Food was great, but the server was not very friendly. He seemed annoyed
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Saša B
Unfortunately tasteless food, although the service was good. Considering the price point, I expected way more. The rigatoni arrabbiata tasted like made out of Costco sauce. I would rate it two stars if the service didn’t remove one dish from the bill, still don’t think two pasta dishes and carpaccio of this quality(also destroyed with too much cheese so you couldn’t taste the meat) were worth $80.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Lexie Edwards
The food did not disappoint!! The orecchiette con tomate was INCREDIBLE. Beautiful restaurant!! We came in to celebrate and have a nice meal, and unfortunately other guests made our meal awkward and uncomfortable. We sat on the patio, and a there was a table that treated the restaurant staff so poorly over the food wait time. The guests were very displeased and making a big stink. Absolutely no fault of the restaurants, we felt extremely bad for all members of the staff. We found the staff to be extremely professional and very hardworking. We will definitely be back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniela Sanchez
Very good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jon
Love this place. I live 5 minutes from here and come here with the boys for happy hour. Their lamb chops are mouth watering and so soft and good. Also try their cocktails! they dont disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
JMS Silver
This is by far the best hospitality I’ve experienced from a SD Restaurant. Came to celebrate my birthday early due to my hubby deployment and the team went above and beyond to make our dining experience worthy! Manager Sal was so lovely and accommodating! Drake our server was also attentive and made good recommendations. Kid friendly too!! All the dishes we ordered were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend the spaghetti vongole and the steak! The tiramisu cheesecake was delightful too! Will be back for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lamar Dent
In regards to the last review, my friend and I were at the table next to the group who posted how bad the service was most recently. We did not see or experience any of the things that Anne was saying and in fact thought Angela was a very good host. She was really great and attentive to all of her tables. It was upsetting to see this group of women attacking and being disrespectful to someone who was only doing their job. We applaud Angela for sticking up for herself despite the harsh and hostile environment at our neighboring table. We give her and the restaurant 5 stars… and the food was amazing too 😂
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ev Harper
Cardellino has always been one of my favorite local spots and every visit has always been memorable. Their location is in a picturesque area of Mission Hills and their menu has alot of depth in flavors that will want you ordering more as the night goes on. I cannot express how appreciative I am of the time and effort in service they treated my wife and I , from start to end, on our anniversary. Thank you for excellent service and we will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sara Goharriz
✨ If I could give Cardellino 20 stars, I would! ✨ Last Friday, my husband and I had our very first date night at Cardellino and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the lamb since. The next day, after a long day at work, I told myself, “Nothing can recharge me like that lamb,” and I went back again because it was that unforgettable.
Yesterday, two of my friends were feeling down and drained. I insisted they join me for dinner and promised them that just one bite of this lamb would change their mood, and I was right. They left with huge smiles, full hearts, and full bellies.
Chef Miguel Tellez is truly magical. It’s not just me—my husband and my friends all agreed that this is the best lamb we’ve ever had in San Diego. His cooking speaks to the soul.
And Salina Dutra wasn’t just our dining host, She felt more like a friend welcoming us into her home. Her warmth, positivity, and genuine care made each visit special. She’s the heart of the dining experience and her energy truly made us feel seen and appreciated.
Congratulations, Cardellino, on having such an incredible team. Chef Miguel and Salina are the kind of people who turn a good meal into a beautiful memory. I’m already planning to return again and again and I’ll be bringing everyone I know.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew A
The food is so goddamn SALTY!!!! I would challenge you to take your blood pressure before and after eating here. Even the server — when I told them to not add any additional “finishing salt” — said that lots of people send food back because it’s so salty. Service was great. The mafalde pasta was awful and the spaghetti in the “spaghetti vongole” was overcooked. The bucatini Amatriciana was serviceable. Arancini were cold inside and the meatballs were just ok.
I want to here for my friend's birthday this past Saturday night. It is an Italian and Steakhouse blend restaurant. I wasn't really sure what to expect although they had good reviews online. This place exceeded my expectations. If I'm being frank, I think this is the best restaurant I've gone to this whole year and I dine out to fine dining restaurants ALOT! Every appetizer to remain coarse and dessert was amazing. And it didn't stop there the ambience of this place is very dark Chic elegant with a lot of character, it looks like it would be loud but actually the volume is so perfectly balanced! Are waitress was so nice, super tentative, and very informative through our whole entire dinner experience. For appetizers we started with a lamb chop lollipop per person, sourdough bread and calamari. The Lamb Chop was so amazing we said we would come back and just order a few of those for a meal! The dip they had for the calamari had a lemon zest which was so well-balanced with every bite. They also include fried green olives with a calamari which I've never experienced before and me and my husband were obsessed with! I ordered the ribeye for my main entree my husband ordered the New York strip and a few others ordered ribeye and steak as well. Somehow we found it in us to order dessert, my husband and I shared the tiramisu cheesecake which was astonishly amazing! The cheesecake itself is definitely made fresh into the traditional recipe. I was very impressed. Since we were celebrating two birthdays but they brought out a little espresso cup filled with ice cream and candles for the birthday people. I will definitely be coming back here, I was overjoyed by my experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Teresa Ratcliff
Waitress were amazing and food was very good
David Hallak
Great food and service.
Rowell Dionicio
First time trying out Cardellino and we were here for brunch on Mother's Day. We sat outside in the patio where the weather was good. There was a set 3-course menu for Mother's Day.
The photos online looked really good but the food was lacking flavor.
I had the steak and eggs which was different from how other restaurants do it. Instead of a steak I got 4 sliced pieces of meat. There was no flavor to it. And the eggs were scrambled. The best part of the dish was the crispy potatoes.
The other dishes had more flavor but the sauce was very rich. The short rib was decent but the meat didn't have much flavor either.
Our food took a very long time to arrive. We weren't incredibly hungry but for a set menu I thought it would come out sooner. I think I estimated around 20-30 minutes of waiting.
Weirdly, we were all very tired after our meal and for four of us our bill was over $300. I didn't see much value there with the meals.
p spy
Nice views. The restaurant is very loud inside. Some of the dishes are somewhat spicy.
Food was great, but the server was not very friendly. He seemed annoyed
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Unfortunately tasteless food, although the service was good. Considering the price point, I expected way more. The rigatoni arrabbiata tasted like made out of Costco sauce. I would rate it two stars if the service didn’t remove one dish from the bill, still don’t think two pasta dishes and carpaccio of this quality(also destroyed with too much cheese so you couldn’t taste the meat) were worth $80.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
The food did not disappoint!! The orecchiette con tomate was INCREDIBLE. Beautiful restaurant!! We came in to celebrate and have a nice meal, and unfortunately other guests made our meal awkward and uncomfortable. We sat on the patio, and a there was a table that treated the restaurant staff so poorly over the food wait time. The guests were very displeased and making a big stink. Absolutely no fault of the restaurants, we felt extremely bad for all members of the staff. We found the staff to be extremely professional and very hardworking. We will definitely be back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place. I live 5 minutes from here and come here with the boys for happy hour. Their lamb chops are mouth watering and so soft and good. Also try their cocktails! they dont disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
This is by far the best hospitality I’ve experienced from a SD Restaurant. Came to celebrate my birthday early due to my hubby deployment and the team went above and beyond to make our dining experience worthy! Manager Sal was so lovely and accommodating! Drake our server was also attentive and made good recommendations. Kid friendly too!! All the dishes we ordered were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend the spaghetti vongole and the steak! The tiramisu cheesecake was delightful too! Will be back for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
In regards to the last review, my friend and I were at the table next to the group who posted how bad the service was most recently. We did not see or experience any of the things that Anne was saying and in fact thought Angela was a very good host. She was really great and attentive to all of her tables. It was upsetting to see this group of women attacking and being disrespectful to someone who was only doing their job. We applaud Angela for sticking up for herself despite the harsh and hostile environment at our neighboring table. We give her and the restaurant 5 stars… and the food was amazing too 😂
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cardellino has always been one of my favorite local spots and every visit has always been memorable. Their location is in a picturesque area of Mission Hills and their menu has alot of depth in flavors that will want you ordering more as the night goes on. I cannot express how appreciative I am of the time and effort in service they treated my wife and I , from start to end, on our anniversary. Thank you for excellent service and we will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
✨ If I could give Cardellino 20 stars, I would! ✨
Last Friday, my husband and I had our very first date night at Cardellino and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the lamb since. The next day, after a long day at work, I told myself, “Nothing can recharge me like that lamb,” and I went back again because it was that unforgettable.
Yesterday, two of my friends were feeling down and drained. I insisted they join me for dinner and promised them that just one bite of this lamb would change their mood, and I was right. They left with huge smiles, full hearts, and full bellies.
Chef Miguel Tellez is truly magical. It’s not just me—my husband and my friends all agreed that this is the best lamb we’ve ever had in San Diego. His cooking speaks to the soul.
And Salina Dutra wasn’t just our dining host, She felt more like a friend welcoming us into her home. Her warmth, positivity, and genuine care made each visit special. She’s the heart of the dining experience and her energy truly made us feel seen and appreciated.
Congratulations, Cardellino, on having such an incredible team. Chef Miguel and Salina are the kind of people who turn a good meal into a beautiful memory. I’m already planning to return again and again and I’ll be bringing everyone I know.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is so goddamn SALTY!!!! I would challenge you to take your blood pressure before and after eating here. Even the server — when I told them to not add any additional “finishing salt” — said that lots of people send food back because it’s so salty. Service was great. The mafalde pasta was awful and the spaghetti in the “spaghetti vongole” was overcooked. The bucatini Amatriciana was serviceable. Arancini were cold inside and the meatballs were just ok.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I want to here for my friend's birthday this past Saturday night. It is an Italian and Steakhouse blend restaurant. I wasn't really sure what to expect although they had good reviews online. This place exceeded my expectations. If I'm being frank, I think this is the best restaurant I've gone to this whole year and I dine out to fine dining restaurants ALOT! Every appetizer to remain coarse and dessert was amazing. And it didn't stop there the ambience of this place is very dark Chic elegant with a lot of character, it looks like it would be loud but actually the volume is so perfectly balanced! Are waitress was so nice, super tentative, and very informative through our whole entire dinner experience. For appetizers we started with a lamb chop lollipop per person, sourdough bread and calamari. The Lamb Chop was so amazing we said we would come back and just order a few of those for a meal! The dip they had for the calamari had a lemon zest which was so well-balanced with every bite. They also include fried green olives with a calamari which I've never experienced before and me and my husband were obsessed with! I ordered the ribeye for my main entree my husband ordered the New York strip and a few others ordered ribeye and steak as well. Somehow we found it in us to order dessert, my husband and I shared the tiramisu cheesecake which was astonishly amazing! The cheesecake itself is definitely made fresh into the traditional recipe. I was very impressed. Since we were celebrating two birthdays but they brought out a little espresso cup filled with ice cream and candles for the birthday people. I will definitely be coming back here, I was overjoyed by my experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Waitress were amazing and food was very good
Great food and service.
First time trying out Cardellino and we were here for brunch on Mother's Day. We sat outside in the patio where the weather was good. There was a set 3-course menu for Mother's Day.
The photos online looked really good but the food was lacking flavor.
I had the steak and eggs which was different from how other restaurants do it. Instead of a steak I got 4 sliced pieces of meat. There was no flavor to it. And the eggs were scrambled. The best part of the dish was the crispy potatoes.
The other dishes had more flavor but the sauce was very rich. The short rib was decent but the meat didn't have much flavor either.
Our food took a very long time to arrive. We weren't incredibly hungry but for a set menu I thought it would come out sooner. I think I estimated around 20-30 minutes of waiting.
Weirdly, we were all very tired after our meal and for four of us our bill was over $300. I didn't see much value there with the meals.
Nice views. The restaurant is very loud inside. Some of the dishes are somewhat spicy.
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