Edible but too expensive. I got the carbonara and the egg was scrambled into noodles rather than coated the noodles as a sauce. The bread was also mid tier. I've had better cheaper but it hit the "pasta" mark that I desperately wanted. But will prob so someplace else next time. read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - Spaghetti carbonara - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came in for a drink and AIR CONDITIONING. There was plenty of seating and some food options. I felt like it had an old school "Carrows" vibe with very laid back service. I don't have much to say or even know if I liked the place, but I don't have any negativity associated with my experience. read more

French toast is the best of downtown La Mesa. Friendly people, friendly service!French Toast read more

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

Every time I come into town, this is where I have lunch. Quiet, beautiful decor, ice cream and pastry bar. Excellent service every time. Today I ordered my favorite , tomato bisque, thick and delicious. I had the California grill cheese with 3 kinds of cheese, avocado, tomatoes on a crunchy panini along with a mimosa. I have had their other sandwiches, all delicious. They also serve breakfast. Do not pass this place up. Family owned since 2006. read more

Grabbed some gelato for dessert after a sushi lunch across the street. Good stuff for dessert, will have to try and return for some sit down food in the near future. Enjoyed a whiskey flavor this time. read more

Stopped by this place for dinner after walking La Mesa farmers market. Modest size restaurant. Old English style decor. Family restaurant with a bar and candy shoppe. A little understaffed especially for a Friday night and considering the farmers market was outside their front doors. I saw 4 possibly 5 staff working the front restaurant/cafe area. The lady before me asked for assistance, and was rudely told to wait by the gentlemen working the bar. I didn't even chance, asking him for help. I was on my way out the door, when other gentlemen asked if he could help me, yet this was after 15 minutes of not be greeted or acknowledged. I only ordered a cheeseburger with fries to go. I did pick up a piece of their chocolate walnut fudge. Wait time for my food again was 15-25 minutes. The burger was mediocre nothing special at all. The walnut fudge was good. Very creamy, soft and fudge. The fudge was actually better than the burger and service. read more

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Staff was short and not helpful. Only saw two people working the floor which would justify the staff being short with customers. But there were only 5 parties in the restaurant. For a Friday night this place definitely should have been better equipped. All I wanted was a coffee, and couldn't even get a be right with you. Just don't walk into here, just keep moving along. read more

I have been here twice in 2 weeks. Both times order the Chorizo Burger and side of fried pickles. Food was fresh and delicious, and the staff super friendly and attentive. read more

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Family Friendly environment but also nice little bar for kidless adventures... the staff is warm and inviting, and the menu has so many yummy option to fit different moods! Best pancakes & patty melt, also well priced! And last but defiantly not least! Their Gelato & Watermelon Margarita! 10 Stars here, this place is a long time family favorite! read more

My daughter and I went in for the first time Fri night. The place has an old school, family-owned vibe to it. The chicken fajita salad was one of the best I've ever had. The presentation was super cool too. I should have taken a picture to include it with my review. My daughter loved the Gelato for desert. What kid doesn't, right! We'll definitely be back. read more

Just updating to show some more pictures! Still love this place. Stace and Kiersten are amazing read more

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Don't claim to be open until 8 if the kitchen closes earlier. List the kitchen and actual closing times.

We were headed to another restaurant on the same street but they were closed. We walked a bit and came upon Centifonti and I'm glad we did. The Gnocchis was delicious...sauce was great. He had fish and chips...also quite good. read more

Super disappointed in this restaurant. My family and I have ate here a handful of times and I've never had nothing bad to say until now. As every Friday there is a street fair held in downtown la mesa where there is multiple vendors , I bought my six year old an ice cream that was in a cup before we attempted to go into the restaurant and sit down to eat dinner. After sitting down for about five minutes waiting to get our menus one of the waitresses came to our table and pretty much kicked us out since " no outside food " was allowed to be brought in the restaurant. I said politely that we are buying food to eat it's just ice cream for my kid while waiting to be served actual dinner but once again was asked to pretty much waste money and throw away the ice cream or leave. Not being able to relate to being a parent keeping there child satisfied to have a nice dinner or be told that is very upsetting since we once enjoyed going here. We unfortunately won't be giving our money to this restaurant anymore. read more

Review is only for the gelato station in the corner. I had a desire for ice cream and this was the closes match to where I was so walked on over. I was a little confused walking in because I did not see the gelato station in the corner. Place looks like a regular restaurant and all I wanted was some gelato. I discovered they make their gelato in house. They have decent selection of flavors. Service was friendly and I was asked if I wanted to taste before I ordered anything. The 2 flavors of gelato I ordered was pretty good. I sat outside and looked at their extensive menu posted outside. They offer a wide range of breakfast to dinner items. Probably try their breakfast next time I am in the area. read more

I stopped by here for a quick small breakfast before going to visit my mother for a bit. I ordered the French Toast with almonds (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/centifontis-restaurant-la-mesa?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#bk99uT4KKA3QRZFzWqcQng) and a glass of iced house drip coffee. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/centifontis-restaurant-la-mesa?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#BT1jUA-9g1IV-T4uHy4EoQ) The French toast was alright and they had a nice amount of sliced almonds (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/centifontis-restaurant-la-mesa?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#3hfOGugGKk1EjfJazlzjfg). They were made with Texas toast so they were thick (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/centifontis-restaurant-la-mesa?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#0ZpFM42Q4gyYTckWDF-6_Q), but they were kinds bland and a little dry. They came with a light sprinkling of cinnamon and powdered sugar, but the inside of the toast lacked flavor. I smothered them with warm syrup to make them a little more enjoyable. They had a nice crunchy exterior and with the almonds, it just added nice texture. Perhaps if they would seasoned the egg batter better and allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture longer, they would come out a little more moist with enhanced flavor. Just a thought. The service was friendly and prompt and the prices reasonable. My French Toast was $6 and some change and my coffee was around $2. read more

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Once again the service and food were on point. This time the hubby tried the fried fish tacos and said they were the best he's ever tried. Will definitely have to try them next time I am in. Also need to try the Lemon Drop Martini with gelato. read more

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Food is pretty good, and good prices. They also have ice cream or maybe it's gelato, I haven't tried that yet. But I have tried some of their other goodies. One of my favorite was chocolate covered marshemellows with Oreo crumbles on top, and I think caramal on the marshmellow before they dipped it. They offer ice tea to go, which is nice when your walking the car show, farmers market, or other activity in the village. read more

The service is not the best, but i keep comming back for the chocolate and gelato. This little restaurant has some of the best dark chocolate covered nuts in the la mesa area. The only bone I have to pick today is that when we walked in there was an old lady stocking the chocolate but not once did she stop to say hi or ask how we were doing. I actually said hi to her and she said nothing back. Idk we stood around about 4 mins before one of the servers wandered over and asked how we were doing and if he could get us anything. We got a box of chocolates and strawberry gelato. Both delicious as expected.. I am not sure if I would sit down for a full meal here, but the food I did see pass by didn't look half bad. Idk I simply always think of chocolate gelato and bad service when I think of this joint. read more

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I love this place. The service is awesome, food is pretty damn good, good variety, plus the environment is so fun. So close to so many fun places to check out! read more

I have to be honest here, this is the first time in my life I didn't finish an affogato. Served in a 12 oz paper cup with a flimsy plastic spoon the contents barley made it half way up the cup. The vanilla bean gelato was good. The espresso not so much. Serving it a paper cup loses all the appeal of the beauty of an affagato. Cold gelato surrounded by hot espresso and the interplay of sweet and bitter. Instead,it was a melted mess. read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - Contents of an affagoto. Where's the espresso? Lol - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Have been frequenting this little cafe for a couple of years now and I have never been disappointed. I often drive from Scripps to La Mesa just for a bowl of tomato soup. It just has this great taste. A few weeks ago did breakfast for the first time. I am crazy for french toast on Saturday mornings. Took a drive and sampled what they had to offer. It was lovely. The batter for the french toast had cinnamon and some sort of reduced liquor. Bite after bite I couldn't wait to get it into my mouth complete with thick real maple syrup. Oh, so good! The eggs were seasoned and fluffy and not runny. Even though I'm not a country fries person I had to sample them they came with the meal...oh did I mention the trough sized portions??? The potatoes were spicy and a little crunchy on the outside very good. I love the service. It's not a bit slow for me since I am the world's slowest eater. I didn't feel rushed to finish and vacate the booth. The staff is friendly and helpful and very accomodating. Oh, I can't forget the real draw the five or six plasmas hanging on the walls!!! Spent many an eve watching basketball here and the new season is on the horizon! read more

Adam and I stopped here on a Saturday evening for some music and gelato and we were very happy. They had a band going and they were very entertaining. We enjoyed listening to them. The gelato did not have line and we were able to go right up to the displays to look at what they had to offer and order our treats. Adam got birthday cake and I got cookies and cream and they were super delicious. A downside was that it is really small and there really wasn't anywhere for the band. They were right up next to the gelato case on one side and the loudness of the band did make it difficult to place our order. On the other side the band was partly in front of the door which isn't safe at all and had to be super annoying for the one who right near the door. The restaurant was at a point in the night where it became seat yourself and Adam and I would have loved to seat ourselves but there were no clean or open tables so we stood up in the back a bit before heading outside. There were about 4 tables that were empty, but they needed to be bussed badly and Adam and I didn't want to sit at a dirty table. Overall, everything was okay. The gelato was delicious but I wish I got to enjoy the band longer and sit. Maybe in the future it will work out better for us. read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - So much yumminess - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Been wanting to go in for a while now and unfortunately our experience was disappointing. We wanted to try their Gourmet Ice Cream and when we went in the girl who was there was pretty rude. Her demeanor was as if she was upset that we were there. I asked for a drink menu and she rudely handed it to me, at first I thought maybe I misjudged her attitude but then I had questions about happy hour (being tempted to actually stay and try some things on their menu) and she just simply was short and annoyed at us. We did buy some ice cream which was too sweet and I will definitely not be going back! read more

Have been here a couple of times and every time has been a pleasure. Today we sat down at a booth (usually we go straight to the bar). Adam was are server, very charismatic and helpful. Everyone is spaced out so personally I feel comfortable dinning during Covid. read more

Don't order the stew, it was a gelatinous salty broth with 3 very small pieces of beef and a couple pieces of carrot. Service was friendly.

I have been coming to Centifonti's for lunch for about two years. I appreciate the friendly service I receive on each of my visits. I have never had a bad meal here. The burgers and chicken fajita salad are some of my favorites. They also have a full bar with a huge selection of beers. Several TV's with sports on. If that is not enough they have a big gelato case and the gelato is good. read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - Bar area of restaurant - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

Service isn't the best. But they have the sweetest workers, greatest happy hours, and yummy food!! Great place if you have kids also! And you can end with the best gelato read more

My girlfriend, Tamara, and I come here all the time or, at least as often as we can. Sometimes they are packed and sometimes not but we find the staff to be very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the dishes they serve. When it is packed, getting your check might take a bit of time, so I just go up to the cash register to pay. Twice now, I have forgotten my credit card there and both times they had it safe and sound when I went back. It really is a wonderful family run restaurant. The first time I ordered the lasagna, I was very surprised at how good and tasty it was. I have since ordered it several times. My girlfriend usually orders the pear salad. We also go there for brunch very often where I order the blueberry pancakes and bacon and she orders all kinds of things. In the very many times we have been there, we have never had a single complaint. PS....I love their coffee, not a weak mess that you often find elsewhere. Steve Douglas signing off. read more

Love the staff, drinks, food, location. We Always feel right at home whenever we go there, Good times!!

They have good food and great service. I recommend their Philly steak sandwich and mozzarella sticks. read more

Happy hour was great! I tried the lettuce wraps, the spicy garlic wings and chicken strips and all were tasty! Good ambience and service! Def. Coming back. read more

This restaurant is a little gem in the heart of La Mesa. The service is excellent and the food is delicious.

Yummm lemon drop martini! So pretty and delicious food is great and allll kind sir sweets! read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - Lemon drop martini - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

Absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for 8 years now. The food is great, the drinks are better ( try the Bloody Mary on Saturday, everything down the the tomato purée is made freshly in house, or the apple cinnamon mimosa if you like something sweeter and unique, or if you like beer try the mission brewing Centifonti's beer boot blonde) the servers are always friendly and treat you like family. Food wise I am partial to their chicken tortilla soup, waffles, French toast, candies, gelato... let's be real there hasn't been a thing I've gotten here I haven't liked. I would recommend this place to anyone. It's a great place to drop in when your out and about in la Mesa. Thank you Centifonti's for years of memories and amazing experiences every time! Can't wait to see you again soon! read more

Centifonti's Restaurant - What's left of breakfast! - Desserts Near Me - La Mesa, California

Though I insist on using the Italian pronunciation despite the ongoing debate, I really like Centifonti. I work close by and it is a great place to get a quick lunch that tastes homemade. I have taken out lunch at least 10 times, been for happy hour twice, and bought chocolate a couple of times. This is no fancy place, but homey and convenient. My favorites are the chicken pesto sandwich, the tomato soup, and the veggie wrap. I also like the salads because they are fresh and colorful with a variety of vegetables. Lunch is ready in 10 minutes or less, which is so helpful in the work day. There are always great happy hour specials. The specialty beer or cocktail for the day is always listed on the sign outside, which often sounds really tempting. After passing by the other day, I found myself daydreaming of watermelon margaritas. I enjoy sitting at the bar with friends for happy hour. My favorite appetizer there is the bruschetta. I have mixed feelings about the chocolate shop. I have bought a few boxes as gifts. Some of the chocolates are better than others. Also, often the staff who has helped me to pick out the chocolates knows nothing about them. Once, they were placed in the box in a sloppy fashion, which did not make for a great gift. All in all, I am a fan. I enjoy lunches and happy hour here. The service is fast and friendly. read more

Popped in with a friend while in the area. We checked the menu & liked what we saw. Peach & Mango mimosas were good but we didn't enjoy the pomegranate or apple cinnamon. We placed our food order with the pleasant waitress. Our food arrived but we weren't able to enjoy it, it was not hot! She did offer to have it remade but we declined. The roasted potatoes were lacking flavor. It seemed like they were pre cooked, and the onion and peppers were just put on top but not cooked into the potatoes. read more

Happy Hour is where it's at! Great food and even better service! Wyatt was especially helpful and guided my meal choice expertly and enthusiastically! read more

The service was absolutely awful. We got our drinks and sat there for about 50 min without even having a server come up to us to ask for our order. DONT GO HERE! read more

The greatest part of Centifonti's is their eclectic and diverse selection of candies and other sweets. This establishment is part candy shop, part bar, and part sit down restaurant. It seems as though the focus is definitely on the candy shop, as that's the best part. Their caramel apples are incredible, and my daughter loved the fudge. We grabbed a bite to eat in the sit down restaurant area and I was pretty disappointed. The food was typical bar fare, but very overpriced for the quality. I ordered a burger and my kiddo got some chicken strips. Both were mediocre at best. Overall, if you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is best place in La Mesa for those hard-to-find delectables. If you're interested in dinner, scout out the dozens of other places within blocks that have a focus on the food. read more