Filippi's Pizza Grotto

Recommends

Mike Anthony

Joined 3 years ago

Best Italian I've had in San Diego. The food here is very good. It still doesn't compare to Chicago or New York though.

Recommends

Brii S.

Joined 2 years ago

Good food. Bad service.. The food is awesome for the price. It is very secluded. gives a very italian feel. The service was absolutely horrible. The people are very rude. The older lady (with salt & pepper hair in a ponytail) that took my payment threw my receipt at me and another coworker had to apologize for her senseless rudeness. The waiter was very short and when he came around to "check on us" he was very quick and walked away before we could say anything. So rude! but i would definitely go back and order. it'll just be to go.

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M Jean

Joined 2 years ago

My very first review!. Not the best, not the worst.... i personally prefer Italian Style pizza, thin crust, not a lot of sauce... Fillipis is actually pretty good. Gave it 3 starts because there seems to ALWAYS be a line out the door. LIke the Chianti bottle decor... good for families.

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Tough Critic

Joined 3 years ago

It is what it is.. Walking "Little Italy", and boy is it little, we stumbled onto Fillippi's and was drawn in by the charm. A deli/grocer upfront and a restaurant in the rear. We had no problem with a wait on a Friday at noon. Loved the fresh "small"(enough to feed four) side salad with homemade Italian dressing and lotsa vinegar peppers. A larger salad with meats is also available if you have a crowd dining with you. We ordered the Veggie pizza, and though it is not my favorie style, a little doughie and heavy on the cheese, the ingredients were fresh and of good quality.

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lajollarealtor

Joined 4 years ago

Best Pizza In San Diego. This is the place I take or send all out of town friends and clients that want Great Authentic Italian Pizza.

Order the Works Pizza and have it cooked well done. It comes out with crunchy crisp crust and the best toppings and pizza sauce you have ever eaten!

Make sure you get a Antipasti to share with your table.

Still hungry..no problem order a meatball its the size of a softball and really tasty!

Many locations but this is the best for Pizza maybe because the oven has been there for so long.

Enjoy! Gary

Recommends

ChrissyB

Joined 3 years ago

Will wait for this sause!. Love this place! Pizzas great and nice crowd.

Doesn't Recommend

diofjawouifdh

Joined 5 years ago

Not worth the wait. oijsdf.

Recommends

loreanw

Joined 4 years ago

Yummmmm!. Love this place. I have been coming to San Diego for 30 years and never miss an opportunity to eat at Filippi's. I love the atmosphere and the food.

Doesn't Recommend

sewo1015

Joined 4 years ago

Charm and Atmosphere Can Only Get You So Far. I had the pleasure of visiting San Diego this March for vacation and stumbled across-what many claim to be-the best Italian joint in Little Italy. Filippi's has enough quaint charm and "red checkered tablecloth" atmosphere to excite even the least persuaded...It's like walking into an Italian deli in the heart of NYC. The lines are often out the door for this joint, we were lucky to sit right down. Service was prompt and to the point. We decided to split a lasagna and cheese pizza, figuring this would be a sure winner. Boy, were we WRONG! The sausage and meatball lasagna was presented differently than we're accustomed to...The pasta and ricotta (no mozzarella!) were piled up in a boiled mess...one large meatball and one sausage sat on the side. Now this may be the "traditional" way...so I won't cast stones on that alone. I bit into the sausage...it tasted as though an entire jar of oregano had been dumped on stale hamburger meat...then formed into a hotdog. It was neither flavorful nor moist...it was a dry, lifeless piece of meat. The meatball was decent...again, much like the service it was to the point and less than spectacular...I liken it to something I would get out of an upscale TV dinner. The lack of mozzarella was disappointing...chunks of ricotta lined the lasagna pastry. It wasn't terrible by any stretch....it just wasn't exciting. Again, I think my good friend Chef Boyardee could have pulled off better.

The pizza came out as well. Loaded with cheese, a hint of oregano and almost no presence of sauce. Here we come to an opinion...while the pizza wasn't bad...again, it just didn't knock my socks off. The dough was pillowy yet undercooked...leaving a spongy wet mess under the cheese. It was most similar to a piece of wonder bread that had been chewed up then spat out. Ugh.

The bill came out to just under 40.00, which included a beer. Undoubtedly too expensive for the quality of food. I just don't get it...the BEST rated spot in Little Italy? Mama Mia! you Diegans need to head north to Ventura County...we'll put that pasta and pizza to shame!

To the future entrepreneur out there looking to make it big in Little Italy...here's a hint...Open a Pizza Hut...If they liked Filippi's, they'll go crazy for PASTA HUT!

-SEWO

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rhef

Joined 5 years ago

Pizza is soooo good!. This restaurant has been a favorite of mine since I first walked by it and was allured in by its wonderful aromas in 1983! Before 911, I would fly to San Diego from Phoenix just for the pizza and fly home the same day --- great "road trip". Unfortunately, the 911 security routine has made this too much of a hassle for a one day trip. But, I still travel to Filippi's several times/year --- the food is that good! Oh yeah, one more thing...to the reviewer that was turned-off because she was told to quiet her unruly kid --- I have two things to say: In more than 25 years, I have never observed any rudeness from any of the server's; the second thing I have to say is, Lady...be considerate of others and take your noisy kid out of the restaurant! Anyway, if you want very good, thick crust (very good crust!) pizza, you won't be disappointed!