50 Best Italian Restaurants near San Marcos

“Food was excellent and service was great!!,..will be back!“

“Good food and awesome service“

“Been enjoying everything since I was 5 great food and better service love it“

“My all time favorite, I love this place!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Best pasta west of the Mississippi“

“We went here last night for the first time and the food was amazing! Great service and amazing food!“

“Shane’s Pizza & Pints is such a staple in our neighborhood! Their pizza and boneless wings are my favorite! They always have great beers on tap as well as wine and kombucha! Shout out to our favorite bartender Jason who always has our drinks in front of us before we even have to ask! Love my restaurant home away from home and kudos to everyone who make’s Shane’s such a special place! ✌?“

“Good food and customer service. Much better than a year ago :)“

“Incredible food and service. Pricey, but worth it!“

“Excellent food and service.“

“Great little restaurant, and one of the best for Italian food in the area.“

“Delicious authentic Italian meals artistically served .“

“Ciao is our new local favorite Italian go-to. We are fairly new to the area, having moved from Carlsbad where there is no shortage of excellent restaurants, and Ciao is right up there with wonderful food! The atmosphere was nice, casual and comfortable , the staff is friendly and attentive, and the food was excellent!

We were also pleasantly surprised to find that they also offer delivery with the two big food delivery services, and the to-go food is almost as good as dining in. Serving sizes are quite large giving you at least two meals per order.“

“Family owned Italian restaurant with pride in everything that they do and everything they serve. Our meal was perfect, from the homemade bread to my pasta primavera and the spumoni after the meal. We got the opportunity to chat with one of the family members about the history of this fine eatery and that just reinforced the dining experience. It is like family there; our server was in her 14th year. They must be doing something right!

Wheelchair accessibility: Disabled spaces a short distance away. Room for all sized wheelchairs inside.“

“Joe's is one of our favorite restaurants in all of San Diego Co. We have been coming here for years and feel like family when we visit. Truly a warm and welcoming experience every time we go. Highly recommend all the selections.“

“This Place was So Cozy, Clean,
And such an inviting Atmosphere... My husband ordered Spaghetti and meatballs (He said he's Never had Spaghetti & meatballs DELICIOUS ?) I had Chicken Alfredo.. OMG!! I highly recommend this place and food“

“My husband and I have been here for the very first time and we immediately fell in love with this place. The staff is amazing, they know how to treat you and make you feel at home. Alice is very passionate about her job and we loved her homemade desserts sooo much. A special mention to Michele, a very young yet extremely professional waiter, who contributed to create a cozy and pleasant atmosphere! As Italian, I can say it's hard to find place such Alice's where you feel so vividly the warm of our country. We will definitely come back!“

“Firenze has been my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego county for years. The food is predictably delicious, portions generous and beautifully presented. I love dining on their patio next to the fountain. Our server Shannon was present but not intrusive.“

“Hello beautiful, I've seen quite a handful of your comments on my post and I just wanna go out of my way to appreciate those people whose comments and good wishes encourages me and I hope to bring you guys so much entertainment 2 Thanks a lot, I feel honored and blessed to have an amazing fan like you. Kindly name 3 of my songs you love so much...“

“fantastic food! one the best Italian spots in so. cal. friendly service.“

“My husband and I had pizza and it was amazing. The crust is phenomenal! The ranch was also so good I asked if I could have one to go! It went so well with the pizza crust (if you like dipping sauce?) it’s an older restaurant but it’s very clean and well maintained. They have some old school arcade games which was a cool. You don’t see those often! The staff was both friendly and fast! We will definitely be back! Thank you“

“Jackson was amazing. He helped guide is through the menu and each of our individual tastes. The chef accommodated my tweaks I always make. Get the dessert flight!!!! AMAZING!!!! Very unique menu! Seasonal! The special was packed with local fish. I will be back and highly recommend going.“

“the best ! never disappointed“

“This is a fantastic place. Very service friendly with quality drinks and great food. Also the Piano music was a pleasant addition.

Oscar was our server and was spot on all night. I would definitely try this place again when I’m area.“

“We had an amazing dinner. Great happy hour until 6 PM. Nice options. Great service. Nice location.“

“The sauce!! Mmm.... ordered a gluten-free pie with garlic, spinach, feta, artichoke, & tomatoes & a meatball sub with added bell peppers and mushrooms. My wife loved the pizza. Said it was the BEST gf pizza she's had (have tried loads). The meatball sub was dang near perfect, though I'd prefer the meatballs cooked just a bit more and pan seared for a nice bit of crust. The balls were smashed, which evened the sub bites (no bites of just bread after getting a whole ball in one bite). Love the idea & and I will be doing it from now on at home as well. Wouldn't be surprised if they make the hoagies for the subs. Lovely buttery roll, though, did start falling apart towards the end. I enjoyed just as much with a fork, though again the meatballs may have been just a bit undercooked/mushy. We added just a bit of parm and loved everything. We complimented on the sauce and was told, "My mamma makes it every day!" Seriously loved this place and want to be back ASAP to try some traditional Italian fare. Definitely recommend!“

“To be honest, we seldom eat on site. We have a great view at home and we have dogs so that’s where we go! But the food is great. The people are friendly and helpful. I get the gluten-free pizza, and it’s extremely good- one of the best gluten-free I’ve ever had. I’m sure it’s not OK for celiac people, because they do have non-gluten-free there too, but that is not my situation.

Dietary restrictions: They have a gluten-free pizza, but I’m not sure if it would be OK if you were celiac.“

“The restaurant brought memories back from my travels in Italy. The staff was amazing and treated everyone like family. It wasn't easy to pick one entrée. I have to advise to end your meal with a delicious TIRAMISU... We will be returning....“

“Hole in the wall Italian. A very good deal for home Italian food.

Service was very good; we were the only people in there today and everything was quick. They were attentive without hovering, and very accommodating.

The menu prices were outdated and they were out of some things - this place needs a little love and more customers.

My fiancé and I had fettuccine Alfredo, penne arrabiata, two Cokes, and garlic bread. We spent $38 (plus tip). My fiancé enjoyed the fettuccine - there are carrots in it, which give it an earthy flavor. I had a bite and would add a bit of salt and crushed red pepper, but that’s my taste. I enjoyed the arrabiatta. It’s a spicy pasta, around a medium to hot in a Mexican food scale. The sauce was chunky and they didn’t skimp on the Parmesan, which was powdered. The garlic bread was a great texture, crunchy and buttery and soft all at once.

We will definitely return, and I encourage you to go if you want a quiet night with comfort food at a good price.“

“It suits any kind of gathering. The food was amazing. The Manhattan on the rocks-I love when they use the single large ice cube! There was nothing I didn’t like except as the place filled up we got a little warm but still enjoyed our full experience there.“

“Incredible food and excellent service ! Everything is perfect! Michelle and all staff are so amazing ! Thank you for having us and offering such delicious pasta and pizza! Thank you all and happy holidays!!!“

“Well I must say there has been some improvement after having a very good lunch the service was awesome because I sat at the table in the bar area and the bartender was really a wonderful common cordial individual spot on very helpful the atmosphere it wasn't too bad at all the food was pretty good I enjoyed it the only thing that I can say is the garlic sauce that goes on the pasta was a bit too salty but it could be just me other than that it was very tasty it was not overwhelmingly garlicky which is good so all in all it was a good experience today hope it stays that way so I can always come back and have the same treatment thank you“

“Great food, ambiance and staffs. Thank you!“

“So this review is going to be a little bit different. I haven't been to Borelli's in probably 33 years, since I was 10 yrs old. That is because I moved out of the area four years later, up to Riverside County, then eventually out of state (to a few different states) to Montana where I am now. But I can tell you that when I was a kid going to Borelli's, it was my favorite restaurant in the whole Encinitas area. They had the best food and the best service out of all the places there. My step-dad and his family (Marshall) were friends with the owners, if I'm not mistaken. I have many happy memories of eating there, and many memories with my family there. So thank you, Borelli's, for the amazing childhood that you contributed to and created lifetime memories for me. If I ever make it down there again, I will definitely stop by and have some delicious food. Best wishes to all the staff and owners!“

“We tried it for the first time today after going to the Carlsbad Strawberry Company and we loved everything we ordered. The meatball sub was very good, even after a 20 minute drive home. Our pasta dishes with creamy pesto were flavorful and completely yummy. We will definitely go back.“

“Friendly staff- one staff member communicated through lip reading and she stored my pick up pizza while I had a beer and brought my pizza out as I made my way to the counter.
Super chill vibes.

Parking: Pretty obvious. Not hard to figure out.“

“Food was above average, but bartender made one of the best bourbon old fashoined and was very conversational while still maintaining other requests. Very beautifully designed by their contractor and design team. Coming from a Restaurant Equipment and Design industry person.“

“I got to give it to them and I am serious when I say the world's best pizza ever ,this pizza is so good that I can't stop eating them and it's my first time here,this pizza place is home to us now and I just want to say thank you so much for your professional service it was the best and the ampmophere was top notch“

“A buffet at Legoland California. They have several types of pizza, some hot and cold pasta and a salad bar. The price was a bit high, $25.99 per adult but drinks are included and it is all you can eat. There was a separate area of all vegetarian options“

“Great hidden spot. Looks like a place for regulars, hopefully a good thing for those in the localized are not a criticism. Fresh sauce, veggies on pizza. If in the area again will always go here.

It's a 60+ per person "with drinks".“

“Was passing through town. Needed a quick bite to eat and this place was amazing sandwiches were phenomenal highly recommend the chicken Parmesan sandwich and ultimate mafia marriage the potato salad was great, and the pickles were amazing and very fairly priced“

“Family friendly, fresh chopped salad and crispy pizza, wood fired with earthy sweet and spicy flavors. Kids were happy with spaghetti and giant meatballs and super cheesy baked Mac. Momma liked the Sangiovese wine!!!“

“Great food and service. Awesome value and will definitely return“

“I had their toasted roast beef sandwich and it was amazing. The bread was wonderful. And for me to say the bread's good it means a lot because I'm from upstate New York.“

“They are now delivering!!!“

“Clean, grate service,Perfect location.“

“Best pizza in town!! If I could give them more stars, I would! We’ve been ordering pizza and tiramisu from this spot weekly for the past 1-2 years. The pizzas are incredibly tasty, the tiramisus are out of this world, and their customer service is fenomenal, so personable.

Today, our friends DoorDashed us with two pizzas and tiramisus as a surprise. When the DoorDash driver didn’t deliver the tiramisus, Mike from the restaurant personally sent us replacements after trying to resolve the issue with DoorDash.

This level of care from Mike & team shows just how much they value their customers. It’s rare to find businesses that go above and beyond like this. We’ll for sure be a lifelong customer!“

“Good pizza and service I love it“

“The tomato sauce is so good at this place. Recommend the cheese calzone if you don't want meat, Sicilian style with the crunchy crust if you do. Cheese bread is buttery and garlicky with lots of cheese. This one and Big Bobs best pizza are *the* rotation for pizza. Cusimano's is the crunchy, garlicky, 10/10 sauce place, Big Bobs for more chewy crust and cupping pepperonis.“

“What a great restaurant at the Bernardo Winery. It's the perfect place to meet up with friends for lunch before walking around the cute winery and do some shopping in the boutiques on site.

There are lots of outdoor tables to choose from and most are shaded. It opens at 11am and it was busy soon after. We went on a weekday too.
You can get wines from the tasting room or delicious coffee from Manzanita next door.

You order from the counter and your food will be delivered to your table. Everything we had was delicious though the pizza was a little on the burnt side from the wood fired oven.

Parking: There are two small parking lots and plenty of street parking.“