It all began in 1967. Joe Bertolone had been living in England, where he spent much of the mid-sixties learning the art of cooking at an Italian restaurant in London’s famous Piccadilly Circus. Early that year, a young and lively Joe returned to Italy for a visit with his family. During his visit home to Liguria, Joe went into the café where the young and beautiful Elvira, who was employed as a cooking apprentice. “It was love at first sight” Joe said.

The rest is history. For six months, the young amorous couple maintained a long-distance relationship, until Joe could move back home to Italy for good. Less than a year from the day they met, he and Elvira were married and the legacy of Joe’s Italian had begun

Pictured are Joe and Mamma working in a pizzeria in 1977 shortly after moving to Gilroy from Italy. Joe and Mamma emigrated from Italy in 1977 with their small children Michael and Sonia.

The first Joe's Italian Restaurant was established in June of 1981 in Gilroy, California by Giuseppe and Elvira Bertolone. Joe's quickly became a beloved local icon and Gilroy landmark and has been featured in the Library of Congress and on the Food Network.

After dedicating 27 years of their lives to their successful family restaurant business, Joe and Mamma decided to retire, subsequently selling their beloved restaurant in early 2007, and relocating to Alabama to be closer to their daughters Mary and Sonia. Soon after, their son Michael, decided to join the rest of the family in Alabama and the new adventure begins to unfold.

Collectively, we share with you their love and passion for Italian culture and cuisine. We believe in fresh food, prepared with ingredients of the up most quality. We believe in excellent customer service. It is our goal to provide a clean and friendly family atmosphere and to be your locally owned and operated neighborhood restaurant. We intentionally keep our menu limited to provide our customers with quality and delicious meals. Our daily specials will reflect the seasons and the availability of fresh local and regional product. Thank you for visiting Joe's Italian Pizza, Pasta and Caffe. It is our pleasure and honor to serve you.

Sadly, in early 2012, we lost our locing father, Papa Joe. His cision and legacy will forever continue to live in our hearts and in everything that we do.