Excellent service from waiter David. Food was excellent, Caesar salad,Lasagna & Pistachio Cream Cake. Lovely atmosphere.

I think Romano's has been permanently downgraded for me to a no wait restaurant or else I walk away. We showed up at 3, added our name to the waitlist and were second in line for a table. We then waited 45 minutes to get a table. Maybe a cook called in sick or something, there could have been a perfectly reasonable explanation, but seeing half the tables in the restaurant have empty tables whilst sitting outside was deflating. They still have great food and my go to is the pesto, which has super generous portions. But I think this might be my last time here as I will likely be checking out different restaurants in Julian next time I visit. read more

We went here for our super late anniversary dinner, This hidden gem did not disappoint. We enjoyed delicious Sicilian style food and the ambiance was wonderful. Super quaint! The service was excellent. Our waitress and Joe both waited on us and helped us make the best decisions. We were feeling a bit adventurous and ordered what they recommended. Joe also surprised us with a yummy dessert for our anniversary and delicious Moka coffee to boot. We will certainly be back! Thank you for helping us celebrate our anniversary dinner. UPDATE: Okay, we stopped by here for a second time for a quick early dinner (same week) and it was delightful once again. We sat on their quaint patio with our dogs this time. It was very peaceful. Could hear many different birds and the church bell. We received a huge surprise when some angel who blessed us with paying for our dinner. Wow, what a special surprise!!! We do not know who it was, but what sweet act of kindness. We will certainly be paying it forward. Thank you to whoever you are and may God bless you immensely!!! Thanks again Joe for a wonderful meal and visit as always! You're the best!! We stay here in Julian around 3 or so times a year for a good couple of weeks. We will surely be back again and again when visiting the lovely town. :) read more

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Shrimp and scallop pasta was incredible!Romantic ambiance, loved the stained glass chandeliers and glow of the candles. Service was fast and sincere. Rating 4/5 due to the Pasta Romano... It is the signature dish that is named after the restaurant itself. I would rate this dish 2/5. It is dreadfully rich, the sauce was as thick as sour cream, and it was not balanced with any heat, acid, etc. The cost to add a protein was excessive as well. read more

Romano's Restaurant - Garlic shrimp and scallops - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

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My favorite thing about Romano's is their Caesar Salad! Now THIS is exactly how I want my Caesar done! Such a rich and creamy anchovy dressing, yet not overly dressed. So delicious :9 I enjoyed the Spinach Tortellini with Florentine Sauce for my entire, as did my friend who ordered the same thing. It was a huge portion, so it also provided me a rather large breakfast the next morning. I think their Spumoni is home-made because it was very rich, filled with candied cherries and nuts. Almost tasted like it had liqueur in it. The dinner roles were soft and fresh. The service was friendly and attentive. And the atmosphere inside was quaint and comfy. My only suggestion would be to spiff up the outside seating. The day we went, Sunday evening, none of the outside tables looked cleaned. We were offered to sit out there, and typically I choose alfresco over inside, but it looked pretty messy with table clothes blown off, a big garbage bin in view with no trellis or plants to provide a divider, and nothing bussed or set. The outside area could be really charming, if given some care, like the inside. Otherwise, the experience was great. Whenever back in Julian, I look forward to going to Romano's again. The Caesar would be a must and I'd look forward to trying another dish. read more

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There are these little gems in San Diego. Romano's is a diamond!! Generally you go to Julian for Apple Pie but I actually hit up Romano's, especially when I want some legit Italian Food. The ambiance is truly something special, it's a quaint restaurant with plenty of room - but it feels like home. It's especially wonderful during the colder days, when you enter you are greeted with a warm fire in the furnace. Which let's be honest adds a certain romantic charm for those special occasions. The staff is always very friendly, I've had various experiences with larger parties along with just my wife and I. They are always very accommodating and just make it work, even during the busier months - when all the tourist hit up Julian for some snow. The food is stellar, something I look forward to whenever going. I generally stick to the Cheese Ravioli with the amazing Parmesan Cheese they use. They also have a solid wine selection, recently had a Chianti that was recommended. It was a solid choice and really complimented the meal. I highly recommend Romano's, it's one of those special places that make Julian truly special. read more

10/10. I think about the food I had here often. I want to make the 2hour drive all the time. It was amazing.

Took a little day trip to Julian with the hubby for a fun break, and after walking around town we worked up an appetite. Several locals recommended Romano's, so we decided to give it a try. I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan and my husband got the Torpedo Sandwich. Before the entrées came out, they served fresh bread, which was warm, soft, and really tasty. The portions here are huge, so definitely come hungry or be ready to take leftovers home. Both dishes were tasty and yummy. The restaurant has that cute, homey, mom-and-pop feel ..that fits perfectly with Julian's charm. The wait staff were friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. Overall, Romano's is worth a visit if you're in Julian and craving some hearty Italian comfort food. read more

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We're back in Julian again for our anniversary and we always come to Romano's. The first night, we had our usual pork chops. It was too cold to go anywhere our second night so we called in in order for a sausage, mushroom and olive pizza, Caesar salad, and a dinner salad. We ran down and picked it up and brought it back to our Airbnb. It was very good. Everyone is always so nice at Romanos. We've enjoyed supporting them over the last 30 years. read more

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A MUST TRY!!!! We did family style here with a group of 7! Joe helped us and was such a delight. Sat outside at night, not too cold. Honestly, everything we ate (5 different dishes) was absolutely to die for! Bread was so fresh and TO DIE FOR! Family owned restaurant that is 100% worth trying when in town! Cannot wait to come back again!!! read more

Romano's Restaurant - Desert - Mama made Tiramisu, fresh cannoli, pistachio cake!!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

Small place with really good food, great service, and a family ambiance. It feels like you're eating at someone's house, and kind of looks like it too :-) My wife and I both enjoyed our meals, price was reasonable for Julian, we would definitely recommend this place and eat here again next time we are in town. read more

Wow! We found ourselves in Julian and thanks to Yelp we found this restaurant and we actually went twice in one week! And we live 2 hours away. The food and service is that good! I got the eggplant parmigiana and it was phenomenal. Honestly if I lived closer I'd go every day lol. We were told there is usually a line but luckily we went on a Wednesday and Sunday and were sat right away. If you're looking for food Italian food and are close by (or don't mind driving) definitely recommend! read more

Romano's Restaurant - Such a great and cool spot for a nice dinner! - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

Split and was great portion! Nice service. Free bread, was decent. Music a bit weird. read more

Romano's Restaurant - Pesto - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

Hands down our favorite place to eat in Julian! Parking is in the streets where you can find it but there is a lot diagonally across the street next to the church. They have a QR code to add yourself to the waitlist inside just scan it. Worth the wait. In peak season it can be 30 minutes to an hour wait. Order the Cesar Salad! Great pizza, great lasagna great fettuccini. Pork chops in that garlic cream is heaven. The pesto is not our favorite ask for butter for your bread. The place is always warm with a fire inside. The servers seem a bit stressed they need training in just bring calm and smiley. But the food is so darn good! We are forever custoner read more

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Dinner last evening. Had a toasted torpedo sandwich. Bread was burned and bread was so hard that one couldn't bite through. Only 'innerds' was a slice of cheese and a slice of ham. Oh, some wilted lettuce also. And, was visiting this business as it was recommended by a friend. read more

LOVE this place! Stopped by for dinner during our stay in Julian. Joe was so amazing, sweet, and knew the menu so well :) definitely will be back next time we're in town !! read more

It has been over a decade since I've been to Julian. Hubby and I went this weekend, the drive up their is so beautiful. While most of the restaurants are over croweded in the main street, this little spot is located off the main street. Whatever the wait is for this spot, is well worth it. We hadn't had a good Italian dish in such a long time. Portions are pretty hefty too. We started with a salad that came with our pasta. This is no small side salad folks. It had mushrooms, artichoke, cheese, salami, pepperchini and other goodies. It was a full side salad. We then ordered the mussels as an appetizer which is like a whole mean for one person, we shared it but next time we agree to get our our , that is how delicious this plate was. This mussels dish was the best thing ever! Mussels came in a what seemed like olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon juice and parmesan. If you order this, same your table bread to dip into this delicous garlic, parm oil dip. Hubby even wanted to bring the leftover sauce lol. Romano's needs to turn this into a pasta dish too :) By the time our main pasta dish came, we where already stuffed. I had the Spinach Tortellini w/ Florentine sauce and he had the Lasagna al Forno, a pretty hefty size. So we basically just drove up there to eat at Romano's. So next time we visit, we will make sure to get extra dishes to go. We will be back, pretty soon. read more

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-Didn't feel like the hostess addressed our party for a while - Homey interior -Table was quite low in comparison to the seats -Homey like someone's house -Bread was just ok -Mussel appetizer was delicious! I liked the parmasean and lemon-y mix. Would have been down to order it again -Spinach tortellini- I liked this, but it was a bit salty and heavy. The heaviness is just the nature of the dish though -Margarita pizza- good, typical -Service- the two older ladies were so sweet. There were also two younger ones. One was nice, but the other one seemed a little stressed/ on edge -Overall, this was fine, but would rather try another place next time read more

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Romanos is comfort food for our family but the continual lack.of consistency is getting REALLY old. Pizza crusts usually burnt on one side. Half the time there is no tartar sauce for the calamari, occasionally missing mushrooms. Fifteen dollars for a handful of chopped romaine and a sprinkle of parmesan and a few croutons. This week's dinner salad had no artichoke hearts, no croutons, no olives and one raw mushroom. A hamburger slice of tomato. Don't crave pesto sauce because they may not have any. Last month the spinach tortellini had hardly any butter or cream sauce, just a handful of spinach stuck to the top. If you guys don't have ingredients available don't offer the menu items! read more

Came here on a Saturday evening with my partner and it was such a nice rustic cozy vibe. The service was great, our server started us with some bread and helped guide us to a wine we liked. My partner and I decided on the Sicilian Sauce with the side soup which they were both excellent. We paired it with their Zinfandel which was also phenomenal! Overall a really cute spot to check out if you're in Julian and craving some Italian food read more

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really incredible service, i wish i could remember our server's name so i could commend him specifically!! he was so kind, attentive and quick with helping us out, and he made sure we had a great time! as for the food itself, everything was phenomenal, especially for after a long roadtrip! we had two pizzas, two pastas, a salad and the mussels, which all tasted wonderful. trust me, you do not want to skip out on any items you're curious about here because they'll probably make it perfectly and it'll be so, so worth it!! the restaurant's ambiance is also very nice, it's super cozy and low lit at night which made for the perfect dinner vibe :) 10/10 would recommend!! hope to come here again if i'm ever in julian another time read more

Romano's Restaurant - margherita pizza - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

We visited ROMANOS in Julian and unfortunately had the worst service experience I've ever had. Our server was actually very kind and polite, but the owner was extremely rude. We were dining with our 2-year-old son, who was whining a little -- not screaming or having a meltdown, just being a toddler. We were actively trying to calm him down and make sure he wasn't disturbing anyone. Despite that, the owner came up to us in a very rude manner and basically told us that our son needed to stop because everyone could hear him. There were only about three occupied tables in the restaurant at the time, and the way he approached the situation was completely unnecessary and embarrassing. As parents, we understand being respectful in public places, but small children get fussy sometimes. A little kindness and understanding would have gone a long way. Sadly, because of the owner's behavior, we will not be returning. read more

The host was the rudest, most disrespectful person I've ever come across in a public setting. The food is okay but due to the host's service, I'll never return and would not recommend the restaurant to anyone. read more

No longer ordering from here. The previous order was poorly handled. This time we ordered a family dinner and paid waaaaay too much but worse the pizza was thin and burnt (forgot to put yeast in the dough?) and the eggplant parmigiana was the worst ive ever had and im from brooklyn. Bottom line just another formerly good eatery turing to garbage in the name of tourism. Good thing the people you are now catering to have no taste in food. read more

Amazing food and fantastic service! Very cozy and romantic. A wonderful way to end an eventful day in Julian. Complimentary bread rolls are served with olive oil and vinegar. You MUST try the creamy pesto, I got mine with cheese tortellini. read more

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Some people say it's not true, but to my opinion, the best country in the world is The USA. The best state in the US is California. The Best City in California is San Diego. The best tiny town in San Diego is Julian. The best best place to eat in Julian is Romanos (just surpassing The Miner's Diner). When I go in there, it's just like a family house, and the food is the same way. So is the service. The waiters treat you like family. DO NOT PASS BY! read more

We visited this place on a very busy weekend this winter in Julian, great costumer service, we were sit at the bar (we were o my 2 ppl) and the server was always taking care of us, food arrived very quick and the best part is that is was very very good! is a small family restaurant with authentic Italian Sicilian food! Totally recommend this place, and very clean also read more

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We stopped for lunch and we're happy we did! Roll for my sandwich was made this morning -- you could taste the freshness! I was able to custom order a chicken parm sandwich that was outstanding! I told Manager Joe to add it to the menu! Cannoli was fantastic also. We'll be back! read more

Romano's Restaurant - Torpedo sandwich. - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

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Excellent! Easily the best Margherita Pizza I have ever had! Great atmosphere, friendly staff and reasonable prices. An easy 5 Stars!!! Worth the trip!!! read more

Second time visiting. Saturday night dinner around 7 PM. Restaurant was full, but we were seated very quickly (party of two). Very cute ambience with tablecloths and candles. Ordered the Eggplant Parmesan and the Seafood Fettuccine (not sure the exact name) but it had shrimp. calamari and scallops. Absolutely delicious dishes. We opted for the dinner salad, which was a meal in itself. Just like an antipasto salad with salami, cheese, olives, peppers, artichokes etc, again great, bread and butter of course. Our server Alex was exceptional. She and her backup team were on us better than most fine dining restaurants. For dessert each ordered spumoni ice cream, best I've had to date. I couldn't be more pleased with this dinner experience. Wish we lived closer to experience more often. One last thing... the prices are very reasonable. read more

It has been quite some time since we have dined here, but my dad loves Italian food so we decided to bring him here for dinner while we were visiting him...well, really late lunch. The place can be busy, but we hit it right and didn't have to wait long for a table. The server was very nice as was the busser. It was pasta dishes all around...my dad went with the classic spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were the size of softballs. I went with the creamy pesto, my husband had the fettuccini Romano and my dad's wife had the pasta primavera. I heard no complaints and the portions were ample and we all took another meal home with us. read more

Romano's Restaurant - Creamy pesto - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

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The cozy Sicilian family style feel of the restaurant is very welcoming. We had been trying to go here for years. We were at first disappointed because and old review said there was a ribeye on the menu, but they don't have that anymore. We eat mostly low carb so we weren't sure what we would order. When we first arrived Ashley immediately gave us low carb options and they were perfect. The servings are large and the dinner salad was huge with cheese, salami, olives, mushrooms and sauteed peppers. Highly recommend visiting this vintage spot. read more

Romano's Restaurant - Breaded Pork chops with veggies with garlic gravy!! Sooo good! - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

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Normally I wouldn't leave a review but my boyfriend woke up sick with salmonella poisoning from the food last night. The pasta was bland and the chicken that we added in was sketchy. Thankfully I barely ate mine since I was full from the bread but not worth $97 for him to be throwing up and worse. Unfortunate because we were looking forward since it had decent reviews and we were celebrating our anniversary. read more

From the moment we walked in tonight, we were greeted with a bright smile, and feel very welcomed as if we belong here! And the food, we ordered the chicken Parmesan, with the anti pasta salad, and OMG! I hope you brought an appetite with you. The food here is incredibly delicious, that married with a great service, this is a no-brainer while you're in Jullien to come and make a visit here! read more

At first it was good but when my wife got her food there was a fly in it, waiter stated that it must of just landed on food, but it was obvious it was dead and had been cooked in the food read more

Romano's Restaurant - Chicken cacciatore - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California

We used to visit Romano's Restaurant every time we traveled to Julian, whether to dine in or order food to go, and we always had a great experience. During our last visit, we went there with friends and were very surprised and disappointed to find out they no longer accept to-go orders. On top of that, the staff was rude and obnoxious, which made the experience even more upsetting. After being loyal customers for years, this was not the kind of treatment we expected. read more

Terrible!! Dishonest people!! 2 of our guests ordered the Creamy Pesto pasta. Instead of telling us they ran out of rigatoni noodles they just made it with spaghetti noodles instead and brought that out to us. Never mentioned it which is BS because they would not have ordered it. It as too late on the night for them to make new meals. Secondly they claim to be a nice Italian restaurant. Pesto pasta should always be made with pine nuts which everyone expects, but they use a cheaper substitute with walnuts and my daughter is very allergic to them. We had to take her to the emergency room. The employees and owner were completely indifferent and said we should've told them she was allergic to walnuts. No one uses walnuts in pesto pasta except very cheap restaurants. That's all you need to know. Food is terrible!! Service is terrible!! read more

I can't remember enjoying a pizza more than this meat-lovers pizza. Services was casually slow, but extremely friendly ... thanks Ashley. Ambience felt a lot like Italy. read more

One of the best old school family restaurants still operating in Ramona like they have been for last 30 plus years only place I recommend you to go ciao read more

Food was delicious and the staff was amazing . We were surprised by how good the food was. There was a wait for the food, but it's because they are making it fresh. Plates come out hot ! The seating is a bit small but gives a cozy feel. Definitely coming back read more

Romano's Restaurant - Sandwiches Near Me - Julian, California