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    Hot Italian

    4.2 (113 reviews)
    ModeratePizza, Gelato, Wine Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Hot Italian Takeout or Delivery

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    HOT ITALIAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Hot Italian

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    Reviews With Photos

    CAESAR SALAD ($15.50) - No croutons
    Elena N.

    Date: Monday, August 25th, 2025 Party of: 2 Meal: Dinner Takeaway Time Ordered: around 8pm Time Pickup: around 8:30pm Ordered: thru their website via Toast *12" Classic round JOVANNOTTI ($26) *12" Classic round FIORI ($25) *PEPERONI SLICE SLICE ($7) *CAESAR SALAD ($15.50) - No croutons The hubby and I were headed home to SF and figured we'd take the opportunity to grab some takeout from San Rafael. I like trying new places, so we figured why not pick a spot in a city were never frequent. After looking around, we decided to try Hot Italian. I adore arugula on pizzas, so wanted to try the FIORI - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, arugula, prosciutto parma, and truffle oil. I enjoyed it. And the crust had a good chew. The hubs isn't the hugest fan of truffle on pizza, but he didn't mind it here. I was rather light. The JOVANNOTTI - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy calabrese salami, prosciutto cotto, smoked mozzarella, and mushrooms was more his style. He's a simple pizza man. The pepperoni slices were huge. And we got two of them. Not sure if that was a mistake, but hey, could always use more pepperoni slices. Tho they were a little too bready for me. The CAESAR SALAD - Crisp romaine lettuce, house-made Caesar dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano, anchovies was good. I love anchovies so enjoyed this. Pickup was fast and easy. Our order was ready when we got here. And parking was fairly easy as well. We found a spot right out front. A nice spot to grab some pizza takeout if you don't want fast food type pizza. REVIEW #3846

    Artichoke, olives, sun dried tomatoes with added prosciutto- delightful!
    Allie P.

    Hot Italian is HOT, HOT, HOT! From food that is delicious to grab and go that is unique, I am so happy that you settled down near my town. We decided to sit out on the back patio, which is a nice size and consists of a few picnic benches and smaller 2 tops. On your way to this destination, you pass by their spinning gelato machine and on the left you have grab and go options from pasta to pizza to Italian drinks and packaged items. Packaged items such as a seafood salad consisting of marinated mussels, octopus and squid. Now I know this isn't for everyone, but when I saw it I had to get one on my way out.. ps it was delicious! When we were seated at our table our waiter asked if we would like anything to drink and I asked him what he liked and he recommended the classic aperol spritz. Now I have tried this one time in my life and wasn't a huge fan, but I said what the heck let's try it again. I am so happy that I did. The drink was refreshing, well balanced and the hint of orange was delightful. We started with the burrata, tomato, basil and sorbet crouton salad. This dish was fresh, inventive and fun. Who would have thought to add little sorbet pieces to creamy burrito, fresh tomato and basil.. well the Chef at HOT Italian did, I am grateful. The flavors were beautiful and that surprise of the cold semi-sweet sorbet truly highlighted the fresh ingredients. It brings me great joy when a Chef pushes the envelope and it works. For our Main, we ordered the vegetarian pizza with artichoke hearts, olives and sun dried tomatoes and we asked for prosciutto de parma to be added. The pizza was light and you could taste every single ingredient. The sauce to cheese to toppings was perfectly balanced; instead of most where it is too top heavy. With the perfect construction, you truly allow the ingredients to shine and be tasted, Bravo! On our way out we decided to split a gelato. We ordered the salted carmel. It was light and the carmel shined. It's fair to say I shall be back to visit my oh so HOT Italian.

    Happy hour veggie and materazzi (salami and olives) with prosecco
    Kristine K.

    I came here for Yelp Elite Event and had an amazing experience, so wanted to bring my partner here for Happy Hour. We went to Italy last year and appreciate that the brother & sister owners are from Italy and feature many Italian products. We got prosecco, bruschetta appetizer, veggie and materazzi (salami and olive) personal flatbread pizzas, and tiramisu & salted caramel gelato. The hot chili oil was delicious on all of the savory dishes. Service from our friendly waiter Santos was quick. We were seated in the back area which was a bit noisy next to a large party, and I might want to sit in the front next time with the music & happy sounds from the kitchen.

    First time here. Love how they serve the water.
    Shannen R.

    Went once. Can't wait to go back! It was a whole vibe in there last Wed. I mixed up my dates and thought I was showing up for an event, when I realized my mistake I stayed for a Calzone and an Aperol spritz cocktail. The food and drink was delicious that alone would bring me back. This place had a whole amazing vibe though that would also make you want to come back even if the food wasn't The service was great, everyone seemed happy to be there. The owner was there meeting customers but also working alongside his team. Loved it. The other customers there were as happy to have found this place as me. Everyone was happy and raving about how glad they were to have found this new Italian spot. To top it off they had gelato. Many flavors including 2 vegan options! Seriously go check this place out. I drove 45 minutes to go here and plan to do it again soon!

    Spritz
    Ari M.

    Very cool place as soon as you walk in. The gelato was is a cool spinning display case, got one scoop of tiramisu at their happy hour for 5$. Was super creamy and had a great subtle coffee taste. The spritz was also so good and refreshing. A very nice restaurant space with a great happy hour deal.

    Susan S.

    Hot Italian has big round pizzas now! When we first went here, the big pizza oven hadn't arrived yet, so only the small oval pinsa romanas were available. They're good, but the larger pizzas are a revelation--after years of searching, I may have finally found my perfect pizza in California! And my whole family finally equally loves a local pizza.

    Cider
    Chloe' A.

    was in the area and decided to give this place a try. Parking can be a bit tricky to find, but it's definitely worth the effort especially if you visit during happy hour, when the deals are unbeatable. The customer service was excellent; my waiter checked in often to make sure I was enjoying everything. The food tasted fresh and came out quickly. Although the restaurant was a little busy, the staff still gave great attention to each table. Prices can be on the higher side outside of happy hour, but the food is delicious and worth it.

    Cannavaro
    Emma E.

    I stopped by Hot Italian earlier this week for lunch after hearing good things from friends. I ordered the Cannavaro -- note: if you like modifying your pizza with delicious add-ons that would probably be considered disgusting and morally offensive in Italy (like pineapple), you can't do that here. They do it in real Italian style. :) The Cannavaro was good, and I look forward to trying some of the more interesting items on their menu in the future. The restaurant was clean and visually appealing. The customer service and the fact that they have a dog-friendly patio made me bump this review up from four stars to five. I didn't catch the name of the woman working the phone and register when I came in, but she was super friendly and personable and let me know about the patio and happy hour. They offer $10 pizzas during happy hour -- an amazing price point for Marin. Anyone local knows how quickly restaurants come and go in Downtown SR. I hope Hot Italian will be here for good.

    Pistachio cake
    Matthew C.

    The food and service was amazing! Santos gave good recommendations on the food. I was told to come here for the pizza and gelato and it was fantastic. I will definitely come back to this place!

    Inside
    Barry B.

    I went to the hot Italian really planning to enjoy it. The menu looks great and I love Italian foods and pizza. The execution was not yet there, at least the night we visited. Happy to try it again another time. Service was abysmal. Too few servers for the number of tables. And- there's a long walk from the kitchen to outside where most customers were. The server would drop off food or wine and never return to check for anything else needed. Our appetizer of what they called focaccia bread (which was actually baked pizza crust), the Caesar salad, and the margarita pizza all arrived at the same time. Odd- but perhaps they were just too busy for three separate trips to the table. The pizza was pretty good. I was a bit surprised it didn't have buffalo or fresh mozzarella. The Caesar was average, with the exception of the anchovy's which were a nice touch. The croutons tasted a bit stale as they weren't very crunchy. The focaccia bread was fine- though it was just plain pizza dough cooked. Not what I've had all around Italy called focaccia. Lastly, $14 for a glass of Italian Pinot Grigio when I know the whole bottle probably doesn't cost that was highway robbery. Both the back door and the front doors were open the whole time we were there, which created a huge blowing draft throughout the inside seating area. Not pleasant. Love the concept of the Italian bar or deli as a restaurant. The execution just wasn't yet there.

    Calzone
    Lara A.

    So my husband and I read so many (but soooo many) posts about this place and we decided to go try ourselves. OMG! It's amazing! The restaurant is very pleasant, many tables, an outdoor siting for warmer days, you can see the pizza man working pretty much from anywhere you sit..The service is great, they come to the table frequently checking if we need something, making sure the food is good.. and the food.. what a delightful surprise. The pizzas, the calzone (loaded with cheese), the meatball sanduich (another bomb of flavor), the gelatos.. We plan on going there at least once a week until we have tried a bit of everything on the menu, because what we have tasted so far, deserves a 1000/10!!

    Adam D.

    Great Italian spot in Marin. The food is delicious, the interior is very inviting, and the staff are to notch. The owner is a very happy and friendly guy too. Go check them out if you're in downtown San Rafael.

    Ana A.

    1st time ever going to Hot Italian. Found them on Yelp and decided to try. Our server Santos was absolutely amazing. He kept checking in with us and was very knowledgeable about all the food. He offered recommendations that did not disappoint. Restaurant was very modern and clean. For starters we ordered the Focaccia Toscana. It came with some delicious olive oil for dipping. The bread was absolutely amazing and was fresh and crispy. Didn't even last us 5 minutes. For dinner we ordered the Materazzi & Fiori pizza. The pizza was just perfect. Chripy, not overpowering, and all the perfect servings and ingredients. Since we like spicy food Santos recommended their spicy oil. We drizzled the oil on top and it was so delicious. The oil tasted like it was oil infused with jalapeños. Since I was celebrating my birthday, I treated myself to their Mojito Veloce and Aperol Spritz. Both very yummy, bubbly and refreshing. For dessert my kiddos had the chocolate gelato and Gianduja (hazelnut chocolate) gelato. I decided to be bold and had the salted caramel and pineapple jalapeño gelato. Absolutely amazing. Their waffle cones were so fresh and crispy. Lastly we were surprised with a lovely dessert. Wish I would've got the name. It was absolutely amazing. It was cake/cheesecake like but also crunchy. Shared it with the kiddos. I'm not one for chocolate it this was incredible and not too rich. Just perfect. Reminded me of my favorite candy (Ferrero Rocher). The cooking staff & out waiter (Santos) were all so incredibly nice and made us feel so special. They didn't even know it was my birthday but they gave me and my family a beautiful and welcoming experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

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    La Toscana

    4.0(481 reviews)
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    It's been a minute since we visited our neighborhood Italian favorite, La Toscana…read more It was a busy Thursday night, but luckily we made a reservation. Highly recommend a reservation. Juan S. was our server for the night. Very knowable about the menu and the dishes. We started with a classic Caesar salad that we shared. It was plenty enough for us. I ordered the Petrale Sole special and my husband had the Pollo Pomodoro with vodka tomato sauce. Both were excellent choices. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked, as were the mixed veggies. My husband loved the pasta as well. For 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine, 1 Caesar salad, 1 bruschetta and a cannoli for later, our bill was $152, before tip. Well worth it.

    First I'd like to start off by saying, we made dinner reservations an hour and a half in advance…read morefor 8 pm on a Friday night and showed up to the restaurant at our reservation time, where we were forced to wait an extra 15 min because our table still wasn't ready-- which we would normally understand and be fine with, but we witnessed a walk-in customer come in and get seated before us. After we were finally seated and put in our order for drinks, appetizers and main dishes, we waited quite a long time to get our food served. Quality-- not sure if we ordered the wrong things or went in on an off night, but for some reason everything we ordered was underwhelming and lackluster, from the: -drinks (cucumber mojito and strawberry balsamic mocktails) -bruschetta was average -meatballs were sort of flavorless -spinach ravioli with pesto was bland -parpadelle was also bland and portion was oddly small Overall, the food and service was unsatisfactory for the price we paid for the bill. We were excited to come here to celebrate our anniversary and left the restaurant feeling super unfulfilled with our meals. Safe to say we won't be coming back to this establishment, nor will we be suggesting this restaurant to friends and family.

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    California Gold

    California Gold

    4.8(182 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    WOW. Just WOW. **California Gold in San Rafael** is an absolute gem, and our experience was taken…read moreto the *next level* thanks to the incredible bartender **Víctor**. From start to finish, he was beyond amazing--warm, welcoming, insanely knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about his craft. Every single drink was PERFECT. Not one miss. We enjoyed **all** the drinks, and each cocktail somehow got better than the last. On top of that, Víctor is just an awesome human being who makes you feel genuinely taken care of. The **location is beautiful**, the atmosphere is fun, vibrant, and incredibly enjoyable--one of those places where you instantly feel relaxed and excited to be there at the same time. Great vibes, great energy, great people. This place is a MUST, and Víctor is the reason we'll be coming back again and again. Do yourself a favor: sit at the bar, trust his recommendations, and enjoy an unforgettable night.

    Service was terrible. Ordered a drink asked for an adjustment due to food allergies. Was told it…read morewould be well balanced. Bartender was annoyed and was rude. Had a food reaction and I asked if I could choose a replacement. They told me no and wanted me to pay for another drink. A patron offered me a replacement drink and he shouldn't have to do that. Was excited to check this place out from out of town. The entire drink was left at the bar and I left the establishment. The bartenders had terrible customer service skills.

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    Fratm - Yummy complimentary bread basket. First one is free

    Fratm

    4.3(80 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Came here on a Saturday night at about 8:30p. Street parking was easy and we didn't have to wait…read more There was a table with quite a large Italian family. When you hear Italian and it's a family, I don't doubt this place is a legit Italian restaurant The atmosphere was great & the service was great. The beet salad was amazing. I ordered the burrata pizza and my friend ordered some kind of rib meat pizza. He said his was really good. My burrata pizza was delicious. I would come back again. Highly recommend.

    Walked in on a Saturday evening and it was relatively busy but was happy there was a table…read moreavailable. The staff was very friendly and attentive and they had some great specials available that night but I mainly ordered from the menu except when it came to desert ;) Ordered: *Crostino del Vesuvio - Really yummy. Loved the freshness of the tomatoes but there was a small portion of burrata on the crostini and that made it a bit disappointing. *Salsiccia - Tasty BUT the dough was undercooked and couldn't hold up to the sauce, sausage and toppings. The pizza got soggy really fast and everything seeped in. After eating about 1/3 of the pizza I just started eating the toppings because the crust was gummy. **Let me mention here that my pizza probably sat a little longer than needed because they brought the appetizer AND the pizza out at the SAME TIME which made ZERO SENSE why they wouldn't space them out but that probably added to the sogginess of the pizza** *Cannoli - OUTSTANDING! Honestly the best cannoli I've had outside of Italy. I would come back because overall the food was good and so was the service but would definitely ask that they space out the appetizer and pizza AND that they make sure the pizza dough is cooked thoroughly!!

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