I would like to give Dolci Cafe Italiano a huge shout out and a stellar review! AMAZING FOOD, SERVICE, AMBIANCE AND ATTENTIVENESS! We have found ourselves very irritable at lunchtime in our office because we have been ordering the same old lunches for years...one of us for 24 years! We sent one of the owners of the company I work for out on a mission to find new lunch spots. This is how we found Dolci! We ordered 6 different items to share so that we could try several items. Grande Lasagna Bolognese, Americana Pizza, Italian Fest Panini, Fettuccine Cartoccio, Dolci Chicken Mac & Cheese and Penne Michealangelo. Every single item was so delicious. The flavors were rich and the portions were generous! It gave the feeling of FINALLY being satisfied with lunch which we have not had in a very long time! We all agreed we needed a nap after lunch because we stuffed ourselves in the most gluttonous manner! The only problem is that we were so stuffed no one wanted to get back to work! We are very pleased with the quality of ingredients, the order being ready on time and even after driving 15-20 minutes back to the office the food was still hot! Thank you Dolci! We look forward to ordering again with you in the very near future! read more

Amazing food. If you're looking for good Italian grub and live local to the area, you should check it out. Service. Meh....I've had better. The server had the 'specials' memorized to a T, but didn't offer us bread upon arrival and just wasn't overall to attentive. She wasn't mean...just inattentive. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano brings "Little Italy" to East County with and pizza dough made in-house daily, fresh ingredients, and great options for lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends! We dined during brunch and got a few breakfast items and a few lunch items to get a taste of everything. Our favorites were the Salmon Benedict, of course the pizza made in their wood-fired oven, and a pasta dishes that they let me modify (linguine Alfredo with ‍ and ) ! Everything was so flavorful and the pizza crust was perfectly crunchy yet soft with the perfect amount of toppings. Kid friendly! Follow @allthingsfoodinsandiego for more must try San Diego restaurants, date night ideas, food experiences, kid friendly spots, with a sprinkling of home-cooking! read more

See all

If your in the Rancho San Diego area this is a great place to try! This is my second time here I've been here for lunch and it was great. This time we went for dinner and it was just as good! Our waitress was super friendly and personable. Everyone was just pleasant there! Great atmosphere I like sitting in the patio area everything is still enclosed for any type of weather! read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

See all

I didn't expect much with the location in a strip mall but, what a pleasant surprise! The food was phenomenal from the appetizers to the main courses. Wait staff was very attentive and Tony made the whole experience even better. read more

Came here on a whim. Food was delicious. Service was attentive. Sat outdoors and felt the breeze. Such a cute place!! Wish I took a picture of the lasagna and caprese but we ate it too fast!! read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Fettuccine Cartoccio - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

Lunch in El Cajon, California... My cousins and I were looking for something different to eat and decided on Italian cuisine. I found Dolci Cafe Italiano on my Yelp App! Parking was free and easy in the shared lot. We didn't have a reservation and walked right in. There was no air-conditioning, but we were hungry. We thought that inside would be cooler than outdoor dining... I'm not sure. It was a bit warm in both areas... Service was pleasant and efficient. I ordered the lasagna. It was cheesy, hot, meaty, and good! It was like comfort food to me. I would have enjoyed it more if there was air-conditioning... haha! read more

See all

Lovely Italian restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and attentive staff. The food is amazing! Personal highlights were the Lasagna made fresh per order and margarita pizza! Now let's talk dessert... the creme brulee is great but today we tried the flourless chocolate cake and it was deliciously decadent! Definitely 5 stars and one we'll come back to again soon. read more

Amazing food! The Branzino and lamb chops were divine!! Anthony/ Tony was such a pleasure! He named the specials and we were sold! A bottle of Lodi old vines wine, great service and wonderful ambiance. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Branzino. - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

The owner was extremely rude, I made a special request due to a food allergy and called he me a dumbass and and idiot, that they don't do special requests. The food was over priced and lacked flavor. Unbelievable that especially the owner would address a customer like that read more

Went Saturday afternoon for my birthday brunch and it was amazing!! The pizza came out hot and fresh, caprese was delightful, accompanied by some complimentary FRESH bread with butter way to build up our appetite! Our main dish was penne Michelangeloand it never misses! Always the best combination of creaminess and savory. My go to every time I come to this amazing cafe. Servers were very attentive as well as courteous. Our glass never ran empty and we for sure left very satisfied Had the pleasure of meeting the owner and wow you can tell he is very passionate in what he does! Such a lovely man! Ambient was very peaceful as well as very creative. Made me feel like I was in a garden read more

See all

We go here at least once a week, and it's our absolute favorite. Extremely friendly staff, and the food is always soooo good. Cannot recommend this place enough read more

Today we had the Lasagna Bolognese. It was hands down the best lasagna I've ever had!! We had the flourless chocolate cake for dessert! It left us speechless! Imported from Milan Italy. Met the owner, very nice man ! read more

Food was superb and had many gluten free options. The service was phenomenal- if you get Tony, you're in for a treat. Portions are large, filling and satisfying. When we come back to San Diego, we'll come here every time! read more

Food was awesome! We had the angel hair pasta with shrimp and spicy marinara...great! We also had the pasta primavera which was very delicious! All in all great service and all! Would have given them a five star rating but we got sort of turned off by the waitress telling us we only had 10 minutes to order since the kitchen was being shut down. Knowing that we didn't order drinks nor appetizers, something we normally like to do before we eat our main entree. I personally liked watching the padres play before me on big screen tv! read more

See all

The food was amazing! Tony was great and helped us decide on our dishes and gave excellent recommendations. We came in for a birthday and he definitely made the birthday boy feel recognized and special! All the dishes were delicious, complex and fresh. Restaurant was cute and homey. We will definitely be back :) read more

Service was great. Food served within 5 minutes. It's been 4 or so years since we've eaten here and I was disappointed. I won't come back. :( we used to love Dolci. They don't have marinara or olive oil dips with their bread anymore. The Alfredo sauce and macaroni and cheese were the EXACT same sauce, the only difference was one had cheese and a different noodle. The Mac had a small amount of bacon too. Booooo read more

Stopped for dinnee on our way home from the casino just before 7pm on a Saturday. There wasn't a wait. We had the eggplant parmigiana, cheese ravioli with 2 added meatballs, linguine gamberi and we shared the beet salad. Everything was pretty tasty and food came out fast and hot. The ravioli pasta was just a bit too thick around the edges but that was really the only flaw in the food. Service could have been a little more attentive. The waiter didnt check in after the food was brought out despite walking by our table a dozen or more times. A server did refill our waters after bringing out the food and obliged when we asked for some parmesean cheese. The waiter eventually stopped by after we got up and helped ourselves to the to-go containers. He was very apologetic. Not at all a fault on the restaurant but we were subjected to loud music and street racing exhaust noises from cars in the parking lot the entire meal. Overall it was an above average meal and experience and definitely worth giving a try. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - .Eggplant parmigiana, cheese ravioli add 2 meatballs, linguine gambieri and a bwet salad - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

Super yummy! This was my first time eating here and most definitely will go back! Had the Salmon Sanremo which was so good! Very flavorful and mouth watering. The chefs choice vegetables were very tasty. Before this we did try the crab cakes that I did not get a picture of, but they were pretty good appetizer. Service was really nice and friendly. And the atmosphere was lovely. Recommend going here for any occasion. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Salmon Sanremo - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

I reserved a table for 8 using the online portal with a special request for patio seating. We arrived and were taken straight to our table, on the patio, tucked nicely into the back corner. The decoration and ambience is nice and the layout is perfect to keep the space quiet enough to have conversations. Half of my group was gluten free and the staff was attentive, helpful in identifying options and got the orders 100% perfect. Quite a heroic achievement of the wait and kitchen staff, especially considering almost every order had special requests. Great prices and respectable serving sizes. Highly recommend and we will be returning next time we're in the mood for Italian. read more

Late post. Happened to be in the area and this place came up nearby in Yelp search. So glad I tried it. Ordered the calamari and lasagna. Huge orders, delicious, and tasty. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Calamari - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

See all

A local favorite! Great people and great food. We dine in and takeout. Everyone is always friendly and the food is always good!

If you're looking for authentic Italian food -- this place is it! I just got back from Italy and I was craving some good pasta again. Their recipes are unmatched. And the decor is super cute! Definitely coming back. And the waiters are very sweet and welcoming! Top notch customer service. They actually look like they enjoy interacting with people I love that! The owner was super nice, has some amazing stories if you get to chat with him do it :) he's awesome! read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Pasta - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

See all

This is "Little Italy" quality Italian food in the East County. It is really good. Have always had a hard time finding a good shrimp pesto pasta dish ever since Stefano's closed in Hillcrest. Found it here. Highly recommend. read more

We ordered to go, but it did take me 5 phone calls to get through. I almost gave up! Glad I didn't. We ordered the meat ravioli (soooo good), Alfredo -rich and delicious, and the dolce pizza!!! We really enjoyed all of it and especially the ravioli. We would return, 4 stars due to not being able to reach them and also, slightly pricey. 3 dishes about $55. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Ravioli di Carne, fettuccini Alfredo (special order with chicken only), Dolci Pizza - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

Had a birthday dinner here and it was everyone's first time trying this restaurant. Everyone was absolutely so happy with their delicious dishes and enjoyed the warm welcoming service of the servers and owner. They made this birthday dinner amazing and smooth! Such a cute place as well to gather with friends and family :) read more

Have been here a couple times and each time the food and service was great! They have outdoor seating which is nice. Today I went for brunch and got the avocado toast and it was delicious. I tried for the first time the Affocado drink/dessert and it was 10/10!! If you are craving Italian food/dessert you don't have to drive all the way to little Italy, this place is just as good and close by! Definitely recommend. read more

Everything (food, service, ambiance,price) is always excellent. It's worth the drive from wherever you're from. read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Pollo Parmesan. The best ever!!! - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

I am honestly shocked that my food was so bad considering the reviews I read here. *Disclaimer- I did order off of UberEats* I ordered the Eggplant Parm and Fettuccine Alfredo, and wow--what a culinary thrill... if you enjoy cold, flavorless food that looks as sad as it tastes. Honestly, I didn't know it was possible to make Alfredo and Eggplant Parm this bland. Bon appétit, I guess. read more

Disappointed. Ambiance is better than most in the area. Food was mediocre. Service is terrible. Eggplant Parm is overpriced for one slice of eggplant with more cheese than eggplant. Margherita pizza was good, nothing special. Waiter never came by to check in and had to be chased down to get check. Never even asked about dessert or said thank you. The worst part was their service station where they kept chemical cleaning spray next to utensils and water pitcher. See photo read more

Dolci Cafe Italiano - Cleaner next to bread plates and water pitcher - Italian Near Me - El Cajon, California

Absolutely AMAZING food. I lived in Sicily IT for almost 2 years and since then, I've been on the search for authentic Italian food. Everywhere I've had fried calamari is absolutely disgusting, at Dolci IT IS TNE MOST AUTHENTIC DELICIOUS GOLDEN LIGHTLY FRIED calamari I've had since Living in Italy. The noise level is perfect! You can have a conversation with your family and not yell. Also, you feel like you're in a restaurant in Italy. read more

By far the best Italian I have ever had, came down here for work and had dinner here three nights in a row. Food is phenomenal, and the service is even better. Really mellow Italian classical music to top it off!! I can't say enough good about this place. read more

See all

Amazing customer service and delicious food. We had the margarita pizza and lasagna and I must say. Amazing. The place is super family oriented and I love how I think the owner is so professional and friendly. Great job read more

Cook " real Italian flavored food" this restaurant needs to improve their Italian flavors of real Italian food!

The food is always excellent, but what keeps us coming back is the service. Our server, Tony, has been wonderful every single time we've visited. He always remembers us and greets us with such genuine familiarity. His warm, friendly energy adds so much to an already welcoming atmosphere. read more

We loved it!! Tony the server was amazing! He brought our food out promptly and was very attentive. The food was wonderful

My husband and I have been there twice so far and both times the customer service was amazing. Truly great hospitality and their food is legit. This past Saturday we had the best experience from our server Tony. He had a great upbeat vibe. Claudia was sweet and attentive to helping on all tables. Finally George was so down to earth and kind I really can't say anymore good things. I'm really picky about the red sauce and I enjoy theirs. So that says something. read more

The five stars is mostly for the service, particularly Bella, Tony, and Claudia. Bella is super knowledgeable, Tony and Claudia are so friendly and attentive! The braised short rib pasta was really good, just a tad too salty. The calamari was cooked really well, good crunch with tender squid. The carpaccio was a bit plain. The bruschetta was really good - the pesto elevates it to another level. The ambience was great, it was like some unspoken agreement for all patrons to actually be present, and have conversations, instead of being on their phones. Great experience! read more

See all

Consistent quality. On one occasion, my "go-to-dish" (Michelangelio) was way salty; sime Ohave been the

Visiting here with a large group from out of town and had a great meal here. Our server Isabel listed out all the specials, and was patient when we kept asking her to repeat what they each were a few times. I appreciate the kids meal being bigger portions, for when the kids have big appetites or you can box it up and have them eat it later. Noshing on the burrata appetizer was a great preview to the how good the meals would be. My ribeye was LEGIT, I loved how the carrots were prepared. We split the bill, and accidentally tipped based on the whole bill on both checks, and Isabel came out to the parking lot to tell us! Thank you for your honesty. FIVE STARS all the way around, I know where I'm going the next time I'm in San Diego! Good: -Chilean Seabass Special -Bone In Ribeye Special -Burrata Appetizer -Lamb Chop Special -Kids Cheese Pizza -Kids Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce -RSVP on business site Bad: NONE read more

See all