Mediterraneo

Used to come here a lot and thought it was very good but went for Father’s Day brunch and the new ownership seems to be letting things go. We were seated at the far end of the patio and they seemed to forget us taking another table’s drink order first. We also were seated right next to the food and water they leave out for the feral cats which grossed us out. The utensils on the table didn’t look that clean.
Finally they took our drink order and the bloody mary’s were good along with some ice water but again they really took their time taking our order as we watched the closer table getting their food already. If they were more attentive, we could have had a couple of drinks before eating and be happy. Where is the manager? This would have increased the total sale dramatically and the tip.
Some weird stuff on the menu included Ahi Benedict on Hawaiian bread, and they offered both omelets and frittattas which seems redundant but are technically slightly different. The frittatta was not good. Dad had salmon benedict which he seemed to enjoy and Mom and I had the simple two egg breakfast which is foolproof but twice the price of other breakfast joints.
We were disappointed since this place used to be on point and worth the drive to Alpine. Next time, I’ll let the parents drive in to San Diego.

Was a good dining experience. The food was good, wait staff nice, and the restaurant side of the house clean and neat. There was a diverse selection of food including carciofi alla giudia, one of my favorites from Rome which is where I grew up. Of course it was a little Americanized, naturally, to draw in a crowd but well worth it. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

You Must try the sautéed Artichokes.
They are Fantastic.
Great service and phenomenal Pizza.

Went here for the first time in years. It was absolutely DISGUSTING! They completely went down hill, my lasagna was soggy & flavorless, flies in the iced tea (which I used to love!) and the service was horrible — seems like they just did what they want. So sad alpine has no good restaurants, it’s like visiting a ghost town & you have no choice to eat nasty food or else you’ll starve. Lol.

This has to be some of the best food in Alpine! 2 kinds of warm bread with an herbed butter and balsamic/​oil mixture to start goes well with a mango maitai. great sandwiches and salads with excellent service at a very reasonable price! Will be looking forward to trying the dinner options! UPDATE: Tried the dinner… raviolis and the mixed seafood pasta including lobster were excellent!!!

We had great food and great service. Michael was great and fun!

Went for happy hour on Friday April 29, 2016. The 2 of us gals sat at the bar and ordered 1 drink each (we were not offered a menu), saw a few folks sitting in the area to the right of the bar ordering from a gal, so asked female bartender if we could move there, she said sure, (another patron handed us menus) and off we went. We sat and slightly opened the blinds, same bartender who told us we could move ran over and immediately closed the blinds stating the sun blinds the folks in the bar… OK…whatever!
Finally ordered from the HH menu, pizza and the recommended «hand made» meatballs. Food was delivered and that was the last we saw of a server or bartender. The pizza was ok, but the meatballs were raw inside and disgusting. Waited for someone to come, first to order another drink, and secondly, to send back the uncooked meatballs, no one came. While waiting I walked out to the parking lot to access the ATM, came back, still no one appeared. We had to go to the bar to get the check and return our uncooked gross meatballs (to make sure they were removed from the check). Paid and told the bartender how unhappy we were with the lack of service, she said there was no wait staff to serve us, and that they were so busy with the bar because of the bar and restaurant (only 2 bartenders ??). So guess we won’t be going back, especially to the bar for HH. Wish bartender would have told us that there was no wait staff in that area to serve us and we would have stayed at the bar. But we were 2 ladies, not men… This is sad, there is not a large selection of places in Alpine, and they could really make a killing if they had better service, and cooked meatballs!

Beautiful, cozy place! Bartender Mike was so nice and kindly. Food was amazing! We’ll coming back there!

We had several glasses of wine and chicken Parmesan. The service was fast and polite and the chicken parm was some of the best I ever had.

This amazing little restaurant is my jewel. I have been coming to Medeterraneo for years. The food is presented creatively and it tastes as delicious as it looks, the wine selection is excellent and the staff is so personable and authentic. My kiddo and I come here for our «date nights» after a busy week to spend time together and eat a great meal. Each and every time we are greeted by welcoming staff who recognize us, know that my little guy loves lemonade and I like a specific red wine. They bring us crayons so we can play while we eat. And when I come with adult company I feel just as relaxed and welcomed. From pizza to seafood, burgers, and fish to pasta, the food is so soooooo good. Ironically, I used to believe that to have a great meal at a quality restaurant, I had to visit La Jolla, Little Italy or Downtown, but sometimes it takes a little drive East-​ward to experience a place that is even better!

Not too many dining choices in alpine and now down one more for me. Went on a Saturday night and they were busy. We were seated in the back bar area. We waited over 45 minutes for our food, while tables around us seated later were served. When our food finally did arrive it was obvious it had been sitting a long while and just forgotten. The fish was lukewarm and on lukewarm mashed potatoes, not the fingerling as ordered. The pasta was barely warm and curdled, both victims of heat lamp. My crespella, which was very hot, at least the plate, was obviously run under broiler to heat as whatever sauce left on it was dried and brown.
Really would have been nice to have an apology or excuse or even an acknowledgement of something gone astray with our order. Maybe comp a glass of wine or something, but by the time we got it we were hungry and tired of waiting. We ate some and took the rest home.
One star service, but the food had potential thus the 2 star review.

I can literally count on two fingers the number of times I’ve been IN Alpine. Not just driving through or stopping for something other than gas. I’ve live in SD county for decades and for whatever reason it is not a place I frequent. It took an invite from a friend who moved there for me to venture into the great north east of SD county. After a few hours hanging out at his ranch it was time for dinner. I’m thinking what’s «Alpine» cuisine? Is it just country cooking? BBQ? Is there Ethnic food? A Panda Express? So when my friend said there is an Italian place as good as any found in downtown I turned all Luke Skywalker and screamed «That’s not true! That’s impossible!»
Well dress me up in a skirt and call me Sophia! I sure was wrong! How do you say «I’m a close-​minded recluse and need to get out more» in Italian? By the ghost of Pavarotti this was some great Italian food! Ironically, my wife and I had just been to one of our usual (read been going there for decades) Italian haunts near La Jolla the previous day. We both left Meditteraneo thinking «This was soooo much better.»
Calamari– A generous portion of squid. As you know what makes or breaks is that coating. Does it have any flavor? Does it fall apart on you? Hell YES! Hell NO! It comes with a well crafted marinara sauce. A tiny bit of heat. I regret talking my friend out of ordering two of them. Trying to watch my girlish figure. Curse you holiday lbs!
My wife and I shared a meal (CURSE YOU F-​ING HOLIDAY LBS!). We shared a salad and chicken marsala. Now chicken marsala is my wife’s absolute favorite Italian dish so she is darn critical about it. She loved it and cursed ME for sharing. Tender chicken breast with a dazzling Marsala sauce. Mix with mash potatoes and feel your toes curl in ecstasy. We also shared a fresh spinach salad. What amazed me was the mix ins of pomegranate, oranges, mushrooms, and avocado slices. The grilled chicken that came without was cooked perfectly. My wife was very skeptical when I chose it but I love spinach. A refreshing pomegranate vinaigrette dressing ties it all in. I must proudly say she loved it and we both agreed it was one of the best salads we’ve ever had. Easily could have eaten a whole. I loved how the kitchen automatically split each dish into two plates for us instead of us having to do it ourselves. Our server was very friendly and patient. I loved how she and the other staff fawned over my friend’s super duper cute toddler. Really gave a personal family air to our dinner.
Daughter A ordered the Capellini alla Checca. Angel hair pasta with fresh diced tomatoes, roasted garlic, and basil. It was a huge portion. I expected her to have leftovers but between her hearty appetite and just how good she thought it was, she just destroyed it. The only leftover were the tomatoes. I had the honor of finishing those and they were so good.
Daughter B ordered the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. To my surprise she wanted something «different.» I like gnochhi so suggested it. How dangerous could this be? House-​made potato dumplings with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil. She liked it for a while. She found the dumplings too heavy and there was a lot so I understand her not finishing. They tasted good but a smaller portion or something else to break it up would have been better.
For sweets I ordered a café mocha which was great. There were other heavenly desserts. A molten lava cake. Fresh mango sorbet. Some sort of chocolate special that my pal got but I was kind enough not to pick at. I think I’ve embarrassed my family enough with my Unilocal antics at the table. No need to annoy my friends.
Mediteranneo really struck a chord with me. The combination of food that could easily stand up to the scrutiny of the downtown Little Italy setting and the calm rustic surroundings of Alpine makes this a «gotta get back to» place for me.

Stoked to have a «New» cuisine in town that isnt the 10^th of 9 taco shops, we were moved twice by the staff to cram us closer and closer into the already tiny dining area, for the reason they openly admitted was so they wouldnt have to clean two areas. which is kinda exactly the opposite of why i choose a
sorry we inconvenienced your staff, didnt even make it to the menu. We wont be back. Hello Alpine taco shop!

I’ve been to this restaurant many times over the years, and since it’s quite a drive from San Diego, I’ve always considered it a treat to go up and have lunch or dinner. Sadly, today’s trip will be my last, as it’s just not the same since the new owners took over.
We drove all the way up today (in the rain!) for a lovely late lunch and had a coupon from the Entertainment book, but was informed that they will no longer honor them. That was very disappointing, so instead of ordering one of the pasta dishes, we decided to go with the less expensive Mediterranean wrap. We felt that they should have honored the coupon since it was still valid and because of our long drive, and the very wet weather.
But on top of that, the service was very slow, even though it wasn’t really that busy (because of the weather and lateness — it was ~1:30pm). She took at least 10mins to come to our table to say hello and give us menus, and then left for another 10−15mins. Our service for the rest of our meal was also slow, or she forgot things.
It’s unfortunate that great restaurants can’t stay the same forever, but I guess these days that’s not possible. The end of an era. :(

I had these folks cater and event for 70 people at our home and the execution was flawless. I do need to say that we are in the restaurant industry so we are definitely more critical than most and they pulled it off.

Love the atmosphere and of course, the FOOD! My first impression when I walked into the restaurant was how nicely set up it was. The service is excellent– you can tell they truly enjoy their business. I ordered gnocchi and it was delicious! My grandmother tried it and said it tasted just like how her father used to make it– it passed the authenticity test. For dessert, we got their chocolate molten cake, canoli, crème brûlée and espresso gelato. Everything was perfect. My grandfather (an avid canoli eater) gave two thumbs up to the canolis. They don’t have chocolate chips in them! haha
Overall a very quality restaurant restaurant. Can’t wait to try their brunch!

Excellent food with excellent waitress — she was a gem, is the Granddaughter of the chef.
We had a wrap, a panini, and an Italian salad — all superb; the cheesecake was the best we have ever had at a restaurant! The crème brûlée also excellent! Although we live 86 miles north we will definitely be back — what a find!

My girlfriend and I came here when some friends were raving about how good the Italian food was here. Many people in San Diego feel that they need to go to Little Italy for authentic Italian fare, but what to do if you’re out east? In my opinion, Mediterraneo far surpasses some of those restaurants in downtown and Little Italy.
When you arrive we were greeted by Enzo, the restaurant’s Owner. We were informed that the venue is recently under new ownership and authenticity is what they’re striving for. The head chef is this sweet little old lady from Italy, where you can tell by her presence in the kitchen that she demands nothing but the best from her kitchen staff. I ordered the Lasagna and my girlfriend had the ravioli. We asked our server if anything was store bought and were extremely delighted to hear that everything is made in house since the new ownership took place.
The lasagna I got was amazing, with portion sized to satisfy anyone’s appetite. The meat sauce was perfectly seasoned and the lasagna noodles were on point. My girlfriends ravioli was perfectly aL dente the cheese was nicely balanced… definitely recommend these two dishes to first timers! If anyone has ever made lasagna or ravioli from scratch they know how tedious and time consuming it can be…
The dessert we got was Mama’s cheesecake, probably one of THE best I’ve ever had. I’m a big fan of The Cheesecake Factory’s cakes, but this one that Mama made, makes me reconsider my preferred cheesecake venue…
All in all you won’t be disappointed with the food and service you receive at Mediterraneo. It is pretty much my standard for great itialian food in SD now.

Excellent food and Service
Delicious Italian Cuisine
A must visit for lunch or dinner
Outside Seating
Carol Lovejoy

I have been here once many years ago and I thought that is worth a visit again.
I love to focus on the «good» first so here we go:
We ordered Med wrap and Crespelle alla Fiorentina. The portions were large; the Med wrap consisted of grilled chicken and lettuce with their signature dressing. The order came with garlic fries which was very delicious.
The Crespelle alla Fiorentina was prepared with house made crepes filled with spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. The description mentioned béchamel so I had to look that up which was described on the internet as a rich white sauce made with milk infused with herbs and other flavorings. I like it and it was very satisfying.
Now let us touch on the «opportunites»:
The food: the wrap was on the dry side so I would recommend asking for extra dressing so you can dip the wrap or add the dressing as you eat.
The service: the place wasn’t crowded so I am sure that the wait staff was multi-​tasking. There was a sign at the entrance that states «Please wait to be seated». We waited and waited and waited and finally the lady behind the bar said «sit wherever you want». We were about to find a table ourselves but a gentleman said, no let me show me to your table.
The server was the same lady behind the bar; I asked her what she can tell me about the Crespelle alla Fiorentina. She basically read the description on the menu, hmmmm. We got our appetizer and we did not get utensils not until after we were done. I do believe that the service makes a difference.
Ambiance: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2.5
Overall: 3.5