Giovanni’s Trattoria

Reviews

• Ravi S.

  star star star star star 9 June 2026

  Nestled in the various buildings along the trolly line this pizza spot is the perfect place to grab lunch on the go.  They have various deals that include pizza slices, salads and chicken wings.
  
  To be honest I've never taken the plunge to try either the salad or wings but people do and they look pretty fresh and tasty. I've had a few friends try the calzones and they really enjoyed it.
  
  Seating is limited but since the turnover is surprisingly fast. The employees are super helpful about monitoring the standing patron to open table ratio. Any open seats during rush hour (mainly lunch time) are quickly cleaned and brought to any standing patron's attention.
  
  The line can get long but it goes fast. Once you order you take a seat with a number. Service is super quick and the pizza slices come out fast. It's pretty good; the cheese is melty, the crust is crispy and the toppings are fresh.

• Trisha D.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  TRASH SERVICE.
  I got a Italian Calzone pizza which was was alright (mediocre at best). This place conveniently located next the the train station, but that's where the pros end.
  
  I ordered to-go, but when I got my food, I noticed that the restaurant was empty so I decided just to sit in there and eat instead. this guy working there (OCT. 19, 5-6 pm) told us that they charge for dine-in which was something I didn't know was a thing for restaurants around downtown SD. I picked up my stuff to leave after hearing this. the server was very condescending, rude, and moody in the way he handled it. After research and asking about if charging for dine-in, I found out it's a tax thing that if you dine in some restaurants that you get charged and normally this tax is removed for people who eat take out. This was new knowledge to me and I wouldn't have done it if I had known. HOWEVER, the server definitely could have handled it differently and not been a total dick about it.
  
  Overall it was a poor experience which sucks Bc this place could've been a 3/5.

• Paolo B.

  star star star star star_border 26 May 2026

  After exploring souvenir shops and local stores at the Embarcadero in San Diego, my friend and I found ourselves in front of Santa Fe Depot. We were starving. Thirsty. Hangry (hungry + angry). And so I opened my Yelp app and searched for "Lunch." First (and nearest) place that popped was Giovanni's Trattoria.
  
  Giovanni's is located right next to the American Plaza Trolley Station (Blue Line) in downtown. It's not the easiest to locate because you have to walk by the train platform to find the trattoria. If you see Starbucks and Pressed Juice, then you know you're on the right track.
  
  Giovanni's is your typical Italian-style trattoria that is less formal than a ristorante. There were only two staff members when we came in. A cashier. And a pizzaiolo (the person who makes pizzas). The cashier wasn't too friendly and seemed to be engrossed on his phone.
  
  A slice of pizza is $3.50. Two slices are $5.99. Not too bad for San Diego pricing. I ordered the calzone stuffed with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and bacon ($9.99) which was surprisingly very tasty! It was warm and fresh from the oven. Maybe we were incredibly hungry at that time, but I thought it was very filling. They were generous with the meats and the cheese. The meats were cooked to perfection. Not too oily. The dough was bomb.
  
  My only complaint is that the tables were a little dirty. To my understanding, there was no busser. Or maybe the cashier was also the busser? But he was too busy on his phone to clean the tables.
  
  Tasty food. But the staff can do a better job at maintaining a more hygienic atmosphere. Three and a half stars for Giovanni's Trattoria, but because I love their calzone, I'm rounding up to four stars!

• Neville S.

  star star star star star 23 May 2026

  Who would have thought one of my favorite pizza places in America would be at a train station. This little pizza place was a perfect stop during one evening of our vacation when we were deciding what to eat. It was convenient since it was just a block from our hotel. They have plenty of choices on their daily specials menu as well as their regular menus, from pizzas to calzones to salads to cheesecakes, they have it all.
  
  What I love the most about this pizza place is the thin crust, which means more flavor and less dough. I like the variety of flavors. Been there twice now in 3 days and have had the calzone, Hawaiian pizza, cheesecake, and meat-lovers pizza. All was fantastic and I recommend this place for anyone in downtown San Diego wanting plenty of flavor on their pizza or calzone.

• Julie G.

  star star star star_border star_border 23 May 2026

  Quick and pizza is decent.  Nothing to write home about.  Soda was a bit flat.  Staff was a bit lacking in personality.   Utilitarian experience and convenient location to where we were meeting.  Good variety of premade pizzas and they will customize and made gluten free for our teammate that needed it.