48 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“

“nice place and very good and taste“

“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.“

“Amazing! Great options and friendly environment!!“

“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“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“.......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.“

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

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

“We have been coming to Di Leone’s and it is hands down one of the best Italian restaurants in town. Their food is authentic and delicious. The service is always great. You can catch the owners and their family there all the time. Great place for dinner with the family. We go all the time and it never disappoints.“

“Had dinner tonight on the patio with some old friends. I remember eating at the original Pernicano's on 5th st in Hillcrest in the 70s & 80s, when Chargers minority owner George P. owned it. The pizza was as delicious as I remember it from my youth and the service by Hillary was top notch!“

“IDEN WAS GREAT!
My husband and I rolled into Olive Garden on a Friday night with what can only be described as hungry eyes and zero self-control. Luckily, we had Iden as our server. Not only was he on top of every refill, he also kept us laughing the entire time. The guy is kind, sharp, and effortlessly funny. You can just tell he's one of the good ones, out here working his way through college. Iden set the bar ridiculously high and went the extra mile to make our meal extra special.
Thanks for the entertainment, great service and the good laughs. We'll be back sooner than eight years!
-Dominika & Mario“

“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!!!“

“Our waiter was amazing and provided excellent service throughout our visit. However, our experience with the host staff was disappointing. The hostesses were unprofessional and unwelcoming when seating us, and it was clear that walking us to our table was an inconvenience.
As we were leaving, we thanked them, but one hostess simply stared at us and rolled her eyes instead of acknowledging us or thanking us for coming in.
If it weren’t for our waiter’s outstanding service, I would not consider returning.“

“Bongiovanni's has the best food & service EVER! Anytime we have gone the staff are smiling. Having family gathering are fun & enjoyable because of the staff. A HUGE shout out to Kim, the bartender and the other staff who made our 1st annual Christmas dinner a success!“

“Pasta and pizzas are delicious. Prices are very reasonable.“

“Food is good and the service is great.“

“We picked up food yesterday during their grand opening in Santee. Best pesto I’ve ever had! Staff was great too. We will definitely be back.“

“Ryan, the owner, was extremely kind to us. Very charismatic and hard-working man who runs an honest business. Made conversation with us while preparing the food, was very energetic and funny. Atmosphere is really cool, every wall has something to look at and it feels very cozy and nice. Food came out relatively quick and was extremely good, definitely way better than any of the common pizza brands. Great menu variety, I had the Hawaiian BBQ and everything about it was incredible.“

“I stumbled upon this place while on vacation, and I’m so glad I did! The food was absolutely amazing you can really taste the quality and care in every bite. Beyond the food, the service was outstanding; the staff made me feel incredibly welcome from the moment I walked in. It was the perfect, memorable breakfast to start my day. Highly recommend if you're in the area.“

“I was craving some pizza, saw they have single and double slice options with a soda so I stopped in. They made it fresh, only about 7 minute wait or so. DAMN was that pizza good. Not oily, not soggy, just hot and delicious. Couldn't ask for more.“

“1st time here & I will definitely be back! Food was delicious & well presented. Good drinks & bomb hot sauces to chose from. Everyone is extremely friendly & positive vibes.. There’s nothing better then walking in a place of business feeling so welcome.“

“Thank u so much mike at Monavala Pizza for sponsoring Erin in the positive direction pageant she won jr miss San Diego central as well as miss congeniality with your generous support!!! She’s so excited to start giving back to the community“

“The pizza and subs were excellent marinara off the hook garlic knots awesome will be eating there again 🙌🏻🍕🥖“

“Amazing Restaurant, great food and service I had a sandwich with steak and a Caesar Salad delicious. Cozy place love the decoration. Will come back for sure.“

“good people ...lobe and miss your mother, Anna❤✝️“

“I have been coming here since they opened and they are the best !!!! Everything I have ordered has been beyond delicious and the owner Zak is the best !!! It’s a must try !!!!!“

“Absolutely awesome food . Never disappoints👌“

“Picked up some pizzas last night for movie night! Uber eats was delivering, wow 😮 really surprised this local place near me has fantastic pizza and breadsticks! I will come back again!“

“The first pizza they made for us rolled off the oven conveyor and fell flat on the floor. They needed to make it again adding to our wait. Food was good though. Music was too loud. The girl at the counter didn't seem interested in being there.“