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Borrelli's
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza
285 N El Camino RealSte 106
(between Crest Dr & Encinitas Blvd)
Encinitas, CA 92024
Neighborhood: Encinitas
(760) 436-1501
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 9:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
58 reviews for Borrelli's
Review Highlights
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"It is still the best Italian restaurant in the area." In 23 reviews -
"Gluten free options were appreciated by my wife." In 4 reviews -
"The garlic bread is crazy good." In 8 reviews
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58 reviews in English
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Review from Iyana M.
Coronado, CA
4/21/2012
YES!!!!
Finally found a traditional pizza place with great service reasonable prices & excellent staff. -
Review from Samantha R.
San Diego, CA
1/9/2012
YUMMY Borrelli's! A Carlsbad/Encinitas locals' favorite Italian food and at such cheap prices too! They always have coupons and the service is always great. In this day and age, where can you get a glass of wine for 4 dollars? Only here!!
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Southern California and walking in it always feels like home!
Borrelli's devotee since 2000! 12 years and counting.... -
Review from Waiel A.
Carlsbad, CA
5/19/2012
The BEST eggplant parm sandwich anywhere! So good!!! If you like eggplant parm you will definitely want to order this for in house dining or pick up! Great other Italian fare too with good portions and reasonable prices
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Review from Lindsay S.
San Marcos, CA
4/17/2012
Odd location, cheesy old school Italian decor but food and service was pretty good for what it is.
Came here the Friday night before Easter with the hubs. It was very busy but only had to wait 15 min. or so.
Had a http://restaurant.com coupon and had to spend $35 so the hubs ordered a large pizza and I ordered manicotti.
I didn't love the manicotti- I wasn't impressed with the filling or the sauce but the pizza was very good and very filling. We had enough leftovers for lunch the next day and then some! For the price, it's pretty tasty- at least the pizza! -
Review from Ally W.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
4/26/2012
i love this restaurant. It has an awesome early bird . I hate to admit I attend early bird but I do. The sauce is fabulous . Staff is the best. So friendly. Best seating is in the booths in the back
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Review from Lisa S.
Encinitas, CA
4/1/2012
This is such a great undiscovered Italian restaurant! Their tomato sauce reminds me of my Italian grandpa's sauce, and it takes me back to my childhood. Their lasagna is piled high with lots of flavor, and you can tell it's all made from scratch. This is one of my favorite places to go eat real Italian food. The only improvement could be on the interior, as it's a bit dated. Other than that, I love this place!
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Review from Joe D.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
3/10/2012
Overall, very satisfied with our experience today for lunch. Family of 5, kids are young (5,3,1) and we sat in a booth big enough for a couple more people, dim lighting with the old school italian feel. "North County" and "White Pizza" were outstanding! A little greasy, but when there is as much cheese as they use it is to be expected. Super filling pizza and full of flavor. Texture of the crust was wonderful and unique. Service was friendly and casual and we'll definitely be back. Be sure to bring an appetite when you visit!
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Review from Julie C.
Oceanside, CA
10/25/2011
Its in an odd area for a restaurant but it was surprisingly good, the decor needs some work. We had the following:
On a scale of 1-10...
Cheese Ravioli... 8 tasted great!
Spaghetti............6
Marinara......8
Pizza.........9 Crust was excellent, however, the tomatoes were layed on top sliced thick and were ice cold, not cooked. we just took them off and the rest of the pizza was great! I would go there again just for the pizza. -
Review from Robert H.
Oceanside, CA
4/2/2011 3 photos
Man is an unnatural animal, always falling prey to curiosity and it got the best of me at Borrelli's. There are some things that once you hear about them, you have to give it a try. No, I am not talking about spring break but referring to these two special words: Lettuce Pizza.
I gave it a shot and the pizza wasn't half bad but I was saved by the fact that there were two standard pizzas nearby to snack on after I got tired of the greens. I suppose a salad and pizza should never be mixed and I am more of a meat pizza person anyway.
The service here was OK, the staff was very friendly and the prices were decent. I give them an A for creativity but the atmosphere was very "Round Table Pizza". -
Review from Maria C.
1/10/2011
I was invited over for a bday dinner and they ordered Italian. If you know me well, you'll know my thoughts and feelings about Italian food...
They ordered a to-go order, so this review is based on the food I tried.
-Pepperoni Pizza: Pretty descent size. I would like to try this fresh from the oven, however.
-Minestrone Soup: A little too bland for my palate. While I appreciate the thick chunks of veggies, I would have preferred the minestrone with pasta.
-Chicken Fet Alfredo: Creamy. Not bad. Had thick pieces of chicken pieces (not strips).
-Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: The sauce was good. Again would like to try this when it's fresh. In the to-go order, there wasn't much sauce mixed in and I like A LOT of sauce on my pasta.
-Garlic Bread: Plain. Could use some herbs ???
All in all, not bad. Borrelli's has been in the area for years and popular with the locals. I haven't experienced the restaurant, but hope to one day for an updated review. -
Review from Chris M.
Encinitas, CA
1/26/2011
When I think of Borrellis the first thing that comes to mind is "value". This place is not a fine dinning establishment but a down to earth restaurant with many good Italian dishes to choose from that are reasonable. The Tues night $7.50 spaghetti special is really great. It is enough for two meals and the spaghetti is not bad. I had the linguine in clams and that was pretty good at $12.95 for a meal.
The decor appears to not of been updated since the late 1980's but that is ok because the place has value. An update would probably result in higher prices. Also, for the person who said the food is like something for the 1970's. That is ok.. because it is good. I grew up with broiled french bread and it rocks. -
Review from Melinda D.
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
10/29/2011
Perfect for those wanting a hunk of Italian food with red sauce. You might have a wait early evenings. nothing spectacular, nothing awful. The garlic bread is crazy good.
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Review from Cezanne R.
Encinitas, CA
11/22/2011
Food is great but EVERY time we order to go, they get the order wrong.
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Review from Ricky S.
Encinitas, CA
11/8/2010
Borrelli's serves cheap Italian food at a mid-point price range. I would not recommend the pasta dishes, because I frankly don't think they're worth the money they charge. Also, the 'charge for substitution' policy is obnoxious.
Decor? Well, that's not a strong point either. Paper napkins, plastic chairs, and dog-eared laminated menus didn't go a long way to impress my party on a recent weekend evening.
So why the 3 stars?? Well- for one, the pizza isn't bad. Also, the calzone was well-priced and filling (although it very much needed an extra side of tomato sauce!) and their carafe of house wine for less than $10 tends to take the edge off of a lot of hassles for me.
Also, the restaurant is very accommodating when it comes to children (a free pack of crayons, something to color, plenty of high chairs, etc.) so that's a big plus.
Would I recommend this as a place to go for a romantic date night? No. Go to one of the Italian places down on Coast Hwy instead (and pay a little more); but for a decent pizza dinner for a family in a restaurant, with friendly service and some cheap wine- this place fits the bill as well as any in town. -
Review from Michael P.
San Marcos, CA
11/19/2011
We went here for years, but the staff is really rude and even downright mean. Goodbye forever Borelli's
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Review from Eric D.
Encinitas, CA
6/19/2010
We ordered 2 gluten-free pizzas, happy we didn't have to make them ourselves for a change. When we got back to the house and opened the box, there was no sauce and only a few shreds of cheese... basically just flat bread and vegetables.
I called and asked about it, and the Owner got on the line and said "I'm right here. If you're going to talk sh*t, come on down and do it to my face." So, despite my assurances that I was on my way, we scraped the pies clean and made our own pizzas on their crusts. A $20 refund is not worth getting in a fight with the dude that runs that place. It was trully surreal.
Maybe after Mr Borrelli gets out of anger-mngmnt class, he can take a cooking class too. -
Review from S. R.
Carlsbad, CA
Updated - 3/11/2011
Oh and the food. I love the food. What I don't like is the 'All you can Eat spahgetti crowd", and KIDS eat free on Mondays and Tuesdays. Lunch crowd is typically seniors on a fixed budget,,,they have lunch specials, which are full size I believe with soup or salad and bread.
I do love their sauce even if it is orange and their pizza is the best. I love their pizza. Best I have had excepting Felippis.
They need a TV or some TV's and some nice oevrehead music.
I find that I am SOOO ready to bust out of there after eating and that is sad.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/6/2010
I recently met the owner at another establishement. He was cocky and rude. Changes my outlook on his… Read more »
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Review from Jay D.
Updated - 8/9/2008
"Let's get some Italian."
It's never packed, but it is busy. Apparently, there is a steady diet of regulars here for as long as I can remember. Since I had to pay a debt to Kaori, I took her here for a quick bite to eat.
If you want minestrone as an appetizer - go ahead - but get the salad anyway - it's a huge dinner sized portion. Big plate over small cup/bowl anyday. hahahah
All things equal, minestrone was good, but nothing sexy.
Despite having two full pages of pizza, we ordered some entrees. Maybe we were just hungry, but seriously, I really enjoyed - REALLY - enjoyed my Chicken parmigiana (readed chicken breast or veal baked with tomato sauce & mozzarella cheese. served with a side of pasta & vegetables) and some of her Penne Carbonara ( served with mushrooms, pancetta, green peas, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes in a cream sauce). While you can't beat a good breaded chicken and pasta, the penne carbonara's sun dried tomatoes were excellent and definitely not tooo dessicated.
I really need to come here more often. Seriously, where I have been?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2008
I'm not averse to this place. I'd like to come here more but it seems to get lost in all of the… Read more »
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Review from Craig W.
7/12/2008
I'm not sure why it is, but this place gets packed. Maybe it's the coupons they sprinkle liberally throughout the community.
The pizza is an honest, straightforward pie. It was bigger and better than I expected--not better than the heavy hitters in San Diego (that is, North Park) but better than some of the snootier psuedo-gourmet pizzas in the area (yeah, I'm talking about you, Leucadia Pizzeria, you overhyped, hasbeen, beeyatch).
Borrelli's is a no-frills family restaurant but probably best for pizza take out, as the mobs seen here can testify. -
Review from Liam P.
Encinitas, CA
Updated - 3/21/2011
The wings are still good but i feel that they may have gone down in quality. On numerous occasions they have been a little soggy, although the wing sauce is still excellent. A few extra minutes in the fryer could greatly enhance the wings.
Despite my gripes, they are still some of the best wings in town and their numerous pasta deals are great as well. -
Review from Jeff C.
11/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
Got a couple of pizzas to-go here on a Saturday night, they were busy but still got my pizzas out to me pretty quick. The people working were friendly, and helpful.
As far as the quality of the pizza's I thought they were above average, not great...but above average, in addition they were surprisingly filling and heavy. We bought two larges for five people but only ate one. The prices I thought were high and this is the main reason I am not giving 4 stars. Each pizza was $20 for a large.
One complaint I do have is that the "white pizza" is listed on the menu for $17 but I was charged $20...nothing more annoying then getting home and seeing you overpaid on your receipt.
All in all not bad. There are so many pizza places left to explore so I don't see myself going back anytime soon but instead trying new places until I find that gem. -
Review from Lj D.
Encinitas, CA
2/7/2012
it was my first time in encinitas and my friends took me to Borrelli's... food was superb and the staff were extra friendly too... i should be coming back soon...
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Review from Angel Q.
Huntington Beach, CA
Updated - 6/15/2009
2nd time i was here and my idea of this place went from an average to a true BOO.
the lady at the front told us the wait could be 15 or 20 minutes, because the large party could be leaving soon. of course, people love to chat with friends so they took more like 30 minutes. Thats fine, they restaurant people have no control over that.
when we got seated, we waited 30 whole minutes before the food got there. We were only served with drinks and no bread until the food got here. we were starving while waiting and the waitress was no where in sight. by that time, there wasn't many people in the restaurant and i don't see why they are "too busy" to come serve us. so finally the food came and i didn't have high expectations of the food like some other first timers. One of my friend whisphered to me and said the lasangna tasted like eating a piece of brick because it was so dry. yeah... we weren't that impressed with the food. of course my bill came out to be more expensive than what i was comfortable with.
i honestly dont understand why this place is even crowded for average pricey food! why?!??! are you crazy!??!? i guess some people just like throwing their money away. just like i said before, this place is for old people and not young people. If you are looking for a hip pasta place to eat, don't eat here. Go to olive garden or bucca di pebbo or something. anywhere but here.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2008
it was hard to find the place, so we called them to ask for directions. they told us is between 2… Read more »
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Review from Tiffany F.
Encinitas, CA
5/2/2009
Talk about 'underwhelmed.' After seeing some rave reviews about Borrelli's on the Encinitas Facebook page, my husband and I took a chance on it ... and I can't say we'll even bother to give this one a second chance.
From the moment we walked in we were disappointed. The hostess didn't bother to make eye contact with us -- she just grabbed some menus and turned around (I wasn't even sure if we should be following her). She led us through the dining room to the back, and on the way to our table I noticed how filthy the carpets were -- stained, littered with garbage, seriously beyond the pale. Makes you wonder about the kitchen, you know? The decor was straight out of a convalescent home -- lots of fake ivy and emerald green. I noticed there were huge stacks of paper napkins in the dining room, which seemed a little (for lack of a less snobbish word) gauche.
I was hoping that this lack of emphasis on the decor was a sign that all the focus would be on the eats. Not so. There were no artichokes to be had in the Spinach and Artichoke dip, which came out of the oven still bubbling (one nice touch) but was just mediocre. We ordered the Club-style pizza because it sounded unique -- it had bacon, chicken, avocado, tomato and lettuce -- but the bacon overwhelmed the pizza and made it way too salty and bland. Plus, cooked avocado just never tastes right (I should have remembered that). We skipped dessert for obvious reasons, but I did have a glass of the house chianti, which was yeasty and too warm.
As for the service, well ... We overheard a waitress say that the restaurant had gotten busy late in the evening (we arrived at 8:30 p.m.) and that's why the food was taking a while. Come on ... it's a Friday night. Plan ahead. We waited at least 30 minutes for our pizza. I can make a pizza at home faster than that. Although our waitress was friendly, she disappeared after serving our appetizer, never to be seen or heard from again. The other waitstaff who helped us were also friendly, but still couldn't make up for the average food, slow service and lackluster decor.
Oh, and a note from my husband: "Tuck in your shirts, people!" Many of the severs (and even the hostess!) were all wearing oversized, untucked t-shirts. Not only does this look tacky, when you lean over the table to serve, your shirt gets in our food. Gross. -
Review from Margo B.
Los Angeles, CA
9/1/2008
I love this restaurant!!
This was a favorite of my grandparents' when I was growing up, definitely because the prices were so good for a great little meal!
This is not a fancy date night place at all, but I am always so happy when I leave here! It's really ideal for families or someone who just wants a good bowl of mostaccioli with marinara!
So get down there and get your Italian chow on! -
Review from Kyle W.
3/12/2009
The girlfriend didn't feel like Mexican (which I could eat every day) and I wasn't in the mood for Sushi (which she could eat every day) so we settled on Italian, which we're both always down for. Being recently relocated back to the town where I grew up, Encinitas, I was struggling to think of a good Italian place (that isn't Firenze... too pricey for what we wanted). I know, I know... should have checked Yelp! I don't know what I was thinking.
But anyway, I didn't think to Yelp or Google because I remembered Borrelli's being good when coming here as a kid. And I seriously doubt it was because I had a less refined Italian food palate at the time. My Nonna's Italian home-cooking ruined me for the crappy stuff early on. I can only deduce that they've gone downhill.
The prices are pretty typical for an Italian spot like this. My Chicken Parm was $15-ish, as was the lady's Chicken Bruschetta. Which would be cool normally, but the quality of the food was NOT worth it. Her side salad was drowning in Italian dressing. Italian, because they didn't have any sort of balsamic vinaigrette or even just balsamic & olive oil. Even Macaroni Grill has that, and sadly has better food! My side Minestrone soup was extremely bland and under-seasoned. It was basically a plain tomato soup with a few veggies.
Unfortunately, our entrees weren't any better. My girlfriend said the Bruschetta and her chicken were decent but that the spaghetti on the side, like mine, was overcooked. Certainly not "al dente". My chicken was also decent. However, what ruined mine was the neon red marinara sauce. Much like the soup, it tasted completely devoid of seasoning. I'm sure it wasn't, but it tasted like it was straight out of the can. Eww.
Judging from the other reviews on here, their pizza is supposedly decent. However, if their pizza sauce is anything like their marinara, i highly doubt it. I would only give 1 star, but our server was really nice and speedy so she bumps it up a star! Oh and the garlic bread was kinda tasty. I honestly would have prefered a whole basket of that for dinner than the meal I got!Listed in: Do Not Want
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Review from Diana H.
Encinitas, CA
2/3/2010
The rating would be lower if it were based just on the food. But it's sooo close to our house (no stalkers, please), it's totally casual (last Friday we were joined by a cub scout den and a little girl's soccer team, so I wouldn't recommend this for a romantic dinner for two!) and they have coupons on http://restaurant.com!!! DH got the baked ziti and it looked real good but I'm doing the low carb thing so I got the chicken madera and ignored the side of pasta. Boys got personal pizzas. Servers are friendly. There are loads of coupons out there if you don't want to pay $2 for a $25 gift certificate on http://restaurant.com.
The parking lot is small but you can go up behind the building for more. -
Review from Allan G.
9/16/2010 13 Check-ins Here
Order the bruschetta as an appetizer. You will love it!
My family and I have been coming here for at least 15 years now. It is still the best Italian restaurant in the area! My dad and I recently decided to go out for dinner and selected Borelli's. It is located off of El Camino Real within a few blocks of the Target center and Home Depot in Encinitas. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by our waitress who brought us bruschetta as an appetizer. The tomato topping had just the right amount of garlic. For dinner, I ordered a caesar salad (which came with just the right amount of caesar dressing) and bambino pizza (which is individual size). My dad ordered linguini and clams which was also a decent size. Because there wasn't a crowd when we were in (8 PM on a Tuesday night), the food came pretty quick and the service was great. I would definitely recommend this place to others. -
Review from christopher m.
San Diego, CA
10/28/2007
when this place was on the corner of encinitas blvd and el camino real they were the best pizza in town.
This restaurant is a real Encinitas tradition
I've been eating here since 1977 -
Review from Ivan D.
San Marcos, CA
11/2/2008
I've stopped by here a couple of times. The last time was tonight. Borrelli's is consistently .....average. The antipasto salad was good, i had a calzone that was pretty good. The pasta is decent. I've had the pizza before and it was decent. The garlic bread is pretty poor. Crappy beer selection.
The atmosphere...well...i felt like I was in the movie Cocoon with the decor to match... it is bland and boring. They really could spice it up a little more in there. I've been in doctor's offices with more personality.
Our waitress tonight was all over us. She literally asked us if we were ready to order every 3 minutes or so despite our menus still being open. We had to tell her we'd notify her when we were ready. It was quite annoying(she asked us no less than 4 times before we told her that).
The place is moderately priced....don't know if I'll be coming back. -
Review from Danielle M.
Carlsbad, CA
8/7/2011
Great place for locals looking for a casual, low maintenance, easy on the palette dinner. I love the starter salads, and linguine with clams. Plan to be going here for years to come!
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Review from rachel w.
Oceanside, CA
8/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I LOVE Borrelli's. The service is always fast and very good and the food is fantastic. The early bird special is a GREAT deal. I get the half spaghetti, half ravioli, garlic break and soup for like 7 bucks. Also, there are usually coupons on http://restaurant.com or in the clippers. Good place for groups and kids - very family friendly.
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Review from Alex K.
6/13/2009
This was the place our group came for our pre-race carbo load. I should have just ate my Rosanna's Pasta while my group waited close to 30 minutes to be seated. Service was super slow. How do you not bring bread while we're waiting for our food? It took another 20-30 minutes to get our entrees.
When we finally got our food, then they brought us bread. Weird. I ate close to two baskets from being so hungry. Buttered bread with garlic salt, really? I like my garlic bread with chunks or garlic bits. I ordered the moscattelo (sp?) with meat sauce on the regular entree menu. Baked penne pasta smothered with cheese and topped with meat sauce. Bright neon red/orange colored sauce (WEIRD), pasta cooked al dente, with just a touch too much sauce. Still very good, but not mind blowing outstanding. The food was more like 4 stars, but I feel really jipped by the poor service. -
Review from Noah W.
Encinitas, CA
8/24/2010
Borrelli's is hit or miss, which is sad because when it's good it's really good. Unfortunately it's inconsistent. Don't know if it's due to a revolving door of chef's or what but the hostess has been there a while. I constantly see a different wait staff.
If you don't get there before 6:00 you'll typically have to wait for a table, even if you see available tables, it's because they are short on servers or chef's. Once you sit, if you plan on a dinner and not pizza order quickly as it can take up to 30 min to get your meal.
I go with my kids at least 1 sometimes two Monday's a month since kids eat free with paid adult meal. The kids can get a cheese pizza which is big enough for them to share it's a small 8" pie loaded with cheese. It is a VERY good pizza and I'm a pizza snob.
I typically try to eat healthier so I usually get the Chicken Bruschetta with steamed veggies. For $15 this is not a bad meal or deal if your kids are eating free. Watch out for over priced drinks, kids soda, milk or lemonade will cost you $2 and change each.
The Chicken Bruschetta comes with soup or salad (get dressing on the side or it will be drowning), ask for veggies with no butter or they will be over loaded, and it includes pasta, usually linguine (if you ask for something else be prepared to pay $1 to substitute pasta). They load up the chicken and pasta with the Bruschetta (which is very good).
I've eaten this about a dozen times and have only had an over cooked piece of chicken twice (I've come to expect the inconsistency). If it were worthy of 5 stars I'd be there every Monday but alas it's only a 3 star place and once every 2 - 3 weeks is all they see me.
BTW - for my kids b-day they all sang, and brought out a huge spumoni which was delicious - how can you screw up Italian ice cream. Yummy - it was enough to share with 4 people.
Bottom line:
If you go on a Monday night with 1 adult and two kids and they share a small pizza you can have a good meal, and get out of there for about $25 tax and tip included for the three of you.
Two adults, and two kids with beverages on a Monday night will set you back about $50 with tax and tip. Try that anywhere else, it's just about impossible. -
Review from Tyler A.
Solana Beach, CA
3/27/2010
As a chef I find it fairly offensive when people ask me to "pass the salt" and so with shame and trepidation I glanced around to make sure no chef was watching while I salted(!) my borelli's pizza!
My wife and I love Italian food so we decided to try Borelli's but both thought our food was, well, bland! To their credit: the ingredients were good and my pizza tasted great after my salting fiasco... I would consider trying them out again to see if the blandness is a common trait or a one night fluke.
We thought the service was great, but the price was pretty steep considering the quality of the food. If their prices were cheaper I'd give them another star (mainly b/c then I wouldn't be expecting so much!)
Oh, there was also some lipstick on my water cup... But I'll let that slide this once:) -
Review from Camvivi P.
San Marcos, CA
8/13/2011
This place is ok---mediocre. I have definitly had better Italian food other places. We were overlooked and didn't get served until after 15 minutes. The waitress was awesome though & very apologetic. I had the stuffed eggplant & it was not good, however, the wings were great & the best out of everything we ordered.
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Review from David d.
Oceanside, CA
10/10/2009
Utterly faken disgusting is pretty much sums it up. I think this is my 1st 1 star review and I don't like to hand it out but I have no choice.
I love me some good ole fashion red sauce italian fare so I thought Borelli's was going to a no brainer but turned out to be one of the grossiest pasta I've eaten.
1st you should know it doesn't take much to please me when it comes to spaghetti since I have no problem sometimes heating a jar of Ragu so Im not some uptight finicky eater ok. So from the good reviews here I got an order of ravioli and a quart of red sauce to bring home to eat with my pasta. The sauce was just the grossiest greasiest crap I've eaten in a long time. You know its gross when it leaves that orange film all over the to go container.
I had to throw it all it way, I wouldn't even give it to my 2 dogs so you know how bad it was. And the side order of garlic bread was not any better. I dont' remember today what it tasted like but I just remember it was not good and I tossed it out with the sauce. Oh, and the ravioli was any better.
Someone I met there that night told me the pizza was awesome so maybe thats why they might be in business but I will never order any pasta from the again thats for sure.
Again I hate to give such a bad review to a mom n pop business as I rather give it to a chain like papa johns but my whole night of dinner was F up and not to mention the extra bucket of sauce I got for the rest of the week's meals. -
Review from Blane A.
San Diego, CA
7/8/2009
Worth any wait. Weekends can be busy but I have never waited more than 15-30 minutes. The Lobby is a little small and services a good flow of take out, but there is a nice area outside to wait.
This is real Italia cuisine in a very clean & warm family setting. Absolutely, some of the best meals I have had anywhere. Generous servings at a price lower than most if not all sit down Italian. Another plus is the real waitresses, no fake accents by waiters from south of the border. This has been one of the most popular restraunts among Encinitasan's for decades. Personal favorites are Cheese Lasagna, Baked Ziti and really great Pizzas from thin to big traditional crust. The tuna sandwich / sub hot is unbelievably good. Mi amo la cucina. -
Review from Monty M.
Escondido, CA
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
A little slow at taking orders, and not very attentive to others, but overall the food and atmosphere was good, I'll return!
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Review from Steven M.
2/23/2010 4 Check-ins Here
I used to eat at this establishment 27 years ago when they were located on Encinitas Blvd. and El Camino Real and the food was incredible. Now, it's so-so.
Its a family owned and operated place and while the food is better than your corporate chains like Olive Garden or Romano's its not what you'd expect for a family run store.
I won't be going back anytime soon but that does not mean you should not try it for yourself and decide.
Enjoy!
