First and foremost, outstanding service all around! Great pizza and specialty sausage pasta was superb. Also the desserts! Too bad I'm just stopping for the night, but what a gem this place is. Thank you all! read more

We enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner here. Easy up front parking. Friendly experienced staff, quiet atmosphere comfortable seating, old country decor. Cesar Salad, bruschetta, Meat Lasagna, fresh clams, raviolis were all excellent no room for dessert We'll return soon read more

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I'll start by sharing that I have been dining here since this restaurant originally opened in 1984, before the recent rebrand. Unfortunately after giving the benefit of the doubt on several poor experiences it is clear the current owners have no clue how to ensure consistency of their food. The last straw was picking up a pizza last night that was undercooked and eating a slice left my wife and I nauseous and then sick later that evening. Perhaps the cooks also mishandled the ingredients because the aftermath of eating this pizza cannot be understated nor could I reasonably share in detail in a review. Saying goodbye to a longtime friend, in this case a restaurant, is never easy but I encourage all to really consider who you want to support and what other options are available before suffering the same way I did. read more

It's quite interesting to have a big mom and pop feeling restaurant in lake forest. It's in a strip mall. I got a meatball spaghetti to go as I was in a hurry. Really liked their openness of the restaurant. The staff were friendly. The food tasted good even after I got home. Decent portion. read more

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Unfortunately, I'm writing this review after a disappointing birthday visit. I've been a loyal customer for years and always looked forward to using my birthday reward--it's a tradition! However, when I came in this time, I was told that they've switched to a new system and could no longer honor the birthday reward that I literally received by email at the beginning of my birthday month. To make things worse, when I asked to speak with an assistant manager or a manager about the situation, I was told that one wasn't available and was asked to step outside while they "figured things out." I understand that businesses evolve, but it would've been nice to receive a heads-up or at least have the existing reward honored for a little while longer during the transition. And having to step outside just to have a simple conversation was the cherry on top of a disappointing experience. Overall, I'm disappointed, and I hope they'll reconsider how they handle these changes in the future. read more

Wendy made this experience, exceptional! She was kind, nice, helpful, and everything in a server. Our drinks were always filled. She made sure everything was perfect. We had a half a pizza, to Lena rolls, meat, ravioli, and Caprese salad. Everything was excellent. We forget about this location and we shouldn't because it is a great neighborhood Italian restaurant. read more

Been updated by management that "premium" on their too good to go includes meat and salad. Fair enough I'll increase 1 star. I'd adjust descriptions too so initial expectations can be anchored. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The meatballs are a 10 out of 10! I am a meatball fanatic and these are top tier. You can tell they are made with love. They are also huge. A side comes with delicious bread. It made the perfect lunch. I'd love to come back and try pizza and pasta. Its a lovely restaurant with great service. read more

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Did I get robbed? Small meal Sausage verandano $26.99, 5 pcs Shrimp scampi $31.99 + $4.57 tax= $63.55 The place is a bit small and crowded, not easy to find parking around 5pm. I assumed the food was great. I dont understand what I paid for. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - 5 pcs Shrimp scampi, comes with small side spaghetti. @$6.50 per med shrimp. $31.99 - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Tonight, we visited this restaurant with a group of 10 family members to celebrate my husband's birthday. Even though it was a weekday, the restaurant was packed with customers. There didn't seem to be enough servers, and all of the staff looked extremely busy. Our server, Jon, took care of our group. It sometimes took a little while to get the things we needed, but considering how busy the restaurant was, we appreciated his service. Most importantly, the food was delicious, and we really enjoyed it. The only thing I was a little disappointed about was that we could not order a large pizza with two different flavors. I understand that it may not be possible to offer two flavors on a small pizza because of its size, but wouldn't it be possible to offer a half-and-half option on a large pizza? Almost every pizza restaurant we have visited allows customers to choose two different flavors on a large pizza. Being able to choose two flavors on one large pizza would allow customers to enjoy more variety without having to order two separate pizzas. I'm not sure what the reason is for not offering this option, but I think adding a half-and-half option for large pizzas would make many customers, including us, even more satisfied. Overall, we had a very nice evening celebrating my husband's birthday, and we really enjoyed the food. I hope the restaurant will consider offering this option in the future. read more

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Traditional Italian food in a comfortable atmosphere Good classic style in a nice environment Roomy and uncluttered TVs around to keep up with games Pizzas with thick soft crust Fresh ingredients read more

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Came here for a family dinner and ordered the roasted salmon salad. The salad, while large, was completely consumed. I really liked all the fresh vegetables, and the iceberg lettuce was nice and cold and crunchy. The salmon had an interesting take in that oregano and bread crumbs were crusted on top. It was roasted to perfection without being overcooked. Our server was very cordial and attentive, and made the dining experience that much better. The restaurant got busy but had a nice, cozy atmosphere. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Roasted Salmon Salad - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

De Lucia is an excellent local Italian restaurant that is located in Lake Forest. The taste of the pasta, calamari and salad were savory and delicious. Portions are large and represent a great value. Our server was friendly and attentive. Food came out in 15 minutes, pipping hot from the kitchen. The ambiance is casual and cozy with lots of parking spots in front of the restaurant. Highly recommended! read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Well, I have been to this place before but it has been years. Had Lina rolls and spaghetti and meatball. Not impressed by the food because of the lack of flavor. How about adding some seasoning, like garlic? The only item that had some flavor was the meatball. Other than that, pretty tasteless experience overall unfortunately. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Lina roll cut in half - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I eat at a ton of places and only leave reviews when something really stands out to me. Stopped by De Lucia's while getting my vehicle serviced at a local dealership and was in for a pleasant surprise. It has a nice ambience and the service was excellent, the staff were friendly and attentive. I haven't had a calzone in years and for some reason decided to have one here at De Lucia's and boy was I pleased with my decision. The crust was just the right amount of crispy, the cheese was nice and stringy and the meat sauce was the topping on the cake. I have to also shoutout their delicious Cesar salad and complimentary bread. Everything was excellent and will have to stop by here again the next time I'm getting my car serviced. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Italian meatball and jalapeño calzone - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I may try it again and order something different. I had spaghetti and meatballs and there wasn't enough sauce and there was too much white spaghetti. The meatball, however, was outstanding. read more

We had a wonderful experience! We had made a reservation and when walked up there was a wait but we were seated right away with our reservation. We had a delicious pizza... served hot & bubbling. The staff were all friendly and welcoming. read more

What used to be Peppino's has now changed to De Lucia's. The staff were great and welcoming, and we were seated right away on a Saturday for a party of 7. Glad we came here, I miss Lake Forest so much. First off, they give complimentary bread with oil and balsamic vinegar. The Caesar salad, Fettuccini Carbonara, and Chicken Piccata, and Mini pepperoni pizza were delish. Would come here again. I loved the dim lighting and the extensive menu. This place is great for celebrations, casual dining and for big parties. read more

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Great little spot. Good wine and great pizza. Friendly service. The pizza crust was delicious. Bread and olive oil served as you sit down. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Meatball pizza, half with mushroom and olive & the other half with ricotta. - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came here for dinner with a friend for the first time! Interior is with dim lighting so personal preference I wish there was a bit more lighting. Staff were amazing and friendly. I ordered the pasta and a Cesar salad. Cesar salad was amazing and they seem to make their Cesar dressing in-house so it tasted fresh and really flavourful! I'd come back just for the salad again. As for the pasta, I wouldn't say there was too much of a flavour profile other than creamy cheesy. Wasn't very saucy but more so thick and a bit dry. Wish there was a bit more depth to the dish but overall good still! read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Fettuccini Della Casa - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Another stop at De Lucia's for a family dinner and food was great as always. The thing that wasn't great?! They got rid of Happy Hour (noooooooo) and the space next to the dining room. That is so disappointing but things happen I guess. Service was spot on as usual, our server was great and like I said, the food yummy. Had to request more water several times but other than that, we enjoyed our meal and will be back! Was one of our fav spots to go for Happy Hour, so won't go as often but we still love the dinner menu. read more

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Jeff the manager is amazing. Lauren our waitress was awesome. Those two r the reason I keep going back. Plus the food extraordinarily great.

Date night. Nice bar area. Filled up by 6:30 pm on a Thursday. Good energy. Lots of TV's. Our bartender Daniella forgot about us after a bit and we had to ask for help re a flat Diet Coke that she just shrugged her shoulders about It afterwards. The restaurant Manager Jeff stepped up and got me a fresh soda from the restaurant side that was perfect. Appetizer - we ordered the grilled calamari and even asked the other bartender Emily how it came. She wasn't sure and we actually got some raw and very chewy calamari in a broth. It was weird.. so we asked for a to go container and did not say a word. We then moved to the dining area. Our server Guadalupe was awesome. She was happy, calm, knowledgeable and attentive. We got the halibut in a spicy marinara over pasta and it was really good. We also ordered the seafood sampler that had 2 scallops. 1 piece of shrimp and two small pieces of fish served over some chewy pasta. The sauce was killer though. We requested and got extra sauce. The bread was served but it did not look very appetizing. Definitely not authentic Italian. Being a NYer this was glaringly obvious. read more

Unfortunately they don't have their bar anymore, what used to be called Joe's Place. It was strange to be there and sit on the restaurant side. Lots of good times here with live music. After the initial shock, we enjoyed ourselves and shared an order of jumbo scallops on angel hair pasta. This pic is only half of the order because I was busy eating mine! Great food, loved their bread, and Daniella was a friendly and attentive server. One of the managers (owners?) also came by to check on us, which was super nice. read more

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I had some luck walking in without reservations and getting a table for two on a weekend night. Our waitress, who was efficient and nice, started us off with a complimentary bread basket. The bread was good, but I declined the offer made later for more because I was having a carb rich entrée. My order, fettuccine alfredo with chicken, was made well. The texture of the fettuccine was what I wanted, the sauce tasted rich, buttery, and creamy, and the pieces of chicken were tender. In my opinion, the fettuccine alfredo with chicken was tasty, but not my favorite out of the Italian restaurants I've tried. FYI: Family members described me as picky regarding Italian food and told me they liked the food here. On another note, my husband's calzone with Italian sausage looked so good that I asked for a sample. After nibbling, I understood why he ordered a calzone for the second time and knew what to order on the next visit: a small calzone. De Lucia's was busy when we went. We were fortunate to be seated quickly and treated well by courteous employees in a clean and comfortable setting. read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Complimentary Bread. - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Two for dinner. Two containers of leftovers. Shrimp veranzano and linguini and clam sauce. Two house salads. Cloe made us feel right at home. They have given up the bar space, but are still a good size restaurant. The food is good and plentiful. The place is clean and comfortable. read more

I have been searching for a go to pizza place and I'm so pleased to say that we finally found it. My husband who is a pizza critic loved it and so did my 15 year old. Solid food! read more

De Lucia's Italian Restaurant - Large cheese pizza! Delicious - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I ordered eggplant parmigiana and it was delicious with garlic bread and side of pasta. I love this restaurant it is clean and the employees are friendly. I enjoyed my meal read more

I had both the chicken parm (25) and salmon salad (20) here and both were very good and I would order both again. The Salmon Filet on the salad was really good. Both meal portions are huge and meant to be shared with 2 or more people or just one David. (I consume food like a Ford F350 PU Truck consumes fuel.) This chicken parm was very good but not the best I have ever had--the best ones are $40 and in Hollywood and Beverly Hills--but for $25 it's very good here. Parking is free and easy in their private lot shared with a million other restaurants and stores. And if you are on a date and things work out that you need a hotel after the meal--there is one across the parking lot--you are set! Service is cordial and efficient but they don't have time to baby you. She made me feel like I was back in NYC. I really liked the atmosphere--it's lively with TV's all over. There is also seating in the bar area. Definitely come here for very good reasonably priced Italian food. read more

I had the best experience ever! The food is really good. The portions are good! Everything is fresh! Lauren who was our server; she's awesome and knowledge. The ambiance of the place is nice; it gives you the history of Italy. I recommend this place in Lake Forest. read more

Friendly service clean atmosphere Consistent food quality Nice salads Fair ambiance read more

Ok...I know for a fact that I've already done a review for DeLucia's but it isn't showing at all now. This is now the second restaurant on Yelp that I've reviewed (good review too) that has disappeared. DeLucia's, is in the plaza off Lake Forest and Rockfield. This parking lot gets very busy during busy times of the night. The restaurant has three entrances. One for the bar, one for the dining area and the other for take-out, but you can literally walk through the entire restaurant from one side to the other without exiting. Windows are tinted very dark for privacy from the outside. They have two different sections for restrooms. One set is at the bar area and the other is at the restaurant side. I LOVE how you can collect points for dining here and use it for discounts. I don't know if they offer anything else with that program or if it's just points for $10 off etc. but I appreciate places that offer them to their customers. I tend to frequent an establishment that does this. Service has been good each time we've dined here or taken food to go. Everyone has been polite and attentive. Our drinks are topped off, our bread refilled, never ignored. What we order; 1) Lina rolls 2) fried calamari - kids love it here 3) side salad - so good with their house dressing. I wish they had a larger portion of it. 4) kids Mac n cheese 5) kids pasta with Alfredo sauce 6) kids pizza 7) lasagna with meat sauce 8) spaghetti and meatballs 9) Caesar salad 10) roasted salmon salad with house dressing - generous portion and so delicious 11) rib eye florentine 12) 12 oz rib eye 13) antipasto 14) Linguini imperial - my favorite pasta here 15) fettuccine superiore - another fave here 16) linguini and clams 17) linguini and shrimp 18) chicken Alfredo 19) fresh jumbo scallops over linguini 20) rigatoni all Gina Our family loves the food here and the price point is good with generous portions which we like. Thank you for the points program and for the enjoyable dining experiences. Looking forward to dining with you again. read more

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Ok, 2nd visit! This time its Fried calamari, Chicken Marco Pollo (not ready to give it up yet!)! And added a salad! Same excellent server, same great ambience and vibe! Ok, review: calamari (from a connoisseur) crispy exterior; tender not chewy inside and it had all the parts - not just rings (I hate it when you only get rings) i.e. a real order of calamari) Hubby ordered the Chicken Marco Pollo and added parmesan and chili flakes and made it his own! Next time we'll have to try something totally new! See you there! read more

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Family style dining at this beloved Italian restaurant. From the Peppino family comes this restaurant. The atmosphere is family oriented, lively, happy and boisterous. The food comes out quickly. The bruschetta was delicious with a garlicy tomato topping. We enjoyed the family atmosphere and the food immensely. The shrimp cocktail was delicious with large shrimps. The scampi was buttery and garlicky perfection. Great place! read more

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Our server Wendy was fantastic and friendly. The pizza, pesto with Blackened chicken. The spaghetti with meatballs were all superb! I give the restaurant 10+ read more

A friend and I had dinner there last night. My friend had never been there before and lives right in the neighborhood. John was our server and had to cover the entire room by himself. We were both amazed how pleasant, personable & knowledgeable he was under a lot of stress. He kept a smile on his face and had a great sense of humor. We will come back again just because of him. read more

The old Peppinos. Same owners. The parking can be a little tight but you can usually find a spot somewhere. The menu is quite large. They have a separate bar area and entrance. The service was excellent. Friendly and helpful. The portions are quite large. The antipasta and ceasar salad were quite good. The bruschetta was good. We had a large group so I got to try a lot of different pastas. They were all good but not necessarily great. Therefore the 4 stars. read more

Four of us went to DeLucia's last week, and once again, both the food and service were excellent. Was it the best Italian food we've ever had? No--but it was definitely top-tier, and the prices were reasonable. The service was attentive without ever feeling intrusive. Our waitress even suggested that the couple dining with us split an entrée rather than ordering two of the same dish. They appreciated the suggestion as a half serving turned out to be plenty of food for them. The restaurant was packed, and the noise level was fairly high. If you have hearing issues or prefer a quieter setting, you may want to ask whether a table is available in a quieter area. read more

Disappointed your bar area closed. This was a staple for me to meet friends that visit often. Two different dining experiences in enjoying your establishment and food. Have not been back since. read more

Upon entry, staff was pleasant and seated us quickly. Happy with their service. Restaurant/decor is nice and modern. Drinks were yummy. However, food was very unwhelming and expensive for what it was, hence the rating. Adding chicken to my alfredo pasta was $9.50. read more

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