This has been our "go-to" restaurant in the FB/Bonsall area for many years, but sadly we are going to have to find another dinner venue. Overall the food was good. My wife's risotto wasn't very good and had the consistency of soft rice, not hydrated well, and quite plain. My eggplant parmesan was very good, but I had to wait around twenty minutes after everyone else was served for my entree because of a "computer glitz." Really? Unacceptable and very unacceptable that the server didn't offer to comp my entree. Leone--it was a good run, but I have to find a better restaurant. With Small Town now gone, it's slim pickins. read more

I highly recommend Fresco Grill. The ambiance is first class, service is attentive and the food is delicious. Price point is a little high but food is really good so you will feel like it was money well spent. Our favorite appetizer is the calamari. For entrees the pizza is good, so is the pasta (lobster ravioli is so good), and for the dessert the crème brûlée and the limoncello are next level. read more

Great little spot and easy to get to from oside, vista, or Fallbrook! Nice that it's off the beaten path as well.

I really don't like giving a restaurant a low rating when. I'm here one time first time. During this covid disaster for food places it just doesn't seem fare. We had a reservation for a table for two for 7. When we got tot he door there was no hostess and several couples waiting in line to check in. We fell in line and waited calmly. The first couple was seated inside. But the couple before us and us got seated outside. Not a huge deal but I asked for inside. After being seated our server approached, told us her name and said I'll give you time to look over the menu. 20 min. later I had to ask for the server to come to our table. Ordered a bottle of wine and out food - after another 20 min we got wine from our server who was ill trained to open and pour a taste and bottle of wine. She could help with menu items and selection. The manager has even tried to check her but to no avail! No bread refills 50 min in! It's now been over 20 min and no food - we are approaching an hour! I'm hoping the food will be the savior! After an hour and fifteen minutes our food finally arrived. I won't bore you with the she had I had. Suffice to say the food was on the almost warm side and definitely not worth the drive. Sad. In these days of struggling businesses you'd think they'd have this right. My final thought: go and try the place. If they aren't up to par tell them politely- hope I've done that here. If they're good or great - tell them that as well! Reluctant 3 stars. read more

Recently had an event for Bonsall Unified School District and Chef Stas put together a wonderful display of catered appetizers. Not only did he work with our budget but everything tasted and looked amazing. I come from a back ground of catering and have worked in the industry for 10+ years so I know the business and our experience with Fresco Grill was superb. Chef Stas had an amazing amount of appetizers to choose from and not just what is listed on the Fresco menu so believe me when I say they will meet all your catering needs. Food was hot and ready to go upon pick up and was nicely packaged as well. It made my event go off with out a hitch. Thank you Chef! read more

This place is AMAZING !!! Delicious food , good wine! It was one of the best lasagna. Portions of food is huge. Good atmosphere! For all who likes delicious food this place for you! I'm gonna back with my husband and friends, again and again! read more

Fresco Grill - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

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I waited another year, and thought I would give them a chance again, but *F* this place! I made a GrubHub order through their Yelp page, got the notification that they got my order, then went over there when I got the notification my order was ready. *** I get down there and NOPE! There is NO order ready. *** ((((( Blank stares from the staff ))))) Turns out, as it was explained to me, the owner apparently is the *only one* with access to the GrubHub "device" and when he isn't there, the staff has no access to it. Guess what, he wasn't there, so the staff was not notified that an order had come in. This is the most poorly managed restaurant I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. Update: GrubHub called the restaurant while I was on hold to find out what happened, they denied all issues and said my order was just sitting there. (that's B.S.) Bonsall is a very small town and there's only a handful of restaurants. I hardly think I went to the wrong "Fresco Grill on South Mission." Now I have to file a claim with my citibank card to make sure I'm refunded for the $100 I've already paid for meals I didn't get. read more

I brought my friend here for her birthday. We came for dinner on a Wednesday night (live music every Wed evening), they open at 4:30pm for dinner. I had made reservations on-line just in case... There was no wait, we arrived 4:30 sharp. The restaurant music was a bit loud for about an hour then it was turned down just before the live music started. The live music was pleasant, at time the musician would walk around to the table and play. We thought it was a bit much but it added to the ambiance. Cost: Pricey, but worth it! The bread brought to the table looked really good, but to our surprise it wasn't all that good. It had no flavor, it wasn't hard, but it wasn't soft. I would have enjoyed it more with butter instead of the marinara sauce. And even more so if it were warm. Appetizers:Polenta Gorgonzo & another appetizer (don't remember the name) with vodka sauce, both very tasty. Gorgonzo was a bit strong for me, but very good. Insalata: Tricolor, good salad with tasty dressing. Dinner: Ravioli Aragosta & Ravioli Salmone. My favorite was the Ravioli Salmone topped with a smidgen of roe. The sauce on both dishes were excellent! Each plate had about 5 or 6 ravioli's. I had to have the Port (Fonseca 20), delish! And a Cappuccino! Desserts: Creme Brulee & Pistacchio Gelato, we both liked the Creme Brulee and my friend enjoyed her Spimoni gelato. The waiter, Michael Ray was kind enough to add a candle to my friends ice cream for her birthday and also had the band play happy birthday for her as well. Thank you Michael for making the birthday dinner special. The place is decorated with murals and even has a fountain in one section. By the time we left the place, it was packed, and for a Wednesday night. Remember that Wednesday has live music (may not be for all) and wine bottles 1/2 off! Hope you enjoy the place like we did. We would definitely return! read more

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Amazing Italian food! And great drinks. I got a lemon drop martini, and ravioli. Probably my new favorite Italian restaurant. Super cute ambiance and not as expensive as I would expect! read more

Food tasted great. The hostess and waitress were extremely polite, professional and poised. We will definitely come back.

How disappointing! Came in at 4pm today it was dead. So expected great service. Waitress forgot about us because she was too busy talking to the bartender for 15.minutes. We asked to get help, a server who just came in for the shift offered to take our order. Our waitress slid in front of her and took our order. We sat through our dinner with nats and mosquitoes..We told the waitress she told the owner or manager and did nothing. He said I will take.care of the plants. Wow last time I went here 2 years ago the service was bad. Decided to try again as we live locally in Bonsall I guess I will try again in 2 years. read more

Came here on a Saturday night thanks to them being listed on Opentable. After having a bad experience with a place not practicing proper safety measures, I was happy to find a place with outdoor, distanced seating. I also am a fan of anyone that uses OpenTable to allow someone to find a table without having to get on a standby list or calling around. As for the food and drinks, I had the limoncello cocktail and the cucumber collins. Both were good but the cucumber collins is the go-to when the rest of the food is going to be heavy. Speaking of, that carbonara was for dinner and the thick pieces of pancetta were a nice surprise. Dessert was tiramisu and while a little unconventional with how it was made, I liked how light it was. When in the area for a quiet, Italian dinner with nice, friendly staff, give it a go here. read more

This is hands down one of the BEST restaurants in the area! Cant believe it took me 3 years to find it... but we will be returning! Amazing food and even better service! read more

Fresco Grill was fantastic for our company Christmas party / dinner. The good food and service were exceptional! We will return!

Four of us ate there last night... 2 entrees had to go back because they were served cold... real cold, like they were sitting out for quite a while. We were charged for bread we did not order and they initially refused to reverse the charge... I had to be the "ugly guy" to get it reversed ... no my style. And for the love of all things normal... get rid of the $1.00 charge for ice in a drink... are you kidding me?? Food taste was ok, nothing more. I really wish I could be positive, but not this time. read more

Zero stars. I will NEVER eat here again! I thought about this review for 3 months before deciding to write it. I simply have not idea how it has great reviews. My husband and I visited on my birthday. I had artichoke pasta with vegetables (special). It was so salty (like a pound per dish salty). My husband had pasta and chicken parmigiana. It was soggy, salty he could barely swallow 1 bite. I spit it out! Not only was the food atrociously disgusting and expensive ($70 no wine). The waitress did not even notice our plates had hardly been touched. read more

The food at Fresco was divine. I had a three course meal and I couldn't have asked for better dishes. I had my first artichoke dish and I can safely say I was delicious! The service was phenomenal. Our waitress was really friendly and cracked jokes half of the time, she was really outgoing. The ambiance of the restaurant was definitely up my alley. The food was great, vibe was great and the company was a 10/10. read more

Food was good but integrity was zero. I called at 230 to ask when happy hour started on a Sunday. I was told 3pm. I went, was given the happy hour menu and ordered the happy hour wine. When the bill came it was double because happy hour really starts at 4 on Sunday. I was the only customer and heard ..."There's nothing I can do." Even after the owner was contacted...Nothing to be done. A heart screw you is what I believe is fair. Not my mistake. Poor training was the cause and I paid for it but not again. read more

Second time I've been here. First time for lunch. Met a good friend for a nice holiday relaxing meal or at least tried to. Service was terribly slow. The table next me to got so tired of waiting they hunted down our waitress. They were asking for water, bread and their food. Our bread was cold, not sure if that is the norm. Brussels sprout appetizer was excellent, scampi entree was ok. Never saw our waitress again after bringing entree until she brought the check. She brought the check because the table next to us hunted her down again. Thank goodness we had lots to talk about at our table. Service was spotty at best. Left a big tip because I could no longer wait for change. Waitress never came back. Disappointing! read more

Fresco Grill - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

Went here for dinner Sunday night with the husband, It was our first time there and based on the good reviews, we were very excited to try the food. We started out with the mushroom soup and salad with anchovies and blue cheese, both were great. The husband was pretty excited to try the entrées now that he knew that the starters were good. I ordered the seafood pasta in white sauce, and the husband ordered the ribeye steak with potatoes. My pasta was bland, the fish was overcooked and hard, the only thing good about that plate were the clams and the mussels. My husband's ribeye was chewy and tough, the potatoes were under seasoned. We both did not finish our entrées. I saw that there was lava cake on the dessert menu, so we got that for dessert. I liked the neapolitan ice cream that came with it, but the lava cake was tough on the sides. For about $100, I did not enjoy this dinner. I was so disappointed that remembering that dinner up to this day, annoys me. Husband want to give it another try, because he said he wanted to support local business. I told him I'd rather give my business to Fratelli's when I am craving Italian food. I give this restaurant two stars for the ambience, live music and the appetizers. read more

Fresco Grill - This salad was good. They did not skimp on the anchovies, probably because others don't like it lol. - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

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I've never written a negative review on Yelp. But they rejected the Costco gift card online but will take physical ones. Meanwhile they are on synergy website as if they take them. Manager said she would offer a small discount and owner refused. Clearly doesn't care about customers. read more

Very good food a little pricey but I enjoyed the meal. Very nice patio lots of room for my newfound read more

Fresco Grill - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

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My husband and I ended up in fallbrook last night after leaving Temecula when we saw how insane old town was on a Saturday. We had pretty much lost hope and were pretty disappointed because it was our first date night in a while. We were just about to call it a night and grab drive thru before picking up our baby, when we stumbled across this place while driving down the road. We were SHOCKED to discover we stumbled across our new favorite Italian food place! We have lots of Italian restaurants in Escondido where we live but this is 100% worth the drive and we can't wait to come back. Our waitress was so pleasant and attentive even though she was busy, the food came out very quick and you could tell the ingredients were all very fresh and quality. Some of the best bruschetta I've ever had. My husband raved about the margaritas as well. 10/10!!! read more

Was disappointed tonight. Very slow service. Our server was lovey but it took 30 minutes to get apps, 15 or so to get drinks and we weren't offered refills until we waved someone down. Main course took an hour. Not sure what the hold up was, there seemed to be plenty of staff. Food was "ok" but I was tainted by the slow experience with no acknowledgement. And the bill was close to $350 for 4 people (one entree each, two apps shared and 6 drinks total). If you charge a premium, provide a premium service. read more

Above average food and a wonderful ambiance combine to form for a pleasant dining experience. I was pleasantly surprised how good every dish our party had was. Every taste was a new, wonderful discovery, which is surprising because I normally do not care for most Italian places. At the outset it wouldn't have been my first choice to come to Fresco Grill, but I'm glad I did. Everyone else in the area would be wise to take advantage of this establishment's charms. read more

Got thanksgiving Dinner to go for 5 pp on thanksgiving as my oven was broke. Honestly the best gravy, stuffing, and turkey I have ever had! Everyone raved about it! Thanks to everyone for putting it all together and the food was still hot when we served, Fresco saved thanksgiving dinner in style! Will definitely be back! read more

UNHAPPY HOUR! We were a local group that gathered at happy hour. There were 16 of us. From the word go, the bartender was an flaming jerk. We attempted to get a big table next to bar, but no, restaurant management crammed us into all the small booths and barstools. Most of our party ordered regular price items. Not to mention many bottles of wine and off the chart cocktails. Save for our group, the restaurant was almost empty. Another miss step was making us have just one check for tables of 4 to 6. Come to find out, some of our tables did get separate checks. My table all paid cash but me. I said, put the balance on my cc. The bartender took cash and charged the entire bill on my card of over $85. They fixed it. They claim to have GF options but have mistakenly serve items with gluten. Regrettably, I will not be going back anytime soon and cannot recommend this establishment at this time. Their saving grace is that the food is good. read more

My husband and I ordered a take out for dinner to enjoy in our room at the Welk resort. Wow, the rack of lamb was juicy and full of flavor, and the salads were so delicious and fresh. We enjoyed our dinner immensely! read more

Fresco Grill - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

Had mediocre service twice, third and last visit was horrendous. We got water and bread and a distracted server who took our orders with a preoccupied and rushed manner. We waited for our meals, and waited and waited. We tried to flag down servers and even the owner/manager who had purposefully blind eyes. We had just come back from hiking, were famished and looking forward to a good meal. We didn't get it. In fact we waited far too long and finally walked out at the 60 plus minute mark. No one cared. Unless you want to get free bread and water after being completely ghosted in public, don't bother. read more

Overall this is a good place. They food is good although a little pricey. They have remodeled and personally I liked the original look better. They do have a full bar and competent bartenders. read more

Absolutely amazing! This place is a must!!! Everything tested amazing. The atmosphere was great. read more

Fresco Grill - Italian Near Me - Bonsall, California

This is our hang out for our girlfriends to get together and celebrate birthdays! We are always given excellent service and the complementary tiramisu is a nice touch when so many places are now charging for a celebratory dessert! I really love the new remodeled restaurant and how beautiful it is inside! The happy hour cannot be better! It seems that the salad plates vary depending on who is serving it in the kitchen. I've had it at dinner and I've had it at lunch. Beet Salad. Last night I had a beet salad as my entrée and it was brought before the soup and it was in a smaller bowl. I liked it better when it was on the large plate. There really is not a bad thing on the menu! Wine Wednesday is particularly enticing as you can get a bottle for 50% off! read more

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego County. Very good food, good ambiance, great staff. I try something different most every time I come here and have never been disappointed. read more

A big city culinary gem in Bonsall CA., who knew? New to Bonsall and referred by a local, Fresco Grill delivered world class Italian cuisine equaled to any Michelin rated fine dining establishment, in a casual and comfortable environment. Thoughtfully presented and prepared. Delicious food! read more

I'm a bit conflicted posting this because we go there a lot. We often ask if they can make something meatless since one of us is a vegetarian and we like to share and eat family style. We ordered a risotto with pesto (nothing else in it) and they charged me $29. I don't think I can go back there and feel good about it but I may be forced to since others in my family that are not paying the bill like the place. read more

We just had a wonderful dinner at Fresco Grill. The service and food were excellent. We had stuffed artichoke and eggplant parmigiana, butternut squash ravioli, lasagna and molten chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. Everything was delicious and we definitely be back! This is a very nice restaurant in Bonsall with beautiful interior and outdoor seating, lovely music in the background and great atmosphere overall. It never feels crowded also. Our waiter Maria was very helpful and absolutely wonderful. read more

we have been to frescos several times, has management changed? someone came to our table before we ate and asked how things were but not after! Caesar salad was huge but not crisp at all, our dinners both chicken portofina and chicken marsala so so, we also had a Manhattan for $12 a house gin for $6 and a Parmesan asparagus as a side but we were disappointed when we told them that it was my husbands birthday, they brought a dessert but charged $12. usually birthdays are special and gratis, they could have told us ahead and we would have ordered what we wanted! read more

I really hate writing bad reviews but, this one needs to be done. We have been coming here for over 15 years it seems like the quality is very hit or miss. The Bruschetta is prepared differently with every visit and the same is true for the Spaghetti Bolognese, we have had to remind them to include the meatball on more than one occasion. Tonight we called in our order and when I arrived 30 minutes later the hostess / order taker seemed confused about my order yet I saw it written down on the notepad in front of her. The first time I asked what if she placed our order she just ignored me, I pressed for conformation of order and she would not respond until I asked her asked again. Her response was snappy and that she was busy. I reminder her maybe she should apologize to the customer for not placing the order. So now I get to wait another 20 minutes, I guess good help is hard come by. read more

Fresco grill was an unexpected surprise. We moved into the neighborhood recently, and it's only five minutes away very Italian. The place is charming and the food is great. read more

New Year's Nightmare Dinner / Disappointment We have been patrons of this restaurant since we moved here to San Diego, 5 years back. We've always had positive experiences with the quality of food and service. But last nite on New Years Eve was the worst dining experience we've ever had for a special event like New Years dinner and more notable with Fresco Grill. Our bill was for $160+, I ordered Surf n Turf for $75, where I requested the steak to be Med Rare. What I got was a steak that tasted like it dropped into the BBQ pit, the surface so burnt all I tasted was a burnt charcoal flavor and the middle was slightly pink, missing any juices. The taste was fairly dry, as if I was eating leftover steak. My wife ordered breaded chicken parmesano, and what she got was grilled, slightly burnt chicken without any visible presence of breadcrumbs. The cost was insignificant, but the principle of being served poor quality food only heightened the waste of money feeling, thus providing us with a forgettable end to 2022. Hopefully this wasn't a precursor to what we should expect to a new year. In summary, if what we were served was served to the TV Chef Ramsey of Hell's Kitchen. He would have lambasted the cooking staff and thrown our food straight into the compost bin. ..and BTW, I was very complexed to write this harsh review, because the owner who we met a couple times in the past, is the most humble, nicest and respectable restaurateur who makes you feel like a valued customer. We will probably try this restaurant again assuming this was an anomaly to what we usually experience, hoping to experience great food again. I have to say, after reviewing other reviews, we decided to not return to Fresco again. As there seems to be an inconsistency of quality of food, lack of commitment to provide a solid customer experience. If I were to guess, they provide bad food and service 25% of the time read more