This place was great!! Super service and food! We wish we found this place sooner but now that we have it will definitely be in the rotation! read more

My favorite is the shrimp and chicken Alfredo meals but they also have great pizza, and salads!!

Needs work! Recently ordered a Chicken Parmesan dinner, it was just ok. Fat piece of chicken, which wasn't butter flied or pounded. Looked like a chicken breast taken out of the package, breaded and served. Chicken Parmesan is made with cutlets. Very disappointed at $18+. Recently ordered a Meatball Parmesan Sub / Grinder, what a rip-off $11.50+. An 8" inch piece of bread with two meatballs, really. The meatballs were good, but put some in the sub. Ownership and chef / kitchen need to do much better. read more

Ever since Dominic's in Poway closed this has been my go-to spot for authentic Italian food. The food is delicious and the prices are reasonable. It's a bit further of a drive for me but well worth it. I highly recommend this restaurant and I love to support the small restaurant owners. read more

Wow...this is right in my neighborhood and it's taken us 7 years to finally try it! The best...we have only had the pizza however I asked to try their marinara sauce to dip the crust in...OMG! Spectacular! I was told it is homemade along with the sausage on our pizza. We have raved about this wonderful family owned Italian restaurant and will continue to support our locals... read more

Good food but the take out time is inaccurate. Call in the order they said 25 minutes I showed up in 30 minutes just giving them a little extra time, then had to wait 25 minutes more for them to package my food. Don't tell me a time and then not have my food ready, poor service. read more

Cute little Italian restaurant located in a strip mall in Rancho Bernardo. The meals are tasty and the service was good. The prices can be a little pricey but not too bad. read more

My mom loves this place and I've been with her a few times. They did a revamp over the past few years where the portions are smaller and more logical, and it was delicious and felt right. During this COVID 19 silliness they've managed to make the restaurant work. The food is delicious, and the staff are wonderful. I just wanted to post a note to thank them for doing all they do. I appreciate you! read more

Delicious food! I had the chance to visit while on a road trip. Four of us shared a large antipasto salad and a large pizza and had food left over! Everything was very fresh, pizza was crispy on the edges and soft inside, without being soggy. Nice thin crust. read more

They promised us 25 minutes , but we had to wait 60minutes (30 before we arrive, 30min at the door ) for a pizza. No explanation or apology for being so late. Totally unhappy and will not go again. read more

Delicious Italian food! Feels like you are walking into your Italian relatives home. Everything is authentic, wonderful service, pizza is AMAZING!!!!!!! read more

Came for lunch and ended up ordering the works. Delicious zucchini to start then salad linguine with white clam sauce and of course for dessert tiramisu had to bring some home for later but I'm glad I got to try a little of everything it exceeded my expectations it was absolutely delicious we had a wonderful waitress who was so very sweet what a great afternoon read more

Hard to find any faults with this family owned establishment. Maybe, the best pizza in all of San Diego and their salads are nothing short of perfect. Combine that with service that is impeccable and you have a perfect recipe for success. Amanda is the daughter of the owner and she is amazing. A more caring and involved person would be hard to find. Try this and you will not be disappointed. read more

Average Italian-American restaurant as found in all suburbs across America. A good amount of vegetarian options help comprise the decent food that will fill your belly. The spinach lasagna was average, but it was vegetarian. Most dishes are served either ala carte (with garlic bread) or as a dinner (soup or salad and garlic bread). We opted for the salad and got a standard chilled salad with dressing on the side. The tables are covered with stereotypical red and white tablecloths. The speakers have stereotypical music (Funiculli, Funiculla) softly wafting out of them. The Alfredo sauce has stereotypical cream in it. The pleasant service may be the best part of the meal. With all of the restaurants along side and behind Mama Cellas, parking can be an issue. read more

Very good Italian food. I've eaten here several times and never been disappointed. Good service and quality food everytime. My only reservation is the red sauce is a little too "red" and sweet. A little more spice and a little more garlic and basil in particular would make a big difference. read more

Mama Cella's - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

OMG I stoped by yesterday and ordered a medium pizza. Pep and sausage. It was phenomenal! Better yet I took it home and put it in the refrigerator for my husband to have today when he was off work. He put it in the toaster oven and it was every bit as good. The cheese melted right back up. Crust was light and didn't feel like I consumed a loaf of bread. My new favorite go to place. If you go in after 6 it will be busy. read more

Very good Italian food. Their spaghetti meat sauce reminds me of my Italian grandmother's!

My co-worker and I went here for lunch for the first time. Based on how busy it was, I predicted it was gonna be great Italian food. Sure enough, it was delicious! I had the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti and my co-worker tried the pesto pasta with grilled chicken. We couldn't leave without dessert. We tried the tiramisu. It was heaven! I also want to add that our waitress, Michelle was a sweetheart. I wish there were more like you. Thank you so much for the fabulous food and service!! We will be back! read more

Great food, I was just passing by 7/11 and I saw this restaurant, was craving Italian, definitely 10/10 (the Alfredo fettuccine is delicious) read more

Cute little place. Service was good. Nice people. Food was what we needed after a long day. Not a ton of room to wait for a table inside, just FYI. If we are in town again we would go back. read more

First time trying the restaurant. Had a veggie pizza that was just so-so. The veggies didn't seem cooked. Had the pizza the next day for lunch and it was way better. Lasagna was delicious - one order was enough for 3 adults. Caesar salad was good. Again, large order fine for 3 adults. read more

Amazing food amazing service, support your local business folks. And not any local business's good local businesses!! Great pizza and pasta! Going back for sure read more

Best Italian food in Rancho Bernardo. Service is great too! Antipasto Salad, Meat Lasagna great combo

This is by far our favorite Italian restaurant. It is family owned and staffed by the friendliest people. We have been coming here for years and it's perfect for a date night, family gathering or staff meeting. Portions are generous and suitable for splitting. We also use their awesome catering services. The owner is always close by and stops by the tables to ensure that his diners are happy. Having come from the east coast, we love good and authentic Italian food and this fits the bill! Make sure to make a reservation on the weekends as they can be very busy. read more

Mama Cella's - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food here is fantastic. The staff treat you like family. I highly recommend the chicken piccata it's amazing.

Food was great. Ordered for staff, yummy and reasonable. However I thought pricing was a little higher then I expected. But that's just for me because I buy for my team and usually have to be on a tighter budget. So maybe not the best idea for team lunches etc. I didn't see lunch specials or I would for sure go here more often. Will save for special occasions for my team read more

If i could give this place 0 stars I would. Now don't get me wrong, the food is okay, but the owner has no class. We went in for dinner tonight and I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana, now in the menu it didn't state that mushrooms where included in the meal. When I got my dinner about 45 mins after ordering, it was loaded with mushrooms (which i am allergic too). After informing our waitress (who was more than happy to help), she explained to the owner what happened. The owner then came to the table and asked what i would like her to do, with attitude. After re-ordering my food, which was pretty decent, we received our bill, only to find out the owner still charged for the chicken parmigiana i couldn't eat. When we bought that to her attention, she said they always charge for the hirer price meal since i "Didn't like it", to which i corrected her and told her I was allergic, and if i had eaten it she could have had an ambulance at her restaurant. She then said I should have asked if it included mushrooms. To me that is horrible service, I work in the customer service industry, and the customer is always right. As an owner you never want your customers to walk away feeling like they were wrong. Horrible management/ownership, overpriced average food = not worth it!! read more

Ordered a Pizza, yuk! I've had better frozen pizzas. The service is poor as well...a few teenage girls who don't really understand (or maybe don't care) about customer service. read more

I just went to this location for the first time after many suggestions. I normally do not have high hopes for a strip mall based Italian restaurant, but wow was I surprised on so many fronts. I went to this location for lunch and found that based on price they have a few of the best lunch speacils I have ever seen for an Italian restaurant. For $6.25 you can get lasagna with bread and a drink, or a personal pizza (8 inches I think) with 1 topping and a drink. It was decided that the person I was with and I would get each and then split so we can have a little of both. WOW. The lasagna was fantastic, the pizza was great and I was so full I didnt even get to try the bread because I was so full. The service was great. Very attentive staff that was quick to fill a glass and get the check with a smile. The total came to $14 and some changes for two people to be stuffed from lunch. Great deal, great food and great staff. I can't wait to go back. read more

This is our new favorite Italian food restaurant! Great quality food and delicious taste. Great price for the food. Highly recommend you trying it, you'll fall in love! read more

This is "NOT" a real Italian restaurant. This is a highly Americanized Italian Restaurant at best. I came here yesterday for the very first time because my friend wanted to try it. After eating here, I found the food to be very mediocre. I came with another two people and they both agreed with me that the food wasn't very good either. We ordered their special/works pizza, the lasagna and antipasto salad. All 3 items were all mediocre. The lasagna was especially very bland and dry. It tasted like it was made a couple days ago. Didn't taste fresh at all. The meat tasted processed too. The pizza in the otherhand tasted like it was a frozen pizza. I am not kidding. The sausage and meatballs tasted like it was all processed. Not high quality. The mozzarella cheese was also not high quality. It tasted like mozzarella cheese you buy at the grocery store. Not from a reputable restaurant supplier. As a true Italian person who speaks Italian. Who flies to Italy every year to visit family. Someone who knows what real Italian food tastes like. I found this restaurant an embarrassment to my culture. This place is far from an authentic Italian cuisine. Putting food aside. I found the ambiance and decor to be very boring as well. They didn't even have Italian music playing in the restaurant. Which they should do because it would make the restaurant have a better vibe and give it better atmosphere. The only thing I will honestly say about this place is that it had excellent customer service. The employees were very friendly and attentive to our drinks. If this place had better decor and music. Maybe I would just come back for a glass of wine. But never would I go back for the food because it just isn't that good. read more

Not really that great... I don't have too much comment. It wasn't HORRIBLE. The people were friendly, and i guess the garlic bread was good. But the ravioli... meh. Hate to say this, but tasted like chef boyardee. I guess I should try the pizza next time instead or the meatball sub. Those looked good and I had some fomo. read more

I've only ever been here during lunch, and based on what I've seen/eaten, would not suggest that you go here for any reason other than the lunch specials. The food is alright, bordering on mediocre. It's bland, and the presentation... Well, it just doesn't look like much thought went into anything. Lunch specials are typically in the low $6 range and include a drink. But if you get and entrée, you're looking at 9 bucks or more for a small bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with two anemic pieces of garlic bread. No drink. No thanks. Also, the last time we were there, I could see streaks on our glass tabletop (it didn't look clean) and the whole place smelled of mildew and industrial cleaner. Not pleasant. read more

Service is awesome. Ordered Lasagna and was delicious.....pasta was perfect, not mushy....light on the tongue and seasoned just right. Homemade touch. Paired with the outstanding Gabbiano Chianti. Service was too notch and definitely family feel / local place. The only bummer is the 800 pm close time... read more

Been eating here bout 2 times per year for the last 10 years. Ultra basic fare. Minestrone is chili. Fluorescent lights contrast with the Italian music and the red table candles. To-go pickup orders are forced to wait, standing and staring at seated guests. Prices are high, especially considering quality. Wait times are waaaaay too long. Seating is tight when the adjacent table is occupied. On the plus, good wait service, non-chain, and music is just right for an Italian eatery. Really want to like this place, but seems their 55+ crowd is less critical and keeps em afloat with sufficient business. Think I'm about done here. Near by is Flippis (ok), Borellis (good pizza), Bucca, and of course, Olive Garden. Nothing great in north county that I have found re Italian. read more

Found this little gem and highly recommend. They make the best antipasto salad. During the week they have specials and it's very close to the Remington Club so my mom and I can have lunch together. read more

Thank you Mam Cella's!! I eat lunch with you too often & had you cater our holiday luncheon. Everyone that attended complimented me on your food & service. The chicken parmesan & meat balls with penne were a hit, but the tiramisu stole the show!! Great value, great catering service & great food!! Thank you for helping make our luncheon a huge success. read more

Our family had a great Italian experience at Mama Cellas. I love the fact that this restaurant is family owned and is so quaint and homey. The staff is welcoming, attentive, and accommodating. I ordered the lasagna and it was delicious! The menu is small and nothing fancy, but the quality and the love that goes into it is apparent. After eating there for the first time, I decided to gift a certificate for dinner to a long time friend. I want to share the great experience I had with someone else. I will definitely be eating here again and bringing family and friends with me. read more

I am in that dreaded 55+ demographic some other reviewer was moaning about. I haven't quite figured out how that affects the quality of their food, which I have found to be very high, or their service which has been consistently excellent. My daughter and son in law, in their 20s, are actually the ones who turned us on to Mama Cella's. The spaghetti sauce is outstanding, in fact, it is the best I have had. The meatballs are no slouch either. The other night we got a couple of pizzas and antipasto salads to go, they were fresh and hot when we arrived. It does get busy, Sunday nights are little less busy. The servers have always been pleasant and efficient. Most importantly, it is family run and not another chain that gets their sauces delivered in a plastic bag. If you can see your way past my obvious handicap, being north of 55, give it a try! I still know good food and service when it comes my way. read more

I have read such positive reviews, so finally stopped in last night. One server, who seemed over welmed despite only 4 tables. Pasta dish was average, mainly because the chicken was tough and chewy. She forgot the garlic bread. When I finally got it I was almost done my meal. There are too many alternatives for good Italian to come here again. read more