Gaetano's Pizza Restaurant

Too hot to cook at home so we went to our favorite restaurant. Always good food

We always love this place. Our company used to catering from them but due to economic, they have to stop. We still visit often.. my most favorite, eggplant parmigiana sandwich 😋

We were invited to this restaurant just last week by a friend, the place is perfect for couples date nights nice and quaint. I ordered the antipasto salad and my wife ordered the lasagna both meals were delicious and the portions were exceptionally huge especially my salad, you can literally share for two. The prices were very affordable with very good attentive service so we’re definitely goin back.

This pizza restaurant in Tierrasanta is my absolute favorite — the best pizza I’ve ever had. The crust is perfectly crispy, and the pizzas are unbelievably delicious, full of rich, balanced flavors. The owner always makes it just the way I ask, with real care. You can taste the love in every bite. So, so good!

I've been going to this place since I was a kid and I really like it a lot. They have really good food, especially their pizza.

I always enjoy the food and atmosphere here. There no rush and no pressure just a lunch that is relaxing and easy. I also love the stuffed shells with spinach.

We go here almost every Monday! We call it our spaghetti night. The pasta dishes are outstanding. Food always comes out HOT. (Careful you don't burn your tongue 😝) We also order pizza for pickup a couple of times a month. Best pizza in the area! We've had Birthday 🎂 parties in the back room. The staff is very accommodating.

Pizza is amazing! Beer is just perfectly cold. Service is great, expect some delays when is busy, but it worth the wait.

The food was delicious!!!! I had a chicken dish that was sauteed with mushrooms and capers. Melted in my mouth and the sauce was to die for. The best surprise was the amazing red sauce on the spaghetti that came as a side. I never, ever, ever, like red sauce in restaurants. This one was thick and flavorful. To top off all this delicious food our server was just perfect. You must try this gem 💎

Wonderful food, excellent service, plus good priced ample servings. We enjoyed stuffed shells (with & without spinach), chicken parmesan, & eggplant parmesan while there....then took home an assortment of 3 large pizzas with us! Everything was delicious, and we hope to try more off the menu soon!

This is a real og pizza spot. My family has been coming here for years absolutely love the staff and laughs. Try the Supreme Pizza. But dont forget the soup.

We just moved to the neighborhood and this quickly has become our to go dinner place! The pizza is AMAZING, the meatballs delicious, everything I’ve ordered I’ve enjoyed, the sizes of the meals are huge! When you get shrimp you actually get a good amount of shrimp!! We love it and will definitely continue to come back for some Italian dinner here!!

Quaint Italian restaurant. Upon entering is the pick up for pizzas if you ever want to place an order to go. On the left hand side is where the restaurant is and you will see the cashier right away. They will seat you. They have several booths and tables. It is quite spacious. The atmosphere is a bit dull but it’s chill. The pizza is highly recommended and actually delicious! I ordered minestrone soup and it tasted sweeter than most other ones I have had. It was not bad, just not a preference of mine to have that sweet flavor in it.

Very friendly staff. They were not bothered at all by my daughter who was super intrigued to watch them make the food. The owners daughter was super friendly also. She talked with me and made us feel really welcomed there. The food was delicious. We got a pepperoni pizza, cheesy garlic bread, and the bianca. All were loved by my whole family. I love pizza that feels like the real deal. We will definitely be back.

My kids and I stopped in here tonight and we all loved the pizza! The kids had cheese and I had the combo with a dinner salad. Everything was very fresh! Oh and my daughter loved the ranch as well. ☺️ Our waitress was sweet and very attentive! Thanks for a great experience Gaetano’s!

****5 🌟 STARS *** AMAZING PIZZA ... GOT TO VISIT THIS PLACE IF YOU WANT GOOD PIZZA...AMAZING. WE HAD PIZZA AND TORPEDO SANDWICH IT WAS INCREDIBLE. 😋

Doug Christman

Wonderful food, excellent service, plus good priced ample servings. We enjoyed stuffed shells (with & without spinach), chicken parmesan, & eggplant parmesan while there....then took home an assortment of 3 large pizzas with us! Everything was delicious, and we hope to try more off the menu soon!

Konstantinos Koutzmbis

This is a real og pizza spot. My family has been coming here for years absolutely love the staff and laughs. Try the Supreme Pizza. But dont forget the soup.

Adriana D.L

We just moved to the neighborhood and this quickly has become our to go dinner place! The pizza is AMAZING, the meatballs delicious, everything I’ve ordered I’ve enjoyed, the sizes of the meals are huge! When you get shrimp you actually get a good amount of shrimp!! We love it and will definitely continue to come back for some Italian dinner here!!

Crystal Messner

Very friendly staff. They were not bothered at all by my daughter who was super intrigued to watch them make the food. The owners daughter was super friendly also. She talked with me and made us feel really welcomed there. The food was delicious. We got a pepperoni pizza, cheesy garlic bread, and the bianca. All were loved by my whole family. I love pizza that feels like the real deal. We will definitely be back.

Nooor Khan

Quaint Italian restaurant. Upon entering is the pick up for pizzas if you ever want to place an order to go. On the left hand side is where the restaurant is and you will see the cashier right away. They will seat you. They have several booths and tables. It is quite spacious. The atmosphere is a bit dull but it’s chill. The pizza is highly recommended and actually delicious! I ordered minestrone soup and it tasted sweeter than most other ones I have had. It was not bad, just not a preference of mine to have that sweet flavor in it.

Marie P

****5 🌟 STARS *** AMAZING PIZZA ... GOT TO VISIT THIS PLACE IF YOU WANT GOOD PIZZA...AMAZING. WE HAD PIZZA AND TORPEDO SANDWICH IT WAS INCREDIBLE. 😋

very good, affordable italian food. i have been a frequent diner at Gaetanos for years. My daughter and son-in-law actually drive from Chula Vista to join us for dinner!

Always a great place for pizza or Italian dishes. Generous topping on pizza. Good size salads. Perfectly baked pasta dishes. And a little Chianti to round it all out. Service is always good with friendly servers. Can’t beat this place for a quick (or lengthy) Italian meal.

From the moment you walk in the aromas make you hungry. Kind, family feeling. Service was great and EVERYTHING we ordered was delightful. We had a small pepperoni pizza,lasagna, chicken picatta, and of course the bread . Never leave disappointed and have been coming for over 15yrs.

If you miss the old school (1970s) family style eateries, you’ll love Gaetano’s! You can feel the vibe when you walk in the door and you’re greeted by paintings of Italy set in small brick windows on the walls. Then Forti’s old school too with back vinyl seats in booths for four. The greeter says, “You can sit anywhere!” I had a house salad with Italian dressing and the special of the day, Eggplant Parmesan layered with pasta and cheese dripping from the side of the oval clay bowl. The garlic bread also took me back to the old school days. Good service and scrumptious Italian dishes at Gaetano s. Mangia!

The pizza is Amazing. Easily a top choice for Tierrasanta take-out pizza and probably San Diego. If possible, get served by Alex. She will brighten your day. Gaetano’s has been in business for fifty years and is looking to stay in business for fifty more years if possible. Please, please, please order as much pizza as you can from Gaetano’s. You won’t regret it!!

Love this place! We usually eat there but this time we took dinner to go- dad's favorite restaurant. A very hot pizza and an angel hair pasta dish with mussels, shrimp and clams in the shell! Oh! Garlic bread! Yum!

A true Tierrasanta institution for almost 50 years! Gaetano's serves up tasty Italian cuisine that seems wonderfully homemade. The Gaetano's team is friendly and treats you like family. The prices are very reasonable, especially for portions that may leave you with lunch or dinner the next day. Gotta love that in this rough economy! Be sure to try their loaded pizzas!

Ann Mrs

We always love this place. Our company used to catering from them but due to economic, they have to stop. We still visit often.. my most favorite, eggplant parmigiana sandwich 😋

Lynn Moos

Always a great place for pizza or Italian dishes. Generous topping on pizza. Good size salads. Perfectly baked pasta dishes. And a little Chianti to round it all out. Service is always good with friendly servers. Can’t beat this place for a quick (or lengthy) Italian meal.

Steven Boysan Kane

If you miss the old school (1970s) family style eateries, you’ll love Gaetano’s! You can feel the vibe when you walk in the door and you’re greeted by paintings of Italy set in small brick windows on the walls. Then Forti’s old school too with back vinyl seats in booths for four. The greeter says, “You can sit anywhere!” I had a house salad with Italian dressing and the special of the day, Eggplant Parmesan layered with pasta and cheese dripping from the side of the oval clay bowl. The garlic bread also took me back to the old school days. Good service and scrumptious Italian dishes at Gaetano s. Mangia!

JoDee Turner

Love this place! We usually eat there but this time we took dinner to go- dad's favorite restaurant. A very hot pizza and an angel hair pasta dish with mussels, shrimp and clams in the shell! Oh! Garlic bread! Yum!

Jessica Crosthwaite

From the moment you walk in the aromas make you hungry. Kind, family feeling. Service was great and EVERYTHING we ordered was delightful. We had a small pepperoni pizza,lasagna, chicken picatta, and of course the bread . Never leave disappointed and have been coming for over 15yrs.

Christiane

A true Tierrasanta institution for almost 50 years! Gaetano's serves up tasty Italian cuisine that seems wonderfully homemade. The Gaetano's team is friendly and treats you like family. The prices are very reasonable, especially for portions that may leave you with lunch or dinner the next day. Gotta love that in this rough economy! Be sure to try their loaded pizzas!

Maxwell Blaine

The pizza is Amazing. Easily a top choice for Tierrasanta take-out pizza and probably San Diego. If possible, get served by Alex. She will brighten your day. Gaetano’s has been in business for fifty years and is looking to stay in business for fifty more years if possible. Please, please, please order as much pizza as you can from Gaetano’s. You won’t regret it!!

Martin M Espniza Jr

We were invited to this restaurant just last week by a friend, the place is perfect for couples date nights nice and quaint. I ordered the antipasto salad and my wife ordered the lasagna both meals were delicious and the portions were exceptionally huge especially my salad, you can literally share for two. The prices were very affordable with very good attentive service so we’re definitely goin back.

Read all the reviews and I found this was a pretty good meal. The garlic bread reminded me of the stuff you find in the frozen food section in your local supermarket. We got a pizza 9/10, Calamari 8/10, Lasagna 8/10 and Chicken Alfredo 9/10. The delivery got to us in about 30 minutes and like someone else posted here, they did not give me a total. Wasn't cheap but for all that food wasn't terribly expensive. We will be back.

Came here for lunch with a friend. It was empty when I arrived at 10:40am on a Thursday morning. However, there were 4 other tables with larger parties (2+) occupied as I was here. I ordered the veal in white wine sauce and it was delicious. The sauce was seasoned perfectly with the right amount of capers. The dish came with 3 slices of veal, cooked to gray. It was my first time trying vealx and I enjoyed it. The first slice of veal I cut into was not as tender as I was expecting, and had a decent chew to it. Veal is rich, creamy, and liver-y tasting.The spaghetti on the side was nothing to write home about. Standard noodles and what tasted like jarred marinara. The garlic bread was very yummy, and the best tool to sop up the white wine sauce. I'm salivating thinking of the entree right now. Service was nice. I enjoyed the food, mostly.

What a great traditional Italian restaurant! I had great service from an engaged wait staff. She helped me decide on an entree from the diverse menu and her suggestion was spot on! My food was excellent and I will echo the other reviews on the quality of the Garlic Bread. This is a place that will make it onto my neighborhood favorites list.

Food was awesome and plentiful for the price. I was surprised that this restaurant was not that busy considering it has been around for many years. I hope that more people go in and dine. The staff are very friendly. Go in and enjoy.

Food was amazing and the servings were big, but the ceilings were leaking which was kind of a bummer. Also, there’s little to no signal inside.

This place has pizza and pasta dishes that are fantastic. They have a sit down dining room and a walk up for carry out. The decor has a seventies vibe that is in a desperate need of a have lift however the cuisine makes up the view. My only issue is as a larger man I don't fit in the booths. We were obviously much skinnier in the seventies when the booths were constructed. Overall I rate this as one of my top picks in the area. Family run business worth pulling off the freeway for. (Side note) I feel I'm quite the pizza snob always looking for the perfect slice and I would have to say the sauce, the crust, and the cheese are all the flavors your looking for.

Great food but the older man at the takeout counter is not the friendliest. They have delicious food! The meatball sandwich lunch special is a great deal and their vegetable soup is yummy.

Excellent sauce and entrees at fair prices. They don't skimp on the quantity, even on seafood. A great mom and pop restaurant with the quality of an A list restaurant. We've tried most of the menu and loved every dish! Great service too! Update: The calamari appetizer was excellent, especially the thick marinara dipping sauce. Got two orders linguini with scallops and clams, one in white sauce, the other in red sauce. Both were delicious. Update: Got a 16" large pizza with Canadian bacon and sausage, and a Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were very good. The pasta entrees would be excellent if the pasta was drained better before plating. The sauce is very tasty and would be way better if not watered down by the pasta water. Update: Got a 16" large pizza with meatballs and sausage, and a Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were very good. Pasta sauce was tasty, but watery. Update: Got the Red Snapper entree and Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were delicious.

Rod Gullo

Excellent sauce and entrees at fair prices. They don't skimp on the quantity, even on seafood. A great mom and pop restaurant with the quality of an A list restaurant. We've tried most of the menu and loved every dish! Great service too! Update: The calamari appetizer was excellent, especially the thick marinara dipping sauce. Got two orders linguini with scallops and clams, one in white sauce, the other in red sauce. Both were delicious. Update: Got a 16" large pizza with Canadian bacon and sausage, and a Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were very good. The pasta entrees would be excellent if the pasta was drained better before plating. The sauce is very tasty and would be way better if not watered down by the pasta water. Update: Got a 16" large pizza with meatballs and sausage, and a Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were very good. Pasta sauce was tasty, but watery. Update: Got the Red Snapper entree and Seafood Pescatore entree. Both were delicious.

I went with my aunt and grandma. My grandma ordered the veil eggplant it was very good. My aunt and I ordered the chicken Valentino and she loved it. I wasn’t so impressed. Her Alfredo sauce wasn’t thick enough or cheesy enough for my taste. The portions are very large and the service was good.

I ordered Lasagna. It was the worst I've ever had. There was pasta sticking out and it was not cooked. There was watery sauce. The cheese was ok. The atmosphere was simple but clean. The kitchen was right off the entrance and made the area HOT.

Bill Brock

I ordered Lasagna. It was the worst I've ever had. There was pasta sticking out and it was not cooked. There was watery sauce. The cheese was ok. The atmosphere was simple but clean. The kitchen was right off the entrance and made the area HOT.

Sierra Taramasco

I went with my aunt and grandma. My grandma ordered the veil eggplant it was very good. My aunt and I ordered the chicken Valentino and she loved it. I wasn’t so impressed. Her Alfredo sauce wasn’t thick enough or cheesy enough for my taste. The portions are very large and the service was good.

The pasta was okay — not homemade, which was a bit disappointing. The Alfredo sauce, which the staff said is made in-house, was delicious, but the overall dish lacked flavor and didn’t really stand out. A decent meal, but nothing memorable.

Vita & Vox

The pasta was okay — not homemade, which was a bit disappointing. The Alfredo sauce, which the staff said is made in-house, was delicious, but the overall dish lacked flavor and didn’t really stand out. A decent meal, but nothing memorable.

Not sure how this place has anything over a 3 star review. Husband and I have tried this place 3 times in the 4 years we lived here and I am sad to say I can't get my money or time spent back on this horrendous food. As others say, the sauces taste like water water absolutely no garlic to be found in it. Adding salt pepper and cheese does nothing for the food. Pizza with mushrooms, they used what seemed like canned mushrooms and weren't even sliced, they were WHOLE on the pizza. Crust was soggy because the sauce is so watery, I had to use a knife and fork and cut amd eat it. It was awful, not sure why people are saying their pizza is good here... Only reason I gave 2 stars is the servers are always okay, but nothing to write home to either. They are attentive but never seem too happy that people are there to be served. I'm just in awe this place still exists and yes, I feel horrible writing this, but it needs to be said. One note I will say though, their minestrone soup is always great, so at least there is that!

Jessica O'Neill

Not sure how this place has anything over a 3 star review. Husband and I have tried this place 3 times in the 4 years we lived here and I am sad to say I can't get my money or time spent back on this horrendous food. As others say, the sauces taste like water water absolutely no garlic to be found in it. Adding salt pepper and cheese does nothing for the food. Pizza with mushrooms, they used what seemed like canned mushrooms and weren't even sliced, they were WHOLE on the pizza. Crust was soggy because the sauce is so watery, I had to use a knife and fork and cut amd eat it. It was awful, not sure why people are saying their pizza is good here... Only reason I gave 2 stars is the servers are always okay, but nothing to write home to either. They are attentive but never seem too happy that people are there to be served. I'm just in awe this place still exists and yes, I feel horrible writing this, but it needs to be said. One note I will say though, their minestrone soup is always great, so at least there is that!

It was a pick up service. The food was very bad, the garlic bread horrible. I definitely had a bad experience, I had eaten at this place before and it was great but, today I grade them 0 not even 1. They charge me $58 dlls for two fettuccine pastas and one medium pizza. Service bad No forks, no parmesan cheese nothing got to work excited to eat what a deception. I feel robbed

Came in on 4th of July (party of 5 people 2 of whom were kids) and was super excited to find an open restaurant that was the only part I was excited about. My party and I walked in and waited by the hostess stand to be seated should have known that would be the vibe. There were only about 3 other parties seated so this place was relatively empty. We waited a few min to be told to sit anywhere we liked, we waited over 10min to get our drink orders. We waited around 20 min for drinks to be served and received menus. We had another patron who kept pacing past our table and kept watching us, so after 30 min and our order not being taken we left. My friend did attempt to pay for the drinks. The server gave them to us free of charge and told us she was about to take our order. In all honesty we felt very unwelcomed and that people didn't like us for our skin color.

Gaetano's tierrasanta We sat for 20 minutes. We weren't even acknowledged by the waitress. Had no water and they sat us in the back with No air Conditioning it was hot. Don't even know if there food is any good they had terrible service..

I want to revise my earlier review after they gave me a full refund. It wasn't really the restaurant's fault their delivery guy was so lazy and basically hung up on me the next day rather than acknowledging he could have done better. Hopefully a learning experience. It would be better though if they sent out a message when the delivery is made to avoid future mix-ups. Do not order if you want it delivered. Not sure about the quality of the food since I never got to eat it, but it was too much effort for the delivery guy (who I in advance tipped 20%) to actually ring the doorbell. According to his own testimony, he knocked (which no one inside could hear) and left. Leaving the food in a place that wasn't discovered until the next day. Even though I went out several times wondering if it had been left outside the gate or something. Therefore, I would not recommend.

Ordered Chicken Alfredo to go. I put half in a bowl at home because the sauce was really watery. Garbage!!! No flavor, added salt and pepper and that didn’t help much. Huge chunks of chicken that tasted like boiled chicken!! No flavor!! Sauce is very watery!! No flavor at all!! Salad was an option that came with it. Lettuce was old and one half of a single piece of cucumber was in it. Garlic bread is hard and dried out!! What is up with price gouging and crap food here!! Disgusting!!!

Mandi Ashley

Ordered Chicken Alfredo to go. I put half in a bowl at home because the sauce was really watery. Garbage!!! No flavor, added salt and pepper and that didn’t help much. Huge chunks of chicken that tasted like boiled chicken!! No flavor!! Sauce is very watery!! No flavor at all!! Salad was an option that came with it. Lettuce was old and one half of a single piece of cucumber was in it. Garlic bread is hard and dried out!! What is up with price gouging and crap food here!! Disgusting!!!