Giuseppe’s Restaurant

Brought my fiancé for an early fathers day dinner here, it was our first time and we absolutely loved it! The food was so delicious i savored every bite! Our waiter was very kind and took great care of us (Kleyber). I look forward to coming back and try the rest of the menu with my family.

This used to be a place I would say nice things about– food is decent– owner prepares everything fresh, etc. love the salad bar-​and so on…
HOWEVER, last experience was HORRIBLE– owner has an attitude and while I was able to get a simple order for the past three times I went. This time, she said they could not make this very same thing I always got! (really pasta with butter and garlic) I even had a guest have the very same thing, so to make it easier on her!
The owner was too busy to come out of the kitchen and I find out later she was preparing a large order– which she complained to me about later in an email. Obviously she in not able to do that and be nice at the same time.
Customer service skills lack integrity!
Food is always decent.

My husband and I give this place another try every 6 months or so, but alas it never improves! Sad place with no atmosphere. Food is nothing special, very bland and seems pre made not homemade. Time for a new chef and a facelift!

GREAT FOOD ! We loved it and will
Go back for sure !
…and for those who bitch about it, they are probably miserable complainers who
Live miserable life and unhappy about everything. Teri — don’t pay attention.

Lovely little gem tucked away behind an ordinary façade at the end of Roscoe Blvd in a little pod mall.
Delicious, authentic food and lots of it! You’ll be taking home leftovers and enjoying them, and then you’ll be going back for more!

I’ve been going here with my sister and her three sons for over 20 years. While never great it has always been a go-​to local Italian and pizza place. It changed owners a few years ago and went a bit downhill. The salad bar and pasta dishes are good and the pizzas are great.
Give it a try! It is a hidden gem!

I love this place, I come here all the time. I have a friend that drives many miles to enjoy this place

We went to dinner there on Saturday for the first time. A little concerned when you go in and there is only 2 tables occupied. Dinner was superb. There were for of us and we all had different items and each was very, very good. If you live out there, pay this place a visit. You will not be disappointed. They also have a nice patio. Weather wasn’t great that night. We will return to try it outside.

I am convinced that this restaurant is old and tired. It needs new ownership new menu new name new concept. The chef is in over her head.

If you are looking for good Italian food in Canoga Park and you come across Giuseppe’s, you just might want to have Chinese that day. NEVER EVER EVER!!!

This restaurant is truly a hidden gem.
Terry and her staff do a wonderful job!
The food is always amazing, like home cooked Italian.
In summer months the patio dining is always charming.
The soups and salads are like home cooking.
The vibe is always friendly and warm/​inviting. And Terry is delightful. Great business owner.
The pasta is awesome, chicken and fish are great too. Pizza is delicious.
You will thoroughly enjoy this restaurant!

Always a favorite when the Italian family from back East comes to visit! Love that you get soup and salad bar with your meal!

Just have a very nice dinner here. Nice and relaxing atmosphere. Service is great owner very nice.

I love this quaint little restaurant! Good food, good atmosphere and great waitresses! I’ll be eating here a lot more!

TERRY (the owner) is SOOOO RUDE to her customers!
She CLEARLY DOES NOT care about her business!
She disputes ANY constructive criticisms.
NOT a good way to do business.
Telling customers who criticize her to «get the FU (K out», that she doesn’t care if she has their business?
DISGUSTING! Customers shouldn’t be spoken to like this E V E R!!!

My family and I ordered a pizza for take out and we got it with grilled chicken, olives, mushrooms, grilled onions and tomatoes. The pizza was so delicious!!! It was hot and and the toppings were fresh and made my mouth water!!! This pizza was by far THE BEST PIZZA I have had in a long time! It was New York style and the cheese was to perfection! I highly recommend their pizza to anyone!!! The crust was soft yet had a little crunch to it but was also a bit sweet too! I am making myself want this PIZZA as I type this! I have been a customer of Giuseppe’s since they opened in the 80’s. And I will be a customer for life! Terry is always friendly and warm. She is the other reason we keep coming back!

Finally… A really great, wonderful Italian eatery! Delicious food. Reasonable sized portions. And super accommodating service!!! This place was an absolute home run!!!
Nice salad bar. Very tasty soup. And utterly delicious garlic bread! And then the main meal came!!!
If I lived in this area, I could easily see myself becoming a regular customer! This is truly a hidden gem… A true five star establisment!

I keep trying, in hopes of a good meal and an opportunity to support a local family-​run business. But again… not the experience I was expecting.
I’ll keep it brief:
The greeting and waiter was very nice, initially. After the meal was served he was sent to wait other tables and we were totally forgotten… literally abandon. The empty glass of iced tea on the table when the entrée was delivered remained empty and the promise for another piece of bread went unanswered. Owner tried picking up the slack but the only time I felt I was getting attention is when she need the table for a guest waiting in the «lobby».
The owner, quite obviously, is trying hard. I give her a whole lot of credit for that. She is seen in the kitchen, greeting guests, waiting tables, and directing the staff. The problem seems to be that she is trying to do it all when a few more staff might give the guests a better dining experience.
As the owner moves through the restaurant taking care of all sorts of things that need taking care of, there seems to be little attention given to looking for diners needing anything. I spent about 25% of my dining time trying to flag someone down for a refill of iced tea. And by the time that was accomplished I was nearly done eating the entrée that a piece of bread wasn’t needed or wanted anymore. (The bread we were served earlier was good… very good.)
This alone really inspires me to give 2-​stars rather than 3… if for no other reason than it is an observation I make ever time I’ve dined here… and certainly didn’t make me feel in a good tipping mood.
The meal was decent, for the most part. The Nunny’s eggplant wasn’t what I expected but was tasty. Not baked as the menu indicates, but fried. That is not a complaint because it tasted fresh and it tasted good. Basically it was eggplant parma without the mutz melted on top. I thought I had this in the past and it was more of an al forno dish… like lasagna, only eggplant. Maybe my memory is hazy, though.
The side of spaghetti, unfortunately, was inedible — beyond salty. Owner thanked me for that observation and noted that it is the cooking water, which is salted. I’m glad for that because unsalted cooking water would be bland. But salty to the point of being inedible is a good thing carried just a tad too far.
M’ladies linguini with clams met her expectations.
Salad was good. Had the Caesar. Didn’t notice any Romaine but it was a good salad nonetheless.
Well, I tried to keep it brief. Please forgive my failings.
As I write this I must implore you, dear readers, to judge for yourselves. When we entered there were people on the patio and a few inside. As we ate, the place filled up with lots of eager diners. Obviously there are people who like the restaurant and the food. I am completely puzzled why I can’t be one of them. Maybe it is a personal problem… or maybe I keep ordering the wrong dishes. IDK… it totally puzzles me.

Guiseppe’s Restaurant was featured this last month in a reality TV/​makeover. Myself and various other reviewers attended this show’s taping which included individual one-​on-​one on-​camera interviews, an open forum discussion session, a physical makeover for the restaurant as well as menu changes and staff brush-​ups and more.
The open forum session was very contentious and, in retrospect, put Terry (the owner) and her staff in front of a firing squad. That said, the Guiseppe’s staff held their ground pretty well. After the makeover, we were invited in to see the makeover and taste the new and altered menu items. In the end, the food was good, and the staff was great, though working around a camera crew and shooting schedule did not appear to be easy.
Finally, I had an opportunity to chat a couple of times with Terry and some of her staff. I found them all to be very hard-​working, caring people. Terry had apologized for the bad experiences I had there previously, and I have learned to become more patient with people that have to work under the pressure of a kitchen serving hungry people, the second-​most difficult customers customers that exist (the most difficult being people with illnesses).
In the end, Terry and I are now friends, and Guiseppe’s has my business again.

I think I have found my time machine… This restaurant!
When I stepped into the joint, I was surprised my clothing didn’t change to match the era the restaurant looked like it was in… Damn TV & Movies giving me a false sense of reality!
Any who, Terry (who happens to also be the owner and main chef) greeted my friend and I rather quickly and led us to a booth… A booth that was ripped and then duct taped, and dimly lit like a scene right out of The Sapranos. She quickly gave us menus and then was off because it seemed (& was later confirmed) that she was the only staff member on hand that day.
What drew me to this place was the fact that it has a salad bar. It’s a rarity to find a restaurant with such an option. I mean, I can’t ALWAYS go to Whole Foods for lunch… Or can I?
To be honest, after eating here, I came to the conclusion that yes, Whole Foods for lunch is far better than Giuseppe’s, unless of course Giuseppe’s is willing to take on a make over!
Here is what needs updating:
— the ambiance (you know why! See above)
— the salad bar (the veggies and meats on the bar look like they came straight from cans/​jars from the grocery store or food delivery service like Sysco) — the items had no flavor and honestly looked pretty disgusting just sitting there pathetically.
— the garlic bread was good but tasted store bought
— the chicken parm could have used a little more crunch, aka: searing the chicken longer
— more staff is necessary
— in the middle of nowhere
— this restaurant caters to an older crowd, which is fine but if they want to increase service… Updating the décor and food will serve as aid
— this restaurant needs LIGHTS, but this ties in with billet point #1
Here is what’s decent about Giuseppe’s:
— great space, prime real estate, great outdoor patio
— Terry is very nice even when pulled in 8 million directions
— the grilled chicken I got on my salad was plentiful and cooked to perfection
— we were in and out of there within a hour
As you can see, improvements are necessary for the survival of Giuseppe’s. If I want a salad with canned veggies on it, I can EASILY go to the nearest grocery store… As opposed to driving a good 45 minutes away from where I live.
As harsh as this sounds, I will NOT be returning to this restaurant unless some major revamping is done! (or an actual time machine is invented & I happen to travel back in time) I don’t care if you get a free tapas on Wednesday & Thursday evening (ps– Terry makes those by hand).