served on a ciabatta roll. Sorry, but GP's comes off as phoned in by comparison. Sweet potato fries were decent, though, I'll say that. Folks will rave about the "free pizza" offered at Happy Hour. It's nothing special. A skinny slice of overcooked cheese pizza that you'll only get one of because the servers will be "so busy" they'll not come by to offer you any more. Beggars can't be choosers as far as free anything goes, but GP highlights this feature so much to get you in the door that I do feel justified in clarifying in more detail what you'll actually get. Service is as described in other reviews: hit or miss on its best day. If I'm catching a game, I'd much rather go to Buffalo Wild Wings. I like their food better, their beer selection meets my needs, and PARKING is easier thanks to the attached Discovery Bay Center ramp (only $1 for four hours with BWW validation). I'll never recommend GP myself, but I'll hit it up if it's someone else's preference and I'm just trying to be a good friend. :)
(2)Tracie F.
This is another 3 and a halfer. Yelp, when are you going to do half stars? The food was not bad. My husband had an egg white omlette which was great! It was quite tasy. There was plenty of meat in it and the portion was pretty generous. Presentation? Um not much but he really isn't a food snob. If it tastes good he is happy and that he was. I had the sky high which was pretty good for Hawaii standards. If you are search of a NY deli style pastrami sandwich you might want to skip this joint. While they do try they just don't get it. The thing is...I can't tell you why. The spreading of the Russian dressing was weak. It really needed more. Coleslaw was ok. Nothing special. I actually think the pastrami was a little weak on the flavor side. I am not sure what it needed but it needed something. Fries were super yum-O! Service was really good. Refills on drinks kept-a-comin. Glasses never went dry. Food was served really quick and the waiter had great suggestions. Overall, would I go back? Probably. I am still pining for a great New York style deli here. Until we get one I guess this place will have to suffice.
(4)Marci C.
A few members of our party came here before and raved about the food, so we all agreed to eat here this past weekend for dinner. We made reservations cause this place gets crazy crowded and were seated quickly. Service was pretty good, the food came out reasonably fast, and there were tons of TVs in the back part of the restaurant playing different things, so we could each choose what to watch. The taste of the food, however, was... ehh. Overpriced and alright... nothing great. We ordered a bunch of different things and I only tried the fried calamari, fettucini alfredo with shrimp and pastrami reuben bites, but didn't particularly enjoy any of them. The reuben bites were really disappointing cause Giovanni is best known for its pastrami reuben sandwiches and even that wasn't good. The alfredo was especially junk... very dry and tasteless. Wouldn't come here again, BUT the waitress was amazing; she memorized all 11 of our orders flawlessly. Very impressive; she deserves major props.
(2)Courtney O.
Service: ZERO!!/5 Food: 3/5 I really love pastrami. This place makes me want to cry!! So much potential and NOTHING!! Anyways, the service here is horrible. I have been on multiple occasions throughout the years and it has ALWAYS been bad. The food is okaaay. I like the pastrami eggs benedict but it isn't anything to write home about. They used to have an awesome happy hour where you would buy beer and get a whole pizza for your table for free! Now they limit you with one SMALL pizza slice per beer. I will probably never eat here again. Even though I love pastrami, it just isn't worth it.
(2)Jenn H.
Great service, menu with many choices and plenty of t.v.'s to watch the game. Ordered the Giovanni fries and they were delicious!!
(5)Daniel H.
This bar is the go-to place for gameday sports. Great selection of beers and decent prices compliment the array of big screens and dedicated fans. Our server Allison was prompt, fun, and very personal in her great service. An added plus, a group of Allison's close friends joined the fan scene and brought a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. G.P. should continue to encourage their staff to allow friends and family to join the festivities, seeing as this brings a great personal touch.
(5)Ryan M.
This was my first time eating here and it was way too loud to hold a conversation with anyone. I guess if a football game is on and you want to talk to your friends, this place is a bad idea. Fans here are way too loud and can be quite irritating because it's soo loud. We sat down promptly and got pretty good service from our server. He got us our drinks really quickly and took our order promptly. However, it go so loud, it scared our friends son (1 year old). So we decided it was best to get our order to go. I ordered the pastrami melt and my gf ordered a pastrami sandwich. After we got our food, we went to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center food court to eat and yes, we bought drinks here so weren't sitting there without getting something. The moment of truth came when I took my first bite of my burger! It was awesome; it was juicy, it was tasty, and it was GREAT! The food made up for the noise in the restaurant, but sure wished we could've experienced the whole experience of sitting in the restaurant. The next time I come here, I'm going to be sure no football game is going on or we'll try to come here a little earlier! I would've game them a 4 or 5 star if it wasn't so loud because the food here is great! Don't be afraid to try here because of less then stellar stars, it's just loud during football.
(3)Stephen L.
This place could be awesome. I reiterate, could be awesome. Seriously if the owner of this place cares the slightest about his business, then head our warnings here on Yelp and do something about the pathetic service. Great menu for the area. I mean the absolute greatest menu on Waikiki Beach. But I have to agree with everyone else when I say the wait staff is very ... well let's say relaxed about their job. It wasn't even very busy. I was very excited about trying this place but left thoroughly underwhelmed. Ordreed pastrami fries and was going to order a sandwich as well but just topped at the fries. Why you ask? Well I ordered Pastrami Fries .. Thats Salty Meet, Salty Fries and Cheese Sauce. The waitress never came by to refill my soda and only came by when i was almose completely finished. I really really wanted a Pastrami Sandwich. REALLY wanted one. But I could not get the waitress around enough to care about me or my order. Ok at best.
(2)Stan S.
Good pastrami, new york style. Sandwich a bit on the small side. Wait staff friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Wife had mixed salad, said it was good. Pepsi establishment.
(4)Ram K.
We went here once, not too long after they first opened. What a big disappointment. Nice restaraunt, lots of tv's to watch sports. Ordered the pastrami sandwich, that was the big disappointment! Over priced! Even I can make a beter sandwich.
(1)Jessica S.
We visited Giovanni Pastrami the morning after we arrived in Oahu on our honeymoon. We were ready for some great food, and they sure did deliver. We both had a foodgasm. Best pastrami egg's benedict I have ever had in my life. My husband's loco moco surely was right up there in taste. We were almost in food coma's and we each took half of our plates to go in doggy bags! Both of our plates were $15 or so, but definitely worth it. The atmosphere is more on the sports bar side, but upscale. The drinks were delish but a little on the pricey side. If you are staying at the Wyndham property you get 10% off your bill. Yes!
(4)Emi H.
It was the World Cup Finals (Spain vs. Netherlands) and my BF was dead set on watching this game at a bar. I told him we could go and see watch it at my parent's house but he insisted that watching at a bar full of soccer fans was going to be 10X better. He was right! He had called Giovanni's two days ahead and to our dismay they were completely booked for the World Cup. He was put on a waiting list and we were 5th in line. We headed down at 7:15 am to try and get seats at the bar. Denied! The bar was completely full by the time we got there so I chilled at Coffee Bean next door while he tried to woo the hostess into getting us a table. Denied! We were still on the wait list and we waited til 8:15 am to see if we'd be able to get seats. Wow, they really must be booked I thought because my BF is really cute and I wouldn't have been able to say no to him! My BF must have called in a favor from God because we were seated at 8:20 am at a crowded table full of anxious World Cup fans. The waitress came to take our order and I could barely make out what she was saying over the cheering and applause. The World Cup is way better at a bar! Not that hanging with my Grandma isn't a wild time. We ordered our breakfast and I decided to get their signature pastrami with three eggs and rice for $14.95. I've never had pastrami for breakfast and I rarely have pastrami because there aren't too many places in Honolulu that offer it. It took awhile for the food to come but when it did I was blown away by the sheer size of our plates. Whoa mama! This is enough to feed me for the week! The pastrami was really yummy and I couldn't stop eating it. I didn't even touch my eggs because I wanted to save as much room as possible for my pastrami. Although I was disappointed that Spain beat the Netherlands it was really a fun morning of World Cup watching, screaming and pastrami eating. I was so happy that we decided to come to Giovanni's instead of stinky, sticky, yucky Varsity! I didn't have to disinfect myself when I got home, so that was a definite plus. Thumbs up for watching live sports at Giovanni's and next time I'll be sure to bring Grandma just to mix it up!
(4)Dee B.
Our desintation for game 6. I think the average rating of 2.5 stars is fair and since I can't push 2.5 stars, I'm pushing 2. Pros: - tons of TV's for hockey watching enjoyment - good Canadian crowd cheering on the Canucks - round table pizza available to order (not Rocky Mountain, but a good shitty pizza option for sure) - free wifi Cons: - no toilet paper in disgusting bathroom - after an hour into the hockey game, you could tell the staff was totally tits up. The patrons were stacking their beverage glasses on their tables (us included) - the servers were nowhere to be seen - it was impossible to get your water refilled - the nachos. FYI, no one likes burnt nachos
(2)Gisela H.
I have to admit I was surprised to see only a 2 1/2 star rating on this restaurant. I ordered the Wall Street sandwich and it was huge, the meat fresh and flavourful. Others in my party had a pasta dish and a burger. Again both portions were substantial and the chicken challenged the pasta for quantity. The burger too was very flavourful. Our server was engaged and friendly. Without a doubt we will be back to try more of their 5 page menu - 9 Eggs Benedict options! The prices appear high on their face ($16.00 for the sandwich) but don't be fooled, you get your money's worth and they are easily on the lower end of the Waikiki norm.
(5)Beff S.
Ugh. This place was terrible. When I lived on Oahu I always heard them talk about Giovanni Pastrami on the oldies station that I'd listen to at work and wondered how it was. Unfortunately it sucks. We ordered to go from them for lunch yesterday. I placed the call at 10:45am. We ordered a corned beef reuben and a vegetarian patty melt. The girl on the phone told me it'd be ready in 15 mins. I walk down there and arrive around 11am. Walk in and up to one of the two hostess stands at the front and stood there for about 5 minutes before anyone noticed me. I paid for the food and the hostess said that it'd be out in a few minutes. This is already almost 10 minutes past the time that they said it'd be ready. Five minutes later she comes up to me and tells me that they made the veggie patty melt with real meat instead of the veggie patty and that the kitchen was fixing it and it should be out in just a few more minutes. TEN minutes later the food comes out. I get back to the hotel and we open up our food only to find shreds of paper in my reuben! And MEAT on my boyfriend's VEGETARIAN sandwich! I walked back down to the restaurant and asked for our money back and gave them their papered, meaty food. Gross. This restaurant obviously focuses more on hiring "hot" chicks than it does on their food. And by "hot" I mean "skanky". If you are in Oahu and want REAL New York style deli food, fly to LA and go to Jerry's Deli. Or better yet, go to New York.
(1)Derek M.
The food is bland bar food to say the least, but it was a good place to watch an NBA playoff game since they will change the TV to whatever channel you ask. I gave it an extra star because they have the portable speaker that gets tuned into your tv channel that goes on the table so you can actually hear what you are watching!
(2)Chris E.
BBQ wings, as well as the bacon on my burger were extremely greasy. Not going back there anymore
(1)Pam S.
The food was good but I wouldn't make a special trip to Waikiki for this place. Not many places on the island to get a good reuben and since my coworker has never had one I thought I would take her here & use my gift certificate. We debated between sharing a full-sized sand. & getting the minis - we should have chose the full sand with coleslaw. For $2. more it was probably a better deal. The minis weren't browned & crisp enough and were much smaller than I expected. They were packed with meat though and not greasy. The sauerkraut was also very flavorful and the fries were nice and crisp. The deli shredded salad had an oily taste and needed more vinegar and possibly some seasonings - garlic, oregano, something - and maybe some artichoke hearts. Didn't care for this salad. The calamari was really good - light dusting of flour, not greasy, and a light crispy texture . It was good without any dipping sauce and a nice sized portion too. Decent (not extravagant) selection of beers. I recommend the Kona Fire Rock with the corned beef or pastrami. Sports Bar atmosphere so very loud.
(3)Kyle G.
Food is delicious. A little expensive but its Waikiki. And you get to watch sports which is always a plus
(4)Stacy B.
The host was too busy talking with a co worker even though i was standing right in front of her with my family. i had to interrupt their conversation about how wild their friday night was and how she left with some random guy at the bar...i should of went with my gut and not go in but i told myself that dont let two young girls ruin it, not all of them could be morons....but i was wrong! Our servers were rude and came to the table once (just to take an order). Our server was too busy flirting and grabbing ass with her co worker right in front of my kid. Even my kid caught on to what they were doing. Where is management to watch their silly employees? There was no manager to manage....Im a bartender in waikiki and this place is unacceptable. I have already told so many people about this incident and they also will never go there again.
(1)Jason S.
Pros: lots of TVs to watch sports & the waitresses are cute Cons: food is average & service is slow. Figured the pastrami would be good given the restaurant name, but the pastrami is oily with no flavor. My reuben came out with soggy bread from the oily pastrami. Gross.
(2)Scott K.
Im not really a fan of Giovanni Pastrami itself. I just like the fact that you can order Round Table Pizza here. Ive been here on numerous occasions to give them a chance but the service for a party of 10 took about 45 minutes for the food to come and the service was slow. Now days, Im in there for happy hour to order the pizza and cruise out at the bar. The bartenders are friends and are always friendly. I am lactose intolerant but nothing my lactaid pill wont help out with. They do have a BJ Penn special...if you you order a pizza and a pitcher of beer then you can get a tray of wings for a $1. Its nice inside and the bar sits towards the top of the bar. There is tv's if you want watch the games. Since this place is located in a re-designed district of Beach Walk, you have many options for food.
(3)Steve F.
Made a reservation which was not honored because of long walk up wait. There is no sense in making reservations then. Just plain bad business and I won't recommend. Unfortunately, zero stars is not an option.
(1)Sher M.
It's ok. The onion rings at cheeseburger are waaaaay better. They do have a good military discount though. The pizza is too saucy. Not overly impressed.
(3)V J.
Right in the heart of a great shopping area. Also has a great happy hour! Sat with some locals who were very friendly and gave us some good recommendations for things to do nearby. We will definitely be back.
(4)Roberta M.
We really enjoyed our unique breakfast at Giovanni Pastrami. Corned pastrami, white rice, and eggs along with fresh squeezed orange juice were delicious not to mention the great coffee. Our server was very friendly and attentive making our breakfast dining experience a very good one.
(4)Ivan B.
Why did I do it?! Why!!! I've been here once before and I would've given it a 3 stars for that experience, but my second time around was horrible! The wait wasn't long, the server was nice and understanding, but the food.....just not what i wanted all!! I was not that hungry so I wanted something small like nachos. Since I heard this place is good for gameday, i assumed that their nachos should be good. I looked at the menu and saw the Spicy Nachos staring at me with a little chili pepper teasing me to try it. I'm thinking this will taste amazing...what I got was soooooooo boring and NOT SPICY at all. I thought that maybe my order was wrong and they gave me the regular nachos, nope. The waitress said they changed the recipe because people had complained that it was to spicy...really? If you cant handle the spiciness then you should get a regular nachos. This thing did not even have a hint of spicy at all, not even one kick. There was not even a jalapeno on it!! The waitress had to bring me jalapenos and hot sauce to pour on top to make it somewhat better. What a major disappointment that you even make me pay $16 for that failure. I'm sticking with my YardHouse nachos because those are amazing , giant, and less than $10. I'm still going to give you two stars though because some of the other food is ok, but meh....I definitely have experienced better.
(2)Stephanie R.
We ordered the eggplant pasta and Alfredo fettuccine with shrimp...very disappointing! They both looked and tasted like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for about an hour...prefab. Sandwiches looked good. I will not be going back!
(1)Alain C.
I stopped by on my way back from the beach. While i was there, they had specials on pizza for 5$. The place is nice and clean, lots of tv's to watch events like UFC fights, great staff and really good food for the price when on special. They charge 10$ a head for special events so thats not bad at all. For sure I will be back. I didnt give it 5 stars because the pizza is really good but not the best Ive had on the island.
(4)Daphne F.
I hate how convenient this place is when you're staying at the Wyndham. They deliver to your room for free and give you a 10% discount while you're staying at the Wyndham. I just can't look past the room service since the resort itself doesn't have any. If they didn't serve Round Table pizza, though, I would never order anything from them. The last time I sat down inside, I hated every second. Good thing they deliver delicious pizza so you don't need to deal with their crappy service or the rest of their menu.
(2)Jill J.
We are visiting from Ohio & a true Buckeye Bar on game day! Food & service -outstanding! Everything we ordered was delicious-eggs Benedict, pastrami sandwich & Maui Zaui pizza! Back left side of bar is reserved for Buckeye fans! Alumni fans bring blow up Brutus & music! Feels like Ohio minus the snow! O-H...!
(5)Michelle O.
Good place to watch the games! Love the free pizza slice with purchase during happy hour. Heard they have the best matzo ball soup but i didn't get to try it. Waitress was super friendly!
(3)Jerrene T.
I came here the first time for dinner... it was our first hotel stay for the hubby and i and we were kinda hungry after spending time at the pool. He kinda felt like watching sports and i just wanted food. Go figure... I don't remember really what I got but the waitress kinda scolded us for tweeting at each other at the dinner table... We're an odd couple, so what? Service was kinda lackluster, not because of our minor scolding, but half the time i wanted water, she was no where to be found... even for beer. The food wasn't all that spectacular the first time but it wasn't the worst because i don't remember anything about the first time. The second time we went was for breakfast... fast forward to my birthday. We wanted breakfast food but we didn't feel like fighting the crowd at Shorebird for a decent Waikiki breakfast. We had all kinds of options but nothing sounded that great until i stumbled upon fresh corn beef and eggs and rice... this was when i was really having morning sickness day in and day out. Anyway, the food came and it was true to its word... fresh corn beef with all the fat rubber and all. It was completely and utterly disgusting to me. I will never go there to eat breakfast again because just thinking about it, i threw up just now. Okay so i'm still pregnant and sick but seriously, it was awful. There wasn't any piece i could eat that didn't have a lot of fat rubberyness stuff attached. It was gross... they even stuck in guacamole in my husband's omlette and he HATES avocado but it wasn't on the menu so he was kinda irriated. However the second time, our waitress was much nicer and more attentive... but i would never go back for breakfast... maybe a midnight snack but to see that corn beef again... we would have issues.
(2)S H.
I went to Honolulu to watch the Superbowl (2/3/13). As soon as I got there, I scoped out several locations in Waikiki and decided on Giovanni's Sports Bar. I sat at the bar and the bartender, even though she was a Raven's fan and I a 49er's fan, really made the experience fabulous! I had the Kalua Pig which was to die for and went back the next morning for breakfast and had the Triple Play (Loco Moco, Macadamia Pancakes & their Specialty Eggs Benedict) which was a real treat!
(4)Ax C.
Clean, bright, friendly, with varied menu. Decent enough but pricey, skimpy on meat, and rather bland. Won't go again. Tied to Round Table Pizza and CJ's Deli (identical menu and quality).
(2)Shasha C.
sorry, Giovanni. i hate giving bad reviews. i saw a review video of you and i was really excited to walk downstairs from our hotel and grab a quick dinner after a long day @ the beach. maybe it was an off night. my sis and i ordered a medium rare sumo loco moco. really simple, really local food. it came very tough, very well done and eggs were stiff. its just one of those odd experiences you cant really believe is happening because its such an easy predictable dish. needless to say, i needed a mixed drink to lift me up. blue hawaiian. oh boy. what is this stuff? ok, i'll stop here. i was disappointed. but your location was perfect. i *might* give you a another chance in my next life.....
(1)Amina M.
Went here for pizza after massively craving it and having numerous disappointing pizza experiences in downtown while on business (except for Zero's NYC pizza which is, from what I hear, now closed!). It was seriously, seriously amazingly good... for a tourist spot in Hawaii. Maybe I was just really, really hungry. Apparent'y it's Round Table Pizza? I've never had it before. I think I heard angels singing from the heavens and a booming voice coming out of nowhere saying, "FINALLY! HE HATH GIVEN YOU DELICIOUS PIZZA!" There's never a huge wait to get in. It's a sports bar type atmosphere. There were a bunch of people in here watching soccer and singing a national anthem I didn't recognize (NZ maybe?). It was cool. The TVs are kind of loud. Good service. Place is fairly clean. They have great specials considering the pricing in the area. Worth checking out. I would go back.
(3)Francis C.
Great service and I really enjoyed my pastrami sandwich.
(3)Bobby And Estee F.
We had a very different experience than most of the negative reviews. We had excellent service from start to finish. Our server Jazz was wonderful, very quick and attentive. She had our cups filled and handled three very complicated orders perfectly. The food was ok. Nothing special at all... just ok. The deli sandwiches were actually disappointing.
(3)Shalin P.
We are big football fans, so we took some time out of our Hawaii vacation to hit up a sports bar for the 7 am NFL games. We had settled on Giovanni Pastrami before our vacation because they had a big menu and NFL Sunday Ticket. We got there right before 7 am and there was already a decent amount of people in there (a good mix of fans for every team). We spent about 4 hours there and we had a very fun time. They have a wide variety of TVs. One of my biggest issues with sports bars is when they are not on top of the ball about having all the games on or waiting until last second to put the games on. But this place was on top of things. They also have those individual speaker boxes so you can get volume for your specific game. The food was better than I expected, and the huge breakfast menu was a bonus. The bloody mary's were also good. They have some very attractive waitresses and the service was more than capable. I guess the only negative of this place is that the food is expensive. But you can go to their website and get a 10% off coupon. While this may not be a foodie destination, if you are in Honolulu and can't miss your team's game, definitely check this place out.
(4)Kaneohe G.
Husband been dying to try it out, we just don't get to Waikiki often. Went for Fathers Day breakfast and took the kids. Food was great! Had the pastrami Benedict and split the coconut Mac nut pancakes with my kids. Great choices I must add!!!! Bar type atmosphere with lots of TVs for sports games of all kinds and waitresses that looked like they came from Hooters except in black attire. Totally tacky!, however they were good waitresses and the food an A+
(4)Leana L.
We randomly stumbled upon this place while exploring Waikiki at night. We just wanted some place to get food to bring back to our hotel room, so we placed our order at the front. For the pesto pasta with chicken, a BBQ chicken salad, and another salad with a spicy dressing (I forgot what it was called), our wait time was 30 minutes. It's a good thing there were tables, chairs, and benches outside on the sidewalk, as well as other stores to walk into, because it was a long 30 minutes. When our food was ready, I could smell the pesto sauce! We opened our orders in our hotel room and man, were they HUGE! All of our orders were served in large boxes with the hinge on one side and a tab that goes into the slot on the other side and they were completely filled edge to edge. My sister's pesto pasta lasted her three meals! I was super hungry and it was just a salad, so I was able to demolish my salad (aside from the ranch dressing that I asked for on the side and the small piles of cheese that came with it). My mom split her salad into two meals. Once we were done, we were all quite satisfied with our food. Even though the wait time was long (granted, they were pretty busy), the food, taking into account the taste, price, and portion size, was worth it. It did the job and hit the spot.
(3)Seth H.
Went with the family to see the Christmas decorations at the hotels and decided to have dinner here, was our second time here, we also enjoyed it that time too. We all ordered the various combo deli sandwiches, I had the one with beef brisket,turkey and bacon with Russian dressing on rye bread, was very good and I would order it again, came with a side of cole slaw for about $17. A little on the high side but not if you consider it's in Waikiki. Did want to recommend the garlic twist we had as an appetizer which was nice and hot, buttery and delicious- definitely try this. The service was top notch.
(4)Faye M.
So the fact that I've been here like 3 times w/in the first 2 weeks of June must show something, right?!?! LOL Well, I've been coming here for a few years now: breakfast, lunch, dinner, pau hana...everything! Their breakfast items are soo good! I don't eat eggs benedict, but I do like their omelets and pancakes! And the serving sizes are huge!! I should try their eggs benedict one day, but I haven't had it since I was like 4 years old, so why start now?! Lunch & dinner is good too...pastrami sandwiches (duh!) and Round Table Pizza! Yum! The pupu are good too!! Dude - they even have karaoke on Thursday nights!! That's where one whole star came from! Parking is valet or street, or if you walked over from somewhere else. To find the valet lot, just go down Lewers from Kalakaua and take a left right before Yard House (it's a small side street looking thing) and go up the first ramp on your left...the last time we were there (this past Sunday) Giovanni Pastrami's validation was good from 6am - 6pm for $3!! I'll probably be back this weekend...since we'll be staying in Waikiki for Father's Day!!
(4)Raeann B.
Once we found this place we ate here for 3 lunches in a row (the last 3 days of our vacation sadly) so I think that will show you how my husband and I both felt about it. Yes the prices are high, hello you are in tourist-land and at Christmas no less. but it seemed on par with every other place we ate price-wise. The food was awesome. Everything I had here was delicious, and huge portions. So either bring your appetite or share with a friend! Getting a "doggy bag" wasn't an option for us hotel dwellers...fridge in the room but no microwave :( The Kalua pig Loco Moco was amazing, and the Triple Play (3 of their most popular breakfast options in smaller form) was also just wonderful. I'm not a big coconut fan but the macadamia nut/coconut pancakes with fresh strawberries on top nearly converted me. And as for service, well we had lunch there on Christmas Day and it was slammed, but despite all that we had a very nice server (she was also from the Bay Area!) who was friendly, attentive, and on the ball. Hard to beat that for Christmas Day! Our only regret is that we didn't find this place sooner in our stay. Definitely became our favorite place!
(5)Barbara C.
Met some colleagues for breakfast and had the best omelette ever. Server was very accomodating to my special order of an egg white omelette with spinach, mushrooms and onions, no cheese and all the ingredients were very fresh. The fruit bowl was also full of a variety of really fresh fruit. I'd forego the decaf coffee in favor of regular. Service was fast, food was excellent and I'm going back soon. You can go for lunch and park for free right in the hotel from 10am until 3pm or so.
(4)Teri H.
Had a late Sunday breakfast there today. Despite the other reviews to the contrary, the service was great, the food came out very timely and the sandwiches were awesome. The brisket sandwich was very tasty, the meat was soft and the added peppers made it special. The corned beef was very good as well. Enjoyed the great food while watching a baseball game - even better!! We're definitely going to come back again.
(4)Nicholas W.
Buckeye Football! Stumbled in here on a Saturday morning to watch the bucks play Iowa and was delighted to see about 30 other OSU fans sitting around ready to watch! The bartender was busy but on top of everything! She worked her but off and made sure I always had a drink!
(4)Darrell A.
Started with pitcher of Kona Firerock pale ale. That was the highlight, went on a Saturday night and it is no wonder there was not a wait. TV is on all over the place to different stations (okay it's a sports bar). Not sure if the service was slow due to being poor or food taking too long. If it was the food, then they should have spent a few more minutes making it taste better. New Kalua Sliders were boring, Reuben sandwich was meh. Waikiki - busy + blah food = Eek! Methinks not.
(1)Shane W.
Definitely not a NY style deli. Hamburger was average at best and the French fries are little string fries cooked to oblivion. Definitely not deli style fries. Very loud atmosphere. Service was good. Also their pizza is from the round table pizzeria.
(2)Glenn D.
Food is overpriced. Came for early morning Sunday football multiple tmes. Always order the same thing - the Trio. Every now and then the rice is cold on the loco moco or the pancakes are stale. DON'T GET THE CHEESE FRIES. They use this awful cheese sauce that crumbles. Who knows what it looks like before they melt it? Best thing is they have NFL Sunday ticket.
(2)Jon M.
We've been here a couple times and we really like the food. They have some pretty good pastrami and ruebens and the Giovanni Pastrami Fries are pretty ridiculous. Fries piled with cheese and pastrami? Why even get a sandwich. There is a ton more on their menu so pretty much expect everything a deli-style restaurant would have (except, I believe they also serve breakfast any time of day). Everything is quite good. The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 is the prices. They do seem a bit high. Not outrageous (for Waikiki), but you can't help but think that $2-3 less would be just about right. Ambiance is upscale deli style sports bar and restaurant. Everything inside is pretty nice. They have a full bar in the middle of the main dining room that you can also sit at. They have lots of TV's playing sports, some of them will always have soccer on. I think they separate themselves from the other sports bars by catering to soccer fans as well. But there aren't so many TV's that they become the only focus. They do have a full bar, so you can go ahead and order whatever drinks you like. I never park down there so I'm not positive on the parking (usually a hassle or expensive in Waikiki). I'm sure they validate somewhere (maybe Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center?) but you'll probably want to call ahead and double check where. And it will likely be something like 2 hours for $5. Overall, really enjoy the food and the soccer emphasis. But prices, service, etc are just mediocre. I've been there 3 times so far and nothing has really grabbed my attention.
(3)Raych D.
WARNING-----DO NOT COME HERE!!!!.....unless you want to be ignored with bad bad food! One weekend for my coworkers birthday bash we decided to do a staycation at Sheraton and being that we we're all hungry and hang over and not wanting to pay an arm for brunch we decided to go to Giovanni pastrami. Ohhh man was that a bad idea. Not only did we have to wait to be seated, but they tried to fit us a party of 9 in a small booth that was meant for a 5 people party. So we literally had to ask and use to have both booths to dine. Okay, once we got our menus I SHIET YOU NOT but it took them at LEAST 30min to pour us our gawd damn water and take our order! when the place was completely unoccupied!!! When our food finally did come in, me and everyone else was not happy eating what tasted like board paper. I ordered the bagel, sausage and eggs and that which is something so easy to make was ruined I mean how can you ruin the basic breakfast foods???!! After eating and having our hang over become worst TIMES 100 with the shitty ass service and waiter who kept forgetting our drinks, ketchup, cream cheese and dogie bag we finally left after i swear 2hours! This place was a FAIL, FAIL, FAIL!!! especially in a place like Waikiki. So, just be warned if you do decide to go here!
(1)En I.
Been here several times for lunch and breakfast and food and service is great. Parking a little difficult as well as dropping people off.
(4)Amy C.
Sooo not impressed with this place. Came here for lunch while in Waikiki and the place was EMPTY. First ding. I ended up getting the veggie burger. Ordered a side salad with the lemon oil dressing. The salad dressing was disgusting, tasted like oil and nothing else. I told the waitress I couldn't have any other dressings because of dietary restrictions. I asked for fruit instead, she said they had just served the last bowl. To whom? The place was a ghost town. Went to the bathroom, and on my way I passed by the kitchen. Just a glimpse into it showed a massive bowl of fruit sitting on the counter, unattended. I informed her of this on my trip to my table so she said she'd get me some. The "some" ended up being a ramikin of strawberries. I'd say one strawberry sliced. Thanks a lot. When the bill came, she had charged me for fruit and salad. I asked her take off the salad since I hadn;t taken a single bite. She said her manager said no, SO sorry. Whatever. This place sucks.
(1)Frank A.
I hadn't been down here for two years or so. Last Saturday afternoon, a friend of mine and I went to watch a football game on the pac-12 network. We called ahead to make sure it was on. We also called Dave & Busters. We went to D&B because we didn't want to deal with hassle of Waikiki parking. D&B lied and didn't really have the game. When we got to Giovanni's we were going to sit at the bar so we skipped the hostess. Once in the back area we decided on a table instead so we sat down. A busboy (Scott?) came over asked if we wanted the table instead of the bar. We indicated yes and he said let me wipe the table for you, get silverware and inform the hostess to bring menus. He didn't make a big deal about it or say we had to go back to the front. Our server Allison was pleasant and efficient. The food was very good,( the place smelled fine - I've been here a half dozen times and its been fine) It isn't cheap, we spent $40 each on lunch - salad, pastrami reuben and beer with tip. My only complaint was that Allison had some friends in there celebrating someones birthday. Very friendly with Allison, they were twenty-something and having fun but drank a bit too much (Jager shots at Noon), got loud and eventually somewhat obnoxious. Management might want to consider not allowing friends of servers to sit in their section or at a minimum monitor it better. It was at times like she was at the party not serving it. (Maybe Allison just needs higher quality friends because she was a nice young lady). Another server named Jennifer did help pay attention to our needs when Allison was distracted by the partying group. We will definitely go again.
(4)Ben F.
This place is just...well...it's just awful. The only reason they get 2 stars is because they have Round Table pizza. It blows me away they claim to be voted "best sport's bar in Hawaii". Voted that by who? The owners? That doesn't count. Sorry guys. Okay, so the food here is awful. The customer service is worse and the prices are RIDICULOUS for the terrible food and service you receive. I could see paying $16 for a ruben and fries if it were good and the service didn't suck. Unfortunately that is not the case. How can you call yourself "Giovanni Pastrami" and make terrible rubens? Pastrami is in the name!!! FAIL. The only redeeming factor to this place is that they serve Round Table pizza and you get 10% off if you're staying at the Wyndham and they're delivering to your room. If you're hungry and are considering this place, do yourself a favor and WALK AWAY. Unless you want pizza and are staying at the Wyndham that is.
(2)Elle S.
Food was really good, no complaints here. Just a bit pricey for me! The restaurant has tv's all around and a personal speaker at your table to tune in whichever channel you want to listen too. Deducted two stars since our waitress sucked i think her name was khris! She was never around so we had to ask for assistance from other waiters who were very helpful.
(2)David D.
Ok this is not the best pastrami Reuben, that would be at The Refuge in San Carlos, CA ... but its ranks up there in the top 10. I had the pastrami reuben, no cheese, with fries. Tasty for sure. Order was correct. Maybe on the small size, but prefect for me for this evening. Kitchen as backed up, so probably took twice as long to get my food as it should have (1 top, at the bar), but in my case I didn't mind and didn't think it took too long.
(4)T F.
Only two reasons this place is getting ONE star.... I cannot give it ZERO stars and they have a Round Table Pizza.... wish we would have stuck with the Round Table Pizza. We decided to eat off of the menu instead of just getting pizza. What a MISTAKE! The food was COLD by the time it got to us and it was mediocre at best. For the price we paid, it should have been MUCH better! They have a kids menu which includes mac-n-cheese, DO NOT ORDER THIS!!! It is HORRIBLE! We even sent it back it was SO bad... and I don't ever do this. If you want beer, sports tv and Round Table Pizza this is the place for you. Otherwise, this place is NOT worth it!
(1)Dave M.
We went to giovanni for lunch and had the "georgie "sandwich. it was a briskett with turkey. the brisket was actually old roast beef ,sliced thin and was tough as leather. the bread was moldy and they took it back and did'nt charge for the sandwich. i also had a chi chi which was terrible. the servers were not good and not friendly. certainly not worth 70$ for 3 lunches! i have been there a few times before and will not go back
(1)Deanna P.
I've never been here for a non Steelers morning event so I can only judge the atmosphere with a couple dozen people with Pittsburgh accents running around. The TV's are really nice and they have great bloody marys, but man is the food expensive. I got an omelet today that was $15!! That's a little ridiculous. There is valet parking which is validated for the games (not sure about regular dining times). There is also a 20% military discount.
(3)Steve Z.
I am 70+ years old and have never found an old fashioned bread pudding that equaled my Mothers creation. But the bread pudding at Giovanni's was equal to and to be quite honest with the coconut rum and ice cream sauce better than my Mom's. Sorry Mom! If you are a bread pudding lover and happen to be visiting Honolulu, don't walk, RUN to Giovanni's and taste the finest bread pudding ever!
(5)Matt T.
I last visited for the 5/28/11 UEFA Champion's League Final soccer game. in the morning. It was by far the worst experience I've had here. To learn more details about that morning, you can read the review by Justin S. that starts with "Dear Management." I happened to be sitting at the same table as him. My review will attempt to be more general, in addition to mentioning the details of the 5/28/11 service. Pros: Convenient location, with ample parking nearby. My usual thing is to park in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center parking lot, and visit Starbucks on the way home for a drink and a parking validation. Ends up about the same cost as valet service. Clean, well-lit interior. Comfortable seating, with tables, booths, and bar seats available. Plenty of TVs carrying just about any sporting event imaginable. Portable speakers are available so your table can watch and listen to your own event if the majority of customers are watching something else. Clean, well-stocked bathrooms. I'm a fan of paper towels, but they have the Dyson airblade blow dryers, which work well. Delicious Bloody Marys. I'm a fan. Cons: So-so food. Yes they do serve 24/7 breakfast and have a substantial array of eggs benedict varieties. However, on several occasions Giovanni has screwed up the meat n' eggs breakfast which should be virtually impossible for a restaurant. More on that later. Average service at the best of times, and downright horrible during special events. Expensive. But hey, it's Waikiki. You can't eat here as often as you can have the dollar menu at McDonalds. My main beef with this place is that even though they've been around a fairly long time, they have not learned how to run a smooth service when the place is packed. During the 5/28/11 event, they had 2-3 servers and we were told they were short staffed in the kitchen. Soccer is not big in America, but they should have learned their lesson from the 2010 Champions League Final match, at which they I was served a $4 coffee in a foam cup. How can you run out of coffee mugs if you serve breakfast? This time, I was able to get my coffee in a real mug, but they ran out of spoons, even more ridiculous than mugs. How does a restaurant run out of silverware? It was a pretty full house, but everyone had a seat. Should a restaurant not buy enough spoons to set all their tables? It took roughly an hour before we were able to order. I ordered a bacon breakfast with sunny side up eggs, and a bagel. It took roughly another hour for the food to arrive. My eggs were cooked so long, half of the yolk was hard when I got it. I could tell the kitchen was all screwed up because my eggs were hot, but my rice and bacon were cold. In addition, my bagel arrived an additional 30 minutes after my breakfast plate arrived, after two reminders. I requested Tabasco sauce, which never arrived. After waiting 20 minutes, I went to the back and picked one up from the kitchen staff directly. This place is so-so for an ordinary day. I can't recommend it for any special events. If they can't handle a soccer game, their football and UFC events must be even worse than this.
(1)Chris S.
Have to say - love this place - going to miss it when I leave Hawaii - Great atmosphere - Only place on the Island to show all the soccer games - the atmosphere is electric - being an Englishman - I certainly appreciate it - Staff are great - know what I drink and always have it ready for me when I walk in - the management all the way through the staff are friendly - if you take time to get to know them of course ! Home from home - thanks guys
(5)Mae D.
Came here to watch the NBA Playoffs for happy hour. Place was pretty busy. Happy hour prices were decent. Their happy hour runs from 3-6pm everyday and you get a slice of cheese pizza with just one purchase. The cheese pizza tasted exactly like the pizza they served at Chuck E. Cheese's! Great place for happy hour. Except don't expect great service during happy hour because it does get busy (I had to hunt down our server just to order another round of beer). I rated 3 stars only because the food and happy hour prices made up for the lack of customer service.
(3)Jennifer T.
Amazing pastrami reuben and beef barley soup. Perfect shoestring fries. Really . We are from NYC and know our pastrami. Nuff said!
(5)Kerry K.
Greasy process pastrami lunch meat for 16 bucks--Stay away--gross
(1)Matt T.
First the positives: the place is clean (even the restroom), and the staff seems friendly enough, the beer is cold. But I ordered a Greek salad, you know: Kalamata Olives, cucumbers, feta cheese , tomatoes on a bed of fresh crisp Romaine lettuce...or not. No peperoncinis, no banana peppers, but oh they offered to give me Jalapeño peppers...really? The "feta" was a flavorless small smattering of tiny cubes. That could all be overlooked though, but the cold crisp lettuce was anything but that! It was room temperature and therefore not crisp at all. Really a disappointment given the cost and the myriad of alternate dining options all within walking distance.
(2)Jacob N.
Best burgers and hot dogs... I Highly recommend this place for casual dining, the place had sports bar setup.
(4)Liz H.
Ambiance is very nice. Staff has been great so far. A little expensive for portion. I wanted the loco moco but its $14!
(3)ManOf J.
very mediocre food and 2 servers--one was very nice and the other was rather unpleasant and standoffish. no reason at all to go to this place except for convenience (it was essentially adjoined to our hotel). such a prime spot shouldn't be wasted on mediocrity.
(2)Gidget A.
I am going to rate this high because I am including the Round Table in the Hilton. I was born and raised on Oahu and never ate here. DUH! Where the heck was I?? We had family come over and they were staying at the Hilton. We were all at the beach and my daughter in law suggested Round Table. I am not a pizza fan but my little one also wanted to go. I have to tell you, I am a FAN! Bacon and creamy garlic and some other things. Yummy! We returned to Giovanni's to have this delicious pizza just last week. They also have a killer Greek salad.
(5)May L.
Pricey, food is just okay. Too overrated I think.
(2)Amy M.
This is a sportsbar. We decided to try it out of curiosity since we were on vacation after all. We were seated at the back by the bar with the TVs everywhere you turn. It was noisy of course, but we didn't have alot of expectation because we knew what sort of place this was. Yes, it was pricey, too. It did have alot of choices for everyone who is craving for breakfast all day, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, etc. It wasn't too bad overall with the food and the atmosphere; it was lively and our server was nice, but it's not the place we would visit again if we came back to Waikiki. We ordered the Giovanni Sliders (4 pcs): the mini-BBQ Brisket $13. And we ordered the Crab Cakes (4 pcs) $19. Both were good to share and quite filling.
(3)The Wendy B.
Ordered the Kalua Pig Reuben and it taste nothing like kalua pig. The menu clearly stated that it come with swiss cheese & rye bread. It had no cheese and it was originally served to us on a bun before we sent it back for rye.
(1)Owen B.
Some of the worst food I have had from a restaurant. The chili dog was cold and the cheese wasn't melted. My wife's sandwich had red peppers on it that were going bad.
(2)Alecia S.
Not very friendly, over priced food and way way way to loud!
(1)Jason H.
Went and watched the Anderson Silva UFC fight. I was late on reserving a table so they informed me that the bar is first come first serve. Of course that was full also. The ladies at the front were really nice and said if anyone cancels they would let us know. With still 1.5 hr before the start of the PPV we were allowed to sit at a table and at least eat. When the people that had reserved our table arrived we had to get up....understandable. Within 30 min of standing around the bar watching the fights the manager came up to us and informed us a few people had canceled and we could have there seats. The fights went the way I expected. The staff was awesome, friendly and very helpful even during the chaos. The food was also good.
(4)Kara K.
THIS REVIEW IS FOR BREAKFAST AND SERVICE ONLY. Now that we've got that out of the way, I do NOT recommend you come here for breakfast. We were told they had excellent eggs benedict here...completely wrong. The menu for eggs benedict is rather extensive, James F. got the original eggs benedict. I ordered the huevos rancheros which also came with hash browns. Coffee was $2.75. The coffee and food here is at the top of my "most wasted money ever spent on food" list. Awful, all of it except for the hash brown which was maybe 3 stars at most. Eggs benedict was small. Huevos rancheros was not good...everything tasted super canned. I guess at a sports bar I should have known better, right? The coffee was terrible. The service was also bad. I think the staff partied too hard on Friday night and were just plain unhappy at work. They were not friendly. I am not interested in coming here ever again. Unless it's for a friend's party, no way. I would rather go to Round Table or a local sports bar.
(1)Geoff G.
At first glance it looks like a complete tourist trap in Waikiki. If you can't get into the Yard House (like us) this place probably soaks up a good amount of the overflow. So, expectations going in were pretty low...we just wanted something to eat. Interior has a nice feel, upscale sports bar type of place. The prices seemed way too high though for what they were offering (sandwiches, pizzas, etc.) Damn, how much is a personal pizza? $10.95 So, I had the Mexican BBQ pizza (round table) but it claimed they were made fresh...and that was a great little pizza. My buddy had a bacon cheeseburger and he said it was great. It's a solid three star, most likely since I got a $5 Newcastle draft for downtown. Very good and fast
(3)Travis A.
This place is pricey, as most things are in Waikiki. We came here for the Round Table Pizza which they serve...so the 3-stars is really for the restaurant itself and not the pizza. The Maui Zaui pizza is AWESOME. One of--if not THE best pizzas I've ever had! Apparently, it's available at all Round Table Pizzas on the mainland, so def. having it again.
(3)Randi J.
With all the choices in Waikiki, this place is NOT worth it. The BF and I had a bland caesar salad for $10 and a double-decker pastrami sandwich with sweet potato fries for $16 - it was aite. For $16 I'm expecting a so-good-it-makes-me-drool-just-thinking-about-it kinda sandwich. It would've been a 1 star but they give a 20% military discount - can't hate on a patriotic establishment too much. Oh well, it is what it is. I probably won't eat here again.
(2)a m.
I arrived a little after 6am to watch an NCAA football game and the place was already packed. Crazy: meet Crazy. It's a Sports Bar, so you should expect anything. The service was a little slow but when you are slammed at opening, it is understandable. I had the Coconut Macadamia Nut Pancakes served with Coconut Syrup, and they were amazing. I only ordered 2 and could not finish them. They were delicious! The restaurant is in a very touristy area so you get what you get. I would definitely like to try this place again during dinner hours but am not sure I want to be in that crowd even when I'm a tourist. I go to Hawaii to hang out with the locals.
(4)Melissa F.
The only reason this place gets an extra star is because their happy hour is pretty decent and there's a late night happy hour M-Th. $5 mai tais & blue hawaiians, a variety of pupu (appetizer) options for $5 which were all tasty - especially the buffalo wings. Pupus are small, but the meal portions are pretty big so if you're just looking to get full at a place with TVs Giovanni is alright, but their food is sub-par at best. Burger was bland, even with pastrami on it, and their steak sandwich was truly awful. Service was average. I recommend heading there to grab a few $5 cocktails at happy hour before setting out on a dinner or evening out...elsewhere.
(2)Sarah G.
The food here is terrible. Three Egg Breakfast: $9 for three super greasy eggs, a rock hard bagel with gritty/crumbly cream cheese, and four slices of mealy, almost inedible tomato. This is the cheapest breakfast option on the menu; omelets and the like will run you $15+. Service was mediocre. Our server wasn't rude or anything, but it was pretty obvious he didn't want to be there. Way overpriced + gross food = skip this place.
(1)Wayne S.
A fun place to go and watch sports but I am not a fan of the food. The 4 times that I have gone there the food has always been really salty. Last night we had pizza and wings and again its been really salty. Can we say blood pressure.
(2)Quagmire Y.
Giovanni Pastrami can gargle my balls. You are a sports bar. Monday night football is on TV. Staff accordingly so that people can get a beer quicker than 25 minutes after sitting down. Giovanni Pastrami = Management Fail
(1)erin s.
Very expensive for average food such as sandwichs and pizza. Wouldn't go back with all the other places to choose from in the Wakiki area. Husband had a sandwich which was average. I had a garlic pizza recommended by the waitress.
(2)D.J. Y.
I'm not sure what this place is really all about. I mean the headline of their menu reads, "A New York Style Deli, Pizzeria, Sports Bar." Okay....then why is there a little sign out front stating the pizzas are made by Round Table!? Here on the mainland, in the NW, most of the Round Tables have gone, well, under ground. So, when I saw this sign out front I was a bit worried about eating here. We had two meals here, dinner with family and breakfast a few days later. Round Table or not the pizza was pretty good, nothing amazing but a nice surprise served on a nice thin crust. The Maui Zaui, according to my wife, was outstanding. Starch-boy really enjoyed his pepperoni pie as well. Get this, they even serve the Hawaii standard, Loco-Moco! Here they use their "home made" meatloaf, instead of the usual hamburger patty. And you know what, the meatloaf even sold the locals we had with us!! It was really outstanding, plenty of gravy and the eggs were cooked to perfection. While the "deli" side of the house didn't really hold up well, I had a Reuben or should I say, I had "The Reuben", personally I think they need to toast the bread a bit longer. The Russian dressing was served on the side, which I found weird, as most Reuben specialists such as myself know the dressing needs to soak into the meat during the grilling process to make things just right. I really enjoyed the homemade pickle served with my sandwich, if that tells you anything about the sandwich... My Dad had a regular pastrami sandwich, the bread needed to be toasted first, if you ask me, and they grilled the meat beforehand making it really tough to chew. Breakfast the following AM was done very well, while the kitchen had a bit of a hiccup, getting the orders out, when they did come all were served piping hot. Overall, it's a bit pricey but heck it's located on the new Lewer's Street beach walk area, a nice hip new area of Waikiki, plenty to see in the bar with all of the big screens surrounding you, yet the front area still let's you see outside to do some people watching. Take your time reading the menu, I'm sure you'll find something to like. Check out this review from the local newspaper: print2webcorp.com/news/H…
(3)Kat D.
My bother wanted to come here for lunch...I guess he's been before? Or maybe he just heard it was good? Either way, it was alright. Very expensive for what is was, but probably due to the location. Anyway, 3 stars because my food was good, and my brother claims that his Pastrami was soooo good (and that the mustard "just made the whole sandwich"). We ended up spending almost $60 on lunch, which can get you a pretty fancy lunch elsewhere. This was for a turkey club with onion rings, huge pastrami sandwich with potato salad, cole slaw, and 2 drinks. Nice atmosphere, but probably will enjoy lunch somewhere else when in Waikiki again.
(3)Brent S.
It's ok. The pastrami reuben sandwich is decent. But you definitely pay a premium for being in Waikiki. But it is a good place if you're looking for a nice noisy bar, where you can just hang out and not worry about getting a little drunk. If you're here on vacation, there's a lot of other restaurants to check out.
(2)Kayla J.
Love love love Giovanni's! Best for breakfast or lunch while catching a game! Can't go wrong with the eggs Benedict or pizza! Their bread pudding is the best I've ever had and the servers are friendly and attentive!
(5)Marisa R.
3 words Meatloaf Loco Moco! It's soooooo good. If eating it everyday wouldn't give me a heart attack when I'm 25, I'd do it.
(5)katherine k.
$15 for a pitcher works for me.
(4)Jose J.
Great food love the pastrami benedict, the pastrami sandwich the pastrami everything!! I only wish you opened another location than waikiki.
(4)Ashley S.
We found this place just walking around the open mall shopping area. Its got a nice sports bar feel. It was Sunday, so there was football on, and the fans were exited. It got a little loud at times, but that's a sports restaurant, right? The food was really good. They kept our drinks filled, and bused our tables pretty efficiently. We would go again for a good sandwich and fries.
(4)Kathryn D.
Ive been wanting to go to Giovanni Pastrami for so long. I'm not interested in watching the game or drinking beer, I'm interested in eating the food. Listening to their ads on Sports Center made it sound so good. We finally got the chance to try it out for breakfast. They offer everything from pancakes to a variety of eggs benedict to locomoco. I opted for the 3 eggs, choice of meat. All I have to say is this is seriously a a plate made for 2-three eggs, 5 strips of bacon, a huge hash brown potato patty, and your choice of rice or bread. I could not eat it all. I wish I could have though because it was so good! I really want to go their for lunch though. The pizza and sandwiches sound so so so good! Next time for sure!
(4)Angela A.
I go to Giovanni's every weekend for the Steelers game so I have plenty of comments. I'll keep it simple with a PROs/CONs list: PROs - Food is very good Nice TVs Cold beers Delicious bloody marys 20% military discount CONs - Overpriced food ($17 for an omelet?!?!) Service is just "EH" - I often get the feeling the servers just don't care Parking is valet only which is convenient. It's typically $3, but when we have the late game or a Monday or Thursday night game it ends up being around $6, which can be a problem if you're like me and don't usually have much cash.
(3)Angela G.
Ugh, FAIL. Went here for breakfast with the hubby on our first day here. Manager was charming and he made us feel like welcomed guests. Our omlette and meatloaf were mediocre and the waitress a little forgetful, but our Pineapple Mimosa and Creamsicle were strong and she was sweet, so all was fine. A little pricey, but after hearing from the manager that they had the baseball package and based on his charm, we told him we'd come back. All was chill in muffinville. We return as promised and the hostess waits to finish her conversation with another waitress before acknowledging our presence. She seats us and my husband asks for her to put on the baseball game. She looks at us quizically and runs off to ask someone to put it on. She returns and says that they can't put it on. Wait, wha? Despite what your manager told us yesterday AND the giant 10 ft. banner of A-Rod on the wall advertising the baseball package, you DON'T have it? Lame. We meander across the street and talk to the incredible nice guys at the Yard House and ask if they have the game, but unfortunately they don't have the package. They do give us great recommendations on where to go and chuckle at our story of how Giovanni Pastrami messed up. The Yard House manager told us he wished they had the baseball because they would have sat and watched it with us, LOL. I would definitely go back to the Yard House and am so glad we decided to leave GP before foolishly ordering breakfast.
(1)Kevin D.
Normally, I love this place. Good Food, lots of TV's to watch the games. I attempted to go today for breakfast. The place was mostly empty, but we were stopped at the door and told since it was Super bowl Sunday we had to pay a $10 cover to enter. I can understand this if the game was coming on now, but we were there FOUR hours before the game. I even told the guy we were going to eat then head to the beach. Had no intention to watch the Peelers play the Stackers. Regardless, bad decision. I was a regular before today, but I will not be returning.
(1)Jason Y.
Its a shame to call this New York Pastrami! I've been here lots of times, usually for some beers and pizza. I finally went there for dinner and tried the "authentic" pastrami. I'm so not impressed. After having the real stuff from Katz in NYC, nothing compares and here, there is just no comparison! Plus its expensive, for what you pay, i'm better off flying to NY and getting a REAL sandwich. If you want to spend money on expensive beer and so-so food, then this is the place for you, but i'd just let the tourists hang out here and go elsewhere.
(2)August A.
All my visits here have fallen under the same category as better than average. So far the food, service, and environment are all great. Giovanni's has a Las Vegas sports bar feel to it, maybe the reason why I frequent it so much. Giovanni's food is actually mediocre but gets the extra stars for having such a huge menu, breakfast served 24/7, and Round Table pizza. I usually enjoy this place because the hours are late night. I definitely enjoy having a king arthur's special (no bell peppers) and an order pancakes, pure epic foodgasm. The wait staff and bartenders are friendly, quick, and accurate. I've been coming here for about 3 years and have never had a mishap, even on the most crowded nights where the wait was over 45 minutes. The environment is probably the biggest draw: clean and hip. The multitude of TV screens are mostly fixed to different events so picking your poison is mighty easy. Everyone should come here. It's sad that most find this place as an alternative to Yardhouse because you their long lines so for those of you in the know, I believe we should keep it that way. haha
(5)Vira P.
Waste of my time and money. The food and service were lacking. It seems like a place where the over-40 tourist goes to try to get laid.
(2)Bert M.
The thing about Giovanni is their pizza...oh, yes, and their pastrami. Being a sister store with Round Table Pizza gives them a leg up in the pizza department. Eggs Benedict with Pastrami? Yes please! Now, sometimes I find the wait staff to be less than what they should be. Over-all I enjoy going to Giovanni and I will go back again. Get a different selection of drought beers...please...soon!
(3)Andy K.
Went to Giovanni Pastrami today to watch a soccer match. I was disappointed and probably won't return again. The service was atrocious. Yes, the restaurant was busy, but we waited over 1/2 an hour just for coffee. The breakfast food was uninspired. The hash browns that came with my Eggs Benedict were still cold and devoid of flavor. The Eggs Benedict was acceptable, but for $16 the portion was really small. My friend had the same feelings about his meal. The restaurant was clean, but the servers weren't especially friendly. Beer selection was very disappointing. The only German beer available (Becks) was in non-alcoholic form. Prices for (Samuel Adams) were rather ridiculous at $6 a bottle. I certainly don't mind paying for *good* beer, but the standard offering of Coors Light, Budweiser, and Heineken just doesn't cut it. Overall it wasn't a good experience. The company and the event were the focus, but the restaurant needs some work.
(2)Juan L.
This place is the only restaurant that I know that serves Round table Pizza and has a plethora of HD televisions that make you turn so much in every direction you get dizzy. Of course the pizza is amazing but nothing else on the menu is all that great including their desserts. Also be prepared to wait for everything you need because the customer service is not so great. This place is only good to come and watch a sports event with friends, eat some pizza and have some drinks. Everything else try at your own risk.
(3)Kama K.
Love Love Love! The Ruben Sandwich. Salad are good too. Nora that was working in the front was very professional. I wil be back very soon.
(4)Maria R.
Stopped in here while my cousins were visiting and staying at the Hale Koa (I live in Moili'ili) because my cousin wanted to watch a baseball playoff game. (I don't know much about sports! I just know it was an important game to him). It was Monday, so the football game was on. They have probably at least twenty huge television sets in here, lining the walls, and sound things that you can put on your table to hear the game in case multiple games are on. My cousin and our family purposely sat in front of the tv with the baseball game on it so he could watch it. Half way through the meal, the one television set in the corner with the baseball game on was switched to the football game. We asked our server if he could change it back to baseball but he said the manager said he wanted the foot ball game on. There are about TWENTY television sets in this place (if not more) and it is impossible not to be able to see at least three or four of them from any given set. Doesn't seem really considerate that ONE tv couldn't be on baseball, even though it was on when we came in. Wasn't the servers fault though. My cousin and I have both been servers in the past so we knew not to blame him. Just careless management. And it was $11 for a PLAIN hot dog ($13 dollars if you wanted anything on it.) SERIOUSLY? $11 for a hot dog? Give me a break. The only saving grace about this place is it's cool with a nice interior, and during happy hour (3-5) they walk around giving out a free slice of cheese pizza with any purchase. Also the hostess was friendly, nice and attentive. The only reason I would go back to this place would be if someone else was going during happy hour. They can make a purchase, and I'll just have a beer and a free slice of pizza. Oh yeah. And I heard they had Motza Ball soup on the menu. I'll go back to try it out because I love Motza Ball soup. But if it's over $10 they can forget it! I get that it's Waikiki and the rent is high but give me a break. There's no forgiving a $13 hotdog unless it's got fries, bacon, chilli, cheese, a large soda and a salad on the side!
(2)Alex Y.
Heard some great things about this place so we decided to try it out. Big mistake, first of all the service there is horrible. If you have several hours to kill this is the perfect place to do so. The waitress we got was beyond horrible, we actually sat before a family of 4 and didn't receive our menus and water until after they received their meal. Note it was just me and my girlfriend eating. I was too hungry to leave and find another restaurant, so I bit the bullet and waited it out. Our food came maybe 30mins later for a hamburger and some fish. Food was okay, but the service is not. I do not recommend this place at all!!! Not local friendly, more tourist friendly...
(2)Rob T.
Bu! If you like the pupu and drinks, and watching sports all around you, this is the place for you. I went there recently to watch UH volleyball and the staff there was pretty cool about getting us close to a TV -- albeit, they have flat screen TVs all over the place. Everything is in HD ... talk about clarity :-) I love the food, but it's still bar food. Great pizza and New York style food. I love how their menu have some local style flare in the mix, you know, poke and stuff. Only in Hawaii. Anyway, I had hella fun there. Great environment to hangout with friends. You have to check it out.
(4)Chad Y.
Tell me about your worst service experience and I'll tell you mines! It's Giovanni Pastrami's by a landslide! First, I would like to say sorry to my co-workers for suggesting this place for lunch today! I had an okay experience before, but this time was the pits! Second, I want to state that this review is mainly on the service. It stinks and so does the food. LOL. Here are some highlights or should i say LOWlights from this place. -When our server Asland came to our table she said, "are you ready to order?". We said "yes we are. And we have only a short time for lunch." and she said "I'll be back with your waters"?? It took our server 15-20 minutes to bring us waters. Then take our orders! By this time we had only half of our lunch time left! We had a meeting to get back to afterwards.If you ask if we are ready to order and someone says yes then what should your next question be?? We are ready for you! -After she took our order we asked if we could have them on separate checks and she said " it's impossible to have separate checks, but I can do three checks." We had six in our party and I can see how having separate checks requires a little more work, but impossible?! I don't think so! And she could have said it a little more nicely and without the attitude. In the end she actually gave us separate checks, so, I guess you can do it, huh...? -also by this point we saw Asland give the same quality of service she gave us, none, to every one of her customers. She would ignore customers, she had a poor attitude saying things like "here's your waters. Your welcome..." saying your welcome even before people said thank you then walking away! This made us think customers are an inconvenience to her. -But the finally to our meal was when we heard our server talking to a customer about us! A lady in her late forties who was clearly drunk ended up hassling us about getting separate checks. Again I don't think this is unreasonable. The word unprofessional is very fitting in this situation. When is it okay to talk to other customers about other customers? And create a scene at that?! I feel this lunch took a wrong turn and it started by choosing to go to Giovanni Pastrami's. I don't feel like her behavior was provoked by our table. We sat down, maybe that was the problem? Management needs to grow a pair and whip their business into shape. It is sad that people can let their employees get away with giving horrible service and watch their business crumble. I will not be going back. And neither will any of my co-workers and friends. Don't make the same mistake we did...
(1)Joelle L.
There is nothing better than a pastrami reuben sanwhich after a long hard night partying in Waikiki! I have made 7 trips to Waikiki in the last 2 years. One of the essential part of our visit it to go to Giovanni's. Propy the GM is like family to us whenever we roll into town. Asland the bartender is a pistol! She knows how to cure a hangover! I love the food and I love the staff even more. See you in February friends!
(5)Justin S.
Dear Management, Today is 05/28/11, ad the day of the Champions League game. Big business day for you, I'd guess, by the fact that there are 150-200 customers seated here at 8:00 AM. Our group had a reservation for 30, and every seat in the restaurant is also occupied. You knew it was going to be a busy morning. So I have a simple question for you: why are there only four servers working? I lied. I have more questions. Why was our group of thirty people assigned to just ONE server? Why did it take literally ONE FULL HOUR for our poor server to get to our table and inform us that it would be TEN MORE MINUTES before she could manage to get us a cup of water? Why am I sitting here, two hours after sitting down with ONLY THAT CUP OF WATER to show for it, and no food? Are you incapable of predicting your busy days, or do you just lack the business acumen to understand how important it is to staff up? This place is such a waste of potential. And it's your fault for letting it be this way. PS. Follow up to this story: After receiving the bill, I clearly and politely asked that we be comped for at least one of the meals. I explained that I was extremely disappointed by the fact that it took two solid hours just to get food on the table, while most of our group had their food out in little more than an hour. For god's sake, we barely finished our meals by the time the game was over. The result? The manager took off $6. Six. Measly. Dollars. After posting this review, the same manager offered to "take care" of me if I ever come back. WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST "TAKE CARE" OF ME TODAY, WHEN I ASKED YOU TO? This place is trash. If they weren't fed by a constant flow of none-the-wiser tourists, the restaurant would have crashed and burned at the hands of angry past-patrons. Look at the reviews, and look at the trends in the statements: ONE STAR, horrible and slow service, less-than-mediocre food, and ridiculously high prices. Save yourself a trip, and dodge Giovanni Pastrami at all costs. You'll thank Yelp! for the insight.
(1)Diana B.
WOWEEE!! This place was expensive!! PROS: -In the middle of the Waikiki area with lots of other places to check out..(ie. Yard House, Ruth's Chris, etc.) -Good service -Yummy virgin Bloody Mary's for 5 dollars. -Vast selection of food. -Good place to watch football (OH! IO!) CONS: -Pricey. -Not a good place for the kids especially during football games. -So-so food. -Not the healthiest menu either. We ordered the garlic chicken gourment pizza for a whopping $21 bucks. It was medium size so we finished it between two people. Add a Bloody Mary and four draft beers and the total is over 50 bucks. But the place is nice and what can you expect when the joint is located in the middle of Waikiki? Our football team meets there so we have no choice but to be coming back! Try it for yourselves!
(3)Chris Q.
Wound up here cause my stomach was yelling for food. After reading the menu, I was intrigued by the Giovanni's Pastrami Reuben Pizza (Russian dressing sauce, Swiss cheese, and 1/2lbs of pastrami, topped with sauerkraut). While it is essentially a Round Table pizza and only offered in a large . . . it was surprisingly TASTY! Based on this item, I'm a fan but service drops it down 2 stars. It took quite a while to order and takes quite a while to get refills on drinks. The place itself is a nicely setup sports bar. HDTVs galore; available in just about every angle.
(3)Scott F.
Went here once last week on vacation: Think Cheesecake Factory (overpriced bland food, generic menu, mediocre service...) but with no cheesecake. It took a while to get our food, and my $16 cobb salad was the same thing you'd get at any Chili's for $10. I sampled some of my wife & family's food: Yep, that's a burger. And those are french frys. Shrug? They have Round Table pizza on the menu - kind of campy and lazy in my opinion. There are SO many fresh local twists you could put on pizza in Hawaii, why invest in the oven if you're not going to offer something original? What really bothered me was that the entire place was full of thick smoke from the kitchen. It was physically unpleasant to be in the seating area, and I left the restaurant for about twenty minutes to take my young son for a walk outside in order to clear our lungs. We overheard other customers discussing it too, so it was pretty bad. After that walk -our food had still not been served and we got to wait some more. It was a bad decision to have gone there in the first place in hindsight. Buy a microwave dinner at an ABC store, heat it up in your hotel room, while waiting for it to get cold before you eat it, close the doors & windows and light one of the pillows on fire. You will have had the same experience and saved yourself $80...
(1)Lisa C.
The menu at Giovanni consists of a good mixture- burgers, hot dogs, breakfast (even for dinner!), pizza (Round Table), pasta, and sandwiches. There's also a full bar upstairs, so there's something for everyone. If you like sliders, you may find the Reuben bites an enjoyable alternative. I ordered the Reuben bites with pastrami (but you also have the option of corned beef or turkey breast) grilled with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye bread. An order comes with four reubens and a side, so the meal is filling. Nothing too special about this place, but the location was convenient. I'm between a 3-3.5 stars.
(3)Dirty S.
Watched games 1 & 2 of world series featuring the SF Giants vs Texas Rangers.. The staff was very accommodating to my wife and family, which included 4 children under age 5! Great service, OK food (minus the pizza)
(4)K F.
The reuben pastrami bites and western burger were delicious!! We were initially not thrilled with the menu but glad we ordered something!! The service was ok.
(4)Michael C.
Was recommend to this place by the guest service at our hotel. Place was fancy and sandwiches was huge. Tastes was lacking and pricey.
(3)Dan S.
Simple: overpriced below average food. Shame really as the decor is nice, the staff and service was fine. I guess the money they make goes towards those areas and the food/kitchen gets left behind. I'll take an ugly place with lazy service but good quality dishes over a place like this any day.
(2)Lil T.
The food deserves 3 stars. Just mediocre food, nothing spectacular or tasty. You get ordinary sandwiches and pizza. The menu is extensive and expensive. Great for hanging out with friends. However, I bumped it to 4 stars because of the front desk clerk who took my to go order one day. She was very pleasant and polite. I can only remark on her, don't know about the table waiters.
(4)Chynnagirl C.
This eatery has been in Waikiki for a few years and this was the first time I ever had the opportunity to try it. It's a lot larger then it looks on the outside and on a Saturday evening didn't look like it had a long wait so we gave it a try. The decor was simple and clean and it's obvious that the owners are big sports fan because there were flat screen tv's bolted to almost every crack, cranny and nook in the joint. As I survey the kind of guests around the restaurant which looked like 60% tourists, but a strong 40% of local people, most of them were either enjoying watching one of the many football/soccer/sports games being shown on the tv's or they were consumed with their cell phones. The sports on TV I can understand but the incessant need to have your face plastered to your smart phone not so much but thats a whole other blog. lol. The menu was HUGE and offered everything from appetizers, to salads, to pastas, to sandwiches to pizzas (They are the same owners as Round Table mind you). Being from the restaurant business I personally wouldn't have chosen such a large menu because its a little too much for the guest to have to peruse through yet at the same time, I noticed that many of the products were used in various items throughout the menu so hopefully they don't have too much waste. Being a pastrami lover of course I had to try the little pastrami reuben bites for $14 which came with what seemed like a thousand island dressing and fries. Although the presentation was very nice, I thought the sandwiches could have been a little bigger, still they were tasty nonetheless. My friends had an eggs benedict (little over cooked and the server herself noticed it and offered to have them redone) while the other had good old fashion buffalo wings which he said he enjoyed (and he's eaten a lot of wings in his time lol). All in all we each walked out at under $20 apiece which isn't bad for Waikiki! We saw their Happy Hour table tents promoting HH from 3-5pm daily where you can be served personal pizzas for $5 as well as a host of other smaller sized appetizers. Although I wish HH ended a little later because 5 is still a little too early for normal folk to make it into Waikiki (and maybe that isn't who their target market is) it certainly looks like a great deal. We'll be back Giovanni's...leave your cell phones in your bag people!! lol
(4)Michaela D.
Don't do it! It may be a fine place to get a quick drink or to enjoy some NFL but the prices and food are just not worth it. The bacon is like cardboard (I know there is more than Hormel available on the island). The pancakes have ok flavor and are enormous but I think it was the butter and syrup that made them worth putting in my mouth. The pastrami benedict was absolutley meh. It was far too sweet. The pastrami was nothing special. But the worst part was the bill. I know it's in Waikiki but I could have gone to an elaborate buffet for what breakfast cost. Disappointing all the way.
(2)Rio R.
After a drawn out conversation about the practicality of a handle bar mustache. The next pragmatic step was to mosey on over to Giovanni's. I ordered a few long islands. They gave us free pizza slices for all our troubles. I had a very good time here. The staff was pretty darn good looking prior to drinks. They were very helpful. I must say that their Rueben sliders were excellent. That's about all I remember. Will go back next time I'm in Waikiki.
(3)Jenifer G.
Excellent breakfast! Ordered the pastrami benedict ($14.95) with country fries and was impressed. The pastrami is a good portion, and was both tender and delicious. The hollandaise sauce was made very well and I ate almost everything off my plate. Country fries were not bad. Flavor was not as fresh as I would have liked. Had a bite of the regular eggs benedict and the ham slice in there was pretty hefty. Came back for dinner (was in Waikiki hanging out all afternoon). Meatloaf sandwich ($14.95) was good (open faced, gravy on top), very easy to dig into, but I prefer more texture and oomph. It was "okay" to me, but I think some people may like it that way? The cole slaw was good but not flavorful, so the good thing was that I didn't feel as guilty eating it. The fries were almost fully cook -- they were much lighter than a golden brown, so it didn't crunch as much as I like them to. TONS of flat screens. Booths in the lower seating area, and throughout the outer perimeter of the upper level. Bar tables in the inner perimeter, and bar in the middle. Cool sports bar that would accommodate any group. Windows so you can see the kitchen (a definite plus in my book!). Not sure if I'd come here again any time soon but I'd definitely recommend getting the pastrami benedict. Taste of New York in Kaimuki when they FIRST opened was AWESOME. Then it did a complete 180 and was complete crap towards the end before they closed. I'd say the pastrami at Giovanni's is a lot thinner and has a different taste to it, but it's still good. Just wish there were more pastrami places here...
(3)Devon S.
FIGHT NIGHT!!!! Money Mayweather vs Sugar Shane! After a houseparty for the fight fell thru, I turned to Yelp for a quick point-in-the-right-direction to catch the fight of the year (so far). Michael S.(thx, for that bro) gave me a lead on Giovanni Pastrami and what a great lead it was. I have passed by the place a thousand times and never realized it was a sports bar as well as a restaurant. It looks too nice to be a place full of people screaming and yelling to cheer for their favorite teams, or in this case, fighters. The ambiance was very nice. Hardwood floors, perfect lighting, big screen TV's all over the place! Very nice layout. The food was very good as well. I tried the nachos, wings, and sliders with the table for the pre-fight, then had a delicious eggs benny with bacon. Omg, bacon, perfect poached eggs, and hollindaise. Nom...nom...and...nom! Service was exceptional, esp given the fact that it was sooooo crowded. The servers were very tentative and keep the water, boos, and food coming in a very timely fashion. 4 stars easy for GP. Ill be back for sure for the NBA playoff and future fights as well. If for nothing else, im coming back for the eggs benny. Once again...nom! "S"
(4)Jimie R.
I loved my sandwich, but the spaghetti wasn't as good as it used to be, it was too sweet. My daughter wasn't happy with her spaghetti. After reading all the reviews I have to agree with many of them. The waitress didn't ever check on us to see if we needed anything. I had to call out to her several times before she came over to check. She only had 4 tables so I'm not sure what the problem was. We have always loved this restaurant and hope the manager will do something to improve service. I would hate for them to lose their local customers because of complacency.
(3)Richard C.
This is the last meal that I had in Hawaii on my Honeymoon. I wanted to go out with a bang, but it was more like a crash and burn. We walked in for brunch time and after staring at the menu, could not find anything that was too appealing. It would have been awkward to just leave so we decided to order. I had the Loco Moco and the lady had their eggs benedict. I think i ordered the most expensive loco moco on the island, so i figured, heh, it must be good right? well, it was large, and it was boring. I had better loco moco in hole in the wall fast food joints. And the quality definitely does not justify the prices. All in all, i truly regret eating here as there are far better options near Waikiki for far better prices. The service was very lack luster as there were only 2 customers in the front area, and it took the server 20 minutes to take my payment. I like the concept, i like the name, i just don't like the food and prices. I probably won't be going back, but I will give this place 2 stars just for their decorations and concept. Apparently they are more known for their happy hour specials, so I may re-review it after I try that. 2 stars for now- much room for improvement.
(2)Cole P.
Have had the pizza twice here and it is always really good. The godfather pizza take out and dine in were both awesome and service was great. Don't go for breakfast as most places that exist on the mainland are nothing special here. Find small local dives a little out of the strip of chains for breakfast.
(4)Timmy F.
I have visited this establishment three times, on this last trip we went twice. Styled like the typical sports bar theme with tv's and sparsely strewn sports memorabilla across the restaraunt. Me being the longtime MMA fan I am, I was impressed by the BJ Penn pictures and an item on the menu known as the "BJ Penn special" which is delicious. The turkey and avocado sandwhich, was damn good. The time before I got the pastrami which was pretty close to the best I ever had. They serve a round table pizza and a variety of beers. Overall a pretty good experience. There is a little bit of "just another group of tourist" vibe however.
(3)Esteban W.
If the Cheesecake Factory and the Yardhouse were to have a love child I'd hope they'd have the sense to be pro-choice. And if Yelp would allow it, this place would get a half star, if that. I was really excited to try out a new place, even if it was in Waikiki. To tell you the truth our first choice for the night was the Yardhouse, but I heard about Giovanni's and... didn't check the ratings on Yelp... So we ended up at Giovanni's. I was amazed by the shear size of the menu they put on display outside the front door. With its tiny print and podium, it makes you feel like you're entering something fancy, like going to a Double Tree or something, and it makes you feel like you're going to be treated like some big movie star, or at least a local KHON news broadcaster. Norm D. and I had little wait, we walked in and as quickly as someone could dash for the front door, we were being led to our seats. I should have taken it as an omen when they felt that the most logical choice to seat two guys looking for a Burger and a Beer was a six-seat round table in the walkway near the drink station and surrounded by a total of zero televisions...wtf. We were then told that if we wanted we could go 'up top' and find our own seats. We journeyed up and found a spot at the bar. Overall the place is small... but LARGER than what I imagined, and larger than what it looks like from the street. It's also a 'high end' sports bar, you can tell because their happy hour prices are as much as a regular beer at a regular sports bar and they post posters of half naked athletes glaring into each others' faces on the wall. THE GOOD: I am assuming because no game was on in the world, this place was pleasantly quiet, I was actually able to hold some conversation. They have Kona Beer on tap and I got to enjoy a couple Fire Rocks which I thought were pretty good. Its really clean inside and the place is larger than it looks. THE BAD: After ordering the Fire Rocks, I looked over the menu and they help you out by posting little pictures of the food you might want to order, then they add some arrow to know what you're really getting. I say Pastrami Eggs Benedict and thought that would probably be the most awesome thing EVER to consume... but with a Fire Rock beer- not so much. Instead, I went for the Giovanni Pastrami Burger. It looks gorgeous - in the photo - and I added Provolone and bacon because if you're gonna' die from food, might as well add cheese and bacon. HOW could this go wrong, BUGER + PASTRAMI + BACON divided by CHEESE = FLAVORF**K in your mouth, but it wasn't! It was sooo sad, the burger was TASTLESS, bland and boring; I didn't know you can make bacon taste boring, but Giovanni Pastrami did it. This was such a disappointing meal, a meal with so much potential. Not to mention that I ordered my burger medium well and my friend Norm D. ordered his medium raw, I took a bite of my burger and thought it was a little more red than I was used to - of course, the burgers were mixed up - sad news, I guess I shouldn't blame the bartender, it's not like bartending academy teaches you to be a server, but he F**Ked that one up. It's not like it wouldn't have mattered, the other burger was just as boring, except in addition, it was dry. OVERALL: Sub par service - on a SLOW night. It has TV's everywhere for your enjoyment, awesome looking menu, but a REALLY disappointing meal, doesn't really make me want to risk it in spending an excessive amount on something that may come out bland and flavorless. I saw they serve Roundtable Pizza...but can't you get those from Wal-Mart? Not enough to make me want to re-visit. The only thing holding this place up is the beer, which I could also get at Wal-Mart and the appearance of the place, but it's located in Waikiki, which is probably how it survives - by feeding on the unsuspecting tourist that have nothing but disposable income and don't know any better. If this place were any where else on the island, away from senseless tourist, I doubt it would survive. To add salt to the wound ( because they dont add it to season their food) the burger ended up being $12 plus cheese $1.50, plus bacon $1.95 = $15.45 times two and three beers + tip + parking in Waikiki = TOO DAMN MUCH. Not worth your money to try. RECOMMENDATION: If you're dying for a burger and aspire to dine with the tourist, go to Islands.
(1)Alexandra K.
One of the few places where you can have a relaxing casual lunch without pigeons walking all over the place looking for their next meal. I liked what I ordered, my husband didn't... I think its just a hit or miss when it comes to food at this place. Its worth a try.
(3)Brandon B.
A restaurant with a sports bar feel. I thought the outside looked okay and pleasant enough to walk in. Interior looks pretty decent, except a few sticky parts and the smell of spilled beer reeking in some places. Bunch of TVs to distract you. Service felt kind of slow and indifferent. The food was ok. Generally, I like Round Table pizza so if they serve their pizza, then it's all good. The sandwiches are kind of unimpressive. The prices are pretty high. Going to have to try Round Ta--err-- Giovanni Pastrami again and give it another shot.
(3)Richard W.
We went here because there was no wait to be seated, or so we thought. While being ignored at the front register for several minutes by one of the hostesses while the other was helping a customer get an order for take out, I got a bit concerned. It was a long enough wait that I was surprised when she grabbed a couple of menus and seated us. By that time, I had assumed it wasn't part of her job. When the food came, I realized the other reason the place wasn't busy. I paid $16 for a french dip sandwich, and it was just a bit less than mediocre. At half the price, I would have been disappointed. My friend got a tuna salad and only ate about 1/3 of it because it was bland. Our waiter was very good, but that's the only positive I can think of about this place. When he asked if we would like boxes for the food we'd left, I imagined it's a question he's used to asking. I'm also sure our "no" was no surprise.
(1)Erin O.
Okay food...BAD service.
(2)Cody Y.
This place was open at 7am for the football game which was nice and the service was great!! Great atmosphere too.
(4)Katrina F.
So, with all of these bad reviews you would think they would start to get the hint and make their food better? I gave this place three stars because I like the environment, kind of a clean and pretty sports bar. Works for the guys and the girls! :) TVs everywhere, comfortable seating, and free pizza at happy hour! However, the food is so absolutely awful. The servers are super rude too...one female bartender in particular. The next time we come here, which I know we will because my boyfriend loves his sports, I will be sure to get something to eat before hand because the food here is so bad...not to mention waaaaayyyyy overpriced!! Booo. Cummon Giovanni's... just make your food good and we will come more often and spend more money!!
(3)Robin W.
The Hula Gator Club (U of Florida) meets here for football games, so of course I come here frequently in the fall. They have an extensive menu (3 pages) for breakfast, which is good for our 6 am games. They also have pizza, burgers, big sandwiches, and matzo ball soup. They will validate the parking too. The staff are friendly and attentive.
(4)Amanda K.
Can anyone say matzah ball soup!! Well I can and I say it every time I order!!! Great place for a quick non pricey breakfast/lunch/dinner!!
(3)Hannah S.
I had the tuna melt and sweet potato fries which were very good, yet over-priced. Our service was great, the waitresses friendly, and the food was good but the prices were not. They also charge $0.75 for any sides of ranch and $3 for a side of alfredo sauce! A little much for already paying a bit for the meals.
(3)Cy C.
When visiting Waikiki, one of my favorite places to visit is Giovanni Pastrami. Gotta love this place because it serves one of my favorite pizzas in Hawaii, Roundtable pizza. Great place for beer, pizza and sandwiches. When you walk in, you automatically think sports bar. Yes it is a great place to watch the game. In fact I just spent almost the whole day watching UH football, baseball playoffs then the UFC fights. Yes I know I pratically spend the whole day. there. With many TVs to watch from and comfortable sitting great place to spend the day to watch the game(s). Be aware they do charge to watch the UFC fight (UH game was free) for $10. The staff is always friendly and ready to serve you. Its a sports bar, but its a great place for grindz. As much as I love Roundtable pizza, I occasional order sandwiches. (Okay I lied I ordered both) Love the Reuban sandwhich and fries. Ohh did I mentionn they serve Roundtable pizza. Yes Roundtable Pizza!!!!!! This is by far one of my favorite Happy Hour joints. Check this out order a beer and happy hour price and get a free slice of round table pizza. Order a few beers and you got a meal. Now be aware they used to give you a different selection of pizzas but now its just cheese. Not sure when happy hour ends, but I remember I just missed the happy hour, however for an hour you can order a personal pizza for $5. If this wasn't in Waikiki I would go there a lot more. However they do have validated parking in the back. So definitely worth a Waikiki visit. Please someone take me, to get some beer and grindz and GIovanni Pastrami.
(4)Chris B.
The food was pretty bad and extremely over priced.
(2)Belle C.
Its on the beach walk & we get 10% off for staying at Wyndham. Good drinks, we had blue hawaiian & mai tai. Free cheese pizza slice with any order during happy hour... So 4 stars, were feeling generous!
(4)S H.
Overpriced lousy food. We were looking for a soup/salad/sandwich place. Had a quick glance at the menu and it looked ok; they claim to be a deli. After sitting down and looking closer at the menu, all the sandwiches are more than $15. We should have walked out at that point. Instead got soup, salad, and a sandwich. Soup was lukewarm at best. Salad was reasonable. Grilled sandwich was grilled just long enough to melt the butter and make the bread super greasy without toasting it. Service was slow, despite there being only 4 occupied tables. Our total was near $50 for 2, lunch with no alcohol. Tons of TVs and a decent sized bar, so it's probably a decent place to watch a game. If you just want lunch, maybe try the Subway across the street instead.
(1)Steve H.
Ate breakfast there today. Wife's omelet was good. Service was fine too. I'm still hurting from the weird sourdough tasting pancakes. Coffee is $3.50 ?!?! Won't go back.
(2)Matt W.
It's true, a $16 rueben is pretty unbelievable. But equally unbelievable is the free pizza happy hour from 3-6pm Mon-Fri, when you can get 2 slices of pizza with every $3 domestic, $4 premium/import beer, or $5 Mai Tai/Blue Hawaiian. Added value if your favorite game happens to be on while you're taking your extended executive lunch, you high roller you. If you're a gastronome and you somehow get stuck here by accident, the gourmet vegetarian pizza is actually pretty delicious, believe it or not, and they make a pretty tasty, freaking huge loco moco if your blood feels like it's flowing just a little too freely through your unclogged arteries. They've also got about 70 different kinds of Eggs Benedict and their hollandaise sauce isn't too bad, though I'd guess it's probably not made fresh on the premises. If you can afford it, this is probably the best spot in town to watch a pay-per-view UFC fight or boxing match due to the endless array of flat screens, the large amount of space, and the partnership GPs has with some liquor companies and local fighter BJ Penn--they give out lots of door prizes and it's generally a pretty testosterone-choked, bling-heavy, cash-flaunting, rollicking scene--if that's the kind of thing you dig. The service has been consistently good in my experience, though like many spots in Waikiki the turnover seems pretty high and it's rare to meet someone who's worked there for more than a year. In summary, if I was on vacation on Oahu with my wife, who loved the beach and the water and the mountains and the culture and anything else that's cool about Hawaii that we couldn't get in our hometown of Valdosta, Georgia, and I had a fat wad of spendin cash, loved sports, and hated the beach and the water and the mountains and the culture and anything else that's cool about Hawaii that we couldn't get in our hometown, I would totally camp out here for my entire trip and take my chances that my wife didn't run off with a hula dancing local boy. Enjoy!
(3)Melissa W.
Allison is an amazing bartender. Worth coming back just for her!
(5)Joe K.
Great place to watch NFL football! HD screens are abundant! The food is great! Having Round Table pizza as an option is great as well. The ONLY downfall is the service time! Terrible. I started timing how long it would take to get a 2nd beer or even a menu and average time was about 10 minutes and I was sitting right next to the bar! It seems to have enough staff members but they need to get it right ASAP. I've been there 4 times have dealt with different wait staff with the same result. In fact I was warned by someone else beforehand that would be the case. They could use more specials as well, it gets pricey after a while.
(4)Steph X.
good place to watch games and munch on yummies
(3)Crystal B.
My boyfriend wanted to go watch the Miami Heat game somewhere other than our house but I was a little wary when he suggested Giovanni Pastrami only because I remembered seeing mediocre Yelp reviews and the name makes me think of a deli, not a sports bar. In fact, I had no idea that it was a sports bar. Whatever, I figured it didn't matter too much if it wasn't amazing. When we arrived (after parking in the Wyndham lot, which they validate) I was very pleasantly surprised by the modern and just-barely-upscale bar decor. It was clean and most importantly the Heat game was on. Perhaps the coolest part about this bar was the speaker boxes that they give each table so that you can have audio for whichever game you're watching rather than having to hear it jumbled with all the other games playing in the bar or not getting audio at all. The volume is adjustable and provides the perfect solution to the classic sports bar war over whose game gets sound. Awesome. We got berry lemonades, a Captain Ron (mango and coconut rum), followed by Blue Moons. All of the drinks were good, and when I got buffalo wings I was pleased with those too. Good flavor and texture. Pizza is provided by Roundtable pizza. I'm pretty sure they have the same owner. Our server was Roclyn and she was great! She was personable without being intrusive and she kept our drinks coming. She took great care of us. She also recommended the cheesecake when I asked a out dessert which was a GREAT choice. Yeah, I know- wings, beer, and cheesecake. I went to the gym later, I swear. Basically I had a great time and was totally surprised by how much I liked this place. I have a feeling we have a new go-to spot for games that are not being shown on our cable channels.
(4)Cody Z.
Visited this place about 7 or 8 times in 2 years. Usually because I'm in Waikiki and want watch a Red Sox, Celtics, Patriot or Bruin game. Place is clean, well air conditioned with lots of HD TVs for easy viewing. I aways sit at the bar, and order Pepsi, or Bud Lite, or New Castle and a personal Round Table supreme pizza. I love that supreme pizza, So good, spicy, flavorful, zesty and filling. And the female bartenders and servers and hostesses are sooo hot. I think the owner hires based on how hot looking the female applicants are. And they are all so friendly. And I like the uniform, black tight pants. so if the game is boring or my team is getting blown out, there is all the female staff eye candy to keep me entertained.
(4)Brad H.
This place caught my eye from the street. Clean, HD galore, and the sounds of a basketball game playing throughout the bar. Winner? Eh, kinda. It was all over when I opened the menu. Everything looks amazing and we all know Round Table Pizza is good but everything here is CRAZY EXPENSIVE even for Waikiki! Luckily we caught the end of their pretty respectable happy hour. Five dollar personal pizzas and $3 domestic drafts. I had the Chicken Garlic Supreme and as usual Round Table stayed true to its deliciousness. I didn't notice any service issues but I was also mesmerized by the plethora of HD screens surronding the bar. Overall, this bar has potential to be a great local hangout if it dropes the prices.
(3)Christopher D.
For those of us who's day isn't complete without a good breakfast, Giovanni Pastrami's is a must-try! Now I'm not going to lie - their prices are a little on a high side, BUT that's only if you look just to the food. My wife, son, and I drove into town this morning - past the huge crowds waiting outside Original Pancake House, Eggs&Things, and even Denny's and we cruised right into a great booth at the shockingly UNCROWDED "G.P."! This place is a freaking secret in a town where you can almost never escape the crowds!! I ate honest and true eggs benedict and some tasty almost mashed potato hash browns while watching hundreds of people walk on by the front door probably thinking the few of us inside where just diehard sports fans! It was worth the est 20% higher food cost for me to walk right in without waiting, get my food in minutes after ordering, have fresh coffee refilled just as my cup was getting empty, enjoy my little window onto life at Lewers St without hungry people staring at me wondering when I'll give up my table, and more.. Food = Excellent / Staff = AWESOME! I can see myself becoming a regular...that is until the day comes that at 8am on a Sat or Sun morning I'm told to "take this beeper and we'll buzz you when a table opens up".. Aloha!
(4)Robert C.
Might be the worst corned beef sandwich I've had. Bread was tired and the meat was fatty, chewy and had no flavor. For $16 I expected at least a mediocre sandwich.
(1)Channing B.
Hmmm... This looks like a glorified Round Table Pizza restaurant and you as the customer are the ones paying for the glorification! Giovanni's Pastrami is located in the relatively new Beachwalk area of Waikiki. It's a great looking restaurant with lots of big screen HDTVs showing every game imaginable. When my wife, two teenage kids and me showed up on Sunday, December 20th at about 2:00 p.m. the restaurant was empty (with paying customers). There were three employees talking story adjacent to the front entrance, two other people hanging out with the hostess, a bartender talking on her cell phone, and two kitchen workers just standing around. We were seated in the lower section by the hostess and our wait person followed soon after. I asked if there were any specials and he said "no, only during happy hour Monday through Friday." I responded by commenting that the reason the restaurant was so empty, was because there were no specials. We then proceeded to order on of their $30.00 pizzas that really should cost no more than $22 or $25 at the very most. We asked about a pitcher of beer but the wife and I passed after hearing it was $17! The pizza was ok, the service was minimal and the prices were a bit too much for me. A pastrami sandwich was $16.00 and it didn't look like anything spectacular!
(2)Cherri A.
Absolute delight!! Found this gem on Yelp and was so glad we tried it (twice) Has something for the whole family and the portions were just right and couldn't have tasted better!
(4)Lauren L.
Go somewhere else. Ridiculously high prices for food no better than Subway or McDonalds. Ordered their chef salad for $16.00!!! Ick!! Overpriced for a salad that tasted no different than what I've purchased at McDs. Also, sandwiches for $14-$16?? Kidding me?? Plain, slapped together sandwiches. No wonder they got bad reviews. Should've checked Yelp first.
(1)Larisa M.
I honestly don't know if I'll be back to this restaurant. There wasn't anything terrible and there wasn't anything great (other than speaking to someone on staff on the phone prior to getting there...he was a riot). My husband, 6 year old, and I went here for Mother's Day. Before anyone knocks my husbands choice of taking me here for my "special" meal, I have to say it was entirely my choice. I love pizza and wanted to give theirs a try. Simple as that. I should probably divulge that I don't eat meat (I eat seafood...so however you want to categorize my food choices, or lack there of). You might think it unfair for me to review a place with PASTRAMI in the title. I assure you the Pastrami sandwich my husband had made me want to change my tune about the no meat thing. My kid had pancakes, bacon, and eggs despite it being midday and was totally stoked on his selection. I rediscovered my love for Round Table Pizza. I had the personal gourmet veggie which I gobbled up in about five minutes. I was confused why Round Table was providing the pizza, but decided I didn't really care since it was a trip down memory lane for me and it was covered with zucchini and artichokes! We had good food at an okay place with okay service. If it were closer to home, I'd probably go a LOT more often, but seeing as how it is in Waikiki, I'm sad to say I'd probably go across the street to the Yard House instead. But for those of you looking for a deal and who love LOST---they do have LOST viewing "parties" and a free pizza deal that I noticed...on our way out the door!
(4)Cameron C.
12/13/2010 Stopped in for the Pastrami, but it was game time and they sat us in the back. Then we learned for every drink you order, you get a free slice of pizza. Two Beers & Two pieces of pizza, my GF & I were taken care. The walls are covered with TV's with various games on. A relatively inexpensive place to hang out.
(3)Lucy L.
Went here for a Sunday breakfast and wished I ate at the Denny's nearby. The atmosphere is a sports bar feel and it's a great place to watch a game (been here before for Monday night football). The breakfast menu is pretty extensive and I ordered the corned beef benedict (think eggs benedict with corned beef instead of ham). The portion was pretty large but the food sucked. All I tasted after taking the first bite into the corned beef was SALT. It was so salty I had a hard time finishing it. I think the rest of the food was okay but couldn't enjoy the taste of anything except SALT. The service is pretty good and they serve Round Table pizza (I believe they own it) as well. Great place to have a few beers during the game but skip it if you're going there strictly to eat.
(2)John C.
Atmosphere was nice and the hostess very helpful. The waitress however, not so much. Pretty much delivered our food and forgot about us. I had to send back a draft beer because it was funky tasting and the Reuben was only so-so. I won't be back.
(1)Sogol G.
We went there to watch the football game since it is a sport bar. They were showing all the games and the hostess would ask you at the door about the game that you would like to watch and make sure that you have good seats. They have one of the best buffalo wings that I have ever had and the service was great. Will go back there again!
(4)Cherryl D.
My Ratings: Quantity: 3 Stars Quality - 3 Stars Price - 2 Stars Location - 4 Stars Service - 3 Stars Speed: 3 Stars My Opinion/Story: If it wasn't for our beach bucks, we wouldn't even try this place. It's a nice place but the food is quite on the high side. We ended up getting a Round-Table Pizza since it's the only thing we can afford. Nothing too special about this place and if you're on a budget, try another place. It's not exactly a bad spot and if you're hungry enough, they have the food for you. Service is a little on the slow side. You will have to try to catch one of their servers in order to get them to refill your water glass. But other than that.. it's not so bad but it's not so great either.
(3)Ellen Mae V.
Came here for breakfast with a friend. Eh.... We ordered the pancakes which were huge but nothing really special. We also ordered the pastrami eggs benedict, which were tasty. Still, the two plates were rather pricey. Otherwise, I don't think I'd come here again.
(2)Connie C.
We came in for breakfast one day, and the food was actually pretty decent. The portions were huge, as they should be at their prices. We had the pastrami eggs benedict (had to try their pastrami) with hash browns, and a short stack of macadamia nut pancakes. I can't imagine who could have a tall stack -- maybe a family of four. I still prefer Lulu's banana macadamia nut pancakes. Slices of banana embedded into the pancake... mmm! I'd stay away from this place if you're hungry for lunch or dinner though. If you're coming here and expecting an authentic New York style deli, you'll be sorely disappointed. And forget about the pizza. It's not even their own, they serve Round Table Pizza! The space is nice and new though, and if you want to catch a game or two, they've got tons of flat screens all around for you to get your sports fix.
(3)matt k.
Crummy Service. Crummy Attitudes from the Employees. WAY overpriced food. $17 for a sandwich? Better have white truffle shavings for a $17 turkey sandwich. We got up and left after dealing with a server with an attitude. Paid for our drinks and left. This place is NOTHING like Cheesecake Factory in Honolulu, which, BTW, we thoroughly enjoyed. The atmosphere is like an over done sports bar. I just get the impressive of, dirty, in this place. A positive? They have Round Table pizza, which is good, but it's still more expensive than the actual Round Table pizza at the Hilton. Do yourself a favor, walk on the sidewalk along the beach to the Hilton and find the Round Table restaurant there and eat and enjoy.
(1)Michelle O.
Wanted to check this place out for a while, as each time I passed it I felt the giant flat screens constantly tuned to ESPN callin me...Got seated & served quickly, just beating a mess of people that decided they'd dine there too. We ordered the 'Roundtable' Western BBQ chicken supreme which had a great crust--neither thick nor thin and fresh green peppers, red onion, chicken, and various cheeses and a BBQ sauce that complimented all the flavors well. It was excellent! If you aren't in the mood for pizza, they also have a full breakfast menu, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, & salads. The decor is great--light and airy, tile floors and a huge bar area. Would definitely return!
(4)Max M.
Our second visit to Giovanni Pastrami and not a good one. We stood at the front door for a good 3-4 minutes with no hostess in sight and the restaurant was no where near busy...mostly empty in fact. FINALLY got a table....took forever to get a drink order. Food was ok.....we only had Round Table Pizza, salad and beverages, but the service was so poor I doubt we will return when we are in Waikiki again.
(2)Steve K.
I am just rating their bar as we only stopped for drinks and some appetizers...they have a pretty cool sports bar in the back surrounded by flatscreens..we were watching the Japan vs Korea baseball game and it was pretty loud in there due to the cheering Japanese fans (Japan lost). We just had some brews and some wings (super spicy). The bartender, Sophia, was the best, cutest and sweetest!
(4)Sheena L.
Good place to enjoy a game, a few pints and a great pizza!
(4)Alice A.
Soggy rye bread, processed pastrami and undercooked fries. I wasn't expecting NYC in Honolulu so I wasn't disappointed
(2)David C.
Best place for round table pizza. Come with friends, cover the table with food, select any HDTV in your peripheral, and enjoy.
(4)Ross R.
lots of sports food is ok would go back for any football game they have them all
(3)James S.
Giovanni's is one of those touristy type places flanked by a lot of shops and hotels in Waikiki. Not usually my kind of place while I'm in Hawaii. I'm giving Giovanni's 4 stars because of their great service and because they did my breakfast exactly how I wanted it. I ordered the bacon and eggs plate, expecting at par food; Oh boy was I wrong. The food came out much better than I was expecting, the waitress making sure that it was perfect. The eggs scrambled with perfect texture. The bacon fried crispy ( the way bacon should be eaten). Most importantly of all....my hashbrowns came out the way I wanted, extra crispy. I will definitely stop by for breakfast again next time I'm in Waikiki. Bon Appetit'
(4)Jeannanicole D.
Roundtable pizza can never go wrong. Giovanni's homemade caesar salad is also an excellent choice. I've been here a few times and haven't been disappointed once.
(4)Anjyl J.
First of all the hostess, I think her name was Jenifer, was talking with her friend at the door for so long we didn't even know she was an employee working there. So we waited all that time to be helped. When she finally came around to helping us, it was like she resented us for being there. She gave us attitude while seating us. Then we were finally rid of her when the waitress, Julia, came around. She began polite but when we asked a few questions about the beer, I caught her rolling her eyes. We ordered cocktails and beer but she never offered us any water, so we never got any. To put it in a nutshell ...THE SERVICE HERE SUCKS! WE ate, paid and left. The food is tasty but the service makes it not worth coming here again!
(1)Dan M.
Well we decided to stop here before heading to the airport... Tried the corned beef/pastrami combo...very Uneventful..meat very fatty, apparently they do not know how to trim meat. Bad choice, won't be back. Try the Yardhouse across the street...better choice. Giovanni's also has a promotion about getting a FREE Pizza with any purchase...in reality it is a small SLICE of pizza. Do yourself a favor...try somewhere else.
(1)Patti W.
It was bad from the beginning. The cheese sauce on he nachos is very nasty(upside the ground beef wasn't that bad). The brisket bbq had a horrible taste to it, along with the salad that was bitter and wilted. The pickles were good though, however it is hard to mess up getting a pickle out of a jar.
(1)Nathan N.
Pastrami eggs Benedict? Why not, sounds different and I do like pastrami. Sat at the bar, meal came up right after I ordered it. Apparently they made 2 by accident right then, lucky me. It was still hot too, so I didn't mind. Pastrami was a nice touch. Salty though for a Benedict. Eggs might have been a little too runny, but ok. Lots of food, so you you don't leave hungry. Bartender was busy, running around a lot. I could have gotten a quicker refill, but not a big deal. Overall the rest of the menu looked good, made me want to order other things. Maybe another time. Now the bad, pricey. My eggs Benedict and coke were 19 bucks. Sandwiches were also 15-18 dollars!! But again, this is Waikiki, so it's also the location. So who knows, I might try it again, but then again, I'm not really a pastrami from New York professional like some of the other people who apparently are doing reviews. I just review what I think tastes good.
(3)Linda P.
Ate breakfast here twice and ordered to go once. Menu says BJ Penn likes their pastrami benedict, and so did we, as well as the pastrami hash. Weren't as impressed with the second breakfast. We took out a corned beef ruben which was tasty enough. The other sandwich was ok, but can't remember what it was, so.... It's Waikiki, so it's not cheap.
(3)Edwin G.
Good food a little pricey for breakfast.
(4)Mike B.
Happy Hour is as promised with 2 free slices of Round Table Cheese Pizza for every drink purchased between 3 PM and 6:30 PM Hawaiian. Service is slow...even with Bartender. Seems to mix drinks well and take care of many customers outside her area (ie The Bar), but is too preoccupied with details. Doesn't pay attention to her customers needs...often leaving them waiting for a beer or a slice of pizza. Doesn't maintain a good repore (sp) with her bar crowd...but definitely makes sure you're bill is right. When a bartender won't and doesn't communicate with you....be concerned! M.
(2)Edwina K.
I saw "New York Style Deli" and became nostalgic of home. Of course I wanted to try this place. After picking up a farewell gift, my co-worker and I stopped here for lunch. It was empty (first sign) so we were looking forward to hopefully good food and fast service. We tried the poke and it was ok. A small serving of poke on a large bed of purple cabbage was not worth $15 - go to Safeway. The menu was diverse. It was kinda difficult to choose an entree with so many choices. It's nice to know they serve a breakfast menu all day 'til midnight. The eggs benedict looked appetizing. Anyway, I took the safe route and ordered the club sandwich. Not bad, good size. Sandwiches are served with shoestring fries & a pickle. My co-worker had their grilled cheese tomato sandwich w/ a side of cole slaw. The cole slaw looked like soup of the day. The waiter was cool and on top of things which is always a plus. However the food was not as good as an authentic deli. Please don't advertise you serve NY style deli food if you really don't. I know tourists can be stupid but come on! I won't be coming back.
(2)Mike Z.
Came here for brunch and ordered the Meatloaf Loco Moco. The outer layer of the meatloaf was hard as rock. The service was decent, I haven't tried anything else on the gigantic menu,
(3)gregory t.
Just back from a couple of weeks in honolulu- ate at this place twice.Both times I noticed how unprofessional the staff was- sense there is a lack of management because of the poor service. The food will not carry this joint! The sands were just thrown together- the 2nd time there, I ate a sand in the morn and I could tell the bread was hard and stale form the past day- I paid $15 for it! The owner should have a major hard look at how his operation is run because he is headed for a fall. I would NEVER go back.
(1)Amber W.
Schizophrenic menu, surly servers, LOUD tvs everywhere. Is that the reason it is always empty while everything else on Beachwalk is packed? Yep. Beyond that, this place has bad vibes.
(1)Dave K.
Hey! The food is a little over priced - but they're right in the middle of Waikiki - what do you expect? They do; however, have a ton of TVs and I'm going to say their are one of the Best Sports Bar/ Tourist Traps [not the other way around]. The place gets major points for cleanliness (it is impeccable), consistency of food, and friendly staff. They not only have a ton of TVs, but they have the little speakers at the tables so that you can choose which TV you want to listen to; that's a sign of a legit sports bar I've had a bunch of their sandos and salads, and although none totally blew me away, they were all pretty good, especially the title track pastrami. Lastly, if you're willing to drop $14 on an omelette here for breakfast, you could likely feed four people... Auf.
(4)Erin K.
Two words "Gross food!". The salsa was clearly from a jar, the chips were stale. Pizza seemed frozen and microwaved, pasta very dry. Very overpriced! The only thing that was my saving grace were the Mai tai's which were actually good! Husband found a bug in his beer!
(1)Katherine M.
A friend reccommended this place to me since it was right around the corner from our hotel in Waikiki (Waikiki Parc). They had a good selection if a lot of different types of food. I'm a pretty small eater so I got the Two, Two, Two combo fir $7.50. They made my eggs exactly how I asked, lite scramble, which is easy to mess up. The real reason I gave them 4 stars is my husband ordered the Patrami Eggs Benefict, $12.50, it was fantastic!!!!! Don't let the small whole in the wall size truck you. Eat breakfast here for sure! We didn't have a chance to try lunch or dinner but it was definitley a good reccommendation!
(4)Alene T.
Came here for breakfast thinking they couldn't possibly screw that up, but lo and behold, they did! There was a piece of plastic in my husband's omlette, and to make matters worse, they actually served us moldy bread. Stay away from this place...don't think of convience; think of your health! Even though our meal was free, we wish we never ate there in the first place.
(1)Matthew N.
I'm a sucker for pastrami, so when I read about this place I was compelled to go try it out. It's a sports bar, with dozens of LCD monitors tuned to every variation of ESPN on the planet. Which is good when it's football season because you can watch almost every good game while having breakfast/lunch. It's kind of hard to get to in that a) it's in Waikiki and b) it's in that newly renovated 'boardwalk' area. But there is valet parking on a side street that, with validation, is only four dollars. I've been there a few times and they never really seem crowded; I wonder if it's because Yard House is just across the street. The pastrami is okay - nothing spectacular. Their corned beef is also just okay. Fries are shoestring - therefore too crisp and lacking flavor. Early reviews talked the place up as being a gourmet sandwich joint but, honestly, it's just another sports bar with food that tastes great provided you've had a few beers. The breakfast portions are plentiful but nothing spectacular. For the money you'd be better off staying out of Waikiki and going somewhere else. I can't say the place sucks because it doesn't, but I'm sure you could find better pastrami somewhere else for a lot less.
(2)Vicky B.
If you have the word pastrami in your name, you'd think they carried it daily. Nope, they were out. This is how our night started. The server never came back for about 20 mins after telling us we couldn't order the pastrami sandwich b/c they were out of pastrami. I'd only go back to watch sports on the TVs if every other decent bar on the island was filled. We've also had the experience of being told there was a 10 minute wait, waited 25, then walked into an empty restaurant. Skip this place, definitely doesn't belong on the Beachwalk.
(1)chuck m.
I see everyone not fan's of this place but i like it. The corned beef reuben with a couple of beers. It may be a little pricey but it's a great place to hang out and watch college football and hang out with friends. I would recommend it if you don't have anything going on.
(4)Jesse I.
This is my first review, so it may suck, but i'm gonna try. Me and the GF were in the area and I remembered the place from a friend. The place was very nice and clean and TV's were huge! We got to watch the 4th quarter of the Jets/Colts game, which turned out to be a really close and exciting game. Our server was Russell. He provided us with excellent service. We quickly had waters on our table and he took our orders without writing anything down. I was afraid he was gonna mess it up, but got it on the money. Since this was our first time there, I asked what his recommendations were, which he provided a few suggestions. We started with the poke and my GF got the lox. I ended up going with the pastrami reuben sandwich since pastrami was in the restaurants name. I got it with the sweet potato fries. I also ordered a dark castle and a lava flow for the GF. Russell was good enough to ask what the dark castle was to make sure it was right (guiness/new castle). We skipped the pizzas because it was round table and we wanted to try Giovannis food. The poke came and seemed like not very much for the cost. But it was good. It was a mix with limu, red onion, lettuce, red cabbage, and their sauce. The lox my GF got was good. They put a ton of smoked salmon on there. She loved it, but wasn't able to finish because it was too much for her. it came with tomatos, onions, capers, a pickle and coleslaw. My pastrami reuben was excellent. lots of pastrami and sauerkraut. The rye had tons of butter to make your fingers oily. The juices from the meat and sauerkraut made the bottom bread soggy. Still very delicious though! The sweet potato fries were just okay. by themselves it was a little bland, so i had to eat it with ketchup. By the end of the meal, we were both very full and my GF had a doggy bag. The bill came out to be a bit of a sticker shock. However, I think we'll be back, if not for the lox and pastrami reuben, it will be to try for the other things on the menu like the pastrami eggs bennedict.
(4)Greg S.
I came here with a bunch of people to watch UFC 83. Pros: The service was very friendly and they were accommodating to everyone watching the fights. It was also easy to see from any seat because there are roughly a dozen flat panels. Drinks were reasonable for Waikiki and the mini sliders/sandwiches looked delicious. Cons: I'm not sure how many people the Round Table pizzas feed, but the price for the medium almost made my eyes pop out. The wife and I split a personal size instead. The rest of the menu is typically priced for the area, i.e. overpriced. I do think that I will be back though, not only to watch more UFC but also because I haven't had a pastrami or corned beef sandwich in a long time.
(3)Mike D.
Just wanted to thank the guys at GP for making the New Years Day UFC fight an awesome first time visit and I can't wait until the next time we do it again. The atmosphere is so accommodating the food is great and the service was top notch! From all of us in the Duarte Ohana Mahalo nui loa!
(5)Wedge L.
Giovanni Pastrami is in Waikiki and went to try it when I stayed in Waikiki. The location is Great, clean, large tv's, large booths and comfortable! The Pastrami sandwich is very tasty and the bread was fresh! A little more Pastrami in the sandwich would be Great. It was more on the higher priced side, but you are in Waikiki. Service, well it needs help. No one came to see if we needed anything once the food came. It was not like the place was packed and the staff was so busy! If you don't mind eating a higher priced Pastrami sandwich in a comfortable place with poor service, this is the place!
(3)Stephanie W.
The overpriced food along with poor service is what inspired this poor rating... We sat down next to the bar area... the bar tender was to be our waitress, kept walking back and forth for a good 5-8 mins before she even acknowledged we were even there... I ordered Hawaiian punch and the husband ordered ice tea. She did not want to refill my drink, she walked by 3 times before she asked if I wanted a refill - what the hell man! Its a freaking fountain drink! She seemed to be more concerned about getting the bills paid on other tables. I should have read the reviews before I went to this place... I won't be returning!
(2)Kathleen M.
We came here twice during our trip to Waikiki. The service was good. They gave you free pizza if you ordered anything during happy hour. The pizza was good. On our last day in Hawaii, I was trying to get a good buzz going (I am not a huge fan of air travel) and decided happy hour at Giovanni was the solution. I had four pina coladas, which it turns out, were not discounted during happy hour, at $9 a pop. At the end of those FOUR cocktails I was sober enough to read a book. I was sober enough that I could have danced across a balance beam, delivered a flawless speech, or lead a discussion on quantum physics. Mission not accomplished, flight= unpleasant. Giovanni's, if you are going to call yourself a bar...try putting some alcohol in your $9 cocktails.
(2)Jennifer K.
Co-worker and I went here for breakfast one day. Co-worker ordered Lox and Bagels (yeah, I don't know either...). I ordered the Macadamia Nut and Coconut Pancakes - I was in heaven! They were very, very tasty. Plus, the table had coconut syrup to put on my cakes - super tasty! I've never seen the coconut syrup before, but if I ever see it again, I am going to pick some up! I read some of the other reviews here, and it doesn't sound like the other food is that great, but I highly recommend the Macadamia Nut and Coconut Pancakes - you won't be disappointed!
(4)Matt W.
I'm not sure if this is a chain restaurant, but I was too tired to drive off the strip and landed at GP's b/c I'd never heard of it and it seemed like it had a fun vibe. Well, it did. And good service too! The food was average, defintely not bad, but nothing write home about. If you are in the mood for a fun environment with oh kay food and decent beer choices that doesn't sound like the name of every chain in your home town, this isn't a bad choice!
(3)Emmy D.
I ordered the Suzy Q. sandwich which had lots of pastrami and some brisket and it was delicious..except for the part where the tomato ruined the bread. The meats are very soft, unlike most sandwiches where you bite the meat and everything falls off. The pastrami lacked some basic flavor and could be mistaken for plain old corned beef, but still good. The brisket is very, very good. I switched my fries for potato salad and it quickly grew on me after the first bite of it. I figured hey I'll eat my sandwich so I can attack the salad full on! Mmm.. Unfortunately, it felt like the staff wanted to get rid of us as quickly as possible. We were kinda rushed to order and to eat our food. Enough they took over 25 minutes to get the food to us. They asked us if we wanted our checks already in the middle of eating but we planned to wait for happy hour to order drinks. We got to stay and when we finally wanted our checks there was quite a wait before anyone noticed us. What bummed me out the most though, was that as soon as I finished my sandwich and went for a sip of my drink, the waitress took my plate away and quickly walked off never to be seen, ever, again. I didn't get a chance to stop her, and I didn't even get to enjoy any of my potato salad :\ Good to know the last thing I bit into was a piece of tomato-sogged rye bread. The thought of all that wasted salad still saddens me. *sniffles*
(4)Benjamin N.
Decent bar, good location. The food wasnt as good as i expected. A little overpriced.
(2)Remee A.
I enjoy Giovanni's all day breakfast selection. Sometimes the service is questionable? All the benedicts are wonderful especially with country fries. If you love pastrami this is the place to go! The drinks are a little pricey. This is also a good place to watch games or fights!
(4)Brooke P.
Seated immediately, waitress was decent, but not memorable. We came in around noon, and everyone but me ordered breakfast, I got a personal pizza. Everything came in huge, delicious portions, but my food took about ten minutes longer to show up. I'll probably try breakfast next time, judging by the bite of coconut macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup I tried. Yummmmm.
(4)Sahar H.
Stick with the pastrami or sandwiches. I did not come for breakfast but there was always a line. I think the prices were kind of high for what you get. The service was good and there are a lot of flatscreen tvs but it was empty and the food was mediocre and thus 2 starts. We had a chili burger and the chili was very dry. The pastrami sandwich was good but with such an extensive menu it was hard to know what would be good.
(2)Singto K.
Looks like a pretty cool spot, however the food is overpriced and below average, not so good "Grindz"!
(1)Yasuo O.
Not too sure if I would go back to this place. I met a buddy for lunch over there and here it is. 1) atmosphere is like a sports bar with a bunch of TV's but.. with higher prices ($17 for my turkey ruben) 2) parking is a pain in the okole. Course the Wyndham and Embassy offer free valet but.. 3) service is baaaad. we waited for ever to get our orders in and once the food came, they came back every two minutes trying to see if we finished. 4) food was greasy... big time. i ate half the sandwich and came feel the incredible grease. 5) dont count on it to be a place to be going to often. I have a feeling that with the high rent in Waikiki, this place might not cut it. 6) pretty big menu... 7) nooo customers.... when i walked in, there were maybe 5 tables taken..this during a lunch crowd btw...when we left? about 4. 8) walked right past 5 employees/hostess/servers and not one said goodbye or thank you....strange.. maybe i expect too much? like i said, nothing really horrible but certainly nothing really good either. just one of those places... priced like hotel food and really nothing special. had good expectations of it but... better to save it for another place.
(2)Glenn L.
Well, let's keep it simple, 1. crap as usual if you need to park. 2. wait service needs a kick in da okole. and food, c'mon round table pizza that is more expensive than others in Waikiki??. Go to R.T.(round table) elsewhere less expensive: Hilton Hawaiian Village,just past the Sheraton P.K., or at the back of the Sheraton Waikiki.. and as far as a true deli pastrami sand. The best was in the Deli that closed in Kailua. Shame this could be a good deli, but missing the critical thing good deli product, at a fair price...Way to expensive for the size of the plates!! save some money and time!!
(2)Snickerdoodle W.
FOOD: Ordered the Deli Three Meat Platter and it should have been called a veggie platter instead. The meat servings on the platter were shamefully small for a deli, the meat was barely enough to make one decent sized sandwich. Albeit, the sandwich, once made, was okay. Do NOT expect to order this to share. Also had the King Arthur Supreme Pizza and thought it wasn't bad. The pizza tasted like a standard Round Table pizza, nothing to write home about. Although, the Portuguese sausage added some nice heat to it. SERVICE: No complaints about the service.
(2)Lisa K.
Cheesecake Review Rich, creamy and dense New York Style cheesecake. Crust was a bit soggy but the flavor of the upper portion made up for it. If you're not into cheesecake, you may want to bypass the place since on the day I visited, they were out of 4 of the 6 desserts. The only other dessert available was the strawberry shortcake which was extremely dry with little to no strawberries or flavor to the whipped cream.
(4)Jason G.
I won't rehash what has already been said on the awful service and overpriced food. Even if I was a local, I'd never go back.
(1)Katia G.
Worst food poisoning ever!! I used to like going to Giovanni Pastrami, but after today, I won't come back again. bad service and the food tasted (i had a personal pizza and my husband had a turkey reuben and we shared our food) good but We have got the worst food poisoning ever. It's sad, but this place is out of my favorites in Waikiki.
(1)C O.
So let's break this review up in to sections. We'll explore the service, the atmosphere, the prices, and the quality/selection of food. Section 1: Service It's terrible. Usually. Sometimes you get a rising star in the restuarant world but, for the most part, you get folks who really don't care whether you are a tourist or a local. They know you are spending money and they don't care if you come back. I know the management has been working on this but, as of late, it doesn't appear to be the most successful service campaign. Section 2: Atmosphere This is a fun, classy, and clean sports bar in the heart of Waikiki. While it caters to tourists it doesn't feel like a tacky, kitchy Hawaii hole-in-the-wall. The TVs are big, the sound is clean, the booths are huge, the decor is great, the parking is simple, and the over all experience is pleasing to the auditory and visual senses. Section 3: Price This place is expensive. It's expensive even by Hawaii-tourist trap standards. I understand The DONALD probably charges way too much for rent (he is bankrupt, remember) but I have to question whether exorbinant prices are really an appropriate business model. The answer may lie in the longevity of the place but, as of this writing, the prices are a bit high to make this a regular, year-round, weekly hang-out spot. Section 4: The Food. It's awesome. There's really no way you can argue against the depth of the menu, the quality of the ingredients, or the presentaiton of the food. The pizza is Roundtable and is some of the best you'll find in Hawaii (and no, I don't buy into that "its NY-style or Boston-style or who-gives-a-shit style. It's good, who cares). The sandwiches are great---just like you'd expect from a neighborhood sandwich joint back on the mainland. And their breakfast, ohhhhh their breakfast, is served all day and makes me happy long into the night. The shortcomings in service and price are easily overcome by the atmosphere (including your favorite sporting event, like the Packers winning) and the depth, breadth, and quality of the food. This place is a great spot---especially during their "free pizza" happy hour!
(4)Leo T.
I'll go with OK. The food is somewhat overpriced but fairly good quality. There are a ton on TV's for watching games and that's a plus. The drinks are also somewhat overpriced, so its tough to say anything really bad nor anything really good.
(3)Justin W.
We went here last night after watching Eddie Griffin at the Waikiki Shell. We walked in and there were 3 hostesses waiting to seat people and this was 1030pm. There weren't a lot of people in here so I thought that was kind of excessive. Anyways we sit down and and are looking over the menu and the prices are mediocre for being in Waikiki. $10-20 a person. For drinks to start out got water's and I ordered a blue hawaiian and my wife ordered a tropical itch, this is when we noticed that the service was kind of slow. It took a good while to get our drinks. As a matter of fact the water was brought just before the alcoholic drinks. For food I ordered the chicken alfredo, which was alright, there was a lot of chicken in there though which I liked. The portion size matches the price. The portions are relatively big. They also do serve their breakfast items all day which is kind of cool. And there are enough LCD televisions all over that no matter what sport is on I'm sure it will be on of the televisions in there. One thing we did notice though was that it was pretty loud in there even though there were not a lot of people in there. I would suggest this more for breakfast because I think that is more their fortay.
(3)Brett B.
What a disappointment. We first heard about this place from a pair of Aussies who were raving about how many breakfast options there were. Excitedly, we found this place the next morning but were sorely disappointed. The omelette was nothing to write home about, the hash browns were way too greasy/buttery, and the pastrami eggs benedict were bland. The pastrami also wasn't great, despite the name. The meal was also very expensive! The one good thing about our meal there was the virgin lava flow.
(2)K K.
Since we were playing tourist this weekend we stopped by Giovanni Pastrami for a late night meal and some drinks. It has a nice inviting atmosphere for a "sports" bar because of the bright lighting and multiple LCD TVs on the walls. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The bar area is towards the back of the room and the bartender was a friendly local woman. Sitting at the bar you get quick service when it comes to drinks and even food. I'm a fan of Round Table pizza so we ordered the King Arthur supreme. Loaded with toppings and cooked perfectly. The bartender places the order with the kitchen and goes back there to bring it to you. Came out hot and delicious! The beer prices are not bad for Waikiki. Domestic bottles are $ 4.50 and Import bottles are $5.50. But if you buy a draft (16oz) it's $4 for domestic and $5 for import. I prefer drinking draft beer so it's a plus for me. The 4th star is because they have Budweiser, New Castle, and Guinness on tap! The only beer missing is Heineken. 3 out of 4 is still awesome. The downside is they close at midnight but for me it's perfect. Nice atmosphere, draft beer, and good pizza. Ya! I'm a fan....
(4)Mark G.
I went to Giovanni Pastrami to watch a UH game. The game was on a Friday so I went for the Happy Hour and the free pizza. The service was slow but they were packed and I could tell they were trying. They weren't going to serve the free pizza, by the way since it was going to be so crowded for the game. However either though the goodness of their heart or because it was announced on the radio they decided to pony up the slices. Before I knew that the free pizza was coming though, I ordered a Cobb salad and I thought it was a pretty substantial and quite fresh and tasty salad. My buddy ordered Corned beef and eggs, go figure. But that looked good too. The pizza is Round Table but I thought it pretty good. Certainly the price was right. The have a many TVs and it's a pretty nice restaurant. This is a good place to go between 3 and 6 just to load up on pizza and have a cold one and watch some tube (I guess plasmas don't have tubes). WARNING: They only validate for 4 hours no exceptions, no double validation. It ended up costing us 18 dollars for parking WITH the validation.
(3)Pete T.
Good food and great service. A bit pricey but I paid the same for a crappy meal the night before at Cheeseburger in Par***** so this was worth the bucks. I ate breakfast on a Wednesday so I didn't care about the TVs and programs on at the time. Clean place, modern tidy restrooms and friendly staff. This is the high rent area of Waikiki so the prices didn't surprise me.
(4)Ai M.
8 of us went here to eat lunch today. Waitress was so-so, wasn't all that friendly. We asked the waiter "What's for soup today?" and she said "Oh we don't have soup ready yet"... Um... it's LUNCH time and don't have soup ready yet? We went there around 11:30am. We are the local that work around the neighborhood hotels, and felt like other tourists who were dining here got better and friendlier service. I asked for some lemon for my ice water, and this waitress brought 1 slice of lemon IN HER BARE HANDS, tried to stick it on the edge of my glass, and SHE DROPPED IT ON THE TABLE. Ugh. We come here often, bar is great, but not too sure about the service from the watress/waiter... very inconsistent. When we got the bill, some of the items we ordered were $2 more expensive than what it said on the menu... we just paid and left.
(2)Aris S.
Went here for a late breakfast only because I could catch Moto GP on the TV. It was the first time eating here and will be the last. If I need to watch a sporting event I will only order a beer. My wife and I split an omelet and potatos (their portions are big enough to split) and the food was room temperature and very mediocre. Later we both didn't feel that great at all. The food really sucks and is over priced. Twenty bucks to split an omelet and get sick isn't worth it.
(1)Neni E.
Yummy food! I had the patty melt with fries and my friend had the hot pastrami with the mac salad. He finished before I did, only because I wanted to enjoy mine and take my time. I devoured my patty melt and ate most of the fries. Didn't eat the coleslaw or pickle only because I was enjoying my patty melt too much. The cosmo I ordered was too strong and got a buzz right away. I ordered a Mai Tai next and that was yummy, but I noticed the it was a little strong too. I came to the conclusion that the bars/restaurants in Waikiki make drinks strong =). I was definitely buzzin' that night, but still enjoyed my patty melt. Liked that they had plasmas all around the restaurant, so I didn't have to strain my neck. I definitely would want to come back here the next time I'm in Oahu.
(4)David E.
I love Gio's. For the past two years, I've woken up on fall saturday mornings, rode my bike to GPs and joined the sixty odd other Ohio State Alums and Fans for a second to none college football saturday morning. The food is good, but the staff is great. The girls work really hard to make sure you've got what you need and they'll always recommend things if you're not sure what you want. BJ Penn is often seen in here, and he loves the place. The Pizza is great, The breakfast is good too, but the reason to go to Gio's is hands down the Happy Hour! Best in Waikiki. Crazy cheep drinks and FREE PIZZA! I mean, free in Waikiki is like a place in Dallas paying you 20 dollars to eat there. (You'd have to pay me 100 dollars just to get me in the state of texas, but that's another story). Long story short, Gio's is a great place with great food, a great bar, hardly ever a wait (except UFC fight night) and a great staff. I'd chose Gio's over Yard House anytime, so walk the 20' across the street.
(4)kelly k.
the one and only time i've been to giovanni pastrami was for, i think it was...game 5 or 6 in the NBA playoffs. of course it was a little packed with yellow, purple, green, and white all over the place. and yes, i had my green shirt on ;) go celtics!!! our party got seated immediately which was nice. in a good position too, so no matter where you sat you could see a television. we came in for a bit of a late brunch and i felt like eating eggs so i ordered the spicy chicken omelet. one of my other friends had ordered an eggplant omelet and halfway through our meals, we noticed we had each others' omelets and switched. when we switched plates, i noticed that the omelet that i had ordered (spicy chicken) was waaaaayhayhayhaaaay better than my friend's omelet that i had been eating for the past 15 minutes. darn! i got robbed! anyway, the omelet comes with two starches and i had ordered hash and an english muffin. i also got to have a taste of one of my other friends' reuben bites. those were pretty gosh darn yummy. after all of us had finished our meals, the game was STILL going and being the fatty mcfatsters the five of us are, we ordered the nachos. the nachos were...ok. not the best i've had and not the worst. we then went on to order a brownie with ice cream because no meal can be complete without dessert! once again, it was just ok. nothing spectacular, but still yum. i don't know...i'm pretty indifferent about this place. it was good, but it wasn't GREAT. the service however, was great :) but if you're in waikiki and you want some decent food, or there's some kind of game or event going on on television, then maybe you should go there. oooooor maybe i should take another excursion to giovanni pastrami's, try their pastrami, and re-review this pace?
(3)Sita L.
You say the word Pastrami and you have my attention. My husband and I have eaten there twice. It was ok. But certainly not worth the money. Of course, it is in a tourist area, that has to be kept in mind. Not a place I will see out again.
(2)Inigo M.
3 stars for loud atmosphere (expected if you're into the sports bar atmosphere). 2 stars for slow service. Decent quality food. They serve Round Table pizza (the owners own a couple RTP franchises).
(2)Lil D.
Decent food but expensive. Service is slowwwww. For breakfast, corned beef hash benedict was a good deviation from the traditional. Make sure you have a healthy appetite cuz you'll get alot of food. Pancakes were not that memorable. For sandwiches, they offer the usual deli fare.
(3)Piper L.
Very pleasantly surprised. The food is New York style, which means large portions. The chicken breast sandwich had two large pieces, the coleslaw side was enough for two. The salad was fresh with big tomatoes, thick creamy dressing and crisp cold lettuce. The personal pizza had delicious sauce and tasty crust. Yummy Mai Tai. Good service, fresh food and reasonable prices. I recommend this place to all visitors to Waikiki.
(5)Gabriel C.
Their pizza is awesome, but it's Round Table's not theirs. Pizza is over-priced. Good beer selection, great that they show the real football.
(3)suzanne f.
First let me say that the food is delicious, and the place is big and nice looking. But the staff brings the score way way down. The place was busy this past Saturday, but i imagine it's always like that during football season. The hostess wrote our names down ,and we were given a pager and told it would be about 15 minutes. We came back before the pager went off and my husband went up to check on the time. He could see the list where our name had been written, and could see that people who had come after us had been seated (their names had been crossed out) When he pointed this out, the hostess said "oh". There was no apology. She seemed like a bit of a dim wit who was having a hard time doing her job. There was only 2 of us, so there's really no excuse for another party to be seated before us. When we were seated, the waitress took a long time to come over to introduce herself / take drink orders. After she did take drink orders, it took her another long period of time to bring our drinks to us. It was coffee and soda, no assembly required. The food came rather quick though and it was Delicious. Although I had asked for the potatoes, i ended up getting hash browns. Tasted great, though. Please please please get some better service here!!!
(2)jinny p.
The place was just okay. The server was nice. I thought their wine selection was terrible except for the glass my server recommended. I thought for the price, the place was okay. My sandwich was bland. But the chili was really good. The place does have alot of flat screen tvs which is cool. nothing to write home about though. kinda a lyons on steroids with a slightly cooler bar scene.
(3)AJ T.
We came here one morning intending to have a quick breakfast before heading out to the North Shore because it was downstairs from our hotel and the menu looked pretty good. It was a bad sign from the very moment we stepped into the restaurant: the server did not speak a single word to us, and simply led us to our table. He then gave us menus in JAPANESE, obviously because he assumed we were Japanese and didn't read/speak English before bothering to ask us. I ordered a fruit bowl with yogurt, and he ordered a pastrami with eggs, thinking we could be in and out with good time since there were only a few other parties in the restaurant. To our dismay, we ended up waiting 30 minutes for our food (Note: 4/6 parties in the restaurant were already served breakfast when we ordered). To top it off, my fruit bowl wasn't exactly a bowl-- it was a cup filled with 5 grapes, 2 dismal slices of pineapple, and 4 chunks of cantaloupe. The yogurt amounted to half the size of a small Dannon yogurt you get for $1 at the market. Oh, and don't forget the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Let me also not forget to mention that this fruit bowl was more than $8! Other annoyances:The coffee was cold, and the waiter, although nice, seemed a little lost. The one star belongs to the pastrami and eggs, because although I didn't try it, it looked better than what I was served. I can't say anything in regards to their dinner menu, but I would not come here for breakfast-- if you're looking for coffee, go next door to the Coffee Bean or better yet, to the ABC store for 79 cent Kona blend coffee. At least it will be served warm.
(1)Maryammalle P.
The service was excellent and the food was good. It's a little pricey but they have a military discount of 20% off your entire meal purchase with proof of id. I had the meatloaf sandwich which was yummy but you must get the sweet potato fries...they were delicious and I can't wait to go back for more! It's a sports bar so expect to have sports blasting throughout and I believe they open early on the weekends to play college football. I haven't tried their breakfast yet but they do serve it all day so that's always nice. All in all, I would definitely go back! Oh the only draw back for me was that they serve Pepsi products and I'm a Coca Cola girl!
(4)Earl G.
Don't go here. I mean it. It is completely overpriced for the less than mediocre food. Service is almost nonexistent and unresponsive. I should have taken the hint when I saw "Round Table Pizza" on the menu (I'm not kidding), but I decided to go for it anyway and order the Pastrami sandwich. What I got was very underwhelming: over-salted stringy Pastrami that was soaking through the bread and a tiny sliver of a pickle that looked like it was out of the jar too long. It was depressing. For the amount of money they charge for a sandwich I was expecting more if even just in the presentation. Last night's leftovers are looking really good compared to this. 0 stars if I could rate it that low...
(1)Imran M.
I'm giving this place 5 stars 'cos the Corned Beef and Pastrami sandwich was ridiculously good. And they give you free pizza with your beer. Free pizza with beer. Imagine that ? This is a sports bar type place though a higher end type of sports bar with plasmas adorning the walls. Service was good, the interior looks good and the location is great.
(5)Lance L.
My family and I went for dinner on a Sunday night. We were seated promptly, our waiter passed out our menus, took our drink order, and came back promptly for our dinner order. The manager acknowledged us with a warm greeting. The restaurant was about a third to a fourth full. Our waiter seemed like he was trying. We ordered a round of drinks, a large King Supreme pizza, an appetizer ( pastrami sliders. The pizza was excellent, though pricey ( $27, but it is prime real estate Waikiki ), the sliders were tasty but very small in size ( order the regular sandwich, the price is the same but you get fries and the sandwich is three times larger ). Everything was going pretty well, BUT we had the worst time trying to get our water and soft drinks refilled. Our waiter walked past us about eight times and we had to flag him down to get our drinks refilled EVERY single time. The interior is very well done and parking is at the Wyndam timeshare or across the street at the Embassy Suites. Cost is $6 not including a tip for 4 hours, reasonable considering you are in Waikiki.
(3)Kaili N.
kinda hit or miss here. most of the time, the fries are served cold. i used to come here on my lunch break sometimes, but i stopped because the food usually took too long. i would end up having to scarf down my food...even though i eat like that normally, i don't like to be forced to! :P
(3)Steve Z.
This will be short. I stopped in while walking around Waikiki. I ordered a corned beef Reuben, which I thought would be a pretty safe bet in a place with Pastrami in the name. No such luck. The corned beef was fatty and greasy. It came on burnt toast. The whole thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a sick feeling in my stomach. Hey, the draft beer was okay. Service and setting were both good. But not the place to come for corned beef. Next time I'll hike a few extra blocks over to the deli in the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
(2)Jeannie C.
Is it just me? This place sucks a**! Yeah it's on nice, new Lewers Street with nice, new decor, fancy schmancy flat panel TVs, comfy booths and one hell of a misleadingly good menu. Unfortunately we were suckered in by a photo of a deceiving fab looking Reuben sandwich which b/f was craving. What he got instead was a puny kid-size sandwich w/ a gargantuan side of fries. After splurging so many days in a row, I wanted to be good and get something somewhat low fat, and thought the roast turkey w/ fresh veggies fit the bill. I even asked the lamo waitress if it's fresh roasted turkey and her lamo response was, "yeah, I'm preeetty sure it is..." I should've taken that as a warning sign but ordered it anyway. I wish I took a pic of the disgusting slab of processed TV dinner "turkey" the size of Texas smothered in gray gravy, overcooked, dried-out veggies and a perfectly round scoop of cafeteria style instant mashed potatoes. We sent that nastiness back and then lamo said she'd still charge for the side salad that came with it which I had the misfortune of picking at so whatever no biggie, until we got the bill -- 25 mother truckin bucks for the kiddie sandwich and a side salad. When we questioned lamo just out of amazement she said "yeah, that's how much a side salad is...you wanna see the menu?" No what I want to do is too mean to post but nice people that we are, just paid and vowed to Yelp as many people as possible away from here.
(1)Ben K.
This place is a joke. First of all i'm asian, i'm korean, and as i'm walking in, this pretty stupid waiter hands us japanese menus. He doesn't even ask, just assumes. I consider this racist, anybody else would as well. We ordered beverages, iced tea at breakfast. 2 hours later, i get it, no iced tea. He then comes runing back with the iced tea, so he's just lazy. My contention is that he's flirting with some girl in the back, and putting the customers last. It's actually a pretty nice space, good booths, nice chairs, tv, THAT'S TO FRICKEN LOUD. it's just that, your eating (i'll get to the food later,), and it's just to annoying. And then the food, my friend got macadamian nut pancakes, that were 4 bucks more expensive then the normal. It's just the fricken pancakes with nuts on top. No extra labor, just a hunk of nuts. Then my potato pancakes, had raw onions in it. it was gross, the experiece the guy i hate this place so should you
(1)Chesley B.
Very fast delivery to the Wyndham... 10 minutes ahead of schedule and order exact to spec. Great service... great food... great experience! "Personal" size pizza is only 7" so more like kid-menu size.
(4)Josh P.
I am always one to give a place a chance regardless of the reviews on Yelp. The initial wait for greeting and order taking by the server was less than 10 minutes and we were seated quickly. The server took our order and I assumed she would put it in and we would receive our food in a timely manner. Wrong. She came back about 15mins later to tell us she not only forgot to put our order in but she forgot what we ordered. Coffee cups were empty for the majority of our late breakfast and nobody seemed to really care. The food came out pretty quickly after she did put it in and we enjoyed the pastrami eggs benedict. Yeah, listen to the other reviewers people and skip giovanni pastrami. I certainly will.
(1)Todd K.
Gross. Stale chips (& salsa from a jar); bug in beer; dry pasta; pizza was probably out of a box.
(1)Christopher E.
This place is horrible. Service was horrible!!! First off our waitress never once came by our table to re-fill our refreshments and once our food made it too the table we never saw her till the end of the night when she dropped off our bill. Another thing is that they add 15% gratuity with a party of 5?!?!?! what kind of shit is that??? Next the food was horrible. A friend of mine had the corn-beef reuben which he said tasted like horrible and another friend of mine and myself had the pastrami dip. Let me tell you the pastrami dip was gross. If you want pastrami that looks like it came from a pack of hillshire farms go here, not to mention my roll was cold,old, and stale. My girlfriend chose the chicken bbq burger which when it came out looked good till you took a bite. The bun was soggy as if it had sat in a puddle of water and the bbq sauce drenched over the top tasted like old chocolate syrup. it was horrible. Finally when our waitress came back to give us our bill she never asked how the food was because it was apparent we did not like it because most all our plates had hardly been touched. Furthermore if you want to pay 125+ for 5 horrible sandwhich's, and sit on the shitter all nightcome here!!! if not walk across the street to yardhouse, its way better.
(1)Satoru Y.
Great breakfast; mediocre lunch. We were spending the weekend in Waikiki for a wedding, and decided to make a day of lounging and dining. We got a late start, and were hungry for some breakfast food; preferably a breakfast buffet. Then, one of the hotel workers suggested going to Giovanni Pastrami. I was surprised to hear that they served breakfast all day till midnight. All the worker had to do was say "Eggs Benedict", and I was there. We were suprised how expansive their menus were. We both ordered different variations of the Eggs Benedict. I had a Traditional, and my girlfriend got the Pastrami Benedict. Her dish was much better than mine. The flavors all worked well on the Pastrami Benedict. The Pastrami brought a nice spice and texture to the dish. The Traditional had a thick slice of ham, but the Hollandaise Sauce was nothing too spectacular. We both ordered Country Fries with our dishes. The Country Fries were more of a Tex Mex version. They had a little bit of kick to them, and I love that they added peppers to the Fries. After vegging out of quite some time, we later wandered out of the hotel room to check on getting some food. Luckily, Lewers Street is very close to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Unfortunately, Taormina was booked up. We decided what the hell, and went back to Giovanni. The second visit made my hopes began to crumble into disillusionment. After having the Pastrami Benedict earlier, we were anxious to try their sandwiches. We decided to get the Chelsea's Treat (Pastrami, Corned Beef, etc.) and Meatloaf Sandwich. Of course the sandwiches have many NYC references in their names. I also added on a Tomato Bisque Soup to my meal. When I got my soup, it was like sipping on Marinara sauce. Where was the heavy cream in this, and what made this a Bisque? Then we got our sandwiches. Now, the Concept Chef probably took lessons from a Magician: Deceive the eyes of your customers. They loaded on so many fries, undercooked fries at that, on the plate to make it seem like a full platter of food. The actual sandwiches are smaller than expected. The meat was of better quality than people are used to here in Hawaii; way better than places like A Taste of New York Deli in Kaimuki. However, there seems to be something fundamentally wrong going on here. My girlfriend again got the dish I enjoyed more this time as well: the Meatloaf Sandwich. It had a good gravy and was a very tender Meatloaf. She too had a small sandwich with a pile of undercooked fries. Sandwiches dishes aren't incredibly complex; how about some effort here. All in all, a very dualistic place to eat; I would highly suggest coming for breakfast.
(3)Sarah W.
Anytime I can get breakfast for dinner is a definite plus! I had the eggs benedict which was ok, not the best I've ever had, but not too bad. I just enjoyed the fact that at 9pm I could order eggs :) They also serve Round Table Pizza which is some of the best pizza! Would go back just for the breakfast!
(3)Becky T.
This sports bar has a big bar and tons of screens and their draw is large deli style sandwiches with inches of stacked meats. They also have Round Table Pizza, which in general I'm not a fan of. The booth we were in was extremely lumpy and uncomfortable. Although nice place overall, not one of my first choice sports bars.
(3)Tara O.
I really enjoy the food here! The Round Table Pizzas are all great: tons of toppings and a not too thick crust. I also really enjoy the pastrami Rueben. It is definitely not for someone who is on a diet but if you're looking for comfort food, I've found it here! The happy hour (3-6 pm, M-F) is worth checking out! $5 personal size pizzas, discounted appetizers, and a free cheese pizza with any purchase between 3-5 pm. There are also drink specials, all drafts are $3. I would love to give Giovanni Pastrami 4 stars, since I am raving about their food, but the service is horrible. Every time I have been there it has been really slow. The waiter rarely made an appearance at the table and my water never got refilled, which doesn't go unnoticed when eating the salty foods there. I understand that their busy but I think they should add some people too their staff so they can give their customers an enjoyable experience. It's a great place to go to watch a sports games. Their TV's are top of the line and can be watched from anywhere in the restaurant. Next time you're in Waikiki and you're looking for a casual dinner, try Giovanni Pastrami!
(3)Christina T.
Maybe people go here for the football environment....me...not a fan. I had the pastrami benedict, nothing special, I would stick with normal egg benedict. They have a very extensive menu on the benedicts, might be their specialty? Or you just can make many twist to it. I was not impressed. The guava juice was VERY OVER priced, I wish I didn't order it. It didn't taste fresh, just very sweet and it was $5.50 for a little glass...
(2)Lauren Y.
This place has great food with good prices. The service is friendly and quick. The pizza is a must have. Next time I'm in Hawaii I'll be stopping here.
(5)Tiffany W.
Run do not walk past this place. Poor service...45 minute wait past ordering for breakfast to be delivered to table. Omlets cold. Portions were big, but that's about all you could say. Could have gone to Denny's for under $25 bucks for the 3 of us...could have kicked self afterward. Overpriced service and food with a friendly attitude. But with prices like that I would be smiling too.
(2)C K.
this place is ok. Nacho did n't have a lot of toppings, and the pizza was ok. Service was ok.
(2)R W.
If you want a better pastrami sandwich than you can get at Giovanni Pastrami, go to Subway!!! If that doesn't say it all we don't know what does. In one of the other reviews a guy states that they delivered a "puny kid sized" sandwich, and boy was he right. I wouldn't have expected a place called Giovanni's Pastrami to send out what they call a pastrami sandwich that was smaller than the size of a Macdonald's hamburger, but they did! This was their "HOT AND THICK" sandwich. It was served on a non-toasted bread with a slice of cheese (we paid extra for the cheese) that was still cold. It was bland with only a very small portion of thinly sliced meat. It wouldn't even make at good appetizer at $15. Thank God there were a few fries that came with it. The guy below who writes the 5-star review must either be related to the owner or on some really good local stuff. The place is very dark and loud, which is probably to be expected from a sports bar, and to make it even louder you get an individual adjustable speaker at your table to tune into one of the many screens. This would be fine except that when you turn up your speaker, the guys next to you turn up theirs and so on. It's probably a good thing for them that they have a bar, the food we received wouldn't support a business. Since we didn't eat breakfast there we can't knock that, but after trying dinner we won't go back for breakfast. If they can't turn out a pastrami sandwich as their name implies, we can't imaging how the other food on the menu would rank. We will NEVER go back!
(1)Dwayne Y.
So this place isn't that great to me. Service was slow and the food was not spectacular at all. For the price of their food I should have: 1) Made sandwiches at home 2) Ate at Arancino's close by 3) Ate Tonkatsu for lunch down the street. We ordered the Pastrami Reuben and French Dip. The Pastrami had decent flavor, but the bread was soggy. The bread was full of grease and while it was toasted, it was soft and falling apart. The fries were mushy. The French Dip just tasted old to me. The onion rings were pretty good. But the sandwich had a sour flavor to it. I would not order this again. Plus I had to flag down our waitress 3 times for a soda refill, and then the bill two times. Our waitress spent more time behind the bar than trying to check on us. I do not believe a patron should have to flag down the server so often. Anyway for $18 & $19 I could have and should have went to Helena's...
(2)Sharay D.
Came here for breakfast and the review is only for the food not the waitress cause she had no people skills; so I ordered the kalua pork loco moco with scrambled eggs. Very very good. The portions are huge. Th e gravy had good flavor to it and the pork was tender, the rice was cooked perfectly. This was my third time coming here but my first for breakfast. My son got the silver dollar pancakes which where big and they too were good (I tried some). I recommend coming here atleast twice (once for breakfast and once for lunch or dinner)
(4)Tammy K.
This place looks small from the outside but stretches pretty far back into the building. They were going to seat us at an awkward table with a post right next to it. We asked if we could have a booth instead and they immediately seated us in a nearby booth. After ordering a drink, we heard a different waitress at a table next to us talking about specials. Too bad we didn't know about them first. Once served our order we were asked if we needed anything else. We asked for a side of ranch. Our waitress came to ask the same and we said someone was bringing us ranch. Awhile later, our waitress came back and realized we didn't have it, still, and went to get some right away. Food was good, lots of choices, just a little inconsistent service.
(3)Farrah F.
I've had good food here, but tonight was a bust for beers. Greeted at the bar, "Sorry, all out tap beers are warm. Bottles only ." I order the Cast Away IPA. Later, I order another. "Sorry, we're out. Here's the beer list." Okay, so I order a Sierra Nevada. "Sorry, we're out." Got my tab. I'm out.
(3)Bryan W.
We came here for lunch on Saturday at about 1145 hours. The place was empty. We were seated right away and our waiter arrived soon after. She brought us our water right away then took our orders. The food came pretty quickly. My wife had the pastrami sandwich with fries ($14) and I had the Suzie Q sandwich ($16) which is a double decker with pastrami and brisket. My sandwich tasted very good. My wife had to wait a while before she could eat because she needed mustard. I think that anytime someone orders a pastrami sandwich, mustard should be brought to the table automatically. My wife thought that her sandwich was just okay. Hard to eat pastrami in Hawaii when you have eaten a pastrami sandwich in New York! Our server Abigail was very friendly and efficient. My wife would not come here again. I might because my sandwich was pretty tasty.
(4)Johanna M.
So, this is a great place to watch sports. It's a big restaurant with lots of seating and a nice bar. This is not one of my favorite places to eat, but they have some okay items on their menu. I've had the cobb salad which is pretty filling and they serve breakfast all day, which is always nice. I've also had the triple play breakfast which comes with mini versions of pancakes, loco moco and an egg benedict. The food is alright, but we usually only come here if we want to catch a game. It can get pretty crowded, so make sure you call ahead to find out the wait time, if there is a big game or fight going on. During football season, this place gets slammed and it can be a pretty fun place to watch the game. The last time we visited, we did have a longer meal, as we had a waitress in training. She was sweet, but the cocktail we ordered was a little watered down because it was sitting for a while. Service has been fine on other occasions though. I will say that I think this place is pretty overpriced, but it is in Waikiki, so that contributes to the price. One bonus is that they do offer a military discount, which always helps. They also offer round table pizza and garlic bread, I haven't had it yet, but a lot of people appear to order these items. I also have heard that they have a pretty dope happy hour, so we might come back to try that another time. In short, come here to watch sports and don't make the food and drinks the main point of your visit.
(3)Mari S.
We were down in the area. Hungry! I for once did not check yelp and happy I forgot. The sandwiches were amazing. Served with fry, or your choice of slaw or mac salad. I did the Ruben with corned beef and my table mate did the Ruben with pastrami. Then we switched half. What a win. To both of us the corned beef was the big winner. The frys were average but good. Not exceptional. Our service was good and attentive. The drinks were cold and refilled as needed. I ordered from the bar. They were fast and good. The desert menu was sparse but I was full and happy.
(5)Lesley S.
I had the pastrami rueben sliders and he had the Georgie's sandwich with brisket, turkey breast, bacon and Jack cheese with lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing. Well my slider didn't have sauerkraut from my part of german... Thud a knock of stars. His sandwich didn't fit in my mouth. Well that's not their fault lol. And our server was from KC, Missouri. US MO folk are amazing lol he interacted well with my Little one
(4)Brian G.
Brought my daughter here for brunch. Hostess was really nice and professional. Our waitress, Dianne, was awesome!!! (Other places should bring their staff here to observe great customer service) The food was great and the portions were humongous!!! Definitely coming back!!!
(5)Carl B.
Okay so this place is located on Lewers St just a block of the hotels on he beach in Waikiki. Very big place with lots of seating and TVs. Everything on the menu has pastrami in it. From breakfast eggs Benedict to lunch and dinner. We had the pastrami fried rice with three eggs on top. Looked so good but was a little lacking of pastrami. Hence the four stars and not five. We ordered an extra side of pastrami and that made this a five star selection. Rice cooked perfectly with excellent flavor of smoked pastrami. Nachos were just okay but they didn't have pastrami so e lesson here is if you come to a place with pastrami in the name then order something with pastrami in it. Live and learn I guess. All the Kona beer on tap but no IPAs. The pale ale was excellent and he beer is very cold.
(4)Kristin C.
Giovanni's was always such a treat for my husband and I, and we rarely get out. My husband and I took a vacation day, and celebrated our wedding anny on 5/4 at GP. My hubby had his usual, Pastrami Benedict. The sauce was as thick as mayo with no flavor, and the egg was pretty much hard boiled, no yolk, the pastrami didn't have any flavor. We officially won't ever crave for Giovanni's again, as we use to... HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT...
(1)Chance H.
Super convenient and great entree selections :) plus they validate from open to 6p it's $3 and after it's $6 for 4 hours after 6p with validation. Very large portions with prices ranging from $8-22 with sides. Def order to share unless your hotel has a refrigerator for left overs. Also they deliver to the Wyndham hotel and give hotel guests 10% off: PRETTY SWEET, only chose to eat here bc of the hotel marketing in the hotel room Went here late night after a wedding, lunch and now for breakfast. Great service and pretty quick. Great cocktails. I liked the lihing Mui martini and lychee cocktail :)
(5)Rhys A.
There is a manager that came over to visit, his name is Nate, and he was so awesome! They have a menu that is way too much and one would need at least a full hour to look thru it, gee these kinds of menus are so ridiculous and I'm getting sick of it!! How good can the food be when there are so many different items to cook? Oh, and yes, I did eat there, the food was, "OK" only, not great or left me wishing for more or thinking I'd like to return. Nope, once was enough. The place had a 20 minute wait before getting a seat, the music was like being in a nightclub for dancing, it was so loud. Plus side, they serve breakfast all day.
(3)Darlene B.
MEDIOCRE. Nothing about this place screams "OMG... We have to go to Giovanni Pastrami" Menu "looks" good for breakfast/brunch. Arrived for lunch and the restaurant had 2 tables filled. All TVs were on designated sports channels. I had the bacon something pizza. $12 for a personal size... I would have actually been happier just ordering from Pizza Hut. Bloody Mary was simple. Husband got a pastrami sandwich and a beer. Ordered Mini Hot dogs for $8 on the kids menu for my 2 year old. Came with 2 mini hot dogs in a bun and side of fries. My 5 year old got a mini Loco Moco. Service was a bit slower than what I expected for the amount of customers dinning but our server was nice. Prior... We ordered the garlic shrimp for take out and that was good.... But other than that... I don't see anything special about this place. My husband likes this place.. He's a man... Its a sports bar. Need I say more?
(3)John L.
Ordered the Suzy Q Sandwich. Brisket with pastrami on rye bread. Good and huge (double decker). I would come back again. Food, sports atmosphere, and good customer service.
(3)Kylie P.
So we came here during Happy Hour because we knew their was free Cheese Pizza (between 3-5pm) and the drinks were reasonably priced. We only stayed for one drink and I had a Chicken Garlic Personal Pizza which was pretty good. Our server was a little weird though. Not sure if it was the over peppiness or the fact that she couldn't apparently look my boyfriend in the eye but it wasn't the greatest of experiences and we left to go to another Happy Hour across the street. But Pizza and Beer for $5 plus tax and tip is pretty good especially if you want to watch sport at the bar.
(4)Sherry H.
Ok to be fair, the food is pretty good, but I'm giving 2 stars because of the service. The hostess did not crack a smile and barely greeted us. There were a total of 3 tables seated in the whole restaurant but when we were done eating breakfast we waited...and waited....and waited for our server to come check on us, give us our check, etc. She was just hanging out at the bar chatting with a guy there and other employees were in and out. I was trying to get their attention for 15 minutes-totally ignored us. Again the food is pretty good but the over all feeling I get from the place is that they do not care about patrons unless they know you.
(2)Lisa S.
I came here with my friends during Happy Hour, and we did not enjoy the drinks nor the service. All of us ordered a Mai Tai or the Blue Hawaii and all of the drinks were consistently terrible. Personally, no one should screw up on making a Mai Tai. Another concern is the service. The restaurant was not busy but the waiter took awhile to serve our drinks and provide us our bill. And most importantly, this place doesn't validate your parking ticket even though it's located in the Royal Hawaiian shopping center. For those reasons, I will not be coming back.
(2)Izumi K.
Was looking for a place to watch the Woman's FIFA soccer championship and my friend suggested we go to Giovanni's and he watches NFL games there all the time. We arrived about a half hour before the game was to start, they provide valet parking for a very reasonable price in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. When we arrived we saw it was already packed and had a long wait to get a seat. We decided to check out the bar and found one open seat, so we decided to hang out at the bar and put our names on the list, their was only one bartender and it was obvious she was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. This resulted in her being pretty rude and unprofessional towards the customers at the bar. Well to make a long story short the hostesses screwed up the seating for us, so we decided to be friendly and asked to sit with a couple that had open seats at their table, the couple agreed. The waitress serving the table was super friendly and had no problem with is joining the table and provided excellent service. We order the beef brisket sandwich and it was excellent, the drinks were flowing and we all were having a good time. Even though my team, Japan, lost we had a very good time overall and I will join my friend to watch NFL games here when the season starts. Apparently during NFL games they have stadium type seating where they fill every empty seat regardless if you know the people or not, I'll see how the system works out when I go back in a couple months.
(3)Amber G.
The spaghetti looked to good but had zero flavor. The pizza was a miss also. The Cobb salad was very good. Get the salad.
(3)Brad R.
We ordered carry-out to take to the beach. As this was our mistake but still, check your food before you walk away! We didn't even receive one of our entrees... Our Caesar salad had 0 dressing on it. And I'm not exaggerating, literally just plain lettuce in a box. Our Fettuccini Alfredo was bland and had little taste. I would avoid this place..
(2)Richard K.
Looking forward to a great pastrami. Bread was completely soggy. The pastrami was overly fatty. I expect some fat, but come on. To be honest, the meat was not flavorful and I've had better pastrami from Subway, and I'm from NJ. Ambience was okay, server was great she moved quickly and notified the manager that I was unhappy. I didn't ask for a discount, but they gave me 15% off. Shoud have been free as they threw more than 1/2 away. Would not recommend unless just getting drinks.
(2)Annalei A.
After walking around Waikiki, we decided on this place. Didn't look busy since the front tables were empty. But we still had to wait 15 minutes. We got seated in the back, asked if we could sit in the booth area but waiter said it was only for party of 4. So we said okay and sat. Looked around and we saw 3 different parties of 2 sitting in a booth. We let it go and ordered. Food and price is okay. Got the Hawaiian pizza and Parmesan chicken sandwich. It was good, nothing special about it. Service was okay too. Waiter kept coming by to check on us. Might come back and try other things.
(3)Karen T.
I got the Corned Beef Reuben sliders with garlic fries. Very good! The service seemed just a little slow but it worked. We did have a party of 13 so I can totally understand. :) Would I go back? Yes. Would I recommend to others? Yes. :)
(3)Adriane R.
This should be a 5 star rating but won't be based on the douche bag of a bartender they have here. Went this afternoon to watch the basketball game based on good reviews and proximity to our hotel. We ordered a pitcher of beer which was flat, no problem just bring a new one. When the waitress brought the pitcher back to the bar we could hear the bartender telling her there was nothing wrong with the beer. He poured a little from the tap and shoved it in her face saying "there is nothing wrong with this beer". Mind you our table is two feet from the bar. Instead of pouring a new pitcher he topped off the same pitcher and said "this is fine I can see bubbles". Last time I checked I the paying customer should like and be able to enjoy what I am served. If it's not right instead of taking it personal give me what I asked for. This guy has some kind of chip on his shoulder and not only insulted me but was disrespectful to his co-worker too. On the flip side food and waitress were great.......proceed with caution!
(2)Jaz L.
We have never been disappointed with our meal. They serve breakfast all day and the portions are big. Prices run $14 and up. Their macadamia nut pancake is awesome specially with coconut syrup. They serve a variety from sandwiches to pasta and even pizza. Staff is very friendly and the restaurant is comfortable.
(4)Dave W.
Just here for dinner last Friday. Food was good, came out fast even though they were busy and portions were good size (needed to go boxes). as a family with 2 kids we always have special requests or need help getting items brought out quickly. Our server, Tomas, and his team were on point and made it a great experience. thank you!
(5)Laura A.
By far the worst food. 1 star goes to the great waiter who knew the food was less than average. Ordered hot dog sliders which were literally tiny wieners on buns. French dip was stale and not good at all. 5th grade cafeteria food is better. Everything was bland and very plain. No garnishments to be found. But to make up for that they charge way too much for it all. Subway across the street would've been a better option.
(1)Trevor F.
This is a 1 star experience!! Ordered the tuna sandwich which was just ok. The server was cute but NO personality what so ever!! I would not go back because of the service, for whatever reason she just rubber me the wrong way!!
(1)Duane G.
Meatloaf Loco Moco. Absolutely Horrible. $17.00. The server Nicole and the Greeter were just as bad. Wasn't crowded and took forever to get water and coffee. Don't even know if she likes her job. Maybe they can get away with this because of the tourist business but don't do it to the people that live here. You'll never see me again.
(1)Mo G.
We've watched the Seahawks play at Giovanni's in the past so we decided to check it out again for an early 7AM (Hawaii time) game. It's pouring outside so this has affected our game time experience. We've been sitting in the restaurant for 40 minutes and have watched a total of 5 minutes of the actual game. Oh Directv, you have failed us today .. Finally the game has returned! Onto the food.. Husband ordered the kalua pork moco and I opted for the kalua pork eggs benedict. Both items are new on the menu. For the kalua pork benedict I asked for the hollandaise sauce on the side when ordering. Entree showed up with hollandaise sauce on the eggs, I'm a dipper and prefer that all sauces come on the side, but it wasn't bad, sauce wasn't overpowered with lemon. Eggs were cooked just right. The kalua pork was good. It was moist and flavourful, but not as good as the one I make at home :) The kalua loco portion was very generous. Eggs were on the buttery side. The fries were awesome. Service was okay considering the turnout to watch all the early NFL games. I think they were at capacity. I would recommend if you're looking for decent food and a place to watch football. They also have speaker boxes so you can listen to the game.
(4)Waiki C.
I should've paid attention to the reviews. Both the food and the service sucks here! Spend $25 more per person and go across the street to Ruth's Chris steakhouse!!
(1)Maruel U.
Ordered the bread pudding French toast - very filling for a Sunday breakfast and it wasn't packed! Loved the texture of the corn flakes and bread pudding - it was a bit dry but the syrups and glaze were a great contrast. Tried the omelet too - enjoyed the flavor. Nicole was our waitress and she was very prompt with our waters and gave us perfect timing to order our food. Thank you Nicole! Also, I'm a KU alumni and this is the bar to go to for the games especially for basketball. I never went to this bar for the games but now I know where it is and would love to come back. It has some great seating in the back to watch the games. Rock chalk Jayhawk! Go KU! :-)
(3)Jboogie B.
Love the place. I come here for there loco moco, rueben sandwhich and sports! Lots of tv's to watch what you like. I sit at the bar. Service is usually faster.
(4)Joe R.
AN awesome experience. The same guys that own CJ's. Sandwiches are ok but pastrami is to die for. Amazing a must try. Cob salad was great too. Girls were great, changed the TV to put the nrl footy on close to where we were sitting... I must come back, great upmarket feel, better than CJ
(5)Tabatha P.
Fast and friendly service and a great place to go for eggs Benedict and watching your favorite sport. The eggs Benedict's here are not only unique but cooked to perfection. The pastrami eggs Benedict is delicious. Sides could be a hair less expensive, that would be nice. They treat their regulars well. Fresh coffee and ingredients. They have little speaker boxes you can put right on your table to hear the TVs. It's a clean place as well, very accommodating.
(5)Kristine C.
I've only been here twice. Once for breakfast and then lunch. Breakfast I had the Traditional Loco Moco with Wagyu Beef for breakfast with a friend of mine. The Loco Moco sauce was okay but not exactly good enough for me to remember or be swept off my feet awesome. The Wagyu beef was suppose to be better than the traditional beef but it was a bit hard for my liking. The white rice was too over cooked than what I would have preferred it to be. Note: A friend I went with here for breakfast also mentioned their corned beef hash didn't have potatoes and was not worth getting and lack taste. Lunch Went here for lunch before trying their breakfast and had their BLT. It was fine but again it was a forgettable lunch. The atmosphere for watching sports is good. There are flat-screens on the entire restaurant. I would only recommend this place for drinks but not if you're a hardcore foodie and have better expectations on food. Otherwise nice and friendly staff.
(2)Robert G.
Large menu to choose from. Staff is very friendly. The food isn't anything special. You can get the same type and quality food from any chain restaurant. Big red flag is that their pizza isn't even made there, it's from Round Table. Won't be returning for the food.
(2)Jason B.
Worst service I've ever experienced in my entire life! Not accommodating what so ever and the food was less than stellar. I will never come back here and never tell anyone they should try this place, stay away!!!!
(1)Don D.
Rip off! Ordered the $17 Dickman - all bread no meat! Seriously, had one piece of pastrami and a small portion of turkey. A real N.Y. Style deli has enough meat to choke a horse. Server never asked about quality of food - barely checked on us. Even with a 10% discount coupon it was not with the $70 for 2 sandwiches, a waffle and chicken wings. Won't go back.
(1)Yosi E.
Overpriced sandwiches that are mediocre at best; also the beer was warm. Two "okay" sandwiches & a warm beer came out to $50. I guess I shouldn't have had any real expectations for a deli on a island.
(2)Brooke O.
Those of you reading my reviews know by now that I do not care for loud places while dining, right? This place is beyond LOUD! First, when we walked thru the door we were totally ignored, period, rude. 20 minute wait, doable. Get seated at the 20 minute mark by seconds. The menu is huge, too much to absorb, so many choices not only in lunch/dinner food but also breakfast food, so overwhelming. I don't like that. T.V's at every angle, ridiculous. Loud music blasting, why? So loud that I can't even hear my friend, the waitress or the manager when he came over to visit and chat for a bit. Lastly, the food. Not so great!! That's really all I can say about that. I should have ordered breakfast because even a poor cook can get that right.
(3)David P.
Able to watch the Chicago Bears & grab breakfast since the game was at like 7am. Great football crowd! Highly recommended!
(4)Barry G.
Great location .. Terrible service but cold fries hated sending them back but I believe the FRESH were no better Pastrami was fat and lots of it They can do such better
(1)Kevin W.
I read the reviews and was nervous. We went and It was a great experience. Friendly wait staff, great food, and quick! Would recommend to anyone. And the do offer a military discount as long as it isn't happy hour prices items
(5)Lance G.
Terrific breakfast -- served piping hot. Great coffee. Try Spicy Huevos Rancheros. Breakfast served all day which is nice on those late mornings.
(5)Rachel ..
Enjoyed the food and spending time with the boys. BBQ chicken salad was so good and fulfilling. Football is football, many big flat screen TVs hanging everywhere. Been here only once, but I do plan on coming back :)
(5)Watah H.
I ordered the Pastrami sandwich....and their name contains Pastrami...What a joke. The thinnest, fattiest pastrami sandwich I've ever seen. They haven't received a full coterie of honest reviews. These Waikiki purveyors of food is on notice as they do not deliver value. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned that the "manager" was on his smartphone the whole time...what a leader. I almost thought I was on the set of Bar Rescue.
(2)J W.
Watched nfl playoff game here. Loved the TVs everywhere. Servers are like visiting old friends you've known for years!! Great vibe. Good menu selections! Saw many pizzas go out to tables (not my thing) and no leftovers so I'll assume they're good! Deli sandwiches were good. Fries yummy! Yep we'd go back again.
(4)Mary D.
Watched the World Series Game @ the bar. Very gracious, polite bartender- out of draft Hawaiian beer? Food was good, but not great. TV screens were good, but sound was poor. Safe place for women, family friendly.
(3)Tim J.
Well, my girlfriend and I decided to pop in on our last afternoon in Oahu and try this out.... First off service was going to an issue we could clearly see by how we were greeted walking in. Then when they realize you are not ordering booze.... Well it goes down another level. We ordered Rueben Sliders... Asked to please substitute the regular fries for sweet potato only to be told we are not allow to do that on starter dishes... Ok ok so we went with that. Placed our entire order which was that slider dish and a salad and pasta.... 20 mins later the cold sliders came....then 10 minutes later the waitress tells us they screwed up our dinners and it would be out shorty.. 10 minutes later I lost it... Called for a manager which showed up with my bill saying sorry he should have discounted it. I told him what a poorly ran joint he had going and how awful his kitchen was and a bit more fowl language then I care to share... Don't give this place any of your business if your smart. Tim Johnson California
(1)Iris J.
Service is okay considering the busy flow. Parmesan twist bread is Amazing...fresh & plenty flavor...pesto pasta was good, but excess sauce makes it difficult to enjoy so even with the side order of plain pasta to mix in didn't help much. The spicy salad option wasnt anything fabulous & garlic shrimp was pretty good, but again excess sauce can be a bit much!!! You pay for what you get...portions and quality of food is well worth the price!!!
(4)David C.
This place is so expensive for what you get and parking here is so inconvenient and also expensive.
(1)David T.
Texas A&M Aggies met here for the game against Alabama. The place was crowded with people rooting for several teams, but the Aggies turned out in great numbers. The bar was the perfect place for us to watch the game. Many TV's for us to watch the game without straining to get a view. The waitstaff were great and kept us plied with food and drink throughout the game. Parking was validated and the valets knew of our arrival and welcomed us. That was a nice touch and set the day off right for me. I had corned beef hash and eggs with home fries. All was delicious and the timing was prompt. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to watch the rest of the season there! Good job and thanks for having the Aggies in your sports bar.
(4)Melissa T.
Let me just start off by saying that we were in Hawaii during the Seahawks vs Saints playoff game (I know, I'm 6 months late on the review, oh well!) .. AND my boyfriend is a HUGE HUGE HUGE Seahawks fan. So there was no way we were going to miss this game. We were looking up different sports bars in the area and did not know where to go to catch the game. Luckily, we met a fellow local Seahawks fan the night before and he told us that tons of Seahawks fans always come here to watch the game. We probably would not have even thought of watching it here, especially since there was a Yard House right across the street from Giovanni's. We thought we'd give it a shot! To our surprise, the entire place was filled with Seahawks fans! (besides the two Saints and three 49ers fans... let's just say it made the game even more interesting ;) There was also a 12th man flag hanging on the wall! There was two different seating areas, the dining room when you first walk in, then the stairs lead up to the bar area; that is where we were. Because we were there to watch the game and knew we'd be there for hours, we decided to order a large pizza and start off with a pitcher of beer. I like that they allowed the pizzas to be half and half, I like variety. We ordered half Maui Zaui and King Arthur Supreme. And let me tell you, that Maui Zaui is DELICIOUS! You must try it. It is an island pizza, if there is such thing! Our waitress was super friendly. The place was packed with people, but she was still able to check up on us often. Every time our pitcher got low, she'd come and see if we wanted another, we never had empty glasses! I also ordered a soft drink, she always kept that full as well. The entire staff was super chill. Also, they had these cool speakers for each table. Because it does get fairly loud & it's difficult to hear sometimes with all the chatter going on in the restaurants... I thought that it was an awesome idea to have. Wish every sports bar had these! If you do try this place, get the Maui Zaui! You won't be disappointed!
(4)Consuela M.
Menu looked good. Just had drinks. Service was fair.
(2)Ka ne M.
Food is always fresh beers are cold Lots of tv's to catch the game Orders the garlic shrimp it was very good Mac salad was a little dry maybe substitute it with some fries or toss salad I would of prefers they brown the garlic as the garlic sauce can get a little pasty but cooking it longer would of made it perfect The strawberry cheesecake was a winner very light Fresh and Ono liscious Got the pizza to go half meet lovers half veggie lovers Win win combination Enjoy
(4)Kimo K.
No sound Monday Night Football rebroadcast prime sure during 2;30 live broadcast , but dude some fans like go beach day watch game replay at 6:00 ... Never go again
(3)Katy T.
We came for dinner about 8:30pm on a Wednesday night. We were told there would be about a 20 minute wait, but we only waited 10. The service was not the friendliest I've had, but it was definitely fast and efficient- covered all the essentials. The decor is fairly nice... it would be a nice place to watch the game with plenty of TVs around. I just find it strange that they have an open kitchen (big windows to the kitchen), but there's all kinds of kitchen equipment against these windows so you can't really see what's going on in the kitchen, and all you see is the back of machinery. Seems pointless to me. Anyway, the food was good. Not out-of-this-world good, but I really enjoyed the mini corned beef reubens that I had, and the nachos that my boyfriend and I shared. Overall, a decent place to eat with pretty good food.
(4)Sam M.
This review is based entirely on our service. I had just finished working at my job in one of the stores right near Giovanni Pastrami. I hadn't heard much of this place but I was in the mood for a pastrami sandwich so I decided it was worth a shot. Outside I took a look at their menu, and when I was ready I made my way inside to order. I stood at the front for at least 10 minutes. No host/hostess in sight. There were servers who made eye-contact with me from the back of the restaurant near the bar, and not one of them made it a point to come to the front or get someone in the front to be a hostess. Reading the reviews, it doesn't seem like the food there is worth it anyway. I will not be returning to Giovanni Pastrami.
(1)Gretchen H.
Food is Great!! Wait Staff is courteous and nice. Hostess Staff is Horrifying. Watching them bumble basic seating would have been humorous, if I was watching it happen to someone else. We waited 20 minutes to be seated in an empty restaurant at a table that was open the entire time. Recommend if you want to try out Giovanni's great food, do it during nonstandard times where the hostess can't get confused!
(2)Shaun K.
Great loco moco! It was more than a meal for one. My wife got a breakfast dosh and that was not as big and left a little to be desired. Staff was a little slow with drinks, but we are fast drinkers. Overall it was a good place.
(3)Robert D.
Very seldom my review would be scathing ....however this NEEDS to be done. 1. I havent eaten there but the menu looks interesting and decor is fabulous. 2. I went there to simply get a take out pizza which many have acclaimed. BIG MISTAKE!!! Their Roundtable brand pizza is simply VILE! !!!!!! MOST frozen supermarket pizzas are better than this crap! The pizza base was machine made, tasteless and like stale bread. The cheese was just ok as were the sparse toppings. DO NOT waste your time and money for this EXPENSIVE ($24 med size) pathetic excuse for pizza! . Put it this way....you would be EMBARRASSED to give this to a homeless/hungry person. ** whoever said this pizza is great is an absolute moron. Aloha and have a great day!
(1)Raymond S.
I don't what this two stars one star reviewers are talking about but I just had a great experience at Giovanni's. Service was great, Shannon took good care of my needs as far as food and drinks. Food was delivered promptly and hot. I ordered the corn beef pastrami hash and eggs. Had a beer and then coffee with my meal no fuss but served promptly and with a smile . So my first experience was great and I will be back.
(5)Chris R.
I travel to Waikiki about four times a month on business. We figured we would try something new for dinner and popped in here. It was quickly apparent why the average review here is pretty low. The hostess was kind but seemed slightly confused despite the slow evening. After we were seated the waitress came, gave us some menus and the selection looked quite promising. When both are orders finally came out they were both incorrect and had to be returned. I asked for a pastrami dog with no sauerkraut and it was smothered in the stuff and my coworker had ordered coleslaw instead of fries. These corrections only took a few minutes however when the food returned it was cold. We decided to give it a try anyway and the flavors were rather unremarkable. I would have to say for a restaurant with pastrami in the name the pastrami was some of the most disappointing I have had anywhere globally. To be fair I've given them two stars because our waitress, although a bit spacey, was very sweet and tried her best to make us happy.
(2)Krysten I.
The one thing great about Giovanni is that they seem to be open alllll the time. Need to watch that game thats on at 8am HST? Try Giovanni Pastrami. I'm not that into sports, but I live in Waikiki and my best friend begged me to watch an early morning USC game with her at Giovanni. Whatevers, I'm down for eating breakfast with my bestie. The food was just okay and overpriced (but that's what you get in waikiki). The service was pretty terrible. The game was pretty terrible too....But back to the service, I had to ask for a menu, a fork and for refills on water.....stuff that should be no brainers.... I don't think I'll be back, sorry Giovanni.
(2)Austin M.
This was a first. I was seated at a table with another customer watching a football game. I feel like it was a effort to clear the other customer out however when the waiter started refilling his drinks I asked to get up. Slightly Wierd for a place that has $20 dishes on their menu. After that I get moved and the other waitress made me feel very uncomfortable after asking if I can order a water with lemon. After 3 times of asking she finally brought a plate of lemons over. Overall fantastic layout. Horrible customer experience.
(1)Letty J.
Went during happy hour and they have pretty good deals plus a free slice of cheese pizza with any purchase (only during happy hour). The food is ok nothing great but not bad. Staff was very friendly.
(3)Helpful L.
We were excited to try a new restaurant in Waikiki. We visit the island often and hadn't seen Giovanni Pastrami, so on our last night, we decided to try it. Made a reservation and headed over. We were seated immediately! Our server was professional, not over the top, but fine! We ordered 2 waters, 1 RootBeer, and a tea. She made them at her station and went to take care of 2 other tables while our drinks sat there. I thought that was odd. We asked many questions of our server about the menu and she stated that the items we had asked/chosen were her favorites. She must not have any tastebuds...because everything was tasteless. We ordered the Macadamia Nut Pesto Pasta, no taste...no macadamia taste, no garlic taste, no basil taste, no taste AT ALL! I really mean, NO TASTE AT ALL! It was terrible!! My husband and I were going to share our meals, he sent his back and was done. She took it back, offered to get him something else, but he was done! I ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad...that, as well, had NO TASTE! VERY bland dressing and the all the crunchy extras were stale! Our server brought our check and she took the pasta off the bill. We will not be going to Giovanni Pastrami again. I wish we would have walked across the street and eaten at the Yard House!
(2)Janet F.
Okay so..... I work right by Giovanni Pastrami and so I decided to grab take out one day despite everyone telling me how bad this place was and after seeing the bad reviews. I got the chicken fingers with sweet potato fries because there's no way you can mess up on chicken fingers. I'm going to start off by saying the girl I spoke to on the phone was not friendly and the chicken fingers and fries tasted horrible. I'd rather have eaten the frozen Tyson's chicken fingers lol!!!! The fries were soggy and tasteless (no, I did not let it sit) and the chicken tasted rubbery as if it was undercooked (It wasn't undercooked though). I paid $12+ which I think is overpriced but then again everything in Waikiki is overpriced haha. Yeah. Just save your money and time and don't come here unless it's for drinks while watching a game.
(1)Adina B.
The garlic shrimp came out different than they looked on the menu but they were still good. Nice atmosphere in Waikiki. The mango mojito was weak but the waitress was nice. I would recommend it!
(3)Steve V.
Great pastrami dip ,Just loook how tasty that is! Also cool little bar area with tons of flat screens.
(4)Nick B.
Overall, this place is good. But the service SUCKS! I work in the service industry. I know when I'm giving poor service and I do what I can to fix it. The staff that I have interacted with here does not give a *u*k!!! They were bitching about work amongst themselves and not paying attention to anything around them. Come here but realize that your service will suck.
(2)Wes J.
This place is nice. One step above standard food. I had the Kalua sliders which were real tasty but they came out warm as if they sat for a bit. Their nachos are real good too, they come with sour cream and guacamole. Our waitress was awesome, she was very friendly and attentive. She made out experience there enjoyable. Desserts, ohh man are these good! I had their bread pudding that was enough to feed four people. Had an amazing coconut sauce that the bread pudding was bathing in. I am a lover of bread pudding and this place ranks high in that dessert! Overall I was very pleased with our dining experience. Good food, good service and a clean restaurant equals business success. I wouldn't be apposed to dining with them again!
(4)J And K A.
We were looking for a casual dinner option that was reasonably priced, Giovanni's met the mark. We split the nachos - very cheesey, nice dollop of guac, no meat. We asked for a side of salsa, and I'm pretty sure it was just Pace Picante. I had the meat-pizza and it was good. Crispy/toasty crust, nice mix of flavors. I think its just Round Table, but maybe weird toppings. Wife had kalua pork sandwich and fries. Fries were good, McDonald's-esque flavor, crispier outside. Server was very friendly and quick. Overall, an average casual, sports bar with range of pub food options and a little bit of Italian/pasta as well.
(3)Jessica B.
This is a round table disguised as something else. Don't be fooled by the large menu. Out of our 3 dishes none of us liked them and the price was way too high for the quality of food Giovanni doesn't not have a clue
(1)Paul P.
Pizza we had here was good, however the pasta was a little under cooked I would say 3.5 star if it was possible. Overall service was good.
(4)Kristine E.
Their good was literally so bad we didn't even eat it. Oh and we're pretty sure this food is what caused my my boyfriend appendix to have to come out that night. And they served us shrimp with the shells still on but with a sauce all over it? Ya, that makes sense. NOT! So bad, just so bad.
(1)Tyler Y.
First time coming here. Saturday night, don't even think about going to Cheesecake Factory. So we came here for a family dinner and were seated within 10 minutes. I liked the food, it was yummy! Price is a little above average for the food quality but that's just Waikiki for you. Our primary server was great. However, the girl who was helping our server deliver our food was rude. FYI, the rude servers name is Lauren (?). She got all sassy because we weren't sure if what she was delivering was the actual plate we ordered, so we asked twice what that was and her attitude sucked. Just those 15 seconds of attitude was enough to kill the vibe with family.
(3)Amanda U.
the first morning after arriving in Hawaii my sister and I were starving and this was the first restaurant we pass after leaving her hotel. we wanted a full service breakfast and this was our best bet we were Immediately seated however the server took way too long to even greet us and bring us waters. Long enough that we gave the server five more minutes or we were going to walk out surprising to since we were one of the three tables seated. we ordered the breakfast trio sampler with eggs Benedict pancakes and the loco moco. was so delicious that we did a round two of the macadamia nut and coconut pancakes. must try with coconut syrup! even my mom joined us after placing order number two and she got the pancakes too , they're that good! first experience went well other than the crappy service, she sucked at "serving" (ie had to wave her down to bring syrups for the cakes and having to ask the hostess for extra utensils /napkins) conveniently our hotel being next door we're allowed to get food delivered to our room with even a little discount. When we ordered delivery I wanted the pastrami burger but figured I wouldn't eat all of it and since it was the last night i knew it would go to waste I noticed they had sliders so I settled for that only to find out when it arrived that it was just pastrami and bread .... no meat no lettuce no sauce nothing but bread and meat, maybe you should specify that in the menu because for what I paid and what I got is ridiculous , I could go to subway across the street and get more "sandwiches with depth" than I did with Giovanni's even my sisters sub was very basic bread/meat/sauce it's as if they're only good at creative/tasteful breakfast items and if that's the case then just stick to that ...
(2)Eric M.
A quiet relaxed atmosphere for breakfast. We stumbled upon this place slightly before 9:30. There was immediate seating so we decided to give it a try. For whatever reason it took a good 10 minutes for our server to arrive but once she did, drinks came promptly and the food not far behind. We shared the Triple Play, and it was a tasty and satisfying sampler for two. The guava mimosas were also a treat.
(3)Great W.
Just had lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Service was attentive. The mac and cheese from kid's menu just needs to be more cheesy. The pastrami sliders were excellent and very taste. The fried calamari starter was lightly breaded and crispy. The Caesar salad was flavorful without being too creamy to be heavy.
(4)Dale M.
We went to during happy hour. The cheese pizza was a bonus, but the main dishes took a while to arrive. I got the nachos, and they were about average. My friend got the pizza, and it was much smaller than I would've expected. It tasted good though. The environment is nice, and it's reasonably affordable if you eat off of the happy hour menu.
(4)Sheena Y.
Not bad. Had the Kahlua pig pizza. Also tried my friend's 3 in 1 breakfast, the wagyu beef Loco moco wasn't the greatest. The beef was too hard. Wagyu beef is supposed to be so soft that you can use a butter knife to slice it. The pizza was yummy but it could have for Kahlua pig in it.
(3)Dan M.
My wife and I are huge pastrami fans and this seemed like a good spot to hit up right by our hotel. We got seated right away. Service was underwhelming. We came in around 2 and it was pretty slow and empty, which usually means better ticket times. We waited 25-30 minutes for our good. I ordered a pastrami burger and my wife ordered a pastrami Reuben. Nothing too complicated, or so we thought. Once the food came out, we were both disappointed. My burger was cooked as I ordered it, but for being a pastrami burger, it had next to no pastrami on it. My wife's sandwich fell apart and the pastrami in it was super fatty, a sign they're either using very cheap meat or not cooking it properly. She couldn't finish it because the pastrami was so fatty that it was impossible to take a bite and separate the meat. If you want to get quick service and quality deli food, go somewhere else. You'll save a lot of money and actually enjoy your meal. Unfortunately, this is a place that has relied on gullible tourists and has stopped paying attention to quality food and prompt service.
(2)Craig Y.
Just had dinner there ..... Very disappointed with the food we had...Chinese chicken salad very watery dressing,, soggy won ton, pastrami sandwich okay, nothing special. Our service was ok seems as if other employees don't enjoy their job....NO smiles NO greeting NO Aloha.....even when leaving the establishment we passed several employees and the hostess counter and NO acknowledgement at all...
(2)Brittany J.
Short wait on Sunday evening. The ambiance is nice with a large bar. TVs on walls, good place to come for a game and "bar food." My boyfriend and I started with the wings.... They were good. I ordered a steak sandwich and my BF the meatball sandwich. He said it was soggy and unmemorable. I'm from the east coast and was expecting a steak and cheese but I received was a NY strip on four pieces of toast. Won't be returning.
(2)Esther S.
I'm vegetarian and I ordered mendezova or something and the waitress says that they don't serve that anymore. So, why is it in the menu? I asked if I could add eggplants to my meal and she said no. Wtf? It doesn't make sense to me to put food in the menu that they don't have. So far, they have made bad impressions and am not happy with the service. Also, no wifi? So my fiancé orders pizza and I ordered pasta. They serve him his dish but not mine. It's been about 15 min and it's not here. Meanwhile my fiancé is almost done with food. I was gonna give 2 stars but now it got reduced to one.
(1)Dan H.
Great food. Great atmosphere. The service is excellent. We will definitely be back to try out more of the menu. Seems like a great place to watch the games too. I'll have to remember this place during football season.
(4)Paul A.
The free slice of cheese pizza at happy hour was nice. Other than that pretty over priced. If you are in from out of town it is a great place to catch a game. The personal pizza is really small. Loco moco was delicious, but 17 bucks come on man!
(3)Jennie M.
Game time in Honolulu! This means a MUCH earlier start then anywhere else, which isn't a bad thing! Hey, you may have to get up crazy early to watch the NFL pregame show, Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, like 6am early! But, that means the Sunday Night game is over by 5:30pm and you still have a whole night in front of you! One thing that gets me outta bed with a huge smile on my face (besides Chris Berman of course) is the thought of throwing on my jersey, flip floppin' down Kalakaua towards Giovanni's for the most amazing, crazy good, bigger then my face, macadamia nut pancakes (see picture)! Ooohhhh dear lord do I love those fluffy circles of love. It makes my morning football ritual complete. Giovanni's has a ton of flat screens on every wall of the place, a relaxed vibe (especially compared to some sports bars that can be loud and aggressive) and always a diverse mix of locals, tourists and implants that are cheering for different teams. I once spent the entire Stanley Cup final playoffs in Gio's when Chicago won it, that was a blast! We made such good friends because you see the same people every day or second day for 10 days. The food is fantastic, the drinks are great and there is always free pizza slices during happy hour(s). Oh, and did I mention that during regular season when there are multiple games on, they provide portable mini speakers at your table so you can hear your game if its not the featured one! Love, love, love Giovanni and his Pastrami!
(4)Adam G.
Every football game is on here every Sunday! If my team isn't on cable at home, I come here for breakfast and football. My favorite breakfast is the ham or Kalua pork eggs Benedict
(5)Noelani C.
I visited this place about two months ago. I think our server was Rockie?! She was amazing! Great EXCELLENT service! The food was good and the chicken wings were yummy! Tons of tv's to watch the fights/games etc! She gave us yummy desserts too! The drinks were yummy! I had a few fruity drinks on the rocks. I can't remember at the moment... She seems very personable and genuine. You dont get many genuine servers nowadays. They are all just in it for the money and no aloha spirit. I feel the quality of the food could be better...and its a great place for beers and appetizers and to watch the game.
(5)Erin T.
One step above regular standard bar food. Sandwiches are good and portions are big. Nothing seems particularly creative or unique- fries and sides taste like they came out of a frozen bag. Decor is really blah and borderline ugly, even by sports bar standards. Service is pretty good, although not super quick. Biggest gripe is price. WAY OVER PRICED! One basic sandwich is $16 and if you want to add cheese it's $2 more! $18 for a roastbeef and cheese sandwich?! That's crazy even for Waikiki where everything is overpriced! You can go next door to PF Changs or across the street to YardHouse and get way more- better- food for the same price!
(3)Jerry A.
been here twice. first time went in for breakfast on a sunday, was able to get a table for 5 after waiting about 10 minutes. Had just buttermilk pancakes, was pretty standard, nothing amazing. 2nd time i went was for lunch for party of 5 but inadvertently it was during a football game so place was packed so decided to come back later for dinner. dinner time was less crowded. I had just spagehtti meat sauce without the meatballs. again it was pretty good but nothing fantastic.
(3)Lily B.
I definitely will have to up my rating from my last review, and the 4 stars is well deserved! We were having a little farewell for a couple *amazing* co-workers who were about to PCS, and we chose Giovanni Pastrami as our lunch spot. We were seated right away. I can't remember the name of our server (sorry!) but I really wish that I did because she was pretty cool. We had a party of about 20, and she didn't write a SINGLE ORDER DOWN!!! She memorized EVERYTHING! Now I used to be a server... for a loooong time, and I could remember a party of 4, prolly 6 at the most, but 20?! I thought for sure she'd mess up on something, but NOPE, all orders came out correctly. I was IMPRESSED! She was (at the time) about 6 months pregnant and when I asked her about her memory she said she wanted to keep her mind 'sharp' while pregnant... well kudos to her! Service with her was efficient and very friendly. We had split checks and she was on it! The BF and I shared garlic twists. Ooh if you love garlic, these are for you! Garlicky deliciousness. You really didn't need the ranch dipping sauce that accompanied it as the twists were so good alone. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My friend got the reuben sliders which she enjoyed. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My other friend got the chili burger which is HUUUUGE!!! He finished half of it. yelp.com/user_local_phot… The BF and I weren't too hungry, so we shared a caesar salad (forgot to take a pic, but it was good!) and the nachos. The cheese on the nachos was VERY lumpy and it was pretty disgusting. I took a tiny bite and couldn't do it. My BF ate a few pieces (mainly because he was hungry) and no one at the table like it either. I let our waitress know, and the manager came by and said that the nachos were definitely NOT supposed to look (or taste) like that. Something about the cheese not being stirred enough or hot enough... he was VERY apologetic and offered to make us a new one, or give us something else on the menu. The BF and I thanked him but passed. It was nice that he stopped by to explain what the issue was (and of course to remove it from our bill) This is what the nachos looked like: yelp.com/user_local_phot… I didn't take a picture of everyone's food but honestly, there were no complaints from anyone! In the end, we got 10% off of our total bill as well. Everyone really enjoyed their food (with the exception of us and the nachos - which was addressed and taken care of). Service was great. The atmosphere is loud; sports bar like of course and fun. More TV's than I could count with basketball, baseball, football, racing, etc... sports galore! It was a fun lunch and we were well taken care of. Would we come back? After that last visit, yeah, we'd give em a third try!
(4)Mark H.
I have read other reviews by locals complaining about treatment by management from Giovanni Pastrami, but I only have had pleasant experiences here. Well, I don't watch local sports much... The pizza is Round Table's pizza and is delish. If you get a large pizza with a pitcher of beer, you can get buffalo wings for a buck. Pretty good deal and my groups have always capitalized on that offer! We tried their pastrami & cheese fries. Pretty good. I would say worth for you to check out and make your own determination. Great venue for watching sports with tons of large flat screen TVs and even smaller screens around the bar area. The crowd is a knowledgeable sports crowd so I appreciate the cheering that goes on. All the girls are hot. We had Allison serving us--such a cutie! XD
(4)Sandra a.
Very good. Highly recommend. Happy hour very good. Salads great. Good service. Discount if staying at Wyndham. Yes. Yummy.
(5)Leslie Y.
Service started out ok, she got us water......then kept talking to her coworkers....all the girls did were hover around each other and talk, not taking care of the few tables around them......I had to flag them down for more water......and they were right at the front door talking..... The food prices are ok, considering the area.....Waikiki is not cheap, so peeps, don't forget that...... We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, the meatballs were dark and dry like my feet........like it had been sitting there for a long time...... We also ordered the garlic shrimp.....didn't even try it.....my friend did and she got the runs right as we returned to the hotel....... The place is quite comfortable as their booths are big.......that's about it......
(2)Harley H.
Nice Sports bar with good food. Guava Mimosas after sun down, the best. A must try while in Honolulu. Thank you Meagan for great, friendly service!
(5)Lara F.
Food is reasonably priced for kids meals and adults. Great fresh orange juice. We ordered the waffles and French toast with sides. Great atmosphere and servers were nice!
(5)Risa C.
I don't normally post a review on Yelp unless an establishment is absolutely outstanding or absolutely horrible. I should have listened to the other reviews on this place. My husband and I went in here for dinner tonight and were highly disappointed. 30 minutes AFTER we ordered, the waitress came back and told us the kitchen was out of the fried rice. WTH, my husband was pissed because it was his dish, not that they were out but because we had been sitting there for 30 minutes waiting for our food and then be told they didn't have the dish. The waitress apologized and asked if we wanted to order something else. Needless to say we didn't and left. Good customer service would have been if the manager came out to our table himself and apologized and offer to comp our dinner. Of course that didn't happen.
(1)E C.
We came in when the business was jumping and the crowds on the street were teeming so we expected a long wait. Our actual wait was about ten minutes and we were served up very quickly. Ordering mainly salads, a sandwich, soup and a couple of cocktails, we were impressed by the hustling service by the staff and the short time it took to actually serve up in spite of the full house. The quality of the food and drink was very good and we were definitely impressed by the server crew. The restaurant is only one block from our hotel and we will definitely be back next time we return.
(4)Clarissa M.
This is a great place if you are craving matzo ball soup (which I enjoy) and anything with pastrami like pastrami and melted cheese on fries or pastrami high on rye sandwiches. This restaurant does not offer dessert I believe - because the portions are super dooper huge! This is a sports bar environment with lots of tv. It gets pretty busy but overall the food satisfies the cravings and the service is attentive and pleasant.
(3)Leah G.
I go here every Sunday to either watch a Seahawks or Carolina Panthers football games. I LOVE the environment! Everyone there is a fan of football. They have plenty of tvs and they always try to sit you in front of the game you're there to see. I've never had a bad seat. There is a huge amount of Seahawks fans who go there so if you're a fan, this is definitely the Hawks Nest of Hawaii! The waitresses are nice, they are always BUSY but they take care of you. The food is good, nice portions! I would check it out if I was you and I will be returning!!
(4)Jen D.
Extremely overpriced. Definitely not worth the money...we had garlic shrimp which was alright I was weirded out by having to peel the shrimp. The pork sliders were mediocre...Mac salad was good.
(2)The C.
I really enjoyed this place. The atmosphere and staff were great. It's this unique combination of deli, pasta place and sports bar. Lots of TVs all over the place. I ordered a couple very boring dishes. The Chef's salad and some angle hair pasta with chicken. The salad was great. Real deli meats cheeses and eggs. The pasta was pasta. It isn't an executing dish and it came as expected. Others around me went for the Pastrami and other sandwiches. I just wasn't in the sandwich mood. I'll be going back.
(4)Angela S.
Worst experience ever. Bad food, Bad drinks and really bad service. The server kept disappearing, I had to hold up my hand for 15mins to get ketchup and mustard for the hotdog sliders we ordered.. I also felt cheated since they publicized drinks at a different price on pubclub.com from what they served and when I mentioned this, it was shoved off with a 'oh, that isn't correctly stated' And did I mention no parking validation!!!!!! Never again
(1)Joel W.
Excellent food and service. The best place to watch Ohio state football on the island.
(4)Kelly G.
Giovanni Pastrami is one of those places that you go to in Waikiki because of its name. The food and drinks are well in the upper range, but its in tourist central so no surprises there. It caters to the traveling sports fanatics. They have lots of tvs with various sports playing. And if they aren't just ask one of the staff to help out. Most of staff is friendly - especially when we asked to substitute the tomato for sauerkraut in our sandwich and for free! Food is to be as expected in this area. Filling enough. Not extremely greasy. Extensive menu. Breakfast, lunch and dinner items are always served. Appreciated the military discount as well!
(4)Robert W.
We went there a few times during our two week stay on the island. First, I want to say HAPPY HOUR is great. Wait staff is GREAT! Front hostess staff is just terrible. You get the impression they don't like their job all three times we visited. I would highly recommend this place just ignore the hostess staff. Good Prices Good Food Great Service
(4)Christen F.
Found this place today and it's amazing! They have a huge selection of good to choose from and they serve breakfast all day! Atmosphere is upbeat and positive. The food was delicious and the portions were very generous. For sure coming back here again!
(5)Catherine H.
We went here today for lunch and were very disappointed unfortunately. The hostess was rude and after being seated we sat there for 20 minutes (literally!) and no one ever greeted us, no one offered us water and no one took our order. We got up and left. :-(
(1)Jim C.
Just had a great dinner and I must say it is always a pleasure to eat here, Celebrated my best friends anniversary and had the PASTRAMI REUBEN Hot pastrami piled high with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, grilled to perfection on rye bread. hmmmmmmm soooo ono. My friends had the same. Our waitress Jennifer was superb and even though she was 8 months pregnant she buzzed through the place like she owned it... She was the BEST. Large screen TV's keeps the cheering crowds happy and add to the lively atmosphere. I love this place....
(4)Abigail S.
I literally created an account so I could comment on how upset I was with this restraunt. Im here on vacation visiting family and this is the first place my cousin brings us to eat. Convinced that this is the best place to be. I gave this place two trys because first impressions aren't always accurate. The first time our waitress was to be busy flirting with the men at our table that all of our orders were wrong. But thats fine we all have our moments. The next day I walk in to order pizzas togo. My cousin and I are literally standing at the front for 15 min waiting to get acknowledged. I even smiled at a waitress hoping she would walk over, nope straight turned around. I had to walk up to the bar to get some kind of service. No matter what you should always make the customer feel welcomed and respected. If not they will just turn away and go somewhere else. I will say that their food is good. I had kalua pig and pizza both excellent.
(2)Jacob B.
Went with some friends on a Saturday. Not a very long wait, which was refreshing in Waikiki. Drink prices are average. The food came out super fast and was very good. Will definitely go again. Everyone seemed really happy about their food.
(4)Jhonny C.
Hostess and Waiter Tomas was awesome!Soup arrived immediately and HOT! FOOTBALL GAME@the bar and more tv's than I can count. Definitely returning
(5)Kamaria N.
The service was so so, but I ate a great new french toast dish for brunch with my fiance last Saturday morning. We watched a few of the games playing on the large tvs. I wasn't impressed though. They really should improve their service, but being on the strip, they know they'll get business anyway I guess.
(2)Jamie M.
The food here is great. The service is not! I first came here for an alumni association event to watch our college football team play. The set up is pretty nice. There are a number of big screen TVs all around the place playing various games. The bathroom was clean too. My boyfriend had the eggs benedict, and he liked it. I had the spinach, feta, and cheese omelet. That was also tasty. The mimosas are tiny and they cost $7. I would pass on those because the cost adds up quick, and they are nothing special. The ones at Hula Grill are better. The service was terrible. We had a large party, but the food came out really slow. Getting our drink orders filled was like pulling teeth. The waitress often times was standing around doing nothing, and we would be staring straight at her trying to flag her down! Of course, trying to get our check paid for was a pain as well. I returned to Giovanni's hoping the service would improve. It was the same thing when just my boyfriend and I went, so I think the service is poor no matter what. One thing that is weird about here is that you have to sit with strangers if there are not enough tables/booths. The people that got placed with us were cool, but it would have been weird if we had to sit that close to people who were not. I think I've given this place enough chances, so I will only go here if I happen to be in Waikiki and really want to catch a game on TV.
(2)Jay D.
Good Sunday brunch, was a little pricey but everything is in Waikiki. I had some kinda bread pudding French toast, it was pretty awesome. Coconut flakes, fresh blueberries and strawberries, server ex with coconut syrup. Yum, congrats from the mainland hash browns are a disappointment almost anywhere here as were Gio's however service and other food was good!
(3)Gspot H.
Good large food servings. The Soup was good. a bunch of the things on the menu are tempting but U can't have all now can you baby. Staff are nice. Issue's with parking unless U a pimp.
(4)Chelsea W.
If you are an OSU fan this is definitely the place to go. The team spirit is awesome. It's their alumni bar. Food and drinks are great and all of the staff is very friendly and quick.
(4)Candy C.
Great food. A bit pricey, but plenty of food for your buck. Very yummy! Watched Sunday football at 7am and it was the best time. Every waiter and waitress was kind and service was always quick. I'm surprised by the poor reviews. We came here almost everyday of our stay
(4)Rose H.
There for New Years Night breakfast for dinner. Staff was great. Actually no wait I guess because everyone was across the street for Hard Rock Cafe. Nice open place, probably would be a packed place when sports occur. For us, it was nice with staff checking often, food was yummy not overly spiced or "flavored" as most sports bars, and breakfast all day who can go wrong with that!!
(5)Kameron S.
GP' s is a midsized sports bar and deli type restaurant on Lewers in Waikiki. They have a good big screen tv setup for the sports minded and an extensive menu serving breakfast all day long and totally legit sounding deli sandwiches, etc. I have only frequented GP's for the last 8 weeks on Sunday mornings to watch NFL with some friends and a couple times on my own. Therefor, as far as food is concerned, I can only comment on a very limited portion of the wide array of selections available. What I feel very comfortable commenting on is the excellent service by the friendly, energetic and cute waitress staff. They all deserve a shout out because it's crazy busy in there on Sunday mornings yet the team of girls, mostly wearing their teams jersey, keep all the patrons food and drinks coming promptly with the most pleasant service one could expect. Breakfast: Tomato, Avocado and Bacon Eggs Benedict. Served with hash browns or home fries. This has been my go to on Sun. mornings and I can hardly finish it. The key is the hollandaise sauce is pretty good so I would probably like the 3 or 4 other versions of Eggs Beni they serve. Lunch: The Patty Melt. There was not a thing to complain about when I tried this old school simplified burger. It's the classic patty melt on grilled Rye Bread with melted swiss and grilled onions. Really, I'm more of a burger aficionado but I used to order this as a kid once in a while and GP's does not disappoint. Strange that I'm not a fan of swiss cheese or big on Rye Bread yet I gobbled it down and it was delish, I wasn't even nursing a hangover. Drinks: Full bar, plenty of beers but a small standard draft selection and a good Bloody Mary with Jalapeno Stoli as an option. Conclusion: I'm not sure what goes on there after 1 pm or any other time aside from Sunday morning, but if they maintain the level of service I have experienced all the time, then GP's really has it going on.
(4)Linh D.
Great sport bar to watch football. My friends and I came here to wach the 49ners vs GB wild card game. We only had drinks and an order of pancakes. So this review is only for the experience of watching sports. We stayed at the Wyndham hotel which is just above this place. As we passed this place on our first day in Wakiki, we saw alot of Ohio fans in the back room where the bar is located watching one of the college bown games that day. Since it looked like this was where football fans would go watch the games, we decided to watch the NFL play game here. There are tvs all over the walls and at the bar area as well so that you do not miss any action of whatever sport you are watching.
(3)Hillary G.
I might be updating this review based on if we come back for breakfast. We stopped in based on a few friends suggestions. I got a pastrami and my boyfriend got a veggie sandwich. The sandwiches were pretty good. I don't think they were worth $16 each. The fries and chips were very basic absolutely nothing special and the salsa was obviously Pace salsa lol. But the main part was the sandwiches-both very good - just a little pricey for what they were.
(4)Kim M.
I'm not sure why I haven't gone here more, but I feel like I want to make more of an effort. Their menu is huge and I'd like to try more of what they have to offer. The things I've tried thus far were good, but probably not the best that GP has to offer. I really want some good pastrami -- it's in the name, so it must be good. Right? Giovanni Pastrami is an often overlooked Waikiki eatery with pretty good food, generous portions and spotty service. TRIPLE PLAY This is a great (and filling) sampler-esque entrée that allows you to try three of GP's breakfast dishes. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… No substitutions. It comes with: 1. Mini Wagyu Beef Loco Moco - Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not sure I'd order the loco moco as an entree bc I've definitely had better elsewhere. But it was good. 2. Bacon, Tomato, Avocado Eggs Benedict - I loved the varied traditional Canadian ham substitutions in this dish. I thought it was a pretty fresh and delicious idea. The avocado was delightfully smooth and great against the crunchy and sinful bacon. 3. (Coconut) Mac Nut Pancakes with Strawberries - I had mine sans the coconut and the coconut syrup. The strawberries were fresh and the pancakes were better than I had initially anticipated. So... If you're really hungry and unsure of what to order (and love breakfast foods), the Triple Play may be a good dish to order. Overall, I liked it, but I'm not sure if I'd order this on a regular basis or anything. It's really quite filling. In fact, I needed help finishing it. ROYCE'S SPICY NACHOS ($15) A ginormous portion of homemade tortilla chips smothered in pepper jack cheese sauce, spicy taco-seasoned beef, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… This was the highlight of our night. It was huge and the pepper jack cheese sauce was incredible. We had quite a bit left over, so I'm sure you can guess what we had for our midnight snack later that night. The bf and I will be back for this for sure. SERVICE Service was good...ish, so I fully understand the mixed reviews. Nothing went extremely wrong or anything, but we received the bare minimum. I always like it when servers offer things instead of having to ask for everything. Just saying. Sorry if that seems ridiculous, but servers get paid and tipped to serve. VERDICT 3.5 Yelp Stars If it weren't for the service, I'd probably go with 4. The spicy nachos were a home run for the bf and me. Our friend had the Pastrami Reuben and gobbled the whole thing (without sharing)... I'm totally ordering that next time btw. Anyway, GP is G with me and I'll be back to try more.
(3)Shauna F.
Some of the best wings and pizza I've ever had. Happy Hour between 3-5. Free cheese pizza slice with any order, every time.
(4)M M.
We had a fabulous family dinner here. Round Table pizza on the menu, great wings, lots of beer choices, and excellent service! Management was friendly and helpful. We'll be back next week for pizza night!
(4)Ricky S.
This place is great. It's standard bar / chain pub food but the service was good and there's TVs EVERYWHERE playing all kinds of sports. Came here twice in 4 days during our trip to Waikiki... once randomly to catch a bite and happy hour. Prices were great during HH and they walk around and give out free pizza. AWESOME. The 2nd time it was to watch the SF Giants sweep the Tigers for the World Series. Good times.
(5)Tammy T.
I'm not usually one to make a "quick" review but I just need to put my 2 cents in, and frankly, isn't that what Yelp is all about. :) I've been here more than once ONLY because of NFL Sunday games (7AM). They have lots of games going on which is great, what's even better is that you can get your own speaker! Each speaker can be link to the TV you are watching. None of this hear another game see your game sh*t. The service is good.Dallas Fan server. has been the best. Pleasant, talk-storyish, and attentive. Sadly, the food is over priced (then again perhaps that's just Waikiki standards). Don't get me wrong, if it was good I wouldn't mind paying the price, but the food has always arrived luke-warm to room temperature. The Country Omelet yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… which was $16 (REALLY!?! GTFO), arrive with "skin" on the hollandaise sauce and dry edges. Wa waaaaaa. For the price you pay for food, the valet; we parked at the Embassy Suites Hotel, the walk from the parking lot to the restaurant it's not worth it. I can't say if you can or can't park at the Embassy Suites for this place. Maybe Royal Hawaiian is better? But since day one, where Rob M pulled up in a Patriot's shirt, the boys at the valet have been uber awesome! So we choose to park there and sh*t talk football. ha ha. Silver Lining: Due to the fact I don't choose to go back, it allowed me call around and check out other places for NFL Sunday Morning game. ( yelp.com/topic/mililani-… ) ***Disclaimer: If you are a die hard fan, or even tend to swear during a football game (which I feel MOST people do) This is NOT the place for you. We were told after a our friend dropped a F-Bomb, to tone it down or we will be asked to leave***
(2)R M.
Food was good, or server was attentive. But got some eye rolls and attitude when we asked for separate checks
(4)Stacie K.
Good pizza close to our condo kinda on the expensive for what you get but with a cold drink in one hand pizza in the other watching the sun set from wiakiki shores condo right on the beach can't beat it.
(3)Alan W.
I'm not usually someone to complain but I'll give you my 2 cents. We stopped by for dessert. They burnt the dessert so as anyone would do that just paid for food I asked for a new one. All they did was give us a cold brownie from the same batch that was also burnt. Worst service I've have in a long time. This was probably the worst food I've had in a while as well. I'd probably skip this place and go somewhere else if I were you.
(1)Eri C.
This was my first and LAST visit to this restaurant. The service was horrible. They took FOREVER just to come & take our order, plus they got it wrong (& it wasn't just mines that they messed up with). I don't know if they were just slacking that day, but the food wasn't even that great. The waiters were having their own conversations & seemed like they could care less about the customers. I just remember not being satisfied at all with the place. :/
(2)Nick B.
When I see negative reviews I try to be objective. This time I can't .. Excellent food, consistently. Excellent service, consistently. Incredible atmosphere every time . We really like the menu choices, consistent quality of the food, and the "home" atmosphere right in the middle of Corporate Oahu. We will come back every year!.
(5)Alex W.
We came here around 8 am and was not busy at all. Staff was very friendly and nice. As always I got the eggs Benedict but I got the pastrami as the meat and it was very delicious. The wife got the trio sampler (strawberry pancakes,moco loco, and one egg Benedict). I tried both the moco loco and pancakes and they were very good. Price wise it was moderate. Location is great right outside all the shops so you can eat then start your day shopping. All in all would recommend to try but not a place I would say I would want to go everyday
(4)Victoria S.
Love coming here to get a corned beef Reuben. They are so good and filling. I wish they had more options for sides though and more options for kids. Service is good. Can't wait to go back for another Reuben.
(4)Fred W.
Had the triple play (loco moco, pancake, Egg benedict) and nachos with kalua pig. The hamburger for loco moco over cooked, and egg had that outer thin overcooked remnant of egg white. pancake was tasteless. egg benedict and sauce was good. Nachos totally sucked. Service by our waitress friendly which is why I gave two stars instead of none. Lastly, wish the other staff would stop dragging the chairs on tile floor. Annoyingly loud!
(2)Brian M.
I never ever ever gave a one star till today.. Giovanni Pastrami I want to really try your food and give you a decent review even though others have given you bad reviews. GP your hosts gave me a bad taste right from the start. I know that it's football season but really trying to squeeze my wife and I on a community table when you clearly have six open tables..WTF?? Our host seats us in a open booth after I tell her NO! ,Then asks us if it's OK to put people in our booth if it starts to get crowded? Hello! Biatch the booth is for four people and I know that you want to squeeze people in here but I'm not that desperate to eat at GP! Sorry GP I just had to walk out and eat at somewhere else! I don't feel the need to ever eat your food and give you a honest review. I have to just believe to other Yelpers and say I pass!
(1)Melissa B.
::::::Take in that this place was not busy at all:::::While standing by the sign that states "please stand here to be seated" the hostess is standing there doesn't say a word. As I had to say excuse me is this where we need to be to be seated. She says "this way" as she is seating us. She hated her life that night. Then as we are seated the manager gets us something to drink which I'm all for teamwork. But the waiter did not state his name nor say hi or anything just asked if we were ready to order. Get the food I ordered a chicken sandwich which the chicken was dry and my bun was dry and falling apart. Not what I expected from this place. Waiter never came back to ask how we were until I asked for the check then he decided to ask if we wanted refills on our drinks which we were out for quite some time. Unfortunately I will have to go back as my girlfriend liked the chicken noodle soup. But I was upset about the staff. The place itself is set up nicely but the Bathrooms were not very clean.
(2)Patrick S.
It wasn't so much that I was disappointed, but rather I was unimpressed. The double decker pastrami and corned beef sandwich left a lot to be desired, including more meat and rye bread that wasn't dry and bland. Although the server was very pleasant, she could have been more attentive. There are better alternatives in the area for a good meal.
(3)Kasey T.
Positive: they give 20% off for military, they have many TV's displaying sports, friendly service, and reasonable beer prices. Negatives: the food is over priced and plain Jane. Our shrimp fettucinni alfredo was very bland and the shrimp was rubbery (it was on their favorites list.) We added a Caesar salad for $8 and also had two Blue Moons. Our total tab came close to $40. We were quite disappointed. The Italian restaurant next door (Taormina) has a wonderful lunch special. It's a little high end, but totally worth it. Cheers!
(1)Dina F.
The French toast, a bread pudding variety, was the best French toast we have ever eaten!! Use the rum sauce and coconut syrup! The portion was huge so split with someone you love! You won't be sorry.
(5)Conchita C.
Standard sports bar Salads were standard fare, service was standard and pleasant, atmosphere was too loud for good conversation
(2)Jason M.
Free pizza during happy hour!!! Also, the pastrami sand is pretty good. my only issue is it's in waikiki.
(4)Michael C.
Thank god I wanted a while before I wrote this review. My immediate reaction was I got the food I would have expected at a sports bar. The staff was very nice. A little later my friend and I both had to do a mad dash to the bathroom. Where we both had to sit for a long while
(2)Christopher S.
Excellent spot to watch the game - if you can find a spot! Great sandwiches, pizza is just ok, great beer and bar selection. Friendly staff, open early for NFL and college games. Limited parking, however.
(3)Ashley W.
Mediocre food, high prices. $15 burger with a stale bun and patty that didn't taste any better than a frozen patty from the box. Won't be going back here for food, maybe just drinks.
(2)Amber J.
Service lacked luster. No real enthusiasm. Food was good. Not amazing, not bad. I know it's Waikiki but still overpriced for American fare. VERY convenient being off Lewers st. I'd come back if I were shopping the center.
(3)Vince B.
This place seems to be wildly popular for several reasons. Lots of TV's for football games and their fans. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… Breakfast served all day and night. Large quantities and big servings of most items. Plus, it is American food!! Pizza, pasta, omelets and burgers etc. Food: Huge menu that seems to please many. Other than the loco moco there was no local style food. yelp.com/biz_photos/j7dx… Mostly American tourists but there were some Japanese visitors spotted. Challenge for me was to find a "lighter" non meat entree. My friend got the Kalua pork Loco moco. It was so huge that he couldn't finish it. Other friend got an omelet with hash browns that he could only eat half of. Someone else got a dinner salad and took half home for the next day. The personal size pizza was pretty small. Vegetarian in Carnivore Land: OMG what did I get myself into? I chose the "Sadie" grilled vegetable sandwich with cole slaw. I have to say it was good. I can recommend it. It took longer to prepare than the other items. I don't think they get too many requests for this. There were several other vegetarian options too. Service: Very friendly and helpful waitress. We picked this place because it is not as crowded as the Yard House on Saturday Nights. I'd come back if invited but would not choose this one myself. It still gets a strong 3 stars though. There is a reason it is popular. Parking: I have no idea for this one. Call them first for parking.
(3)Kat W.
Pasta carbonara was bland and the open meatloaf sandwhich was super salty. Stick to the pastrami
(2)R S.
Great place to go for a couple of hours to watch a football game at the bar and have a late lunch / early dinner. The food serves are huge and quite tasty really for everything that comes with fries. Don't be fooled this is not a family restaurant for a birthday or special occasion. The deserts are great However. I really enjoyed dropping into this place on holidays while my wife and kids went shopping again and again. There was something I couldnt put my finger on. Sitting and watching, it hit me - The girls behind the bar are incredibly rude to people sitting at the bar that aren't locals. They drape themselves all over the local guys coming in after work and snarl at the rest of if you ask for a drink. I thought serve drinks where what they were hired to do , but they are not happy about it. Almost like you need to be 20 something and local be be in the club. Don't go for dinner - service is hit and miss. A shame really as the foods good and a good place to go. Poor form not letting in a wheel chair bound guy in the side glass doors as there where stairs In the front entrance. Seems under staffed.
(3)Carlton B.
Great food! I have came to this spot quite a few times. The wings and the breadsticks are great starters. I have never ordered anything I wasn't pleased with. For breakfast I highly recommend the pastrami eggs benedict. Also, if you are military, show your ID and get 20% off!
(4)Asako O.
Giovanni Pastrami restaurant is located on Beach Walk on Lewers Street in Waikiki. This sports bar has 17 plasma TVs mounted on walls throughout the restaurant and tuned into the latest sports event. Round Table pizza is offered here along with salads, soups, pasta, burgers, hot dogs and their specialty deli sandwiches. All their sandwiches are served New York style with very generous heaping portions of deli meat with your choice of french fries, potato salad, macaroni salad or cole slaw. On this visit I decided to try something different, so I ordered the pasta delight for $14. Angel hair pasta is tossed in a light garlic and basil butter sauce and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. This dish tasted nice as it was light and not loaded down with a heavy or rich cream sauce. The only down side I had with this dish was that remaining at the bottom of my plate was a pool of butter sauce. My husband enjoyed his patty melt burger for $16. It is black angus hamburger on a grilled rye bread with melted cheddar cheese and grilled onions and served with french fries and cole slaw. This is one restaurant where we will visit every now and then as we've enjoyed their food and received great service.
(4)Rick F.
Meh! Just OK! Service was slow and inconsistent! The server did not know what to recommend or suggest! I had the french dip, this hard to mess up but every now and then a place can really let you down. Seems the management has fallen prey to a tourist area and regardless of service or high food quality you are always busy! The TV's are great and plenty of them everywhere, I'd go for drinks and a sporting event and eat elsewhere!
(2)Vance F.
Despite messing up my order twice and somewhat slow service for not being too busy (I'm guessing they were short staffed for Easter), the food was pretty good especially the corned beef hash (probably the best I've had?), French toast was really good, my family liked it; besides it's breakfast, can't be too difficult... I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(3)Kawanna L.
Much better food than I anticipated. Ended up coming here as other places had long waiting periods. Glad we made the trip. Got a table as soon as we arrived on a busy evening. I got the teriyaki chicken sandwich. It was very good, the sauce was wonderful, and chicken portion was great. Fries were hot and seasoned well. Overall great experience. Dispute some of the previous low reviews from others my service was quick and pretty on point. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a quick go to place on a busy night.
(4)Ma S.
It's alright. The western burger was good and the fries were good too, but it's really nothing special, especially for to the price they're offering. They do have some flat screens to watch sports. That's about it.
(2)Shanisse I.
Sooooo.... what to say about this place.. This past saturday, my bf and friends and I were waikiki to celebrate a birthday. Before the party, we decided to go have dinner somewhere close, upon checking out the places they have on beachwalk, we came across Giovanni Pastrami and thought we'd try it since we heard some pretty good things about this place. Little did we know, it was a bad decision to make. We entered the restaurant and stood next to the register area waiting for the hostess to come back. That should have been my first clue to get the hell out of dodge. The young lady that sat us was not very friendly at all. Walking towards us, no "hello" or anything just straight up "how many". Not even with a smile. So that was the first flag. We knew that it was a pizzeria/italian/bar kind of place just by observing the crowd and hearing the noise level but my goodness.. It was so loud. The table sitting behind us was yelling and screaming.. Not because of the game that was on.. they were just "conversing" with each other as if they were across a canyon or something. Not to mention the waitress serving them was just as loud. Our waitress was very nice. The rest of our party was still on their way so she was nice enough to get us drinks and checked back every so often to see if everyone was there. Was they were, she took our order. The food was relatively fast but for some reason, it looked like it was sitting there for a while. Three of us ordered pasta.. (their alfredo and pasta carbonara). You know how pasta "sets", like it has that look like the sauce is cooling down just starts to harden.. well that is how our pasta looked. The taste.. was terrible! It was so bland.. I just tasted noodles cooked al dente. Couldn't taste the sauce or anything. But we were starving so we just ate it anyway. My other friends ordered the eggs Benedict and the Rueben. The eggs benedict sucked but the sandwhich was good. I mean I would hope so since they are called Giovanni Pastrami. But the other food? why serve it if you're going to half ass it. I can say that the only thing I like was their Caesar salad. The price was ridiculous for such crappy food and we ended up going to denny's later that night for late night/early morning munchies and we were satisfied a lot more there than this place. Bad bad bad. 31 Yelps Review Challenge: #5/31
(1)Audrey P.
This place is nothing fancy but it turned out to be great. I had their pizza which was really good.... Cheesy, fresh basil and tomato goodness. My husband had a great spicy chicken salad. It really had a kick and everything tasted fresh. There is a big bar and lots of TVs playing sports too if that's your thing. Casual and good prices.
(5)Hansen L.
My egg white omelet was $22.00? Not even fancy restaurant in NYC would charge u that much... What the hell. The wait staff here are friendly , and they got all the games.... But $22.00 for egg white omelet?? Come on man!!
(2)Holly B.
Did take-out because I was in the mood for Round Table Pizza, which they supply. The staff was helpful and the food was hot when I received it. OK by me, though the prices in Waikiki are so expensive to locals who have to work there! Give us a break and offer kamaaina discounts, would you?
(3)Greg B.
Giovanni is very posh. I mean that in a good way. Everywhere you sneeze there is a television screen showing four channels. The televisions are set in a wooden frame. The seats are all along the sides, some in the middle, and there is a bar. The lunch menu is extensive. The place is expensive. It clearly transcends the words "sports bar". Maybe it is a "sports avenue". I had the kalua pig burger. It came with coleslaw. Both were quite sweet and tasty. The price is high. It is in Waikiki and you literally have to park somewhere else or walk here from another place. The service is quick and the waitress was quite considerate. I did like how the sandwich was prepared. All in all it is a good place to go to. I never knew that onions could enhance a kalua pig burger.
(4)Jay C.
I came here few times, good food, good portion, friendly staffs and the big bonus is they give 15% off to the military members so thank you GP for thinking about the troops.
(4)Brandon S.
I was not sure about coming here because of some of the reviews I read. We chose here because we wanted to watch a few games and grab some dinner. I did not experience any of the problems I had read about. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager also seemed to be on top of things. I ordered the spicy nachos for my meal. They were solid. It is a large portion. You get a lot of toppings too. The nachos actually had a little kick. It was not top notch, but it was good for a sports bar/pub.
(3)LooLicious L.
Great location, very good Pizza. Love their Happy Hour!
(4)Gregg S.
This place was terrible. Well the food was awful. I could tell that the kitchen cuts corners with there food. The only thing good here was the wait staff. I wont be going there again.
(1)Lisa W.
If you are from California and want to compare this place to, I would say this is like an expensive Applebee. The food here is bad and not fresh. I was staying at the Wyndham and we get 10 or 20% off and I always walk by this place and saw their garlic shrimp special. Yippee! Don't have to drive to North Shore to get some garlic shrimp...I believe it was $17 for 8 medium prawns, 2 scoop of rice, mac/cheese, a TON of garlic & oil... Ummm... save your money! The shrimp was not fresh, and they just put a WHOLE bunch of garlic and oil on the shrimp. Which then made the shrimp taste even worst because you scrape off the garlic and oil, then the shrimp is left with no flavor. But even that garlic and oil taste had no good flavors! The rice was the worst part, it was soooo mushy. Like someone chewed it up and spit it out and then they served it... horrible rice cooking skills... I say AVOID by all cost, there are better chains and hole in the wall places around. I would say this is only good for the sport bar area where they would play good sporting games... Overpriced horrible food...
(2)R W.
The restaurant has a nice modern decor and good location but the food was over priced and the service was poor.
(2)Randy G.
Always under staffed, always rude. Way to treat locals so good. Never change games for you. 8 tv's showing two games. Sad piece of business. I wouldn't waste your time here. There are better local sports bars for site. Mahalo nui loa!!!!!!!
(1)Amanda T.
Absolutely fabulous. Why have I never been here before? First was the Chef's House Salad. Meats were soft and the flavors were so amazing together. My meal was a baked ziti, with added meatballs thanks to the waiter. My drink, a mango daquiri, not too icy and not too watery. Just perfect. Our waiter, Tomas, was so efficient. He had everything out in a timely manner and always checked to see if we needed anything or how our food was tasting. Excellent food, excellent service. I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Tim B.
The reviews are very accurate. Food was decent but not for the price. My family ordered the pastrami Ruben a cheeseburger and a grilled cheese and it was 80 bucks. Food was nothing spectacular by any means. I would not return for just the food. Hostess and waitress were nice and good came out fast.
(2)Teresa S.
My friend and I ate here after coming from a long day on a tour and wanted a quick bite to eat. It was conveniently located across the street from our hotel and it wasn't that crowded. I ordered one of the Reuben sandwiches and really enjoyed it. My friend didn't like hers but still ate every bite of it. Our waitress wasn't too familiar with the menu when we had a few questions but overall it was a cool spot and I would go again.
(4)Gabriela S.
So we come here for a drink and a appetizer. Waiting 25 minutes for the food I ask the bartender where our food is since we have a dinner reservation at Ruth's Steak across the street? Then the manager comes back says- sorry they never made your wings. Doesn't offer to pay for our drinks not offers another round. Says " maybe u can come back for a desert " yeah right! What a joke of a place!!! I should have looked ahead of time- there is a reason why this place has 2.5 stars- and that is too generous. Do yourself a favor and stay away- spend your hard earned money in million other places in Waikiki- you will be glad you did.
(1)Dianne H.
Only been here once, but I must say it's pretty dang awesome. Very big sandwiches! Most of the items are very similar when it comes to the pastrami sandwiches, so you can't go wrong.
(4)David H.
I would love to give these folks a better rating, but I was rather disappointed with my lunch there today. My guest and I actually sent 2 dishes back. First, the fried calamari was woefully under cooked, which, when serving fried calamari, is a terrible mistake to make. Second, they got my guest's order incorrect, so we sent it back for correction. It seems like it has the potential to be a terrific spot! They have many tv's, and a terrific looking breakfast menu, so, come football season, it could be a winner. My plan is to return again to give them a second chance, after all, all of us deserve a second chance. Side note, Michiko, our server, was terrific! Friendly, attentive and apologetic about the mistakes. Her attitude and demeanor alone earned them a second chance in my book! Looking forward to going back! :)
(3)