Isola Pizza Bar

No better review than a 45 minute walk to get here!! This is the second time I have visited, and yet again well worth the hike. The crust has the right balance of crispness and doughy-ness. Not too much cheese. Well balanced meats. The outdoor seating is pleasant! Service is prompt and friendly. I’ll be back on our next visit to San Diego

Delicious wood fired pizza with perfect crust. Loved the patio, but got a little forgotten by my waitress. Would come back for the crust alone though. Also enjoyed the house salad, simple yet flavorful. Loved it!

Definitely one of my wife’s and I favorite pizza spot we love there wood smoke oven pizza with home made dough and a very tasty red sauce they have the perfect amount of sauce, cheese , and dough ratio. I am a little bummed that they don’t have beer on tap nor do they have a cheese board with multiple cheeses.I’m yet to try there other dishes but soon we will. We always sit at the bar and Tamara who is the bartender helped us and she makes an amazing espresso martini so good, the house red is also good. The restaurant is clean and staff is attentive bathrooms are hidden I’ll let you figure that out on your own. I recommend to give it a try and remember ask for an espresso martini…..

I came to Isola for lunch, as I really enjoyed my experience at their La Jolla location. Everyone was very nice. The food was good, although I wouldn’t agree with those reviewers who say that it’s out of this world. I had white pizza with prosciutto and arugula and panna cotta. The vibe isn’t as cozy here as in the La Jolla location. The panna cotta looked great, but the spoon it came with was very flimsy, cheap and uncomfortable to hold. My latte cup was still wet from the dishwasher. It’s small things like this that take away from the experience. Overall, not the elevated moment I was hoping for.

Usually all restaurants over use butter and sauces but not this place. I love their pizzas, beet salad, burrata and salmon. Everything tastes fresh and delicious. Especially the salmon is so simple yet so tasty. I definitely recommend Isola.

This was one of the best pizzas I've had. I would make this a 5 star, but unfortunately, I can not due to the fact that our utensils wrapped in cloth were stained and I found something in my water. Also, they seemed understaffed. Other than that, the vibe is great, and the food is amazing!

The pizza was OK, nothing to write home about and definitely not worth cost. The outdoor seating was nice, until you're distracted by cars driving too close, homeless screaming on the sidewalk, or kids trying to bug you for something. If I was in Little Italy again I would probably try any other pizza place before I came here again.

Food was fresh and brought to our table fairly quick! Our waiter was friendly but didn't attend to us very often could be that they where busy so maybe he just had a lot of tables not really sure though.

We stopped by on a Tuesday since Isola Pizza Bar has a deal for carryout which includes 2 pizzas for only $25! A great value and we had to check it out. For this deal, they already have a pizza picked out and so we were able to personally select the other one. The pizza they made had spek prosciutto and mushrooms. While we chose the mozzarella affumicata e peperoncini. Both pizzas were really good! I really liked the spicy cherry peppers as it added a nice kick. The mushroom and prosciutto was very nicely balanced too. I admit the pizzas didn't look anything special, but after consuming the whole thing I must say these definitely were better than I expected. For the price and taste, it's definitely worth stopping by!

We came on a weekday for HH. We had the margherita pizza as well as the salamino piccante pizza, beet salad and having checked in w Yelp, got the affogato for free. This place is super cute. We dined outside and had great service. The pizza's are about half off during HH and are huge. The crust super thin but the pizza itself is favorable. Beets were great and tasty as well. The affogato was too sweet for my liking. This place is definitely worth it for HH and will be returning if in the area again.

The service was so friendly! Especially the hostess. Asked for the pizza to be a little more well done as we saw the pizza on the other table. It still came out under cooked. We could tell when we ate the crust. Still extremely dough-y. Sent it back to the kitchen to be cooked more. Dont know how long they put it in there for. My cousins said the same when we brought it home to them. Would try again and ask it to be well done this time.

It can be hard trying to decide between the 20+ restaurants in little Italy -all claiming best pizza, but Isola was memorable. As soon as you're walked to your table, you're offered tap or sparkling water. The menu was the perfect size without offering too many items, yet still providing lots of delicious choices. We started with the arugula salad featuring sliced mushrooms and parmesan cheese and it did not disappoint. We finished with two pizzas: margherita DOP and salamino piccante. Both with the delicious Neapolitan crust & flavor you want in a pizza. The vibe is nice, beautiful vine foliage lining the outside of the building, lower lighting inside. They offer both inside and outdoor seating as well as bar seating inside along the wall and more secluded tables in the back if that's your choice. We went on a weekend midday, but saw their happy hour menu and will definitely be back.

Isola Pizza Bar has a Tuesday deal for carry out where it is two pizzas for $25, so we thought what a great way to try a new pizza place. We ordered and walked over to the piazza de la famiglia to enjoy them. They were so good! And for that price?! Amazing. One was picked out for us as part of the deal and this was the mushroom and prosciutto white pizza. No complaints here, it was a great choice. We chose the mozzarella affumicata e pepperoncini and the peppers added a lovely kick. The crust was so soft and doughy, it was fantastic. I will be back to try more pizzas!

Pizza was very good. Pasta was had a nice bite and a good sauce as well but very very salty. Oddly they sat everyone on the same side of the booths.

I'm so glad we made it here for a very late dinner after an unplanned nap. We ended up arriving around 8:50 PM and were seated indoors in just a few minutes without a reservation. And let me tell you, I would have been disappointed not tasting this pizza after having tasted it. LOL, brain twister. After returning from my trip to Italy in high school, I became a pizza snob. So every trip I pick only one special pizza place to visit, and Isola was it for this vacation. I love Neapolitan thin pizza, but I love it when I get a decent amount of chewy crust. This pizza hit the mark! Maybe it could have been cooked for three seconds less, but otherwise, the bottom looked perfectly cooked, and the amount of crust hit the spot. Also, you can tell when a tomato sauce is high quality, and this one was. The pizza was pretty close to a 9.5/10. Always secondary is the restaurant vibe, lol. I'm just there to eat my pizza. But this restaurant has a cool aesthetic (see the bathrooms), and wine bottles and big cans of tomatoes lining the back walls. The booth/table was comfy. Overall, get the pizza!! That's all you need to know.

Ordered 4 pizzas and Barrata appetizer for 4 people. Service was great and food was delicious. Everything was priced as expected in little Italy (pizzas were about $20/each and apps were about $12-$20 each. We were seated in the back which was ok but felt secluded from the rest of the place. Sort of took away from the experience a bit.

We came here later at night for some drinks and shared 2 pizzas, everything was tasty and the service was quick! We didn't stay for too long but the space seemed cute and like a versatile place to go for either a date or out with a group of friends!

Bad service and wobbly tables! There is a food too that's not too bad, but after bad service - your night is ruined. Wanted pizza and this place sounded like the best choice. Was hoping to sit outside, but it smelled like feces, so we opted for inside. We waited for 15 minutes to be acknowledged by a bus boy and another 5 minutes for server to show up. Our table was wobbly and it seems all tables have that problem. Not just a little wobbly but a whole lot. Then we needed to fetch our server who was nowhere to be found. It seems that theme repeated itself with every interaction. Need Parmesan cheese wait to find server. Need another drink wait for server to show up 10 minutes. Want a dessert wait 15 minutes etc. We wanted Italian dinner not Italian service! Pizza was good, drinks too. But for God's sake fix your service and wash your patio from feces!

First time here even thought I walk by it a lot living nearby. today was a good rainy day to go try this place. I thought we were going for lunch but I guess at 230p they transfer to dinner menu already. Started with some yummy focaccia bread with oil and vinegar. The bread was delish! Then we ordered the prosciutto mozzarella burrata bruschetta and boy it was delish. Came with 4 pieces. Then we ordered two bowls of mussels. They were okay. The broth could have been better than just tomato paste and white wine. Was expecting more soupy broth. Overall good experience though.

Stefano was an amazing server. Our food was incredible. The pizza was incredible. My husband gave me a bite of his one with the egg on it and best pizza since I visited Italy. My ravioli with vodka was amazing and the arugula salad was awesome highly recommend this place.

Best pizza ever. No words can describe how delicious this was! I ordered a pizza and appetizer to share. But I ended up eating the entire pizza myself because it was so good! I would recommend this place if you're looking for a pizza place in little Italy!

My friend and I stopped by at Isola for an early lunch on Saturday. Luckily we found parking as it was busy due at Farmers Market. The lunch menu was limited but had enough options for us. We ordered Bruschetta and I loved it. I would give it a 5/5. The margherita DOP pizza was also decent and we liked it. Kids had ordered the alfredo pasta and that was very yummy as per both the kids. We ended the meal with Tiramisu which was devoured in a short time. the food was good and the service was also good..

Excellent service. Wonderful Italian wines, amazing complimentary focaccia bread for starter. Pizza & portions are on the large side. Complimentary birthday dessert too. I highly recommend.

We wanted to visit Little Italy one more time for pizza during this trip. I found Isola on Yelp and decided to give it a try due to its good reviews, and they did not disappoint. We called to check on their outdoor seating because no online reservations were available. They were very accommodating and seated us at a cozy corner spot, perfect for our dogs to relax and watch the people passing by. The building, covered with vines, added to the perfect ambiance. I'm an olive enthusiast, and they brought out a variety of my favorites along with freshly baked, crunchy bread. Shishito peppers, one of my favorite appetizers, were grilled to perfection and didn't need much sauce. I got the hottest one, much to my son's relief, but we all enjoyed the rest. The burrata mozzarella was a favorite among the boys. I took a quick bite to approve its goodness. We also shared the arugula a parma salad. When arugula is fresh, it's just enough, and the simplicity of the salad was perfect. After all that, we ordered two pizzas. I love eggplant, so I ordered the Parmigiana a Speck, minus the meat. It was delicious, with just the right amount of crunch on the sides. I usually order pizza without cheese, as I prefer not to have dairy overpower the other flavors, and it was just the right amount. The tomato sauce was excellent. My son ordered the Quattro Stagioni and was initially worried about the artichokes but was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. We finished with tiramisu and gelato, both of which were delightful.

Was recommended this spot from a friend when we were trying to find a great pizza spot. Overall had a great experience and definitely recommend. FOOD: - Penne Boscaiola: If this is their special, this is a must! The flavor was incredible. The Italian sausage was perfectly seasoned, and the onions seemed to be caramelized, which added another great flavor profile to the dish. The sauce was so good that we dipped our pizza crust and the table bread into it. - Mozzarella Affumicata e Peperoncini Pizza with Spicy Salame: The crust was great! This was right up our ally for style of pizza that we like, with the crust nice and chewy, but not dense, and the rest of the pizza on the thinner side. There were a lot of other pizzas that I would love to try and will definitely be back. SERVICE: Service was pretty typical. We got seated right away since we got there at a slower time and it was pretty quick for us to get our food. We went early afternoon during a weekday. AMBIANCE: There was an option for indoor and outdoor seating. We decided to sit inside, but near the front which was nice since it was a beautiful day out, but we didn't want to be fully outside. Definitely a place that is casual but if you wanted to have a more "dressed up" dinner you could do that and not feel out of place.

I was kinda surprised when walking through Little Italy and I had recognized the place. Our group of six was looking for someplace to eat lunch and didn't know where since everything down here is probably not a bad choice. "THERE IT IS", I hollered from a half block away. I told everyone in our party that the pizzas here are fantastic and they agreed to stop. We ordered a number of appetizers and a few pies. I ordered a very tender and flavorful octopus that was so remarkably delicious and perfectly prepared that I just had to cut it up and pass it down the table. Everyone agreed. Everyone? Yes, everyone tried it and thought it to be fantastic. Even those that had never had octopus before. If using the bathroom, look and find the hand towels before you wet your hands. None of the dispensers are mounted on the wall. Look to the windows. On par with the best pizzas in Italy . Ghio (I think his name was) was a very good and Italian (Italian attitude) server. Dicks

Its so unfortunate that this place has such good food but the service awful! I had two different types of pizza which were amazing but we had to wait over 15 minutes for our server to come and take our order, she never checked on us... as a matter of fact we had to flag down a busybody. Hostess and a different sever every time we needed something. If the service wasn't so bad this would be a 5 star review!!! Oh management might want to hose down the front of the restaurant sidewalk because let's face it.. it is downtown San Diego and you really don't want the entrance of your restaurant smelling like urine,

Isola does both pizza and pasta, and does them very well! We popped in on a Wednesday night; we grabbed a res ahead of time, but there seemed to still be available seating indoors and outdoors. The Carbonara was great. Not a lot of places in the San Diego area offer it, and even less do it well, but the pasta was the perfect texture, the guanciale was the right amount of salty and fatty, and the sauce was super tasty. We also grabbed the Quattro pizza - red sauce based with pork, pancetta, and Mozzarella. Also loved it - the bread was crispy but still airy and doughy; it's not thin crust (not the biggest thin crust fan, so I was happy about this!). And tiramisu for dessert - can't go wrong! The restaurant had a bit of a fine dining vibe, which surprised me a bit because the food was pretty affordable - very much in line with Italian places in the area. The service was very attentive as well!

Wonderful experience! The staff were very kind and attentive, and the outdoor patio had a wonderful ambience. The food was all fantastic. Very reasonable portions and very flavorful dishes. The pizzas were great! Loved the crust. The porcini pizza was our favorite! Would definitely recommend. TLDR; reasonably priced and quality Italian fare!

We went for happy hour and had a great outside table. The beet salad was small, I could have eaten 3 of them. We also had an egg plant dish, it was just ok. The star was the pizza. It was hot, delicious and so flavorful. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. Def would return.

The food was great! The flavors were definitely there, the wine and drinks were also really good. This place is more upscale and items are priced accordingly. The one thing I would suggest is paying attention to your customers. She was really nice and at first I thought she'd be attentive but that was not the case. We had to ask the bussers for more water, and he did take our plates so we had more room at our table. It was my mom's birthday and they did give her a free dessert of her choice. The restaurant was cute though. I would come back and eat if I was in town again.

It's been several years since I have been here. Stopped in for some pizza. Interiors is as I remember it. They added a bunch of outdoor seating likely due to the pandemic. Interior was clean and nice of a quiet dinner Slasiccia pizza was excellent. Well done wood fired pizza. Price was a bit higher than I remembered. Salsiccia pizza was $21 Overall, still a solid pizza place.

My inner fat kid was on cloud 9 tonight - enjoying the best cheese plate I've ever had (4 different types of mozzarella). Never have I had a tasting offering like that and now I feel neglected by any restaurant that merely puts a ball of burrata on a plate with some tomatoes and basil. Pizza was legit - perhaps a bit too soggy in the middle but it tasted 10/10.

Came by for happy hour and they have a great selection to nibble and sip on. I ordered the pizza salamino picante. It came out fresh from the oven and was very delicious. The salame calabrese was spicy and the temperature of the freshly made pizza kicked up the heat for sure. I would definitely come back to try the other items.

This is one of my favorite neighborhood haunts. They have a great happy hour although I wish it went beyond 530. Their specialty is pizza, which is delicious but other pasta dishes are terrific. Their eggplant dish is wonderful. The salmon is so-so because it tends to be fishy since it's not poached. Service and location are excellent. Very nice interior and one of the neighborhood's best patios.

Okay. Here's the deal. I hardly ever write Yelp reviews, but my wife and I came here and after we finished our food, she turned to me and said "we HAVE to give this place a five star review!" I agreed, so here we are. We came here during our trip to SD, and it was divine. We shared the mozzarella affumicata e peperoncini (smoked mozzarella & peppers) pizza and added the spicy salame. We like spicy food, and it was perfect. We also shared a verdure al forno (roasted vegetable) salad, and we really enjoyed that as well! We were so excited to eat the food we forgot to take any pictures of it! I read some other reviews saying that the service was not great, and I think that the restaurant is aware of that too. They made a big effort to make sure we were taken care of in an attentive and timely manner. Our experience definitely did not reflect some of the negative reviews that this place has. We had great service! The ambience both inside and outside is great! Overall a total 10/10 and we are definitely coming back for more the next time we are in Little Italy!

This is a hidden gem!! Excellent food, great service, pleasant modern ambiance and a respite from the bustle of the two main blocks of little Italy. Every pizza we had was amazing, especially the prosciutto and arugula with truffle oil. The octopus salad was AMAZING - we even ordered a second potion. Very authentic Italian with the BEST homemade desserts - go for the Belgian chocolate gelato or the Budio.

Decided to check this place out. We went on a Friday for lunch so it wasn't as busy as I'm sure it is in the evenings. Started off with their bruschetta. Very tasty! Got ours with prosciutto and bursts. Lucca panini: the chicken was a bit dry and we wish there was a sauce here but honestly the star of the show was the homemade panini bread. I could eat those things all day. Salamino Picante pizza: easily the best thing we had. The sauce from the meat on this bad boy were top tier. The crust was delicious and soft. All in all will come back before a padres game or if I'm in the area. May just go straight for the pizza next time. Service was quick and fast. Vibes ranged from casual to groups in suits. Parking: it's little Italy so know that going in. There are parking spots around but they can be pricy (think 25 bucks).

$7 margherita pizza during HH. $7 drinks. This is the best pizza on the block. Don't think twice and just come here.

parking: in general, parking is very hard in little Italy. we found a parking garage nearby ($4-5/hr) service: very good! ambiance: there's an open view of the pizza oven/kitchen area. the food came out really quickly too. what we ordered: - cuatro carnis ($21): like the name suggests, this pizza comes with four meats. the dough was light and fluffy, which made the crust even more enjoyable. - brussel sprouts ($13): it was good, but not memorable. the spicy ham was a nice, salty touch, but I prob wouldn't order this again main takeaway: it's a nice food option if you're in Little Italy. the pizza is a safe bet if you're not sure what you want. the prices are reasonable and portions are good.

Ok so kind of our if context. But. . . Drop dead gorgeously delicious food. EVERYTHING. The lasagna the bruschetta and of course the always reliable fantastic and amazing. The Flavorful . . . Pizza!!!'Certainly one of the best you will find. Always tasty well made

Stopped here on a Sunday afternoon. It was totally empty so we got a nice table inside. The waitress took our order promptly. I asked whether the crust was thin. She explained that because of the type of flour the crust is vey light and puffy. We ordered the margarita pizza and the arugula salad. The salad came with a nice dressing and some lemon slices. She kindly brought extra dressing without us even having to ask. The salad was tasty and had plenty of cheese. This pizza was yummy. I do prefer the crisply crust NY style pizza but this was still quite satisfying. I'd have loved a bit more cheese but it was certainly worth the 12 or 13 bucks! Overall it's not bronx pizza but it's still pretty darn tasty!

Pizza was brunt on the bottom. And not cooked in the middle. The server said oh that's the way it's supposed to be. That's just the kind of pizza it is. Won't be back. Waitress was busy talking to other servers not interested in us at all.

My boyfriend and I visited Isola Pizza Bar for dinner before our Padres game. Even though we came around 5 PM on a weekday, we were seated immediately by one of their friendly hostesses. We both shared an octopus dish, Brussels sprouts, and a margherita pizza. The food here was good... though there were certain things in each dish that I didn't wholeheartedly LOVE. The Brussels sprouts were seared perfectly, but the salami pieces mixed into the dish added too much of a spicy kick for me. Similarly, the octopus was cooked beautifully, but I didn't expect the dish to be served cold and with celery. The pizza, though flavorful, came a little soggy in the middle (something I'm not used to whenever I go out for neapolitan pizza). While I overall enjoyed my meal here, I didn't think the food was outstanding enough for me to want to come back here again.

We ordered dessert and drinks. Fun, lively place and the tiramisu was delicious! The limoncello spritz could use a bit more limoncello but it was light and refreshing.

Pizza was great. Wines were good. Service pleasant. Pasta dish we tried was ok. Loved the outdoor dining.

Isola is the bomb - great atmosphere, service, and quality food. Outdoor seating is a plus too - awesome time of year for a visit! Ask for Alex!

Outstanding Napolitan pizza! Thin crust, perfect char on the outside. Their sauce is rich and pure tasting with a perfect sweetness. We've had the Margherita, smoked mozzarella, and the burrata pies and all are exemplary. Run don't walk and get your pizza fix done right!

Food was amazing. Best gnocchi I've had in years. Pizza dough was perfect. All the servers and the hostess were all very nice. The outdoor sidewalk seating is prime. However, only two of their heaters were working, so hopefully they will have them up and running soon. I was too cold to sit outside so we got an indoor table. The indoor seating is a little weird, I like the ambiance outside better, but it's still totally worth it because the food and service was so great. One hundred percent will visit again.

Isola is one of my favorite spots in little Italy! I haven't tried a bad thing on the menu! I love sitting outside on the patio during a hot day. Wait staff is also very nice. I would also recommend going during happy hour as they have one of the best around!

I had a colleague come into town for business, staying in Little Italy, and he asked me if we could get together for lunch. Of course, I said "YES" and volunteered to pick the restaurant. Service was exceptional!! The server (I forgot his name) was wonderful in recommendations and quality of service and just a wonderful person to know. As always I ask for the most popular dishes and what was his favorite and he recommended the Pizza Quattro carne and Mussels . Pizza was delicious but Mussels WAS FABULOUS! the blending of flavors and the sauce was sooooo delicious - I kept sopping it up with the bread!! I would come back here again just t eat this dish again and again and again!!

Awesome service, food & ambiance. Do not sleep on the happy hour. We had the lamb skewers, margherita pizza & also the white pizza with prosciutto and truffle oil. We will definitely be back. If you're ordering to go make sure you heat the pizza on a pan so it will prevent any sogginess. Super fresh, light sauce & good ingredients.

Margherita and Prosciutto e Arugula Pizza So. Good. Loved this! Legit italian style pizza. Margherita was perfect. The prosciutto and arugula were wonderful, just wish there was some more sauce on that pizza. Great dough on both!

The atmosphere at this location was very cozy, we sat outside on the patio and it was nice to hear the buzz for Little Italy all round us. The wait staff was nice enough to scoot the heater right next to our table. We ended up getting two pizzas and and two orders of the gnocchi. All the food came out very quickly but didn't look like it was going to be enough food, but I was mistaken! The portions were surprisingly filling! The pizza was a little lacking in the amount of toppings but the crust tasted so deliciously fresh! They cooked it so it had a slight crispy outside with some char and a nice soft center. Plus, the oil they used on the pizza really added to the flavor. As for the gnocchi, I'm not usually a fan but the texture was what did it for me! I guess I have never actually had good gnocchi before I had it here. And the red sauce was good as well, not too acidic and the mix of veggie able and cheese really brought the dish together. I also was able to check in on yelp and get one free dessert! I got the Tiramisu and wow, the cream was so light a fluffy, and the lady fingers were perfectly soaked. It definitely satisfied my Tiramisu cravings. The only reason I give it a 4 star is because our waiter forgot about our table. After dinner he brought a dessert menu and then never came back, after 25 minutes of waiting we had to get up and tell him what we wanted. Besides that, great experience! Shout out to the staff guy who refills everyone's water who also checked my dogs water bowl every time he came around.

We walked in because this place was supposed to be one of the best in Little Italy. It is not. The service was fine, everyone was decently nice and the food came out rather quick which was good. But the food was very underwhelming. The more I ate it the more disappointed I became, because I really wanted to like it. The pizza was very burnt and the toppings were average. If you want to just eat somewhere and not remember it, this is your place. If not, please keep looking.

Pizza here was amazing. Sat outside and got to enjoy the view. Our service was okay but the pizza made up for it!

An excellent gem in Little Italy. Fantastic pizzas, amazing home made desserts, nice space, and easy laid-back ambience. Highly recommend.