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 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.“

“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.“

“Randee is great! I’ve been coming here for a couple of years and the customer service is always solid. I came in about 10 minutes before closing and Randee was already starting to close up, but he still took my order without any issue. I told him my hungry girlfriend sent me, and he got straight to work. Really appreciate the great service.“

“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“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“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“

“Enjoy the atmosphere and great food.“

“nice place and very good and taste“

“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👏“

“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“

“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.“

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

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

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

“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“

“Food: they have the menu pretty dialed in. Mid price range and pretty good. We get the take home meals for 6 bucks or whatever sometimes, not a bad price there.

Atmosphere: nice big spaces. Bathrooms and tables are always clean. Dean Martin type music in the bathroom lol.

Server: never had bad service. Treygan was awesome tonight.“

“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.“

“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.“

“.......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.........“

“Same great flavor! Brought back some great childhood memories!“

“It's great thin crust pizza! You can't beat the prices either.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 ❤️“

“Sandwiches are incredible! The lasagna is out of this world! Pizzas are the best! Service was amazing! GREAT PLACE!! If you have never tried, just go!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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!!!“