Lorna's Italian Kitchen

Absolutely incredible dinner in a casual atmosphere! We drove from our beach house rental on Mission Beach…more than worth the drive. Under $80 for a family of 4. Thanks for a great meal!

It takes a hidden gem like this to leave a review, as 5 star reviews are thrown around too easily these days. I have not left food review for a long time and after 5 visits, this place deserves it for consistency in taste, portion and service. I wish I can give 6 stars. Best fried CALAMARI in town. Meaty squid inside which is cooked to perfection, not too firm not too soft. With light bread coating outside. These rings remind onion rings because of size. Huge portions. Picture posted is when I had about last 1/5 left. Marinara sauce was warm and delicious as well. Usually go with seafood pasta for entree which you can’t go wrong but I tried Sicilian pizza this time and it was a delight. Crust baked to perfection. A lot of fresh meat and cheese on top. Service was very timely and staff was very friendly. Different waiters checked on me at different times for needs which provides faster service. Also owner/manager? checked on me too which made me feel valued. Whole atmosphere just feels like you are invited to an authentic Italian family dinner. My only wish is that my picture taking was better as these two pictures do not encapsulate what a fine dining experience this place gives!

This place was GREAT!!! We ended our vacation in this eatery and were so glad we did. The service was FAST…almost zero waiting between our Garlic Knots, salad and entree. The food was top notch also. It took 20 minutes to get here from Mission Beach, which is less time than fighting traffic in that area. Great, local decision. So happy we chose Lorna’s!

Came here for pickup like normal, however, never again. When I arrived at the given ETA, I was told that the "pizza guy" was running behind and it would be 20 min more. I took my two young kids outside to wait. After 20 minutes I went back inside and it was still not ready. This is where the 1 star service rating came in to play, there was no urgency or concern for my issue. After a few minutes, the pizza was ready, but now the rest of my order was not. I was really struggling at this point and again, no apologies or anything. The food there is fine, but after this past experience, I will never return again.

Solid 4 stars. Cute mom and pops place in university city! Food is pretty good reasonably priced! Service is fast.

new favorite place!! such a romantic and cute atmosphere with delicious food that's worth the price! we got the lasagna and gnocchi :)

Decent Italian. Not the friendliest staff. Stood at the register for a to go order and the waiter provided zero greeting or eye contact. Surprising in fact when you are about a foot away from each other. Expensive prices. 2 spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread totaled $53 before tip. Spaghetti was mostly sauce and garlic knots not that garlicky. Was also given linguine and not spaghetti.. 😩

I ordered gnocchi being that I love that dish but no one ever makes it correctly. At Lorna’s they made it perfectly. Gnocchi has to be soft. Thank you for an excellent dinner.

Want here for the first time yesterday. We will go again. Veal parmigiana was very tender and a large serving. Served with linguine. The linguine with clams was also delicious. Spaghetti with meatballs was actually spaghetti with one large delicious meatball. Service was fast and the servings were large enough for leftovers the next night.

We tried to place a big order earlier but were placed on hold for a ridiculously long time. When we called back, we were immediately put on hold without even being able to get a word in. You all need to work on your phone etiquette.

Support your local businesses! Especially when they are great like Lorna's! And make sure to bring some people because the portions here are huge. Came for a date night and got Joy's Tortelloni with cream sauce and the fettuccini alfredo and asked to add italian sausage (which is a pro move my gf showed me). Both were delicious and very filling. Didn't get one but the calzones are HUMONGOUS. Table next to us got one and I couldn't stop looking at how ridiculously huge it was haha. Will definitely be back to try one of those. Was a pretty busy dinner time even though it was a Tuesday night but we got seated pretty easily outside. Service was fair and they made up for slow-ish water refills by giving the giant glasses for water. Got seated outside where there were a ton of space heaters so no worries sitting outside if you get cold (it was actually really hot for me). The inside was nicely decorated and way bigger than I thought since it looks like they take up two spots. Overall great local Italian spot and will definitely put it in my rotation!

Great neighborhood mom and pop's restaurant! Large portion size, service was fast efficient and attentive. Came here for dinner one night based on seevral friend's recommendation and it sure didn't disappoint. The meatball appetizer was my favorite! So tasty and the spices were on point. The chopped salad was surprisingly good too, not too much or too little dressing and everything was simple. The spinach lasagna was ok, should have probably went with the meat version, next time. Prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get. Service was great, for how busy they were, our server really took good care of us. Parking was easy in the plaza, bathroom was relatively clean. Definitely coming back!

Delicious food and HUGE portions. Gotta get the garlic knots. Service is great and it's definitely enough for 2 meals.

The food was as good as always. Promptly brought to our large group. Service was attentive. All of our party raved that the good tasted do good and we had done out-of-town people. The only minus us they are closed on Mondays of course (I'm sure they need to rest )

Always a great local choice for Italian. Don't be put off by the plaza it's in. It's a neighborhood spot that doesn't disappoint it it's classic dishes. They take reservations for larger parties so take advantage of that to avoid long waits on popular nights. Service is exceptional but it may get crowded and bustling. I've never had an issue. The vibes are definitely homey and it's not a chain so you won't get the cloth napkins but instead straight forward pasta and salad!

The food I was given had items I was allergic to. I called in and the person misgendered me and hung up on. The service was horrible, the food almost killed me and the food was spilled everywhere. On my order I out highly allergic to chili peppers and look at this hot mess the way it was packed

We dined in. The service was good. The restaurant looked simple. The house bread was good. We got the calamari, tagiatelle bolognese, and meat lasagna. Just to tell you, the portions are huge. Sharing is a most. We were nowhere close to finishing our plates. The food was ok. The calamari had no taste or seasoning. The only flavor I tasted in the tagistelle was the spice. The lasagna was not bad. It had a lot of cheese. I still want to come back to try other dishes.

Lorna's always delivers delicious, freshly made dishes. The portions are huge so we all got to take home leftovers which will be at least 2 meals each. My friend loved her chicken parm. The chicken was moist and met all her expectations. I tried Joy's tortelloni and the pasta was tender, filled with a creamy cheese filling and the tomato cream sauce was very tasty. My husband loved his fusilli Roma. The place was hopping, the staff were very busy but they did check in on us regularly.

I ordered something else, but I then saw shrimp scampi listed on the board as one of the specials, and I changed my order. Possibly the best shrimp scampi I've ever had. I never get tired of the delicious bread, the fresh mozzarella on the Italian salad, or the portions.

Absolutely delicious mom & pop Italian joint. Everything was well cooked, well presented, and the portion sizes are generous. You can taste the high quality ingredients and careful preparation. Found my new neighborhood Italian spot!

Lorna's is a solid option if you're in the area and craving comfort food with good portion sizes. I've gotten the pesto pasta, carbonara and California pizza in the past but I think the pastas are the best. The portions are big enough for two meals (at least) which is great for when I was a student :) The service is always very fast when I've gone and everyone is very nice.

My first time here and I must've passed by this place soo many times. Everything our party ordered looked amazing. I had the risotto recommended by my friend. It had shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, & artichoke - it was soo delicious! They did not skimp and it was soo flavorful.. unlike any other risotto I have ever had. I don't know how to describe it but I will be back to try other dishes for sure. Service was on point and they checked on us periodically. It's not a big restaurant- Has more of a mom and pop feel which is great because you can tell the focus is on the quality of the food. Highly recommend coming and trying it over going to the chain / commercial Italian spots.

Dinner was fabulous. Can't wait to go back and try the pizza. They fill up quickly so get there early!

What a wonderful dining experience! We came for dinner around 530 and sat immediately, we were immediately served fresh bread and greeted by a witty waiter. We ordered the chicken parm and sauce with meat sauce. The food was plentiful and we should have really shared a meal. Service was extremely quick, the food was fabulous, parking was easy. Can't wait to try something different!

THE BEST! We had such a wonderful dinner and dessert experience at Lorna's. We are in town for the night and wanted to grab a bite close to our Airbnb. We are so glad we found Lorna's! The restaurant was packed but we were seated right away. We sat next to a sweet couple who are regulars and gave us awesome menu suggestions. The ambiance felt like a big family gathering - Cute, small place with an open kitchen where you can see the chefs preparing meals. I cannot rave enough about the homemade pistachio ice cream... it's a must. Great meal with an awesome, super friendly staff. Thank you, Lorna's!

This place has a great ambiance and staff! I usually prioritize food over that stuff but Lorna's delivers on all fronts! It was a busy Friday night yet they were still attentive and constantly asked if we want more bread and water. They also have an amazing selection in music with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Lee Morgan! 10/10

Food: Excellent, one of the best Italian restaurants in the town Service: Very kind and helpful Ambiance: Good, it's a small restaurant so nothing to serious Only thing is I wish the price was a bit less, but of course inflation has messed it up

I love Lorna's! This Place has been around forever, and for good reason. This is a no frills place, they're not trying to be Instagram friendly, they just serve amazing food! The vibe is super chill and casual so you don't need to get dressed up, the prices are very reasonable, the portions, huge, the staff attentive, and most of all the food is delicious! Highly recommend checking this place out and I can't wait to go back and try more stuff. I went with a large party of 8 and three of got the eggplant pasta baked dish, which was amazing!! Love their ricotta. Someone got the bolognese which was delicious. Another got chicken Marsala which they loved. And last but not least the rosemary chicken pasta which was so yummy and creamy.

This is a place I will never get tired of. If you visit the place you will see why. This place is always busy. I ordered their risotto special and it did not disappoint. But it's not a surprise. Their risotto is very good. Everyone in our party loved the food they ordered.

The food was good and the service was good - but nothing extraordinary. The ambiance is classic family owned Italian restaurant which I did love. Overall it was good but I probably wouldn't return unless I was already in that plaza and it was convenient.

Lorna's is so good! My friends and I went to Lorna's on a Saturday night. It was quite busy but we were seated promptly (party of 5). The servers were all super attentive, helpful, and friendly. The vibe is awesome. We all ordered something different and we loved every dish! All the pasta dishes are super fresh, massive, and packed with flavor. One entree is enough for two. The food came out piping hot and quickly. Additionally, someone got the calzone and it was the size of a bowling ball. I have no clue how someone would have room for dessert but I was tempted to get something and take it home. Everything looked amazing. This was a great find and a great experience. We will most definitely be back.

The family's local Italian resto. The cheese za and pepperoni za are excellent. My measure of any Italian resto. Family also enjoys their meatballs, eggplant parm, lasagna, and chicken entrees. Haven't tried the entire menu, so my recommendations are limited. Plus this place is a fixture in University City.

As a delivery driver, when you pick up third-party orders at this restaurant, it seems that the owner of the restaurant name Ethan does not care much for his third-party orders customers because according to him, the third-party customers are not as priority as the actual customers inside the restaurant and he has a sign that says that and informs the drivers are picking up third-party deliveries to wait outside stating that the customers inside the store are priority, not third-party, which is kind of dumb because if you think about it, the third-party customer paid for the same order as a customer that's inside the store ordering when I try to talk to Ethan about it, he rolled his eyes at me which tells me that he think he's better than anyone else ahead of him, which is not a good quality for an actual restaurant owner if you're trying to get customers or future customers to come into your restaurant i'm very disappointed at the owner of this restaurant and I was going to try this place out since the first time I been in there, but I guess they lost a future customer very disappointed

Food was delicious, but when we went to pick it up for some reason, it's listed under GrubHub even though we were picking it up at their store. No one could find our order because we didn't say GrubHub, which we didn't know we were supposed to do. Needs to be changed up a little bit.

Stopped by Lorna's for dinner, and it was a lively restaurant, definitely had the feel of a neighborhood favorite. It seemed busy but we were seated pretty immediately. The tables are pretty close together so there's not much maneuvering room, but it created a bustling ambiance. The staff were welcoming, though service was a little slow. Ordered the garlic knots, Chicken Parmigiana, and the Tagliatelle Bolognese. My partner wasn't too impressed with the chicken parm, I thought it was alright. The "tat bol" was good! Garlic knots were worth their value. Overall a solid neighborhood spot with good variety!

Ohhh man my family has missed you over the pandemic!!! Even driving into the parking lot the Italian smells overload your nostrils. The menu is so large and I wish I could eat everything. From the customer service and food we are never disappointed. The portions are amazing the food is seasoned perfectly and the fans of Lorna's keep returning. I loved that for a to go they separated the Chicken Piccata separate from the pasta so that it doesn't get soggy on the way home. This time we got the Linguine Carbonara with mushrooms and of course Cannolis for dessert. Even with leftovers being warmed at home filled my house with the scents of all the Italian foods! Everything was still just as delicious the next day.

I loved Lorna's!! What a hidden gem. I ended up going with my coworkers and it was wonderful Italian comfort food. I shared the tagliatelle bolognese and lasagna with my coworker and both were amazing. So warm and fresh tasting, without breaking the bank. We also shared the tiramisu and it was perfectly light and not too sweet which is my ideal tiramisu. Such a delicious meal, I will be back!

Lorna's has absolutely amazing food! You can't go wrong here. There's a large selection plus they 5-6 daily specials. Their homemade pistachio ice cream is too die for with ground pistachios in it. The restaurant itself is unassuming. It was established in 1988. Go there! You won't regret it!!!!!

So disappointed in this place. We wanted to support our local restaurants, and have eaten at Lorna's before. What a disappointment this time. I asked for lasagna dinner and antipasto salad. I accidentally hit chopped. I asked them to include the bread and a little extra salad dressing. I got an email saying they charge me three dollars more. Mind you this was a $40 meal for one dinner and one salad. When dinner came no bread, no extra sauce, nothing. So mad. I called and got a nasty woman on the other end. I've seen her before at the restaurant and she has always been very blunt and rude. She is an older woman who should appreciate customersShe tells me Bread is not included with the meals. What? We have eaten there before and we always had bread. They've always been very stingy with everything, but they're telling me they don't serve bread with their meals? The lasagna was $17 they can't throw in a piece of bread? The salad was horrible Worst salad I've ever had! Things have changed! I We will never go back! We tried to support them and this is what we get? There's plenty of Italian restaurants in town and will try one one who may appreciate our business. Beware they rip you off and don't even bother to add anything extra without charging. $40 for the worst dinner ever, plus dealing with miserable old woman. You would think they'd be grateful for the support. We tried!

This little hole in the wall is so tasty. I've always heard great things about Lorna's and I finally had the chance to have it this past weekend for dinner. My family of 4 ate here and I think we all enjoyed it. We ordered there garlic knotts omg so big and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese delicious. Cesar salads with that delicious Parmesan. My husband and I split the chicken Alfredo it was so good and creamy. My boys split there spaghetti with marinara sauce they said it was good. I'm not sure if they make the pasta here but it is thick and perfectly cooked. We also ordered a pizza half margarita and half pepperoni the pizza is good it thin crust. We were too full to eat dessert there so we took it to go 3 cannolis. These cannoli's were so big crispy and delicious definitely a must get. The service was good you can definitely feel the mom and pop vibe here and I love that!! This place isn't cheap but that's ok it's a small business and it's good so we will definitely be back.

Food is fabulous. Love their chicken Parmigian. They don't allow changes such as broccoli for spaghetti. As one who hates pasta, I don't see the big deal. Staff is experienced and very friendly

Lorna's is an often go-to for family style deliveries during Covid. This place is a long time family favorite for many in the area and delicious. We often order the family specials, which include a lot of food and a little variety for everyone. The family special #1 is $29.99 and comes with a chicken entrée (we order the chicken marsala), a pasta dish (either the rigatoni or spaghetti in meat sauce) and a large dinner salad (Caesar or Italian are our favorites). I will also order the Garlic Knots and maybe a Meat Lovers pizza (Meatball, pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon), as well. There is always enough to feed us all and leftovers, pizza leftovers - the best. I like Lorna's a lot. It's an old school family style Italian place that has not disappointed with any dish I've ordered. Plus the customer service and delivery service are great.

Want amazing Italian food? Then this is the spot to go! It's hidden in the Vons plaza off Governor Drive. It's usually packed here so I like to order to go or for delivery. They are generous with the portions, the flavor is alway and point and most importantly it is always consistent! My boyfriend and I love the lasagna! I have an old family recipe and I'm embarrassed the my boyfriend prefers Lorna's than mine and I've always had people tell me that my lasagna was the best. He hates mushrooms but will eat the lasagna with the mushroom sauce. It's a perfect balance of savory with a touch of brightness from the tomatoes. I love the bolognese pasta! It's very light compared to other restaurants and so hard to stop eating. The pizza has a nice chewy crust, generous toppings and a sauce that you'll want to order extra of to dip your crusts in. They also have equally amazing desserts. My favorite is the chocolate cannoli cake! The filling is amazing , the cake isn't dense and the texture and flavor of it all is like happiness in a bite. There's so many different items on the menu and my boyfriend and I are so excited to try them all! We've had food from Lorna's almost every week since we've found this place. TIP: It gets packed so if you're ordering to go I recommend to order online or via phone first.

Fabulous food and service, been coming here for years! We had pizza and salad. Loved it all.

Hubby and I wanted Italian food last night as we were taking a casual drive down the coast. I drove, he Yelped. We wanted a small, family owned establishment with good authentic food. Lorna's came up and we were actually nearby, so we thought we'd check it out. There's one thing about this pandemic ... you can Yelp a restaurant, it sounds great on 'paper', but when you drive by it can be another story. We wanted to eat-in and IF we ate outside, there needed to be heat lamps. So, Lorna's was perfect, it had a cute outdoor area with umbrellas and heat lamps plus you could eat in if you wanted also. Since we were one of 2 guests inside, I felt fine. Plus it was cold outside. Hubby had the Chicken Parmigiana and a chopped side salad and I had a 'Small Plate' - Mateo's Eggplant. Both were incredible - so tasty and authentic. The bread you get before your meal was also super fresh and wonderful. Every employee we came across was happy and dedicated to serving all the customers. Overall, we were so happy we found this gem!

Been going to this great restaurant for over 20 years and it has suddenly changed. Ordered my favorite dinner, linguine with white clam sauce, in December and again in January Both times the sauce had no flavor and the noodles were soft. The quality of the food dropped to a C. Two weeks ago tried chicken Parmesan and could only eat a quarter of it. Most of the old staff has left and so have we

The food is amazing! Hands down the BEST Italian food! The only reason why I took one star away is because of Ethan. He was so unreasonable when we called to make a reservation. He wanted every guest to purchase $50 each of food or else he wouldn't reserve a table. That didn't make sense because they don't have a dish that cost $50. Anyways the service he gave us was not the best representation of the restaurant.

Came into town a few weeks ago. The food was amazing we got the meat lovers pizza,mussels with calamari , and the bolognese. Food was amazing . The restaurant gives you a classic Italian vibes. Service was great and super accommodating . Lots of locals coming in for their usual tables. Now my only problem is I have nothing near this good where I live :(

This was last minute and I am so glad we ended up here. Great customer service! And amazingly good food. I loved their marinara sauce. Basic yet not! Had the eggplant parmigiana and the chicken parmigiana. Delicious and we did not have to wait much to be seated. The kitchen staff knows what they are doing!

This place is the best when it come to Italian food. They have the best pizza, best pasta bolognese, best fried calamari, best Cesar salad, best antipasto chopped salad, and specially their calzone. They will not disappoint you if you choose to eat here. A definite must

I first found in Lorna's a Italian in Kitchen in 1988... I will tell you the food is fabulous. After all these years I was able to go back to San Diego and experience it once again. You cannot go wrong, from the friendliness of the servers to the environment. true the fabulous food... Thank you Lorna's kitchen for still being there after all these years.

New to CA (from NYC) this was the closest pizza. NOT worth 4*. We ordered a large with double sauce & cheese. What a disappointment. Neither extra topping was anything like 2X. But I was glad because the cheese was weird, not like soft mozzarella. The sauce was UGH. Not the usual garlic marinara flavor, but like what comes out of a cheap jar of sauce.

I love this family place! When we come we bring the whole family, kids, grandparents, everyone! & everyone loves it & leaves happy. The service is so warm, friendly, & welcoming. The server Orin goes above and beyond to make sure you understand the menu & find the right dish to your liking. The other servers Rogelio & Roberto are so on top of it when it comes to bringing out the food, clearing plates off the table, & making sure your drinks stay full. We've been here lots of times & we've never had a bad experience. I can't say enough about this team of people who work here. They're amazing. I highly recommend :)

Best pizza/pasta at decent price in La Jolla/UTC Area...worth the drive to pick it up.

According to my Yelp history, I've been eating here for over 12 years now. And I hope to continue eating here till I do or when they close, whichever comes first. This is a casual Italian restaurant for an unpretentious but delicious dining experience. $8 Matteo's Eggplant...a delectable combination of roasted peppers, eggplant slices, tomato sauce, spices, and gorgonzola cheese. Even if you hate vegetables, you'll love and want more of this appetizer. $16 Tagliatelle Bolognese...the best bolognese sauce in America, maybe the entire planet. Its not your typical tomato and meat sauce, there is a perfect amount of cream, cheese and blend of spices that gives it a little extra heat kick, but still incredible for those who don't like spicy. The generous portion is enough for two. It shouldn't even be called "Bolognese", this is elevated excellence in pasta sauce. $17 Chicken Marsala...this extraordinarily large portion of tender pan roasted chicken in the warm buttery marsala mushroom sauce is for the hungry carnivore, such as myself. San Diego is in quarantine mode, but you can still order takeout and keeps quite well if you don't live far. Enjoy!

Lorna's is located in my neighborhood and we have been enjoying their food for over 15 years. I'm not sure why I haven't ever written a review, but I should have, it is long overdue. One of my favorites of Lorna's are the meatballs. They are tasty alone, on pizza or on pasta. I used to really love their meatball panini. Another family favorite are the calzones, they are football sized and very filling. Of course the "tag bol" is always a good choice in my house as well as the gnocci with the tomato cream sauce. The reason I'm writing tonight though is about the cannoli! At my wedding we didn't have wedding cake, only cannolis. So, on my anniversary we have cannoli in honor of our wedding. We ordered two delightful cannolis from Lorna's tonight and they did not disappoint (we had two different cannolis in Big Bear this weekend that didn't quite fit the bill). Lorna's cannolis are especially tasty because they don't have the citrus flavor that some places like to infuse in the filling. These are creamy, have chocolate chips and come in a crispy shell. This was not my first order of cannolis from Lorna's and it will definitely not be my last. I would be completely satisfied if all of my anniversary cannolis come from Lorna's in the future!! Thank you!

The standout dish at Lorna's Italian Kitchen is undoubtedly the tagliatelle Bolognese. I've been enjoying this dish since my childhood, and it remains one of the best in San Diego. Lorna's is a local Italian restaurant with a long history of delivering consistent and delicious meals. Tucked away in a strip mall on Governor Drive, it's a hidden gem known mainly to locals and their friends. Introduced to me by a friend two decades ago, I continue to return for their Bolognese, even opting for takeout when I'm no longer in the immediate area. While everything on the menu is quite good, it's the Bolognese that keeps me coming back. The service is warm and friendly, providing a strong family vibe that enhances the overall dining experience.

Lorna's Italian catered our 100 person backyard wedding effortlessly. Ethan and his staff were amazing through the entirety of the process. The food was delicious and we got so many good reviews from our guests! They took care of our appetizers, main course and dessert. Everything we ate was amazing. The price also felt very fair compared to many catering companies we looked at. It seemed like they truly wanted us to have a great experience and not just looking for a sale. I would recommend them to anyone and use them again for any event!