Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant

Well done Nicolosi’s staff. Everyone was very polite, helpful, and the food was outstanding. Now I know why you’ve been in business for so long. I will definitely be returning. Some of the best Italian food in San Diego.

Just wanted to share this from a visit last night. Had a salad with chicken. I asked the server «is it sliced, whole, chopped?» she said it’s sliced. Well turns out it’s chopped, and I don’t like it when chicken breast is chopped because I’m afraid I’m going to get a big piece of mushy fat in my mouth and that’s such a turn off for me. Hubby ate all my chicken, again. This is the second time in one day that happened to me, I need to either become a vegetarian already or get used to mushy meat fat.

Best Lobster Mac & Cheese!!! Their pizzas are to die for and their food is the best Italian I’ve ever had! Affordable prices, very quick and polite service. This location is great because it has good parking. You gotta stop by and try it for yourself if you’re in the San Carlos area.

Amazing food !!! Great staff !!! I love the BBQ chicken pizza it’s one of my favorites along with the egg plant parm first ever having it and I am hooked …

Went here for dinner on a Sunday night. It was easy to park, although the place was packed. The place seems to have a lot of regulars. The waitress was polite and the booth was comfortable. The food was good, but I thought the pastas were slightly overpriced for the quality.

First time ever coming here and unfortunately my last time… food was ok, but service was dreadful during the holidays! Every table had dishes on it, and only 2 waitresses working… not enough help at all on a Saturday! Ugh!

I came here because I got a groupon, but I’ll never be back. The food was horrible. My soup came out cold so I asked the server for a hot bowl and she said «no problem I’ll have them throw it back in the microwave for you». So most of their food is probably microwaved, it definitely tastes like it.

Showed up with a groupon that listed (not for use on federal holidays) Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday by the way… look it up.

The food here is amazing! The Nicolosi’s pizza and the lasagne are to die for… hands down the best ever. However; the cannoli seals the deal. Best one I have ever had in San Diego. Service is slow… I don’t recommend it if you are in a hurry… but in the end, it was all worth it!!!

Good
*Caprese
*Bread
Bad
*Slow service
*Bland food (spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, shrimp pasta)
*Prices way too high for the quality of food
*Loud (wasn’t that busy), bad acoustics
We live very close and are not pleased. We came once when they moved in and were underwhelmed. We decided to come back and give them another chance just in case it was bad luck.
We will not return.

This restaurant moved in to where an all time favorite seafood place used to be (The Fish Merchant). I wish the Fish Merchant was still there.
I tried the Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich, very poorly prepared. Soggy eggplant that appeared to have been deep fat fried, and the sandwich was way over stuffed with it — what is with that? A sandwich is a sandwich, not a vehicle to deliver gobs of poorly prepared ingredients.

Just got home from a lovely luncheon/​Baby Shower at Nicolosi’s Del Cerro location. The food was great as usual and the entire staff was friendly and helpful. Catering Manager Jennifer did a wonderful job assisting me in organizing a menu for our luncheon and helped organize the space and seating.
We were able to use the small banquet room for our party of 23. They had created a fixed menu for my guests to choose from and were able to cater the options to my liking, as well as provide an added dessert option. The half portions were generous enough to fill everyone up, and there were tons of raves about the cheese cake dessert.
Huge Thanks to Jennifer and her team for making our event run smoothly from start to finish!

The food was pretty good, but the service was spectacular!
Two thumbs up to our waitress. It was our first time eating here, so she brought us complimentary garlic bread. It was so yummy (and we were so hungry) that we filled up on this before our meals came. When our entrees came, we could barely eat any.
Anywho, our waitress was so friendly and attentive the entire time! I was very impressed!

Like an old friend, Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant can always be relied upon. Tonight our refrigerator was running low on dinner food. Outdoor temperatures are sweaty hot so I really didn’t want to BBQ. Hey, get a takeout dinner from Nicolosi’s! Instead of phoning this time I decided to try the online ordering function. The application was easy to navigate. 30 minutes later I walked into Nicolosi’s, was greeted immediately, stated I had placed an online order and the staff member said my order was ready. The staff member brought my order from the kitchen, noted that I had paid online and said I was good to go. Of course I left a tip for their always prompt and friendly service. Ah, now I’m at home enjoying a wonderful large antipasto salad accompanied by my own wine. Ciao!

Disclosures: First time eating here. I like Italian (why would you eat at an ITALIAN restaurant, if you didn’t?). I used a Groupon deal. ($ 18 for $ 30 dinner.)
Other reviews comments: I don’t know why the reviews don’t like the atmosphere. The ambiance is certainly what I like about smaller (aka not chains) restaurants… down to earth, local place, servers are personable and seem genuinely happy. …and of course there’s regulars… isn’t there everywhere??? There was even that stereotype regular, who talks so loud everyone hears him. There were a couple dates happening with beer and/​or wine. You can only laugh and smile. Very welcoming atmosphere.
I had the Chicken Marsala, my girlfriend had the Manicotti. We both had ice water so I can’t comment on the drinks. However I absolutely LOVED the fact that the wine/​beer list had prices and they seemed reasonable. That’s a rare occurrence, right? Usually you ask or are shocked when you get the bill. They also have a full bar… so… :)
Our salads arrived quickly, along with some butter & bread. Nice portions. Very fresh and tasty.
Our meals also arrived in an expected amount of time. Piping hot and large portions.
It was certainly a lot of food. After seeing how good the sauce looked (homemade?) I sort of wished I ordered the Chicken Parm… next time, I guess. I did think that my marsala had a lot of spaghetti for the amount of chicken (2 nice big seasoned breasts! YUMM!), as with marsala, there’s not much sauce, per say. She was fine with hers, as it had plenty of sauce to spare. We both ended up with togo boxes and I never complain when there’s too much good food. :)
After my discount, our total came to $ 8, so I agree with the «$$» rating. Waitresses were very polite and service was excellent. A well deserved 20% tip, cash of course. :)
*NOTE* I would like to add… whenever you grab a Groupon or Unilocal deal, please don’t forget to tip on full amount… not the discounted amount. Tip for service and quality.
Overall, I’d say try it out!!! …don’t forget to look for a deal. ;)

I came here for the first time to spot on Navajo Road. Plenty of parking very easy to find.
It is just as I expected, has that family owned atmosphere. The place was very clean and the waiter was so helpful.
We came at lunch seated immediately and felt the warm welcome.
The lunch specials come with soup or salad and a beverage.
We started out with the Italian Wedding Soup, I was not disappointed. It was full of flavor had plenty of lil meatballs. It was seasoned perfectly. A definite must have.
We split an individual Pepperoni Pizza the crust was soft and crunchy, the sauce was very full of flavor it was loaded with cheese and the pepperoni were cooked to perfection.
We also split the lasagna it was a half order and it was plenty full of cheese and the sauce was so yummy!
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for authentic Italian food. Keep in mind this is a family establishment it is very humble.

Murphy and his infamous laws must have been in charge the night we ate at Nicolosi’s in San Carlos; in celebration of our son’s 37^th birthday. We checked the restaurant out online previously, but forgot to look at Unilocal; a mistake. This place’s attractive, nicely-​worded website gave a great impression, along with its scrumptious-​looking photos; of course they’re going to promote a positive image.
It all started when I called to make reservations. The girl who answered immediately asked if I had called the right number, suggesting I meant to call their El Cajon location instead. Strange?!? I assured her that I hadn’t made a mistake; whereupon, I made 7:00 PM reservations two days in advance for our son’s upcoming Sunday evening birthday celebration dinner.
Our daughter and her husband couldn’t get a babysitter, and so asked if I would change the time to 6:00 PM so they could bring their young daughter. When I called to change the time, a different person answered. She looked up our reservations on their computer but couldn’t find them, since the other person hadn’t even recorded them! So, she went ahead and booked our reservation (again) for 6:00. I stressed that the occasion was a birthday celebration for our son, and to please make a note of it. Most restaurants do something a little special in honor of the birthday guest, like a free dessert.
We arrived right on time, only to find that they hadn’t bothered to place a reserve sign on a table for our party, which was another discourtesy. We ordered Cokes and water for drinks. I then asked about their coffee. Being a coffee connoisseur I’m adverse to drinking the typical weak restaurant stuff. The server said theirs was a special blend, would make a fresh pot, and bring me a sample to try. The promised coffee sample was good, but didn’t actually arrive until an hour later… while our meal was almost finished. Go figure.
We then ordered Calamari and Wings for appetizers. The wings were tasty, but definitely not fully done, the meat sticking to the bones. Meanwhile, the tiny bits of Calamari were hard to locate, being embedded in generous amounts of fried batter. We figured our main course meals would arrive a little later, so had our son open his gifts in the interim.
Our orders didn’t come all together, as is customary, but arrived spaced out at intervals. Consequently, we didn’t get to eat together as a family, but more like piecemealing. One whole hour had passed before my son’s and my order arrived (I checked my watch). I had ordered their «famous» authentic Sicilian lasagna. My birthday-​son ordered chicken cacciatore. By that time the rest of our family was almost finished eating. I was getting quite perturbed by then at the horrible service, but tried not to spoil the occasion for the rest of us.
I asked our server why things were so slow, but she had no answer. Other guests who had come after us had already eaten and were leaving. Incidentally, my «famous» lasagna was a real disappointment, being noticeably bland, undersized, and sparse on ingredients. I’ve tasted better in frozen dinners, literally. Fortunately, my son seemed to enjoy his chicken cacciatore.
In retrospect, I feel it wasn’t all our server’s fault, as much as it was an overall thing, i.e., the kitchen staff and the management. This can be the ruination of a potentially good eating establishment if not corrected.
To add insult to injury, our $ 100-​plus bill arrived without any mention of our son’s birthday. This was our original intent in choosing their establishment; having been careful to tell them so when I made the reservation. Asking the server about the birthday celebration scenario, she exclaimed that no one had so much as mentioned it to her.
To her credit, she made quick amends by bringing a gratis cheesecake dessert for our son as she attempted a couple bars of «Happy Birthday.» By the time we left, nearly two and a half hours had transpired (6:00 to 8:30). I was definitely not a happy camper and said as much to our server as we exited the place. Nevertheless, I tipped her well to show our appreciation.
Although I was chafing inside at the poor service we had received, I usually try to give others the benefit of the doubt. I certainly hope this isn’t representative of the way this establishment treats all of their guests. The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth… ugh, I can still recall the bland lasagna.
It’s another typical example of inexperienced, unqualified management. I’ve eaten at their Waring Road place in the past and don’t remember it being like this. Would I recommend this restaurant to others? Let me think about that… I was thoroughly disappointed on the special occasion we went there for, our son’s 37^th birthday.
UPDATE: My wife recently broached the subject of our Nicolosi’s experience with me. She is usually quite easy to please but wasn’t at all impressed with both the food and the service in general; seconding my own thoughts.
RM

I like this place! Always have friendly service. I eat gluten free so my review is for only part of the menu, but the GF pizza is great. Also anti pasta salad is great and you can definitely share.
The only down sides are the environment & prices. I think that they should remodel the place as soon as possible. Very senior-​like feeling. I would like to see an actual bar area with an actual bar. They have the area– its just set up badly. Then also have it separated from the restaurant. The bar is very make-​shift type, extremely uninviting. And the cocktails are over priced for what they are giving you. I’d like to see great happy hour deals for food and drinks.
I would then sit in bar area, have a few drinks, and eat some pizza and watch some sports– if it was better priced and more inviting for there is zero bars in this area, and the market is there to have an area like that. Right now the front of the restaurant is just unused & oddly set up.

The ambiance leaves much to be desired. Has a «senior» kind of feel…
The service was pretty standard.
The food:
Caesar salad (what we came for… We decided on a light dinner since brunch was so heavy) — over dressed but decent flavors.
Trio sampler appetizer –
Buffalo calamari — perfectly crispy on the outside and lightly chewy yet tender on the inside. Interesting dish for a family-​owned Italian restaurant, but so good!
Cheesy garlic bread — about what you’d expect.
Mozzarella sticks — again, perfectly crispy. They’ve got the fryer down.
Italian Wedding soup (our side w/​the entrée) — light and good but could have used a little salt/​seasoning.
Pasta trio –
Cheese (2) and meat (2) ravioli, meat lasagna, and spaghetti — all cooked PERFECTLY, nice simple flavors. The raviolis were my favorite.
Meatballs (2) — didn’t try them but the boys enjoyed them. They were big!
All in all, a solid, no frills Italian place.

The last time I ate at Nicolosi’s was at their previous location off Waring Rd. That location had a ton of personality, and proudly displayed artifacts from my alma mater, SDSU. It was always a fun place to visit. The current location is a bit more staid. The Navajo Road’s décor is neo-​classical Italian, but somewhat lacking in atmosphere. Not a bad thing, just an observation. It was quiet enough for private conversation, certainly a plus.
Our server was the delightfully irrepressible Pamela D., who provided us with top flight service throughout our meal.
My wife and I decided to share the Garlic Cheese Bread appetizer ($ 7.00) and the 8 slices were delicious, with lotsa mozza on nicely garlicked bread. We also decided on beer, $ 9.00 schooners of Riverwalk and Peroni. Both were cold and refreshing. The heavy glass schooners were room temp, though. Cold schooners would have been far more appropriate.
Her entrée was Linguine With Clams ($ 17.50), and she loved it. I was eventually granted a morsel, and found it to be very good. The portion size was generous, and the number of clams was just right for the portion. Also included was a bowl of minestrone soup, which she liked.
My entrée was Gnocchi Parmesan ($ 17), a nicely sized entrée. I chose the green salad with Italian dressing (of course!), and the dressing was tangy, but the croutons looked and tasted out-​of-​a-​package. The gnocchi was acceptably chewy, typical of potato-​based pasta. But It was lacking in flavor, despite being bathed in a garlic butter reduction and topped with ricotta, romano and mozzarella cheeses. But somehow, it just needed more zing. It was bland, close to boring.
As an aside, I noted with some disappointment that Gorgonzola cheese cannot be found on the current menu. That’s lamentable. Also banished is the presentation of complementary cheeses, Italian meats, and crackers. It’s a shame that such an obvious cost-​cutting measure has been taken.
Why not four stars? Well, when you look out the window you see Navajo Road, not Prospect Street or India Street. And yet, the pricing is more like what you would expect in La Jolla or Little Italy. Heck, Nicolosi’s next door neighbor is Keil’s Market, which is next to a corner gas station. I think the prices are too high for this location and the quality of the food.
It was A-​OK, but priced for the wrong zip code.