What a great experience, this is our 2nd visit. 12/1 We worked with Ana on my husband 60th birthday dinner. I am an event planner and honestly this was the easiest planning I have ever had. She promised they would keep the food coming and the wine. My guest from all over San Diego continue to texting me to thank me for the amazing food and ambiance. We had Louie Centanni MC & sing traditional Italian music. Thank you to the whole team for a job that exceeded our expectations. The price was excellent. We had appetizers, salad, 3 diff pastas and 3 different types of pizza ... the cheesy bread ! As a huge bonus I treated all my guest w the Tiramisu cake. Thank you Rebeca read more

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Ok, so I just casually walked in as I had an hour before my next client. Very chill atmosphere and I was greeted immediately upon entering. Small, quaint and cozy hidden gem. Or, at least hidden from me. Started with the Lentil soup, and had the portobello mushroom ravioli as my entree. Well, the food was amazing. It was served with garlic bread! I will certainly come back whenever I am in this area. read more

Marechiaros on 2nd - Name and location - Pizza Near Me - El Cajon, California

While this place has been around since 1955 this Sunday was our first time trying this awesome restaurant. The service was wonderful and the ambiance welcoming. I can't say enough about the service it was attentive but not rushing and you could tell the staff enjoyed working there. The food was wonderful we started with the Calamari. This is definitely one to share with a group it's such a generous portion. It was lightly fried with a hint of salt. Next on to the individual house salad which was fresh and tasty. There was a nice basket of garlic bread. My main course was the Chicken Piccata. This was definitely the best Piccata I have had in a long time. The saltiness of the capers was a nice complement to the garlicky lemon sauce. The Chicken Parmesan was simply delicious. We finished off the meal with a generous piece of Tiramisu. It was creamy, light and sweet with a nice coffee flavor. We will definitely be back. read more

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Great food, and one of the last mom and Pop type Italian restaurants. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is quiet and peaceful

Long-time guests. Very sad to see the changes, biggest issue - any Italian restaurant that serves pre-fab parmesan(with added cellulose btw) does not deserve anyone's business. Used to grate their own parm, with bigger portions. Other issue it's like pulling teeth to get enough sauce - the entree comes with very little, and asking for extra gets you a tiny bit more. Not sure how involved the family is anymore, but used to be the best Italian in the area. read more

Love everyone who works there they are so sweet and beautiful people ! The food is just yummy and delicious and I always feel like I am in a little cute house when I go in there read more

Always great food & service! They have the best spaghetti sauce of any of the Italian restaurants in El Cajon. read more

Great customer service Great food The Ambiance is nice I'm always recommending this place. read more

We were seated right away by friendly, efficient staff. She respected our desire to sit away from noisy families in the back. Our server was attentive and patient with us. The iced tea and soda glasses were huge. The food was out super fast. I enjoyed the Italian sausage and peppers dinner with perfectly al dente spaghetti. Even the garlic bread was exceptional. Soft and fresh, with just the right amount of garlic. And the cheesecake dessert tasted homemade. Both the lemon and the maple walnut flavors were fresh and flavored perfectly. We are definitely coming back. read more

We ordered pizza and an antipasto salad. The worst italian food ever. The service was good so no complaint there. We have been going for years and it has been 4 or 5 months since we were there. read more

First we went recently with a party of six(6) all wanting to get cheese lasagna with salad like we get at other places nearby..Shocked first at the high prices and then to hear they dont make Cheese Lasagna only meat..Also ,meals are served with of us a plate of garlic bread...no salad.Kinda cheap folks. We all deceided to just get a Spaghetti/Ravioli plate..If your charge high prices folks we expect more than a bird could eat. a saucer size portion of food done in 15 minutes... Id say the atmosphere was awesome and the service superb..Top classy nice waitress. Id pass on taking friends there again because no one minds spending for a good hearty meal....so dont charge top dollar and think your feeding three year old and fill those plates with food...Disappointing, read more

Ok we never stopped coming here and tried just about everything on this menu and it's delicious . Now we have kids and they love their food as well ! Never disappoints, I hope they never sell or let someone take over for as long as I am alive read more

Since Mother's Day 2021 when this place was introduced to my family this has become our go to Italian restaurant. The servers are fantastic. Recall our orders usually which is cool! The environment is friendly and fun. Strongly recommend trying the lemonchello desert!!! Seriously! read more

Marechiaros on 2nd - White pizza - Pizza Near Me - El Cajon, California

Been going there for years. My kids love the food. Always had Sunday dinner with grandma and grandpa. They are both passed as of today, but we still try to get down there to have a pie and some great app's & pasta dishes. People that work there are always courteous, professional and quick to help. read more

I got the lasagna which was super tasty and my husband got the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. We both enjoyed our meals however we both noted the fettuccine Alfredo was quite rich so if you're super health conscious you may wanna do a big workout prior to eating this dish. The pizza is also quite tasty - we split it! read more

The food was excellent. The service was excellent. And the fact that I went there to order a specific dish that they actually don't serve on their regular menu and he made it for me (based on my description) and it was better than what I got at the actual ORIGINAL RESTAURANT, that speaks volumes for their willingness to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer!!! I love the décor inside the restaurant. It's like the old days in the north end in the HEART of Boston!!!! read more

Recently moved to El Cajon and was lucky enough to move close by to Marechiaro's! Hit the jackpot on that one. Loves the location and the food is amazing! They recently renovated and they upgraded the wall art! I've had a number of things here at Marechiaro's. I love the homemade sausage, so so so good! Had the salads are really good, the Italian torpedo is also really good, the pizzas are really good. I mean, what else can I say that has not already been said. If you have not tried Marechiaro's you got to come by and give it a try. Parking is simple: they have their own lot, and a back lot, and street parking. read more

Marechiaros on 2nd - Marechiaro's EST. 1955 - Pizza Near Me - El Cajon, California

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What a fantastic find. We had read a couple of reviews and decided to give it a go. Located in a small shopping center with limited parking, we we're lucky to get a spot, because once we were seated, the place started filling up, with a lot of people picking up. I notice a lot of pizza's being picked up , and many were taking not one, but two pies home... so we ordered a small pepperoni and olive pizza, an order of cheese ravioli and a small anti pasta. One bite of the pizza and I knew it was a winner, the dough is homemade and outstanding, the sauce was delicious and they put just the right amount, everything was in balance... so I had to order one to go too. The ravioli was cooked al dente, the sauce was mmmm good, and we enjoyed every bite. The anti pasta was good, but the dressing along with the pickled veggies, was a bit too tart for me, but a small is easily enough for three people. We were full, but ordered a couple of canoli to go. Ate them the next day, and were what you would expect from a delicious canoli, yum. Can't wait to make it back out another time to try some different items. read more

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Delicious pizza! Everything else we have tried on the menu has been wonderful as well, but what really makes this place stand out is the feeling you get as soon as you step inside. Everyone is warm, friendly, and genuinely kind. It is obvious that the owners/management team have made this a top priority and as a customer, it is greatly appreciated. Both the food and overall vibe make this place worth checking out AND returning to. Often. read more

This review is for PIZZA only! Ive been coming here for over 30 yrs. This looks is a not so hidden neighborhood gem! The pizzas are the best pizzas around. The crust is not to thick and doughy but not to thin! Nice chew and taste. The pizza sauce is so flavorful and tasty. Its a big part of my pizza experience. They put on the right amount of cheese. Not so much that the cheese overwhelms the pizza like a local competitor that has 5-6 restaurants in SD. OK so the best topping they have is their SAUSAGE! Hands down without a doubt the best tasting sausage Ive ever had! They make it in house and the spice mixture is superb to any other! Sausage Onion is my goto pizza! Ive tried other pizzas and their sausage just doesnt compare. And make sure you get the sausage pizzas from the 2nd St location only!!! Antipasto salad is very good. Packed w meat and pickled veggies. I always get a side of Ranch and Italian and add both to my salad. Then use the Italian dressing to drizzle over my pizza. Its a must try! Dont doubt it until you try it!!! Makes my mouth water thinking about it!! If you want the best pizza in SD. This is your place!! read more

Been going here since 1980! Consistently great food, especially his pizza's. Crust and flavor, it's all there. Love the sausage, peppers and onions pasta dish too! Excellent service. Kudos to the team...Thanks Pat! read more

First time experience. Pizza was perfect with thin crust and good amount of cheese. Italian sub was good but not east coast great. I like Italian subs (hoagies!) baked but I just don't see people doing it that way in San Diego. No Italian dressing or mayo so it was too plain. Antipasto salad was ok. Only one slice of salami and cheese tho which was weird. It was fresh though. Definitely will return for the pizza. Hard to find a good place in Santee so we will drive to pick this up. read more

Great food. Highly recommend the eggplant parm.. you'll be pleasantly surprised. Great service, family owned.

After years of wonderin, I just had to know! How does this Marechiaros stack-up against its similarly-named competitor, to the East? When I came in to p/u my order, tha girl was very friendly. Their dinin rm was kinda quaint, and seemed like it'd be good for dinin-in. Only had chz bread n pizza, so I can't speak to any other dishes, but this Marechiaros was outclassed, in terms of crust and flavor of sauce/toppings. It wasn't bad, but, then again, pizza's prettygood, soit takes alotta tryin to make a bad pizza. It just lacks that certain je ne sais quois, that the "other 1" has... They use sesame bread for their chz bread, which is utter heresy to me, but, if that's your thing... read more

The lunch specials here are THE BEST in town. The waitresses really keep our entire family Coming back! They are the friendliest and kindest waitresses in east county! The food is soo so soo delicious too. The cheese pizza is really where it's at. Nice family friendly or date night ambience read more

I love this restaurant. Best Pizza and Spaghetti ever. I have been going here since I was a little girl. Over 50 Years. Pat the owner is the best. If you want some real Italian food, stop in for lunch or dinner. They have some good lunch specials. The service is great. Very attentive even though they may be busy. Try them ! You will be glad you did. Tina read more

Been wanting to try this place and went last night for dinner. Disappointed in the service and food. After being seated, waitress finally came to greet us and bring our menus. It seemed like they were short staffed and there only 2 waitress. We ordered our food which took forever to arrive. Either the cooks were very slow or there was only one. I can't imagine what's it like on a weekend. Overall not impressed withe food nor the service. Prices were as high for a place like this in El Cajon. I'll drive to little Italy instead. read more

Marachiaros on 2nd is great! We always have a great time here! Food is awesome, great service and perfect ambiance! Thank you folks for your great customer service! read more

By far the best restaurant I have visited. The parking is a little tricky. But the food is amazing I would recommend the chicken piccata and their cheese bread. The hospitality they offer makes you feel like you are invited in. The ambiance is like you are visiting a little village in Italy in the middle of El Cajon. Will be coming back soon. Thank you to everyone from the girl at the front to the guy helping my son with the code to the restroom. And finally, our server who was amazing and att read more

If you like a friendly family atmosphere and delicious food then this place is for you.This is the flavor I was looking for and the experience was an added bonus. Had nice conversation's with our server as well with the one of the owners (Family business) and they could not of been more friendly and helpful. The place was slightly crowded with what appeared to mostly be repeat customers and friends. read more

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Love the food. Love the service. Our wonderful waitress, Cynthia, who made me eat too much. read more

Marechiaros on 2nd - Life is a combination of magic and Pasta-bilities. - Pizza Near Me - El Cajon, California

Stopped by here for lunch today. Total hole in the wall place. We had Amanda as our server. She was very knowledgeable with the menu. They had a "build your own pasta" which was really cool. We will gladly return again! IMO, it's the most delicious Italian food in East County. read more

Pizza tastes are extremely subjective but I have to say that Marechiaro's is our go-to pizza joint and the best I have ever had in east county. We also love Franco's but Marechiaro's is a big step up. I always judge a pizza by its crust and the quality of its toppings and Marechiaros nails both. Their crust is not soggy beneath, it's golden and crisp, and the ratio of crust to pizza is exceptional. Additionally, the crust is very flavorful but not ridden with artificial ingredients and flavors. Their toppings are fresh and flavorful. The quality of the sausage is exceptional and while they do not skimp on the toppings, use a nice proportion so as to not overwhelm. Their prices are competitive but a bit on the high side but you get what you pay for and fwiw, prices are up EVERYWHERE. The staff is very friendly, the restaurant is clean and inviting, and I strongly recommend Marechiaro's if you are looking to try a new place. read more

I've been going here for years on and off. I love the ambience of the place. The food doesn't disappoint but it doesn't really make me go wow. Then again that usually costs a bit more. But what's important is value and consistency. read more

This business has been a favorite Italian restaurant of mine for over 50 years. I'm never disappointed with the quality of food and service.

I love this place, it's friendly, peaceful, and great food. I love the lasagna it's the perfect price for the perfect SIZE, olive gardens lasagna is more expensive and the size of my palm. Everything comes in a great quantity with quality. read more

Marechiaros on 2nd - a bowl of marinara - Pizza Near Me - El Cajon, California

I'm sorry for this negative response. I was told this place has great pizza. Obviously they never had good pizza. I stated to order the small at $18.00, when the host showed me the size about 8in in diameter I changed to a regular size at $31.00. I ordered the works (sausage, pepperoni, onion and mushrooms. to be blunt, it sucked really bad. for one here was so much onion you could not eat it. hardly any sausage or pepperoni, but the worse item was the canned mushrooms. I was shocked to see it when I got home . now for a $31.00 pizza I would at the least they would be fresh ones. Little Caesars has better pizza than this place. needless to say I tried to eat it but couldn't get through a second piece. read more

There is a certain irony in the fact that a little trattoria like Marechiaro's, located in a run down strip mall in the far out "hinterlands" of East El Cajon, with its vacant stores and bombed out buildings, seems to have its act together more than some of those establishments in the rarefied environments of the North Park/University Heights/ Hillcrest/ Little Italy "Tropics Zone". Marechiaro's has been in San Diego since 1955, beginning at another location in Grossmont very near my home. There is no doubt this is a "red-sauced", checkered oilcloths-on-the-tables kind of Italian-American place that exists in every city in America. Nonetheless, I discern a difference here. The hostess is present at her stand when I enter, and she smiles at me and leads me promptly to my table. A seemingly simply act, yes, but something that the multitudes of high-heeled hostesses at a place like Juniper & Ivy have not mastered without an angst driven interaction with the customer. The welcoming mood at Marechiaro's was continued by my server, Jeannine, whose exceptionally cheerful, unaffected and earnest manner helped elevate my morose mood, which was related to a work issue I had experienced earlier in the day. My spirits were also lightened by the classic music on the soundtrack, including Frank, Etta, Nat and Billy. Who could complain after hearing that? At the time of my visit (5:00 p.m. on a Thursday), the clientele seemed to be made up mostly of regulars, with Jeannine knowing their likes and dislikes by heart: "Do you want the usual?", she called out to one happy group, or "That glass of Pinot Noir is on the way!" as she saw a regular customer enter the door. The meals at Marechiaro's include a decent "all vegetable" minestrone, with Jeannine cautioning "No beans or pasta!", along with garlic bread. As in any of these "red-sauced" Italian-American places, it is important to request "Light Cheese, Light Sauce" on anything you order, so as to avoid the gelatinous yellow "goo" that would most certainly cloak and permeate every dish otherwise. Accordingly, my Pollo Parmigiana, ordered in just such a manner, was quite fine, as was the accompanying Spaghetti Marinara. I topped the pasta with the grated Romano cheese on the table, with Jeannine exclaiming with bright eyes and a big smile "It is the best you will have ever had!" Marechiaro's does not have a full bar, and no espresso machine is on the premises, so an Irish coffee or an after-dinner espresso were not possible. I made do with "Farmer's Brothers" American coffee, of which Jeannine offered endless refills with a smile. read more

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I have been to Marechiaros 4 times now and something has come up that really annoys me. The food is pretty good. 1 out of the 4 times the pizza was mediocre. But I can live with that. But they don't have Tabasco Sauce or any hot sauce. Don't do refills on drinks. I had a talk with my waitress about the Tabasco Sauce. It seems they don't have Tabasco because customers steal the bottles. I'm like "Ok"? Really? I then suggested getting packets instead. They said maybe. The thing that actually annoyed me is that they don't do refills on drinks. Hey there plenty of other Italian restaurants that do and have Tabasco too. For these reasons and petty penny pinching I most likely will not return. Too many rules and regulations. Ridiculous! read more

It's always a great experience! The staff is so friendly and the food is amazing! One of our friends is gluten free and he can't stop talking about how good the pizza was for him. read more