Francesca's Italian Kitchen

We have been wanting to try this place out and decided to dine here with good friends that we spent extended time in Italy with this year. Reservations for 4 at 6:00 pm, table ready and we were sat immediately. We had not had enough time to crack open our menu and our server was standing over us inquiring to what we would like to order tonight. This repeated twice before we were able to respond with our menu choices. We ordered Caesar Salad and Clam Chowder to start, I opted for Spaghetti Carbonara and wife had the Mussels for main course. Everybody's Caesar Salad came out and they started while I could see from my seat the clam chowder sitting under a heat lamp and server positioned behind register counting receipts. After a bit she realized my soup was not served and went back and got it. No apology, just sat it down and on her way. Main course came out before wife could finish salad. We kept salad at table to enjoy but with such a small table we needed to unload the dish to make ample space for main course dishes. As for quality: Clam Chowder was ok, decent flavor but consistency was thin and far from traditional. Caesar salad was good but they overcharged for anchovies. My wife enjoyed the mussels but they were small and 2 of the mussels needed to be tossed as they did not open. Shame on the chef for serving them. The Spaghetti Carbonara was just ok. I was hoping for a game changer but instead received a dish that was far from spectacular. To sum it up, food was not as good as I expected based on reviews and service was all over the place. Also, it would go along way if servers would smile. Frowns bring negative energy in which a friendly smile or gesture goes a long way in helping overlook little flaws or mistakes. A 3 star review is absolutely fair for this visit.

Francesca’s impresses with its warm and inviting atmosphere, enhanced by friendly service that made our visit enjoyable from the moment we arrived. Our server was both attentive and courteous, significantly elevating our dining experience. We started with the Caesar Salad, which showcased crisp romaine lettuce, tender grilled chicken, crunchy croutons, and a creamy Caesar dressing generously topped with shaved parmesan❤️. The freshness of the ingredients was evident, and the salad was perfectly portioned. For our main courses, we chose the Spaghetti alla Carbonara and the Risotto ai Funghi. The carbonara featured a rich, creamy egg sauce complemented by Pecorino Romano, crispy pancetta, and a hint of black pepper. The risotto was a delightful blend of Arborio rice, assorted mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. While the menu descriptions were enticing, both dishes fell slightly short of our expectations in terms of flavor and execution. The charming ambiance and outstanding service contributed to an overall pleasant evening. Francesca’s remains a worthwhile option for anyone in search of a cozy dining experience with approachable Italian cuisine.

We had a wonderful dinner at francesca's Excellent service Delicious food We'll be back For sure 100% Recomended!

We enjoyed a special night out to celebrate our last night in Temecula. Gil-Marie was our server and she was just great. Not only did she wait on us, but she genuinely connected with us by sharing her story, where she was fro., her travel plans, and more. At one point she even sat for a moment to engage with the family. By the end of the meal, we were ready to adopt her into the family! The meals were amazing. The chef makes each of the sauces from scratch. They were hot, fresh, and oh so good. We each ordered a different entree and tasted each other's and they were all amazingly delicious. Great dining experience.

The chicken parmigiana was fantastic—crispy, cheesy, and full of flavor. The chicken Marsala was equally delicious, perfectly cooked with a rich, savory sauce. The food quality is consistently strong and definitely worth coming back for.

loved this place, service was absolutely fantastic and the food was delectable, whoever gets cristina should be counting their blessings because she is a saint, ask her anything and she WILL help you out. much love to francesca’s and i do hope you try this gem out!

My husband brought me here for valentine's day dinner, and all I can say is WOW!! The food was fantastic, so flavorful and the portions are huge. We will definitely be back again and again!! Great atmosphere, you can dress up for a nice dinner out, or go casual for a nice meal They have a full bar, and the restaurant is extremely clean. The staff are just simply above amazing. Thank you for making our valentine's day special

10/10!!! I love it! So yummy. Everyone was super friendly, the atmosphere was very welcoming!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Food was amazing, service was 10/10 love it here will definitely come back. Best place to bring your family everyone is so nice and love everything about this restaurant

Amazing experience loved the food and service ... it's a perfect place to bring your family and enjoy and family meal together .

A gem of an Italian restaurant hidden away in a local strip mall. Delicious and authentic Italian food at a good price with excellent service! We recently visited the restaurant with a group of our friends after a fun few days of gambling at the nearby casino. Each of us ordered something different and we were bragging about whose dish was the best (I think it was a 3-way tie between the Lasagna Alla Bolognese, Tortellini Ricotta E Spinaci, and Filet Mignon). We were still reminiscing days after about the food and our experience. The guys especially enjoyed the bread and conversing with our server, Maryam, adding to our already enjoyable evening.

I love that there's a nice Italian restaurant near home. The food is amazing and they give you great portion sizes. The pizza my husband ordered was very delicious, the sauce had lots of flavor and he even said it will be something he can see himself craving again.The kiddos plates are even large, and delicious for kiddos. Everyone is really friendly there, always checking in on our table. We even were called sweetie by one of the servers there. Always makes it feel so much more welcoming. Can't wait for our next visit! We want to try everything on the menu eventually through time. We caught ourselves looking at what others ordered thinking "yep, we'll be back for that." Awesome place. Awesome first experience.

We came for happy hour and it was fabulous! The drinks and the food were amazing! The prices can't be beat! We had the meatball's, the bruschetta, and the fried ravioli. All were excellent. We then came back and had a party in the private room. Christina was an incredible server and owner. She continued to check on us. She even helped us decorate the room.The food and drinks were so good. We had the bread, 4 different apps, salads and the amazing entrees. She helped make the party a success.. Christina helped us pick menu and wine items everyone would love! Christina gave incredible service! 5 Stars. Come check this family owned place out!

We have been wanting to try this place out and decided to dine here with good friends that we spent extended time in Italy with this year. Reservations for 4 at 6:00 pm, table ready and we were sat immediately. We had not had enough time to crack open our menu and our server was standing over us inquiring to what we would like to order tonight. This repeated twice before we were able to respond with our menu choices. We ordered Caesar Salad and Clam Chowder to start, I opted for Spaghetti Carbonara and wife had the Mussels for main course. Everybody's Caesar Salad came out and they started while I could see from my seat the clam chowder sitting under a heat lamp and server positioned behind register counting receipts. After a bit she realized my soup was not served and went back and got it. No apology, just sat it down and on her way. Main course came out before wife could finish salad. We kept salad at table to enjoy but with such a small table we needed to unload the dish to make ample space for main course dishes. As for quality: Clam Chowder was ok, decent flavor but consistency was thin and far from traditional. Caesar salad was good but they overcharged for anchovies. My wife enjoyed the mussels but they were small and 2 of the mussels needed to be tossed as they did not open. Shame on the chef for serving them. The Spaghetti Carbonara was just ok. I was hoping for a game changer but instead received a dish that was far from spectacular. To sum it up, food was not as good as I expected based on reviews and service was all over the place. Also, it would go along way if servers would smile. Frowns bring negative energy in which a friendly smile or gesture goes a long way in helping overlook little flaws or mistakes. A 3 star review is absolutely fair for this visit.

Hands down, the best pancakes I've ever had in my entire life! They were fluffy, buttery, and cooked to perfection -- golden on the outside and soft on the inside. Each bite melted in my mouth, and the syrup just made it even better. I could honestly eat them every day. Whoever made those pancakes deserves an award! thank you Christina for the server and outstanding work best server ever !!!

Recently had Francesca's Italian Kitchen Cater my daughters wedding reception. We chose the Spaghetti & Meatballs and the Pasta Primavera for a group of 30. We worked with Maryam Yousif, who was extremely helpful and accommodating. The full pans were plentiful and our guests commented that food was delicious. Could have easily fed 40 people. We had plenty of leftovers. Maryam also allowed us to use their chaffing dishes at no-charge. I would definitely use Francesca's again for any Italian Food catered events. Thank You Maryam for your excellent service.

The food was decent, the ambiance was nice considering it's a strip mall, the service was thoughtful. The crème brûlée had too liquidity and not much flavor. It's a bit over priced for the quality of food.

I ordered from here for take out and it was so yummy the customer service was great right when i walked up the door was opened for me and right away greeted! Went up to pick up my food was ready to go with everything inside and some! There cannolis are out of this world best I've ever had seriously worth every dollar! The fettuccine is what i ordered with broccoli! So yummy came with garlic bread that was so buttery and fresh! I'll def be back . Every-time i come out to Temecula this will be my stop everytime now! Go check it out ! Its cute on the inside to very clean and had a huge variety of wines to choose from!

Christina was our waitress for the evening and was was great. She listed the specials based on the protein wanted. A few seafood pastas and lasagna as well as Alfredo, lasagna and black truffle pasta. We all had drinks which refilled as needed and martinis as needed The restaurant wasn't packed with waiting lines but full the whole time we were there with happy customers eating drinking and enjoying everything. Good food, good atmosphere and all around great experience.

We've been coming to Francesca's for 10 years. This review is for the latest version of the restaurant with new owners. Our greeter/server was Cristina, who was simply the best. We learned about her family and the new ownership changes. Lucky for us, it's still a great restaurant. Some old menu items are still there, and some great new ones. I had ravioli with filet & mushroom sauce, and wifey had the lasagna, which was great. And if you're looking for a great in-house-made tiramisu, you can't go wrong.

Josue was a wonderful bartender! Attentive, timely and had some great one-liners! We love the food at Francesca's and Josue was excellent at keeping our wine glasses full!

OMG far exceeded my expectations. This restaurant is casual with the fine dining feel. The food is simply amazing. From the Bruschetta (best I have ever had) to the Chicken Marsala everything is perfect. The service is always on point! We come back 1-2 times a month! Love it

Fried mozzarella presentation was great , disappointed when they put cold bechamel sauce on a hot piece of fried mozzarella. We ordered the meatball pizza and the crust was under done and the Spaghetti with bolognese and pasta was sticky and sauce was underwhelming. Waiters were talking loudly behind the bar but service was good . Not a top notch Italian place in my opinion .

So delicious! My dad has lived in Temecula for over 5 years now and I've seen Francesca's every time when driving down Temecula Parkway but somehow hadn't tried it until this past weekend. My dad had his favorite Italian place at a different location, so we never really veered away from it, but we decided to change the norm this time and I'm glad we did! I opted for the Chicken Parm, my dad the Spaghetti Bolognese and my husband the White Sauce Lasagna special. We all loved our food so much that we raved about it all night and kept talking about it the next day. My dad said that he is going to start making Francesca's part of his rounds. The meals provided so much food and mine turned into 3 meals for me. I really liked that it came with some veggies as well as the pasta and chicken to add something to the plate of carbs. The chicken was breaded and cooked perfectly, and the skinny spaghetti noodles were a perfect compliment. Perhaps what I liked the most was the complimentary bread! Italian places generally provide bread with oils, but this bread came out doused in garlic and butter and it was literally mouthwateringly good. I can't wait to come back!

We live local but haven't been back in 10 years. This place is now owned and run by a mother and daughter. Lots of love in the food. Was good before too. The bread they give when you sit is crazy good. We loved the delicious muscles as appetizer and to dip their bread...another level. I ordered risotto and salmon soooooo delicious. Husbands pizza was really good. I think it's a good plan to patronize a well run family owned business like this. Bravo Zulu

Fabulous experience. Local little eatery that has it all. The food is house made as is the pastas. 4 of us attended today and we had 2 pastas and two pizzas. The first pasta was the checca which was tasty and light as it should be. The other pasta was the stuffed spinach tortellini with vodka sauce, another winner. The two pizzas were both the carnivores. Lovely sliced meatballs, sausage, and pepperoni. Tasty all around. The portions were a good size, and for the overall taste and size, the prices are fair. Our server Cristina was delightful, and she even brought us a mini cannoli to taste. Wonder soooo good. This review was almost less than 5 stars because the music was a bit too loud. Suggestion would be to move the speaker to an upper shelf somewhere so it's not blasting at table level. Otherwise great place. Don't miss it!!

We had reservations for 6:30 on a Saturday night, they were slammed but we were seated immediately. Our wait staff was great, totally on top of everything. The kitchen was backed up but the staff kept us informed and made sure we had plenty of cocktails. I had the veal Marsala and it was absolutely amazing with a side of angel hair pasta and steamed veggies.

The service is great and the owners are amazing! The food was out of this world! The atmosphere felt like I was in Italy with the music.

The chicken marsala is the best ive ever tasted, the service is great. Everything we've had is delicious.

Like a VIRGIN, it was our first time trying this lovely Italian restaurant and it will definitely NOT be our last! We came during happy hour on a weekday evening and we tried a recommendation from Rhett. SHOUTOUT to RHETT! He was so professional and knew many on and off the menu items and we tried the Arancini for the very first time that he recommended and we loved it! It was like an Italian fried rice ball with cheese and goody vodka sauce... The spaghetti and meatballs with sausage on the side was my husband's most favorite of all and my Chicken Mama Mia was really good too. I wish they would give more of that Mama Mia sauce because Oh! MAMA Mia! It was oh so delicious!! MUST TRY the soufflé! Takes 30 minutes though!! We've been living in Temecula for 5 years and wished we tried this GEM sooner! All the staff were young, good looking and very nice! Mama Mia! We will be back!!

As you can tell by the photos we absolutely devoured the sweets & food here. Some of the absolute best tiramisus I've ever had in my life. The bread pudding with icecream is a must try as well. The pasta is so DELICIOUS. Must come here, especially if you want amazing service and an Italian vibe & food that matches the authenticity!

Francesca's used to be our go-to for holidays. New Year's Eves and Mother's Days have been spent here. We have been here twice in about the past two months and there has been a change in both the quality of the food and the service. When we left on Mother's day this year, we questioned whether or not we will be back. It was not crowded, so that can't account for the service being off.

i live in the neighborhood and have passed by this place a million times. completely unassuming on the outside, and a 5 star experience inside. the service: we were seated right away (no wait time) around 7pm. without knowing it, my table was being serviced by the owner of the restaurant. it wasn't until we asked that the owner revealed who she was. incredibly endearing to see the owner putting in the work and being so hands-on with her business. she gave wonderful recommendations for drinks, answered questions about the menu, and checked on us periodically to make sure we loved everything we ordered. the food: some of the best food in the city. the drinks were wonderfully delicious (and surprisingly strong). every bite melts in your mouth and the food keeps getting more and more delicious the more you eat. from the bread, the entrees, to desserts. there's not enough nice words to describe the food here. a bit expensive, but everything was easily worth double what was being charged, and we did order some of the more expensive menu items. definitely recommend for a date night or celebrating special occasions!

This place is outrageous! We had mussels and a pie. Out if this world! Gilmarie was attentive and fun! Wish we lived here we would be here weekly!!! Great ambiance!

This is my third time dining in at this restaurant, the service was yet again amazing as always. My boyfriend and I got there when they open and sat us right away. My only take that is different is since they are under new ownership, the tortellini feels and tastes different as if they were frozen, I had 10x more tortellini given they were smaller than before which were larger and I think made to cook right away. The pizza was amazing and the filet was so nice and tender. The atmosphere around the restaurant was nice and calm. Very nice and clean as well.

The food was flavorful and rich. I had the spaghetti bolognese and my bf had the sausage ravioli vodka style. Gil Marie was our server. She was charming, bubbly, funny and personable. Her customer service was the kind of service that is hard to find these days. She was on it.

I moved into the condos across the parking lot last weekend, and have now been here 5 times. Each time has been better then the last. They have the best happy hour in all of Temecula. The food and vine are outstanding. Service is unmatched, I really can care less about the ambiance, it my girlfriend loves it. I counsel t recommend a bar/restaurant any higher.

Amazing experience. Every single item on the menu is delicious but honestly love coming here just to hang with the bartender Gilmarie. Can't go wrong. Drinks, 10/10,,.food 10/10...company 10/10

if you want to wait an hour for a simple pasta, go ahead and come to this place, been sitting here for an hour waiting on food and not even busy. food is very mid, salty, doesn't taste anywhere near "authentic" pasta, waste of money and time. steak was very bland, can only taste salt. what a disappointment

I was craving craving pasta and a good glass of wine. We tried Rustico's but the wait was an hour long, so we opted for Francesca's since we hadn't been here in a while and we knew the food and wine would be good. We called ahead and learned there was no wait, which was a bit surprising, but we were excited to head over there. Our server came to take our order and recommended the shrimp tequila fettuccine (not on the menu), it did not seem very Italian, but she said it so popular she had sold about 18 of them today alone, so I went with it. We also ordered a bottle of City Lights Pinot Noir, which we have ordered here before. It was on the menu. When she brought out our wine, we noticed it was already open, not opened at the table like usual. She also turned the bottle around so the label was not facing us. She poured the wine and my husband tried it and said it was okay. When she walked away we turned the bottle around and saw that it was a bottle of Bogle Pinot. Bogle is a $10 bottle of wine. The wine we asked for was close to $40. When we called her over and pointed this out, she said that that's what their vendor sent them. She offered to swap the wine and we got a bottle of Fallbrook Winery Cab. Again, the bottle arrived already open, she just pulled out the loose cork when she poured the wine. Again, we found this odd. When she left, we realized that the cork was absolutely dry. We wondered if they refilled their bottles with a cheaper wine. About 30 minutes later, our food arrived. The place was not busy at all, I saw 3 other tables with customers, so it didn't justify such a long wait. The food wasn't bad though . I then noticed the owner of one of our favorite restaurants, Papa Feta, walk out from the kitchen. We later asked our server if they were the new owners and she confirmed this, but said the kitchen staff was exactly the same and that they had just taken ownership 3 months ago. Later in the evening, the table right behind us voiced their concerns to the same server regarding the service they received and their wait time. It turns out the server was also an owner. We heard her say that they took ownership last month. We noticed a few things she said to them didn't coincide with what she said to us regarding the ownership and kitchen staff. The whole experience was just off. Although the food wasn't bad, my problem was the issue with the wine. It is wrong to deceive customers by serving them something other than what they ordered without informing them first. It is wrong to bring a less expensive bottle out and pour it without showing the customer what you are pouring. We love eating at Papa Feta's and go there often. We will continue to go there because the food is very good, but based on our experience tonight, we will not be dining at Francesca's again.

Went there on a Friday evening around 5. According to the rude waitress, they are under new management and are no longer honoring happy hour prices. The food wasn't bad, but came out at different times after very long waits. This was one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Temecula. And we have gone there many times, but will not go back. As I got a response... the biggest problem was not the happy hour change, it was the loooong wait for the food being served. If you are having chef or cooking issues, an update or apologies are in order. We almost walked out of this establishment for this reason.

Superb! Best authentic Italian food in Temecula. No matter what we order, the quality of the food and mastery of the preparation and delivery leaves us looking forward to the next time we visit.

It took a while to get our food but that's ok cuz we knew it was fresh. My husband ordered the risotto with shrimp and it was outstanding. I did a build your own. Mine had pasta Alfredo sauce and sausage very yummy and my daughter and her friend split a pizza. Lots of flavor. But what put it over the top was our waitress, so pleasant, attentive, friendly, funny. It just doesn't get any better.

Customer service was great! Chicken lasagna was amazing!! Gluten free pasta and bread's fantastic! Very friendly environment, we will be back for sure!!!!

The new owners have added a lot of specials that seem to change often. If you've eaten here before the new owners, don't worry. The old menu items are still available and still as delicious as before. My wife and I eat here about once every 4 or 5 weeks and highly recommend. Gail Marie waited on us last night and she is very attentive. We highly recommend whenever you're craving good Italian.

Came in a large party and the service was great! The ambiance was that of a local family owned restaurant. Simple casual but upscale enough for a romantic date. Ordered a few things and really enjoyed every bit of it! Definitely will come back again

The food was delicious and the atmosphere romantic and fun. Extraordinary service. We had gnocchi that was superb. Save room for the cannoli and spumoni!

This restaurant went above and beyond! My gluten allergy keeps me from going to new places and they insured I would have what I wanted with no worries.. our service was outstanding and we will definitely be back. 10 stars

My wife and I truly enjoyed our dinner. The food was delicious, the drinks amazing, the music was perfect and the customer service was legendary. You can see that the new ownership cares about the customer experience, highly recommend you stop by and enjoy such a wonderful place.

We were sat immediately upon walking in at 8:30pm and had such a great dining experience here. The restaurant itself was very clean and cozy. MISTO FRITTO - was perfectly cooked and crispy - I love the marinara here ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM - a little bit too cheesy for our taste - overall was nothing special but we still enjoyed it FETTUCCINE BOSCAIOLA - pretty standard white sauce; the sausage and mushrooms were a great addition! LASAGNA - their meatball sauce is so delicious - a very filling dish that satisfied our cravings TIRAMISU - so soft and melts in your mouth - not too sweet either!

This is a must visit spot! The new owner is just perfect. The family friend staff is top notch and super personable and kind. The food was absolutely AMAZING! Party of 12 decided to get our own dishes but tons of sharing going on and everything was sooo good!!! They have a mixologist at the bar for those that want some cocktails and don't leave out the gelato dessert with an espresso on top

The food is always on point and the service friendly. Check out the add-on's to the desert menu!

5/5 wow best Italian food in town. Had an Amazing Meat sauce Spaghetti with side of sausage and meatball appetizer during appetizer. And Chicken mama Mia and Soufflé was super delicious. 5/5 Service. Waiter was very attentive, knew the menu like back of his hand, and made great recommendations. 5/5 ambiance was romantic, with piano jazz music, and candle lights at the table!

The best gem in a little shopping area!! I would drive an hour again for this place. Perfect when in Temecula. Parking is easy, service is great, cute restaurant with a little bar and comfortable booths. But what's most important is the food!!! - Complimentary toasted bread in olive oil - to die for - Caprese Salad - Chicken Parmigiana with double veggies instead of pasta - Penne Pasta with a pink sauce and sausage (not on the menu but so good)

With it being our first time out in Temecula, we wanted some pasta kind of food and found Francesca's due to positive reviews on Yelp so we went. As soon as we got there, we were greeted and we even asked our host what they recommended. We went ahead with her recommendations and they did not disappoint. Each bite of the bruschetta was like OH MY GOD. The cucumber margarita was WOW. It sounds a bit dramatic, I know but it's true! Considering that I am very picky and very critical, this was very surprising to my boyfriend and I that I like each and every bite and sip of what we ordered! The first night we went, we had Rehtt as our waiter and he was great! He was very down to earth and funny and his recommendations were great! We enjoyed it so much that we actually went back on our last night in town before we headed home to LA. highly recommend!

In town for a friends graduation party, they are having their dinner here. Amazing service, the staff here is awesome and the owners are great. The happy hour menu is amazing and reasonably priced which is great. Dinner was amazing, food tasted amazing and we very fresh and seasoned very well. If you are looking for a family place to go check this place out.

Ok so it's in a strip shopping center get over it!! This place is the BOMB!! The food, Amazing! Totally yummy and fresh and great portions and amazing sauces, the list goes on. Oh, and the bread is TO DIE FOR. It's fresh from the oven Focaccia bread served with homemade garlic olive oil drizzle. Omg it's a family owned business and very cute atmosphere. But above even that is the SERVICE!! Our server was Gilmarie was probably the best server I've ever had. Said "Hi Beautiful, how can I help you, my pleasure, quick service and responsive. What a treat!! The wine is top shelf as well. The dessert we always get is Spumoni, the Real Italian with dark chocolate candy coating. A Must Have!! So, Run, don't walk to this best kept secret off Temecula Parkway.. you'll thank me later!! Ciao Bella