My husband and I recently moved to his family home in Escondido and were looking for a good Italian restaurant. Today we went to Fresco Grill and Wine Bar at 5256 S. Mission Road, in Bonsall. As soon as we walked in I was impressed with the ambiance. The music was soft acoustic guitar, piano, and some opera. There was a fountain in the dining room!!! The lighting was soft but adequate. There were booths with high backs, making the experience more intimate with less noise from other customers, and causing the overall sound not to be too bright. The murals on the walls were lovely. The glassware was glass, not plastic, a major plus. The napkins were cloth, not paper, another major plus. Our server Deanna was amazing, always had a smile on her face, answered all of my questions, and provided excellent service. I always order Linguini Alfredo with chicken, broccoli and mushrooms, with fresh chopped basil on the side. It is my standard Italian meal that forms my over all opinion of an Italian restaurant. The Alfredo sauce was made to order, not prepared in a large pot in the morning then served all day, the biggest plus of all. It was fresh, thick, creamy, and had no black pepper in it, which is a big plus for me because I can not have black pepper. There was a goodly amount of chicken and broccoli and mushrooms, all cooked to perfection, and the amount of food in total was large enough to fill me up, but not so large that I felt too stuffed to finish it. I ended the meal with the Chocolate Gelato, which was marvelous, and Deanna brought teaspoons rather than tablespoons, which also impressed me because I didnt have to ask for a smaller spoon then wait while my gelato melted. The ONLY critique I have is that the linguini could have been cooked a bit longer. Over all the entire experience was fantastic, and Fresco Grill has earned its place as our favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego County. Magnifico! read more

Hands down one of the worst dining experiences. This place is way over priced and a total waste of time and money. First, they serve you warm tap water from an old Pellagrino bottle. Totally nervous because I'm sure they do not wash them after each use. Second, ordered a Pellagrino and waitress informed us they do not have any bottled sparkling water. Italian restaurant and no bottled water and your trying to get $38 for a filet? Ordered appetizers off of suggestion from waitress. Waited about 25 minutes and immediately knew something was wrong and of course there was as our waitress brings out our main course. SHE FORGOT TO PUT IN OUR APPETIZERS SHE SUGGESTED. Not only that the filet she brought out was a half a** piece of meat. This place is ridiculous and garbage. It you have given this place a good review then I assume your taste is limited as this place should be embarrassed to put out this type of food to the public. read more

I was told my food order would take 20 mins and I did not receive it until a hour and ten minutes later. The food was bland, poor presentation, and the plain noodles with vegetables were dry with no flavor. Also, the olive oil they give you with the bread was open and spilled over everything. I ended up throwing the food out because it was tasteless. I was very disappointed. read more

Had dinner here last night. It was just ok. The food is basic, the service is good but the prices are way overpriced. Your better off making pasta at home for $3 instead of paying $17 for sauce and noodles. If the food was outstanding I wouldn't mind paying. Not family friendly, no kids menu. I ordered my kids a fettuccine alfredo which they were going to share. It came out already split on 2 plates. That was nice until the bill came. They took it upon themselves to split up the order so they can charge an extra $3 for a split plate fee. I am more than capable of plating up food for my kids. I didn't ask them to split it nor did they tell me about the extra charge. It also tasted as though sour cream was added to the sauce. Alfredo is a very basic dish and has no place for sour cream. Definitely will not be going back. read more

This place is really good! The artichokes are amazing! All the pastas I've had are very tasty! The dessert is also good! The service is very good,our waitress was very friendly. I'm currently pregnant and they've offered me a pillow for my back each time I've came here. Definitely would recommend! read more

This use to be one of our favorite places to go however the last time we were there our experience was not very good. My daughter has Celiac and we use to love their Gluten Free pasta. The chef obviously didn't care this time and mixed her pasta with regular pasta. We showed our waitress the two different pastas on our plate and they apologized but that's all. My daughter ended up getting sick thanks to the lack of effort in the back. Unfortunately we will not be back since we no longer trust their kitchen. They are a great place if you do not need to worry about Gluten. read more

When I first walked in, I was surprised by how nice it looked inside. It seemed like a place you could go on a romantic date because in the middle of one of the sections of tables, there is a fountain. For our appetizer, we ordered one of the specials, stuffed mushrooms. I'm not sure what was in the mushrooms (I wasn't listening to what he said because I was already sold after he said stuffed mushrooms) but I know there was garlic and it was delicious. For my meal, I ordered a pasta dish that had Italian sausages in it and covered in just the right amount of cheese. It wasn't amazing but it was good. My husband ordered the gnocchi. I tried a bite of it and was a little bit disappointed. The sauce however, was good. Again, not spectacular but not bad either. The service was really good and fast. The server was really nice and our glasses were never empty. We wanted to catch a movie after dinner and we left 45 minutes after we walked in and made it just in time for our movie. :) This place is kind of pricey though. There are other places I'd prefer going for the same price. A solid 3 stars. read more

The menu looked awesome, but the finished product wasn't that great. The bread they put out is tasteless and is store bought, and the marinara they pair it with is like tomato sauce with a huge amount of salt. I did enjoy my salad but my eggplant was meh- but they added plenty of cheese and the sauce was better than the one with the bread at least. Lunch service was a bit slow even though they weren't terribly busy, although the staff was quite pleasant. Decent atmosphere but I don't think I will be back. read more

My friends and I celebrated a birthday dinner at Fresca Grill last night. We have all been there before, with average food and service. There aren't many upscale restaurants in Bonsall and Fallbrook, so we thought we'd give it another chance. I am sorry to say it was worse than average this time. I ordered veal scallopine. It was really just mediocre quality, with a thin Marsala sauce and bland veal. My friend ordered fettuccine and remarked he thought it was a child portion. Service was inconsistent with quite a wait to order and then the food arriving very quickly. It was noisy and hard to converse. I can't recommend it this time. read more

The menu description of the kale salad said "roasted artichokes, roasted chickpeas". Sounds good right? What I got was artichokes and chickpeas straight out of the can. NOT a $10 salad! The filet I got was overly chewy and under cooked. Don't know why this place has such high ratings. The food is mediocre at best. And at these prices, you expect better. Would never come back here again. read more

Love it!! Sunday brunch, seriously if you have not gone here for Sunday brunch... what!!?/ Where are you throwing your money away? Good food and a great experience. Unbelievably fantastic. Lunch is also great!! I think dinner is too much for the area. Pricing could be better, but Sunday brunch is a HUGE hit, do it all the time. And lunch is fantastic. OMG try the Ahi or the Salmon salad... especially the Ahi, but both are fantastic. Really, this place is a real winner. Like this location 10 times more than the Carlsbad one too. This is the place to go. Great and great people too. read more

Boy, the bartender here sure is a great one if you like to be ignored. Came in when there were maybe 5 people in the whole place (including the restaurant portion) and it was still hard to get his attention for a drink at the bar. When it came time for a refill, again ignored. I was the only person sitting at the bar at the time! Wow, great service. The first time I went there, I thought it was an anomaly. Nope, happened every time. read more

Bustling night, packed house. Owner has staffed up well as this was 3rd visit in a row with prompt service from both wait staff and kitchen. Tonight Jonathan served us and we had the best experience in terms of timing we've had in awhile. He was very efficient and attentive. We thought given the crowd we would have to wait awhile but we were pleasantly surprised. And the lasagne and filet were both spot on. Our local go-to. read more

We ate dinner last night at Fresco Grill and found their meals were outstanding especially flavorful sauce. I even asked a server for a spoon because I hated to leave such a tasty sauce in my plate. The meals were not heavy including their desserts (Creme Brulee, Tiramisu) which I like, but if you are fond of rich and creamy sauce or dessert with large portions of food, you might not be satisfied with their dishes..... My only complain was their bread....It was dry and stale. I just did not understand how come they could serve such tasteless bread to customers! Other Italian restaurants provide fresh bread like pizza crust (crusty on the outside, soft on the inside)....I hope the chef will consider making the bread as impressive as their entrées! We will go back! read more

My Friend and I were looking for a good meal before heading to a concert at Pala Casino and Fresco Grill came up on the Google Map. It was right on the way and it sounded like it was worth a try so we went. We were pleasantly suprised how nice it looked inside and were seated right away. I loved the bread, bread sticks and marinara sauce they brought right away, it was a nice change from oil and vinegar! Tons of yummy sounding food on the menu as well as the specials for the day! I had the Shrimp Bisque at the suggestion of our great waiter David and I loved it! Really creamy and delicious! Presentation was beautiful too! I ordered the Tilapia with parmesean crust and it was served with amazing mashed potatoes, perfect veggies and steamed spinach. It was so good! I can't wait to go back with my husband! He is going to love it!! Definitely worth a try! P.S. They were super good leftovers too! read more

Omg! The Sunday brunch! We have been here several times and it's always amazing . I didn't know they had a Sunday brunch ! It's amazing ...this is the best ever and unlimited champagne too! read more

This was a nice place and the server was incredibly pleasant. It was a bit slow service though. I got the veggie burger with no bun for lunch with green salad and my husband got Ceasar salad with salmon and minestrone soup. Soup was excellent he said and the salad and salmon were good. I thought Cesaer was very good. My veggie burger was obviously home made and tasty enough but definitely moist which is usually hard to do on a veggie burger so that was very good. My salad was just some greens with waaaay too much dressing . I couldn't eat it....I just finished off his Cesaer . ;0) It's in a bad spot location wise but I am sure if we were in the area we would probably come by again. read more

It was FREEZING inside- felt like the air was on. The staff was great! Hostess super friendly and inviting, nice ambiance. Calamari could've been more crispy but was fresh tasting- it literally came out in a minute which was interesting bc we had just ordered it. My husband ordered a sausage pepperoni pizza and thought it was really good- nice sauce and good balance of ingredients. I had the lobster ravioli- good cream sauce but the ravioli could've been cooked a little more. The lava cake was kind of dry and no lava flowing out of it. The ice cream was really good it came with. We also got 2 sangrias with a splash of champagne- they were huge and really good. Had to wait awhile to pay but service was good and overall a good experience for a valentines dinner. read more

Food was excellent and service was good. The homemade sauce was delicious. Although we went for lunch and it was empty when we arrived, the restaurant filled up nicely before we left. read more

CLASSIC PLACE This is a place I frequent when in town. The new remodel decor is very nice. lots of pillows and nice bright colors. The staff is very nice and have been there a long time. I order the French artichokes. They are great with the olive oil and some salt. All the pasta dishes I have tried are good. This is one of the few places in the area that has good service. read more

Wonderful and friendly servers! Amazing and delicious selection of food. With a fantastic presentation that makes you want to come back for more. Quick and efficient wait time too. Great place to go on a date, birthday dinner, etc. when in or near the Bonsall area. read more

My husband and I went there last night for a nice dinner . We have eaten there many times but the music last night was loud and horrible. Absolutely not what you want to enjoy a nice dinner with. read more

I ordered the chicken under the brick. It was so over cooked I couldnt eat it and it came with canned sliced beets and that's it. $28 for this. I. Happy they were opened, but I think they've lost their cook. read more

I'm giving it two stars only because I love the atmosphere of the restaurant, but their food is definitely a rip off. It could be better for the money you're paying. I ordered the ravioli for $18 and there were only 5 of them. It didn't blow me away. I could go to Ciao Ristorante in Vista and get a huge portion for the same price and better quality. But for Bonsall, I guess this is okay read more

This is definitely a place for grownups. We had a charming evening here with friends, and everything was excellent. We had such a lovely meal, I know we will be back. read more

Disappointing dinner here. Pizza Margarita had unripe tomato and was served cold in spots. Entre (chicken Marsala) was bland, with a very watery sauce. The mushrooms in the dish were the best part. Not worth the price. read more

The bread was very good. The salad contained greens, sliced kiwi, sliced pear and candied walnuts. The Cream of Mushroom soup was exquisite. Great place for a cozy lunch. read more

Fresco Grill - Insalata with pear, kiwi, candied walnuts, and girganzola cheese...yummie - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

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Food was good but service was great! Got into town a little later in the day than we were expecting, and it being our anniversary we wanted to go out to a nice dinner. Even showing up right before they were closing they sat us and were really nice about it. Food was good nothing amazing but worth the 5 stars solely for the service. read more

So sad the dinner was not as good as expected. They were out of the wine we chose, no pelligrino water. Drinks came in weird glasses. No bread, starters was ok, but not $18 worth. Told the waitress my food allergy, no problem. Came with peppers I asked to leave off. Waited and waited... don't think I'll go back. read more

This is definitely a place I would not recommend anymore. The service was very, very slow even though few patrons were present. I had grilled halibut with vegetables which I thought was over priced. I could hardly find the halibut and the roasted vegetables were way overdone and not edible. Not a good experience. read more

I love this place for so many reasons. First the food, second the atmosphere - very inviting, great staff who work hard to remember your name. Super wine list and not bad selection by the glass as well, heavy leaning of course to the Italians. I often eat at the bar and there are always regulars and great conversation to be had. There is nice guitar music towards the end of the week. I keep brining more friends who are fast becoming fans. Try it you will like and if you are not happy for any reason see the owner he will lay down his life to make things right - his name is Lenone. Tell him Julia sent you....(wink). read more

I checked this place out when I went to pick up a Pizza from across the way and picked up a menu. It was a good looking restaurant and the menu sold me on giving it a try the following evening. It took a little while for them to get their act together in terms of serving us and we appeared to be the only table our waiter was taking care of on the side of the restaurant where they sat us which resulted in less than desirable service. When the bread came out we were less than impressed... it came with some marinara sauce, no butter, no oil and vinegar... since I'm not really a tomato fan I wasn't very pleased, but with our waiter no where to be found, I bit my tongue. Drinks were a little slow to arrive, and we only had the chance to order one refill (when our dinner came) - weak service considering we did order an appetizer which came before our main course. The appetizer (calamari) was very good... not over cooked and had a spicy marinara that complimented it well I have to say. We finished it quickly, only to stare at the empty plate until they cleared it to make room for our entrees 10 minutes later. Sipping off the melting ice with a straw you would think would draw attention from the staff, but no luck there. Our main course was a little disappointing, except for the fact I finally got a brink refill. I ordered the veal piccata and found my meat to be a little thick and somewhat tough. Across the table one of my compatriots ordered two main entrees because she couldn't decide on which one sounded better and figured she would have left overs of lunch the following day. Unfortunately the portions are very small... I finished my plate (something I rarely do) and she finished both main courses, one of which was made up of only three raviolis. I don't think you should ever leave an Italian restaurant feeling hungry and that was how we all felt after the main courses were finished (everyone finished their plate). We did order dessert which was good, and satisfied our lingering hunger - honestly, probably the only reason we ordered it was because we were still hungry. All in all a three star experience. What I had, tasted good (not great), but all in all was not impressed. Over priced for the portions received and poor service are the nails in the coffin for me. Bummer too... I was really hoping to find a nice restaurant to patron frequently. read more

We were attending a birthday party at Fresco, so maybe not the best way to experience the food. There were 16 of us and a preset menu of Halibut or Rack of Lamb. Appetizers started with an iceberg lettuce salad, melon wrapped in prosciutto, calamari with sauce (the best tasting item on the entire menu), and a ravioli. It was finished with either creme brulee or chocolate mousse. First, the appetizers, the prosciutto was very stringy and tasteless, the melon, not ripe enough and tasteless. The calamari was okay but the sauce was very good. The ravioli was tasteless. I didn't try the salad. The lamb - it seemed to be rolled in something and deep fried - bleck! Tasteless and a unsavory presentation - the best tasting items (quite good) were the carrots, potatoes and string beans. Finally the dessert, I tasted the Creme Brulee - it was nothing special (for all the calories!) and the chocolate mousse was tasteless (see a theme here?) I would not try this place again for a whole bunch of reasons, including our wait person was pushy about continually asking us if we wanted a drink (even when we had a drink in our hand) when we said no she seemed a bit pouty. All the people at the party were great though! Fun was had but I had a stomach ache that night and the next day. There were a lot of good reviews for this restaurant so this may be an an anomaly. read more

Atmosphere is very warm. The food is great and delicious. Service was excellent and fast. It is so nice to see that the Owner is mingling around to see the customers. It is nice to go to a restaurant and be able to have a nice conversation with the people you came with instead of loud music or television all around. read more

Ordered food through DoorDash. The food took forever to prepare well over advertised 38mins door to door, arrived cold (melty cheese was back to firm), was missing multiple items advertised on the menu and well in reality not the dish ordered at all. Also disclaimer, the food wasnt cold because of the driver, the driver called as soon as he arrived and was at our house within 15mins, also showed us when the restaurant said the food was ready... well past original time. If participating in this program please make sure you are heavily quality controlling what walks out of the kitchen, it could have been great, but fell oh so short. read more

Great atmosphere and service. David is an excellent waiter. Attentive, informative but not overly chatty. The portions are large and the food was very good. The entertainment on Fridays and Wednesdays is very charming. She sang in 4 different languages! One of the waitresses is a member of the San Diego Opera company and she sang a couple of songs that gave us chills. I also came here for the Sunday brunch. For $17.95 you get a very nice selection of pastas,seafood, chicken and veal AND an endless glass of champagne. Can't beat the price. The eggplant parm was very good. Wednesdays the wine is half off! This will be regular stop for us. read more

Amazing meal for me and my husband. To die for dessert which is the lemoncillo sorbet is a must try! We're just lucky to have their seafood sampler! Happy tummy for me and my hubby read more

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Wow this place is great! I have never left a yelp review before, but I was so impressed by this place I just had to! We came in on our way to the casinos to have some dinner and sat at the bar. They gave us some yummy bread with olive oil and balsamic and we ordered an appetizer of zucchini sticks. Yum! We are on a plant-based diet so we really appreciated having all of the vegetarian choices. We then split a salad, can't remember which one and each had some mushroom soup. We were so full at that point we didn't even get a main course. The highlight of all this was the bartender though. He was super friendly and helpful with suggestions, and he made the most delicious cocktails! Super fresh and sooo yummy! It was a perfect little place to grab a bite and a drink before hitting the casinos! We'll be back for sure! read more

Great ambiance, friendly staff. Highly recommend! The owner is onsite and greets every customer and makes sure everyone is happy.

Had the lobster tail with risotto and saffron sauce. The meal was excellent the waitstaff was great. This is the 3rd time I have eaten here and never have had a bad meal or bad service. Would highly recommend this place read more