Romano's Restaurant — Restaurant in San Diego Country Estates

Let me start by saying I really hesitated before dropping a 2 Star on Romano's. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. And the review is based on my wife's and I first and only experience/visit over Memorial day weekend. Based on the other reviews I read they must have just been off their game Sunday night. That all being said here is what we experienced.

Sarah was our server and while she was friendly enough she seemed distracted and at times seemed overwhelmed. Even overheard her a few times mention she was working two jobs and was tired. Good for her doing what it takes! She took our drink order. We then asked about the Calamari and she said it delicious and how it was prepared so we ordered wine and the Calamari appetizer. Before leaving she asked if we knew what we wanted for dinner as well. We gave her that order as well since we waited a bit for Sarah to show to the table.

I ordered the pork chops and my wife ordered the lasagna. Wine and bread came right out and we relaxed a little waiting for the Calamari to come out. Sadly the Calamari would never come, about 15-20 minutes after our wine the dinner comes out. Sarah didn't bring the food out so we explained to the food runner that we were expecting the appetizer first. He looked puzzled and dropped our dinner on the table. About 5 minutes later Sarah came back and said she didn't know what happened and said they must have lost the ticket for the appetizer in the kitchen. She said they would still make it but at that time it kinda defeats the purpose. We were hoping to time out our meal a little and enjoy the ambiance. We politely declined and started eating our meal.

That would be the last time we would see Sarah until she was ready to bring the bill and ask if we wanted dessert. I'm not sure if she thought we were upset or not but she NEVER checked on us once. Once she did show up we had room for dessert so I ordered a sundae and my wife ordered the Cannoli. So they came back about 5 minutes later and said they didn't have any more vanilla ice cream so I passed on anything else. The Cannoli came to the table looking like it exploded with the filling everywhere.

So the 2 Star was for a couple of reasons. 1) food quality. My pork chops were dry and over cooked, and I've never seen a Cannoli butchered like that one. And also it wouldn't have been that hard to run across the street to the general store and buy ice cream to get you through the night. And 2) for service. Sarah wasn't focused on what was important. Forgetting to submit our appetizer (I'm assuming) and never coming around to check on us. That being said about the service, I still left a 20% tip because I realize they count on tips as part of...

My family and I, a party of 6, dined at Romano's on Saturday 8/10/19. The food and service was mostly poor. I called ahead and asked for a reservation at 7 pm. When we arrived at 6:50 pm, our reservation was written down as 7:30. I said 7 pm on the phone to the gal about 5 times. Something to work on: listening skills. One of the servers dropped a knife from a very tall stack of dirty dishes on my Mom's shoulder blade and then started rubbing her back essentially rubbing the food in. This was painful and awkward and my Mom got stains on her shirt. One of our party asked for pesto on her ravioli and was told "it will be $4 or $5 extra dollars". There was a pasta dish on the menu for less that included pesto cream so why the extra charge???? Just substitute one sauce for another...The pesto cream came to the table (with the extra charge) and the ravioli's were swimming in this pesto cream sauce...I mean it was like cream soup. I think she left hungry. I ordered chicken marsala and it tasted like flat out wallpaper paste with absolutely no flavor. I was trying to get the servers to look my direction for at least 5 to 10 minutes and they were about 8 feet away from me. A gentleman in my party finally got up and went over to the servers and asked them to take the dish back and bring me something else. When the server came to the table, he asked me what I wanted and asked me if I wanted to eat my vegetables before he took the plate. I said no thinking that they would bring me a new plate with more vegetables. I got a chicken parmesan with ten tons of cheese on a coffee cup plate with no veggies....Was I supposed to stuff all the vegetables in my mouth while he stood there over me so he could take my plate? The pizza and lasagna tasted decent We asked the server to bring the wine list and she brought over a dessert menu. Again, listening skills should be instilled in your staff. I have never really written a bad review of a restaurant but for the money we paid, this deserved to be mentioned. The bill should have been reduced to remove my Mom's meal since she had a knife dropped on her back, the pesto cream soup should have been removed from the bill, and my dish should have definitely been removed from the bill since it tasted horrible and I had to wait for a new dish so I had to eat my food while everybody else was done and staring at me. I wish there were better restaurants in Julian for my family...

Romano's Restaurant is truly a hidden gem in Julian, CA. It is quintessential old school Italian cooking that is set in a historic, rustic home surrounded by a gorgeous mountain country backdrop. My friend and I stumbled upon this place while we were looking for a "finer" dining option in the area during our glamping trip in a nearby town. We pulled up to the unassuming restaurant, opened the door, and were immediately drawn in by the aromas of home-cooked Italian cuisine, the warm hospitality of the staff, and the overarching sense of homeliness. Read on for more.

The Service - 5/5 The hostess and waitresses here were just the best. They got to us as quickly as they could, made great recommendations, poured out the wine with heavy hands, and overall made for a very inviting meal.

The Ambiance - 5/5 This is where Romano's really shines. They've got the service down, the food takes you back to an Italian grandmother's cooking, and the ambiance sets the tone from the start of your dining experience to the end. You feel like you're dining in a home, not a restaurant. The classic red-and-white checkered tables, slatted wood walls, brick overlays, and warm chandelier lighting all bring it together. You won't want to leave.

The Food - 5/5 There's many ways to judge an Italian restaurant. At some, you expect finely prepared dishes with high-end techniques and finishes. At others, you want massive portions, deep, rich flavors, and a sense of nostalgia. Romano's provides the latter and if you look at it in that lens, it is the best around.

What I Liked: Deluxe Pizza - 5/5 The pizza is loaded with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, and bell peppers. You would think it would be too heavy or sloppy to handle but it's topped off just right. The red sauce is delectable and the crust was crunchy but still chewy.

Heavyweight Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi, California - 4/5 A scrumptious full-bodied red, recommended by our wonderful server.

Branciforti dei Bordonaro, Nero D’Avola, Sicilia, Italy, DOC - 4/5 Another fantastic red wine from Southern Italy. It's rich and intense, smoky and spicy, all while being smooth. It pairs well with the heavier meat dishes.

What I Didn't...