Gus Cafe

My wife and I are not new to Tampa, but recently moved to Northdale. What a great find this place is. Tired of chain italian? Food is some of the best I have ever had. We were recently in Rome, and I wish we had cuisine as good as Gus' Cafe. Excellent value. Only drawback that we found is the wine list. It is very limited. We will bring our own bottle next time. Very casual. Sauce is sweet, but adding some crushed red pepper really provides a nice contrast in taste. more

awesome more

I order from Gus's often. Am always pleased with the food. Service is never top notch so thankful for take-out. I brought some family members from out of town after raving about the food. Unfortunately, I was embarrassed and they were disappointed. I ordered the Chicken Rolantini. The menu says it is chicken with prosciutto and fresh marinara sauce. My dish was made with HAM and a ""brown"" sauce. I'm not a food connoisseur, but I certainly know the difference between prosciutto and ham. And the difference between marinara and ""brown"" sauce. When I confronted our less than friendly server, he responded by saying the chef didn't tell him until the meal was prepared and that they ran out of prosciutto. \r If I wanted chicken and ham, I would have ordered the chicken cordon blue! Not happy with his response, I asked to speak with the manager. I spoke to a woman, who was named ""Gus"" and apparently is the owner. Anyway, she wasn't anymore concerned than our rude server. No price adjustment, no apologies, nothing. I believe it's crucial to inform the customer prior to placing the order so they have the option to select another dish, if they desire. Our experience is slightly different from the above posted comments. Apparently, they DO cut corners and are NOT concerned about the satisfaction of their customers. \r I would suggest to anyone who dines here and plans on ordering the CHICKEN ROLANTINI is to ask if they even have PROSCIUTTO! more

I am usually a positive, ""benefit of the doubt"" kind of person, but I must say that Gus's was the absolute worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life. The service was terrible, we were basically ignored by the wait staff during our entire time there. My glass was empty for 20 minutes - even after I'd asked for a refill. Then the worst part of all - the FOOD. My chicken piccatta was the most bland dish I have ever tasted as was my husband's lasagna. I swear they must have popped in a couple of tv dinners (not even good ones, more like a generic store brand tv dinners that were sitting in the back of the freezer for 6 months) and passed it off as their own. Not that I would even attempt to claim it if I were them. Absolutely horrendous. The other positive reviews on here must have been written by Gus' Cafe employees as I can't imagine anyone not on the payroll could have anything good to say. Cons: Everything more

Need I REALLY type more? I've known Gus for MANY years. Used to work for him after I graduated high school. Everything on the menu is superb. Gus doesn't take shortcuts. Cooking and pleasing his guests are his passion. Won't find any better Italian food ANYwhere. I promise. He DOES make his sauce on the sweet side though, but it's perfect to me. :-) Enjoy! And have some Manicotti for me please, as I do not live in Florida right now. more

The unassuming location and casual Italian kitsch interior lend to the charm and good value of this restaurant. The variety of menu selections definitely surpasses that of any of the nearby chains and everything has a great homemade quality and freshness to it. The pizza is very good (if you are a displaced Northerner like me, it may be pretty close to the taste you remember,) the entrees are even better and even the salad dressings are great- the creamy Italian is delicious! Large portions and an attentive waitstaff round out the experience. If you are looking for fancy-schamcy this isn't it. But if you are looking for good value and great food in a nearby location, Gus Cafe has it all. Pros: food quality, value, service Cons: parking more

My favorite thing about Gus' would have to be the salad. The creamy Italian dressing is delicious, but the Caesar salad really takes the cake. If you want to get away from chain restaurants, this is definitely a place you should try more