We were trying to find somewhere special for Mother's Day and decided on Italian since our family spends quite a bit of time in Italy every year. Somehow, this ended up being one of the best Italian meals we've ever had -- including overseas. This was our first time here, and everything exceeded expectations. The restaurant is family owned by the chef, his wife, and their sons, and you can truly feel the passion and hospitality the moment you walk in. They came by to introduce themselves, which made the whole evening feel so personal and welcoming. The ricotta and spinach ravioli was unbelievable -- honestly one of the best pasta dishes any of us have had. The branzino was equally impressive, and that says a lot considering how much seafood we eat while traveling through coastal Italy each year. You can absolutely taste the quality of the ingredients. The owner mentioned they import their flour directly from Italy, and it definitely shows in the food. I only wish this restaurant was closer to home because I'd be here constantly. Such an incredible little spot in La Jolla. read more

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Food: Fresh local ingredients. The taste of fresh tomatoes and fresh seafood. Food came out quickly and well timed to enjoy company we were with. Yummy cocktails too. Service: fabulous wait staff. Greeted as soon as we arrived on the steps, recommendations were provided when asked. Only slight misstep is our wait staff went MIA at the end of the night. Ambiance: reminds me of a quaint ristorante you would find tucked away from the Main Street tourist spots. Unique pathway of tucked away hidden seating area. Fresh greenery for decoration. Asked to be seated on the patio overlooking the front if possible. read more

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We visited for dinner while attending a social gathering and were immediately drawn in by the beautiful atmosphere. The restaurant truly carries an authentic Italian charm -- warm, welcoming, and family-oriented in a way that reminded me deeply of my years living in Italy. Knowing the family is originally from Milan made the experience feel even more genuine. Toward the end of the evening, we were the last guests there, and the quiet ambiance brought back so many memories of late dinners in Italy where conversations linger long after the meal is finished. Most importantly, you can absolutely taste the authenticity in the food. The flavors were rich, comforting, and unmistakably Italian -- not overly commercialized, but truly traditional. A lovely experience overall and one that brought back fond memories for me. read more

Nice side patio. Hostess was great. I appreciate that the server let me try a few wines tonight, but they all seemed "rough" -either unstructured or something else. I also wasn't wild about the parmagiana eggplant appetizer. The eggplant could have been more tender and the pesto was too strong for me. But my meal got better! He switched to a Hugo spritz and it was delicious and very strong. And my main course, the fusilloni with pesto and burrata, was delicious. The pasta was perfectly firm, and the pesto was less overpowering. There was not that much burrata, but they brought me extra Parmesan and it was delicious that way. So overall a good and pleasant meal. The vegan bruschetta was also good for sharing, though a little one for one person to have on their own. read more

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One of the worst dinner dining experiences I've had in 4.5 years in San Diego. Waited for an hour and 45 minutes and still didn't have our food and had to take it to go. Originally told our entire meal would be comped only to then be charged for half of it. While waiting the waiters couldn't even be bothered to refill our drinks unless we ran them down. They stated they were understaffed but if that's the case then don't sit the whole restaurant--and a table who sat after us got their entire meal and paid about half an hour before we demanded to go. Once leaving and trying the food...one of the dishes was incorrect and the other was overcooked. Too many great places to eat in San Diego...I'd recommend steering clear. read more

Super cute place in LaJolla away from the beach (so no views with this restaurant). Our server was pleasant. Ambiance was great. We sat outside on their patio towards the bar. Ordered a few drinks, a pizza, and chicken Milanese. We loved the chicken. The pizza was ok. Would totally recommend for a family visit or date night while in LaJolla. read more

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If a restaurant has one stellar quality such as ambience, but the food is "meh" or vice versa, that could compel me to leave 4 stars. But Piazza 1909? It has ALL of the factors you want in your dining experience! I was at a work conference in La Jolla and picked out this place for my colleagues and I for dinner...of course due to Yelp reviews. Wow. Service: A+ Menu: made me anxious as there were so many things u wanted to try but couldn't reasonably put away, actual food we got: A+ (and everyone at the table for something different, but all had that savoring-eyes-closed-moment with the first bite, finally AMBIENCE: A+ seriously so charming! I have nothing but good things to say and look forward to the next time we are in the neighborhood! read more

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Place is super cute and overall enjoyed the food! Service was friendly and nice. Heads up, they're not a full bar. Beer and wine only, but decent selection considering it not being a full bar. Pasta nicely cooked al dente and the sauces on the dishes were not that heavy. Their focaccia bread was beautifully done as well! read more

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Incredible food, fresh and flavorful. The ambiance is absolute perfection. Not only was the food to die for, but the service was amazing. Everyone was friendly, and authentic. 10/10 We came here for our prom night dinner, we were seated in a private area that was perfect for pictures. read more

Absolutely beautiful! Food aesthetic and everything was spot on. Husband found this place through some ad on Instagram and wanted to go here because they had the squid ink pasta. He really wanted a pastor and the rest of the menu seemed really nice as well so we came here for our anniversary dinner. Definitely had a very hard time picking something on the menu because everything looks so good but I was also trying to eat healthy so got the Fall Salad (along with the pasta). It was an arugula base with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, apple, caramelized pecans and goat cheese. Added some chicken on top and overall this salad was phenomenal! Chicken was cooked perfectly and everything else on the salad was also beautiful together. The goat cheese was fresh. Pecans were yummy and the butternut squash was also delicious. And so so so well together. We did not even need one drop of that salad dressing. The squid ink pasta itself was absolutely lovely. Pasta was so fresh and cooked perfectly al dente. The sauce was yummy and there was so much of seafood on there. It was actually a very good meal for the price point. No regrets here at all. All the seafood was also cooked perfectly well and I was very skeptical about a seafood pasta but this was delicious. Got the Tiramisu for dessert and it was yummy! I was a little hesitant about this because I've had experiences with tiramisu not being as nice, but this was perfectly spot on. The mascarpone was soft and creamy and yummy and This was just another dessert overall. Aesthetic was very beautiful and they had heaters everywhere so the experience was very comfortable. read more

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It is a family owned business and feels very authentic. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the service was great! The pasta and pizza we ordered were all delicious. We will come back and try more menu options, everything sounds good. And I loved it is pet friendly! read more

This place has a nicely accessible location in the heart of La Jolla Cove shopping and restaurants. Parking is by luck only---street parking. Be aware the meter maids in this section of town aren't playing games. Stay just a minute over your slotted curb time and you'll be facing a hefty parking ticket. We ordered a Caesar to split. A Margarita Pizza and a Seafood Pappardelle Pasta. Our waiter encouraged us to order a basket of focaccia bread chucks with a cold tomato based dipping sauce. Overpriced at $6 for a few chucks of bread. Sloppy service. Our waiter left all of our menus flopped sideways in our table for the entire meal. Apparently no busser helping him out either. Somebody in their kitchen is too enamored by their salt shaker. Every item was loaded with salt. Given their prices -- portion sizes are way too small. Let's face it, pasta noodles are cheap. My Pappardelle meal skimped on the noodles. It would be a plus if they were to provide better variety on the menu. read more

We were in town for a wedding and they decided to have their celebration dinner here, we were all pleasantly surprised by this place. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous fitted with outdoor seating surrounding a repurposed home. The service was great, they were quick and attentive. To our surprise, my partners mom and the chef of the restaurant are from the same region in Italy. Everything was fantastic, the portions are smaller and lack an abundance of flavor from what we are used to (my partners father is a chef), but overall still a solid place. read more

Piazza 1909 - Saffron Risotto, Braised Short Rib - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Beautiful Italian restaurant set in La Jolla shopping area, this is our second time eating here. First time was for a party, and they had a nice private area in the back set up. This visit was for dinner and love how the restaurant is lighted. We tried the bruschetta appetizer with different bites, which by far is a must order. We devoured every bite of the crispy flavorful bread topped each with different toppings. The bolognese pasta with slowly simmered tomatoes and meat was the right consistency and thickness for the parpadelle pasta. The pizza had a thin light crust which is the way I love my pizza. We made a reservation which is recommended since they can get quite busy. The staff greeted us upon entering and were so friendly explaining all the dishes. Yum read more

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I have to give this a 3 star bc the service was subpar. The food and ambiance is fabulous but the service was not great. Server took a long time taking the order and bringing food. I might try it again when it's not as busy. Great food though. read more

Piazza 1909 - Short rib ravioli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We came here for the first time today. Tuesdays are 50% off select bottles night. We started with the focaccia and the squash blossoms which i forgot to take a photo of. Both were delicious. Mains included cioppino pizza lasagna. The service was fantastic. Attentive but not annoying and the space is very pretty with great ambiance. My only small complaint was that the pizza was a bit soggy in the middle, but next time we will just order it well done: read more

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Great outdoor seating. If you want home made but don't want to cook at home this is the place to be. It's absolutely delicious. read more

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It was a cute and cozy atmosphere, perfect for a group dinner in the evening. There were 9 in our party and they were more than able to accommodate us. The service was a little slow and inattentive throughout the night. For example, we had three pitchers of water on the table that ran out and we were unable to get more for a considerable amount of time as no one came to check up on our table until the food was ready to be served. Then, we had long since finished our meal but waited a considerable amount of time for the check to be brought out. Fortunately, we were in no rush and so it didn't become a huge issue. It was just weird because the restaurant was not extremely busy and hectic on this particular Sunday night. I've worked in fast paced restaurants as a waitress and so maybe the importance of checking on your tables throughout their dining experience has just been drilled into my subconscious too much! The food was very delicious though and worth the visit. You can tell how fresh the pasta is and the serving sizes were very generous! We were all shocked at how many ravioli our friend got on her plate. Sometimes you go to an Italian restaurant and get maybe four ravioli and that's it! Our whole party was satisfied with the food and I didn't feel disgustingly full afterwards either. It's very much an enjoyable and lowkey spot for good Italian food in the area. Happy eating:) Side note: I want to also mention that they have a little menu for your furry friends and I think that is absolutely adorable!! read more

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Cute restaurant with a dog-friendly patio, which was the main reason we came. We didn't have reservations and were seated at the bar, even though several outdoor tables sat empty the entire time we were there - a bit disappointing since we had our dog with us. Service was friendly but slow, and the food was decent, just not super memorable. Overall, it's a nice spot to check out if you're in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. insalate di cesare (small) 4/5 pizza margherita burrata 3/5 read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had a reservation for a party of 08 so there wasn't a wait. We started off with beverages so we could toast the birthday girl and things already started to go awry. Everyone's reaction was the same... "Why are all the cocktails so fizzy?!?" There was way too much effervesence to enjoy our drinks. We moved on to appetizers and enjoyed our bruschetta, calamari and happy hour pizzas. If only we kept ordering apps because only two out of eight guests enjoyed their main meals. But with that said, those two also consumed everyone's cocktails that we didn't like. So it really could've been the alcohol talking. read more

We discovered a fabulous Italian restaurant while visiting family in San Diego. Piazza 1909 was so good that we ate there twice during our stay. The 1st time was for Happy Hour. We split a Caesar salad, tried the meatballs and had a calabrese pizza. Everything was delicious. We came back for dinner on a Sunday and the place was packed at 5:15pm. We had made reservations, so we got a great table on the patio. We started with the salad with spinach, bleu cheese, walnuts and gold raisins, followed by Branzino for myself and Cioppino for my husband. We ended with gelato. EVERYTHING we tried was delicious with a nice presentation. Staff was friendly and helped each other out filling water, delivering food etc. Try this place. You will not be sorry. read more

Mangiare!! First time at Piazza 1909 and will definitely be back. Had reservations for 10 at 5:30pm on a Saturday night and were promptly seated as we arrived. The hostess was a friendly and polite young lady. Our waiter was equally friendly with an accent that let you know this was going to be authentic Italian food. Apparently many ingredients are imported from Italy, making their dishes incredibly tasty. Started off with baskets of fresh focaccia bread and sauce, both were amazing. The pasta was very light not leaving overly fool. And the ragout, forgeta bout' it!! Delicious! Pizzas were substantial enough for two to share. The dining areas were clean with ample seating at tables for 2,4 or big parties. I can't say enough about "Piazza 1909" so give it a try. I'm sure you will be equally impressed as I was. read more

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Great italian cusine. Freshly made pasta. Family run restaurant. Service is awesome. Food sizes are good. Must visit if you are in LA Jolla area read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Last week we hosted a rehearsal dinner at Piazza 1909, and it could not have been a better experience! The event for 34 people was held in the private space in the back of the restaurant, and working closely with Roberta, one of the owners, was so easy. The menu choices provided were vast and our meal was delicious! We were able to bring in some decorations to personalize the evening, and the individuals (Albie and Nicholas) who served our group were very communicative and focused on making sure everything ran smoothly. This family restaurant should be on your list whether you are looking for a group event or a dinner for two! Thank you again to everyone at Piazza 1909 for making our rehearsal dinner such a special evening! read more

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Took an out of town friend here and glad I did! The ambiance inside was small and quaint and the outside area had nice lighting at night. We ordered the Gnocchi in a saffron sauce with speck & a prosciutto and arugula pizza. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly and had a great sauce with it. The pizza was great too and the crust was perfect. The service was average and nothing special, but still good. I would come back to this cute Italian spot in La Jolla! read more

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Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 They started us off with focaccia. We shared an order of the burrata caprese appetizer & squid ink frutti di mare. The caprese was amazing. Tomatoes were fresh and sweet. The balsamic caviar sounded and looked cool, but it didn't have much flavor. It came with 2 super thin slivers of buttered toast, which was tasty, but almost unnecessary. The squid ink frutti di mare didn't end up having squid ink spaghetti, just regular spaghetti. Some miscommunication in the kitchen our server said. I wasn't happy about that, but he offered dessert on the house. The dish was very good, shellfish was fresh, but the fish was overcooked. Not much pasta either. The sauce was delicious. Another bummer was that they were out of the Hugo Spritz because they ran out of elderflower. We picked the ricotta cheesecake for dessert and ordered an Americano. The cheesecake was excellent - very smooth texture and very light. The crust was a little too thick and hard though. Overall, it was a good experience. A bit on the pricey side. Glad I got the chance to try this place before heading back The Bay. read more

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We had a beautiful evening at Piazza! This is such a fun Italian restaurant. There is patio seating, outdoor covered seating, and indoor seating. We sat outside towards the back of the restaurant and had our own private table tucked away, it was very secluded and allowed us to have a nice private dining experience. Our server was very kind, had a ton of recommendations, and was very attentive. The food was amazing, the pizza was fresh, the dough was light and flavorful and the sauce was perfect. Highly recommend stopping by if you find yourself in La Jolla. read more

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We hosted our daughters college graduation dinner there this weekend. Roberta was amazing to work with - everything was customized with my daughter's name, prosecco on arrival, just perfect - she was patient and accommodating throughout the process. The food was magnificent and the service was warm and friendly. With a group of 15 especially mostly 21 year olds, you want the right balance of fun and comfort, we never felt rushed even though they were busy! Thank you Roberta read more

my first time here and I won't rush back anytime soon. The food was good, not great or oh wow, but good. But the service was really weak. They forgot about the soup and brought main dishes first, took a while to find the waiter to ask about it, and then took over 20 minutes from the time we ordered dessert until it showed up. If I was rating purely on the food, I would rate it a 4. But the service really needs to be worked on. read more

So excited to find a place with gluten free pizza, pasta, bread, calamari and fried artichokes!! Food was great, really enjoyed the gluten free sausage and pesto pizza. I do wish we had sat on the main patio though, and not the side patio, for a little bit more ambiance. read more

Food was so amazing and the servers were quick and SWEET as can be! Sat outside and they had the heaters on and it was so relaxing & chill. Highly recommend read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I give 5 stars when an establishment hits the 3 points: Food, Service and Ambiance. Will I return because their food presentation is an important factor of their service? Will I come back because the ambiance represents their story of their message? Is the service staff negligent or do they stand to make your visit and your hard earned money worth to come back? Basically Piazza 1909 is my pop in and pop out go to establishment while I am in La Jolla with time to visit. Mostly it's just me with a $50 bill or so. I love coming in, make it simple, sit by myself and no one is tapping in my ear, this place is my break for a glass of Italian sparking rosé and something quick like their bread (tastes like focaccia) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or their carpaccio either seafood or meat. Love the freshness of the olive oil drizzled and dressed with capers, salt and pepper. That's it for me when I come. I don't have much time most of the time but when I come at other times, I have ordered from their full menu in which my partner and I sat in their front patio under the bistro lights. I have had the pleasure of meeting the owner and she was lovely. I am blessed that my experiences there have been nice. read more

We will continue to come back to Piazza 1909 again and again. We did our first cooking class event in 2024 and now again in 2025. Roberta is the most kind, detailed oriented person who cares a lot about the customers. She insures all needs (gluten free, any allergies) are taken care of. Is it so easy to plan and work with her! Stefano leads the class, making sure everyone is learning about the recipes and history of the food. Roberta talks about the history of Italian wines and what makes them so special. You truly feel like you are in Italy when you attend one of their classes. This event was held for about 18 of our people and Roberta offered to take my phone and take pictures of everyone, going above and beyond! I will recommend this class to everyone I know. Thank you Roberta and Stefano! read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We come here often and it never disappoints! On our last visit we came as they were opening for dinner. It was a little chilly but they had heaters on the patio which actually makes it warmer than sitting inside. Great service and delicious food. We had refreshing cocktails and bread for a great start to our dinner-yum. I always order the veggie pizza, it's no longer on the menu but you can still request it. Best pizza dough cooked exactly how I like it. The veggies are crispy fried to perfection. This is my all time favorite pizza in San Diego. The salad was really good, too. Crisp fresh greens, garbanzo beans, beets, pumpkin seeds and of course the salad dressing always makes the salad... Our server was on point and provided excellent service. Will be back, as usual. read more

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Excited we were trying out an italian restaurant that was going to be a new adventure for us to explore and hopefully visit often. The place was charming and spread out. The atmosphere was nice and most of the staff was nice. Service was very slow. Meanwhile, there was a strong smell similar to liver pate. Realizing it is not a French restaurant, we could not figure out where the smell was coming from (smell had made us forget we were in an italian restaurant). We waited a long while for our drinks and appetizers. All we had was water and smell. The staff eventually brought us one appetizer but not the 2nd appetizer. Eventually, the waiter came by and when we asked about the 2nd appetizer, he said he would take the 2nd appetizer off our menu. Soon, the 2nd appetizer showed up even though we said not to bring it after all. The bread and marinera sauce were both cold which usually, in other restaurants, would come out warm for enjoyment. We asked about the sauce and the waiter said, "it comes this way." As mentioned, the bread was also cold and nothing special. The 2nd appetizer was never finished as we only ate a few pieces. When we ordered, I asked for "No Salt" on my salmon dish. The salmon had more salt on one end than the other end of the fish. It was pretty salty. It seemed like the cooks may have read the note to say, "ADD salt" versus, "Do Not Add Salt." If salt was not added, I would imagine the fish would be consistent throughout the portion given. I have an allergy to too much salt for a meal amd I try to avoid getting into blood pressure issues like so many people I know. So far, I am free from high blood pressure issues. I can take natural foods for its natural flavors, which I enjoy. We never can figure out why certain restaurants tend to add so much salt. Restaurants used to carry salt and pepper shakers on the table as an option for customers to use. Now, we don't have that choice as the cooks feel they know how much salt customers ought to take. Too much salt is what kills people with blood pressure issues. When the bill came, the 2nd appetizer was included. When we asked the waiter about it, he said that he thought he took off the appetizer on his hand held machine prior to giving us the bill. Good thing we check our bills. I am happy to read other customers are having better experiences. read more

My family and I were in the area so we tried this place. We all agreed the food was very good. I have never tasted gnocchi as good as the one at Piazza 1909. The service was good and one of our entrees was even given to us on the house because it came out late (it wasn't barely even late!) read more

A great little trattoria located bear the waterfront views of La Jolla, this place was where I had my dinner with strangers from an app that I signed up on and I haven't been here before but it was nice to go on a Wednesday night. It was not too crowded but there were other parties seated around 7-9pm. I ordered spinach ricotta brown butter sage pasta and an arancia rossa soda from the menu. It was great! Came out perfect! I wish I had took more pictures but now I have a reason to come back and try some other things on their menu! Great little Italian spot! read more

Piazza 1909 - Spinach Ricotta brown butter sage pasta. So fresh and so delicious! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We stopped here not long ago. I ordered a Marguerita Pizza. It was really delicious. Nice and lit up Piazza 1909. Service is good here, food is on the pricey side, but what do you expect? You are in La Jolla area. I love it. read more

We had visited Piazza 1909 many times before, and from the very beginning, we knew it was the place we wanted to gather our friends and family for our wedding rehearsal dinner. The incredible food and consistently exceptional service made it an easy and meaningful choice for such a special occasion. We hosted our rehearsal dinner on their back patio, and it was truly an unforgettable experience from start to finish. The space was set up and decorated so beautifully--it created the perfect intimate atmosphere for the evening. The staff were incredible. Lorenzo went above and beyond to ensure every single guest felt cared for--he was truly exceptional, and his attention to detail did not go unnoticed. Roberta was equally amazing, helping us plan the entire event with such kindness, patience, and professionalism. We felt completely supported every step of the way. Our guests are still talking about the food! The fried artichokes were a huge hit, the pasta dishes were fresh and absolutely delicious, and many guests said it was the best tiramisu they've ever had. Piazza 1909 gave us the perfect setting to share speeches, enjoy a family-style dinner, and spend meaningful time connecting with our loved ones before the big day. We are so grateful to the entire team for helping make this night so special. If you're in San Diego, this restaurant is truly a gem in La Jolla. A family-run spot with outstanding food, warm hospitality, and an unforgettable ambiance--everything is always fresh, thoughtful, and delicious. Highly, highly recommend! read more

What a wonderful restaurant! This place is very deceptively large and we had a spot in the back that was more away from everyone. Very romantic! We had their salami and burrata/polenta starter that was very tasty. Their alcoholic version of a Shirley temple was divine! Their diavola pizza was phenomenally spicy and their homemade gnocchi was fantastic. We finished off the night with their ricotta cheesecake. You NEED to try this. It was so very good!!! Special shout out to Lorenzo who was the BEST. Apparently he is the owner's son and it was great to find out this place was family ran. You can tell they put care into it and the food! Parking can be a pain because it's La Jolla but if you're patient you'll find a spot. We will DEFINITELY be back and plan on having our rehearsal dinner here it was so yummy. read more

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