Antica Trattoria - La Mesa, California

CESAR

Can one $3 order of supposed fresh baked bread lose you a couple of Stars?

In my case yes!

We went with most of the recommended items that Levi brought up. He was very convincing about his suggested recommendations. And they were great.....but

I won't really talk about them....instead I want to focus on the first order of bread. The softest, warmest, earthiest tasting bread ever. We loved it so much that we ordered another one. We're not piggies! The bread order is small. Like a 6" sub size.

The 2nd bread was terrible. It was like a rock. We tried to find a soft spot and even tried soaking it in the olive oil or sauce that came with our dishes but no luck. We disected it and kept looking for the soft spot but nope!

When Levi (who was great by the way) asked "How was everything?" I was honest and explained that everything was fantastic! But that the 2nd bread was terrible. His answer to us was that he was going to let the baker in charge know about it.

Well that just doesn't cut it. I got to thinking and the veal parmiggiana was soggy.

Joseph M.

Had a great time here! The food was delicious—especially the penne with salmon and shrimp. The portion was big enough to split, so if you’re on a date, I definitely recommend sharing! The atmosphere is warm, inviting, and full of cool things to look at, making it a great spot for a romantic night out.

Service was top-notch for the most part, though it got a little overwhelmed during the busy rush. Prices are on the higher side, so it’s more of a date-night or special occasion spot rather than a casual family dinner. Overall, a solid experience—good food, great ambiance, and friendly service. Four stars because of the price and slight wait during peak hours, but I’d still recommend checking it out!

Mike R.

My fiance and I came for dinner to try out their Restaurant Week deal. I had the Arancini, Saltimbocca, and the chocolate lava cake. My fiance had the mussels, brasato, and tiramisu. The flavors were on point. The service was great. I just wish the portions were a little bigger.

GECO

While on vacation I tried Antica Trattoria. The beef braised beef short ribs were amazing. However, the fettuccine Alfredo was very bland. Our waitress was very personable and informative...she was great. I recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

Jared H.

I made reservations for my girlfriend and myself for Valentines Day about two weeks ahead of time. Two days before our reservation the restaurant called to confirm with no mention of anything else. When we showed up the sprung a limited menu on us that was not disclosed. It was $75 per person just for a three course dinner. At first I was not worried and thought this might be interesting, once I read the menu nothing sounded good. The problem is that on Valentines Day you have to have reservations to get into anywhere. We asked if there was any other options other than the limited menu and we were told that there was not. At this point we were faced with an ultimatum, to leave and not be able to eat dinner anywhere or pay $75 per person for food we didn't want. We decided to leave. This is should not have been a big deal but they decided to report to open table that we did not show up for our reservation. I have heard good things about this restaurant but I don't think I will ever give them another chance. If you want to have a limited menu then you should
disclose that to your guests especially on a day when it is not easy to find a place to eat last minute.

Reply to owner.......
Just checked open table no communication was made about a special menu. Your response is the exact reason I will never recommend your business to anyone. Customer service is not an option.

Derrick L.

Best Italian food we have ever tried!!! Levi was the greatest server. We gave him our preferences and he recommended the best wines, appetizers, and entrees. We were blown away by the food quality and will be coming back regularly now!!! Great job Antica Trattoria! Extremely impressed!

Cliff R.

Came here for our anniversary dinner in Dec 10. The food and our waitress were amazing! We got a bottle and split our meal. Was a perfect dinner!

Ahmed D. A.

It was good. I didn’t like my food as much as I would’ve liked but it wasn’t bad. My girlfriend loved hers though. She had the butternut squash ravioli and it was really good.
I think what’s nice about the place is the nice atmosphere of it. Great place for a date!