Vivio's

We visited for dinner on a Sunday in July. There's a nice large parking lot, which is needed because it can get very busy. There was a 40 minute wait. There's a beer garden you can wait in. There's also a fenced playground for younger kids. We were seated and the service was friendly. The interior is log cabin with taxidermy of local animals on the walls. There are three separate dining rooms and a large stone fire place. The tables are covered with checkered clothes. We ordered two pizzas, spaghetti and vegetable lasagna. Everything tasted amazing. We would definitely go back

What a great spot! It is an old log cabin and it's beautiful. Some of the taxidermy is a bit rough looking and should be freshened up. Can you even do that? We started a little wonky, but our waitress was split between 2 tables weird. She had bigger tables at both ends of the room, and other wait staff was in the middle. Once she got to us, she was great. Very friendly and took care of us well. The food portions were large and delicious. We were very happy to bring home leftovers for lunch. We will be back!

Cool log cabin vibe. Pizza delish! Waitress was kind and professional. Espresso martinis delish! Garlic toast…not needed because the pizza was so good! Would visit again!

We have been going to this restaurant for years, and the food is always excellent. Family of four ordered two pizzas one being gluten free cauliflower crust, and one spaghetti with meat sauce. Try the salads with house dressing. Service was friendly and fast, some nights may require a little wait but well worth it. Small bar area for drinks while you wait. Cheers

Best pizza in all of Michigan!!!! I have been coming up here my entire life. Recently, I drove up here for a weekend getaway on Friday. We lost track of time and got here about 15 minutes before they closed. I called ahead and the host said that they could still seat us. They immediately sat us with no issue. They served us our usual salad and pizza. The waitress told us the cook burned our pizza and she put in a new one before she served us. Best service around and best pizza. I'll always go out of my way to go to Vivio's!

We had a great experience here on a Friday night. Our server Angie was amazing and so efficient, pleasant & kind. Our meals were delicious from start to finish. Chicken Scallopini was incredible, and my husband’s manicotti was so good, too. Highly recommend!

Pizza was good. I do not recommend their house Italian dressing. It was bland, and it tasted like it was made with inexpensive oil. Donna, the waitress, was a little too casual. Would we go back? Probably not.

Bartender as we waited: AWESOME Waitstaff: personable and AWESOME Food: showed up promptly as was... You guessed it...AWESOME. Price: perfectly fair If you are in town you'll do yourself a disservice if you don't stop in. It's worth the wait.

Transaction Summary Recipient Organization: St. Joseph's Indian School Transaction Date: 6/26/25 Amount: $35.00 First Name: Joel Last Name: Mero Address: 1517 Wilkinson rd City: Gaylord State/Province: MI Country: United States Zip Code: 49736 Phone Number: Email: Jnjmero@gmail.com Communication opt-in: Yes Payment type: Checking Account Bank Account Number: ********7476 Branch sort code: 272486025 Total Gift Amount: $35.00 Tax-deductible Amount: $35.00 St. Joseph's tax ID: 46-0235912 Tracking Code: 3159-2021-1-2669039-2574757

It breaks my heart to post this, but my favorite restaurant has really fallen on hard times under the new management. I hope they can turn it around. I've loved Vivios for over 30 years, but the last three times I've been there the food was bad and the bartender couldn't make drinks properly. One of them was a vodka cranberry. It was brown. How do you screw up a drink with two ingredients. The service is hit or miss depending on who you get. The setting is still the beautiful outdoors theme that I remember.

I tend to forget just how bad this place is and accidentally go here every couple years. Now I hear new owners so maybe there is a chance. Nope. I mean it is not just bad it's terrible food completely unseasoned yet priced the same or more as a good restaurant like Michael's This is one of those places that was never good, but maybe 25 years ago, you could say the same about most restaurants. This one has been the same for several decades, so I am convinced their return crowd consist of people who ate there in their childhood on summer vacations in northern Michigan. The ambiance is awesome if you love the heads of dead animals surrounding you on the walls while you try to force down the stale bread (see other detail reviews on this one) we've always gotten a good laugh out of their "breadsticks"

Food a little spendy, but worth it. Love the pasta and pizza. Very friendly always good service.

If your looking for a consistent quality, family operated venue for dinner I would recommend checking out Vivio's. We have eaten here many times. They offer a wide variety of Pasta, Great Pizza's, Seafood and Steak options. The service is always great, attentive and friendly. The atmosphere is a cozy, up north, woodsy vibe. My wife and I had dinner there last night. She loves their Pasta Carbonara, which is a special, not always on the menu. The dish was creamy and cheesy with broccoli, pancetta, and very tasty. Portions are generous and come with a antipasto salad and dinner rolls. I had the Chicken Parmigiana which comes with a side of either spaghetti or mostaccioli which I had, and the sauce was very tasty and fresh. You won't leave hungry. Great place for small groups or families.

Grabbed some food to go after the lake. They prepared it quick, which was much appreciated. We got a medium pizza, 2 orders of perch fish with side salad and spaghetti. And another salad. The pizza was pretty good, they gave us a huge bag of bread. The perch wasn't our favorite, unfortunately. And the spaghetti was very bland, and well, a salad is a salad haha

If you offer assorted garlic bread basket make it assorted, if you offer traditional wings act like you've had traditional wings, if you offer boneless wings cook them crispy and better portion. Not impressed in this world of impressive offerings.

Food is always good and always enough to take home too!!! Linda is the best !! And great wine selection!

food was great service was better I would highly recommend pricing was fair and the atmosphere was romantic

The ambiance is lovely, rustic, cabin, cute Italian eatery, the food presentation was lovely... but the bland is an understatement. We came to celebrate a birthday, but left hungry and sad that we wasted an hour driving. The antipasto salad that came with the meal consisted of a generous bowl of iceberg lettuce, a single 1" square of cheese, two slices of pepperoni, 1 slice of banana pepper, half a slice of salami, and 3 slivers of onion. Along with it came garlic "bread," which was more like a super stale, dried out crouton-like cold toast that was served with chilled butter. To say it was unpalatable is being very kind. It was literally inedible. The green beans had zero flavor. They didn't taste like anything at all . The sauce on the spaghetti tasted like dried put coney sauce, and the chicken parm was tough, with an odd sweet sauce and, again, absolutely no seasoning whatsoever on it. The food quality was reminiscent of an elementary school cafeteria. This experience was a one and done for us. Photos attached are after we completely the "meal." The waitress didn't bat an eye when we told her no thank you on the box when she asked if we wanted to take it home, so it was pretty apparent that she's used to seeing full plates of food go untouched.

What happen to Vivios ? Our family just can't understand the lack of customer service . Too often now, we witness rudeness and abruptness when being serviced in the restaurant or with a take out order. It amazes us when we pay , we do not even hear .......thank you for your business. We will no longer visit Vivios. It's time to continue on with other restaurants that value our business .

So I have read the recent reviews here on the Yelp and thought I'd give it a try as we haven't been to Vivios in several years. Be aware as mentioned by other reviewers the prices are really high. I will also let you know there is no current menu posted in the website, social media or yelp. We ordered 1- large pizza with bacon, feta, black olives, banana pepper, and tomatoes, and a feta bread. Price - $48.00 The pizza was extremely basic in taste and composition, crust extremely blah, bottom cooked. Yea that's no typo it was cooked lol. Sauce was not noticeable one way or another. Toppings were plentiful I will say that. The feta bread was exactly that feta bread, dime a dozen variety. Regarding the sauce and feta bread, I was happy to have the ranch dressing to put on my pizza to give it some type of something. Unfortunately this is Little Caesar at Michelin Star pricing. Best to go to BC Pizza imo.

Ordered takeout and let me tell you the staff was rocking it! I could tell they were very busy but the food came out tasting fresh and we got everything we ordered. You can get paper plates and plastic silverware upon request, which was nice because we were bringing the food back to our hotel. They have indoor dining that has an up north cabin feel with stuffed wildlife. There is also a patio you can wait for your table at. The breadsticks were okay. They tasted like a piece of toast that had been cut up which was not bad, just wish there would've been a little more flavor. The pizza was astoundingly great! The crust was soft, there was the perfect amount of toppings, and the sauce to cheese ratio was just right. We got pepperoni, feta, and green pepper pizza. Olive lovers need to try the feta one! I got an antipasto salad for one. The dressing was excellent. It was good overall but I felt that given the size of the salad, some of the toppings should've been cut up a bit more. There was also only one tiny piece of cheese. This is one of my family's favorite restaurants to visit when we're in town. We'll definitely be back!

Great food and service. We were unsure to try it due to the recent reviews but found the wine good, entrees were well prepared and service by Masie was excellent. Would definitely return!

We took the drive to Indian River last weekend to check out Vivio's. I was a little nervous about it because so many of the reviews said that it wasn't good due to new owners. We had a short wait but the bartender fixed us up with drinks while we waited on the patio. Once seated our server was gracious and attentive without being overbearing. I had the chicken Parmesan. My boyfriend had the spaghetti with meatballs. Our salads were fresh. The dinner rolls delicious and our dinners were good. This is not a "true" Italian restaurant so don't expect that. However the meat sauce was well made, my chicken cooked well, and the wine list was acceptable. The decor is more like a bar but for a casual meal in the evening I would recommend it.

There is lots of flare wild stuffed animals everywhere it's really cool. My crew with me choose chicken parm and we went with amore all meat pizza. This place is packed for a Wednesday night so we decided to stop by and check it out. They gave us garlic bread it's not something I would recommend to even try!!! This is a Military friendly location.

The Mrs and I have been coming here for years.. excellent service, excellent food (Lasagna) , so good... Linda is an excellent server. Always busy. This is why

Indoor and outdoor seating. The food is great and the bartenders know how to make great drinks. The staff is fun and friendly. Beautiful decor.

I agree with a yelp review that was made hours before... whoever is owner of Vivo's is making changes that are obviously disappointing. Pizza was not the same and burnt, no breadsticks, no cheese in the salads, pepperoni is small, Big Luke is not the same, no mints at the front!!! Always a to-do when coming up north but nothing ever stays the same in the dining industry especially if cutting costs exists

Bar tender was shitty , maybe they need to sell to new owners. Most of the servers had way too many tables..

Loved the decor and ambiance of the restaurant! The food was also really good, we ordered the feta breadsticks (which were essentially a really cheesy mini pizza) and a pizza and both were really great. Would definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in the area!

New owners are down right disappointing and should be ashamed. Cutting costs with worse ingredients and raising prices exponentially. Not coming back sadly. This used to be a great restaurant but oh well.

Such good food!! They know how to love a table and kept on top of everything despite it being a very busy night!!! Really enjoyed our dinner! Thank you

Not good, my daughter took me there for a speciality dish they have on the menu. They were all out, really, chicken livers and pasta. We ordered the chicken scallopini which was barely warm, no flavor. The garlic toast was not good, the whole food experience was very disappointing. The restaurant is decorated nicely but I could not recommend the food to anyone. I also thought the prices were quite high for the quality.

Went to Vivios for the first time on a Saturday night in march at 7pm. We got sat right away and the service was very quick and good. We ordered a cheap bottle(under $20) of red blend that was actually really good. I can't have dairy so their were not many options, I ordered spaghetti with mushrooms and tomato sauce. It came with a salad, garlic bread and dinner rolls. The salad, garlic bread and mushroom spaghetti were all ok but not restaurant quality. It tastes very much like something I could make at home for under $5. I will say that the dinner roll was amazing. Honestly I would go back though because there are not many options in this area and it was no were near bad, just not my first choice!

A family favorite! I've never had a sub-standard meal at Vivio's ... they don't know how. I've had great meals, great service, yes, a long wait but it's worth the wait! Insider tricks. Their pizza takeout business is open for orders to pickup long before seating is open. You can call ahead of 5 p.m. and order pizza to takeout at 5pm. Lots of people do! But they have a lovely covered porch in which to sit out there usually an hour wait. The food. Obviously the pizza. No it's not gluten-free. The antipasto salad is huge. I suppose it's not as heavy with goodies as some restaurants but hey, have a glass of wine from their short wine list and enjoy the ambiance. You'll be glad you did.

Been going to Vivios for 30 years. Just tried the pizza since the new owners. Ordered 2 pizzas. 1 plain cheese and 1 pepperoni. Not the quality I was accustomed especially at $40 for two pizzas. Disappointed.

We've been going there for well over 40 years and my wife had their 20 years before that. Unfortunately, they've changed hands change menus and the food was OK at best. Very unfortunate.

Just not the same anymore! Restaurant group that purchased Vivio's clearly making changes....pizza doesn't taste the same (pepperoni is awful), salad dressings don't taste the same (don't appear to be homemade), garlic toast doesn't taste the same (no breadsticks anymore). Italian dressing about the only thing that remains. That said, nice people and good service....not their fault that new owners are cutting corners. Larry/Heidi, Kurt...thank you for 50+ years of quality, sole proprietor ownership!

Ordered 3 pizzas (two small ,one medium). Wait time for food was about an hour. Pizzas had soggy centers, had to consume with knife and fork. Wide crust around edges. Cost was $80.00 (for us- half a weeks groceries).

Cool place in Indian River. Family tradition to get a pizza and salad on the way up to Harbor Springs.

I have gone here every year since I was 5 years old. This place is so good. Salads are great. Pizzas are the best and pasta is solid. I will continue to come back every year! Just an FYI the wait time can be long, but it's always worth it

Disappointed : have been a customer since it was owned by John and Thersa Vivio. The subsequent owners have maintained the unique flavors until now. While I miss the breadsticks, Worse, have tried the pizza twice since it was purchased. It lacked the spicy sauce, was bland and the cheese had a different consistency. Vivio's original pizza was spicy and herbaceous with a slight kick of something similar to anise

Awesome Hoosier bartender and an overall super friendly staff. The chicken tenders were delightful and our pizza was delicious--tasty crust and even and abundant distribution of toppings.

Vivio's was packed on a Monday evening. This did not disrupt the service my party of 7 was given. We ordered or pizzas as soon as we sat down because the waitress said they were running behind. We had or pizzas so quickly. The pepperoni pizza was perfect. The Hawaiian Pizza hit the spot. I went with 4 stars instead of 5 because the garlic bread was a disappointment.

We ordered a pizza tonight from Vivios. The sauce was spiced well and tangy. They put anchovies on half as a request, and they were there! It was delicious! We eat there every year when we come up. Last week husband had manicotti, I had the Alfredo (hold the broccoli) and dad had bolognese. We took half the food home as leftovers. Eat the salad with the house dressing. It's all goood. The service was impeccable, and the wait staff suggestions were delicious. We will be back.

Worst pizza we've had in a long time. We've been coming to Vivio's for over 40 years and made this an essential stop on our family vacations up North. Service was a little slower than before, but that's no big deal. It turned out to be a sign of a new era for this Indian River mainstay. We had to ask for breadsticks after the salad arrived, and it turns out only toast is offered. Then came the pizza. All three were burned. The pepperoni was smaller than a quarter - think school cafeteria style. The Vivío's Special certainly did not live up to its name. Skimpy on toppings. The crust tasted totally different. Looking around the table, I've never seen so many half eaten pieces left to be thrown away. Our server was very kind and professional. The manager heard our concerns and offered the perfunctory $50 gift card for us to try again another time. Not sure it will get used. We heard there was new management, and it was clear the old staff did not stay. It's too bad as they took the recipe for success with them. I hope you can fix the problems, but if the formula is corporate penny pinching, I don't have much hope.

Best lasagna around. Quick delicious pizza. All around excellent Italian quisine. Experienced bar tender and wonderful staff taking care of your dining wishes. Very clean restaurant in general with some eclectic decor to keep things interesting. I love Vivio's! I go again and again. Be aware though reservations ahead of time in the summer is HIGHLY recommended.

Very pretty inside, could be a very nice place to enjoy a meal. We found the waitress to be rude when we asked for chicken to be a pizza topping. Told us they have not done that in 8 yrs of business and not going to start now... so we left. Not good customer service. Always try to accommodate the customer. Very sad.

Great find after our trip to Mackinac Island. We were so hungry we forgot to take photos. We ordered the pepperoni pizza and manicotti and they were both delicious -- so good we ordered another manicotti to go. Busy night for a Wednesday but staff worked fast and got things going quickly. Would love to go again next time we visit.

Delicious pizza, soft perfection meatball, and an old school Italian eatery. Always busy and they do a monster pizza takeout business. Could use a refresh on decor- but honestly the kitsch is part of the reason you come here.

I had guests from out of town and ordered from Vivios for convenience. We ordered pizza and 2 whitefish entrees. What a joke. They are charging approx $20 for the worst whitefish I've ever had in Northern Michigan. Small portions that were over cooked and tasteless. Don't waste your money.

I'm a long time Indian River local (born and raised). We love Vivios and eat there or order take out at least once a month. The pizza is awesome and all their salad dressings are homemade. The regular menu is good too but we usually grab pizza and feta breadsticks with a bucket of homemade ranch and homemade garlic bread.

Feta bread sticks were to die for. Food was very good. Ready on time and hot. Servers who handled take out were respectful and courteous. Respected distancing while providing good food safely. Worth the visit completely. Definitely would go again

Holy somoly this place is AWSOME we were In town and ordered from here for take out. They have a very nice bar. The pizza was AWSOME. The sauce is not sweet, very tasty sauce. The crust had a little bit of char who's added great flavor. As we ordered just before closing for a pick up and when they learned. We were eating in hotel room, they provided plates and other condiments. We also ordered the bread with feta cheese. All I can say was OH MY GOODness. It was delicious. Only complAint is side walks in this town Roll up at sunset. LOL Staff was professional and polite. Place looked clean Defiantly recommend this place for pizza.

Food is just ok, nothing truly memorable every time we've been there. I guess it's good for Indian River, but if you're used to quality Italian food, you're bound to be disappointed.

We ordered the spinach dip for appetizer which was decent. Our main dishes were a cheese pizza, chicken cacciatore, spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti with meat balls. The cheese pizza was mediocre at best. The three spaghetti dishes were terrible. The pasta sauce was out of a cheap jar and just plain bad. We couldn't get out fast enough

Videos is the best place around for Italian food steak good service wine and cheese can go wrong stop there

ordered pizza and antipasta for 2 aug 7 2023. pizza was very good . However the antipasta was not ! We got 2 small thin squares slices of cheese, 1 and 1 half slices of hard salami, 2 green olives and 2 black olives along with 2 slices of tomato , and a decent amount of lettuce for 10$, im not one to complain too much about anything i get anywhere . I called to see if they had a new employee or if this was a mistake and they told me no , and all she said was sorry. Im sorry too, i'll never go back there.!!! that was the worst imitation of an antipasta salad i had anywhere considering ann italian restauarant.