The wifey and I decided to go out for some cocktails and dinner locally and we picked Garbatella which is located in the Otay Ranch Mall. The parking was plentiful unlike going to downtown or Hillcrest, or North Park, or Convoy. We went early enough where we didn't have to deal with a crowded restaurant. We started off with our obligatory Old Fashioneds which were delicious. Wifey then got a Oaxacan Old Fashioned which was also delicious. As far as food we started with their calamari which also included some shrimp and a nice cocktail sauce. The calamari and shrimp were very nicely fried and had very nice flavor. For our mains I got the carbonara and wife got lasagna. Both dishes were cooked very well and were yummy. We had a great time tonight at Garbatella and will definitely return. read more

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Dined here last night, waitress had a difficult time for some reason to keep my water glass filled. Had to keep asking for more water. My wife had the Lobster Ravioli , and I had the Spaghetti Bolognese. Both dishes were absolute garbage. Chef Boyardee out of a can would taste much better than the Spaghetti Bolognese. I'm gonna refrain from commenting on the Lobster Ravioli dish. I motioned to my server to come to the table since she wasn't paying very little attention to our table the whole meal. When she finally came to the table, I handed her my dish and I told her this is terrible and she looked at me with a deer in the headlights stare. I said take it off the bill and she left. Didn't even ask me if I cared for something else or talk to a manager or whatever like good customer service would do. Do not dine in here. There are way better places. read more

Let's go from start to finish. Service: 0.1/5 Ambience: 3/5 Food: 3/5 (might as well go to Little Italy for the pricing and better service) To be clear, I did try reaching out via Instagram before writing this review and never heard back. I decided to take my parents out for their 38-year anniversary, and they chose to try the place I've been telling them about Garbatella. My birthday is also the day before their anniversary, so this dinner was meant to be special. We walked in at 5:15 PM after seeing on the website that Happy Hour was from 3:00-5:30 PM. Our reservation was at 5:45 PM, so we wanted to catch the end of HH. We stood there for almost five minutes without being greeted, which in any restaurant for a guest is a long time. When we were finally acknowledged, the server already seemed irritated by our existence. We told her we had a 5:45 PM reservation but wanted to enjoy Happy Hour and asked if we should order at the bar or if we could do it at the table. She completely ignored the question, sat us, and handed us regular menus. When I asked again, she said HH was already over. I mentioned the website says 5:30 PM--and at that point it was only 5:22 PM. She responded that it actually ends at 5:00 PM and that the website is outdated. She then seated us directly between the only two other tables in an otherwise empty restaurant, so there was no sense of space or privacy. Again, if it was a full house totally understand but it was practically vacant. Trying to laugh past it, we ordered drinks and bread. The bread came out before the drinks--which is a restaurant SIN. When I tried to order the Pappardelle Rione (a dish I've ordered here many times and is still listed online), she told me they no longer have it and again said the website is old. I asked if there was anything similar or if the kitchen could make something close, and she pointed me to roast beef with mashed potatoes... after I had clearly said I wanted pasta. She rushed through taking the rest of our order, and I already felt like an inconvenience. Mind you, there were only three tables in the entire restaurant. She could have tried to meet me in the middle on an item but acted as if she had no time to deal with my order or make any suggestions per my requests. Two minutes after ordering, I decided to switch to the bolognese with burrata--just to stick with pasta like I originally wanted. She told me they had already started my dish and that changing it would be an additional charge. At that point, with the inconsistencies in HH timing, outdated website menu, seating, and overall attitude, I just said to add it to the bill. Since we all know she wanted to rack it up at that point or to shut me up basically. I've worked in the industry for some time now and not ignorant to servers antics. Both of my entrees came out. The meatballs were likely microwaved, the burrata was missing, and the roast beef with mashed potatoes was nothing special. Couldn't be that fresh if it came out that quickly is all I'm saying. My Coke was empty by the time the food arrived, and she never once offered a refill. Eventually, my mom had to flag down another younger server to get drinks. When our original server finally came back, we ordered tiramisu. My refill came barely before dessert was dropped. She then completely disappeared to chat with another table. No acknowledgment of our celebration, no dessert gesture for my parents' anniversary -- NOTHING. I actually had to get up from the table to find her so I could pay. She seemed uncomfortable when she realized I was the one paying--and tipping. I typically tip 20-30%, but this was the first time I've ever left 10%. She didn't even provide me with a copy of the receipt after saying she would. I have never felt more brushed off by a server in my life. Didn't get her name. She was older, dark hair, heavy eyeliner, and cold unwelcoming demeanor. What happened to good customer service? Don't know if it was our race, my age (much younger), or if we just caught her on a bad day. Either way would not recommend due to the inconsistencies of the times, menus, and service. Based off of the other reviews it looks like they pick and choose who to give it to. Especially the demographics... VERY interesting and disheartening. read more

Serving Italian magic "squid-iculously" well, Garbatella never misses. From the perfectly crisp CALAMARI FRITTI to the delicate SQUASH BLOSSOM with ricotta and mild green chili pepper sauce, every bite feels like a little Roman holiday. I'm obsessed with their STRAWBERRY SPINACI salad and the classic CAPRICCIOSA pizza loaded with prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, artichokes, and black olives. If you love seafood, the LINGUINE A MARE is a whole ocean of flavor--Spanish shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels, white wine, garlic, lemon, and chili flakes. And don't even get me started on the soul-warming RISOTTO E OSSOBUCO... absolute perfection. Ended the night with their dreamy pistachio cake and the sweetest service from Val, who made the experience unforgettable. read more

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First time here been wanting to come here for a while. And without a doubt, it was a good idea. The food was delicious. Their house bread is so good. Ordered a second helping of that, we had the lobster ravioli, and the lasagna with the Caesar salad and for dessert I had the pistachio cake. I think that's what it was called . and some kind of lemon cake super good. They're bartender was the server so he was really busy so it's understood. We didn't get the quickest service cause it was before the dinner rush but the bus boys were great at bringing water taking care of us and I love the decor inside the restaurant. Definitely be back. read more

Garbatella - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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I found out there's a reason why this place gets knocked for wait time. I was seated promptly, but I waited over 20 minutes even making eye contact with a server who kept walking. One table beside me seemed to be ok with service as their food arrived, and another couple next to me looked like they had finished their meal and were waiting to pay. I followed a server to let her know I wanted to order and ended up walking out. I picked up soup at Baron's instead which was a fraction of what I would've spent here, and it tasted amazing! I'll stick with Little Italy. read more

I'm extremely disappointed with Garbatella's lack of organization and communication right now. I made a reservation two weeks ago through OpenTable for March 1 at 12:30 PM to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday, with family traveling in from Los Angeles and the East Coast. Tonight (the night before), I received a call saying their hours had changed and they could no longer accommodate our reservation time. They mentioned the hours were updated a week or two ago, which makes it even more frustrating that we weren't notified sooner. Also, Apple Maps and Open Table both had the outdated hours listed when booking and 5 minutes ago. While they offered a later time, that isn't possible due to flights and travel schedules. This caused unnecessary stress for a meaningful family celebration and reflects very poor planning and communication. I would have appreciated more notice, as now we are scrambling to find a reservation for a large party less than 24 hours before guests arrive. read more

Stopped in for a glass of wine, we ended up ordering 2 salads, with chicken and an order of bread. I ordered a Caesar salad and My husband got the Wild Berries. It was delicious. We shared and mixed and both salads weee great. Service was quick and courteous and the restaurant was nice and clean and welcoming. Really enjoyed it. We will be back. read more

We had come here a year ago and wasn't too impressed with what we ordered (seafood pasta had too much lemon), but we came here again and was delightfully impressed. For the appetizers, we got the 1/2 dozen oysters off the happy hour menu and the calamari fritti. For the main course we ordered the salmon with Parmesan risotto and the shrimp vodka pasta. Oysters tasted fresh and calamari with shrimp was seasoned perfectly and had great texture. The salmon had great flavor and the risotto was perfectly al dente and creamy. The vodka pasta was amazing. The shrimp was plump and cooked well, the sauce was slightly spicy in the best way. I added a little Parmesan cheese to top it off. So glad we gave them another chance. read more

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I don't know why it has taken me so long to come to this restaurant?.... But I'm glad I finally did! This place used to be a Macaroni Grill and maybe because it left is why I couldn't go back, but man this place slightly better than the old grill. So listen, I have pretty sensitive smell sense, so as I first walked in the smell of mussels is pretty strong (to me). Nevertheless, I like mussels so it wasn't a bad thing, but it could be to others. I'm just saying. The vibe is pretty cool (to me). It's definitely Italian themed. I mean the menu, the decor the wine list. The wine list is pretty legit and very well priced compared to other establishments. I recommend buying the bottle over the glass. For food we got the Pork Shank and the Halibut. Both plates were Fire!!!!! So good that my wife didn't even bother to pick at my food, she just ate all of hers and I ate all of mine! The service was on-point! Very quick, very professional and friendly. The server was also the bartender so our drinks came out super quick! Here's the thing, which I actually liked: the restaurant is Italian, the theme is Italian, but I didn't see a single Italian. Everyone there was pretty much Mexican, so I knew that it was going to be great food! Also, the music that plays over the restaurant is Spanish rock or some sort of Spanish. The only time I hear anything Italian is when they celebrate a birthday! That was pretty cool! The desserts are pretty legit too! They also have a coffee shop / market near the entrance and the coffee was good! Definitely glad we stopped by and we'll for sure come back again. read more

Garbatella - Halibut Entree - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Wanted to try this place and brought my mom to celebrate her birthday here. It is located at the otay ranch mall and there's always plenty of parking. I did not have to make reservations but the place got busy very fast for dinner time. It was very nicely decorated. There was a live band playing that evening and that was a plus. My mom really enjoyed her time there. Food was really good. It was very nicely plated and service was fast and pleasant. read more

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It was a great time!! We took our family friend out for her last meal out on her visit here from Memphis. And she enjoyed herself Our server was good. Walking by many times we were in the back but we had a view of the band & enjoyed the good music. Really a perfect touch too, we order drinks I had limoncillo spritz virgin, there was a Lime Margarita & 2 berry sangria we enjoyed their drinks Tonite we share vegetarian pizza mushrooms, zucchini & black olives With great sauce Wood fire pizza's was perfect Pesto penne pasta, Quattro carne pizza 5+ stars That was best 4 meats Cesar salad with shrimp Smoked beet salad good Food was good tonite we were visited by a young man asked us are we do He seem to either have part in the Resturant or managed it. Great smile nice and super happy We were even greeted by him when we left very nice touch and the hostess We really enjoy this Resturant vibe here read more

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Came for a friend's birthday and we had amazing food, amazing service, and the ambiance was giving modern Italian chic. Our waiter even brought a birthday shot for the birthday girl, which instantly made him our favorite person of the night. We had such a good time. A true 10 out of 10. I'd definitely come again, even if it's not my birthday... but I'll still take the free shot. read more

Garbatella - Short rib pasta - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I went there for an event "Noche de Despechadas" the restaurant was full but the services was fast along with a good customer services !! Food was great I had the house pasta and Caesar salad big serving good if you want to share. They have a good music and pictures all over with well known celebraréis according with the event theme. This restaurant been improving services, food and customer service. read more

Good but not amazing! A plus is that there's always parking and the service is very quick. Margarita Pizza - Medium crust, super cheesey! The pizza was very melty and the flavor was delicious Halibut - For $38 the amount of fish was okay. The fish itself was a little flavorless but I enjoyed the sauce they had around the plate. The mashed potatoes were amazing though! Pasta - All 3 pastas (forgot all the names lolol) were good but tasted pretty similar. The portion was nice but no big wow factor Pistachio Ricotta Cake - This was delicious! I liked the bits of pistachio and the caramel sauce was a nice touch All in all, food itself was ok. Service and everything else were great! read more

Garbatella - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Such a wonderful restaurant me and my husband had been wanting to come here for awhile and finally did! Everything was phenomenal, they had live music which was lovely ! Peaceful ambiance and flavorful food! read more

Garbatella - RIBEYE AL BAROLO 16oz - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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When my parents are in town, they love to stop by here for some drinks & dining. They like the chill vibe of the place. Usually, they'll keep it basic & go the pizza route. However, there is nary anything basic about their pizza! If you want to go light & select a Margherita pizza or go for broke (and break out the Tums) and order the Quattro Carne pizza! Molto Bene! As for the drinks, if you make it in before 6pm (M-Th) & 5pm (F-Sat), you'll have a choice of their Happy Hour menu. Can you say espresso martini thrice? I sure can, but I was not driving! I've been here several times on different days & have yet to have a poor service experience. And I've gone with parties ranging from 2 to 8 without issue. The staff has been nothing short of excellent! I will most definitely return as the days for an espresso martini are long overdue. read more

Beautiful, quaint, and warm dining for Italian taste. With no expectations besides our craving for Italian, we sat comfortably with a warm view. Our drinks, Italian margarita, Golden heat, and the old fashion were amazing. We arrived in time for happy hour except we went in with the big dishes and have no regrets. Our servers were attentive and professional, it made our experience allthemore enjoyable. The restraunt is neat and organized organized; very spacious and have space in which they have live singers/music. Very happy to find this delicious Italian spot. We will be back for more. read more

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Place is no good. I think there's a lot of hype around it is all. Not with the price food was bland and I wasn't impressed.

I have been here once before and I think the best thing on the menu is the pizzas. This time we tried the lamb lollipops and they were pretty good. The calamari was also pretty tasty. I feel like it's a bit much to charge $3.50 for the small amount of bread. Service feels like a hit or miss. The restaurant itself is very nice , great for dates or family dinners. I am curious to try the dessert though! read more

5 stars every time! This restaurant was beautifully remodeled and the ambience is amazing. Live music on the weekends. Good drinks. Great food. Very friendly staff and Diego and Carlos are fantastic. Best spot in Chula Vista by far. read more

Garbatella - Top notch! - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Cute, but seemed very new. Flexible reservations and quick service. Didn't offer us parmesan for the pastas till we were half done... skip the focaccia it was a tad stale. Garbatella pasta was quite seafood-y and overcooked and the wheel pasta maker was definitely in training so not much of an experience. Appreciated that they have desserts for birthday! read more

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Love this little gem in Chula Vista. The customer service is top-notch, and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented. A truly great dinner experience. read more

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2.5 stars. We saw this restaurant and have been wanting to try it out, but never had the time. Finally had a free moment today and went for dinner, and after it all we were left disappointed. I will say that the decor of the place is absolutely lovely. Modern and clean. Upon walking in we were greeted by a server who sat us promptly. The restaurant at 4pm was pretty empty at this time. We were given our drink orders shortly after placing them, with the exception of the sparkling water. We had to ask multiple times to remind the server. To start we ordered the truffle fries and lamb lollipops. The "truffle" fries were just your ordinary French fry and not traditional truffle fries. The lamb pops were cut very thin and overcooked. For mains we got the lasagna and a pizza. The noodles were overcooked, the meat dry, and the dish overall was under seasoned. The pizza was overall pretty good. Had some good taste, but the undercarriage was a taf under and soggy. Service was lacking a bit as well. After our food was delivered, we didn't see our server until we'll after we were finished. No drink refills while eating or anything which was disappointing. Interior decor = 4.5 / 5 Food = 2 /5 Service = 3/5 Not sure we would return read more

I know there are mixed reviews on this spot so I was hesitant coming in but I tried it for the first time today and really liked the place. Came here on a Friday around 5pm. Place was already pretty busy so I'd recommend making a reservation like we did. That said, there wasn't a huge line outside or anything, so walk-ins might still have a shot. The vibe inside is great. Really nice ambiance, and they had live music kick off around 6-ish. It was a little loud so if that's not your thing maybe come earlier or ask for a table toward the back. The music was beautiful. Just was kind of hard to hear my friends talk since we were right next to it but we were already done eating and were about to leave once they started anyways. Food was solid across the board. We got the bread, prosciutto e burrata, and truffle fries to start, all fire. I had the Pizza Gianluca and really liked it. All of the staff were super kind and really attentive. I'd definitely come back! read more

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Such a cute dinner spot! The food was beyond amazing and really satisfying the Italian craving! Everything we ordered did not disappoint. The drinks were great as well! The servers were so kind and attentive with a great smile on their faces the whole time. They also had a live music performance and the singer's voice was very angelic. It was so romantic and was such a lovely experience. Great decor and ambience! read more

Garbatella - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Its a hit and miss with the pasta dishes for me. Sometimes food is cold and others times its perfect. The one thing that is always great is my pick up order for " cuatro carnes" . Highly recommend you try this pizza. read more

Garbatella - LINGUINE A MARE - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Saw this place on TikTok and thought I'd take my family to try it out. It's in the otay ranch mall where the old macaroni grill used to be. At first we were very skeptical as most places in the area are most times than none sub-par. This place is no exception. We first walked in and was greeted by a friendly host. She brought us to the table in what felt like an igloo of a restaurant by how cold this place was. Besides that the place is absolutely beautiful. We ended up ordering: Appetizers: Black Mussels: 4/10-the only thing that saved this dish was the sauce it was in. Otherwise the mussels didn't seem fresh. Calamari: 2/10-under-seasoned and overcooked and chewy. Grilled Octopus: 2/10-very dry and the octopus was under-seasoned. Entrees: Vodka shrimp: 5/10-shrimp was cooked nicely and the sauce was slightly spicy which was nice but nothing special. Fettuccine with shrimp: 8/10-this dish was delicious, I know it's not the most traditionally Italian dish but it was very good all around. Braised short rib: 8/10: braise on the meat was good and Brussels gave the dish a nice smokyness. Gianluca pizza: 7/10- it was ok. Crust was nice but it could use more sauce. Otherwise very average pizza. Desserts: Pistachio ricotta cake: 8/10- good, not too sweet. Chocolate cake: 5/10-not too sweet but served very hard. Overall experience, for the price point I would say it's not worth it. Service was slow and not attentive. She didn't even come back to ask how anything was for any of the courses. We were 1 of the 2 tables in the entire restaurant you would think you would have time to make sure your table is doing ok. If you are in the area and are contemplating trying this place I would say save yourself some money and go somewhere else. read more

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5/10/2025 Had an amazing dining experience! It felt like Garbatella rolled out the red carpet and fantastic staff just for us! The food was amazing from appetizer to dessert, could not have asked for more. There were so many staff checking in on us throughout our visit making sure every detail was perfect. Chris took VERY good care of us and Nicholas showed that he is ready for a promotion immediately! I wanted to call them out specifically because they were what made the evening incredible right after my lady of course haha! Chris asked if I was military and gave us a great discount, thank you. read more

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El servicio fue muy bueno, las bebidas deliciosas al igual que que la comida, fue festejo de cumpleaños y todo estuvo muy bien solo al final cerraron y nunca llegó el pastelito con velas, pero todo muy bien. read more

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We came here hoping to have yummy food. It was my daughter's 23rd bday so we wanted to give this place a try. It was nothing to ride home about. The appetizers were small for the amount of money that they were. We ordered the cheese board and calamari. My boys had the fettuccine Alfredo They both said it was meh. My youngest daughter had the pizza (pepperoni and cheese) she liked it. My husband has the lobster ravioli. He enjoyed it. The birthday girl has the bolognese she also said it was meh i had the strawberry spinach salad with salmon. We are all sick today. Not sure what the hell it was maybe the cheese or calamari since we all shared the appetizers. However, today we are not ok. We definitely will not be going back. read more

I ordered spaghetti bolognese. They charged me 26$ for spaghetti that comes with frozen meatballs, the kind you get at the grocery store in the frozen foods section. For 26$ I'm not understanding why they can't make fresh meatballs. read more

Garbatella - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I was happily surprised by this resturant. Although I went there for happy hour and was told I can only sit around the bar (no tables) they later said we can take a table near the bar and get happy hour deals...so that helped me write this review as my friends and i would have left otherwise. Our server was awesome and gave some really great recommendations. The food was really excellent. I recommend the pastas, pizza and fries off the happy hour menu. Also, the cheesecake and tiramisu were excellent for dessert along with a macchiato coffee which was not sweet at all, but creamy. Definitely coming back! read more

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This place is definitely a cute place. Aesthetic was nice, I could see it as a good spot for a date night or even just out to eat with the family. Service was decent, took us a bit to get our check and we rarely got checked up on so I'd give that alone a 2/5. Food was pretty good! I got the Atlantic salmon plate and my sister got ...another seafood plate (the name escapes me) but she really liked it. Only thing I would say is the risotto with my plate wasn't the best...tasted a little watery if that makes sense? But we would definitely be back during happy hour and to try their desserts ..they looked good! read more

Came upon this place in its early days. We love across the street and wanted breakfast. They have a great steak for breakfast. The guys that work in the morning are great. But, the acoustics are pretty bad, the design is very mixed and has no real flow. Different tiling and colors throughout. It's like there was a deal on some of the materials used. After only going there for breakfast maybe 4-5 times, happy with the steak and drinks, I thought I'd try the pizza that the patrons talked about. I ordered from home and although it looked great from the top, the bottom was a different story. I can't say that we won't try again or at least go do breakfast again, but I can't say for sure. Honestly, this was back in June of 2024. I wasn't sure if I was going to post anything. Maybe it's better. read more

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What a great spot in Eastlake. I stopped by to have dinner with a friend, and we were seated quickly. The restaurant seems busy and love that they had live music. Our server was ok. He was slow to take our order, etc. Food: Complimentary Bread Cheese Wheel - Linguine Pasta with Shrimp Prosciutto E Burrata Calamari Fritti The prosciutto burrata was amazing. The saltiness from the meat and combined with the burrata was delicious. The calamari was cooked perfectly and tender. The pasta was amazing. I loved that it was prepared in the cheese wheel and prepared what should have been table side. We added shrimp, and it, too, was great. Now, the negative about the cheese wheel, unfortunately, the position of our table prohibited the server/cook to prepare it in front of us. He made it in the middle of the room about 10 feet away from us. Boo!!!!!! Overall, it's a great neighborhood spot. Thanks to my friend for introducing me to this restaurant. read more

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I write this to give this place some lesson, I like the pizza the pasta the antipasta and cake here... But I want to emphasized to the owner or the Chef to know what is rotten fish smells like. The stock of tour sea bass are pungent smells weird already. When the fish smell like Ammonia it is no good to eat ok, either those distributors sell it to you like that or your way of storing fish is no good. The sea bass smells like Ammonia, that is bad bc those smell are from the bacteria breaking down the fish tissues. Get a refund from your distributors or teach your ktichen crew. read more

Garbatella - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I went here and it was bad! We got sick. . First the water had a funny taste.. u have to pay for bread. The pasta came out with water down sauce.. go elsewhere .. read more

This is a place I enjoy visiting with my friends. It has a pleasant environment, good service, and great food. They sometimes have live music . read more

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I was really excited to try this spot, unfortunately it just really missed the mark for me. The ambiance was the best part. It's very classy, clean, and it was decorated perfectly for Christmas. There was live music Saturday night which was a nice touch. Other than that I just wasn't super impressed. The scallops were good, just really small. The braised beef was lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. It wasn't a deal breaker, overall it was good but it was just kindof meh. It didn't help that the description said it included brussels sprouts and there were literally 3 or 4. Service wasn't great. Granted - we sat at the bar. But other patrons were very well tended to and we felt ignored. It took forever to get our check, and the bartender took one of our plates with half of the food still on it. I don't know if I would come back. I'd probably try a pizza or pasta to-go if anything. read more

Garbatella - Scallop - Italian Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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