Popular Giuseppe’s deli moves to new Pismo spot — and that’s not all that changed

When one door closes, another opens — and that is certainly the case for a beloved Italian restaurant in San Luis Obispo County.

Giuseppe’s Express in Pismo Beach has expanded to a fresh new spot on the same street with a new name and fresh offerings.

Now known as Giuseppe’s Italian American Club, the place has a full bar, distillery, deli, gelato shop and restaurant all in the new space at 801 Price St.

The new spot, which opened last Thursday, is next door to Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica at 891 Price St. — a feat that management said helps the two eateries share ingredients.

Breads, pizza dough, sauce and pasta are all made onsite at the Italian American Club and are then easy to cart over to the restaurant when needed.

“It’s nice to be close by,” restaurant manager Aurash Afshar told The Tribune. “We definitely like being right next door to each other.” Giuseppe’s Italian American Club is adorned in red neon signs, highlighting the full-service deli, gelato and lounge aspects of the restaurant.

A wooden bar serves its vodka that is distilled onsite, and a wine room is displayed inside a former bank vault in the corner — after all, the spot was home to three banks before Giuseppe’s moved in, Afshar said.

“It’s really different than any place I’ve been where you have a full deli plus a full lounge,” Afshar said. “We love the way it looks. It’s very light and bright. Basically like our standard Giuseppe’s, but a bit more casual, which is cool.”

Like the standard Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica, the new lounge’s menu still has favorites including pizzas, pastas and deli choices, with additions such as a Kobe cheeseburger and a corned beef Ruben sandwich that have been fan favorites, Afshar said.

“We tried to offer things that you can't get at the restaurant next door to kind of differentiate a bit,” he said. “So depending on what you need, you may need to go next door for it, or we have it here.”

The new deli and restaurant also has a full bar program with a fully redesigned cocktail menu, all including distilled vodka produced in-house, Afshar said.

Italian and New World red and white wines are found on the back of Giuseppe’s Italian American Club’s menu, along with bubbles and half bottles. All wines are available in the wine vault for purchase.

“It’s really easy for us to put in everything when you know Joe, the owner, is also putting everything in,” Afshar said. “We’re just going to be focused on making sure that this place is running smoothly, as well as our other two restaurants as well.”

For more information

Giuseppe’s Italian American Club at 801 Price St. is open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit its website or Instagram.

This story was originally published August 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.