Gino’s Trattoria

Drove down TO Blvd tonight and saw that Gino’s was closed. My heart sunk. The food was always amazing. Gino treated us like family.

I am sad to report that I believe Gino’s has closed.
This weekend my boyfriend and I planned to have dinner there on Saturday night for our anniversary. I called and called days ahead to make a reservation but the phone kept going to an automated voicemail, even during their open hours. I hoped for the best and assumed they were just too busy. So we headed over around 6:30 on Saturday to see if we could walk in and wait for a table. As we pulled up the signs were lit up but the entire restaurant was dark. No signs on the door of closure but there was a FOR LEASE sign out front. We saw another car pull up and promptly make a U-​Turn as they realized it was closed as well.
I have been here many times over the years and fallen in love with Gino and his colorful Italian personality. My absolute favorite dessert is the Sfogliatella he makes. I can always count on him announcing the specials loudly to the entire room with his hands waving about and then passing around free limoncello and chocolate liqueur shots at the end of our meal. He has even pulled up a chair at our table and chatted our ears off as he continued refilling our chocolate liqueur. His style of restaurateuring may not be for every one — especially here in the valley where people love to keep their noses stuck up in the air — but I found it endearing, welcoming and always enjoyable.
I hope I am wrong about this and that Gino is simply taking time off to visit his family in Naples. But because there are no reviews on here since September, I worry I’m not wrong. Your darling restaurant will be missed Gino!

We discovered Gino’s after living in the area for years. Amazing pastas and very inventive specials. And Gino himself makes the visit perfect. We love this place!

Excellent food and very consistent. The spaghetti gamberi (with shrimp and calamari) is the best in town. Don’t miss the complimentary chocolate liquor after the meal… really tasty!

Gino, you took a special occasion and put it over the top. When I called the restruant to place a Catering order, Gino invited us to come in since we had not eaten there to help create the menu. Being my daughter’s high school graduation, she and Gino went to work. They put together the perfect menu. we all loved each bite of food. Gino, I would give you six stars if I could. Thank you for helping make a special occasion even more so.

Happy hour at Gino’s is great fun! He customized our happy hour appetizers. Delicious! I loved the Italian Sangiovese wine I had. Gino gives personal service. I love coming here.

The only reason I’m giving this restaurant 4 stars and not 5 is because I had to wait a few minutes to be greeted by the hostess, who was also my waiter. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience.
I sat at the bar and ordered the tortellini with Alfredo sauce which was not offered specifically on the menu. The waitress might have been Gino’s wife. I found out that «Gino» is actually the chef at this restaurant. He makes every dish to order. Nothing is pre-​made.
The Alfredo sauce was thick and creamy, with pockets of melted butter. So delicious, very filling.
I’m excited to come back and try their other dishes.
If you’re looking for good Italian in the Newbury Park/​Camarillo/​Thousand Oaks area, definitely give this place a shot.

Hard to believe we’ve lived in Thousand Oaks for 20 years and never been here, but such is life. A couple of weekends ago we decided to take care of that and brought a couple of friends who’ve lived in T. O. even longer and never been here.
Parked out back, tried to enter the rear door that appeared to say ‘Entrance’ and found it locked. Saw another fire door in the back, with an iron screen over it, so figured we had to go around front. Couldn’t even get into the patio there, both gates were locked. ?? yet we saw folks inside enjoying their meals. Finally we got someone’s attention and Gino came out to unlock the gate and let us in. We eventually learned that the door in the back that looks like a fire exit only is actually the way in– no, not the door that seems to say ‘Entrance’ Oh well, will make a nice story later :-}
Menus came and the waiter began going over the specials — some of which intrigued us. But the weird thing was, whenever we asked the price of a given special, was told ‘About $ 25′. ??? About? And yet the answer never changed. Anyway, we ordered one special and three items off the menu. In the meantime our bread arrived, and I heartily agree with other reviewers, it would have been better to have had no bread at all. It’s just not good, and there was no oil and vinegar to mix up to dip it in.
OK, yeah, so far I’ve been giving this place a rough time. However, things did get considerably better. Our meals arrived and were plated very tastefully. Also, everyone was quite satisfied with the dishes they had — two fillets, chicken picatta, and I forget the other.
Topped off by house-​made lemoncello on the house.
All in all, a fair meal at a fair price, somewhat better than might have been expected.
But decline that bread!

We met some new friends here for dinner the other night. What a treat! We were greeted by Gino himself and he was just delightful. The place is small and popular so make a reservation. It’s also really warm in there, because of the size and all of the magical goodness coming out of the kitchen, so dress in layers or for warm temps. I had a very generous martini that was terrific, our friends had wine and beer which was generous as well. We had a small pizza as an appetizer and the marinara was delish and the crust was perfect. I had the salmon special which was a feast for both the eyes and the belly. We enjoyed the ambiance a lot, and especially the visits to our table by Gino. What a guy! We can’t wait to come back.

My boyfriend and I just bought a house a couple blocks away. Gino’s will be our new go to spot. Gino is hilarious and very sweet. The food is amazing and not over priced like a lot of other Italian restaurants. And the bottles of wine are from Italy and are priced nicely too! Large portions and good prices — cannot go wrong. The specials always sound fresh and yummy. I had the salmon special with prosciutto and asparagus. So good. My boyfriend had the pork special stuffed with mozzarella and spinach with side of veggies and mushroom risotto. All very good. Salami pizza delicious as well and the calamari was fresh and lightly breaded to perfection! Free chocolate shots at the end. They taste like a snack pack! Lol. We plan to go at least once a month!

I had a meal at Gino’s a couple of weeks back and I’m still thinking about it. It was one of those meals you will never forget. My boyfriend and I both ordered a special. He had the pescatore and I had a pork roll stuffed with risotto, cheese, and mushrooms. It was absolutely stellar. And Gino is a hoot.

Not a fan. Food itself is not bad but atmosphere and service left a lot to be desired for me personally. I think there are to many other better places with good food and service in the area for me to come back. If your a fan then God bless but not someplace I would recommend.

Found Gino’s on Unilocal and figured we’d give it a shot.
When we first arrived and walked in the back door I wasn’t sure it would be «fancy» enough as we were on our anniversary dinner. We both decided we wanted to try it anyway. Gino immediately greeted us with an amazing energy. That guy likes to talk! Very friendly and he delivers a «hometown-​I-​know-​the-​owner» feeling that is rare in today’s cities.
I personally didn’t think the bread was anything to write home about. I always look forward to some fresh, hot bread before my Italian food. It was ok but just ok.
I ordered the lasagna and my wife ordered the pork chop. The portions were large and filling. The lasagna was very good. Not great, but very good. The pork chop was also tasty.
Gino stopped by often to chat. (Almost too often for a couple trying to have a romantic dinner, quite frankly.) However, he is a very nice person and his personality alone gives this small, roadside restaurant a bit of character.
Of course we tried the famous deserts mentioned in many Unilocal reviews. All tasty but he lemon liqueur was VERY lemon which may turn some people off.
The overall experience was good, but not 5 stars for us. A solid 4. We’ll most likely return someday but it won’t be on our regular rotation of restaurants.

Really disappointed :(this review is solely about the food .
The bread basket they brought was terrible. The bread was dry and cold, absolutely no flavor what so ever. I tried to season it up with the olive oil they had at the table with salt and pepper but The olive oil had absolutely no flavor. Bad bad olive oil choice :(
I ordered my 2 year old son spaghetti, thinking they would bring me a kids plate. But instead I got a massive 15 $$$ spaghetti plate. Agh
So I ordered cheese ravioli with tomato basil sauce. It was horrible ! The cheese inside was dry and crumbly. The sauce tasted straight out of a can. Better ravioli at Olive Garden (and it’s cheaper) lol
My other guest ordered Veal Piccata .
So embarrassingly bad. No capers, sub par sauce. Served it with some under cooked breakfast potatoes ?? (Get a little bit more creative), And some veggies. The veal was tough and dry. Had to ask for some extra sauce and capers on the side. My guest was trying to make the plate work ! Lol didn’t work .
Sorry will not, will not be back …
The shitty thing is we had been here about a year prior and the food was amazing ! great experience. They must have hired a new chef or something .
On a scale of 1 – 10. It was a «1»

First time at Ginos tonight. You won’t find another Italian restaurant in the area with such an enjoyable combination of delicious food, and authentic Italian character as Gino’s.
The gregarious owner, Gino, is a priceless treasure of a host. From the minute you walk in, his passion for his restaurant and his humor are infectious; he treats you as though you are family.
The food is first rate, we had several of the specials. The pork chops, with a delicious mancini mushroom and spinach sauce were absolutely delicious, I’m still thinking about it. The salmon cooked on a cedar plank with prosciutto was fresh, succulent and well balanced with a complimentary red sauce.
I suggest you make a reservation as the dining area is a bit cozy. The staff is nevertheless attentive in their service with Gino at the helm.
You may end up staying longer than you expected to raise a glass of Gino’s homemade chocolate or tangerine liqueur with him!
A truly memorable meal and experience.

Gino, what happened? We have been to Gino’s many times in the past, but not for a number of years. We were very excited to go, and very disappointed.
We all ordered from the specials. The wood plank salmon tower was dry and our guest, who had never been to Gino’s before said, she’s «had better salmon at the Hometown Buffet», and the eggplant was bitter. I had the stuffed pork chop. The meat was dry and the mushrooms in the sauce were cold. The side veggies had no seasoning and the side potatoes were limp and barely warm.
The bread was cold, and the olive oil on the table tasted stale.
We love the atmosphere, and we love Gino’s friendly personality, but I’m not sure we will go back.

We had a wonderful meal. The salad dressing was generous and bursting with flavour. They made garlic bread for us even though it wasn’t on the menu. My kids thought the pizza (a simple margherita) top notch and so did we! My Pollo Involtini was rich and delicious with lots of yummy fresh vegetables. Portions were generous. The home made limoncello and cioccolato were fantastic and unique.
Our waiter, Pablo I think, was very helpful and picked out a great wine for me. He took care of everything. Gino, the owner, chatted with is off and on the whole evening in the most pleasant possible way.
In short, this was one a serendipitous stop on a road trip that became a highlight of the journey. We’ll go out of our way to pay another visit at the next possible opportunity.
Thanks Gino!

My in-​laws brought us here for Christmas Eve a couple years ago and their Eggplant Parmigiana was unlike any I’d ever had. The ingredients seemed so much fresher and full of quality than I’d had at other spots.
Everyone enjoyed their meals and I’ll definitely go back again…
Oh yeah… they even let me sing «Oh Holy Night» and make a fool outta myself: D

Gino, the owner, is a hoot and a half. He’s very friendly, will speak Italian to you (I studied in college, so we were «parlando» for a bit), and will make recommendations. The food is awesome, too, and plentiful, so make sure you’re prepared for leftovers. Pizzeria is really great. Try the sfogliatelle, too, I did because of the Unilocal reviews and it was sooo tasty — perfect combo of crunch, chewy and creamy on the inside. I’d go back for Gino alone even if the food weren’t as good as it is, because he’s so hilarious.

I have to give Gino’s a Thousand Oaks 5 (maybe not an LA or SF 5, but a 5 for the area).
If you want good Italian food, drink and a good time, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed
We had a wonderful salad with all kinds of goodies in a very light mellow dressing. Gino was fun, engaging, entertaining and passionate about what he does.
We then had heaping bowls of penne with meatballs and penne in a bolognese sauce. Everything was truly fresh, homemade, great taste, great portions. He also paired a couple of great wines with our meal.
We capped off the meal with one of the best tiramisu I’ve had anywhere followed with a nice glass of grappa.
Can’t wait to go back and sit with Gino and enjoy another great meal.