filippi's pizza grotto little italy

a must go to!. i love this place. there are many other restaurants in little italy. however, this is by far the best. consistently very good food, large portions, and fair prices. looks/feels like you are in new york, chicago, or boston. as there is a market/deli in the front, and the restaurant is in the back. red and white checkered tablecloths, chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, open kitchen. i have had almost everything on the menu, and have never been disappointed. i am a big eater, and rarely can finish my plate. which is fine as i know i will have a tasty midnight snack, or tomorrows lunch. the front deli has yummy italian cookies, and fresh/handmade cannolis. this place is family friendly. a great place to bring a date, especially a first date, as it's not expensive, but very nice. i often go there by myself. no problem. you can bring your kids here, your grandma. you know it's good , as there is always alineto be seated. if you are looking for fancy, upscale italian food, then this place is not or you. but if you want authentic, like mama made italian food, then this is the place to go.

phippis italian restaurant. the color and flavor of delicatessens in new york or chicago. the immigrants that created a wonderful earthy and authentic place to eat unbelievable portions of great italian food. always alinebut people in thelineoutside are mostly of the italian community and if the locals go there to eat, thats where i go..

great place, has that "old italy kind of vibe". usually you have to wait inlineto get into restaurant. as you stand in line, you make your way through the little italian grocery store. the pizza is decent, but the antipasto salad, spaghetti, and the garlic cheese bread are so delicious! if you are in little italy while in san diego, you gotta check out filippi's!

i went to filippi's in little italy and i had to wait inlineto get in but my hotel recommended it so i decided to give it a try and i was so glad that i did. i got the pizza which was wonderful. it has thick crust with lots of cheese and toppings. it was great! i was by myself and they didn't have individual slices so i ended up with a whole pizza but it gave me dinners for the rest of my trip so it all worked out.

we came here for our 3 month anniversary and picked this place because of its zomato rating. we waited about 45 minutes inlinebut it's totally worth it! they have amazing lasagna, and ravioli and the garlic bread is to die for!

this is the most interesting of the chain of filippi's pizza grotto. little italy is a great neighborhood but many of the restaurants are pricey and/or fancy. this is a casual family style affordable restaurant. when you walk in its like an old italian market. they sell lots of italian food there. you wait inlineto be seated so depending on the night its quick or slow... the decor is old with brick and murals and old wine bottles hanging from the ceiling. the food is good and filling. the pizza isn't that big but its so cheesy and thick you will be full. the pasta dishes are good. the service is ok. they always say they have one size, medium (which is funny because that would be between large and small ?) this is a great spot for families.

how many times did i pick up a pizza and six pack of amstel from this place…on so many occasions…i can still smell the pungent aroma of dried, salted cod hanging from the ceiling, as you walk through the italian grocery portion of the restaurant, past the ever-presentlineof people waiting for tables, to the podium in the back where you tell them your name, you get your pizza, and walk smugly past thelineagain, gloating, because you can just walk out the door, down the street, to your house, to eat your pizza, and drink your beer. the lines would typically be out the door and halfway down the block many days of the week. its totally worth it though, because the pizza is killer. the crust was thick and chewy, the toppings generous, and the cheese was loaded on top in an unorthodox fashion.

big hype. do not waste your time standing online for a big disappointing experience unless you have no taste buds at all and don’t care what you eat or how long you have to wait for it. this place is only for tourists who know nothing about italian food.

i brought out-of-towners who had heard about the place and asked to go. we got there in the early afternoon (3:30) to beat the lines. we were seated in 5 minutes. after our order was taken we waited over 1⁄2 an hour for our food, which did not come all at once, and 4 tries to get the salad right. the chicken parm was over cooked and burned. the cheese ravioli tasted like it came out of a frozen box and reheated. not sure what the mystery meat was in the meat ravioli. the veal parm was over breaded, over cooked, and not sliced off the veal properly.

instead of a normal side, like spaghetti or a pasta dish, they actually give you a second dinner portion either lasagna or ravioli. the dish is piled high with too much food and they are standing by with the go-dishes and bags when you finish.

i am sorry, but quantity will never trump quality in my book.

in the heart of san diego’s little italy, when we left thelinewas around the block, but many of the fine restaurants on the block were almost empty. ???

p.t. barnum had it right.

p.s. we took other out-of-towners there by request about 8 years ago. there is absolute no difference.

worth at least one visit, but maybe not more. we walked up and down little italy as the typical hungry tourist on a saturday night. we checked menus and prices, inquired about wait times, and given our clothing (shorts and sandals straight from the beach), our options were limited to a handful of restaurants. given the extraordinary number of "likes" and reviews here, i knew we had to try this legendary place.

the wait was only about 15 minutes on a very busy evening so that wasn't that bad (plus, i always feel good about my choice of restaurants when i have to wait in line!). but it is very strange and even somewhat frustrating to wait inlinein a deli with tall racks of smelly foods when you are undoubtedly hungry in anticipation for a good meal.

we tried the lasagna based on the glowing reviews here and we were somewhat disappointed. as you can see in my picture i uploaded here, the "meatball" is a mega meatball and somewhat inedible unless you break it off in smaller pieces and dunk it in the bounteous marinara sauce that covers the lasagna. the lasagna is nothing worth writing home about except that it is an enormous portion that could feed a small family. there was so much sauce covering the plate that it even spilled off the edges.

my wife wasn't very hungry so she thought she would try a small antipasta salad. there was nothing "small" about her portions as well. the plate was piled so high that she had to use a second smaller plate to empty off small portions that she could manage.

the garlic bread was ok, but was also very large.

don't get me wrong... i appreciate large portions, and the actual taste was generally pretty good, but i would rather smaller portions with more exceptional tastes. even the root beer i ordered tasted watered down.

i suppose i should just accept the fact that the meal was relatively low priced so i shouldn't get a 5-star meal, but i expected more from such a highly acclaimed restaurant.

our waitress was a sweet girl that helped us with a smile, but that didn't help the dining experience. the cliche red-white checkered table coverings are cheap plastic. the lighting is too dim. the bottles hanging from the dark ceiling make it feel like a dark tavern. and we happened to be seated right in the main pathway where all the servers and table bussers ran back and forth. they even dumped food in buckets (literally a large bucket) just a few feet from our table. i understand they need to clean the tables and put the leftover food and dirty dishes somewhere, but in plain sight of customers trying to enjoy their meal?

overall i would probably return if somebody wanted a cheap italian meal, but with so many options up and down little italy, i would like to try others before returning.

i remember loving the pizza here back in the 80's. when my husband & i arrived this afternoon (2:45pm) we waited inlinefor about 15 minutes, tempted by the yummy smells before getting seated in a nice spot. pizza looked like i remembered it but hubby was in the mood for lasagna. portions are substantial, flavor lacked depth. in other words, it was good basic italian food at a fair price. 3 out of 5 stars. service was on the ball and came with a smile.

longlinebut worth the wait. yes, the first time i went, i thought why am i waiting inlinefor pizza! once i got it i was hooked! that was five years ago, everytime i am in sd i have to go to li to get into the grotto, you should do the same!

worth the wait. there is always alinewhich is a good sign. i will always wait inlinebecause it is worth the wait

pizza and a deli!. we all know filippi's makes good homemade italian food, and we all know that sometimes thelinecan get out the door. so lets not forget about the deli in front!

this is the perfect place to pick up all the good accoutrement's for your own italian meal at home. pasta shipped from italy may not taste much different but it lends itself to a more authentic and fun time at home. order up some fresh sliced pepperoni, grated mozzarella, and your on your way to a great homemade pizza! the deli really has anything you may want to buy for your italian night at home. from plenty 'o' olives, to pesto and pre-packaged pasta. they have any cheese to suit any fancy for any reason, and if you could even buy yourself some italian soda to swig while you saunter home smiling from your savory sale!

if your ever in little italy and don't wanna wait inlinelike a bunch of cows waiting to be fed, just pick up a few things here and make your way home. just don't forget the wine....

it's basic chef boyardee quality food, limited menu, nothing special about it. probably good for huge parties, little kids, and people who eat their lunch at mcdonalds. it is incredible to me that people would actually stand inlineto eat there. completely inexplicable.