This Nicolosi's location in Santee is closing on Oct. 1. A new pizza joint is taking over the space. "Pizzabilities" (Powered by Nicolosi's). The new signs were being installed over the weekend. Appears to be a different concept, same ownership. In the meantime, we ordered takeout for pick-up. Three pizzas and a salad to feed our visiting friends. Caesar Salad (Large) Organic romaine, parmesan croutons, shaved Romano cheese. $16.95 Medium Hawaiian Canadian bacon, pineapple and mozzarella $22.50 Medium Double Deluxe Pepperoni, salami, sausage, mushroom, onion, black olives, bell pepper no anchovies, no onions $27.50 Large Sicilian Pepperoni pepperoni on top, fresh basil, light fresh mozzarella on thin crust $28.75 The Hawaiian was easily the most popular. Everyone devoured it. We should've gotten a large. Becky and I always seem to get the Sicilian and once again, it was spot-on. The bell pepper was a bit overpowering on the Dbl Deluxe. Next time I'd get the Meat Lovers instead. The salad was fresh and refreshing. We did ask for and receive extra dressing which we definitely needed. For 11 of us, it was plenty of food. read more

Bye Nicolosi's! I loved you when you were off Waring Road, in San Carlos and in Santee! Family run is always fabulous! Pizza and pasta was so yummy, and service was great! Happy Retirement! Have a great last day!! I'm sure going to miss you! Cannoli cheers!! read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - The best Cannoli! - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

Love this place!!!!! Pizza is always consistently delicious!!! This time we also tried the pasta. Holy heck, why did it take me so long to order this. The pesto pasta was amazing. So rich and creamy....Yum!!! read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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I ordered the capellini dish through GrubHub and waited over an hour and twenty minutes, only to receive a very small bowl of vegetables with no noodles, for $42 (with GrubHub fees). It was really disappointing after such a long wait and for the price point. When I called to speak with the manager, the response felt dismissive. There was no "how can we make this right?" or any effort to address the issue, just a simple "ok." That lack of care made the experience even more frustrating. I definitely will not be ordering from here again. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Tiny Bowl of Vegetables Instead of Pasta, an hour and a half later!! - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

We have dined here a few times and have not had a bad experience. Each time the food is delicious and great quality. If you like blue cheese dressing, it is homemade and soo good. Service is good and dinning area is cozy. read more

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Visited 9/6/2024 Hello My Yelp Friends. Well here is my latest Foodie adventure this time in Santee Ca. I Was in the mood for Italian Food and I found it at, Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant 9420 Cuyamaca St, Ste 100, Santee, CA 92071 What a nice long standing Family Restaurant that's been serving San Diego for over 65 years in different locations this being the latest move. They say it's family secret recipes that keep customers coming back for more. Nice place with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly Staff that take very good care of your dining needs. My Server (Laurie) has been working for the owners for many years and always has a smile on her face and was extremely attentive. A Very nice lady. For lunch I ordered The Trio Combination Plate. It has, Lasagna, Beef Stuffed Ravioli, and Spaghetti. I requested All with The Home Recipe Meat Sauce. All three we're quite good. It was a generous amount of food with half going home with me for another meal. I also had to try a House Italian Sausage on the side. It went good with the Trio Plate. The Bread service was very good and I ate the whole basket. For dessert I had the Mini Trio Cannoli's. Loved Them. I Met an elder gentleman and his wife that's been dining with them for over 30 years and still comes in once or twice a week for his favorite restaurant. He told me I should come back for the famous pizzas and The Baked Spaghetti. I will be back for that one day. I've posted pics of all menus. This place is legit and worth a visit. https://nicolosis.com/ read more

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06/29/24 - Late Post I came here for lunch with my sister and her 7 month old baby. We ordered the following: * Medium Blanco Pizza - White Sauce, Fresh Garlic, Provolone, Romano, Gorgonzola and Mozzarella topped off with our Sicilian pepperoni * Antipasto Salad -Small - Assorted fine Italian meats, Provolone cheese, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, pepperoncini, olives, and optional anchovies * Butter spaghetti for the baby This place is really nice. I think it just opened when we went but there were more people when we left. We came around early lunch time. Our host was really nice and friendly. They served us a good amount of fresh bread and butter which I enjoyed very much. I probably would've been okay with that. BUT the pizza was very good. The pepperoni and crust had a nice crisp to it and the cheese and sauce was very savory. I loved that the garlic flavor was just enough not to overpower the overall flavor of the pizza. The antipasto was also good, but I just wish it had more greens. Blasphemy right?! but it had such a good amount of meats and cheeses that I felt like it needed more greens. Overall, I highly recommend this spot. I want to go back but just haven't been able to since I don't live there, but excited to try their other menu items and pasta. read more

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We heard about the move from downtown El Cajon to Santee and had a coupon so we thought we'd check it out. We used the coupon to buy a large pizza and get a free small (or was it medium) pizza free. We enjoyed that it's a family owned business and getting background on the restaurant. Sounds like the family has done very well and has a few locations. My parents enjoyed the pizza making it their new top pizza location! I was a little more persnickety wanting more flavor in the sauce and even the cheese. For me it was a bit bland but my folks were happy which is more important! I was eyeing the ravioli which we may try next visit. One hesitation is that it's a bit pricy but I understand that portions are large so perhaps we can try splitting. Overall a good experience and definitely one of the better Italian restaurants we've been to lately. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Large Barb's CHX - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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Honestly I would give it 3.5 but it doesn't allow that so I have to stick with 3. My friends suggested this place as a meet up after we went to Off Broadway a couple of weeks ago. It was during dinner time and we didn't have reservations so I don't fault them for not having to seat us right away. They did have bar stool seating but since I'm a bit short I hate bar stool seating. We only had to wait for like 15 min to get to sit at an actual table which was for the 4 of us. It did have a nice family atmosphere which I liked. They have plenty of huge TVs there so you can't miss the big game. The artwork was nice and the " Legalize Marinara" mural on the wall made me laugh. The menu did have plenty of options . Since I'm new to this restaurant I went with my mood. I felt it was a pesto and chicken night. I ordered the Penne Pesto Chicken. It was loaded with pesto sauce which sided on a bit too greasy and heavy for my taste. The chicken breast came in small cubes which were a bit dry but, after saying those two things, the flavors were there. I tasted the chicken and the pesto. They didn't hold back on the portion. The gave us a generous amount of Parmesan when we asked for some. It was a generous portion of food and I couldn't finish it. The pasta was cooked just right. The waiter was friendly and present. The whole experience did make me want to go back and try another dish someday. My friend loved her lasagna, so maybe I'll try that one next. read more

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Thank you Nicolos's for over 50 years of great food and great times. I remember meeting Sam and Linda in the mid 70s at the store on El Cajon Blvd. Wonderful people. I was saddened when they closed and overjoyed at the reopening on Adobe Falls Rd. I happily followed you to Navajo Rd. and even stopped by El Cajon Main Street a few times. A great place for lunch when Jury Duty popped up. The move to Santee was a bit further but worth the trip every time. It was very melancholy picking up my final Double Deluxe pizza last night. I was in my twenties, sitting on the patio next to the El Cajon Blvd store when I had my first one with a pitcher of Michelob. This morning I'm enjoying a cold slice for breakfast. It's a little more salty because of the tears. Farewell to you all. read more

First time here and I should've read the reviews before deciding to come here. We ordered a half pepperoni and half margarita pizza. They charged us $10 more for half and half and the server never told us that there was an extra cost. Nor does it say it on the menu. I asked the server why he didn't tell me and he just said I forgot. My daughter ordered Cappellini and there was no fresh garlic, basil and tomatoes, it was just sauce. We will definitely not be coming back. *** Update - The server then sends me a message after posting this review. You have to click on the photo to view. Wow, this establishment isn't going to make it with unprofessional employees like this *** read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Message sent by server - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

Nicolosi's in Santee is now the new headquarters of the restaurant, since the other branches have now closed. The interior of the restaurant is pleasant, with a bar up front where you enter. On each side of the bar are multiple hightops on two sides. The dining room is on the far right. There are paintings on the wall with amusing sayings. As for the food, i Ican recommend the Tortellini, if you order it with light cheese and sauce. And the "Tony's Special Pizza" is better than expected. read more

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Welcome back Nicolosi's!! When Nicolosi's moved from Waring to Navajo is just wasn't the same. I had little hope when they moved to Santee but we decided to give it a try. Oh My Gosh it was DELICIOUS!!! I had the Gnocchi Parmesan and my husband had the trio (spaghetti, lasagna and ravioli). We topped our dinner off with their Frittole (deep fried pizza dough topped served with a berry and a chocolate dipping sauce). Even though we were UBER stuffed, we demolished the Frittole. So good!! Our server Victoria was delightful and the restaurant has a great vibe. The only 2 things I wish for are for them to bring back the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and I'd LOVE for them to sell their sauces jarred. I personally would have bought at least two jars of their Marinara to take on an upcoming trip to Texas. One of my best friends completely misses Nicolosi's. read more

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Came here for lunch today, and I really enjoyed it! The restaurant was really clean, and the service was top notch. However, the food was pretty amazing. I ordered calamari as my appetizer, a margherita pizza for my main, and the lava cake as my dessert. And, I can confirm that everything was fantastic! Despite the fact that the calamari could have been a little crispier, it had good flavor, as did the pizza which was vibrant, bright and really tasty. However, they definitely know what they're doing in the dessert department, because the chocolate lava cake was absolutely phenomenal! Overall, I'd recommend giving this place a try. They even have a really diverse menu, so even if you don't like something they have, you have the option to just choose something else completely different, which basically ensures that you will have a good experience! read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Come visit this place! - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

As a "kid" I worked at "the" Nicolosi's, on El Cajon Blvd., when Sam Nicolosi owned the restaurant. Sam got the place from his father, who started the restaurant in 1952. Sam was a great guy to work for and had me on the day shift during the summer, Monday through Friday, so I could hang out at OB to surf with my buddies. I was impressed that many of the ladies that worked there then actually retired many years later. How many servers today work 15-25 years at the same restaurant? When a new freeway was built through the 40th Street intersection, Sam moved to a location on Waring Road. Sam had no children to pass the baton to. So I believe when he decided to retire he sold it to some nephews or cousins. They moved the restaurant to another location but it wasn't the same. Now, the Burn's family owns Nicolosi's in a small shopping area, and the place has a more up beat sports-bar feel to it. Very little, if any, of the restaurant's history is evident. Food was not bad and better than most places (chains) I've been to for something Italian. Had a half pepper steak sandwich (soggy) with marinara for $17 and a small lasagna for $24. The sauce was a little watery but not bad. The bread was fresh although they don't bake their own anymore. Service by Betty was good. This new location is more for the "locals" in Santee. Too far for tourists to drive to as there are some excellent Italian restaurants closer to the beaches and downtown. Overall, I wouldn't say great but it was good. Last thing: Very expensive as noted above and two scoops of spumoni was $9 and a glass of soda was over $4. I know rent in San Diego is high but this seems excessive. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Near entrance inside. . Has outside patio, too. - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

I'm so happy to have visited Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant's new home in Santee! In business since 1952, Nicolosi's has been a legendary Italian food institution in San Diego, alonside the likes of Filippi's, Ottavio's and Pernicano's. Over the last 70 years Nicolosi's has continued it's incremental move east. Starting in Mission Hills, then El Cajon Blvd, Grantville, San Carlos and now Santee. I suppose at some point they'll be in Alpine or Descanso. Who knows. Anyway, they've been around for generations and they're steeped in rich history. I just love places like that. The new Santee restaurant is interesting. I believe the former occupant of this space was a Pizza Hut, so it's pretty small. The vibe is very much "sports bar" throughout. Big screen TVs on all the walls, even in the dining room. It feels like an Oggi's. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just don't go expecting romantic or intimate. All the servers and staff were so nice and patient. They do seem to be suffering from staffing challenges like many other businesses. There was only one server on duty at the time we visited on a Saturday afternoon. Had to wait to be seated despite a mostly empty dining room. My experience with the food was a mixed bag. Everything came out in a timely fashion. The dinner salad was outstanding. Liberally dressed with a delicious Italian dressing, just how I like it. Tasty croutons that were somewhat airy. Pasta dishes are served with a warm bread basket and a few small packets of butter. Bread service was very good. I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. It came out piping hot which I appreciate. Unfortunately the chicken was quite salty and the spaghetti pasta was overcooked, well past al dente. The marinara was thick, sweet and fairly unremarkable. My son really enjoyed his pesto pasta dish. My wife liked her manicotti, however half the plate consisted of steamed vegetables. Kind of a small portion. read more

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Came in here for a late lunch last sunday. Ordered the calamari appetizer, also had a meat lovers pizza and my girls had the gnocchi and spaghetti (not pictured). The calamari had a very good flavor but they didn't have the other creamy sauce usually served with calamari, just the marinara. Still.....the calamari was tasty. The pizza was also very good, my only complaint was I'm a fan of a nice crust and there wasn't much crust on this pizza. But the sauce was good, and the sausage had a nice herbaceous flavor to it. So many times you get sausage from these places and it's gritty and flavorless but not here. Also we were given very good service, I came in after working on my truck and had quite a thirst. Our server was very quick with the refills. Would definitely come back to try different menu items. read more

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This was our first time visiting the new location, we loved the Navajo restaurant. Upon arriving I was definitely disappointed that it was no longer a big, homey Italian restaurant feel. The new location is more a sports bar/ fast casual spot, concrete floors, bare walls, lots of large TVs with sports on. I missed the old Italian, family restaurant decor. Their sandwiches are still amazing, we had my 2 standards the meatball and the torpedo. It was a little confusing as the waitress kept asking what I wanted on the Torpedo and I said just how it comes and she told us she didn't remember what meat was on it. She also asked if we wanted cheese on the meatball sub which we thought was standard but we realized at the end we were charged $2 extra for it. Overall food still great, didn't care for the atmosphere, service ok. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Meatball Sub - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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Amazing food and service here at Nicolosi's! Jenn and the rest of the staff were very friendly and welcoming. The rigatoni with pink sauce (add mushroom) was the absolute best!! Definitely huge portions, I got the half order of pasta and still took half home. We've ordered to go before but we decided to dine in and it was a nice family atmosphere. Btw the blush wine was amazing!!!! I will def return to have some more read more

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After a group hike at nearby Mission Trails Regional Park, this was our stop for lunch. Nicolosi's was the closest sit-down restaurant that was open for business. There were plenty of spaces in the parking lot as only a couple of parties were seated when we arrived. We had our pick of tables so a couple of outside ones under the covered front patio were chosen. The menu was pretty standard for a casual neighborhood Italian eatery. The lunch specials seemed to be a good deal. I selected the half order of spaghetti which came with a soup or salad and a fountain drink. I chose the minestrone for the former and a sweet iced tea for the latter. The bowl of soup was larger than I expected. I used the complimentary slices of bread to help sop up the broth. That filled up most of my stomach which left me unable to finish the plate of spaghetti covered with marinara sauce. The waitress was pleasant, but near the end of our meal she was a bit stretched because more customers had shown up. She remained the only server for all the parties so it took time for her to get us our checks. Overall, I gave our dining experience at Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant a 3.5 star rating. read more

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Friendly service! Nice ambience! And amazing food!! We enjoyed every dish we got and will 100% be coming back! Don't skip over the lasagna read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

The torpedo sandwich was very tasty. I used to go to them when they were on Main Street in El Cajon. They did not disappoint. The flavor was spot on. So glad they reopened in East County read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Torpedo Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

We shared lasagna today, and it was very al dente. It could've been cooked for another half hour. But the tastes were good. Lasagna is $23. And each soda I think$ 425. Our server, Chris was very funny and made us laugh a few times we like Chris read more

Solid old-school Italian food in a new location (preferred their other locations over the years as they had more charm). Great place to go for their lunch specials. Service isn't stellar, but like elsewhere they seem to need more help. Good portion sizes. Especially like their lasagna. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Sm Turkey - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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This restaurant is not good. We ordered the ultimate cheese pizza, they forgot the ricotta cheese and was very lacking in cheese for an ultimate cheese pizza. We got the Italian sub. There was less meat on the sandwich than subway! Look at the pictures, it's like two slices of meat. There is a 0% chance I would ever go back here again. My whole family was shocked at how bad the food was. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Italian sub, basically no meat - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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Food, service and ambiance all very good for a quiet and unassuming Italian restaurant in Santee. We have eaten here a few times now and have enjoyed everything from the sandwiches, the lasagna, pastas, eggplant parm and more. I can't think of one thing that could be improved except for a tiny bit faster service. They feel understaffed, sometimes. read more

The family was visiting for the week and we wanted something easy to pick up, so we ordered Nicolosi's. The first was a large pepperoni for $26. The second was a large pepperoni, sausage, black olives, onions for $37. After tip, it was over $70 for two pizzas. It's extremely steep for pizza and I don't want to harp on them too much because the pizza was delicious, but they could improve on telling customers accurate estimates of when their food is ready to be picked up. We were told 25 minutes, so we arrived on time and waited another 20 minutes for the pizzas to be ready. At the same time, we witnessed customers getting very upset over their orders, not being served and then the servers getting heated with one another. Needless to say, we're all trying our best, know there are staffing shortages, so be kind to one another and enjoy the meal even if it's late. read more

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We love supporting local business. We did a date night dine in. There was a steady stream of pizza pickup. While I liked what I ate and recognize it was likely more labor intensive than some places, we did find it a bit overpriced. The food was good, the staff was lovely but competition between Italian restaurants is fierce here. We did agree to pick up a few pizzas and give it another shot but for sit down Italian we have other spots we would visit. read more

What a bummer. My wife usually orders the Spaghetti, which is always pretty good but she decided to venture out and ordered the Cappellini Al Pomodoro that was listed under "specialties". This "specialty" is like $28 and was AWFUL. I never write bad reviews and always support local restaurants but this was infuriating. You're going to call something a specialty and charge that much for plain angel hair noodles with red onions and chopped tomatoes? That's it. That's what $28 got us. No seasoning. No flavor. Just pure disappointment and feeling scammed. read more

Came here for an early dinner and it was perfect timing for great service and delicious food. It was so yummy I forgot to stop and take a picture lol! We have been to the La Mesa location but never this one. Everything looks so cute yet has a home like feel to it. Our server was very kind and attentive. Never needed to ask for a refill and he came over to make sure we were doing okay or if we needed anything. Delicious fresh bread that was so soft! Pizza was delicious! Pasta with meat sauce was delicious. Great proportions for everything and decently priced. Will be returning! read more

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The outdoor dining area is now ready. So happy to be able to dine with our dog. Chicken Marsala is lighter and no doubt healthier than OG's version. read more

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great pizza but they are closing soon. according to the girl working there you can go to a different pizza place and find some of their pizzas. cant remember the name tho read more

We came here for lunch today after our niece's graduation-I loved the festiveness of the decor, the tv's in prominent view. Our server was courteous and helpful. We enjoyed the food; I had the lemon chicken pesto pasta, they had meatball sandwiches with soup or salad, my hubby had the calzone. We ordered the sausage mushroom pesto pizza to go--she kept it warm for us-but it was for dinner. She didn't have to do that. The bread melts in your mouth. I will get the garlic bread next time. read more

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A local gem & fine family dining experience. Offers both unique and appealing pastas, well-crafted pizzas, and generous portions. Locals know & love this place! The homey, cozy ambiance is helped by the wonderful service. There is also a room in the front to watch sports with friends. Our family of 3 ordered below: shared the 6 cheese pizza (only could eat half - Huge!), baked spaghetti (with mozzarella, ricotta, & other cheeses), and ravioli (not pictured). read more

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Pizza was soggy. Not much else to say. Just super disappointing. Too much cheese. Probably won't be back.

Great place for pizza delivery. This is all we've actually ever ordered from here. And have only done delivery so I can't say much for the venue as we've not ever eaten on site. Last nite we ordered the veggie pizza. It was really good. The veggies did taste fresh. The menu says they're locally grown. So that's cool. I requested olives to be added and they were, no prob. We also got the meat lovers pizza which is definitely loaded with lotsa meat, ham, pepperoni, meatball, etc. Very filling. The pepperonis are perfect when they curl up a bit and are crunchy. The flavor is so much better than when they're just flat. The crust was perfect. Just a little bit doughy and chewy with a lil' toasty crunch around the edges. Not too thick and not too thin. Like Goldilocks would say, it was just right. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Veggie pizza w/ added olives. Super yummy! Our favorite. - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

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Holy mother of... This was divine. Yelp told me that I needed some Italian, so who am I to argue? Upon a fun discussion with my Yelp friend, Dale, regarding the "good ole days" at The Old Spaghetti Factory, my Saturday mission was to find some amazing and delicious Italian grub. Mission accomplished! It was quick too (delivery) and actually hot when it arrived which is pretty crucial for Italian fare. I got the trio, which included spaghetti, lasagna, and meat ravioli. Sides of meatballs x2, garlic bread and steamed veggies. The spaghetti sauce was out of this world. I can't really detect which herbs were used, but holy cow, it tingled my senses. It will turn into several meals, I don't regret this purchase at all. I think it's a shame that people would trash a small business, especially a family restaurant, during Covid, over one bad experience. Also, I can't imagine ordering pizza from an Italian restaurant, just saying. But that's just me. I think we all are at our wits end with Covid related stresses, but have some patience people with the businesses that are supporting US! Especially if you are a long standing customer, come on! Give these guys a freakin break. Cool your jets already. Stop taking your Covid frustrations out on businesses who have our backs. Mmmmm kay? I wish I could give 15 stars to the meal I received, I definitely will be back, on payday of course. :D Thank you, fine chefs at Nicolosi's. I must go lie down and take a nap now after my "carb loading." Zzzzzzzzz read more

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First time here. Came in on a Groupon. Welcoming establishment with serval TV's plenty big and so was the parking and indoor/outdoor dining too, very nice outside too. The bread was fantastic. The marinara sauce was very good too. The Manicotti was just okay nothing special. The salad was perfection as was the service. If you like garlic, I mean really love garlic then these meatballs are for you. In a word, an "Overwhelming" garlic presence; I could not even finish the second meatball. See photos. read more

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Great local family spot, they do takeout and outdoor seating. They expanded their outdoor patio into the parking lot and heaters too for those chillier nights. Masks on and physical distancing. Be patient on busier nights, the staff are doing the best they can! Our go to is the large Sicilian pepperoni pizza and my husband swears by it because of how the pepperonis curl when baked and the plentiful basil. The only thing is that sometimes when we order it the sauce is too wet. This has happened maybe twice now but we get that the sauce batch is different every day etc so no hard feelings. We still continue to order this pizza a least once a month, we're regulars now. The lobster Mac was good, it's a lot of cheese to eat if this is your main dish. I appreciated that they didn't skimp on lobster and there were good size chunks. read more

Nicolosi's Italian Restaurant - Sicilian pizza and lobster Mac & cheese - Italian Near Me - Santee, California

Great pizza, pasta and friendly service staffs. My family had such nice dinner with linguni with white clams sauce. It was so good. Pasta perfectly cooked with clams in shells. Mmm good. Pizza had crispy crust with toppings well portioned and not skimpy. Even our granddaughter downed her spaghetti so much her stomach was bloated. The server kept checking back to make sure we were okay. The atmosphere is very laid back in good size restaurant. read more

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