I message the restaurant that it was our 19th wedding anniversary and in town for the night. They put us at a table at the front door next to host station, after I complicated how beautiful the restaurants design was...?!?! We really felt unattended. Waiter never checked on us for 2nd round of drinks or how the food is...?!?! I read about the owners and they have two restaurants in town. I'm guessing we caught them on an off night or our bad luck. :-(
Sharen
The food was absolutely excellent—every bite was a reminder of why this place is so highly rated. From the perfectly cooked pasta to the rich and flavorful lasagna the kitchen clearly knows what it's doing. It was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. That said, the experience wasn't without hiccups. The restaurant was noticeably understaffed. Our server was doing their best but was clearly stretched thin—long waits, never could get a second glass of wine and we stopped whoever was walking by to get bread. It wasn't the staff's fault; they were polite, professional, and working incredibly hard—but they were simply overwhelmed. If the service matched the quality of the food, this would easily be a five-star spot. Hopefully, they can get the staffing sorted out soon, because the kitchen deserves a full house and a smooth operation out front.
Julia
Delicious food and excellent customer service. Julie our server provided us with outstanding customer service. Thank you.
phil
Got this recommendation from a co worker - so good! We tried four different pastas between the table (including the cheese wheel pasta). They were all top notch and super fresh. Really, the cheese wheel was probably the least favorite amongst the table (more experiential than anything else). Ragu app and pasta were amazing! Servings very large. Good value for price!
Louise
Visiting from NY metro area and this food is delicious. We know our Italian cuisine! Everything was so fresh and plentiful. Although on the noisier side, our family's table felt intimate and we were able to carry on a conversation. Highly recommend getting the cheese wheel pasta, which was freshly made. Squid ink pasta was equally delicious, with a savory and rich lobster bisque sauce and freshly grilled chunks of octopus. Pizza Margherita was crisp and fresh, and the chicken breast cutlet with prosciutto and mozzarella was juicy and thick. We only wish we'd left room for some of the desserts, which sounded fantastic.
Rob
Excellent food from the staters to the main dishes. Staff were all extremely attentive and kind. Parking is difficult being that it is in little Italy but well worth the trouble.
Kathleen
Delicious as always! We had the cheese wheel pasta and it was amazing. Also wish they would bring back the apertivo for happy hour!
Evan
We went to Monello on a Sunday evening after the Padres game. Very nice restaurant, great margarita pizza and ceaser salads! Super fresh and delicious. We sat outside, our server was great and very attentive. We will be coming back to try their pasta.
kristin
The menu had so many choices. The vibe was great. I love ravioli well any pasta and this was phenomenal. The flavors... such a mouth feel that the next day someone offered me their ravioli from the convention lunch and I refused to avoid disrupting the memory of one of the best pasta dishes I had in the world... yes that good
Kristen
The cheese wheel pasta was amazing !! The chef was so sweet and came to our table and told us to come over so we could see how it was made ! First timer and can't wait to go back !
Our server Christina was amazing. The staff all around was on point and super friendly. As a local chef, I appreciate the value in team members. Monello has an amazing team. The food was excellent. I cannot wait to go back.
Kailey
Monello never disappoints. I'm from out of state and have been going for years every time I'm in town it's that good. They are extremely consistent with their high quality and excellent food; couldn't recommend it more. Their pastas are absolutely to die for.
Karen
We were celebrating a birthday and had a wonderful meal and experience. Tried the 4 pepper sauce for the and delicious. The cheese wheel special was Cacio e pep,it was just like we had in Italy. Highly recommend!
Sue
What an experience - you've got to do the cheese wheel pasta! Had dinner with a friend while in town on business and everything from the service to the food to the vibe were all excellent! We weren't especially hungry so we each had a Caesar salad and then split the spaghetti and artichoke parmesan special, which was perfect - delicious but very heavy, so a split portion was a great idea. Look forward to another visit to try some other of the menu items!
Jim
Monello has perhaps the freshest and best properly prepared fresh pasta I have had. My penne ragu was outstanding - hearty and fills you up. Difficult to finish if you order an appetizer as we did. The calamari is also outstanding - the balsamic spread is perfect for the calamari. My review would not be complete without mentioning the outstanding service provided by our server Julie. She has a great personality for working with the public and is very helpful in walking customers through the various dishes.
I message the restaurant that it was our 19th wedding anniversary and in town for the night. They put us at a table at the front door next to host station, after I complicated how beautiful the restaurants design was...?!?! We really felt unattended. Waiter never checked on us for 2nd round of drinks or how the food is...?!?! I read about the owners and they have two restaurants in town. I'm guessing we caught them on an off night or our bad luck. :-(
The food was absolutely excellent—every bite was a reminder of why this place is so highly rated. From the perfectly cooked pasta to the rich and flavorful lasagna the kitchen clearly knows what it's doing. It was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. That said, the experience wasn't without hiccups. The restaurant was noticeably understaffed. Our server was doing their best but was clearly stretched thin—long waits, never could get a second glass of wine and we stopped whoever was walking by to get bread. It wasn't the staff's fault; they were polite, professional, and working incredibly hard—but they were simply overwhelmed. If the service matched the quality of the food, this would easily be a five-star spot. Hopefully, they can get the staffing sorted out soon, because the kitchen deserves a full house and a smooth operation out front.
Delicious food and excellent customer service. Julie our server provided us with outstanding customer service. Thank you.
Got this recommendation from a co worker - so good! We tried four different pastas between the table (including the cheese wheel pasta). They were all top notch and super fresh. Really, the cheese wheel was probably the least favorite amongst the table (more experiential than anything else). Ragu app and pasta were amazing! Servings very large. Good value for price!
Visiting from NY metro area and this food is delicious. We know our Italian cuisine! Everything was so fresh and plentiful. Although on the noisier side, our family's table felt intimate and we were able to carry on a conversation. Highly recommend getting the cheese wheel pasta, which was freshly made. Squid ink pasta was equally delicious, with a savory and rich lobster bisque sauce and freshly grilled chunks of octopus. Pizza Margherita was crisp and fresh, and the chicken breast cutlet with prosciutto and mozzarella was juicy and thick. We only wish we'd left room for some of the desserts, which sounded fantastic.
Excellent food from the staters to the main dishes. Staff were all extremely attentive and kind. Parking is difficult being that it is in little Italy but well worth the trouble.
Delicious as always! We had the cheese wheel pasta and it was amazing. Also wish they would bring back the apertivo for happy hour!
We went to Monello on a Sunday evening after the Padres game. Very nice restaurant, great margarita pizza and ceaser salads! Super fresh and delicious. We sat outside, our server was great and very attentive. We will be coming back to try their pasta.
The menu had so many choices. The vibe was great. I love ravioli well any pasta and this was phenomenal. The flavors... such a mouth feel that the next day someone offered me their ravioli from the convention lunch and I refused to avoid disrupting the memory of one of the best pasta dishes I had in the world... yes that good
The cheese wheel pasta was amazing !! The chef was so sweet and came to our table and told us to come over so we could see how it was made ! First timer and can't wait to go back !
Restaurantji Recommends
Our server Christina was amazing. The staff all around was on point and super friendly. As a local chef, I appreciate the value in team members. Monello has an amazing team. The food was excellent. I cannot wait to go back.
Monello never disappoints. I'm from out of state and have been going for years every time I'm in town it's that good. They are extremely consistent with their high quality and excellent food; couldn't recommend it more. Their pastas are absolutely to die for.
We were celebrating a birthday and had a wonderful meal and experience. Tried the 4 pepper sauce for the and delicious. The cheese wheel special was Cacio e pep,it was just like we had in Italy. Highly recommend!
What an experience - you've got to do the cheese wheel pasta! Had dinner with a friend while in town on business and everything from the service to the food to the vibe were all excellent! We weren't especially hungry so we each had a Caesar salad and then split the spaghetti and artichoke parmesan special, which was perfect - delicious but very heavy, so a split portion was a great idea. Look forward to another visit to try some other of the menu items!
Monello has perhaps the freshest and best properly prepared fresh pasta I have had. My penne ragu was outstanding - hearty and fills you up. Difficult to finish if you order an appetizer as we did. The calamari is also outstanding - the balsamic spread is perfect for the calamari. My review would not be complete without mentioning the outstanding service provided by our server Julie. She has a great personality for working with the public and is very helpful in walking customers through the various dishes.
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