It's always a good time to have a bite at Pizza Nova in San Marcos. Consistently delicious with great service and atmosphere. The Roasted Garlic appetizer is a must and has been a family favorite of ours for decades. Happy hour features half price appetizers and some drink discounts as well. Check it out! read more

Pizza Nova - Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I haven't been to this spot in years but for a family birthday celebration we decided to come dine here. We use to order to go from here pretty frequently but it was nice to dine in. They don't do reservations but you can always call in and see what the wait is. For a Friday night it wasn't very busy so we were able to walk in and get a table easily. I ended up ordering the chicken piccata which comes with angel hair pasta which is my favorite. It was good but was lacking a little bit of flavor or seasoning I couldn't really point it out. I just added some salt and pepper to add a little something. The pizzas look incredible and I did end up having a slice from the one my brother ordered. Starting your meal with those garlic knots are the best and who doesn't love they the first basket is complimentary! There's plenty of in door and outdoor seating which is nice to have the option as well. I'm sure we will be back again since we have been going for years. read more

This place is overlooked. It didn't come up when I searched for restaurants nearby, but there are definitely reasons to come here. I've been coming here for a long time actually. The garlic knots are great, and it's surprisingly one of the few local places to get a decent lobster bisque. Love watching the kitchen handmake the pizzas. The decor is giving Wolfgang Puck circa '92 so I hope some changes are made so they don't close. Just a lot of places are obviously struggling right now. read more

Pizza Nova - Bar area. Local craft beer, wine, and liquor. - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

This upscale Italian pizza and pasta place has tons of great options for the culinary palate. They serve sandwiches, salads and entrees as well. The atmosphere is fresh, warm and contemporary with good lighting, an open kitchen area, wood finishes and TVs. The restaurant has a full bar and great selections of wine and beer. It's a major plus. We ordered a salad, three various pastas, and two types of pizza. The best pasta dish was the prawns and prosciutto in a garlic cream sauce over fresh made egg fettuccine noodles. The shrimp was cooked to perfection with tons of juicy plump flavor. It has bits of chopped meats and real pork belly. It was a fabulous 5 of 5 stars. The arugula pizza was cooked perfectly with a homemade dough and topped with sauce, cheese, cherry tomatoes and arugula. The arugula gave the pizza a nice bitter crunch and paired nicely with the cheese and sauce. Overall, we absolutely loved this great Italian place. Service from Jack our waiter was outstanding. He was friendly, attentive and charming. We will be back. read more

Pizza Nova - Great Italian here - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Upgrade - After a ten year boycott of this Pizza Nova location we reluctantly decided to give them another try. Much to my chagrin they "nailed it" on this visit. The complementary garlic balls were hot and fresh. The chipotle lime salad was back to being flavorful.. And their pizza, albeit expensive, was so tasty and bold. I hope this is their new norm... Service from Vanessa was great. read more

Pizza Nova - Kids tenders. Hmmm - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Pizza Nova is a chain, but in San Marcos it's home. Erik is one of the servers there and whether you are picking up to go, splitting a group meal of 8, or having a business lunch he (and other wait staff) are friendly, responsive to your group's energy, and accurate. Plus he keeps the delicious bread coming. The food: Again, Pizza Nova is a chain, but you wouldn't know it. All of their items are delicious and fairly portioned. They have a salad that I absolutely love and they give me its cheese on the side as requested. I call here often to order food for my office and have never been let down. I also bring lots of groups in and have never had anyone get something they didn't like. Good parking. Comfortable inside and outside seating. Clean bathroom. Great food. read more

Pizza Nova - Grilled peach and hurray ya salad with shrimp. Cheese on the side. Delicious - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

Awesome place, very good service and food is amazing. The pizza is a must have! Beer selection is great too read more

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It's difficult to think of some of these franchise restaurants as anything more than 'alright.' When you've been to one, it's difficult to get excited about going to another. You know what the place looks like, you know how the food is going to be, the most you can hope for is that some favored dish is about the same as you remember. Food is carbon copied by design, approved by corporate, and ordered from specific vendors so there's little difference from one Pizza Nova to the next. This means that a disappointing meal at one is sure to be just as disappointing at another. So, when the best you can order still pales to what you can make at home (for usually a 1/5th of what they charge), the most you can do is roll your eyes whenever that place is suggested. The best that can be said about Pizza Nova is that the table bread is fantastic. Buttery, salty, garlicky, and nearly bite-sized, they could easily substitute as a meal and you would be happier than many other at the table. Pizzas themselves are okay. The novelty toppings, such as the Gorgonzola Pear, are better selections; as the Pepperoni and Sausage options are generally too greasy without adding any real flavor along with that fat. Pastas are hit and miss, as the noodles are usually well cooked, but aren't seasoned well and are missing the richness that a good Alfredo or Garlic Cream sauce needs. And with the exception of the Chipotle Lime Chicken, I don't think I've had any salad on the menu I've ever thought of ordering more than once. I seem to remember good things about the Meatball Sandwich, but they've since been supplanted by just as tasty and cheaper options at sub shops nearby. In the end, Pizza Nova is an edible option. It may not entice me as the thought of a new, locally owned spot opening down the street, but I also won't vehemently turn it down every year or so when someone suggests it. read more

Excellent service, food was on point, manager was very helpful to his staff and it was very clean. I feel confident to recommend to my friends. read more

I'm actually bummed I have to give one of my former best go to restaurants a negative review. It was just 4 months ago that I took the time to give them a give star review. Welp not anymore! I went in last week for an early lunch. The restaurant was empty. The managers& server greeted me at the counter & basically handed me the menu & told me to seat myself in the patio. I was a bit taken back that they could not take the steps to seat us. Ok no big I guess. On walking out to the patio it was filthy dirty. The ground was covered in leaves, food, crayons & who knows what else. Not a clean spot to be found. I'm pretty sure a good sweeping or a pressure wash would clean it right up but obviously they don't care about cleanliness. I ALWAYS come out of my way to pizza nova from 25 minutes away for their WILD CAUGHT SALMON. Which I've bragged about to friends & family that a pizza place has WILD SALMON! So I asked server as I always do about the salmon. They ALWAYS say it's WILD SALMON. I get it on THE best salad (regular size). This time the server did not know how to answer me. She had to ask. After about 15 minutes with no answer or any communication I waved her down to take our order for we had to go back to our day. I told her to go ahead and order me the salmon salad. After waiting a cool 15-20 minutes our order was brought to our table. The server never said a word about the outcome of the inquiry. So I asked the question again. She just looked at me and said " FARMED". Well since I did tell her to order it for me & just asked for a to go box & I would give the soggy salad to my husband. At that point I was disappointed that my favorite restaurant would change something on the menu & not either state that on the menu or train their servers to make the consumer aware of a pretty pertinent thing. The management definitely dropped the ball on this. Ok so fast forward to the bill, The server charged me for a large salad with a total of $28 for a meal that was not what I came in for than try to overcharge me for it, I spoke to the manager and she adjusted the bill & saw that I was not happy & did not even try to do damage control. I asked for the owners email & basically got no reply so I'm writing this for everyone to see that this restaurant needs to be more aware of the food they are serving. I wasted over $50 of my money & had an awful experience. read more

For years, we had talked about trying Pizza Nova, but always found ourselves eating pizza elsewhere. When we were in the area, and disappointed with another Woodgate pizza place we had been going to, we went to Pizza Nova. I ordered the Thai Wings which were the largest and meatiest wings that I have gotten anywhere. The sauce had plenty of heat yet had a little sweetness to it and the sliced chives on top added a fresh flavor. Let me mention that we had baked garlic knots dripping in butter with fresh garlic on them to start with the Pizza Nova IPA served in an ice cold frosted glass. My husband ordered the buffalo chicken pizza which I of course had to try. It was one of the best that I have had and not dripping in BBQ sauce as some places do. There was plenty of chicken CHUNKS on top as well as red onions and other fresh ingredients. My husband was happy that the bottom of the crust was not burned like some wood fire pizza restaurants do. All in all, the restaurant was pleasant with sports on the TVs near the bar, an outside patio, high tops as well as booths and the restaurant is fully glassed so the pretty area and plants are visible from the inside. Adrianna, one of the managers, is a great manager who made sure that we were happy and gave tips on what to order. We enjoyed our food so much that we went back the next day to have more pizza. Adrianna chatted with us in length and made the experience even better along with our servers. I'm sorry it took us so long to visit, but Pizza Nova will definitely be on our North San Diego County rotation. read more

Pizza Nova - Meaty Thai Wings (six here but come by weight) and a frosty glass of Pizza Nova IPA which only comes in 16 oz. - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I sat at the bar, the bartender was friendly. She let me taste a beer before ordering it. I went for the angel hair (basil, garlic, tomato). It was delicious. I noticed some guys had bread that looked good and they told me it was free. You just have to ask. So, I got those and was thoroughly satisfied with the meal. I will go again. read more

Oh god, where do I begin? The price? The quality? The lies? $30 for a one topping pizza is INSANE. the quality isn't worth $15 And wood fired? No. Clearly a gas pizza oven. It's visible from the front door and clearly has no wood in it. Which wood fired is in the name. I shan't return. You shouldn't even try it. read more

Went here while on vacation awesome spot, there was plenty of seating and the atmosphere was great for kids, only complaint I had was the pizza was a little thin for my preference, but that's my personal opinion. But flavor was great and service was attentive and nice. read more

Not much to say other than look at the pictures. I was served undercooked and moldy food. This is disgusting. From looking at the reviews, this doesn't appear to be a one time occurrence. Will never be ordering from here again. read more

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We loved Pizza Nova!! Food was great and the service better. Easy parking and fun folks. Great value. The previous review that sold us on 1st visit, complained about dogs being allowed in the house! We love dogs and took our 1 1/2 lb Yorkie puppy. But I digress. Go for the ambiance, service and food. Mac and cheese is AWSOME. They will add lobster and jalapeños on request. Lobster bisque was wonderful and pizzas are crispy and delicious. Take your puppies. read more

Stopped by on a whim - no regrets for a quick lunch. Grabbed their lunch special ($15 for salad and pasta, extra $7 to add the shrimp) but for $15 I felt like it was a solid portion of food. The salad was refreshing and the angel hair pasta was light and tasty. Service was great- friendly and fast! Restaurant was spacious and not too loud, but I also came at 1pm on a Monday. read more

Pizza Nova - Pasta and Salad Lunch Special - "The Best Salad" and "Tomato Basil Angel Hair" with shrimp added. And bread. - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

This place never disappoints! Everytime that we go there it's always a pleasant experience. The staff is super friendly and the food is ALWAYS AMAZING! I recommend the goat cheese, roasted garlic, pesto and balsamic onion appetizer. The best salad is truly the best. It has mixed greens, caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries, apples, and gorgonzola cheese tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette. The buttery garlic rolls they bring you are to die for. The salmon crostini is so good! Pizza wise there's lots to choose from but my go to is the goat cheese pizza. Fresh spinach, pancetta (Italian bacon), red onions and goat cheese. Yummy read more

Came for lunch with my daughter. The calamari was on the tough side. The chicken fettucine was okay. My daughter ordered a pepperoni pizza and was happy with it. Service was prompt and friendly. Waitress was on point with the refills. read more

Food was very poor quality and service is the worst. The waitstaff seemed indifferent to our needs, often ignoring our requests for assistance. When the meals finally arrived, they were either cold or overcooked, leaving much to be desired. To make matters worse, the restaurant was unclean, with dirty tables and floors that hadn't been attended to. Overall, it was an experience that left us feeling disappointed and unlikely to return. read more

Love the food, great ambiance and friendly staff. Their white pizza is by far one of our favorites and all the pasta is great

So disappointed. This has been my family's go-to place for a long time, despite being too expensive and the food being slightly above average. It's close to our house, we like the ambiance and it's not the Olde Spaghetti Factory. I've had it though. Last Saturday, after having a good first impression, our server flopped. We couldn't find him with a Geiger counter. Several tables arrived after us and we served before us. I had to get up to find him. Couldn't. Asked another server. Finally our soup came out. COLD ! He blamed the delay on the kitchen and said they didn't give him the right size. Whatever. Our food was right behind the soup, though he promised make sure the soup was out with plenty of time to finish. Bummer that a server can really make or break not only the experience of one evening, but one's overall perception of a restaurant. Anticipate paying too much for mediocre food and being ignored. I'm giving two stars instead of one to account for prior positive experiences. read more

Pizza Nova - Beer! - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I called this place 4 times in the last 30 days trying to get a party of 15 reserved for my son's college graduation party. You would think this place would want that type of business. I was told very rudely first by a gentlemen that they don't do reservations. Ok, was told to just risk it. So I waited. Then, my wife called and spoke to a female manager, who was ever more rude, saying that we won't even get in on Sunday at 2pm on 12/17/23. I even said I was willing to put a deposit down but was rudely rejected. Note that this was on 12/16, a day before our big event. I even spoke accidentally to other Pizza Nova managers at point loma and solano beach who said this was disgusting and should not have happened and would have happily accepted our group during this time. Due to the 17 mile distance, I politely declined. So, I took my business elsewhere and spent over a $1,000 down the road at Amalfi. We won't be coming back here even though it was our favorite pizza place in san marcos. I understand reservations aren't accepted but would of at least liked some effort to get us in the door even if it meant me coming early to try to snag a few tables. read more

we are regulars for there happy hour appetizers and recommend the garlic plate, (Surprise) the halibut dinner here is the best i've found too! Outside Food service is great, but I usually end up having to go inside to pay? read more

Good little pizza spot and the only one open til 9 because I didn't get off until 7:30 and don't like eating somewhere right when they're about to close. Pizza was good and perfect sizing options. The little garlic bread rolls were too good. Dangerous even. And the hot lava cake hit the spot. The house blonde ale was nice and easy to drink. Service was great. Not too slow and not too fast. read more

Pizza Nova - Hot lava cake missing a couple bites - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

I was a bit disappointed with the experience. I had loved Pizza Nova when it was located in Hillcrest. I also went to one, I believe in Shelter Island. Also good experience there. It was a hot afternoon when we went in the other day for a late lunch, so we sat inside. A few of the employees were talking to a couple at the bar that were customers, that they obviously knew, and were so loud, it got annoying. There weren't that many customers, so it's not like there's work they should have been doing, but they should at least have been a bit quieter. The service was also kind of slow. And I had to ask for garlic knots since we didn't get any (which I remember as always coming to the table before the food). The garlic knots also didn't taste like garlic, which was odd. My wife hated the pizza she got (a white spinach pizza, I believe). She said the onions weren't carmalized and just raw, and there were too many of them. I did like my Chinese chicken salad, as I always have at the various locations. It took a long time to get our check, and surprising they added a 4% sur-charge for "rising costs." I only know a few restaurants that do that. I just think restaurants should have menus show the actual prices. We'll probably return, as I do like that salad, and I'll have my wife try the Margarehitt pizza, as that was always good. read more

Service was exceptional and beer list was good. This pizza looks exquisite. The taste falls short of the presentation somehow, but still a pretty solid option. Nice thin crust. Generous toppings. Had the works/supreme configuration and it was just...good. Great texture but somehow kind of bland. No complaints but nothing to write home about. Same with wings and rolls. Rolls had a good flavor but were very dense and heavy for my taste. Wings were high quality meat but kind of squishy in the skins (I prefer crispier) and oversauced with what seemed like a very run of the mill standard buffalo. I think the utility here is really that they deliver to Wild Barrel on Mondays when there is no food truck and that makes for a great option. I otherwise wouldn't go out of my way for this but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it either. read more

Harvey our waiter was excellent! Very attentive fun and personable! We felt right at home! Had pizza delivery 3 days ago and just had to come in and enjoy the ambiance and try a different item and of course wine! We will definitely be back! We found our pizza joint! We are from Texas and this is just the perfect pizza place! read more

Pizza Nova - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

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The complimentary garlic rolls are great and whichever pizza you decide you indulge your taste buds in won't disappoint.

So my mom and I walk in and ask to be seated outside, the front desk man hands us two menu's and tells us to sit wherever. We walk outside and there are not many choices to sit that are closest to the outdoors. My mom and I try to find seating that would accommodate just two guests, but the tables weren't clean. The cleanest table would be the table that seats 8 (there wasn't that much traffic in the restaurant) so my mom and I sat there. Vanessa comes up to my mom and I and tells us that there are other seats open. We told her yes, we looked at them but they're dirty. She interrupts us and continues to tell us that they need to seat others when there's a larger party (there was another 8-seater table available outdoors too). I told her if she could have someone clean the tables, we love to sit there. She told us that the tables are already clean and started to point to them saying, "That ones clean! that ones clean!". My mom and I just looked at each-other like... should we stay here? (Mind you other guests are peering over because of how she handled things-and we were the only people of color around). I felt ostracized. I walk back into the lobby and ask another waiter what that girls name was (Vanessa). The manger notices and walks up and asks us to stay and feed us on the house. She asks what happened and was very noticeably concerned. As a young educated person of color, it meant the world to know our situation was noticed. My mom and I were very calm when leaving, so it took an amazing hawk-eye to see that we were unhappy. Adrienne took us to a table and served us personally. The food was amazing and other than that mishap with Vanessa, the customer service from Adrienne and Ali (I think her name was) was amazing. They both really helped change my mind about this place. The food was amazing. I can't tell you how great the food was! 10/10 everything ordered was great. Thank you so much for changing my mind. Long story short: 1. This place is open-minded and customer service oriented. 2. Order the goat pizza, best salad, and fettuccini Alfredo 3. Come before 3pm for the lunch special! read more

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Always a pleasure to have lunch or dinner! Love the garlic knots and the yummy best salad read more

Pizza Nova - Lobster Bisque Soup and champagne - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

Really delicious pizza options. I mean wow!! And they are the most dog friendly we've visited in awhile. We had a beautiful patio (evening) date and our pup got to get fresh air and her own menu. The service is also 10/10. Highly recommend! read more

Pizza is always great here. We don't even bother with a food delivery service as we don't want the hassle of food temp, time, and guesswork on what cash-tip will make the driver "happy enough" to accept the delivery request. With that, we always just make the trip over to the restaurant and do pick-up. Restaurant appears beautiful and bustling on most evenings. Looks like they've got a full bar too- although I cannot comment on their mixology talents, as we've never dined in. We look forward to doing so one day though. read more

The pizza here is bomb. I went here with my mom and we both got personal pizza & salad combos for lunch. I thought the personal pizza would be small but we could finish our pizzas. We ended up taking some togo. The salad portion was huge too. The free garlic knots were also good. Their pizzas have thin, crispy crusts and were so tasty. They also have other Italian items on the menu like lasanga. The server was very friendly and attentive. I would love to go back again if I am in the area. read more

Pizza Nova - Personal pizza - Italian Near Me - San Marcos, California

My family and I have been here twice in the last two months, both in large parties. We ordered way too much food and we wouldn't have had it any other way. Their pizzas are very tasty and their salads are fresh and delicious. We usually order the pepperoni pizza, the works, gorgonzola pear, and the BBQ chicken pizza. We sometimes change it up with other toppings but you really can't go wrong. Their Caesar and Greek salads are delicious. The Caesar is simple but the flavors are fresh and bold. The Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Linguine pasta is delicious as well. Pasta is fresh and the toasted pine nuts added a great texture. The service here is hit and miss. The first visit was great. Service was quick and friendly. The second time around, we had a gentleman that was in such a hurry, he was running around like a mad man. I get it, it's a busy night but spend some time with each table to at least get the order right before you leave. We were left with empty glasses of water and didn't get all of our drink orders. Had to ask several times. Parking is never an issue here since there are spots all around this strip mall. I usually park in the back of the restaurant because it's easier to exit the lot. I like their food here and wouldn't hesitate to come back. I've also taken pizza togo from here and I don't really recommend it. Pizza is better consumed at the restaurant while it's fresh. read more

The food is tasty and they give generous portions. I like the varied menu and Pizza Nova offers something for every palate. Although it is a pizza restaurant, I had the fish and chips while my gal pals had pasta. We shared some mac and cheese. It was creamy and delicious. The service is great! My friends and I were there on a busy Friday evening and staff was very attentive. I've been to Pizza Nova several times and I like to try something different each time. I haven't been disappointed! read more

Came here last night for dinner. SERVICE - Emma was our waiter and we loved her. She was very sweet and you could tell she was a genuine girl who really just wanted to help the customers with any and every request. Every time she came by and asked if we were okay or needed anything, I kept telling my husband how much of a sweetheart she was. FOOD Complimentary Garlic Rolls - They brought this out immediately as you sat down. I could probably eat the entire bowl by myself. The rolls were so soft and moist covered in butter and garlic. Yum! Gorgonzola Pear Pizza - I was not a fan of this one and was sad I ordered this over the bbq. It was not a terrible pizza if you like blue cheese but I am not a fan of it. The blue cheese was too overpowering for my liking. The crust was nice and chewy though. Italian Meat Pizza - The flavor on this pizza was better than the pear. It was a standard one. Hot Lava Cake - The cake was a bit dry despite the chocolate in the middle. The ice cream was tasty! Can't go wrong with Haagen Daaz. The pizza here was just okay. We have had better. The service was great and there was plenty of parking on the lot! read more

Someone needs to educate the chef on how to make a margherita pizza. Pizza came out with NO SAUCE, just dough, mozzarella and 3 Roma tomatoes on top and 2 shreds of basil. Where is the SAUCE? It was like eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Really bad and overpriced. Salad was excellent though. read more

Always great! Food is delicious and addictive... the Best salad and salmon crostini are my go to

Pizza Nova has several locations in this part of California but this is the first that I had been to. The San Marcos location has lots of seating and looks nice. They start you out with some garlic knots you can dip in marinara sauce. While they do offer all sorts of entrees I'm always going to go for pizza in a place like this. The pizza is the thin crust variety and was served to us fairly quickly. The pizza wasn't anything out of the ordinary but we enjoyed it. We had a picky child with us who decided that they didn't want to eat their kid's meal after they were given it. Pizza Nova didn't charge us for it even though there was nothing wrong with it, which was much appreciated! read more

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