Discover Old School Italian at Little Italy’s Filippi’s Pizza Grotto

While Little Italy may be heavily lined with outstanding Italian restaurants, you don't have to get dressed up to enjoy fantastic food. Sitting boldly midway down India Street, Filippi's Pizza Grotto is the perfect spot for a casual and cultural dining experience, any night of the week.

Don't be scared away by the line out the front door; with two large dining rooms of red and white checkered table cloths, the wait is rarely too long to bear. What's more, the line will wind through Filippi's Italian store and deli in order to reach the hostess stand. So, feel free to do some shopping as you wait.

Local favorites at Filippi's include the anti-pasta salad with imported Italian cheese and the homemade lasagna. That said, the pizza is authentically terrific; decorate any pie with a number of fresh toppings including pepperoncinis, garlic, artichokes, or fresh-sliced Italian salami. Request an extra thin crust if you'd like and match it with a small bottle of Chianti to share with your table. Once you finish, ask the wait-staff for a sharpie and autograph your bottle. He or she will then hang it from the ceiling over your table, adding it to the thousands that are already strung from the beams, representing numerous nights of happy eating in Little Italy.

With two other locations in Kearny Mesa and Pacific Beach, Little Italy's Filippi's Pizza Grotto is undoubtedly the most authentic and most popular. For less of a crowd or an easier parking situation, try one of the other locations for a good night out.

Insider Tip: Parking in Little Italy can be a bear. Be sure to pull into the designated parking spot just north of Filippi's off of India. They often have a parking attendant present to ensure that those spots are saved for the restaurant's patrons.