Tried Ottavio's in Lakeside for the first time last night, and overall, it was a really great experience. From the moment we walked in, you could tell the place was slammed--but in the best way. The energy was high, and the staff worked seamlessly as a team to keep everything running smoothly. A special shoutout to our bartender, Leah, who was absolutely fantastic. Even with how busy it was, she stayed attentive, friendly, and made us feel taken care of the entire night. We started with the mussels in clam sauce, and they were outstanding--fresh, flavorful, and a perfect way to kick things off. For entrées, we ordered the short rib ravioli and the carbonara. The short rib ravioli was a standout--rich, tender, and packed with flavor. The carbonara, while still enjoyable, could have been executed a bit better. It didn't quite hit the mark compared to everything else, but it was a small note in an otherwise excellent meal. To top it all off, we were treated to dessert since it was our first visit, which was a really thoughtful touch and left a lasting impression. Between the hardworking team, great atmosphere, and mostly fantastic food, Ottavio's definitely delivered. Even with a minor hiccup on one dish, we left impressed and would absolutely come back again. read more

Early Valentine's Day! Had the early bird special and then a fun date night dessert promotion! I loved the manicotti and the minestrone soup! Tiramisu to top it all off!! Service was great! We love coming here!! read more

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Ottavio's serves a workmanlike menu that's heavy on carbs and dense sauces, but which offers little to excite the adventurous diner. This is no surprise; theirs is Italian-American cooking, which typically lacks the refinement of classic Italian cuisine. The surprise, and the disappointment, is that Ottavio's kitchen also underuses, or altogether avoids, the herbs, spices, and layered flavors found in Italian-American dishes in their home cities of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. If you're a laborer, hoping to pack yourself with energy without risking indigestion, or a parent seeking to fill your kids to the brim with food that will put them to sleep, Ottavio's is the place for you. If you seek a decent Italian lunch or dinner, you should look elsewhere. read more

Best place in lakeside for italian. Staff is friendly and boy are the dishes family friendly!

Local, in the heart of Lakeside! This is a great spot to enjoy with the whole family. There is a lot of seating inside, and out, as well as bar top. For staters, we ordered the personal size antipasto salad which was huge! This was split amongst three people. For entrees, we had the Tortellini Florentine which was really good, as well as the Rigatoni Fra Diavolo. If you like spicy, this had a pretty good kick to it! There are so mnay good pastas to choose from, you can't go wrong! I ordered a glass of wine, but the cocktail meh had some great martini options. read more

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Came for dinner tonight and had the BEST service from Taylor P. He was super kind and friendly. Food was excellent, so delicious and huge portions for the price. Thanks for the great meal, Taylor P. was excellent. read more

Ottavio's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Lakeside, California

Had dinner with some friends at this cozy Italian restaurant. If you're there before 5:30pm they have a Happy Hour menu to choose from. The food is good, tonight I had the Rigatoni Fra Diavilo. With a side Caesar salad. For a $2 upgrade charge. The salad was huge. The rigatoni was a bit on the spicy side so if you don't like spicy choose another entree. It's a family friendly place so bring in the kiddos. If you're in the area you gotta try it! and don't forget to try the dessert cannoli. They're small so you don't have to feel guilty. read more

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Great hidden gem in Lakeside! Authentic Italian feel and taste. Highly recommend this place.

The service is always a good experience and the food is amazing the portions are large. My husband and I go there at least 3 times a month plus we order to go food . read more

We came here for dinner on a Saturday evening around 6:30 and were seated right away in the outdoor patio. The outdoor dining area is very spacious and comfortable. Less crowded feeling than the indoor area. We got the fried zucchini for an appetizer and the meat lovers pizza and the gluten free manicotti for our entrees. The fried zucchini was very good. Not too breaded. The entree portion sizes are big and both dishes were very cheesy. My husband shared a large pizza with another person and still had leftovers. The manicotti was quite rich with a heavy cheese filling and cheese topping. Both were quite tasty. But since we normally don't eat that much cheese or dairy, we think our digestive issues the next couple days might have been from these dishes. I don't fault the restaurant. Just be careful if you are lactose intolerant or are sensitive to dairy. Overall, nice dinner, good service. Good menu selection. If you are gluten free, there are three choices for pasta dishes. read more

We hosted my daughter's birthday dinner here. They went ABOVE AND BEYOND to make my daughter's birthday special. The service was great and the food even better. They accommodated us (as we were a fairly large party) and they made the whole experience as seamless as possible. I'll return over and over again because they truly care about their customers and the memories we made tonight were worth it read more

Oh my goodness I been coming here since I moved to lakeside in 2016, I love this place so much it's family friendly they don't treat you like customer here your one of Thier own family the food selection is amazing today I tired the new menu item lobster ravioli, and I just fell in love with it like no tomorrow, they have amazing service and great food a must try spot in San Diego read more

Excellent food, great ambiance friendly and prompt service. My husband has requested this restaurant for his last 2 birthdays. Really good drinks too! read more

Since moving to Lakeside six months ago, my husband and I had been wanting to try this restaurant, and it was absolutely worth the wait! From the moment we arrived, everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The food was phenomenal. I consider myself somewhat of a fettuccine Alfredo connoisseur--I tend to judge Italian restaurants by their Alfredo--and this was, without question, the best fettuccine Alfredo I have ever had. The sauce was rich, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. I was in heaven with every bite! My husband ordered the meat ravioli and couldn't stop raving about it. In fact, he barely put his fork down the entire meal, which says a lot because he's usually not one to get excited about restaurant food. We left thoroughly impressed and are already looking forward to coming back to explore more of the menu. Highly recommend! read more

Have lived in El Cajon for a few years but hadn't tried this place yet. Finally got to go with friends, and it was a lovely time! We sat in their patio dining that was inviting with colorful pillows on their benches and lights all around. Our server was quick to serve drinks and share the specials. We kept it basic for our first time, ordering the short rib ravioli and lasagna bolognese. Both were DELICIOUS! Lots of cheese on the lasagna which I loved but hubby thought was a little overwhelming. Friends ordered antipastas to share between each couple, but the portion was huge! Could have easily been shared between 4 people. Loved the complimentary foccacia bread with olive oil and vinaigrette. Always a lovely touch. We will be back to try other items! The pizza looked great! read more

Came in for dinner with the family this evening, Taylor helped us out .....we were seated fairly quickly. This is maybe the third time we've been here, the food and service is always great. Tonight was no different. My daughter has named this her favorite restaurant , I do have to say though while she does love the food she equally enjoys the fact that she's given a small piece of dough to play with. Food was great tonight and Taylor was awesome, super friendly, patient and made us feel very comfortable. Thank you Taylor read more

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Very yummy food , appetizers are delicious I think we have tried all of them the service was amazing great place for family dinners ..

Delicious food and attentive wait staff. The atmosphere was unremarkable yet clean. The parking was non existent and far away from the restaurant. read more

Great family-style Italian food. Pizzas are good and calzone, spectacular. Heart of Lakeside, go early, they get busy. Nice staff. Patio dining! read more

Ottavios hosted my husband's retirement party on 1/31/26! Food, service and venue all outstanding. Leah was my point of contact and she was absolutely amazing! If you want to have a private party or just want get some dinner, try Ottavios! The food was delicious service was top notch! Madi and Patience were our servers read more

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My husband took me here for Mother's Day tonight. I have to say, I am usually not a fan of getting Italian food (specifically pasta) out at restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved everything we had! We started out with the Brussel sprouts which were crispy and flavorful. We had focaccia which was soft and fluffy. I also got the tiramisu martini which was perfectly made. And the pasta was amazing! We had a great server as well. We sat at the bar and the bartender was attentive and charismatic. read more

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My grandma made her ragu with a little kick and this is the first restaurant that can match hers. We love it and live close by! So happy to find a new spot with hearty pasta and flavor. We both tried the lasagna and it was so good. It covered me for two meals. read more

This is an eat in or personal takeout restauraunt ONLY! Delivery is subiorimal. On multiple occasion driver was lost, spoke minimal English and food arrived barey warm, wilted salad and cold bread. The food in the restaurant and take out is great. read more

Ottavio's has amazing food and a great atmosphere. It's small and there is usually a wait because they are only open for dinner and are closed Mondays. They have carry out. read more

I have enjoyed visiting Ottavio's in Lakeside for a number of years now. I always try to order something different each time. Most recently I had their "Mezzo E Mezzo". At every other Italian restaurant I've been to, they just call it "Half & Half". Typically it's combination plate of both spaghetti and ravioli. The best of both worlds. I find it ironic though that they use the literal Italian translation of this popular dish. I do wish Ottavio's would learn the Italian phrase "Al Dente". My spaghetti was quite overcooked to the point where it had a mushy mouthfeel. Not at all toothsome as it should have been. I've observed over the years this is common which I why I usually order a baked dish. Their heavy hand with the blanket of sauce on top probably didn't help matters much. I will say though, their meatballs are excellent. Nicely sized, tender and flavorful. read more

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I can only speak for the pizza but they have the best in east county. They can get a little pricey but I think it is worth the price especially because they give you a large amount of toppings and cheese. Service is generally fast. I usually call and place an order for pickup and wait time will be 20-30 minutes. Staff is always nice and it seems like they enjoy working with one another. Very family friendly. It is a small restaurant so there may be a bit of a wait to dine in. The parking lot is also quite tight; Friday and Saturday night it may be hard to find parking, but there is a large parking lot across the street that isn't too far of a walk. read more

Great food and even better service! Jenn is an All Star Next level server. Made the meal special. We will be back.

i don't live in this area so i was unsure when researching places to eat but i'm glad i landed on ottavio's. the atmosphere was cozy and bustling (but we still got seated fast- 15 min) and our servings were sooo big for a fair price. i got the tortellini a la florentine and my friend got the chef's special (pappardelle ragu). both were quite delicious, although i'd recommend straying away from the ragu if you don't like fennel as the taste was quite heavy (noodles themselves were great tho). our server, taylor, was also very nice and attentive (thank you!). would definitely recommend :) read more

Ottavio's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Lakeside, California

Quick service, some tasty dishes on the menu and great cocktails. Great for families and friends inside and outside is beautiful.

We have been enjoying their food for years in the two other locations they have been previously. I love that this great little restaurant finally settled in of all places Lakeside. They have their regular local patrons but it is worth the trip to enjoy their food. Staff are always friendly and efficient regardless of how busy their restaurant is. Our family favorites are always the barbecue chicken, house salad and gnocchi Toscana. The house focaccia they serve complimentary is also delicious. I do miss the Thai chicken pizza and that amazing lunch buffet they had when they were in El Cajon. This place will always be a regular family rotation. read more

The pizza was excellent the first few times we tried it, however the las couple times it has not been as tasty & the consistency of the crust was not the same. Not sure if the recipe change or we went on "off" days. It was still good but not like the first visits. Service was still very good! We like the outside patio best on warm evenings. read more

This little gem is one of our favorites. The wood fired pizzas are some of the best. Daniel is a wonderful server! He is so attentive and even on the busiest evenings, his attention to details makes you feel you are his only table. Nothing feels like a bother and He consistently checks in to be certain we have everything we need. One suggestion we have is to PLEASE bring back our two favorite salads: the Il Greco and the Spinach Salad. They were both incredible and we miss them dearly. read more

It was excellent. 2nd time there. So much food and so yummy. Excellent service. I give it a 10.

So good!! We have been here multiple times. 1st time was with our groups, "New Places, old Friends" and have brought multiple people back. So good!! The artichoke ravioli is amazing!! Service was great. Highly recommend!! read more

Everything was exceptional! The complimentary bread was fresh and delicious. The drink selection is great. There were 4 of us and we all loved our food. I split the cheese ravioli with my friend, my husband got the linguine with white claw sauce and our son got the chicken Alfredo. I am not a fan of Alfredo sauce anc i have to admit thiers was delicious All the meals were superb. The staff was super friendly. We will be co.ing back for sure. read more

Just an outstanding gem of an Italian establishment in SD. I was looking for an authentic place to take my father who is a local & he was blown away not only by the food but how well the serving staff treated our entire family. Everybody there is so warm & so kind! I had the chance to try some of the Margherita pizza, baked Manicotti, and the gnocchi. All of it cooked to perfection. The outdoor seating at night is just the best for dinners together as a family. They've got a kid's menu for the young ones too. Oh and the Canolli dessert is just superb Thank you Ottavio's for taking care of us! read more

Paid $75 for spaghetti and usually salad comes with the meal... very disappointed. Server didn't want to be there. Not friendly, not one smile. Parking was easy. Restaurant was clean, pleasant and aroma was fantastic. Brussel sprouts appetizer were completely burnt. Chicken Parmesean was soft and flavorless. Bread was a brick, italian beer of choice was unavailable but... the spaghetti was great. read more

"The vegetables on the pizza were so fresh, they had a delightful crispness and a bright, clean taste. And the pizza itself? You could tell it was made with the freshest ingredients, creating a truly mouthwatering experience." read more

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We've been going to Octavio's for several years and have enjoyed the food. Unfortunately, last night was not pleasant. We had seven adults and two toddlers for a birthday party. I brought tiny cupcakes for everyone for after the meal. I passed the cupcakes out to everyone. When I got the bill, I noticed a $15.00 cake charge along with a 20% tip added onto the bill. I was told that the cake charge was added onto the bill since it took away Octavio's ability to provide dessert. After a lengthy conversation, the $15.00 was finally removed. The male server was not very attentive and we had to ask several times for water and various other items. Everyone walked away from Octavio's with a diminished outlook on Octavio's. Keep this in mind next time you go. read more

This is the best Italian food! We love going to the patio. It's super welcoming here, we always feel like family. Tyler is the best!!!