We ordered the family dinner to go - nice surprise for mom to wake up to. Two pastas, salad, and a pizza. Either two sodas it's just under $60 which is great in this economy. The manicotti was delicious! Mom enjoyed the spaghetti and commented on how much she enjoys their sauce. For me, I would have liked a little more meat. Pizza was ok. The location is adorable/charming making it a nice date spot, place to go with a grandparent or have a family reunion. Very neighborhood friendly. The only suggestion would be to let them know how many in your party if you order this special. read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Manicotti, spaghetti, salad and garlic bread - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Good and service is amazing. Everything was very authentic and you feel like you are in Italy. The owner also came out to greet and get us settled in. She gave us a history of the restaurant and Misty our server was very attentive. Will definitely come back again. Everything from the wine, appetizers, salads and main course was perfecto and delicious. read more

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Quite disappointed with the food I got. Let me start off by saying that I can't speak to the restaurant itself because I had my food delivered. I was craving carbonara one night and the reviews for this place seemed decent so I thought I'd give it a try. I ordered the carbonara I wanted and the pepperoni bacon roll. When I say I was so upset with the carbonara that I couldn't even finish it, I really was. Let me also preface that by saying the last time I had carbonara was in Paris last fall so the bar was set quite high to begin with. Why are there peas? There wasn't a creaminess to the dish like I had hoped but that could also be from being prepared and placed into a food container straight away for delivery. It just wasn't good. Afterwards I actually looked at the ingredients and they use pancetta instead of guanciale which not a big deal but then I saw peas. When I order I was just craving it and didn't read the ingredients but if I had known I wouldn't have ordered it because it's not authentic. I would expect a place with Roma in the name to make Roma style dishes. Neither here nor there. The pepperoni bacon roll was great though. I could eat a dozen of those. Needless to say, while I hate to judge an establishment based on one dish, this one dish did not entice me to want to give it another shot. Never say never but for sure not any time soon. read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Linguine Carbonara - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This Italian spot totally blew me away. From the moment we walked in, the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. You can tell the staff cares about your experience, which made the evening even better. The food was incredible. Every dish was packed with flavor. From the appetizers, we had the Bruschetta caprese to the pasta, scampi and scallops, everything tasted fresh and authentic. But the real star of the night....The watermelon sangria. It was absolutely to die for--refreshing, perfectly balanced, and dangerously easy to sip. I would honestly come back just for that alone. If you're looking for a cozy place with amazing Italian food and standout drinks, this is it. Already planning my next visit! read more

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For as long as I have lived in La Mesa and for as many times as I have passed this restaurant, it has never occurred to me to try it. A friend in Del Cerro heard it was good and asked if I wanted to join them. Since I like their company, I agreed to go. Let me preface this by saying that they lost one star for parking. Now, I know that it isn't their fault because they don't own the property, however parking was something of a goat rodeo and, to be honest, the sheer frustration clouded any objective opinion I had coming into the place. All other points were well earned for atmosphere, quality of food, and outstanding service. That said, it's a small restaurant with a rather intimate feel and service was prompt, courteous, and efficient. Chris was our server and we NEVER had to look for him. He was always in motion and you could easily catch his eye. In fact, he made us feel like it was truly his pleasure to serve us. He kindly accommodated special requests. My friend doesn't like garlic and Chris happily brought him some garlic knots without garlic. I'm an eggplant parmesan girl. It's what I like. I like other things as well but I like that best. If you screw up eggplant, you lose me. You want screwed up eggplant parm? Go to Olive Garden. There. I saved you the trouble. LR did great honor to the eggplant parm. In fact, what made me happiest (aside from a lot of cheese) was the option to either get pasta or vegetables on the side. I chose the veggies and they were just the right amount of cooked -- not too crispy but not wilted at all. The accompanying bread was delightful. I chose the minestrone soup to start. It came out steaming hot. Points for that! I thought it was tasty, as far as being a vegetable soup, but I didn't feel like it was as "hearty" as other minestrone soups. Every other minestrone soup has beans in it. This one did not. I'm not letting this count because Little Roma, like most Italian restaurants, serves dishes that have too much food so one less thing filling up my stomach is ok by me. While the soup or salad accompaniments are appreciated, especially in these times where we look for value, I could live without either, although my friend did mention that he liked their ranch dressing very much. My friends both had the cannelloni and they were quite pleased with their meals. I am going to be enjoying my dinner for lunch today. We plan on returning. read more

Ate here with my wife and daughter on Saturday night. The place as a very Italian ambiance and is nicely decorated. Space is a little tight but they weren't as busy as I expected for a Saturday (we were there around 6pm and by the time we left the place was starting to fill up pretty good). Food was very good, although on the expensive side. My daughter had the Mac 'n Cheese with lobster and shrimp added and her entree alone was $28. My wife had a ravioli dish that was around $22 and I had chicken pasta alfredo that was about the same. All told our total (without alcohol) was over $100. It was extremely good so we'll definitely be back. read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I chose this little spot called Little Roma because they have gluten free pasta! I was pleasantly surprised by the cozy ambiance and the attentive service. It was in a convenient location as well. I chose the linguine Frute de Mare with gf pasta and hubby had the seafood trio. I got a side of marinara just for fun and also some sautéed vegetables. Your entree comes with soup or salad, so we both got salads with the house made Italian dressing, we highly recommend ! It's made very simply with red wine vinegar and was sooooo tasty. They were doing quite the take out business on a Sunday night and a few other parties were there as well. The prices were great as well as the wine selection so I'm hoping we can come back some day! read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Entry - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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The food here is absolutely amazing! I had the creamy bolognese tagetelle pasta and it actually knocked my socks off. The sauce was so flavorful and the pasta was cooked perfectly. Misty was our server and she was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to answer all of our questions. The ambiance is perfect for the small restaurant that it is, very cute old school decor, that fits the vibe of the restaurant space perfectly. 10/10 highly recommend! Side Note: Make a reservation if you plan to dine in on Wine Wednesday, the restaurant gets packed! read more

Little Roma is one of our favorite spots whenever we're in La Mesa. Even though it's tucked into a strip mall, don't let that fool you--this place is a gem. The food is consistently excellent, the service is always warm and attentive, and the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. We've come here many times, and every visit has been just as good as the last. On top of that, the prices are very reasonable for the quality you get. It's become a tradition for us to stop here whenever we're in the area. Highly recommend! read more

First time trying Little Roma in La Mesa--what a hidden gem! I've lived here for almost 20 years and can't believe I'm just discovering this charming little spot. From the moment we walked in, it felt warm and welcoming--the owner, Elizabeth, even came out to greet us, which made the experience feel extra special and Misty our Server was super nice too! The food was absolutely delicious from start to finish. Every course--from the appetizer to the salad, our main dishes, and even the wine--was thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. You can really tell they care about the details. Can't say enough good things--definitely a place I'll be coming back to! read more

Excellent service, Hostess was on point and didn't miss anything we didn't want or need. The Hazy Pale ale was Extra Hazy and so Good. Had 2 extra large. They started us off with some fresh Garlic bread and red pasta sauce (so good) Excellent & Fresh Food with salads and some of us had their excellent bowl of soup instead, the Tiramisu was Heavily and more than enough to share between 4 adults!!! Have been there twice and both times, I had the Lunch Special "Chicken Parmesan" WE'll be Back!!! read more

Came with my mom for the first time. Food was excellent, my fettuccine dish...the noodles were perfect, al dente, and the capresse was so fresh and flavorful. Mom loved her lasagna!! Service was exceptional. Misty was very sweet, personable. Talked a bit about Italy, the excellent food here, and other things. Love the atmosphere, feels like I am in Italy at a beautiful quaint restaurant. I will definitely be coming back...love this place! Thank you Misty for a wonderful experience!! read more

WHEN IN ROMA!!!!! Bravo Bravo Bravo!! I normally would tell my readers to not come to this restaurant because I want it all to myself. But in this case I'm too late, with all the awards and packed house, I think the neighborhood knows that little Roma is Top 5 dead or alive. Little Roma does this magical thing that most restaurants can't do without compromise, they hit the sweet spot of price of food and quality ingredients. The food is top tear, seriously so authentic boasting with fresh Italian flavors, fresh made pasta with fresh bread, and not a single dish over $30 when I really love a place and they don't miss I don't tell people what I love the most because from the bottom of my heart it's all good especially the appetizers . You can blind fold yourself, spin around take a shot of tequila, have a whistle blown in your face, and STILL not pick a bad appetizer. So do as the old saying says When In Roma Try it all! We Love Little Roma!! read more

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Great menu and service! Old style, Italian ambience, and reasonable prices. Also good portions.

It's my favorite restaurant. Great food and relaxing environment, clean, neat and good service. It's corner location in a quiet neighborhood give it a shiny indoor space with lovely green shade. Every thing is clean and neat. The main important thing is the consistency, I've been coming here for a while and their performance quality never changes. I usually come here for the good food, good service and the relaxing environment with the lovely Italian music Thank you little Roma read more

We eat at Little Roma as often as possible! The service is quick and we feel part of the Little Roma family! They always remember us and provide excellent service. All their food is delicious. We are never disappointed. So nice to have a Neighborhood Restaurant so close to our home in La Mesa! Love the waiters and Owners!!!! Always a good experience! read more

Love lil Roma! Chris and Misty always provide amazing service. The food is outstanding always. We love their specials too!

The short rib pasta is amazing!!!! I saved a lot of it so I can take it home and enjoy it more hah! The food is always delicious, the service is fantastic (Chris is awesome!), and I love how homie the restaurant makes us feel. My family and I have been coming here for the last few years and I plan on continuing to do so. Thank you for another great dinner. read more

We love Little Roma! They put so much love into all of their food! We love their pastas, especially the bolognese and the verde pasta. Try the chicken picatta - you won't regret it! All dinners come with a soup or salad, and a free garlic knot appetizer. Wine selection is on point, and the tiramisu is definitely in my top 5 in San Diego. I'd rather eat here than almost any Italian place in little Italy - you can usually walk in without reservations here and the food is tops. Chris is an exceptional server. It's family friendly but also cute enough for a nice casual dinner with friends or a date. Don't be fooled by the location in a little off the beaten path shopping center. Also adding that we eat here at least 1-2 times per month, and find it very consistent quality :) read more

This is my go-to Italian restaurant. I have enjoyed most everything I have there. I love Their Alfredo. read more

Fantastic food, service and amazing environment! The Italian music was my happy spot! Misty was a fantastic services! The Chicken Marsala was so good! Loved the ice tea! read more

Lovely small restaurant with dining inside and a few places outside. Went on Sunday evening, so not busy. Server very friendly and provided good service. The white Sangria is WONDERFUL! I could have drunk many more glasses of that! I got the veggie lasagna - very good, but really could have done without the vodka sauce they poured next to it. Would have been much better all by itself. Husband got shrimp, broccoli and creamy pesto dish. Good but could have been less creamy and more pesto. Garlic knot "appetizer" was very good. Would recommend for a lovely dinner. Lunch menu looked good too. read more

The food and service was amazing!! My in laws took me here to try it, and everything was delicious. I will definitely be back for the pizza. read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Pizza and bolognese - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

OMG I just ate here and cannot wait to come back and have something new next time!!! The pink blush sauce is to die for! Pasta and pizza was amazing yum yum YUM Food 10/10 Service 10/10 read more

I ordered the creamy bolognese pasta and my goodness it was delicious! Originally I wanted to eat half of it only but I couldn't stop and ate the whole thing! Ambiance is nice with the walls painted so after your second wine glass you'll transport to Italy! read more

The pasta carbonara is the best I've ever tasted. And, the garlic knots were unbelievable read more

Some friends suggested that we try this restaurant and we are so glad that we did. The food and the service was amazing!!!! Will definitely be going there again very soon!!!! read more

We love Little Roma. It's quaint and elegant. The staff makes you feel like family and they're so attentive. The food is Italian food done right on all the levels if you want American Italian w the big dishes and big sauces, they've got it. But they also have the more traditional, simple, fresh ingredient recipes as well. And definitely try the carrot cake I've seen a bad review recently saying there a big delay in service. I'd like to say, this is a small, family run restaurant and they do amazing. But every small restaurant can have a bad night. One thing goes wrong in the kitchen and things can snowball quickly. We eat here all the time and have never had that experience. Take the regulars over the one timer every time! read more

I am sorry to leave a negative review, but I wanted to share our recent experience. We had a reservation for six, and unfortunately, the service was extremely slow--drinks took 25 minutes to arrive, and our dinner stretched over three hours. Each request and course took about 20 minutes to be fulfilled. The calamari was so salty it was inedible, and while the gnocchi had potential, it too was overly salty. My entrée arrived cold, and 2.5 hours into the meal, our server informed us that one of the dishes (the sausage) was no longer available. He was apologetic and did comp the replacement (an Italian sub), but it was missing the double meat and instead came with one slice of each meat and double lettuce. My mother had recommended the restaurant based on previous positive experiences, so this visit was especially disappointing. I hope this feedback is helpful for improvement moving forward. read more

What amazing food and wonderful service!! We were lucky enough to get the last Short Rib Bolognese special, along with a carbonara dish. Tasty Garlic knots to start with, fresh salad with yummy house dressing. We sat on the breezy patio and really enjoyed our meal. We were seated right away and had water and drinks in hand within minutes. Thank you for the great food and professional, friendly service. We'll definitely be back. read more

Delicious food as always. My girlfriend and I had the sea bass. Her husband had the seafood mix plate. My husband had the braised beef ribs with marinara sauce. I had called in reservations, but they didnt have my reservation. So the booths were already taken. Our sweet server was able to move us from a table with chairs to a nice booth. We will definitely dine at "Little Romas" again! read more

The food was amazing. Wait staff very accommodating. Will be back soon! Rigatoni Pesto Broccoli mozzarella. Wonderful.

I'm literally shocked this place received anything less than 5 stars. We are regulars here now for about 2 years. Christopher and Missy are phenomenal. Sergio cares about what he puts out of that kitchen. The food is sooo good. The environment is intimate and welcoming. What are these people talking about??? If you order To Go don't put a review. Come in. Eat. Enjoy. read more

Little Roma Restaurant - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Nice restaurant with moderate amount of space inside, tables and booths, and some outside seating. The server was attentive and gracious. There were complementary garlic knots with marinara sauce, one for each at our booth. They are available on the menu in 6 or 12 size. I got the small Antipasta alla Italiana which was greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, ham, salami wrapped around large green olives and giardinaria with Italian dressing. The menu indicates that there's mortadella but I didn't see any, it was still delicious! It comes in a large size too. Most items on the menu were offered in a small or large size. I also got the 9 inch White Spinach Pizza which was delicious! Thin crust with lots of cheese, garlic, spinach and tomato. I had 2 pieces and took the rest home. This size pizza had six slices. I also got a cannoli to go. It was quite large and was delicious when I did eat it. They have a lunch menu which is smaller with just some of the menu items. Visit them for lunch or dinner. read more

The food was great and we got service with a smile. Nice little restaurant. Definitely going back.

We are regular customers. Last Friday we walked in and they told us that all the tables even the patio tables were reserved. In my opinion I think this is very poor management decision. You should always have a table or two for walk in. And if a regular customer walk in you should accommodate. We are never going back. That's very disrespectful read more

The food here is incredible and the staff is exceptionally professional and friendly. Best Italian food, outside of maybe Italy. Our waiter, Chris G should be teaching a class to other waiters on how to be a professional waiter. This is the best lasagna I've ever had. read more

Terrific food, outstanding service, great location, a warm environment and great wine options too. A visit there - lunch or dinner - is always a pleasure. read more

If I could take 1/2 a star off, I would to be more accurate but I dont feel guilty giving them. We started with a baked brie. The brie came out in a scorching cast iron. The bread was perfection but the brie tasted microwaved. It had a strange taste. Almost like the oils had separated entirely from the brie. The edges were hot but the middle was cold. I wouldnt order this again. The minestrone was delightful. Each carrot bite was full of flavor and it warmed the belly. The veal parmigiana was a bit on the thin side to where I was concerned that there was no veal at all. However when you got to the middle it was a treat. This dish was my favorite. The sautéed veggies were perfection. The linguini carbonara was also very tasty. No complaints here. It was a dream and the pancetta was the perfect saltiness. I wasn't a big fan of the peas but I hardly noticed it. We ordered the manicotti but it was underwhelming that I didn't bother taking a picture. They did bring us garlic knots with a very pleasant marinara sauce. Ultimately, id say give it a try. The server was attentive and polite. There were a lot of older people (60s) enjoying their dinner and they all seemed quite satisfied. We ordered two glasses of their red wine. One was a basic Lambrusco and the other was an aromatic red blend called the Highlands. Highly recommend it. It paired well with the veal.. The price for everything was $118 without tip. read more

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Really glad to have this authentic Italian spot in the neighborhood. The food was great, and the service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The Carbonara stood out, simple, well-made, and full of flavor. The menu has a nice variety, and everything we tried was solid. Definitely planning to come back soon to try a few more dishes. read more