Gio’s Italian Restaurant

Gio’s italian Restaurant Offering Llano an Italian option

By Richard Zowie

Within Llano, on Texas 16 just two blocks shy of the Llano River, is a taste of Italy for those who desire the cuisine of Bel Paese.

Open since January 28, 2019, Gio’s Italian Restaurant offers standard Italian fare, along with sandwiches, pizzas, and breadsticks.

Ismael Frias, who has been cooking in restaurants for 20 years, moved to Copperas Cove in 2004 and initially worked for his brother. His brother Adrian Frias, along with Maura Pasavento, owned a Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant in Lampasas, and Copperas Cove.

“I was looking for a small town and a quiet community and I looked all around and found this place,” Frias said of Llano. “And I think God brought me here for some reason. Since I was 16 years old, my dream was to have my own restaurant. So, in June 2018 I started to look for a place to open my own restaurant. In July 2018, when I was driving from Fredericksburg to Copperas Cove, I found this wonderful town, Llano. It has a great location and with amazing people who are very friendly.”

Frias called the restaurant Gio’s, in honor of the Giovanni’s restaurant where he spent 16 years cooking Italian food.

Originally from Mexico, Fria said it took him two years to learn how to cook Italian cuisine.

“It was not too difficult to learn it, but also not too easy,” he said.

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Among Gio’s menu items include classic Italian food: spaghetti, lasagna, cannelloni, cheese ravioli, tortellini Bolognese, and eggplant parmesan. They also serve seafood and chicken dishes, pizza made to order, soups, sandwiches, and hand-cut steaks.

And, of course, they offer antipasti (appetizers) and freshly-made pasta. Gio’s also offers a full bar.

“Our customers especially seem to like our shrimp scampi, spaghetti shrimp, and stuffed chicken Florentine,” Frias said. “Overall, people seem to like everything we cook. I like cooking and talking with customers, and I love working in a restaurant.”

Frias added that the business so far has been going well. Springtime is the busiest time of the year.

Gio’s Italian Restaurant is at 101 West Main Street in Llano.

The eatery’s hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Mondays. For more information, call 325216-9104.