Their gelato and dessert selection is a perfect treat after a long day at a car show! Cheers to the family history/start of their establishment on the menu too! read more

Love this place. The food, drinks & even the live band. The bartender is a doll. Support local!!!

It use to be one of my favorite places but I agree with the others customer, service is not great nor the food! i had overcharges my bill and it was NEVER fixed :-( read more

We came here last night for our monthly Girls dinner. We were looking for something new. There was a variety on the menu, and everyone was happy with the food. Staff was super friendly and accommodating. And the gelato was superb!!! We have found a new place to add to our list. read more

Went to this place in a whim. While waiting for a table went to the bar to get a Beer and no bartender. Waited for 10 min and still no bartender, by this time our table was ready. After sitting down and ordered drinks it still took 10 min to get my beer. Now on to the food. I had a burger that had no taste or seasoning and frankly made me sick. My girlfriend had the Taco salad with "jarred" dressing. The Chicken had no flavor. My sons burger was bloody even the garlic cheesy bread was bland. Will never go back to this gross place again. Good luck read more

This place is OK. Not fancy, not a dive. I went there last night with a friend for a drink after work. It took about 15 minutes to order drinks (beer and soda), about 15 more minutes to get them. The food came about an hour after we arrived. I think they had to run to the store to buy the ingredients for the meatballs. I'm not sure why it took so long. There were only 5 other tables in there. A quick drink with a friend took 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Mexican beer was GREAT $2 on Friday nights. The food was simply ok. Nothing fancy or special. Think grilled cheese made with wonder bread and prepackaged sliced orange cheese. That's not what I ordered but it gives you an idea of what they serve. Smart-N-Final on a plate. read more

Large, popular, has music stage. Every sat. Wish there were varieties of aged people (young) too for the music ;) read more

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I was in the area with my family, craving dessert and saw this place. Walked inside, saw all the delicious looking treats behind the class and that was about it. We stood there for about 10 minutes and the waitress/cashier walked past us several times helping other customers that were eating at the restaurant. From observation it looked like she was the only waitress there but she could have at least acknowledged us and told us that she or someone would be with us shortly rather pretend we weren't there. After waiting 10 minutes we left u satisfied and feeling disrespected. I won't bother returning back or recommend to anyone I know. read more

Was walking around la Mesa Dt and decided to stop in here because it looked fun and quaint. Interior reminds me of an Italian moms kitchen, quite cute. They serve everything from pasta to sandwiches to gelato and ice cream. Plenty of when and beer selections also. Price is very decent. I got the chili cheese burger it was okay, nothing fantastic. The server was friendly and it made the experience in there enjoyable. My only complaint is the bathroom. It smells really bad.. read more

Good but nothing special... Good service, I had pancakes, my Dad a BLT my brother a yummy looking and he said excellent omelet. Great for family that can't decide and a place. Nice comfy looking bar area and killer looking baked goods ... I will go back read more

Two people went for lunch and left 30 dollars poorer and not very satisfied. The food was so bland. My husband got the burger which he said had no flavor and fries, which I might add cost $2 extra. The burger was $8. I ordered the CA grilled cheese panini, the menu said it was $7 but ended up being $8 on the final ticket. It was also lack luster in the flavor department. It was basically two slightly melted pieces of cheese, one slice of tomato and one slice of avocado. I could have made it at home and tastier for around $3. I got onion rings which should have been tasty but had no flavor. The theme of this meal was bland. Also men's bathroom was so disgusting. I would not recommend this overpriced restaurant to anyone. No thank you. Oh and I should note that it cost us $6 for two sodas and no refills! None what so ever or you pay for another soda. It was fountain soda that tasted like bath water. read more

My Dad and I came here today for an early fathers day celebration. The food was delicious, I had a cheese sandwich and my Dad had the black forest ham which he said was really good, although he could only eat half of the sandwich. Now he has lunch for tomorrow, score! The service was great until we were ready to leave. We waited and waited and the waitress never came back. We ended up leaving and I left a smaller tip than I wanted to because I needed change to leave a larger tip. It was still 15% but I really wanted to leave more. read more

I was really disappointed with this place. I always have a hell of time getting my 6 yo to expand the options beyond the "usual." So we decided to hit old La Mesa in search of Italian. She was sold on the candy shop (and who doesn't like gelato?), so I was kinda hoping for a winner...but t'was not. I have to agree with a few other posters...place had an odd scent (not quite 'ass' as I believe it was colorfully put, but definitely sour). I will admit the boots are impressive, but who really wants to depart a place with a bunch of people that just drank 120 oz of beer in a sitting? As an attorney, I am shocked that a place in this day and age would risk dram shop liability in this manner, but...I digress. The food: bruschetta (sorry, but can't just top the garlic bread with raw tomatoes, they need to be marinated); blue cheese and pear salad (probably the most palatable item, decent amount of cheese, but vinaigrette was subpar); pasta (mine and the kid's tasted literally like nothing; she added 22 spoons of Parmesan, I added about the same in red peppers and...well mine was hot); 3 yo had chicken tenders and fries (let's see, ketchup was good!) Dessert: Gelato (I would drive to Mondo or Gelato Vera, both of which are 10+ miles away, before I would ever come back here); my 3 yo did have a nice chocolate covered Oreo with M&M's on it for $0.65. I would have given it zero stars, but the waitress was a sweetheart. In total, a resounding TD (thumb's down). read more

A friend took me for my birthday dinner.... we walked in same time as a regular customer, who was greeted and served immediately. We waited about 10-15 minutes to just place our drink order. Then waited about 10 minutes to receive that. The waitress went on to other tables. We went to try the pasta & my friend the liver & onions. By the time she finally got back to us 40 minutes had passed since we arrived. We got sandwiches to go, which see didn't see too pleased about. But we were now late to the movie we were going to. We wanted to try the gelato but I was not about to leave one more penny here!!! Next time back to San Filippo's. Better service & food! Total time there one hour for one drink... food was fair read more

Service was slow, food not up to 5 star quality. I had to request refills. Took the waiter 10 minutes to split the check...we requested this prior to ordering. Meals not served together, came in shifts. read more

This is a mixed review. The gelato, handmade candies, and desserts are a 5+. The tiramisu is the best around, the pricing on all these items is a 4. The food is a 1. It is not seasoned very well and some of the seasonings are odd. ie too much sweet something in the chili? Weird. The service is a 3. I have had exceptional service here. I have had the worst service EVER here. If you eat somewhere else and swing by to grab a gelato to walk and eat, then you will be very happy with this place. read more

Perks: Cheap beers, rotating drink specials, awesome desserts (Carmel Apples!) Cons: - The Service is pretty weird. We've been left waiting for a check at the register for about 10 minutes a few times now. Seems like the staff is either unorganized or overworked. - The Food isn't that good. I've ordered a few things and haven't really enjoyed any of the dishes yet. Con or Perk: It's a bar with a restaurant with a dessert shop. It's a very weird combo.. but in all honesty that's part of what keeps bringing me back. read more

This place was amazing !!!! It was my friends and mine first time . The drinks the food everything there was so fresh and so good! Great customer service! Very friendly and talkative . I would totally recommend this place overall . We will for sure be back agian agian and agian haha ! . The pricing wasn't that bad if you spilt it of course . But by yourself it is a little pricey depending on what you get omg please get the gelato!!!! The best yet .!! read more

Went early for breakfast. No wait for our party of 5. Started off with mimosas - well worth the money! Server was friendly and attentive. Food came out quickly and was very tasty. In-laws ordered the veggie omelet and raved about it the rest of their trip (preferred this over the one at Farmers Table). Overall, nice atmosphere and good affordable food! read more

Great food, excellent service. Super fast delivery. Had a grilled cheese panini and fresh tomato soup. As a food snob, I'm extraordinarily picky. This delightful and random drop in brought us a wonderful experience. read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - Dessert? - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Good apples! Good boots! Funny waitresses! Only criticism is that the bathroom needs to be cleaner. read more

Decent place for lunch and dinner, if you keep your expectations low, but do not make the mistake of going there for breakfast (especially if you're a pancake fan). Until earlier this year, the food was decent and I had no problem recommending it to others. Unfortunately, it's now hit and miss. Sometimes the food is decent and sometimes it tastes like it's straight out of the frozen section at Costco. The burger buns are almost always soggy, the grilled/fried food is frequently covered in an unreasonable amount of grease or oil. The fries definitely taste like frozen newspaper shavings. The one time I made the mistake of ordering pancakes, they were literally inedible - I couldn't even cut them with the fork and knife provided. I tried to gnaw on them whole, but even that didn't work. The only thing that is consistently delicious are the soups. The sandwiches are hit and miss, but when they do well, they really do well... when they don't, you'll end up with stale or soggy bread and limp lettuce. Sadly, I still prefer this place to Denny's, but it's a rare occurrence that I'll willingly go here and it's usually only when family members choose to go or when friends are looking for a dish that can only be found locally at Centifonti. A couple of my family members really like this place, because they are supposedly mindful of food allergies and intolerances, but I have my doubts. read more

This place is so unique and lovely. Service is impeccable. Adam and Isaiah were wonderful. Food was delicious. Will definitely come again. Love it! read more

Mixed review here. Kind of a weird place: gelato shop/bar/restaurant all in one. Got there around 5pm for an early Saturday dinner; place was packed. Service was slow all around but VERY friendly. They really need to hire more help. The menu had a wide variety to please everyone: from Italian to basic American style food. Had the fettucine with Alfredo sauce; it tasted good but was too lumpy and not hot enough. Garlic bread: good. Chicken wings, and onion rings fresh and hot. Antipasto salad perfect. Went out of our way to try this place; won't go out of our way again. Only if we were in the area we may stop by again. They really need to hire more help to improve the service. read more

If I could give a restaurant 0 stars I WOULD! From the start I had mixed feelings about this restaurant... maybe it was the fact that after walking in (and being greeted by no one) we sat down and had no contact with ANY servers for a good 5 minutes! Also not to mention the awful smell that filled the entire restaurant. This place is so outdated and needs a makeover! THEN-the food came. I ordered cheese ravioli with marinara sauce, like COME ON HOW CAN YOU MESS THAT UP? When the food came I knew this was going to be a disaster. Maybe it was the giant thumb print on the side of my dish that gave it away? It was clearly frozen to begin with and was microwaved. The center cheese filling was cold, and the cheese on top wasn't even melted. I've never returned ANYTHING at a restaurant before, but this I just couldn't go paying $12 for! Overpriced disgusting food. Don't waste your money! read more

This place is just bad! I've been here a few times, and when we can get a waiter the food is diner level, nothing special, but the last time we came it was seat yourself and we waited 10 mins with no one showing up to serve us, so we left. Also every time we ordered we paid out $30. I'm disappointed.. I won't be back read more

I have mixed feelings about Centifonti's. My family has eaten there about once a month, or every other month for the past year. We enjoy the family who owns and runs it and go there to support them. We love the dessert cases (a little too much) and find the treats to be dependably good. The beer handles change often enough to keep things fresh. The salads are always fresh and generously portioned. Other things on the menu are hit or miss. I kinda feel like the food falls into an 'old person food' range. It can be a bit uninspired. There are things around the restaurant which seem to be falling into a bit of disrepair. Between the food and the repair it feels like Centifonti's could stand for a reboot. The menu could stand a makeover, to be freshened up and trimmed. Take the soups for instance. Last month when we went I asked what was available and there were four different soups. I like choice as much as the next person but would rather have one or two amazing soups to choose from then four okay soups. Centifonti's, we'll keep coming back, but it would be nice if you did an internal review and carve out things that aren't working. read more

This is the worst place I've ever been to! Very rude manager! And the food was terrible. The place is full of drunks at the bar. And the was the manager kept trying to push alcoholic on me when I don't drink. Bad place read more

Ugh, just not consistent. The food used to be so good. Quality has gone down. I miss the old Centifonti's

We stopped in and had an excellent brunch. Great service and really good food. Love the music! Pancakes and French toast were excellent. Friendly staff. Great service and nice out door dining. This is the local spot to visit if you have a sweet tooth. They have everything from homemade gelato to coffee cake to red velvet cookies. I definitely recommend stopping here if you're on a date and taking a little stroll in downtown La Mesa. Their prices are extremely reasonable too! OUTSTANDING!!! Highly recommend! I will be back soon! read more

Mike and I came here for das boot and some grub on a Friday night and were impressed at how huge the boot is- It's not cheap either for 112 oz of beer, it's $28 for their drafts and $23 if you get PBR. We shared a boot of porter and I definitely couldn't drink anymore. We sat ourselves and the server was friendly and quick. They hold onto your credit card if you get das boot as collateral in case you break the boot (it's $75). Mike got a burger and I ordered the turkey panini- the food was good. It's a very family friendly restaurant - I felt a little out of place drinking das boot with little kids listening to our drunken conversation. Mike was pissed that they had 4 tvs and none of them were showing the Padre game... otherwise it was a good experience- a little pricey, but I'd give it 3.5 stars. :-) read more

Wonderland gave it a nice plug. Took my girlfriend and then was ignored in favor of other local acquaintances. I watch waitresses small talk with other patrons and waited and waited for water. My black forest ham was all bread and sparse meat. My girlfriend cheese sandwich was very basic. Terrible service & medicore food. Not going back ever. read more

The only place I know of in San Diego that serves DAS BOOT! For this reason alone you need to check it out! There are 2 sizes...a decent size boot and a humongous boot you've got to see! Never tried the food but I've heard the gelato is good, but they have a DAS BOOT so that's all that matters! read more

I am giving this place 5 stars for their gelatto ! It is truly amazing , the toffee one and the salted pistachio are to die for. I also love ve that they have non- dairy options for my daughter. We drive about 25min just to get our gelatto fix read more

This place has amazing phily and turkey clubs the price are cheap and tap beer are great and there sweets yummy best place in la Mesa read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - This is gotta be the place in la Mesa for a Philly n turkey clubs yummy I would recommend for anyone to come try it n great taps - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

My friend and I were shopping at all the boutiques and cute shops on the "strip" today and stopped into Centifonti's for a bite. Niether of us had been before. I was pleasantly surprised! The concept is great--where can you get boots of beer and handmade chocolates under the same roof? It was like a step back in time. As far as the menu goes, the variety was great and many wholesome things to choose from. I had the homemade tortilla soup (fresh and chunky) and a bomb BLT. My friend raved about the calamari rings and her salad. Prices were fine. I would definitely go back and eat here, not just if I'm shopping in the area next time. :) read more

Stopped for for gelato for the kids. The little one wanted the pineapple dragon fruit. Unfortunately we didn't taste it first, which was absolutely my bad, but it didn't just taste bad it tasted really horrible with a chemical after taste. I apologized to the woman who served us and was ringing us up and asked if we could exchange it as it tasted really bad. She looked at it and looked back at me an flat out said nope. I asked again as it was really that bad and again apologized but she then said I would have to buy it. Not even an "I'm sorry but our policy blah, blah, blah". Absolute horrible customer service, which incredibly was worse then the atrocious gelato. Fyi, I was there on Veteran's Day, Friday 11/11/22 around 6:30pm with my family (farmers market was going on). Not trying to bash the place but the server and that particular gelato just left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). read more

Don't let the Itallian name fool you. This is a homestyle resturant where the owner/proprietor happens to have an Italian surname. Don't get me wrong, the eggplant parmasian and potato gnocci are the best in town but the dishes that I enjoy the most are the chicken tortilla soup, the vegitarian sandwhich and the savory beef stew. Everything is made from scratch! Having married into an Italian family myself I've been blessed with countless opportunites to indulge myself in the bliss of Italian style home cooking. It isn't done the way that pretend Itallian chain eateries would have you believe. It's done with craft and by people who take joy in their craft the way that good parents take joy and care in raising their children. Carol Centifonti is the owner of Centifonte's. The pictures on the wall are of her family. The couple sitting in the booth playing backgammon are her mom and dad. The big smile that greats you when you walk in the door is likely her daughter. I don't think there has ever been a time when we've frequented her resturant that Carol didn't spend at least fifteen minutes with us at our table. She is always on site and when she's not her daughter is. If you're looking for a good family place with great food at a reasonable price in a comfortable setting surrounded by good people, good wine, great beer (in boots or pints - they have Stone pale ale and Arrogant Bastard on tap) and the best desserts (I haven't even mentioned that Carol is a fourth generation chocolatier)...this is the the place for you...the "real deal." In a great town on neat strip where there are so many fine places to dine Centifonti's is my absolute favorite. read more

Corned beef, French dip, spaghetti and meatballs are all good, made like your mom would do it (if she knew how to cook). Seriously great coffee and home made gelato. Well done hand made chocolates, candied apples that will blow your six year olds mind! Downside - Service can be REALLY SLOW and a bit chatty (I'm so introverted that it's a bit tiresome for me). I like warm, efficient hospitality. read more

A cozy restaurant in downtown la Mesa. Excellent service, awesome food, and a great selection of desserts.