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Gumba's
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
21678 Stevens Creek BlvdCupertino, CA 95014
(408) 255-2423
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 9 pm
Sat 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
115 reviews for Gumba's
Review Highlights
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"I had their Herbed Chicken Panini with house salad and it..." In 3 reviews -
"i also tasted the bf's calzone and that was yummy too." In 16 reviews -
"It came with garlic bread, which was warm and buttery." In 19 reviews
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115 reviews in English
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Review from Mod O.
Daly City, CA
3/5/2012 3 photos
I've always wanted to do a brief review about my favorite local Italian restaurant for a long time and last Friday night I was able to take time off from cinequest for a nice meal with my special dinner guest at Gumba's in Cupertino. This small restaurant is without the fluff and cliché of other Italian restaurants and geared towards a family atmosphere with a contemporary look and big flat screen for sport fans. Gumba's is located on the corner of Stevens Creek and Imperial Avenue and has been a neighborhood favorite for decades. Originally operated as a family chain until chefs, Linda Sewnarain, Vanessa Chuang, and Katie Chong, took over Gumba's and got rid of the frozen ingredients, kept most of the original menu and added their own recipes with fresh ingredients. A healthy direction I support.
Once a month, on a Saturday night, I'll order one of their delicious veggie pizzas, which rival any local pizzeria, but for this Yelp review, I chose the daily special, Seafood Lasagna with Calamari, Shrimp, and cod buried with large noodles, prepared with white sauce thickened with the Mozzarella cheese (large flat square slices) in a large dish with French bread. And to go with my dish, I ordered a glass of red wine. The presentation was inviting (see my pics) but I wasn't so sure how the Calamari would do with this seafood combo but the cheese and sauces balanced the flavors. Linda also felt throwing in Salmon would be a bit too fishy for the taste buds, so Cod was the choice for her recipe. Being a seafood fan, I am allowed to be bias with this special dish and I recommend the Seafood Lasagna the next time it comes up on the daily special. My guest ordered a delicious Turkey Sandwich (see pics) - a generous thick layer of lettuce, mayo, cheese, tomatoes & red onions with salad (romaine & cheese, French dressing) and Negra Modelo. She enjoyed the turkey meat and the fresh ingredients and would recommend this for lunch or dinner.
The service was excellent but can be a bit chaotic during their busy nights and the hospitality from the owner and staff was warm and cheerful. I felt very comfortable with my dinner guest and enjoyed the evening without the stress of some fancy Italian restaurants chains. Gumba's serves quality food and quality service. For more information about Gumba's, go to:
http://mygumbas.com
to see my 3-pics, go to:
http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Meghna S.
5/16/2012
I really wanted to go higher than 2 measly stars on this one. Obviously, they are a favourite on Yelp. However, as it sometimes happens, my experience at Gumba's was radically different.
I came here around 6pm in the evening, so it wasn't really a very busy time for them.
The vegetarian lasagna looked good and so did the ravioli with marinara. And so we ordered both. These dishes are served with a side of soup and garlic bread too, so it appeared to be a generous deal.
Neh...not so much. The soup, when it came, tasted bland all through; not a grain of salt in it at all. They do have a salt shaker on the table; does that mean that you are supposed to season the soup yourself? I don't think that is the case, because our waiter did not indicate so to us.
The vegetarian lasagna did not look like one at all. There were no distinct pasta layers, it was just one mass of pasta with some vegetables mixed in. Not to mention it tasted just OK. Disappointing!
Two stars because the ravioli tasted good, though I felt that it was doused in a tad too much marinara.
A friend of mine told me that the pizzas here are delish, so if I decide to return again sometime, I might just give the pizzas a shot.
And if I do have a better dining experience next time, I will be happy to award this place a higher rating. -
Review from Matt V.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
God, I love this place.
The restaurant has a really nice, cozy feel to it. A blackboard in the back with a rolling pin hung above it announces specials written in chalk. Tables are clothed with wooden chairs seated at them. Overall, it's just simple, cozy, and nice.
Service is extraordinarily wonderful. We were served by both of the co-owners (who are married) at differing points in the night, and they were both extremely friendly. They seemed to really care about their customers, and ensuring that they had a top-notch experience. They certainly went the extra mile for us, even giving us an excellent price on our dinner.
The food is spectacular. I got the combo calzone, which was just exceptional. The dough tasted fresh, and it was piled with meats and cheeses that really came alive with rich and wonderful flavors.
Everything about this place is just wonderful. It has a nice atmosphere to it, one where you will feel at home and comfortable. It has great service, and owners who are willing to go the extra mile to make their customers happy. And the food is amazingly flavorful.
Gumba's definitely has my recommendation for anybody seeking out a great Italian restaurant. -
Review from Catherine Y.
Cupertino, CA
10/30/2011
In actuality I'd give this place 3.5 out of 5 stars, but since I can't give half a star in the overall rating I rounded up to 4 stars.
Here's why--
This place is fancier than your typical fast food place, but it's definitely not fine dining either. They have a large flat screen TV in the middle of the restaurant that can keep you entertained, but the table cloth and candles decor make for a fancier ambience.
When it came to service, there was mainly one server serving the entire restaurant the time we visited, which can give you an idea for how many people the restaurant can seat. Our server did a good job of following up with us, so overall the service was good, especially keeping in mind there was only one main server for the whole restaurant.
Another added plus is that there was not much of a wait time for us to receive our orders.
When our appetizer came we were a bit disappointed at the portion size, however. We ordered the fried calamari which came with some red sauce and lemons. Although it was pretty tasty, we were expecting a bit more for the price we paid.
On the other hand, the portions for the entrees were a good size. We ordered the lasagna and a calzone. Both were delicious! The lasagna was packed with tasty meat that was surprisingly filling, while the calzone came with the tomato sauce on the side. My date and I were pleased, mainly because our tummies were as well. Granted, I looooove any kind of italian food, so there may be some bias in this regard.
Overall, if you're looking for a more affordable version of fine dining, and are craving some italian food, then this place will definitely do. -
Review from Casey B.
San Jose, CA
3/9/2012
What a great find, small location but very enjoyable. Food was very fresh and tasted great. Prices were much cheaper than I expected! Great value for the food.
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Review from Oscar K.
San Marcos, CA
7/30/2011
My mom used to order pizzas to go here all the time when I was young because it was close to our house. The pizza was okay, but I've had better in the Silicon Valley.
I never ate inside.
Im actually hoping to stop by this place the next I visit my parents so I can give a better review (for better or worse). -
Review from Ashley C.
Cupertino, CA
1/9/2012
I'm not a fan of cheese in general, but Gumba's cheese pizza is SO GOOD. After eating their pizza, I slowly convinced myself that cheese pizza is not bad after all.
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Review from Jennifer D.
Cupertino, CA
12/19/2011
Crashing the neighborhood Italian restaurant for a pizza tonight. Not too bad.
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Review from Megan O.
Cupertino, CA
7/22/2011
This was recommended to me by a friend, who suggested we go to lunch there. It was delicious! I had the veggie sandwich, and I will definitely be ordering it again. Besides being a teensy bit olive-oily for my taste, I could not have been happier. It was huge!
My friend got the BBQ chicken panini, and that looked scrumptious as well.
We had our two (quiet) babies with us, and the staff was very accommodating. That said, the room isn't very big, so I'd probably go somewhere else if I was with a group with more energetic kids, just out of consideration of the other patrons.
The restaurant was clean and cute, nothing fancy, but smelled wonderful. Average service, no complaints, but nothing extraordinary.
Another heads up for parents: there was no kids menu. The waitress said I could order a "half dish" of any of the pastas, but I just ended up sharing my sandwich with my two-year-old, who doesn't eat much anyway. -
Review from Jason R.
Mountain View, CA
3/26/2011
I wanted to like this place. E and I stopped by before seeing a movie. We had about 45 minutes, which should have been plenty of time. There were two wait staff members servicing six tables. A pretty easy setup. It took a couple minutes more than I would have liked to get our order, but no big deal.
The issue came about when after a half hour, we didn't have our food. It was 15 minutes until showtime and people sat after us were already eating. We mentioned our pending showtime to the waiter and the mayhem started in the kitchen.
Rather than saying "skip it" and leaving, we decided to wait and get the meal to go. Mistakes happen and I usually go with the flow. However, any place with the customer's interest at heart would have discounted the meal for the inconvenience, or better yet given it gratis. After all, what is the food cost versus screwing up peoples plans for the evening? But unfortunately they decided to charge us full price when they knew we wouldn't be able to eat the meal until it was cold, two hours later.
After the movie (the Oscar winning documentary "Inside Job", which I highly recommend), I found the vegetarian calzone I ordered to be rather mediocre. The whole thing seemed pre-processed.
Lesson learned, I should have listened to my little voice and not paid for the meal. Second lesson learned, I won't be going back to Gumba's. -
Review from David H.
Cupertino, CA
3/17/2012
To the management - I wanted to email you, but your website doesn't have a way to do that and you ask us to post on Yelp! so here goes: I really really wanted to be able to write a good review about Gumbas, (we live nearby) but it seems to have gone downhill since Christmastime when we had an excellent meal there. Now, 3 months later. For Saturday night dinner, you'd think they'd have their best. But our server was SLOW, Long waits for everything. She never refilled our drinks (well, she offered when she brought the check) and, unfortunately, the lasagna was blah. Lots of meat, but little cheese and very little sauce with undercooked noodles. And the sauce was heavy on oil but short on tomatoes. Really disappointing. The Caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella & greens ) was delicious, though.
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Review from BreAnne M.
Santa Clara, CA
6/2/2011 1 photo
My friend and I hike on a weekly basis and finish up a bit late, so we wanted to find a place that was close to where we hike that is open until 9pm or later during the week. A bit of searching turned up Gumba's. We browsed the online menu, checked the maps, and made it our "pick" for the next post-hike dinner.
The only bad thing about our visit was finding the place. This is through no fault of the restaurant so it doesn't impact my rating. I'll just say, for the help of any other similarly challenged folks: it's in the building directly across from the post office, so just go to the parking lot behind and park. When you walk around the front, you'll find it.
Once we finally made our way inside, it was about 45 minutes until closing. We were admittedly the only customers there, so the dedicated attention we received could have been based on that fact alone. However, the friendly and humorous demeanor of the gentleman that waited on us leads me to believe we'd have received just as good of service if there were other patrons present. He took the time to shows us the specials of the day and both of us ordered something from them: Sausage and Potato Soup as a starter for my friend and a sandwich of mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes with balsamic on ciabatta for me.
Off the menu, we ordered the Cheesy Garlic Bread as an appetizer to share. My friend ordered a Combo Calzone (without bell peppers or onions) for her entree. We both tried the soup and it was fairly basic but good - spicy and flavorful. The cheesy garlic bread was very good. My sandwich wasn't really amazing, but being a caprese-lover, I was still happy to taste that combination of flavors. My friend cut off a portion of her calzone for me to try and it was so rich and delicious. Lots of cheese and meat in a fresh-tasting dough.
Despite both of us being stuffed, the dessert on the specials board was just begging to be tried: a homemade chocolate ganache layered with almond meringue that was to die for. It was warm and sinful...a moan-worthy dessert. We shared that as the finisher to our meal and were both pleasantly surprised by the final bill.
Great service, great food, great value! I'll be going back again for sure! -
Review from Will C.
Santa Clara, CA
6/4/2011
If I lived in a small town, with only small local restaurants, run by local folks that you pass by on the streets everyday, I might imagine one very much like Gumba's. There is charm to this place, and potential.
Usually one of the three co-owner chefs will be overseeing the place and they can at times be personable. The staff is often attentive. The decor has a warm feel to it. I have no complaints.
I found the dishes of Gumba's a little more akin towards home cooking than towards your typical Italian restaurant. That may be viewed as a negative to those who are accustomed to the heavier sauces with more intense seasonings. For those who are coming from places like Macaroni Grill and Pasta Pomodoro and expect the same here, they would be missing the point.
The calamari was small, but being able to taste the calamari compensated for its size. The spaghetti carbonara seemed surprisingly light for this dish with its bacon and creamy egg sauce, but the flavors worked well together without any one ingredient needlessly overpowering the rest. The pizza brought to mind something of my own making, with fresh ingredients and not overly strong on the spices and other seasonings. Not bad, but everyone will have their own preference for this style or not.
The dessert menu is a roulette wheel of ever changing choices. It is my favorite part of the menu here. A different dessert is offered everyday. I've been to Gumba's four times, and never was I able to get the same dessert twice. Perhaps it is just my luck. I think it was the chocolate ganache that I had once. I liked it very much, but none of the other desserts disappoint neither.
One thing that adds to the home style cooking feel is that the look of the dishes does not aspire to be artistic masterpieces like something from a Thomas Keller creation. The food is often presented very plainly, served on white plates and bowls without markings of fanciful designs. This is not a fancy restaurant, and it does not pretend to be, which is perfectly fine with me. That just adds to the charm. -
Review from Alison M.
Los Gatos, CA
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Under cooked pasta, servers in workout clothes and paying more attention to the baseball game than the patrons.
It took me 20 minutes to get my check because the server was busy chatting up his buddies that came in.
I'm actually really sad about the decline of the service here. It used to be a great place, fabulous food, and family service. I'm sad the quality is so poor now :( -
Review from Esther S.
10/27/2010
Mmmm Gumbas! This one is right in my neighborhood and a 10 minute walk away. Our go to spot for something simple and delicious.
I've had a couple of their pastas here and they are all pretty darn good! The place is cozy and the service people are super nice! This one time I was short 15 cents (oops!) and they were totally cool about it.
Just today I went again for that great 1/2 off philly cheese steak deal and it is so worth it! Good sized sandwich with a side of fries or salad. Such a great deal! GOOOO GIANTS! =D -
Review from Bobbie S.
San Jose, CA
4/15/2011
We came here for a celebration lunch for a work promotion. A smallish place with maroon table cloths that give it an air of sophistication. I had the pesto linguini which was really good. Creamy with lots of garlic and not overpowering. My friend had the spaghetti and meatballs which I tasted, that was good as well.
Service was attentive, and the place was pretty quiet. I will come here for lunch again. -
Review from Lynn W.
Updated - 10/4/2008 ROTD 12/15/2008
I love pizza. I love all kinds of pizza, all styles, I don't care but it has got to be GOOD pizza, with good toppings. I held off trying the pizza the first time I went to Gumbas but I have been dying to try it since and tonight was the night!
When we walked in there was no one else in the place. The phone was ringing alot though so I'm guessing they do a good take out business. We missed Linda tonight but Katy was wonderful! She took our order and it arrived in no time flat.
My pizza was soooooo yummy. The toppings were fresh and the dough was perfect. It's the type of dough that is flater on the bottom and thicker around the top of the pan. I like bread and pizza dough is my favorite! haha! This was heaven on a pizza pan! YUM! and I ordered a bigger size so I could take some home. My daughter had her usual spaghetti and bread and was happy as a clam. :)
When we came in I noticed on the specials board that the desserts for tonight were Sticky Toffee Pudding and White Chocolate Mousse. Well now!! I saved room for dessert!! I had the Sticky Toffee Pudding......it was wonderful, amazing, delicious and I would have licked the bowl but there were others in the restaurant and I'm trying to be a good example to my daughter. Darn! Now, I have not had this before but I have to say that any other Sticky Toffee Pudding I try now will pale in comparison. I can't wait to see what is for dessert next time!!
Linda and Katy are wonderful hostesses. They come and check on you frequently to make sure you are good, the food is good, and you are happy. Katy said they do a pretty good lunch business and dinner has been picking up too so I'm glad to hear that.
Please support women owned and run businesses!! These ladies are wonderful!Listed in: Pizza for Breakfast, Lunch,…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/27/2008 ROTD 10/5/2008
It's Saturday night and it's been a long day. I don't feel like cooking so my little one and I head… Read more »
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Review from Kitty M.
San Jose, CA
12/7/2008
Ok - so by the end of the night I thought I was on Gordon Ramsay's show Kitchen Nightmares - you know when they film the before section showing people eating miserable food in a miserable restaurant.....but I wasn't
I really should have known that an Italian restaurant called "gum-ba's" instead of "goom-ba's" was a sign.....I ignore signs apparently...
First off, this place is a pain in the arse to find. It is next to a Subway in a little strip of restaurants.....with an itty bitty sign above the door....okay i won't hold it against them
Once we found the place we met up with my two friends, who already had their wine....in a very non-wine glass type of wine glass *hmmmmm*
So the "wine list" just says......"pinot.....cabernet.....chardonnay....et c" No names of actual wines and actual wineries, should have been a sign. I order a pinot. By the second sip I realized it was corked, or just old....or just bad. This coming from a girl who will drink Franzia and Silver Oak all in one night...
Actually, I should back up the train, I couldn't order my wine for quite sometime because our waitress never came over to the table for what seemed like forever. Um, and there were only 12 other people in the place.....I used to be a waitress and having 80 people in a bar at happy hour was not a problem for me.....this was some of the worst service.....period.
Wine exchanged for a cab....we order our meals....I ended up with a spinach salad with chicken and creamy italian dressing....the girls all order salads and soup.
Salad comes out....it was okay. Quite honestly nothing to write home about. The dressing was served in a side cup, strange.....one of girls specifically asked for no anchovies on her salad and out they came....she scooted them off to the side but barely touched her salad. When I asked her to send it back she said that they would probably just throw the salad in a new bowl and still give her the same one sans fish with all the great fish taste....why bother....
No one really touched the food....check came....we waited and waited for our waitress to pick it up, never happened.....so I went to take it up to the front to get change - and then I saw it....THE KITCHEN
Um, it looked dirty.....dirty floors with food all over it, silver pizza trays with food them stuck between the two ovens....yuck yuck yuck. I could feel my chicken going ecoli in my stomach.
No way never again.....
I believe in signs.....maybe another one should have read: No Italians work here either....Listed in: Suckasorous Rex
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Review from Vicky T.
Food is a three...restaurant is a four
This place is really hard to find (my poor GPS on my phone!) I pulled over to get directions on my phone (not realizing I was right next to it) SIGH... there is no super huge visible sign hehehe. Food is comfort food..pastas.. pizzas.. hamburgers..paninis.... yum.
I had the chicken parma pasta.. the chicken was meh.. I liked the pasta a lot. The garlic bread was in plenty.. I was a happy camper.
Very clean (but small) establishment and the owners are awesome.
Coming back... YES!
*In looking at what everyone else got.. I got food envy...Listed in: ROTD
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Review from Jennifer L.
Cupertino, CA
3/15/2009 ROTD 8/19/2009
When I found out that Lynn's going away soiree was at Gumba's, I just had to attend. I'd been looking for an excuse to try this restaurant, and this was as good as any.
The restaurant is small, but tidy. Our Yelp party pretty much took over the entire restaurant, but there were about 3-4 tables left over for the unlucky non-Yelpers who happened to decide to eat there when our over-sized party descended upon this location.
I should have waited to order because as others have noted, I was having some serious Entree Envy looking at the other Yelpers dinner choices. I had the Spinach ravioli with Pesto Sauce and a garden salad. The salad was just your basic romaine lettuce and tomatoes, but I felt it important to get some veggies in me. The ravioli was rich and delicious. I appreciated that the pesto sauce was authentic; unlike many restaurants, they don't cut their sauce with heavy cream to make the recipe stretch. The spinach ravioli was green triangular pasta with a ricotta/spinach mixture inside. It was a delicious, if not rich, meal and I'd order it again if it weren't for the yummy looking pizzas that everyone else was enjoying.
My daughter had the Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce. She barely touched it that evening, but had it for dinner and lunch the next day, so it must have been good.
Finally, the Chocolate Pot of Creme looked divine. At $3.00, I will definitely try it the next time I come. I had a sample of the Sticky Toffee Pudding and it was sort of "meh." I have to be blown away by a dessert in order for it to be worth the calories. In other words, it probably has to include chocolate.
The next time I come, which will be soon, I'll be having a pizza and the pot of creme. -
Review from Kevin C.
8/19/2009 ROTD 10/28/2009
Is it Gumba's or Gumbas? Even the restaurant webpage shows both. What is a gumba? The little mushroom monster from Super Mario Bros? (Intuitively, Luigi's in Campbell is better than Gumbas. Some things never change.)
Served by one of the owners. Service was good, even though I was using a http://restaurant.com certificate ($10 off 20) which incurs the Service Kiss Of Death (an automatic 18% tip). Because our pizza got delayed a bit, we were even given a comped salad.
Unfortunately, the food couldn't match the service. The 16" medium pizza (Italian sausage, linguica, mushroom) was soggy (!), wet on the underside of the thin crust. Not good.
The veggies in the pasta primavera seemed pretty fresh, and the pasta was cooked right, but it was really very bland. We made liberal use of salt, pepper, chili flakes, and Parmesan (refrigerated, available upon request). The garlic bread that came with the pasta was good.
The free salad (lettuce, sliced tomato, shredded carrot) was fine, as was the creamy Italian dressing. (I thought Italian dressing is usually clear?)
The value is pretty good, with everything on the menu besides the pizza coming in under $9. The pizza prices compare favorably to other thin-crust pizzerias like Amici's, Cicero's, and Pizza My Heart... though the pizza quality doesn't stack up.
Service: 4 stars
Food: 2.25 stars
Value: 3.25 stars
OVERALL: 2.75 stars
Unless you're on a tight budget, treat yourself to JT McHart's instead. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and buy a certificate from http://restaurant.com first.Listed in: Kevin C's ROTDs
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Review from Rebecca S.
Redondo Beach, CA
9/16/2010
3.5 stars
Cute, casual little place with a decent menu and decent food.
Bean soup is really delicious, as well as the side order of veggies (sauteed squash, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers) - definitely big enough to share between 2 people.
Calzone = huuuuuuuuuuge
I also hear their pizza is really really good - I hope I'll be back to give it a try (and hopefully add another star to my review!) -
Review from Linda L.
Updated - 9/19/2008
I WANT EVERY YELPER AND NON-YELPER TO GO HERE!!!!!!
Whew! Okay - done with the shout-out :)
This is quite likely to become a favorite spot for our family (just wish it was closer to home!:)
We made arrangements with Gumba's for 16 of us to come in this week for a birthday celebration. They did a wonderful job! (They even wrote "Happy Birthday" in chocolate on the dessert plate of the birthday girl!) Oh yeah - we did order the chocolate pots de creme. OMG! Nirvana!
I think all three of these ladies are just wonderful. Each time I phoned regarding our party, they were gracious and accommodating. Once there, I got into a conversation with Linda about adding jalapenos to the calamari. Before we knew it, we had jalapenos with our calamari. That is service!
So here's the gist with this place: If you are expecting pretentious Italian, you're not going to get it here (nor pretentious prices). What you are going to get is a quaint, cozy neighborhood spot - kind of like a trattoria - that serves really good grub at really affordable prices.
These ladies have a casual atmosphere with a casual, family friendly and family affordable menu. The quality of their dishes is amazingly good for the price.Listed in: Ciao! Pizza/Italian, Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2008
Hmmmmm...... four stars or five stars? I really pondered that one. Ultimately, I have to settle on… Read more »
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Review from Susan D.
3/12/2009 1 Check-in Here
So I finally made it to Gumbas. It's been on 'the list' of joints to try for a while since it's so close to a dear friends house. Anyway, my lab buddies and I met Crys B there the other day and we all enjoyed a nice lunch. Yes - all 4 of us liked Gumbas.
I always test an Italian joint by trying their lasagna. Gumbas lasagna was great! It was packed with meat and cheese and flanked with garlic breads... nom nom. It was so rich in flavors that I actually finished it... though I normally try to take half of stuff home (or feed it to someone else). It'll be hard not to order it again the next time I go... which will be soon I hope.
Prices seemed reasonable too. 3 of us ate for 36$ after tip.
Might be hard to spot but it's a lil joint across the street from the post office and right by the Subway sandwich shop. :)
See ya there! -
Review from Donna Y.
San Jose, CA
3/13/2009
I been wanting to try this place and it was a perfect opportunity when Lynn had her going away soiree. I wanted to wish her a safe and happy journey to AZ. We will all miss her. Thanks Linda L for putting the event together.
I end up getting the Eggplant Panini sandwich with a house salad. My sandwich was alright, but I wish the bread was much more crunchy. It was okay overall. I wish I got the Pizza or Calzone, because the bread was soft and fresh. All the food looked good. I also got the Chocolate Pot De Creme. That was the best thing ever! Its pretty much Chocolate pudding but oh so good. I will be back to try the pizzas or calzones.
The service was friendly and fast. Sorry for us Yelpers being so loud and kinda took over the place. We tend to do that everywhere we go.
Its a cute little place and kinda hard to find but right across the Post office in Cupertino, off 85. This use to be my old neighborhood, brings back HS memories. -
Review from Dave K.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/22/2009
Came here for Lynn's bon voyage party. There was a good Yelp turnout, about 20 people came out. I feel bad for the other customers there who experienced SBC in full force. At least there wasn't much (if any) drinking.
Let me just tell you, the experience was a surreal ethnic quagmire, what with Chinese, Filipinos, and Koreans celebrating a bon voyage in an Italian place co-owned by an Asian and an Indian.
There is only a bit of street parking so you're better off parking around the block or at the last across the street near the post office. The place is a little hard to find, but clean and friendly and very family-oriented. The place can seat about 40 a bit cozily. It's a nice warm place that isn't pretentious or overly-decorated.
I ordered a calzone, which turned out to be very good. This was right on par with the one at Villa Napoli in Sunnyvale if not a little better. The dough was perfect and the sauce on the side to dip with was a great complement to the slightly salty stuffing.
I wasn't in the mood for dessert, but Linda L kept pushing them and Donna got one, so I had a bite of her Pot de Creme. Wow, that was ... well, it tasted entirely the opposite of what balut looks like.
The service was friendly and they gave us some coupons for future visits. It's only 2 miles from work so I will definitely be coming again in the near future. -
Review from Alyson A.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/13/2009
This is your basic Italian restaurant like the many I grew up with as a kid. They serve pizza, a small selection of pasta, and calzones. I went here with a large group and the service and friendliness of the owners and cooks was very welcome.I really liked the staff and I think they really care about the place. That's so rare in a less than 5 star restaurant these days that I'm tempted to add a star for that.
Decor is basic family restaurant. A step above fast food. Fine and comfortable for a meal. Not a first-date, impress your partner sort of place.
I started with some garlic bread. This is quite nice and helpful to munch on while they coped with our very large group. My spaghetti and meatballs were OK. The sauce was uninspiring and, despite my addition of red peppers and grated cheese, it never made it to good. The chef needs to tune the sauce and the meatball recipe from the 1970's palate to the millennium one.
The dish size was reasonable. I happily ate the whole dish and was full. Presentation was pretty and typical for family Italian.
If what you are looking for is a relatively cheap, neighborhood Italian restaurant, this place is fine. If you want interesting and inspired food, there are other places which are better. -
Review from B B.
Bay Area
4/25/2009 2 photos
The place was cute as we walked up & peered into the restaurant. It looked cozy, welcoming. Then the mood changed when we sat down. The family next to us had a child that would not stop whining & screaming. They did take her out on a couple occasions when she got really out of hand. It seems parents taking their kids out when screaming is a rare occasion, so we appreciated the effort but it was still really noisy while she was in there. There was nothing in the place to absorb noise...no carpeting, no cushioned seats, nothing. That turned what could've been a great experience into a "just ok" one. Enough about ambiance, let's get to the food...
I ordered their spaghetti & meatballs that comes with garlic bread. For $8.50, not bad. I found the presentation of my of my pasta interesting. They had cut up the meatballs for me, in half, and tucked them *underneath* all the pasta. Only one of the halves was barely peaking through (see pic) that I asked the gal that brought us our food "This is spaghetti & MEATBALLS?" She pointed to the one peaking through & said yes, that's a meatball. Well, it wasn't a meatBALL, it was a half.
Before digging in, I thought about asking the lady that took our order if that one little piece was all I get for spaghetti & meatBALLS but my friend thought maybe they were all hidden. Yup, they were. Why would they do that? You expect to see meatBALLS on top of your pasta & in a whole ball, not cut up already & hidden away from the world. Alright, whatever. Honestly, I liked my food even though the meat-halves were a bit on the dry side. One of them looked a bit burned. No biggie. The sauce was good & I still enjoyed it.
Oh! And what I found interesting too is when I asked if they offered whole wheat pasta...the gal said they did but that you have to call ahead for it. Why? It takes about 15 min. to cook a serving of whole wheat pasta. I wouldn't mind waiting for that healthier option. She told me that they pre-cook it, that no one really orders it so they throw it out. Why not just make it when the customer orders it? Heck, they could put a note in their menu that states "NOTE: Whole Wheat pasta takes an additional few minutes to cook." Something along the lines of that, you know what I mean ;-) . I really don't want to have to call ahead! I don't always know what I want. With that factor, I probably won't eat pasta here very often if at all.
My friend ordered their personal combo pizza. He let me have a bite & it was really good :-) . No problems there. It was good pizza, plain & simple.
Will I go back sometime? Sure, I guess I can give them another shot. Maybe for take-out though because the noise in there was just too much & maybe that way I can get the whole wheat pasta? I can definitely tell you that it's not a place to visit if you're looking for a nice *relaxing* meal. It doesn't exist there. -
Review from Bay Area Eaters ..
Cupertino, CA
1/9/2008
I'll preface this with ... I am biased towards locally owned businesses.
Here's the story: 3 friends from culinary school wanted to prepare food with their tastes and their way. They took over a previous restaurant in Cupertino recently and are starting to incorporate more of their ideas own into the menu.
This place is in the building right across the street from the Cupertino Post Office. Don't be decieved by limited parking up front. There's a parking lot in back.
The atmosphere inside, reminds me of the neighborhood restaurants we used to go to when I lived in a small town on the East Coast. It's small, but very warm and comfortable inside. We saw a lot of families coming in. Many of them knew each other, but that didn't make us feel like outsiders.
The food was mediocre. The flavors fell a little flat on all fronts. It was very plain -- nothing special, but certainly solid comfort food. The chefs told me that they were going to slowly introduce more items on the menu. I think they were also going to experiment on a fusion front. I really can't wait to see what they come up with! Although there weren't a lot of "vegetarian" options, many things can be modified, and the chefs were certainly more than accommodating.
As I've mentioned in other reviews, I think it's important to support our local businesses. The streets of Cupertino are evolving. There are more corporate businesses and many of the local ones are disappearing. If we don't support them, we'll lose them.
Re-reviewed and dropped by a star
We went back a few weeks ago. I really want to like this place, I really do. It was a busy friday night, and I wanted to see what sort of changes they had made. I ordered the ravioli and my husband ordered another pasta dish. As before, his food was bland, but my food wasn't cooked. I thought it was al dente, but it was cold and the waitress agreed. She told me, probably so, because it was so busy.
They were so nice, took it back, and brought me another one (which was also partly uncooked). They also brought out free garlic bread and free dessert. I hadn't asked for compensation of any sort. The fact that my dinner was cold did sort of kill dinner for us, as my husband finished his meal before I even got my second one.
While I really like the owners there, and I know they tried to compensate for the fiasco, I don't think we'll be going back for a while.
I am still giving the revised review 3 stars, because they offer pizza and we haven't tried that yet. Plus, you already know my stand on local businesses. -
Review from Monica L.
7/31/2009
I am truly surprised for the average 4-star rating of this place. Maybe we came on an off night but the food here is not that great. Come here for the pizza and the nice service....but that is it! Huge huge letdown!
We wanted to use our http://Restaurant.com coupon and came here tonight for dinner. If we spend $35 we get $25 off.
When we walked in, this place is super cute and a lot smaller then I expected but very cozy and family friendly. It was packed with families and friends hanging out and still we had no wait on a Friday night, so that was nice. Our servers were both very nice ladies and probably the owners of this place. Everything was looking great...and then the food came.
We ordered the following:
Garlic cheese bread: totally bland and not garlicky or cheesy at all. I could make this at home a lot better just tossing some bread into an oven with some cheese and garlic on it.
Chicken wings (we ordered spicy): YUCK!!! Totally disgusting looking and super fatty. Not spicy at all. I don't like chicken wings but my husband had them and only ate about 2 of them. They were so fatty that I couldn't even look at him eating them. These wings are baked and not fried. Huge disappointment!
Combination pizza: the ONLY part of our meal that was worth coming for. Great pizza and super fresh. Not bad for $15 and had plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. Crust was crispy and soft all at the same time.
chicken Fettuccine Alfredo: Seriously whoever is cooking here does not know how to make this easy dish. It tasted like NOTHING! Bland....it was like eating noodles plain. I am VERY lactose intolerant and the one thing that will kill my stomach is fettuccine alfredo. I decided to try it and risk the bad tummy. Funny thing...after I ate it...and its been at least 2 hours since we ate there....no tummy ache. I don't believe they use heavy cream in their recipe...because if it had, I would have had a visit to their bathroom in less then 10 minutes. Again...another dish that failed here.
We were going to order dessert but we were so turned off by the boring food that we decided against it.
I really had high hopes for this place....its super cute and family friendly, service is excellent but the food is bland!!
Will not be back! -
Review from Mike L.
Sunnyvale, CA
So last night a couple of my friends decided to check out Gumba's Italian Restaurante, way over in Cupertino. We decided to meet there at 7:15pm and all of us were driving separately.
I got there first but let me tell you I almost missed the location. Wished I had a GPS device but you see the restaurant is hard to find. You pretty much have to look for a small wood structure that says "Stanley Square". I recommend parking in front. Otherwise there is plenty of parking on the side, too.
Once inside it is small and quaint. As a new owner, Katie is still renovating the place but as she said, "we have added a few feminine touch."
The place seat around 48 people and you are placed directly at the counter, looking into the kitchen. There is a wine cabinet as well as pastries bin with cookies and other sweet stuff.
So I just sat around waiting for my friend and did my thing--reading a book. My friends come in a little later and we all started on the menu. Besides thin-crusted, hand-tossed, pizzas there are sandwiches, calzones/strombolis, pastas, and salads.
We (three of us) ordered the Med. "combo" pizza, which is just enough for three IMO. For appetizers we got garlic bread and spicy buffalo wings. We also order drinks--beer/soda.
So the appetizers arrived shortly after our order. Then the pizza arrived...all within 10 mins. (Bare in mind it wasn't that busy so timing may vary).
My first impression of the garlic bread...FRESH. And yummy! The cheese weren't too much and the garlic/cheese combo tasted well together. It is what you would expect eating at an Italian restaurant...if you were in Milan/Roma. It is that authentic.
The buffalo wings were okay. I wished it was crunchy like the buffalo wings I had in college, but it was fresh and hooooot! I mean temperature hot. So eat them with a fork if you can. My friends would say, "man up!" and maneuvered to grab-and-bite in one felt swoop. Nice!
The pizza was the reason we were there. And let me tell ya it was very good. The thin crust baked just right with enough meat (the combo) and marinara sauce, yet still has that NY thin crust quality to it. I think we could have ordered the large and that would have really pushed us over the edge...but the medium (16 inch) was just right.
Intersperse with our pigging out of the yummy pizza, the waitress would come by to check up on us, asking us how everything was.
So in a nutshell if I would rate Gumba, this being my first time eating there, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Food quality: 4.5 out of 5
Service quality: 4.5 out of 5
Affordability: 4 out of 5
Dress: casual
Ambiance: very homey. bathroom is extremely clean.
Special party: they have reservations for special party, which tends to be on Saturdays so it may be busy on those days. They also have free delivery (within 1 mile) and a catering service. -
Review from Christy J.
Cupertino, CA
8/11/2010
Overview:
Casual, diner-esque Italian restaurant with reasonably good food at fair prices. This restaurant is in close proximity to my home, which makes it even more attractive to me, especially with a newborn baby in the house!
Food:
Herbed Chicken Panini - This was my order, and I was very pleased with it. The panini was made on fresh focaccia bread and the overall taste was really good. I'd order it again. I had the side salad, which was simple and good. I stole one of my nephews fries and they were really good. I may have to be bad and go that route next time!
Lasagna - My mom ordered this and really liked it. The portion was huge, plenty to share.
Veggie Calzone - This was my sis' order... she liked it. I didn't try it, but would consider ordering it on a subsequent visit. The thing was huge though! Definitely another dish that can be shared.
Wine:
Small simple list. I had their house Chardonnay. It did the trick, and at $6 a glass, you really can't complain.
Service:
It feels like you are being waited on by your older sister. The staff is just as casual as the restaurant, which is really fitting for the entire experience. We came in with my two young nephews, and despite their crying, fussiness, spilling of drinks, etc, they were still pleasant. -
Review from Larry H.
Palo Alto, CA
9/29/2008
I tried the pastas here, but was not impressed at all. It was tasteless and the chicken was dry. To me, this food reminded me of college dorm food that your roommates made for you.
I heard their pizza was better, so maybe next time I'll try the pizza. -
Review from Genna C.
Sunnyvale, CA
10/8/2011
We went to Gumba's for the first time tonight, and it was fabulous. The food was phenomenal and the staff was very friendly.
The pesto sauce was some of the best I've ever had, I am in a food coma as I'm typing this review. We highly recommend the ravioli!
Thanks for making our night out perfect, we will definitely be coming in again as soon as we can. -
Review from Anna L.
7/29/2007
Alrighty, well, I can only vouch for the pizza, but their garlic bread looked mighty tasty. I must admit, I am a plate Hawk...
I had the pizza, nice garlic flavor from the sauce though next time I will ask for extra because I like it when I have lots of tomatoey goodness on my pizza. Chewy, yet slightly crispy crust. Reasonable prices and the size of their pizza is pretty big.
UPDATE: 2/???08
I stopped by again a few weeks ago and noticed that the ownership changed. I spoke with one of the 3 owners and asked about some of the changes. Come to find out, the three ladies that own the place went to culinary art (cooking) school together and wanted to start their own place. Some of the changes included fresh ingredients (meaning less canned products, yeay!), and other specials. I noticed they had turkey meatballs one day which I was very excited about because I have a hard time finding stuff that I miss eating without beef and pork in it when I am dining out. I guess they also make their own desserts. I am looking forward to trying some of their culinary creations in the future!Listed in: Pizza Fever
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Review from Melani A.
Glendale, CA
Updated - 2/4/2009
Here's the thing about Gumbas. If you're looking for real, authentic Italian food - don't go here. If you're looking for a wine list that's three pages long - don't go here. If you're looking for fancy schmancy - white table cloths and Italian waiters wearing all black - don't go here.
Gumbas is a neighborhood joint. It's a family place. It's a weekly-dinner-with-good friends kind of place. The wonderful ladies that run the place go out of their way to make you feel at home. You'll want to become a regular.
Having said that - the food is good. I would classify it as more of a bistro type restaurant than an Italian one. Pizza, pasta, burgers, sandwiches and even chicken curry! Plus some pretty incredible desserts - something you don't expect at your run of the mill neighborhood joint. Even little Mexican Wedding Cookies (made by one of the three ladies there) on top of your check adds a nice touch.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2008
Under new management - come out and support Women Owned Small Business everyone! The pizza is still… Read more »
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Review from Yum E.
7/18/2009 1 photo
Meatball Sandwich w/ Salad - 4 stars
- They cut up the meatball, instead of having chunks of meatball.
- Sandwich was fresh
- Salad consisted of fresh greens.
Mini Combination Pizza - 4 stars
- Decent thickness crust
- Fresh toppings, I ordered w/o olives
- Came out zesty hot!
Service was friendly and prompt. Restrooms were clean too!
They do have A/C but it's either really weak or due to the hot ovens in the kitchen, the hot air goes right to the dining area...eeek! -
Review from Aubrey C.
8/24/2010
3.5 stars
Fave: Chicken Parmigiana, Calamari
Gumba's is a nice, not-too-fancy place for decent (Americanized, I'm sure) Italian food.
Their chicken parmigiana is my favorite dish.. juicy chicken over a LOT of pasta, with garlic bread on the side. Very filling and totally worth the $10. Lots of places would have more expensive dishes and be much less filling.
As far as appetizers, I've tried the chicken tenders, which were good but fairly ordinary, as well as the calamari. The calamari is by far better. It's breading is flaky but not so flaky that it all falls off and you're left with flakes of batter at the bottom of the plate. The actual pieces of squid arenice and tender.
Another nice bonus for Gumba's for free refills on soft drinks.
The one thing that Gumba's appears to be lacking is any kind of reliable dessert menu. They don't have any desserts on the main menu and their only dessert offering seems to be the dessert special on the blackboard. Anyone who's read my Yelp reviews knows I LOVE a good dessert, so something more in this area would make this place even better. -
Review from Justin L.
Santa Clara, CA
10/7/2008
I just had their plain cheese pizza last night since I've been craving pizza b/c I was dieting this season.
The cheese that they use is WAY too salty for me. It tasted like a salty cheese pizza instead of a normal cheese pizza. On a positive note I love their pizza dough! It is soft, fresh, and has doughy texture which makes it interesting, but a perfect blend. This place is good for people who likes their food on a very saltier side. I do like salty food, but this one is just way too over the edge for me. -
Review from Andrew M.
8/13/2010
I tried a few things on the menu at Gumbas, coming away with mixed feelings.
The cheesy garlic bread came exactly how it was described - ordinary tasting bread topped with a bit of dull cheese and a hint of garlic at a price much too high.
The vegetarian calzone was filled with tasty ingredients, but after a few bites, it became a soggy mess and nothing like the enjoyable blend of crisp and flavor of the first few bites.
The GUMBA'S HURRICANE, however, surpassed my expectations. The jalapenos in the sandwich left a delightful burn after each bite, and the meat was intensely flavorful.
I would revisit Gumba's, but be more wary of what I order.
