I've been to a few Filippis in SD and now I live in Escondido so I had to take my partner there for pizza. Inside they keep it really dark which makes for a great date setting if thats what you like. Great ambience. They really pile the cheese on these pizzas, so be ready for this! I have also got the lasagna half portion which is great for one person. Obviously they have a few wines to choose from. The staff are hustling pretty quickly so you'll get fed quick. Oh and the garlic bread is the best!!! read more

I checked out Filippi's Pizza Grotto on Grand Avenue in Esco recently. I have been to most Filippi's restaurants in San Diego and this one certainly exudes old world charm and nostalgia. Mostly dark throughout, red & white checkered tablecloths, chianti bottles everywhere. I was solo and upon entering I was offered what appeared to be the worst possible table in the place, a half banquette staring at a wall. I declined that table and found something more suitable and comfortable with better lighting towards the rear. I immediately began by ordering a half carafe of chianti which came filled to the brim. I also requested some bread. The waitress brought out a couple of empty plates and small dish of butter packets. No bread, but I have butter. Go figure. For my dinner I ordered the Lasagna with meat sauce (half-order) and a meatball. The bread wound up coming out with the meal. The lasagna and meatball were good sized portions, but nothing came out properly hot. Not even the serving dishes. Everything was just varying degrees of lukewarm to warm. This is a problem that plagues most Filippi's in my experience. Poway is probably the worst. Aside from the food temps, everything was tasty and flavorful. While there are other Italian establishments in the area, this one continues to offer fairly reasonable prices and expanded operating hours which I appreciate. read more

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Staff was friendly, food was delicious and the cheese pull goes CRAZY. The sauce for cheese bread was so good. Caesar salad yummy read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - The Works - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

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FILIPPI'S PIZZA GROTTO, ESCONDIDO. We love this place! Paige's service was excellent. Tuesday evening 5:30pm seated in a cozy booth with my little boy. He ordered lasagna and devoured it. I don't remember what I ordered but I recall loving it. We enjoy the ambiance. It's welcoming and warm, dimly lit, Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, old-timey feel. Every time we come here we have an exceptional experience. Will be back soon. read more

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I just ordered takeout from Filippi's in Escondido. Wow. I forgot how crazy good it is. I've been to the India Street location a few times but this is the first one outside that. The pie must have weighed about 8 lbs. We tried but the old lady and I really couldn't put a dent in it. This is knife and fork pizza all the way. I found the crust especially toward the middle can get soggy to almost non existent so hand eating is out at least for me it was. After all I'm not a savage and possess opposing thumbs. read more

Food quality has really gone down over the years. Best thing is pizza. Not surevif we will be back.

Excellent meal. Server was attentive and friendly. Atmosphere was cozy. We ordered a large antipasto which was delicious for nine people. We didn't get through it all. We ordered one large meat lovers Pizza and we also could not get through it all. This is our go to once a year pizza place. Excellent food! read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

Filippi's is a classic! I've been going to their little Italy location for years, it's such staple. Today was our first time in the Escondido location and it's just as delicious. Generous portions, relaxed ambiance, amazing service and very similar decor and vibe. We got our usual fit for a king, the house salad and it didn't disappoint. read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Anchovies - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

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Food and service was amazing! On a holiday weekend, we were seated quickly, our order was taken within 10 minutes and served piping hot. Portions are HUGE. Nothing has changed in 30 years. Definitely recommend! read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Veal Parmesan with Spaghetti and meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

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Went to Filippi's in Little Italy for the first time in Feb of this year. Was outstanding. Super excited to find that there was a location closer to us in Escondido. Didn't see a parking lot but got lucky that someone was leaving on the street. A little concerned that the restaurant two doors down was crowded outside but we saw no one sitting outside of Filippi's. Was still craving their delicious pizza so we continued on in. At first glance, it was similar to the Little Italy location. We were greeted by a young lady who told us to sit anywhere and pointed us down the area she wanted us to go. Our sever showed up pretty quickly. Ordered just our drinks and then our food. Ordered the same thing we did at Little Italy but went with the dinner spaghetti and meatball instead of the lunch version. So let's get into the food. The Hawaiian pizza was overloaded with cheese and was a little difficult to get a slice off the pan. The pineapple pieces were more like chunks. Not much ham pieces but plenty of sauce and too much cheese. The crust was soggy. The spaghetti and meatball with meat sauce was okay. Too much water at the bottom of the plate. Meat sauce was good though. This also came with soup, salad and garlic bread. The garlic bread was weird. It was red. Brought everything home in hopes it would be better. Wrong. More water settled at the bottom of the spaghetti dish and was completely flavorless. The ONLY reason I gave this location 2 stars was because our sever was very nice, other than that, I would not recommend this location. read more

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I've definitely had better Italian food, but for a reasonably priced family meal, it was great! We started with a large antipasto salad. Very generous amount of meats and cheeses. The dressing is delicious. Six of us shared it and we still had leftovers!We ordered the Filippi's family combo. The spaghetti and ravioli were ok, the lasagna was good. We also had a medium Hawaiian style pizza and the All White Pizza. The white pizza was delicious! It had a really nice garlicky flavor. The Hawaiian pizza was good but I didn't taste much ham on it. Filippi's sure does make a great pizza! I'm wondering what kind of olive oil they serve when they bring the little olive oil and vinegar to the table. The olive oil was tasteless, very clear and thin. That was disappointing. Besides those minor things, service was fantastic! Will be back! read more

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Enjoyed our dinner tonight. Antipasto salad, ravioli & lasagna. Ambiance quiet & casual with old school Italian feel. Wednesday night, not crowded . Main reason for updating my review here is to give a shout out to our server Paige. She took excellent care of us with speed and a great sense of humor. Thank you ! read more

Best pizza I've had in a long time. The crust was amazing with just the right amount of char. Large Italian sausage pizza ingredients were spot on. read more

The service need to improve we're sitting down and one of the service was a little bit rude. I understand they're busy, but you don't need to be pushing back the chairs almost hit my leg. I already talked to the manager, but apparently there was no one in on shift, the individual was an African-American lady other than that it's good, but I'd rather go somewhere else if I'm gonna be getting treated this way and she also had an attitude so she's not happy what she said or if she was a mother trying to celebrate Mother's Day and she should've just taken the day off other than that it's all right. read more

No tables outside (again) so forced to sit indoors. Does anyone notice how yucky and dusty it is inside? Its pretty gross and I imagine you gotta get a blower and then dust everything. The clutter is cute, but dusty AF. I can't do it again, maybe just "to go" from now on. Food was ok, salad seemed pared down from last time. Bread was fantastic, as always. read more

Pizza is superb, the best in town (only in this location). Husband and I drove down from LA to have Filippi Fit for a King pizza whenever we have the craving. Service and ambiance are good, as usual. read more

Always enjoy Fillippi's. mounds of melted thick cheese falling over the sides yes please! they have parking in the back thank goodness. staff is great. read more

We've been coming to this Italian restaurant for years and have always loved their pizza. It's consistently delicious and the reason we keep coming back. Unfortunately, we decided to stray from our usual order the other night and try the "shells," and it turned out to be a big disappointment. I assumed this meant stuffed shells... the classic ricotta-filled pasta. Instead, what arrived was a large bowl of empty, medium-sized shells with marinara sauce poured on top. In both presentation and taste, it felt no different than plain spaghetti, just in a different shape. It was unappealing to look at and, honestly, unappetizing. While this may have been an oversight on my part when reading the menu, the dish itself was extremely underwhelming for the price. The garlic bread that came with it was soggy and lacked flavor, which only added to the disappointment. The salad, however, was good and the one bright spot of the meal. Still, it was frustrating to spend that much money only to throw away nearly half of the food. That said, if you're coming here for pizza, you won't be disappointed... it's still excellent and worth the visit. I've also heard good things about their lasagna. Just be cautious when ordering anything described as "shells" and make sure it's what you're actually expecting. read more

I've never been more upset and heartbroken over the treatment that received at Filipis Escondido. This is or was my favorite place to eat. Apparently you have to either be white or have disco ball on your head to get attended. I've never been overlooked and ignored in a restaurant like this before. It's hard to accept this was the last time I gave my favorite place a chance. read more

I love the classic Italian atmosphere you get here, can definitely tell it's been around for a while. The food was phenomenal, I got the eggplant parmigiana and it was fantastic. Perfectly cooked, with plenty of cheese. My friend said the lasagna is the best he's had! I will definitely come back to try that famous pizza of theirs! Service wasn't good, our drinks were empty the entire time we ate our meal. We were given butter when we first sat down but didn't get the bread until our food arrived. If service improves this could be a 5 star place. Great food and huge portions! Come hungry! read more

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4 stars (4.5 if I could). Threw a pizza party for 20 and Filippi's Escondido delivered. Pre-ordered on Mon 11/24: counter staff helped me pick 7 large pies + a Caesar. Pickup Tue 11/25 at 11:00am right at open; order was ready, and they loaded us up with cheese + chili flakes and hella dressing! Pizzas were a hit; everyone loved them def will be back! read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

My family and I have been coming here for over 20 years now. The quality and quantity of food hasn't changed since 2000! The service is always great and the food comes out quick. This will forever be one of our favorite places to celebrate special life events read more

I've been going to this Filippi's for over 50 years. Still my favorite pizza. The crust is perfect and the cheese is not like any mozzarella I've ever had. I don't know where they get it. Everything else on the menu is great as well. The tomato vinaigrette on the salads is still very unique. The famous meatball isn't as big as it used to be, but it's still tasty and tender. Now . . . if you want the best prime rib, hit up Filippi's in Mira Mesa. Seriously. read more

Oh wow!! Where to begin!!! The decor, the music, the great staff and the food! Food was great and less expensive than other italian places.

It was my friends birthday a.d she loves Filippis pizza...we have been trying to get there forever...service was very good....the restaurant was nicely decorated...except, I was facing blinking lights.....I ordered an eggplant parmigiana sandwich....it was a bit on the salty side...but ate it and had leftovers to take home. read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

We have done some in pick up and delivery. The pizza is amazing and the pasta is as well. The people working there are very nice as well. Big downside is the price. It's not cheap. For us it is totally worth it though. read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Picture doesn't do it justice, so good. - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

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Service was very slow. I had to ask for my food because it took so long to arrive. When I finally asked for the bill, I ended up waiting again for my card to be returned. I eventually went up to the front and said, "Can I just sign this? This is ridiculous." The girl working the register that night (11/23 at around 7:00 pm) gave me a terrible look. Because of her attitude, I didn't leave a tip. A simple smile could have turned the whole experience around. Unfortunately, after this visit, I'm done with this location read more

Ordered online, order did not go through and hostess was so dismissive, no apology or concern. She was more concerned with fixing her Halloween costume! The food has always been great and never had an issue. I get that technology doesn't always work however I would have expected them be a bit more apologetic and attended to my order rather than just walking away and telling me "the order didn't come through" The guys behind the counter were actually doing more to get my order going rather than the girl on the counter. Disappointed in the service. read more

Food is always great. I've been eating there since I was a kid!! Service is good. The employees are always friendly!!

The service was great and the food was pretty good. Parking is hard to find due to the construction. The small Cesar salad was pretty big and enough for 3 men. It was a little too dark for my liking. The bread was really fresh. I had a meatball sandwich and it was tasty but too much cheese. My friends ordered a meatball each and a large pizza with the works. We all agreed that was food was good and we would return. read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - The Works - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

Excellent food. Excellent service. Will defiantly put this on my favorites list! Not a super fancy Resturant , but instead, has a comfortable , stay a while and enjoy yourself ambience. read more

Deeeelisious ! We eat here often. We get takeout ofter too . We love it. I recommend Filippi's. read more

The people working here are extremely friendly. To be quite blank this just isn't my style of pizza. Growing up going to New York a lot I guess I'm a tough critic but the cheese does not stay on the pizza so at the end of it it's like I'm picking up my cheese because it fell off. A lot of people love this place and I get why but just isn't my style of pizza. However , the cannolis? TO DIE FOR. read more

The food was great, wine was great, but one small issue... the party next to us was obnoxiously loud. They were so loud, that it was inevitable to overhear their conversation. Their conversation was incredibly inappropriate so we had to pack up our food and take it to go. Unfortunate dining experience because it wasn't at the fault of the restaurant, but it definitely took away from a nice date night. read more

worst pizza ive ever had ,so much cheese it was unedible,what a waste of $28,the amount of grease was never seen before,into the trash it goes read more

I've had Filippis many times and it never disappoints! They close at 10 and me and my bf had just left the botanic gardens after seeing the light show and we were starving. It was 9pm and I usually hate to order before closing but i really wanted a good pizza so I called for a pick up and they were so friendly when we went in to pay everyone was so nice and accommodating asking if we needing plates/utensils or extra peppers/cheese. Top tier service thanks Filippis Escondido! read more

Food is always terrific. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Ambiance is very family friendly.

I was not going to post a negative review until I found out that different locations are owned by different owners. I always had very good experiences in Little Italy so I was puzzled how the Escondido location could be so different. I found out today that It's a different owner/family member. On 05/14 after a long day of working in Riverside county, I headed back home to Hillcrest. With a voracious appetite, I found The Filippi's in Escondido. Let me start by saying the staff was extremely nice, aside from the manager. Nothing bad to say there. I ordered a triple platter with spaghetti, lasagne, and cheese lasagne. The portion size was incredible, but the food was so lacking in not only taste, but texture too, that I barely ate any of it. I could not stomach it. Here's what was going on: 1. Large portions of the lasagna noodles were hard and some parts very chewy. I don't know what they did to it... I'm not a cook. It was simply bad and can't be how they normally serve it. 2. Cheese ravioli filling had a very odd taste I'd describe as pungent. Again, not the typical food I've had in the Little Italy location. 3. Spaghetti? It was "ok." The pasta was way overcooked and again, not like the spaghetti I've had at the Little Italy Filippi's. On a very positive note, I ordered a meatball and it was very good! So how did I handle the situation? When the manager came over, I very quietly told her my thoughts and she saw that I didn't eat hardly any of it. She offered to give it to me to go and I again said that I wouldn't eat it at home either. She walked away without offering anything at that point. I received a check with no consideration for anything, so I asked for the manager again. At that point, she was confrontational with me and after staring at the check and playing with her calculator, she said "the best I can do is take 10% off." I replied by reminding her that I wasn't expecting a free meal, but that I didn't eat hardly any of it and she saw that. I told her that it didn't taste good and that I've had much better. Her response, "I can't do anything about it. Other people like our food." The whole ordeal was disappointing and my hunch is that the manager was ownership or a family member. I can't imagine that anyone was actually trained to handle a unsatisfied customer that way. I ended up going to another restaurant and paying yet again because I was incredibly hungry. Remember, the different locations are owned by different family members... I learned this today. If you're happy at the Filippi's you frequent and it's not Escondido or owned by the same people, I say continue to enjoy. I won't be returning to Escondido and I'm quite sure they could not care less. The meal was almost $23 and after my tip, almost $27! read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - The food I left on my plate before leaving - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

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I got a tell something no matter what, you're in Escondido long time and I came from New York and you will serve this pizza in New York believe me $99 dollars pizza even better than this. Please whoever its owner this store they need to come check the pizza at least. Like superbowl time I couldn't finish that pizza with 4 people because there is no cheese secondly pizza dough is too thick and there is barely sauces on it. I'm going to get my pizza papa John's now at least I know the taste will be. This is not a pizza place for sure. read more

Filippi's Pizza Grotto Escondido - Thick cross pizza and barely cheese on it. Shame on you! - Italian Near Me - Escondido, California

Food is always at the perfect temperature depending on the item and always delicious! Service is impeccable! Love the Italian vibe for dining with family and friends! I'm a regular, mostly order to go/pickup! Chefs know me by name! They have been there longer than most staff. Greeted with smiles always. You can tell they enjoy working there! read more