50 Best Italian Restaurants near Santee

“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.“

“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.“

“Our group of 9 experienced outstanding service from start to finish. Even thought OG doesn't take reservations, they encouraged me to call a few hours ahead so they could prepare for us. Sure enough, they had a lovely almost private table set and ready when we arrived. Everyone - from the greeters to our server were very prompt and attentive. The manager even checked in to make sure we were well take care of.“

“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 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 !!!!!“

“cordialità,buon cibo e ambiente raffinato“

“2nd visit and again food and service were great. only complaint was they cleared my dessert when I wasn't finished without asking. took that as hint to leave.“

“Spending my evening at a new restaurant in South Park called Il Posto. So far everything I’ve tried is spectacular.“

“This place is absolutely amazing. The service was exceptional and we felt so welcomed. The handmade pasta and dishes are to die for. My husband has the special and I had the pescatore dish followed with dessert. We will definitely be back!“

“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,“

“This is our second time here, and honestly, the standout was the service. We had an amazing server named Derek. At one point, I was moving my pizza off the tray, and it completely flipped onto the floor. I told him I didn’t want another one because we had plenty already. But Derek went ahead and brought me a fresh pizza anyway. The service was absolutely top-notch, and because of that kind of care, I will definitely be back.“

“I had the arancini, pistacchiosa on my first visit. Both were excellent choices. The arancini were well crusted on a delicious ragu bed. I decided not to add any extra parmesian or red pepper in order to enjoy the original flavor of the pistacchiosa. I look forward to returning and trying other items like the risotto and tiramisu. Grazie Trattoria da Sofia for a pleasant experience!“

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

“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.“

“Enjoy the atmosphere and great food.“

“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“

“Outstanding waitress . She was by herself and still managed to keep her cool. Definitely liking this place one thing, the. Chicago beef gravy is way too salty and you guys need to roast the green peppers . pizza was outstanding. Thank you.“

“Best cannoli of my life. This is an absolute must stop in Little Italy.“

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

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

“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.“

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

“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“

“Always a wonderful experience with great food and service! I have loved every thing I’ve tried on the menu. This is our go to place whenever we want tasty and excellent cuisine👏“

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

“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.“

“Went in for Sunday after Christmas for dinner because we had a gift card. It was very busy, but we didn’t have to wait long. We were a party of 9 with 5 kids. Our waiter and waitress were amazing! I think Connor and Lyn are their names The place is very kid friendly. The food was good, but I will be back for the great service alone!. They did a great job taking the kids orders, filling up our drinks, checking in on us, removing the plates and bringing in more breadsticks! It’s rare to get that kind of service anymore. We loved it! Haven’t had such a great service in a while! We won’t be waiting for a gift card to go back. I hope this review helps them bring in costumers so they can get nice tips!“

“Pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. So much delicious food! Chicken plate was fabulous, moist, and seasoned well. The lamb was tender and flavorful. Will be returning.“

“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.“

“.......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.........“

“The pizza is great! It's perfect California style pizza with a medium crust and quality classic toppings. The staff is friendly and those places is really casual. I highly recommended this neighborhood pizza place.“

“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.“

“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.“

“tha best place to eat italy food“

“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.“

“We eat here a few times a month, mostly Sundays, always pep. pizza, been ordering that from Filippis pizzas throughout SD for decades. The ppl at this one in particular are always super nice and they're very hard working. The tall fella in the front, the 2 waitresses, all the unsong heroes in the back, I just wanted to take the time to thank them all. This pizza I got today is probably the best one I ever ate from Filippis haha it was super fluffy, absolutely fantastic.“

“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“

“My Wife and I had one of the nicest evenings at Buona Forchetta on Saturday Night. Our server was Alex and if I can remember a name, she must have done a wonderful job. We shared the "Chef's Choice" pizza for that evening and a salad. My wife and I felt it was one of the best pizza's we have had and the salad serving was plenty for the 2 of us. Atmosphere has a really nice Italian feel to it and some of the pasta dishes that went by our table to other tables looked incredible. We look forward to returning soon. A fine wine selection as well....and do not forget the Gelato.....Really Good!“

“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.“

“I went as a solo traveler and sat at the bar. The staff was so sweet and friendly. They cleared extra space for me so I could order food (it is a pretty small bar area and I get the feeling food is not often served there) the house wine and eggplant parm were so good and again the staff were so mind and warm. Will definitely go again ❤️“

“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.“

“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!!!“