We went twice in one week: first time there, we ordered take out, then returned 3 days later for dine in. Exceptional service and good vibes both times. So far, we've tried the fried ravioli, cannoli, Domenicos pizza, side of meatballs, garlic bread and Celestinos short rib ravioli. Fried ravioli was our all time favorite. Coming back to try sandwiches and seafood chowder on a weekend. read more

super delicious food! i had a caesar salad and some eggplant parmesan, it was honestly 10/10 they have a wide variety of wines i had pinot grigio and it paired perfectly with my food. the bread they offer it's to die for. service is super friendly, a little slow at the times because it gets very busy but it's worth waiting for. the ambiance it's very cozy and romantic. read more

The food was excellent and so was the service. Vicky was our waitress and very attentive. Two of us had the spaghetti bolanase, another had shortrib ravioli and one had seafood pomordormo with white wine,oil, butter and garlic. All the food was wonderfully prepared and very good portions. The bread was great too. Celebrating a birthday and they surprised her with a homemade canoli that we all had a taste of, very nice. We will come back here the next time we are in Alpine. read more

Had a lovely meal at Franca's on 6/11/26. The owners were very responsive from our prior review and really went above and beyond our expectations. We ordered a few appetizers and they were nice. My husband ordered the shortrib ravioli and I had the shrimp scampi. Both were delish. We want to thank both Joe and Dom for making us feel very special. We will definitely be back. read more

So we were riding through downtown Alpine and stopped in for some lunch and was that the right move. Dominic was more than welcoming and helpful and we were seated and warm bread was brought out to the table quickly. So far so good but wait there is more the food was incredible, pasta cooked to perfection all flavors were spot on and delicious. There is a bar and also a sitting area lined with old family photos it's a great look for the experience you will remember food, service and friendly. read more

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Every item on the menu is delicious and the serving sizes are more than generous. The Donato's take care of every customer like they are family and never fail to put a smile on your face while serving the most beautiful authentic dishes. My favorite part of the restaurant is all the history on the walls. read more

This visit was our first and it was supposed to be a romantic, anniversary late-night dinner. There were hits and misses: 1. The parking lot and the one disabled spot are behind the restaurant. The back door was opened so we thought this was normal. To our surprise, it looked like a party had finished and what appeared to be a manager having a brief meeting. We walked through to the front of the restaurant, which was clearly the right entrance. Our server also told us the back door wasn't usually open and confirmed the front entrance. Although dark, I only saw stairs to enter this way. Hmmm.... 2. If you want a cozy romantic evening, this isn't the place. Overall, it's dark and lots of burgundy, like from the 70s. Nice family pictures on the walls. That said, it's probably great for groups and families. Besides the group in the back, there was only one table left of four people. It was still so loud that it made it uncomfortable. A bit later, it seemed the serving staff had their meal but we couldn't hear them. 3. Our server was very friendly, pleasant, and helpful. And, any time we needed her, she was there for us. 4. The bread is killer and arrinchini was on point - crisp crust and super savory on the inside. My husband got a pasta ragu type dish, which he liked. I had the linguine and clams, which was beautifully plated, but all I could taste was mostly raw garlic and there wasn't enough sauce. I also got a bit of shell in one of the clams. That was a bummer. After looking at the menu and prices, I guess I expected a different experience and was disappointed. If there is a next time, it will probably be take out. read more

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Food was absolutely incredible. We had one of their weekend specials with shrimp, I forget the name and also their pepperoni pizza. They put the pepperoni under the cheese and oh my god it's amazing. The service was 10/10, very attentive and the food came out hot and quick. Ambiance was a vibe. Dom, one of the owners came out and made sure everything was up to par. Their bar was completely full when I went so that says something about their bartenders! My .394 draft beer came out ice cold. No complaints! Will definitely come back soon! read more

Franca's has been one of our favorite spots for years! We've used Franca's for so many occasions including date nights, celebration dinners with big groups, and even catering for events we've hosted. They truly do it all! The service is always top-notch, the food is amazing, and we always leave happy and full. We truly feel welcomed, taken care of, and accommodated each time we visit. To top it all off, it's family-owned by amazing people who genuinely make and treat their guests like family. Already looking forward to our next visit! Highly recommend dining at Francas! read more

Love their torpedo. Serve cocktails they are ok but I'll take it in alpine. Daughter love gnocchi and kids pizza good deal!

Worst calzone and worst pizza I've ever had. A DiGiorno pizza from Walmart would have been better.

Had a lovely meal at Franca's 6/11/26. The owners were very responsive to our prior review and really went above a beyond our expectations to make things right. My husband had the shortrib ravioli and I had the shrimp scampi, both were delish. We will definitely be back. Thank you Joe and Dom. read more

The owner here is such a great guy! On our first visit, he was incredibly friendly, and when we came back, he remembered us and went out of his way to say hello. We absolutely love the fettuccine, it's creamy, rich, and delicious. The garlic cheesy bread wasn't our favorite (the sesame seeds on the bread felt a bit out of place), but everything else we tried was outstanding. The Caesar salad, calamari, mussels and clams, and fried ravioli were all packed with flavor. My husband is Italian and very picky about his Italian food, but he loves this family-run restaurant. We've decided this is going to be our weekly go-to spot! read more

Pizza no sauce. Oh my gosh. Should have gone to Domino's pizza. Why are you serving pizza? The cheese runs into the center. Asked for half olives. I counted 10 pieces. Olives must be real expensive. Is it the tariffs? The pic is the pizza the next day i tried it in a toaster oven. Where did the sauce go. read more

Franca's Italian Kitchen and Bar - Cheese Pizza - Italian Near Me - Alpine, California

Food was good. We had the Italian sandwich, the fettuccine Alfredo and a bolognese. The server was very nice. Portions of pasta were smaller than in other places, the sandwich was huge. read more

Tried out Franca's last night and was throughly impressed. Ambiance was nice. The restaurant gave off a cozy feel but not too dark/dinghy. Service was great and they were very attentive to dirty dishes and filling drinks. We ordered eggplant Parmesan and the pesto gnocchi. Both were delicious and great portion size. I also had a limoncello martini that was great as well. We definitely will be back to try the pizza. read more

Franca's Italian Kitchen and Bar - Pesto gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Alpine, California

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Amazing menu options and friendly service! Highly recommend, they won't disappoint (:

My wife and I were loyal Donatos customers. When Francas opened and announced that they were changing the menu from what Donatos had been serving we were VERY skeptical that Francas would live up to its predecessor. Well we were worried for no reason. Francas has done it all so well. The pizza is the same great pizza as before, but the entrees are even better. The fruta Del Mar is fresh and flavorful. The lasagna is right on the money with lovely ricotta mozzarella and sausage. I had the spicy mussels over linguine and it was sweet and savory and spicy. The best dish that I've had however is the sausage and peppers. PHENOMENAL! It comes with plenty of onions and peppers and garlic and oil so make sure you did the delicious bread in it to sop up all the goodness. read more

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I normally like to look at a restaurant's pizza before ordering. You can tell a lot just by looking at the crust. Someone else picked it up, so I was unable to preview the pizza. I would have never have ordered it, had I seen it. Uniform bread like crust. This pizza is not worth buying. I paid $20 for a 12" pizza and tried two slices. It's so bad, I'll probably throw the rest away. read more

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The service was great. Very friendly server. We ordered dinner Caesar salads and shared a lasagna. The lasagna was pretty good. I would have preferred more noodles but there was lots of meat. We thought we'd need some garlic bread but they do bring bread to start. I thought we might need more food but it ended up being just right for the two of us. The ambiance was pleasant. It was busy but not too loud. read more

I highly recommend Franca's to all my friends and anyone else who wants to really enjoy their dining experience. My favorite is their Pizza but it is closely followed by their Lasagna. If you're in the Alpine area and want to really enjoy your dining experience then this is the place for you. You will be overwhelmed by how AWESOME their service is. Personally, Vicky is my favorite!! BK read more

Giving this three stars because I'm hoping I just got them on a bad night. Ordered chicken parm and seafood pasta to go, each with a side of Italian salad. Both main dishes were extremely dry and missing sauce. The chicken was over fried. The Italian salad had rotten tomato (one, singular, was included and it was rotten). The dressing (Italian) was pure oil even after mixing it. Left a lot to be desired. Hopefully this was a bad night for their cook, but it was not worth the $70 paid read more

We've eaten here twice since they opened. Each time our service has been prompt and we've loved almost everything we've had! They offer good sized portions at reasonable prices. There is quite a bit of seating throughout the restaurant and they also have bar seating. The first time we came we had the roasted garlic herb pizza. SO good. Crust was perfectly cooked. We also had the short rib ravioli which was just ok. The red sauce that day was a bit too sweet for our taste and the complimentary bread was a little undercooked and doughy on the inside. HOWEVER, the second time we came everything was perfect. We never go out for dinner on Valentine's Day but this year my hubby and I were so tired after work we didn't want to cook and decided to give it a shot. So glad we did! They had a Valentine's Day set menu or you could order from their regular menu as well. We ordered from the set menu! Fantastic choice we made! They serve complimentary bread and butter which was hot and fresh. Next out was the appetizer... arancini balls were so fresh, hot and delicious especially with that red sauce, not too sweet this time! Next came the Caesar salad which had the most delicious buttery croutons and thick Caesar dressing. Yum! Only thing that could've made this better was shaved Parmesan cheese instead of grated. Next came the entrees. I had the Seafood Pasta and my husband had the Chicken Marsala. Both were fantastic. As you can see from the pictures the portions were very generous too. Lastly was the dessert. We were so full we ordered them to go. We ate them the next day and the cheesecake was some of the best I've had. It was super creamy and delicious. Not too sweet or tangy. Wine selection was better than when they first opened. The wine is reasonably priced and they have a nice alcohol happy hour menu. read more

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Was recommended this spot by a friend who lives in Alpine. I wasn't so sure the drive would be worth but it was amazing !!! I got the penne Ala vodka and it was out of this world ! My buddy got the Angelos special which also great because I had a piece. My other buddy got the Tortelloni Siciliano and I had one and it was out of this world !!! They have a vast menu so I'm excited what I'm going to try when I come back. We shared fried zookini and calamari as appetizers. The waiter was very helpful for us explaining the menu. Lots of seating and the restaurant was clean which is always a plus ! They have a bar also! Can't wait to come back read more

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Italian food is very popular and delicious. Service is friendly and easy. Nice bar and red leather booths. Ambience is friendly and welcoming. Good for families and big groups. Garlic bread is unbeatable. read more

We've only tried their pizzas. Unfortunately they weren't as good as we expected. The style is similar to Filipis or even Marechiaros, but the taste, texture, and quality are a little bit underwhelming. Maybe their other offerings are better. read more

Food - The food was nothing short of spectacular. Every single dish hit. The calamari was perfectly cooked and the pomodoro sauce was so good we wanted to drink it. My partner wanted to order Domenico's pizza and I was skeptical thinking it would be like every other pizza. BOY was I wrong. It was loaded with thick homemade meatballs, gooey mozzerella, and Canadian ham served along with the most garlicky ranch. YUM! We then split the chicken parmigiana and Asiago gnocchi. The chicken was juicy and the penne was perfectly al dente. The gnocchi was the texture of clouds and the pesto was fresh and the walnut added a unique spin on the classic pesto. Everything we had was outstanding! Not to mention the extremely affordable pricing for the quality and sizing of the dishes. Service - The restaurant and parking lot was packed but they still managed to sit us within 5 minutes. All of the hosts and servers were extremely professional, helpful, attentive, and good looking. We really couldn't have asked for better service! Ambiance - When you step into Franca's you can see the love and care they put into this restaurant. It's completely family run with pictures of generations of their family adorned on the walls. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and immediately makes you feel at home. read more

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If come here for dinner, you can expect to eat some of the absolute best Italian food you will have probably ever had. One of my favorite appetizers happens to be the bruschetta, it's full of so much flavor, I could probably eat the entire appetizer all to myself. The meatballs are also really good, they're made with beef & pork, can't go wrong there. If you're looking for something, a little bit different, I would highly recommend the asiago gnocchi, the pesto sauce is absolutely fantastic. I also really loved the rigatoni Diavolo, a dish with lots of spice and flavor. As far their pizzas, go, by far the best pizza would have to be the roasted garlic chicken pizza, the sauce they use on that pizza is out of this world. Overall, the ambience of the restaurant is very cozy and the service is absolutely fantastic all the way around. Highly recommend dining here if you enjoy supporting a small family owned & operated business, you will not be disappointed. read more

I came here for my mother-in-law's birthday and was so impressed with the service. Marcy did an excellent job. All of our needs were met and accommodated. Big thanks to Marcy! We will be back. read more

If you are a diabetic looking for a pizza you can eat, try their cauliflower crust. So good. Not a grease pit but a good quality pizza. Everything was fresh, service was top notch and there is even a bar area for watching a game. They have a very good happy hour. Very clean and very inviting. read more

This was our second time eating here. We originally came when they first opened. And we thought that it was OK. We came back tonight because we heard they had a new chef working in the kitchen. Simone. We ordered both of the specials. The bone in short rib and the shrimp and crab pasta. When the dishes came, the presentation was gorgeous. And then we tasted the food and both dishes were delicious. The short ribs melted in your mouth. The shrimp scampi's were so fresh and the pasta so delicious. Even the zucchini was cooked perfectly. We arrived early at happy hour and got two Moscow mules and two glasses of Italian wine to complement the meal. Both my husband and I commented what a wonderful dining experience we had here at this time. Everything was delicious and fresh. We will definitely be back. If you come here, I would recommend trying whatever specials Simone is cooking in the kitchen. read more

Tried this place for the first time and it is to die for! We started with the calamari and it was great, perfectly seasoned and crispy. My fiancé and I shared the side Caesar and it was amazing! The side salad is perfect for 2 to share, I thought we had accidentally ordered the dinner salad because it was surprisingly big. For our entrees I got the Asiago gnocchi and all I can say is WOW the texture was that of a cloud. The sauce was so great and I topped it with an added chicken cutlet. My only note is the chicken cutlet could have been fried a bit longer, but that's something I can ask for next time, no biggie. My fiancé got the lasagna and let's just say it was another HIT! We have our new favorite Italian spot in east county. Already can't wait to go back read more

My sister and I had a special weekend up in Alpine and we planned a wonderful Italian dinner so we decided to try this place we're Italian so we are a bit picky. Let me just say that first. We don't eat much so we decided to share a calzone I couldn't believe it when I received it. It was literally black (burnt on the outside somewhat gooey or doughy on the inside )on both sides. I was surprised that the waitress didn't notice it or say anything ,so I wanted to send it back, but my sister said "it's fine. I like it crispy."I had two bites and couldn't eat anymore, in all fairness we could've sent it back but when we got the bill and noticed it was $28 And that the cannoli was $10 for a somewhat mediocre cannoli. I just couldn't believe that !! I couldn't stop myself from leaving this review. I never review but I think you guys should be warned. I'm sorry to the owner that I didn't say something, but I also feel like somebody else should've noticed this. read more

we waited fir two hours in Alpine for them to open at 4:00. It was worth the wait. The owner was very friendly and accommodating. Our waitress was awesome. The food was delicious and authentic. We can't wait to dine their again. read more

Best Italian food in Alpine hands down. Their gnocchi is amazing, the bread is SO good, and the service is great. The owners are extremely welcoming and you can tell they care so deeply about providing a great experience (which you will absolutely get). 10/10 will recommend to anyone in San Diego. read more

OUTSTANDING MENU and service is very friendly and make sure you have everything you need. D Weeks

Food was 10/10!! I've only gotten it to-go so I can't speak on service but every time we have gone to check out they are quick and friendly! We ordered the baked rigatoni and the appetizer meatballs. Both delicious! read more

Franca's Italian Kitchen and Bar - Baked Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Alpine, California

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The appetizer's were absolutely wonderful! Great taste, especially the minestrone!! The food came very quickly when we ordered. However, the main courses were lacking. The main courses were a quite bland and the cheesecake came partially frozen and tasted like it was out of a box, not home made. The ice cream was amazing though! Service was so/so. The waitress forgot us often and did not clear dishes off of our table so when she delivered our desserts we had to scrounge for space to eat our dessert. My husband was holding a stack of dishes to hand her from the main course when she delivered our desserts and she ignored him, so he placed them back on the table. All in all, it wasn't a bad dining experience, but it could've been a lot better. read more

Everything and everyone gets the highest ratings. I am sorry for not getting photos. We are going back tonight. I had the lasagna. It's NOT gummy or pasty with cheese and pasta. The flavors are wonderful. We also had sausage and peppers and muscles diablo. These people know what they're doing. read more

Quite possibly the greatest Italian food I've ever had. I've gone back several times and between the service and quality of the food, it's absolutely outstanding. Not to mention it's a fully family run restaurant, and you can tell how much love and care was put into everything. 10/10 recommend!!! read more