Mona's Italian Restaurant

Went there to try it based on the reviews I was reading. The worst Italian food I've ever eaten. The Fettuccine Alfredo was cold when I got the sauce broken and pasta was luke warm at best, looked like something from the microwave. The lasagna was basically a greasy soup and the pizzas we ordered were terrible to. The pepperoni was soggy greasy mess and the crust on the BBQ chicken was raw in spots. The side salads were a let down as well with a bland dressing and big chucks of tomatoes and red beans. Would not recommend and unfortunately I will not be back.

First time here. Got a pepperoni pizza 🍕 it was decent. I also got a cannelloni and ya save your $6. The shell was very hard and the inside runny, plus huge chocolate chips . Not good at all.

My boyfriend and I went for an early dinner on Tuesday afternoon. It was not busy, so we sat at a nice booth. Our server was very sweet and prompt. I had the tortellini with mushroom cream sauce. It was excellent. Large slices of mushroom were cooked perfectly. reminded me of steakhouse style. The cream sauce was clearly homemade and divine. My boyfriend got the spaghetti and red sauce and added sausage (it came as 2 large patties on the side with sauce). The sausage was a little mild for his taste, but he felt like it was good quality. Someone recently posted that they got cold food. Well, ours was served visibly steaming and I had to wait quite a few minutes before I could take a bite. The garlic bread was buttered and toasted sandwich roll. Nothing to write home about, but it did the job. Everything was clean: floor, bathroom, utensils. It's looking a little rundown. I don't know how business is overall, but this restaurant is maintaining food quality, which is more important than new chairs or paint.

The food is always great and the service was excellent. Been a loyal customer for over 55 years.

I had a calamari sandwich and a cannoli, and was pleasantly surprised with the food, quality and quantity. I did takeout so I did not get to experience that atmosphere and service on the restaurant.

Incredible Pizza but subpar service. I had to ask a waitress to go get our waitress so we can order after 10 minutes of nothing. It wasn't even busy. Also didn't get a refill on my drink, until after our check came, and that's when I asked for a refill. The waitress took our picture and was nice, just not attentive or quick to cater to our needs. I still gave 4 stars because the food was awesome and I will go back. Just hope for better service the next time.

Inaccurate menu prices. You order something with one prices and then they bring you the check with a much higher price. Once you ask them about it, they say the prices have changed. Perhaps with the higher prices, they could afford to update the menu

I had the grilled chicken Cesar sald and it was a big portion and very tasty.

Both pizza and Spaghetti were yummy! We visited from the Bay Area. We took our left over pizza thru the airport and plane and we had about 10+ comments and compliments about the place. Must be really popular and yummy and that has been proven!! We will visit back when we visit San Diego again. Server was also friendly! She was very attentive!

They gave me fraudulent money back as change today it was a bald man and an older Latin woman with black hair ordered a Philly cheese with the blue strip hundreds and got a crumpled up piece of paper in return claiming they had no change. They took my bill once I complained as well and got on the phone.

My in laws were raving about this place, so when there was not a choice made of where to go we decided to give them a try for take out (their experience was dine in). There were four dishes ordered in total: Fettuccine Alfredo, Veal Marsala, Chicken Ester, Eggplant Parmigiana. For each plate, it was at least $20. Unfortunately, the quality was just not there consistently & each dish had one issue or another. Starting with the eggplant, this item arrived ice cold. We aren't far from this location so I could understand losing SOME heat but not all. Chicken Ester did not have nearly enough chicken for the amount charged. First bite tasted like straight wine as if it was not cooked down (the person eating this had to swap dinner with someone else because they're sober, & this was not expected). Veal Marsala had a very rich taste & the mushrooms were delicious. Fettuccine Alfredo was flavorful & there was a generous amount. Unfortunately, I had a severe upset stomach 10-15 minutes after finishing maybe a quarter of my dish that lasted through the next day. I was the only one to have severe stomach issues so my assumption was it was the fettuccine Alfredo. Ending on a positive note, the Italian soup (minestrone) was packed with flavor & the one dish we all enjoyed. Location is a little difficult to locate, but in a busy parking lot.

Mona's Restaurant is located in the curious neighborhood of Allied Gardens, which makes it a fun drive to reach the restaurant in an unexpected location. Parking is not an issue. I like to sit in the semi-circular booths on the left as you enter. My usual go-to selctions are the Chicken Parmigiana or the Tortellini, which you can have with Marinara upon request. The dinners include a hearty Minetrone and garlic bread. Service by Scarlett is refined, gracious, welcoming and efficient, and her wonderful manner is the reason I return to this secret spot as often as I do!

Not happy with the straight-shit garlic bread, total trash. The veal was pure perfection. They also need to work on their Fettuccine Alfredo, damn near the worst I ever had. The service was great, parking was not so great. $29.00 for the Veal with a salad and pasta, not bad, very fair pricing and portions. Just get the veal to go and make your own pasta at home.

This place is amazing! Not only was the customer service on point but the food was awesome. I really like the ambiance. The decor mimics a cute Italian outdoor sitting area. I had the fettuccine Alfredo and got to stuffed on that as well as salad and bread. Oh also, I ordered a glass of wine and definitely got what I paid for and more. I think it's safe to say that I will be coming back here regularly.

The server was nice, but two of the three dishes were extremely salty making them not edible. The booth seats were so worn out that you had to sit off to the side to get a comfortable position. Unfortunately, the best thing I can say is that at least the draft beer was good.

Very upsetting that we called asking if they have outdoor dining because we have a dog. The guy who answered said yes to outdoor and dog. We got there and didn't see any tents for outdoor dining. My boyfriend went inside to ask and the guy didn't understand us. So my boyfriend said "wow wow", instead of "woof" or "roof"...lol. But the guy understood and said "oh no". At this point, I'm quite upset. I'm outside while my bf places the order for take out. Everything on the menu is average $22. For a lower price point, order from a la carte section. You can order full or half size. Our order was going to take 30mins. -Works pizza w meat sauce ($22.95) - medium - Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onions. Not a fan of this as it was greasy and when you pull a slice off, the entire top layer separates and you end up with the bottom crust in your hand. The crust is hand tossed and you can watch the chef. -Spaghetti a la Mona Lisa ($14.59) - so very good! The sauce is not a typical tomato sauce but kind of sweet and there's peas! Definitely a Mona's secret sauce of some sort. Tastes fantastic with the garlic bread. -Wings - I didn't eat this but bf said it was "ok". -Stuffed shells ($14.59) - mozzarella, ricotta, Romano cheese, spinach. Came with three large stuffed shells. My bf and I are not a fan of cheese, so not sure why he ordered this but he thought it would be filled with meat. The window says dine-in available but it seriously looked dark and eerie in the dining area because the lights weren't turned on yet. There's only one person working who's also the chef. Poor guy was working on phone orders and ours. Plus he doesn't understand English well. More people came in after to place orders. The chef felt bad that we waited more than 30 minutes for our order so he gave us a salad and upgraded our pizza from medium to large without charging. The salad was generic with meat and cheese. The garlic bread was amazing. Paired well with the spaghetti. Based on price, service, quality, taste, and ambiance, I would rate a 3.

At what point are we supposed to be "patient"when we pay a lot of money for a dish that clearly wasn't the dish we ordered in the middle of a busy workday? The garlic bread wasn't even garlic tasting and it was soaked in a red sauce! I expect the dishes to be what I ordered. I was on the phone with the person for a good few minutes and no resolve was offered other than me coming to get it. Perhaps make the dish right the first time and there won't be a need to worry about how to get a new order to a customer? They also have their friends and family harass you for bad reviews. Even mentioning my child! A child! That's the type of people that they are I guess. This place is trash Tried this place for the first time via door dash. Ordered spaghetti with ham, peas, and cream sauce. What I received was spaghetti with mushrooms, peas, and cream sauce and NO ham. The dish itself was really bland and probably would have been good with the ham balancing out the blandness. I paid 19.00 for this dish that equals probably 5.00. When I called them, they offered to make it for me but I had to go get it. I'm in the middle of a workday, which is why I door dashed! Perhaps next time make what I ordered or give me a refund! The garlic bread was on a sesame roll and soaked in red sauce without any garlic flavor. I'm not sure what that was about.. I've never had garlic bread like that.

Outstanding food and service! Very cute and clean inside.We will definitely return to try other items on their menu.

The food is ridiculously full in flavor. For the price it absolutely is my top choice for italian in the san diego area. The prices are reasonable for quality provided. The wait staff was a little light during lunch time but thats understandable seeing as they are a dinner restaurant. All service was timely efficient and kind and each of them went above and beyond. The restaurant is a smaller out of the way spot with fantastic environment.

2:30 on a Thursday, the place was empty. I grabbed a menu to order the same sandwich I've bought here for twenty years. The waitress (owner's daughter) ran over to substitute the new paper price list....now charging $17 for the sandwich. Another price increase! which she denied saying they haven't raised prices in two years! A bold lie. The sandwich was $15 on the menu and $13 online. I told her I wasn't going to eat there after all. She said...."That's because you're cheap, you stupid B tch!" I was horrified. The cook (owner) came out of the kitchen because she told me to get out of her restaurant yelling "Stupid B tch" at me over and over. This is the respect and appreciation for a 20 year repeat customer from an entitled, rude, spoilt brat. I asked the cook to make her stop cursing at me but he acted stupid and did nothing. I told her she was the stupid B to treat a customer like that. Common courtesy doesn't exist in our degenerate culture if service providers act like animals towards their customers. Subsequent to my post, the owner has claimed I entered in a rage cursing at his innocent, potty mouth daughter. Yes, on camera. Nice they lie as well as fail to apologize. This young lady? verbally attacked and insulted me when I decided to leave without ordering.

As I've said in past reviews, Mona's is my top choice for pizza in the entire eastern county of San Diego. I've been enjoying food here since my first pizza in 1969. Consistently delicious pies that are made with passion and expertise. Owners Javier and brother Alessio are also the chefs whose aim is to make you a happy customer for life and not just a customer today. They took over what is now Mona's a year or so ago when the original owners decided to call it quits.... I'm glad they did! While my wife and I regularly crave their pizza we've been known to delve into other items on their menu too. While I know live about 15 minutes away, it's a bit of a drive to get my fix..... but, worth every tasty bite. My favorite pie you ask?..... their homemade sausage with anything! But, usually with mushrooms and or pepperoni..... Classic deliciousness! You guys rock! PS..... Thanks for the kind words Maria!

Love this place great food wonderful service. Always friendly and accommodating quick service too

What a gem!!! I remember coming here growing up and the food is still as delicious as I remember! The spaghetti with meatballs is so good and comforting!! the pizza is perfectly done and made with fresh ingredients

Great pizza but a terrible lunch place to come to. Currently it's 1239pm on a Friday, we're the only 2 people in the restaurant. No lunch menu, no kids menu, no apple juice for kids... lady working barely speaks English. They really need to up their game for a restaurant open at lunch or decide to just close and keep it as takeout only and weMll go to another sit down pizza place. Very disappointing.

The Italian food here was the best I've had in San Diego in a very, very long time! Given its location, minimal footprint and signage, it is easily missed. Definitely give it a try - the fettuccine, pizza, mozzarella sticks, and salad were perfect! The restaurant was clean, recently upgraded, and had a nice, cozy atmosphere. Finally, our server, Scarlett, was very pleasant and provided excellent service. We will definitely be return customers! Great job!

We met for birthday lunch with the girls and the service was outstanding! Scarlet is beyond gracious and took great care of us. The pizza was more than enough for 5 of us and I always love a white clam sauce with spaghetti.

Definitely will order catering again! I had food delivered for my son's bday party and everyone was raving about it. The owner chatted with me about the number of guests, what I was hoping to order, and made a package that included garlic bread and delivery. I had said I wanted cheese pizza for the kids but opted to put that money towards their big salad instead, and lo and behold, when the delivery arrived, he had included a pizza, too! I was so thrilled to see that bonus and it was nice of the restaurant to do that for me. We are still eating the delicious lasagna many days later. And the chicken Marsala was the juiciest, most tender, and flavorful chicken we may have ever had! I will order catering from them again and and again if it's this great quality and customer service!!

Not the best. Once I saw the salad, I knew it was game over. Save your money, it's probably best if you order Olive Garden!!

Absolutely love this restaurant and food and staff Great value and they are so nice Restaurant is very clean!

The interior was clean and nicely decorated, our server was very attentive and kind. That is about where the good ends. We ordered garlic bread as an appetizer, it was essentially old dry sandwich bread with the sesame seeds on it. The minestrone soup tasted like someone over-spiced it and looked like had been around for a while. The salad is basically iceberg lettuce with a handful of kidney beans and 3 slices of tomato. The ravioli sauce tasted like tomato soup and the chicken parm tasted old and rubbery. We ordered a pepperoni pizza as well and that was below average, greasy and the cheese tasted like a blend of cheeses from a bag and not mozzarella. I am very sympathetic to small business owners pre and post covid, like I said the staff was friendly and well meaning and the ambiance was nice, yet the food was literally un-eatable. The food was shockingly overpriced. The three of us left having taken sample bites of each of the items, and with 3/4 of the pepperoni remaining. We proceeded directly to a favorite sushi restaurant to have dinner, which is a first for me.

This is the restaurant's "lasagna " I received from grub hub It's an embarrassment to Italian cuisine Prison food can look and taste better I never give reviews on yelp But I couldn't hold my self The other pasta I ordered was swimming in cream sauce which was flat boring and more suited for school cantina I wish allot of luck to the owners to stay open I those hard times of COVID But with food like that I will start thinking on other options

Still coming here for the Chicken Picatta! Come see Pearl, the waitress! She's the sweetest!!

I have been frequenting Mona's Italian Restaurant for thirty years, but tonight they really out did themselves. Eliseo and his family and staff saved my son's graduation party on short notice by allowing us to move our party from our yard on a rainy weekend to the restaurant. The food was superb and the service warm and on point. They treated us like family and I am so grateful. Every meal, every pizza we have had for all these years have been amazing, but tonight will be remembered by my son and our family for many years to come. Tonight the chicken parmesan with penne pasta in a delightful cream sauce with fresh vegetables on the side was more than delicious. The meal started with a fresh green salad and delicious French Bread. All so fresh and so wonderful. We will be back soon!!!

Absolutely amazing experience; from the service when we walked in to when we finished our meal. You can tell the staff take pride in what they do. Their pepperoni pizza has an authentic taste that you simply cannot get anywhere else! The spaghetti and meatballs are my absolute favorite along with the garlic bread. Support small businesses they have families to feed and a community to feed!!!!!!!

This place has good food however The prices were already high to begin with but the prices have gone up soooo high in the past month that two large pizzas are over $60. I get it prices go up but I can go to filippis for way cheaper. The prices lost two costumers today. I just hope for their sake it's worth it.

Mona's accommodated us for a large group on short notice. The chef took great care of us by helping us select a variety of pizza, pasta and salads to satisfy everyone and provide plenty of food for all. The servers were attentive and the food was great.

The "Mona Lisa Special Sandwich" was in order to go when I stopped by this establishment. It's special because in addition to the ingredients that already come with your typical torpedo, they add sliced meatballs and a special sauce: a sauce that was reminiscent to a marinara. At $12.95, I felt the price was quite steep. For what it is worth, $10 would be fair. It was a large sandwich. I will give them that, but the way the ingredients did not play well together was another issue. I liked all the meats that came in the sandwich: the ham, the salami, the Mortadella, and especially the sliced meatballs, but these meats in combination would better be served heated, and most definitely the sliced meatballs. One of the things that threw me for a loop was the sauces they put on the sandwich. I did not mind the spread of mustard, but then on the underside of the top roll, they spread the red sauce I mentioned early. Two things I did not like about it: first, the sauce was on the sweet side and did not go well with the deli meat slices, and secondly, there was to much of it and it dripped out of the sandwich which made a mess and made the top bread soggy. Lastly, it clashed with the mustard and they did not get along. Honestly, the sandwich would of been better with out it. The bread was okay. It tasted good but it was not soft and moist in the inside. The outside had a good Italian crustiness but it was inconsistent inside or kinda dry in areas then soft on others. In the end, I was disappointed in this $13 sandwich and I would not order it again, unless the price was more reasonable and if it were better made. It can be much better.

Cute little Italian spot with all the vibes. Their food is consistently good and feels like a true Italian meal. Their prices seem a little higher than other comparable spots which is totally understandable during covid, but they are still worth it. The pizza is super duper cheesy with all the real fresh cheeses. A must experience.

Our food was really great. Not super busy on a Saturday night so the service was quick and everyone was very friendly.

Yikes. Avoid this place like the plague. 25 dollars for chicken Parmesan? 30 dollars for spaghetti and meatballs? Ok I guess, times are hard and all that. I could justify the price if the food was good, but after I ate it, I would've paid them 30 dollars not to serve it to me. The sauce looked and tasted like it came out of a can. The chicken had a weird after taste to it, like it came out of the back of the freezer or something. The waitress was very nice, but the food and the price were terrible.

It was good. Decent flavor. Ordered from Uber eats and it showed up piping hot. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and cheese bread with marinara.

I don't know how long Mona's (previously Mona Lisas) has been around but my family and I have been eating here for as long as I can remember and we've lived in Allied Gardens for 30+ years. It started with Friday pizza nights and transitioned into Sunday family dinners. You can't go wrong with their pizzas, the stretchy cheesy goodness is amazing. Their spaghetti marinara is also a favorite of mine, I could eat a full portion on my own if my family would let me (they make me share though). My dad religiously orders their torpedos and my brother does the same for their meatball subs. Most recently my parents ordered the catering size lasagna to feed 10+ people and it was seriously so amazing; I'm shocked I have never had it before but it is definitely going into my rotation. It came in a perfectly sized serving tray all covered up tight and it cut and scooped out to perfection, I'm drooling thinking about it and wish I had a piece right now. It fed a ton of people with leftovers for lunch the next day and came with their classic garlic bread and a catering size salad! I'm a salad fiend as well and their caesar and dinner salads are a perfect crisp appetizer. Mind you, typically my family is doing all this ordering "to-go" and we have yet to receive anything that isn't warm, cheesy, fresh and delicious. It's SO SIMPLE to just call in your order and come pick it up yourself in 20 minutes, we've literally never had a problem. Also it's so nice to walk in and have their amazing staff greet you with a smile and remember you then hand you your order, they're all so kind and attentive. On occasion just my boyfriend and I will go into the restaurant to sit down and eat and we receive the same excellent service as we do from to-go orders. There I've tried the eggplant parmigiana sandwich which is just amazing but my ALL TIME favorite by far is their clam linguini with white sauce, OMG so delicious, you must go in and try it, with a cold beer on the side of course. This place is authentic Italian food served by a genuinely talented and thoughtful staff, you're really getting what you pay for and my family and I never regret any amount we spend there.

I moved into my home 5 years ago across the street from Mona's. My very first meal in the city was Mona's as we went there after a full day of moving in. Unfortunately we never returned because how expensive it is. It sucks because it's SO easy being walking distance, and we love Italian. 5 years later we decided to call in an order tonight. These prices are unreal?? So many Yelp reviews agree - About $25 for an entree? This is a small restaurant in a strip mall, not a black tie reservations needed restaurant. To pay $50 for my wife and my meal, with no alcohol or starters is unreal? BUT... I didn't care. It had been so long I wanted to give it another try - until I checked out Yelp, the first post got me "the chicken parm was not good, and the sauce tasted indescribably ODD". That was the nail in the coffin for me. Unless you're shipping all ingredients directly from Italy, you should rethink your prices. So we went to Filipis up the street as we always do. Grabbed a FULL entree, Caesar salad, bowl of soup, and a starter for just about the cost of one of your single entrees. I'll give it a try in another 5 years.

First time here and it's a really great family owned spot. I did take out and didn't really know what to order so the daughter was kind and helpful with recommendations. I also asked for something not on the menu and since they knew how and had the ingredients, they were gracious enough to appease me. Food was fresh and delicious. My nephews enjoyed the pasta and cannolis and we adults loved the lasagna. I'd come here again, try some lunch next time since they have some interesting sandwiches that caught my eye.

This place is FANTASTIC! WOW! But that pizza though!!! Great atmosphere and old school quality customer service. Clean and ornate. Perfect for a Romantic escape from the hustle and bustle. Maryanne is a peach. The air conditioning is such a treat from the heat. This is a must try eatery!!

Best pizza ever! I've been coming here for a while. I even went here for my birthday dinner one year. Recently they accidentally mixed up my mom and my pizzas, my mom is gluten free and I'm vegetarian, normally I would just eat what it is but couldn't in this situation. They fixed it no problems Daniella went above and beyond for us. Next time I am gonna leave a really great tip for these really great people. Go here! 5 customer service and 5 pizza!

Open on 4th July when nobody was and pleasantly surprised with their delicious and authentic spaghetti dinner and anti pasta salad! Great customer service too!

Take Out: House Salad + Garlic Bread + Small Antipasto Salad = $32.00. Not including tip... Yeah, No. And never again.

This Italian restaurant has been in our neighborhood since before we even lived in it 15 years ago! If you want large servings of your favorite Italian dishes this is the place to go! I'm not a big Italian fan, but I do love their famous torpedo sandwich! It is humongous and you can share it with someone if you're not ready for a ginormous Italian Dish. Their Pizza is pretty delicious and they're canteen house wine is one of the most delicious red wines I've ever had! If you are in this place and you like red wine ask for their canteen! You will not be disappointed! One thing to note is that if you are a big spaghetti lover and you order there Mona Lisa spaghetti be prepared that it is smothered in peas! Just a slight warning in case you do not like them you can ask for them without!

Great Italian soup! Some very great flavor and full of vegetables! The pasta dashes were great as well. We ate here twice while on our vacation.

Ordered two pizzas for the crew today and they loved them. We had the pepperoni and the "works" pizza. The pizza was some of the best. The works pizza had thick chunks of sausage and layered with heavy cheese: The cheese pizza was delicious because they use real cheese. The customer service was awesome and quick. Mona's is definitely a keeper.

Had dinner here and have also gotten delivery previously. Each time the food has just been mediocre and not worth the high prices, unfortunately.

First time I tried the pizza. Ordered the works and was very pleased! Authentic, and meaty.

I loved going to Mona Lisa when I worked in Little Italy, so I was excited to learn that there was a location near my home. To clarify, some reviews mention a deli, which is in the Little Italy location. The Waring Road location is a stand alone restaurant and has a different owner, they are however, related to each other. This a fantastic place if you're looking for some Italian food that tastes homemade and is served up by a friendly staff in hearty portions. My favorite thing on the menu happens to be the Meat Lasagna. So much so in fact, that this is the only place I order lasagna from dining out. It comes served up in a piping hot dish, piled high with pasta, a generous serving of ricotta cheese, and well seasoned meat, topped off by their delicious red sauce. It comes with soup or salad and garlic bread. They offer a great vegetable soup with a incredibly light tomato broth, which I'm happy I tried. I also recommend their pizza and antipasta salads. Fair warning, the large Antipasta salad is enough to feed a small army and the small can easily feed 4 adults as an addition to their meals. If you're ordering one, get the dressing on the side so you can take home any leftovers.

Had a last minute change in dinner plans and we were near Mona's so I decided to call in an order.... SUCH A GREAT IDEA! We ordered lasagna, tortellini and stuffed shells- it was AMAZING and the portions are big enough that the four us had had plenty to eat and leftovers for tomorrow. We will definitely be coming back for more.

I ordered through Uber Eats. The chicken parmigiana was good and the chicken was juicy. The only thing I didn't like was that they packaged the spaghetti with the mixed vegetables instead of the chicken parmigiana.

First time = Great gluten free options with flavor (Pizza & Penne)! An extra STAR goes to Daniella - she does it all (phones, hostess, curbside delivery and food preparation). Will be back.

Oh mama-mia the cannoli!!! After the eggplant...oh my, what more can be said. Oh yeah...the waitresses all go out of their way please.