We love Roger's. It's a smaller restaurant in a smaller plaza, but don't underestimate!…read moreEverything is always prepared fresh and everything we've ordered has been delicious. In fairness, that's not much because we love the Stromboli, pasta, and Philly cheesesteak so much that we order the same thing every time! Speaking of Stromboli, you can find calzone anywhere, but Roger's is the only place in East County that we've been able to find and it's excellent! Did I mention that the staff are just about as nice as can be? Because they are. Go.

Really good pizza!! Service is great and the restaurant is nice! Definitely will come back and eat…read moreagain! The meat sauce lasagna was incredible and very cheesy!!! Loved it

A secret of east El Cajon, or just south of the 8 in essentially Lakeside, not far from Santee--we…read morestopped for dinner after picking up supplies at a neighboring store. They are still sticking to the original recipes and I appreciate the dough of our Italian Sausage & Mushroom pizza. We also shared a Caesar salad. I like that they have a room for private events - they had the Padres game on in that room. Our server would pass by a few times so that we could ask her for anything additional. We skipped dessert this time. Our pizza was better the second day! The way they prepare mushrooms was the way my hometown pizza place did. And the CHEESE! So delicious and melt-y!!!! Enjoy it

Went in to purchase cannoli shells Staff was very helpful…read morebut I thought the shells were overpriced Lesson Learned I ordered the house torpedo to-go and the whole sandwich was PERFECT

I would like to give Dolci Cafe Italiano a huge shout out and a stellar review!…read more AMAZING FOOD, SERVICE, AMBIANCE AND ATTENTIVENESS! We have found ourselves very irritable at lunchtime in our office because we have been ordering the same old lunches for years...one of us for 24 years! We sent one of the owners of the company I work for out on a mission to find new lunch spots. This is how we found Dolci! We ordered 6 different items to share so that we could try several items. Grande Lasagna Bolognese, Americana Pizza, Italian Fest Panini, Fettuccine Cartoccio, Dolci Chicken Mac & Cheese and Penne Michealangelo. Every single item was so delicious. The flavors were rich and the portions were generous! It gave the feeling of FINALLY being satisfied with lunch which we have not had in a very long time! We all agreed we needed a nap after lunch because we stuffed ourselves in the most gluttonous manner! The only problem is that we were so stuffed no one wanted to get back to work! We are very pleased with the quality of ingredients, the order being ready on time and even after driving 15-20 minutes back to the office the food was still hot! Thank you Dolci! We look forward to ordering again with you in the very near future!

Amazing food. If you're looking for good Italian grub and…read morelive local to the area, you should check it out. Service. Meh....I've had better. The server had the 'specials' memorized to a T, but didn't offer us bread upon arrival and just wasn't overall to attentive. She wasn't mean...just inattentive.

been going there for years and years absolutely love the…read moreservice and food i would drive miles for the best quality of food.

We ventured to the other side of El Cajon tonight to try out the early bird special and 1/2 price…read moreappetizers. Opening the door we were greeted with the old school charm of a restaurant that has been around for over 50 years. Our server was delightful and very fast. In fact the entire staff had a warm energetic family feel. And, happily we beat the rush giving us the ability to hear each other and take our time enjoying the meal. Dad and I started with the chicken tortellini soup which was a little too salty for us. Tortellini was slightly overcooked making it flowery and missing meat or cheese. Mom's house salad was ok. She did comment on being disappointed in the oil served with it. Our appetizer was shrimp scampi. This was good, full of flavor. Shrimp was slightly overcooked giving it a semi rubbery edge. On to the entrees. They were huge! I had lasagna. I think when you see it delivered in a sea of sauce you need to be a bit wary. The sauce was spicy, as it should be. Noodles were thick and prominent . Sadly that left little to no room for my favorite part - cheese and meat which were limited. Dad gave the manicotti a try which was ok. Mom had eggplant parmesan, one of her favs. Her sauce was a little bit tart. Eggplant was a nice moist and tender slice with just the right amount of cheese. She loved how the strands of spaghetti wrapped around her fork so she could dip it into the sauce without a spoon. Yup, she really liked the Pasta. Overall she felt it was a nice Italian meal. Very popular spot as it filled up before 6pm and a party of 30 was expected! You can see it's a neighborhood

Tried Ottavio's in Lakeside for the first time last night, and overall, it was a really great…read moreexperience. 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.

Early Valentine's Day! Had the early bird special and then a…read morefun 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!!

My daughter graduated from ECVHS and chose TPI for her graduation dinner. I attempted to make…read morereservations earlier in the week, not realizing the restaurant closes early. Tonya assured me not to worry about the timing and went above and beyond to accommodate us. Needless to say, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her graduation dinner. I truly appreciate the dedication, flexibility, and commitment Tonya and her staff showed to make her special day memorable. Thank you for the excellent service and hospitality!

We just had another amazing meal at Testo Pepesto, and somehow it feels like they've gotten even…read morebetter than before. This place has always been a favorite of ours, but tonight everything was especially on point. The atmosphere is old school, warm, and classic, with that true Italian ambience that makes you want to stay awhile. My family and I love coming here and we always end up ordering a little bit of everything: pasta, pizza, and of course the lasagna. And as an added bonus, Mondays they do half off lasagna, which is honestly a steal because it's worth every dollar at full price. Consistently great food, great vibes, and always a spot we're happy to come back to. Highly recommend!

Karen and Alessandra treated us so well and made sure me and all my friends were well taken care…read moreof. The food was amazing and the ambiance is beautiful!

I literally cannot recommend this place more! We had the absolute best time ever for my friends…read morebirthday! The staff was so sweet and attentive throughout the entire experience, specifically Alessandra and Karen. They gave us the coolest free dessert experience for my friend where they literally hand made the tiramisu in front of us! The food was also so so good, the pasta was so fresh and the sauce was amazing! If you are craving delicious Italian food, come here!!

Delicious.... Friendly service…read more.. Best pizza in town.... Great for the whole family too meet up and have have a great meal

We have been coming here for years and we always have had great food with great service. As you…read morewalk in you are always warmly welcomed by everyone like family. From the cashier, the servers and cooks, they always stop for a second to say "hi". As you leave, they all make sure to say "thank you" and "have a great day". Also the decor that's stayed the same over the years gives you some comfort. It's like walking into your Nonna's dining room. Seriously, the red and white checkered tablecloths and the empty Chianti bottles hanging on the wooden rafters feels like a warm hugs. The first time we gave this location a try was for my daughter's 5th grade "promotion" to middle school. There were 12 of us and we had a blasts. The kids fell in love with their bread and our sweet waiter kept them coming. We recently dined in just the two of us and had the same experience. The servers are all so polite. Even changed the channel for us so we could watch the Padres game. Food is always good. We ummm ordered hungry and had pizza, Antipasto salad, lasagna, ravioli and meatball.