I'm pretty sad this place closed, but to be honest, I'm not surprised. My husband and I bought take out years ago almost immediately after COVID restrictions were lifted because we wanted to support local restaurants. Unfortunately what we got wasn't that great. My chicken parm overall was all right, but I thought the chicken was overcooked and the marinara was bland. I forgot what my husband got but I remember he was disappointed as well. Since that experience we never went back. I will say that the person who rang us up was extremely nice, which is why I felt bad about not liking their food. I heard their pizza was pretty good and I wanted to try one of their sandwiches, but by the time we thought about going we saw they closed. :( Oh well, maybe it's for the better. I held off on writing a review for this place because I don't like writing poor reviews for a friendly, local restaurant, but I can't help but think that some of the reviews are inflated due to the restaurant's reputation as a Tierrasanta institution. read more

This place was a gem, its clean and has ample seating. The servicevis great we got to go enjoy with my daughter and grandkids. The food is delicious. All toppings are there but layered under the cheese. The pizzas are large and tasty. The waitstaff was kind brought us boxesvto take our food home. This is a great place close to home. read more

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If you miss the old school (1970s) family style eateries, you'll love Gaetano's! You can feel the vibe when you walk in the door and you're greeted by paintings of Italy set in small brick windows on the walls. Then Forti's old school too with back vinyl seats in booths for four. The greeter says, "You can sit anywhere!" I had a house salad with Italian dressing and the special of the day, Eggplant Parmesan layered with pasta and cheese dripping from the side of the oval clay bowl. The garlic bread also took me back to the old school days. Good service and scrumptious Italian dishes at Gaetano s. Mangia! read more

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Never knew this place existed, even though it's been around for 50 years or so. Anyway I heard about it on a news story and decided to try it out, since I'm a sucker for hole in the wall restaurants due to their home style cooking and generally friendly prices. This place was that. I decided to order a basket of their garlic cheese bread to start off with and a small bowl of minestrone soup which came with my dinner entree (also included regular garlic bread). Normally, I'm not a fan of minestrone soup. However, I actually liked this one. The vegetables were all oddly shaped like real vegetables, not all diced into perfect little cubes like you find in many prepared minestrone soups. The garlic cheese bread was very cheesy and went well with the soup. For the main course, I ordered their chicken florentine, a boneless skinless chicken breast stuffed with cheese, spinach and covered in a white wine sauce. I like that they give you the option of having either the sauce from the main dish on your pasta or marinara sauce, whichever you prefer. I always like having the extra entree sauce which went great with my pasta. Overall I was very satisfied with everything. The pizzas looked really good too, next time I'm going to have to try one of those! Oh and the service was friendly and very efficient. read more

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Let's save this Tierrasanta institution! Great meal & great conversation with Phyllis our attentive server. Almost 50 years of amazing hospitality. read more

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With a heavy heart, I've heard Gaetano's finally closed. I'm crushed because I live across the street and have ordered the best gluten free pizza in town there many, many times. They also had a great antipasti salad! It was a regular order. Thank you to all of them. Restaurants are a difficult business. We will miss you. read more

Everything was amazing and staff was friendly. Has been my favorite restaurant for 30+ years. Their pizza is top tier. I loved the vibe of the restaurant as well. Only thing that could've been better were less "broken in" seating lol. read more

We've eaten here before but didn't like the food, but didn't leave a bad review because it's a local place. However I stopped by today to ask if I could post a fundraiser flier in their window, and the owner who has been in the news recently didn't greet me when I walked in, and when I started talking about the fundraiser he completely ignored me then grumbled something under his breath that I couldn't understand. Rude is an understatement. Do NOT recommend for both the food and absolute rudeness of this man. read more

Tasty dishes for great value. Love that it's a local family-owned eatery that's been around for 50 yrs! Shelly the waitress is no-nonsense personable & the vibe reminiscent of hole in the wall Midwest wholesome ethnic food. Bravo! Can't believe the value- tasty linguini w clams & scallops cooked to perfection- not overdone - w soup or salad & garlic bread to sop up the delicious sauce! All for $20 bucks. Hubby & I shared the dish, ordered a side salad (generous portion) & 2 glasses of wine. Can't remember when we last dined out for $40 bucks. We'll make Gaetanos a habit & try other things on the chef's special menu. Andiamo! read more

Food was great! Our server was very attentive. Very cozy atmosphere. It was our first time dining here and it did not disappoint. The pizza chef did an amazing job. The pizza was perfection! We will definitely be returning. read more

The building barely has AC. The waitress visibly doesn't enjoy her job. I ordered the cannelloni and the filling beef and spinach had spoiled. It was the first time I had to send food back. I then ordered the vodka pasta with bacon and the sausage tastes just like Costco sausage. The pasta was overcooked. The waitress was nice enough not to charge me for the sausage and take the cannelloni off. read more

Amazing catering delivery. The service was excellent and on time for my pizza celebration. We had 29 boxes and all the pizza was hot so this was perfect. Definitely will continue to use them for any pizza celebration, the team was happy and enjoyed this new spot we hadn't tried before. read more

Gaetano's - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Like many, our family had visited this restaurant numerous times over the years. We went in just days before the 'closed' sign went up and bought a large gift certificate from the owner. How disappointing to see it close right after. We would have appreciated a heads up that they intended to close before we spent so much on a gift certificate that we now can't use. read more

I recommend the peppers and sausage. The sauce is amazing. Reminds me of when I was a little boy, nana would make the sauce all day Also, the best meatball sandwiches in san diego, highly recommend. read more

Excellent service. Nice atmosphere. Average rating due to food quality. Both of us ordered dishes with an alfredo sauce. The sauce had ZERO flavor and was the consistency of milk. I'm no chef but alfredo is supposed to be made with butter and parmesan and have the consistency of cream. Just sayin' read more

Used to be much better. Pizza still okay but the other dishes have drastically fallen in quality over the past few years. Staff is polite. Parking ample. read more

Great food old Italian style food owners been there for years ,good family business Recommend this for sure read more

The food was good, however the customer service is lacking and the server my family had was downright rude. My brother and dad wanted the same item, so my brother asked for two orders thinking it would be easier, but the server barked "one at a time!" She never made eye contact nor looked up from her notepad, so when 2 family members accidentally began to order at the same time, she responded with, "I said one at a time!" When the food arrived, she threw the plates down in a manner that made the food kind of jump off the plate. She never came to refill our waters or ask how anything was. What was meant to be a nice family meal ended being the most uncomfortable restaurant experience any of us have had. The kids were well-behaved, we all used 'please' and 'thank you,' no one was loud. We should have left, but despite being treated in that manner, we stayed as someone put in the time to cook our food. Needless to say, we will never be returning. If my parents and children were not present, I can't say it would have ended the way it did. read more

First time visit was a most pleasant experiance of flavors, pasta, and service. The menu is endless with meal selections as well a numerous pizzas that appeared mouth watering as they passed by our table. The first bite of the veal marsala won my commitment to return often. Garlic bread to perfection, crisp quality salad and fixin's, added to the already generous tender veal proportion. Our visit was on a 90 degree day during the lunch hour. As the temp in the restaurant increased our server, all of 100 lbs, kept her speedy and consistent pace. Attentive to our table of two to as large a table of 16 in a full diningroom her service was commendable. The leftovers were cherrished. Another visit already planned! read more

The pizza was delicious, I'm very picky but I heard they were going to closed so I decided to give them a try. The pizza was great! I hate to hear they are closing but thank you for the opportunity to try your pizza read more

*We ended up having to throw all the food in the trash, plus the $70 we spent on it, It was so gross!!* PRO: The food came earlier than expected CONS: (everything that follows) First off, the delivery driver was not carrying the food properly. I know this because I had to go meet him to retrieve it. The food wasn't in a carrier, but just the plastic bags they came in, the food was side ways and leaking in the bag as he was walking up to me. He apologized for the leak and said the food was extraordinarily hot. However, he was right. The containers were BLISTERING hot as if they had just come out of a smelter! I had to put them down a few times just to get them inside without scalding my skin. I decided the food could maybe be salvageable, so I didn't make a big fuss and the time..... I was WRONG the food was INEDIBLE, and the order was incorrect in the most bizarre way (Explained Below) So my husband and I agreed this post needed to be made. I ordered the Chicken Piccata, and that's mostly what spilled all over the bag because the sauce was essentially water with a hint of flavor. It was incredibly greasy though, and coated everything in the kitchen when we were trying to carefully open it/clean it up at the same time. The chicken in it was so tough and flavorless I had to put a ton of effort into cutting it with a steak knife, that it was sliding around the plate.. Also, mine came with spaghetti with tasteless marinara, and the noodles were disturbingly soft. My husband ordered the Pink Sauce pasta with Ziti and added chicken. After one bite, his first reaction was "I can't eat this!!" The pink sauce had a very strange almost applesauce consistency..and again no flavor besides tomatoe paste, with a greasy after taste. This was not actual Pink Sauce. The chicken in his was just as tough and rubbery as mine. The biggest kicker was in my husband's dish he order Ziti as his pasta (it's on the receipt) and it clearly has Penne pasta....which Penne wasn't even in their menu options to choose from!!! He had me taste his after complaining about his noodles as well. I thought my noodles were soggy....his Ziti (Penne) was grotesque! It was like biting into a noodle that was previously chewed. **Beware, don't waste your time, money, or taste buds** read more

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We ordered vegetarian pizza that had no liner in the bottom of the box. The pizza juice soaked through the bottom of the box. I ended up chewing cardboard and the was sitting on the counter wet. It was an unpleasant experience. read more

Gaetano's - 19. Gaetano's Vegetarian Pizza box extra sauce - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

5 of us went to celebrate a birthday as we have for a least a decade. asked to be sat in back as we didn't want to disturb the main dining area even though it was early 4:30. Our usual server was out and we had someone new to us waiting our table. maybe it was a bad day for her or something but she was seemingly miserable being there. zero personality and definitely put a damper on a celebration. 4 of us wanted the evenings special, but were later told there were only 2 orders left (4:30?). ok, people reordered, food came and the 2 specials were luke warm. Food was good, as usual, it's american Italian and always fine. we go because we like the atmosphere and have for many years, in fact there was a time last year Gaetanos was going to close. We, like many other locals rallied and came in, gave them our business and apparently people saved them, as they're still there. But after last night we won't be back. there is much better Italian food out there, but the service did it for us. Sometimes management doesn't recognize how important their servers are to their establishment. One of the people at our table thought maybe the waitress was family of the owner and forced to work. I think she was joking but.... read more

The food was delicious. I ordered eggplant Parmesan and it was very good. A generous portion, I took half of it home. The bread is out of this world. I didn't try the pizza but I will next time. It looks authentic and smells tantalizing too. The service was good. A real mom&pop place, very homey. I'm looking forward to going back soon a read more

Excellent service, generous portions! The best lasagna I've ever had! Excellent garlic bread too! read more

My manfriend and I were hungry and wanted to try a different Italian place. We ended up ordering from Gaetano's as I had. $10 Uber Cash that I was trying to use up. According to their website, they are "family owned" and "good old fashioned home cooked Italian food". They are located in Tierrasanta area of San Diego. We ordered: - Pizza (Mushroom, Sausage, Pepperoni) - Pasta (Capellini D'Angelo - Angel Hair Pasta, fresh basil, tomato, garlic) - Pasta (Sausage Pasta) - Pasta (Child Spaghetti) Delicious! Portions were rather large. Loved the pizza dough (I'm a crust girl)! Entire pack liked this restaurant. Nom Nom Nom! Can't wait to try food again! read more

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If there was a UFC Fight between Gaetano's and Fillipi's, it would be an epic battle going 10 rounds, and probably end up in a draw. I just recently moved to Tierrasanta where it seems like the 1990s never stopped, and Gaetano's fits in perfectly. Wine is still at late 90s prices: You can still get a glass for $5-6, or a decent bottle for $21...CRAZY! LOVE IT! Service has always been friendly. All entrees come with garlic bread, and soup or salad...this is so 1990s and I LOVE IT! Most modern Italian restaurants charge separately for these extras. $16 Cannelloni...Homemade crepes stuffed with beef and spinach topped with besciamella sauce and baked with light tomato sauce under mozzarella cheese...fatty, cheesy, and delicious! $22 Linguini Pescatore...Scallops, clams, shrimp, and mussels in white or red sauce...there is A LOT of seafood in this lighter dish. I could barely finish it! Pretty good overall, not the best, but definitely a great value. $23 Gaetano's Special Large Pizza...much better than Fillipi's, which has way too much cheese. Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, meatballs, onions, green peppers. Hard describe this pizza, but its medium thick crust and will be loaded with toppings. Is this the best Italian in San Diego? No... Is it pretty good Italian for a reasonable price, and only a 1/4 mile from my new house?...YES! I'll be here for a 4th visit soon... read more

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We ordered to go. We ordered cheese pizza, chicken Marsala and lasagna. Our food came with a side of delicious French bread. The chicken Marsala seemed kind of runny but it didn't matter because the taste was the best I have have ever had! I will definitely order the chicken Marsala again! They are located in a parking lot next to a hardware store and other establishments. Great customer service. read more

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I've been craving eggplant parm lately. While driving home from north county, I remembered this place. I heard they may go out of business. I thought I should give them a try. I did not eat in. Rather I ordered an eggplant parmesan sandwich to go. I can't speak for everything else on their menu, or their service, or their atmosphere, but that was delicious. read more

We ordered the Lasagna dinner with salad and garlic bread last night. WORST dinner ever! I've had frozen Lasagna that was way better. First off the Lasagna had very little sauce, cheese and meat, mostly pasta. What little salad there was had water in the container! The garlic bread had no taste, it was tough like they microwaved it! We will never order or go to this restaurant again!!! If I could show a zero star I would! read more

Our local Italian serves family style Italian cuisine . Food and service always great!

Love this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant! Plaza had plenty of parking and seating inside. Our server was great and super nice answered our questions and was friendly. Food is delicious and hot when it comes out! Recommend the chicken piccata with the mushroom, it's unexpectedly flavorful with garlic and hints of lemon! read more

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Can't believe we haven't eaten here before. Thankful it was recommended to us. Quiet little off the beaten pass Italian restaurant, family home with excellent food. Both times we have gone there we have had Elena as our server and she remembered us from our first visit months before. Wow. read more

Came here for an italian sandwich and was very disappointed unfortunately. Meatballs were not cut and were very dry, so much sauce and cheese was put that it soaked the bread to the point it fell apart and the tray it was served in was basically a soups of melted cheese and sauce. Couldn't even eat it with my hands. Will not be coming back. Service was good and staff were friendly - the pizza is probably better than their sandwiches. read more

The chicken piccata was disgusting. The chicken was BOILED. The sauce was gelatinous. I paid 30$ for that.... read more

Gaetano's - Chicken Piccata - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is delish, and made with LOVE! This is the kind of family business that it is joy to support. They have blessed my family with many delicious meals and memories. That's amore!!!! read more

Ahhhh, 4 stars because I want to support our neighborhood hole in the wall restaurant, but at the same time I need to be honest with my readers. STAFF: 5 STARS ACROSS THE BOARD. The owner was at the front working and you can tell he puts his heart into this place and all the work that goes into it...he's right there. Not many places can say this...therefore wanna give a huge shout out. The owner and staff in general, all oh so friendly! I am not sure if there is indoor seating, as we walked in, it seems very tiny/tight however, I think there may be a hidden restaurant somewhere in there. We solely just placed our order..waited about 30 mins on a busy Friday night and walked back in for pick-up. Very HOT upon 1st entering. The oh so yummy smells though.... Now let's get to the pizza. We ordered a simple, classic LARGE PEPPERONI PIZZA / CLASSIC GARLIC TOAST / CLASSIC ALFREDO PENNE PASTA.....What could go wrong? Again, this is just my personal opinion, to each their own. PEPPERONI PIZZA: Very greasy, the cheese itself had a puddle on top, the top of box and bottom was drenched. See photos. Not saying it is a BAD thing, but if you order pizza from a pizza shop, you know this always varies. I have ordered pizza where there is NO GREASE stain. so it is possible. The cheese, not sure what made this cheese sooooo stringy and chunky/chewy. We almost choked on it and no shade but it was kinda dangerous. Just a little harder to thoroughly enjoy and chew 25 x at the same moment. it was just overwhelming....reminded me of FILIPI'S or VENICE pizza (if you have ever had those San Diego classics), not a fan of this "STYLE" GARLIC TOAST: Cooked too much. Once we opened the hot foil, the garlic toast was exposed to air and it was like within 5 mins it became rock hard and was un-eatable. It was definitely good the first few minutes but then the bread hardened extremely and we had to toss it. No salvaging or re-heating. FLAVOR wise, it was there. Perfect amount of garlic/butter/seasoning etc. I almost cracked a tooth put it that way ALFREDO PASTA: Big no for me. Just oil covered noodles with cheese again in chunks tossed into a to-go pan on tough noodles. It lacked flavor for us and I almost forgot that I ordered ALFREDO, the sauce was really no where to be found. We basically had an upset tummy from al the grease, but I don't wanna shy you away from trying. I love Tierresanta and all the mom & pop shops/eateries so def support (hence I still give them a 4!! I hope they thrive...just not for me) Pricing: I called Round Table / Dominoe's (all near by) and the pricing is all the exact same, so its not that one is cheaper or more expensive, they are all relatively the same cost...just pick whichever pizza you are craving and go with it. Chances are it'll cost the exact same no matter where ya go. APPRECIATE YALL! read more

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We love Gaetano's food and the service is always excellent!! The atmosphere is comfortable and casual. Great local eatery!

Fettuccine with clams and scallops was old school decent! The clams were obviously from can but it was okay. They did not skimmed on that. The scallops were cooked perfectly, I really appreciated that. The meal came with a salad so that was nice. Now if they could up the game on the garlic bread, then it would be a solid 4 stars. read more

Old school restaurant spaghetti was good and cheese bread, definitely worth the price