Gino’s East – A Deep Dish of Disappointment
📍 Location: Gino’s East
💰 Price: $$$ ($25-$40 per person depending on how much emotional damage you’re willing to pay for)
👥 Party Size: 4 Adults
📅 Reservation: Yes
⭐ Overall Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
🤔 Why We Went
We’ve eaten at Gino’s East before and had a great experience, so naturally we thought, “Let’s go back!”
As it turns out, nostalgia can be a dangerous thing.
🪑 The Seating Adventure
We arrived right on time for our reservation and were immediately guided toward a high-top table.
Now, one member of our group has back issues, so we politely asked for a regular table. This request was received with all the enthusiasm of a teenager being asked to unload the dishwasher.
Despite several regular tables sitting there minding their own business, we were eventually “granted” a half-booth.
First Impression Score: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
🍹 Drinks & Service: Welcome to the Tony G Experience™
After ordering our drinks, we made the shocking decision to ask questions about the menu.
Apparently this was a burden.
Every question was answered with the energy of someone who had just been asked to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded.
When we requested a few modifications to our order, our server informed us:
“Wait, give me a second. I have to put all your requests in by hand.”
Thank you, Tony. We had no idea we were witnessing the final surviving restaurant POS system powered by carrier pigeon.
🧀 Appetizer Review
Legendary Hand-Rolled Spinach Mozzarella Sticks
Temperature: 🤷♂️
They arrived in a fascinating state that scientists refer to as “not quite warm.”
Not hot.
Not cold.
Just… existing.
And because nobody checked back on us, they remained untouched by customer service for the remainder of their brief lives.
App Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
🥗 The Great Pepperoncini Incident
We ordered an Antipasti Salad for the table and specifically requested:
❌ No Pepperoncini
Why?
Because one member of our group doesn’t eat spicy food.
The salad arrived looking like it had accepted a sponsorship deal from the Pepperoncini Growers Association.
Mission accomplished?
Again, nobody checked back.
🍕 Main Event: The Deep Dish Disaster
We ordered a Pepperoni & Sausage Deep Dish Pizza.
What arrived was impressive.
Not in a good way.
The bottom crust was burnt and the toppings were sliding off the slices like tourists evacuating a roller coaster.
It appeared the pizza had been cut immediately instead of being allowed to set, creating what can only be described as a delicious mudslide.
Deep Dish? ✔️
Structural Integrity? ❌
Pizza Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
🍰 Dessert? What’s Dessert?
Meanwhile, at the table next to us, the owner appeared to be entertaining friends.
Their table received a seemingly endless parade of food, attention, and desserts.
Our table received an immersive role-playing experience called:
🎭 “Figure It Out Yourself.”
No dessert menu.
No offer.
No check-in.
Nothing.
👨🍳 Speaking With the Owner
On our way out, my friend explained the issues we experienced.
To her credit, the owner listened.
To her detriment, he appeared about as concerned as someone hearing a weather report from three states away.
✅ Pros
✔️ We got seated eventually
✔️ The iced tea was difficult to burn
✔️ Plenty of opportunities to practice patience
✔️ Great reminder that previous good experiences don’t guarantee future ones
❌ Cons
❌ Rude and dismissive service
❌ Incorrect food modifications
❌ Lukewarm appetizers
❌ Burnt pizza
❌ No table check-ins
❌ No dessert offering
❌ Management appeared uninterested in customer feedback
❌ Overall atmosphere felt like customers were interrupting the staff’s evening
💸 Value for Money
When you’re paying premium pizza prices, you expect premium service.
What we received was more of a self-guided dining experience with occasional food drops.
Value Score: ⭐☆☆☆☆
🏆 Final Verdict
Gino’s East used to be a place we looked forward to visiting.
This time, it felt like we accidentally wandered into a restaurant where everyone had collectively decided they’d rather be somewhere else.
The pizza wasn’t the only thing that got burned that night.
Would We Return? 🚫 No
Would We Recommend It? 🤷♂️ Not based on this visit.
Final Score: 🍕⭐½ (1.5/5)
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