Well seasoned meatballs!!! Staff is awesome Laid back but has an elevated feel to it as well. Came for dinner, they have delicious appetizers The artichoke is sooooo good. I'd come here just for that because it was perfect. Lasagna is great. Everything was seasoned to perfection. Enough salt, garlic and pepper just how I like it. Owner, manager, and waiters were so professional and helpful. Will be back !! read more

Thanks (again) to Yelp for guiding us to Alice's (pronounced ah/ LEE'tchee's)! Service was friendly and welcoming from the start (love their Italian accents!). We chose to dine outside, in their covered patio, where we enjoyed glasses of wine and, the following: - Garlic Bread ($7.95) - served with a delicious, chunky marinara sauce (loved it!); - Penne Puttanesca ($22.25) - I enjoyed the texture of the pasta; however, the sauce was overly tangy for my preference; - Penne Prosciutto Funghi ($22.50) - hubby absolutely loved his dish; full of flavors and textures -- comfort-food worthy (I'd initially considered ordering this dish)! Great find, and one we'd look forward to returning to when in this area. read more

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Wow! Was not expecting the food to be that amazing. Having been to Sicily and Italy, this place is the real deal. I had rigatoni with Italian Sausage, red onion and eggplant. It was incredibly. Husband loved his classics spaghetti with meatballs. Service was amazing too! They were really on top of it and incredibly friendly, We loved the patio that allowed us to bring our fur family along too. I will definitely be back!! read more

Just had a fantastic dinner at Alice's. The food is delicious (excellent pasta dishes - fresh pasta, and cooked perfectly), and the staff (Carlo, etc.) are welcoming and kind. While there are many Italian restaurants in Encinitas, few are authentic, and this is one of them. Will definitely go back to try their other dishes. read more

You can tell it's a true Italian restaurant. Wonderful flavors in every dish we had. Service was kind and attentive. Really enjoyed our time. Thank you read more

Gourmet, authentic Italian food behind a Rubio's with a parking lot view. Count. Me. In. This restaurant is a gem. And if you think it's a secret, you're wrong. It fills up quickly. The food is fantastic. It's totally authentic. The ingredients are crazy fresh. The staff is Italian, will speak to you in Italian, and will make you feel like you're famiglia. The bruschetta with prosciutto and bufala (mozz) is wonderful as an appetizer. The carbonara entree is rich, creamy, and worth every damn calorie. I would have licked my plate at home. The chocolate salami dessert--yes, it's a real thing--was unusual but very flavorful. Don't worry, it just looks like salami. I doubt there is a bad dish here. I would gladly work myself through the entire menu. Now, that's a great restaurant. read more

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This is my first time at this restaurant and I was looking for something else, but I ended up staying here and the owner was so delightful. I had had some dental surgery so I needed something easy to eat and they made me the best angel hair pasta with pesto sauce and spinach with some chicken. It was delicious. I will be back. Thank you. read more

Ooooweee what a tasty meal we enjoyed at this quaint restaurant. The young man working around the restaurant greeted us and seated us right away. We ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and the cheese ravioli with bolognese sauce. I didn't love the ravioli, but the sauce is delicious. The fettuccine Alfredo was AMAZING and I was happy hubby didn't mind sharing that with me. This is definitely worth visiting and I'm so glad we did. read more

Alice's Italian Gourmet - Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Ok service, put is in corner w reservations ,they said they all tables were taken, then I saw 3 groups come in w no reservations and they were seated Right away... the food was mediocre, bread was ok, spaghetti was undercooked... disappointed!! read more

I haven't had Italian food this good since I moved to California -- and I've been looking. Alice's Italian Gourmet (pronounced "Ah-lee-chee's") blew me away from start to finish. We started with the calamari, and it was spot on -- perfectly tender inside with just the right crisp on the outside. The marinara it came with wasn't just a side sauce -- it had depth, richness, and tasted like it had been slow-simmered for hours. The garlic bread? Golden, crunchy, and seasoned to perfection. My wife ordered the lasagna, and I barely got a bite before she devoured it -- cheesy, balanced, and clearly homemade. I went for the gnocchi special of the day -- pillowy gnocchi served with mushrooms and sausage in a sauce that honestly tasted like a hidden family recipe. Every bite was rich but not heavy -- truly satisfying. We finished with the tiramisu, which was beautifully light and airy. It had just enough espresso flavor to make it authentic, but not overpowering -- which is perfect for someone like me who isn't big on strong coffee. It was the perfect ending to an incredible meal. Service was warm, welcoming, and attentive without being overbearing -- the kind of place that makes you feel like family from the moment you walk in. If you're craving real Italian and want a spot that lives up to the hype, this is it. Alice's is the hidden gem I didn't know I needed -- and I'll be back. Often. read more

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Absolutely delicious Italian restaurant run by an Italian couple. The food is so good- we tried cannelloni, pasta alla Norma Service is wonderful and the owners are usually there in and out of the kitchen and checking in at tables. Love this little gem for great Italian food. read more

The Alice Italian the food is ok is not bad is not good the price to high the service is ok not great

The owner is a very friendly Italian man who always greets us with a smile and seems genuinely happy to see us. The portions are generous and delicious, and every time I ask for small changes to the dish, they're happy to accommodate. Even when I request extra toppings like Parmesan, they gladly add it with a smile. The food arrives fairly quickly, the service is excellent, and everything tastes grea read more

Wowowowowow my family and I come back to this restaurant all the time. Authentic good quality food with great portions. The staff is family owned and makes us feel like apart of it when we eat here. The restaurant is clean and just suchhh good food. Thank you thank you thank you read more

Alice's Italian Gourmet - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

We tried Alice's for the first time and loved it! The staff was fabulous, seats were comfortable, and food was delicious! I had chicken picatta with spaghetti and the pasta was al dente. Definitely fresh! Great wines, and we'll be back! read more

Owner was welcoming! Restaurant only had a couple of other tables occupied. Server was accommodating. However, I had my heart set on the chicken cutlet and was promptly told they were out of the cutlet. It was only 5:00 and they were already out of the cutlet? So, that was disappointing. Anyhoo. Artichokes were good. Caesar salad was good. Chicken Piccata was good. read more

Came in with a large group and was very displeased with them . Several people ordered some left early and payed and their food was never taken off bill. They didn't make it easy to get it rectified. read more

Excellent authentic Italian food. Loved everything we ordered, including the house Chianti. Inside and outside dining. Be sure to make a reservation. read more

Had dinner here on our quick trip to San Diego. This place is truly a hole in the wall restaurant. An Italian family owns and runs this restaurant and they were all so sweet and kind during our dinner service. We were even the last ones at the restaurant for that night and they were so nice to not rush our dinner. I had their night special squid ink pasta and it was so good! We also shared a salad and garlic bread that was also delicious, I'll definitely come back here when I'm back in the area read more

Just go! This is a must! We were just visiting and decided to drive out of our way to try! To start we were treated with excellent service the entire time! It didn't disappoint! We started with the caprese and the pesto on the side was such a nice touch! Every dish was perfect! The carbonara was a superb! Highly recommend! The best I've ever had. I also had the nightly special of rosemary and garlic chicken pancetta in a white wine sauce was also delicious! And to finish it off the Tiramisu was soooo perfect! A huge serving! read more

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The food was good -- we ordered an appetizer and a pasta, and both were flavorful and well prepared. The kitchen clearly knows what it's doing. Unfortunately, the service completely detracted from the experience. We arrived an hour before closing, which should have been ample time for a relaxed meal. While the restaurant was full when we arrived, by the time our pasta was served there was only one other table remaining. At that point, the staff began stacking chairs around the dining room -- including directly next to our table -- and even turned off the heat while we were still eating. No one checked on us to ask how our meal was or whether we needed anything. The message was very clear: they wanted us gone. Good food does not excuse poor hospitality. The lack of basic courtesy and professionalism made what should have been an enjoyable evening feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. read more

We have been wanting to try this place for a long time and finally made it there. Atmosphere is pretty basic and nothing special. The Mista salad was a miss. Lettuce looked like it came out of a big bag with some rotting pieces, dressing lacked flavor. My wife ordered the spaghetti with eggplant and sausage and it was good. I ordered the Fettucine with Vodka sauce and shrimp. There were some fettucine noodles stuck together and the sauce was heavy on the cream and not enough tomato but it was tasty but would not order again. For some reason Fettucine is $2 extra. Prices are not cheap and I would expect better for $80 for two people. We paid with cash since using a credit card was another 3% extra. This is still probably one of the better Italian places in the area and might return. The service was good. read more

Quaint spot serving up pretty good food. Best bet for seating is outside. The service is mostly hit with some misses. Good selection of wines by the glass at reasonable prices. The house Chianti is especially good. We ordered fried calamari 3.5/5, carbonara 4/5, pollo piccata 4/5, and cannolis 3.5/5. Pretty solid, but a bit overrated. read more

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I have already wrote about Alice's back 2018 but I needed to write about them again. So, yesterday I called to make reservations for two and was telling the guy that answered what time I wanted the reservation and he hung up on me ! WTF ! I called back and he picked up the phone and I said I was trying to make reservations but you hung up on me only for him to say " I don't know what happened." I made the reservations for 6:00pm. We got there at 6:00 pm and the waiter that greeted us told me after I told him I had a reservation that they do NOT take reservations for just two people. I said really ? So, the guy I talked to on the phone doesn't know his job ! No answer. We sat and ordered. I will speed this up for you. The two dishes we got were good. We both liked the dishes we got. I will still stay this place is worth going but the only downside is that its in a parking lot and you don't have a real restaurant feel to it when you are inside. It feels like a fast food joint not a real restaurant but that is my opinion. For date night its best to go somewhere like Villa Capri for example. Alice's is and would be better for lunch date not a dinner date. Again, my opinion. So, that's it . read more

Very delicious Italian food- you know it's good because it's an Italian immigrant family that runs the restaurant since 2017 - the father and sons work there and the patrons speak Italian! The food was authentic- will be back! The calamari was fried perfectly and not greasy at all- ate it quickly and forgot to take photos! read more

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I love Alice's! Tiny family place in somewhat hidden location. Three generations work there & they use Grandma's recipes! Have brought many folks there. They've all loved it. read more

Used to live nearby when they first opened. So incredibly happy this place survived the pandemic! Be sure the try the carbonara!

The pasta with Italian sausage was very good, the Mista salad was ok. The cannoli desert was just ok. My friend had chicken parmesan and it was good. However the dinner was on the pricey side for the setting which is off a parking lot. I was looking for exceptional Italian food but with more value. For these prices they should move to another location and provide better ambience in my opinion. read more

The pasta primavera was so/so. I prefer Tratoria Truli in downtown Encinitas but these guys tried. The place was packed on a Saturday evening. We decided not to wait and ordered it to go. The sause was ok, but I prefer arrabbiata sauce. The amount in the single order was not as much as Tratoria Truli and it was slightly more expensive. It's worth a try if you're in Encinitas. I am reviewing based on one takeout order. My wife ate there with friends a few weeks ago and thought it was good though she also prefers Tratoria Truli. read more

1st it's hot inside no air 2nd long term wait 3rd the penne al salmon was so salty we were thinking or expecting to get a piece of salmon on top or on the side of the penne However you got little pieces that was so salty The asparagus was hard and stringy you couldn't chew it was tough like hay ! read more

Authentic genuine! I can't emphasize how much I enjoyed our meal everything was straight out of the old country. I had carbonara and it was exquisite. Very reasonably priced I might add. We will definitely be back! read more

Some of the most amazing and authentic Italian food I've had in a while. Wonderful service, exceptional food. Beautiful plating. I had the chicken piccata and a side of pasta. Absolutely delicious read more

Alice's Italian Gourmet - Chicken Picatta with vegetables - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

Easily my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego! Their pasta is out of this world. I can't help but not get the penne vodka every single time I come here. It's the best I've ever had! The zucchini appetizer is another dish I get every time. If you're able to get there for lunch, their sausage sandwich is insane. Super good quality sausage and bread. read more

Not sure what is going on. I called Alice's to place an order. The web site says they are open until 2:00. It rang and rang and suddenly "voice mail is full" came on. No message "were closed" , message at all. I checked the web site again, confirmed it was open and drove to the restaurant. Turns out the restaurant is locked and nobody's there. I see now on yelp it says closed until 4:00. Not sure what is going on. The one time i ordered from here i really enjoyed it. But, this is frustrating. read more

Really good authentic Italian. The service was exceptional (very personable, friendly family) and we ate in the evening so the ambiance was very nice. A bit pricey but worth it. read more

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Parked in the lot, sat inside, very friendly service. I liked the sweet, garlic, tomato red sauce with the garlic bread appetizer. Cheese ravioli was good, I did not mind there was no beef, slight temperature difference for a couple of bites. Ambiance is good, casual, patio or inside, not a big restaurant, but there is some room between tables. read more

Great food, wonderful casual experience. Small, cozy restaurant. Great service and food!

Chicken was rubbery Either over cooked or old or both Not edible Results: stomach problems read more

Always delicious whether we eat in or take out. Salad and make your own pasta are our go-tos and the chicken piccata is quite good!

Absolutely beyond my expectations. Despite the fact that I was sitting and facing a parking lot, on a lovely terrace--Honestly! It doesn't matter, one feels like one is in Italy! The best and freshest foods--I had in forno (spelling?) I think! It was this delicious pasta with crusty and tasty mozzarella cheese in a perfect ceramic dish. The red wine was superb and so was the salad. I was there by myself and usually in restaurants or often, one is not served attentively. Not the case here! The staff/family vibe is friendly and warm. I'll go back! Go! You will have a delicious and splendid lunch or dinner! read more