29 Best Italian Restaurants near Lakeside

“The Margarita pizza was the best . Thus far from any pizzaria I’ve had“

“very delicious pizza great amount of toppings and cheese , really enjoyed their cheesy bread😋😋“

“Excellent pizza! Great food & love the atmosphere!“

“Our dining experience at the Italian Cucina in Barona Casino was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm and friendly service that set the tone for a relaxing evening.
I started with the Braised Beef Short Ribs, which were simply outstanding. The meat was tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. It was truly one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. My wife had the Baked Penne Pasta, and it was equally delicious. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was rich and savory.
The ambiance of the restaurant added to the overall experience, making it a perfect spot for a special night out.
Overall, the food was excellent, and the service was top-notch. I highly recommend the Italian Cucina at Barona Casino for anyone looking for a memorable dining experience.“

“Me, my husband and my service dog went to order two pizzas at 8:50 pm on 10/29/2025 and the young man that helped us was polite and friendly. We're from of town and our experience was a great one. Our pizzas were delicious and the prices were good. We'll be returning to this establishment on our next trip. Thank you.“

“good pizza, sandwiches 🥪 at won't hurt ur pockets. nom noms“

“This place food, ambience, decor, patio, services, etc, etc, etc gas not competition around san diego,“

“Never had a bad experience here. The staff are always super friendly and make you feel welcomed and take good care of us. This is our favorite no-frills, reliably good food, hole in the wall spot. Our son loves the food here too! Highly recommend“

“The food the service is amazing. VERY bad experience that little Roma restaurant I should’ve known better that there’s no place like Nonna’s.“

“nice place and very good and taste“

“To sit and enjoy The entire staff is friendly and the owner and his son are amazing!! They have the best atmosphere, food freshly made! Lasagna is so good - pizza is seasoned well and the dough is good“

“Great nights whenever we're there. Excellent pasta dish with lots of sauce and garlic bread. Accompanied by talented singing crowd on Saturday karaoke nights, pleasure to listen to. Kid-friendly management/staff... a real family treat. Be there.“

“had takeout spinach lasagna tonight. Outstanding meal! I definitely recommend 😍😍💯💯👌👌“

“I think the food is very good. I would give it five stars excellent service, beautiful wine had a wonderful night. 🍷🍝“

“The food is so good! 100% recommend the vodka sauce! Stuffed mushrooms are fantastic. Ambiance is fabulous and service is so good. Alex was our server, he’s a keeper. This is our new go to Italian restaurant.“

“3/5 for a first timer during restaurant week… the special menu was $50 per person…. we never got any bread with our dinner (and didn’t realize we were left out until we were on dessert)… and, portions were small, so the bread would have been nice, especially for $50… also, the server made us make our food order at the same time as our drinks… personally, i like to have a drink or two before i order my food… so, the service was rushed in that sense… and no one asked me if i wanted a second glass of wine i had the veal and my friend had the lobster ravioli… both tasted decently but, again, small portions… the burrata was amazing and the desserts (tiramisu and lava cake) were pleasant i think i’d like to try again on a night that isn’t as busy, and order off of the actual menu“

“Incredible Italian food, perhaps a bit higher priced than the location and decor begets. Regardless, I have been a many, many time repeat customer for decades. I have never had a Chicken Caesar salad anywhere else that approached how good theirs is. The Sicilians White, BBQ chicken, and their marinara sauce are all on point.“

“Awesome family owned business. Great food. Been around for decades.“

“The Italian jewel in Jamul. They were extremely busy with several large parties, so the service suffered some.
We went back recently near closing to order take-out. But they were absolutely delighted to seat us. The pasta dishes we had were absolutely amazing, as well as the service. This has become restaurant we look forward to going to often.“

“Absolutely wonderful experience. Kind, polite. Nice to talk to and I absolutely appreciate that. But this pizza pie is on point. It's delicious. It's clean. It's light you eat a whole pot every few weeks and do it a dough cleanse and it takes everything out of your body. It's wonderful. Nothing else can do that.“

“.......this is the best deli in san diego county period !!........2 of my favorites are the meatball (of course !) and the muffaletta.......that meatball sammie has some of the best meatballs i've had on this planet.........and boy, does this deli have delicious bread which we all know can make or break the sammie, irregardless of what's stuffed inside.......a bit crusty on the outside but pillowy soft wonderness on the inside.......drenched in tasty marinara, some goood melted provolone and them tasty meatballs.............my soul ascends somewhere while i eat this tasty treat, every time..........and that muffaletta is a nice, lighter surprise than the one in the big easy.......the olive spread is nice and brawny like a good olive spread should be..........i've had a few others as well but wanted to highlight my faves...........you can't go wrong here and your tastebuds will say grazie grazie grazie.........“

“It's great thin crust pizza! You can't beat the prices either.“

“Excellent service, friendly atmosphere..food very satisfying“

“4/4/2022 My first time getting a pizza from here, and it was amazing! I look forward to trying other items as well.“

“Pizza was really delicious. We had a margarita, pepperoni, Hawaiian and the special. We ordered antipasta salad. It normally comes with dressing on the side but it had no dressing this time. I did appreciate being offered something to drink while I waited for my order. All and all we had a good experience.“

“I came to this place for lunch and it was a great decision. I liked the chicken soup and the pasta. I would especially like to mention that we had a wonderful waitress. She is really great, she paid us enough attention and I am very satisfied with the service and communication with the girl. She made our lunch even more enjoyable. The food is delicious, the service is great. I definitely recommend visiting this place“

“Wonderful! Excellent service delicious food and great atmosphere .“

“The food is excellent. Fresh delicious dishes. Too bad the service isn't better and the room is too loud. This food deserves better.“

“Testo Pepesto Italian Restaurant is centrally located on Main Street in downtown El Cajon. It is a great family-owned restaurant with delicious food and friendly service. Best pizza and pasta in El Cajon! They also bake their own tasty bread. Everything is absolutely YUMMY!!!“