Very good Italian in Lakeside. Not everyone makes a good arrancini, and Ottavios is among the best I've had. Their portions are ample, the flavors are very good and the bar serves substantial cocktails with a lively atmosphere. Those who grew up in Lakeside in the 60-70's remember Sam's Pizza House with Sam, Mary and Anthony Manescalco. And you remember Mary's Antipasto Salad. Until now if I wanted a salad like that I had to make it. Check out Ottavio's. It looks like a hot mess but it eats like Mary's. That alone is worth a stop.

The service was excellent 👌 Very attentive and nice. When I asked if they had cherry Pepsi (which they dont) they were able to accommodate by putting cherry juice in the Pepsi, which was better than what I wanted. We order a sausage calzon, the bread was so buttery and flaky! Highly recommend ! The giant one was enough to feed 4 people ! And the pizza was delicious as well. Definitely would love to come back.

Besides the wonderful food, my favorite thing is how happy every employee is! Oh, and Meatball the cat is a treasure.

Drove 30 mins to try this place, and it was 100% worth it. Best garlic chicken pizza I've ever had. Delicious lasagna. Absolutely incredible house-made tiramisu. And SOMEHOW the best margarita I've had in San Diego??? Can't wait to go back. I use to drive 2 and half hours for a particular chicken bacon ranch pizza when I lived in norcal, and this pizza was even better than that one. I'm blown away. If the food wasn't enough, the dining room vibe was great, and the service was amazing. Drink orders were delivered instantly, recommendations were all on-point, and the cook time for the main dishes was surprisingly fast. Can't say enough good things about Ottavio's.

We came here for the seafood marinara, everything tasted fresh

This quaint little place will knock your socks off! The food is great! This place is much more than the food. The people are all very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is so nice. I even love the music too!

Portions are generous. They start you off with a delicious basket of focaccia. We had the linguine with white clam sauce and it was delicious. And we also ordered a deluxe pizza that was the best pizza I've had! David, our waiter was very attentive and courteous. The other wait staff was also helpful. All the servers worked as a cohesive team. Overall a great dining experience.

The bar is a nice spot to sit for dinner. I had the artichoke ravioli special which came with soup or salad. I chose the minestrone. I really like the gorgonzola cream sauce and large pieces of artichoke and mushrooms mixed in with the ravioli.

Hands down the best Italian food I’ve ever had!

We visited on a busy Friday night. Our food was excellent! At our table we had the Chicken Parmesan, Gnocchi, Lasagna, and the Artichoke ravioli... Everyone enjoyed their meal, and the service was attentive as well. They don't take reservations for less than 6 people, so you might have to wait on a weekend... It's well worth doing so in my opinion. Enjoy!

It is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Diego. Food is awesome. Service is great. I really enjoy the newly extended patio. I wish they allow pets on the Patio like Oggi's and other places. Very much recommend this place in east county.

One of the best Italian places I have tried in San Diego. I have no idea how I've lived in Lakeside over a year and haven't heard of this place until now. All the food was phenomenal, I definitely recommend the mussels they were soooo good. Jessica was our server and she was making sure we had a great experience the whole time. Food and service is top notch! We will be back soon for sure.

The food is pretty good. Not exceptional, but pretty decent. Think along the lines of olive garden. Service was good and I liked the outside patio.

You can tell the owners love good food. We are never disappointed with the options at Ottavio's! They have a perfectly curated menu that always seems to have something new and exciting to try out. Though they do a great job of keeping their classics around. Don't worry if you are someone who loves to always order the same thing. They will have it for you, no worries.

Good Italian comfort food, pizza, and calzones. Plates are large portions, great for lunch the next day or sharing with your favorite person. Place is always full so be sure to account for 15 to 30 minute wait until seating.

We were welcomed by a warm atmosphere and friendly host staff. Patience, our wait staff team member, was very friendly and extremely helpful. The food came out promptly and was plated nicely. The baked manicotti and gnocchi Toscana were amazing. 10/10 would recommend

I ordered from their website for delivery. The food was very good as usual. But it didn't only have one tip line. It had two. One for the driver and one for the kitchen staff. Nope. I definitely have tip exhaustion.

I’ve had the linguine and white clam sauce before and it’s some of the best I’ve ever had. Large fresh salad for one was excellent. The service is also very good. This time I got a pizza to go. It was very flavorful but like most places the toppings are lumped in the center leaving the outer edges lacking.

So enjoy dining here. Service is great, everyone is so friendly. Have tried many dishes, and they range from good to excellent. Have never had a bad meal. Loved the family style meals they used to have.

Excellent food, service & portions! Decent prices for the amount of food you get. The focaccia (sp.) is fresh from the oven! I've never left hungry nor without taking at LEAST half of my food home in a leftover container. The wait staff are attentive without hovering. Excellent experience all around.

Taylor was our server. He was on top of things and clearly on his game! Fantastic food, fresh, vibrant flavors and piping hot food. Never EVER have had a bad meal here at Ottavio's. The place is always packed, so what does that tell you? Thank you Lenny.

Not the same as I remember from many years back but that's because I found out it's the same family but a different member in the family. So like anything I'm sure the recipe may vary slightly but not 5hat far offal the food was still amazing as always. Glad to see this place still around after the 19 hit and destroyed so many businesses.

They advertise as the best Italian restaurant in Lakeside; I'd say they have a strong argument for best in San Diego. The sauces are phenomenal and the pastas are cooked to perfection. You could make a whole meal from the appetizers. Honestly, I don't think you could pick anything off the menu that didn't taste great. Portions are huge. The calzone are bigger than most people's head. We had enough leftovers for several meals. Service was stellar. It was attentive without being intrusive. Visited with a special needs adult and they were treated with respect and patience (which is sadly not the case at some restaurants). There is ample parking, but it fills up quickly. They are currently open only 4 hours or so on the days they operate. If anything, it keeps the quality high. On the downside, it concentrates patrons into that tiny window of availability. There were a lot of families eating here, a number of them with young children. Not a single one misbehaved--they were too busy enjoying their food. There is a covered patio for dining if you don't want to be seated inside. There is a bar and the television was tuned to sports. Loudness to be expected but not obnoxious. Cocktails were good and moderately priced. The atmosphere is casual. Good for family friendly dining. Also good for sharing appetizers with friends. Patio dining a little quieter and more intimate for a casual date night. Tables and chairs are wood, walls tastefully decorated with posters and photographs of family and famous people like Sophia Loren. This restaurant is clean and the bussers and staff are good about clearing empty plates or boxing your food so the table remains comfortable and uncrowded. Price is a good value here. The quality of the food is high and most of the food is made in-house (not frozen, boxed or jarred as is the case in chain restaurants). You can taste the difference. The portions are generous. You can join their free club for coupons and rewards. Online ordering for pickup and limited delivery area available. If you are having a party, they have a catering menu, but you need to plan ahead and give them enough notice.

My niece and fiancés sis picked this place for their high school graduation meal celebration. The food is so good. The minestrone soup is incredibly yummy. They serve dinner rolls and garlic dinner rolls both yummy but the garlic ones are addicting. Everyone enjoyed their meals, the pasta was excellent. Great place to get Italian food. The service is good too. Our large party was accommodated and we got to seat outside which was nice.

I Always enjoy Ottavio's Restaurant. The staff is welcoming Susan is a great hostess.Jessie is my favorite server. She has a great smile her service is an art. Being disabled so nice to have parking right at the front door, plus when you walk in theres a clean restroom. Food is tasty, prepared just right Hot. I usually start with a sangria. On these hot days try nicely air conditioned dinning . Try their lava cake for dessert. The hours of operation is a little difficult to work around. But a restaurant so divine as Ottavio's is worth the drive!!(Also good food and service is worth the wait) I know when I'm hungry its time for Ottavio's great food, excellent service. Prices are honest honest!!Comfortable relaxing environment. Rube in the hood

This is a gem in San Diego perf3ct place for famimy.dinner or a date , th3nfood hands down is the best I've tasted in San Diego , only down side, is the lack of parking , but not gonna nock that, this is an awsum.place

A little Italian gem in our east county of San Diego is my favorite Italian go to restaurant. Indoor dining or on the outdoor covered patio, both are great choices to enjoy your dinner. The interior has large framed black and white photos of past Italian movie stars, boxers and baseball players and sports memorabilia. A square shaped sit at counter for drinks or eating alone facing the bar. Best wood fired pizza here and when I'm short on money their spaghetti with meat sauce with fresh in house baked bread for $10.99 is a real winner but I love their authentic lasagna. If you like Italian you'll love Ottavio's