Cardellino

Name: Cardellino
Address: 4033 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA, United States, 92103-1871
Telephone: (619) 600-5311
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.7

4.7 (47)

$50 and over

Contemporary Italian

4033 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA 92103-1871

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 13, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 40 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Cardellino Italian Chophouse is a story steeped in fire, char, steak—and red sauce, parmesan, and truffles. A blend of Midwest chophouse and Italian trattoria, the restaurant reflects Chef Brad Wise’s culinary ethos and TRUST Restaurant Group’s signature style. Live-fire cooking anchors the menu, melding a Tuscan stone hearth with an all-American Big Green Egg.

Drawing inspiration from northern Italy - Umbria, Piedmont - Cardellino offers housemade pastas and traditional antipasti, but the spotlight is on the meat. The signature Bistecca Fiorentina, a 38 oz charcoal-grilled steak, arrives sliced and reassembled on a custom mahogany board. Pork Osso Bucco and Salt-Baked Branzino round out the chophouse-style offerings. Pastas are bold, sides are built for sharing, and the experience is best with Barolo. For a deeper dive, the Tuscan Experience invites guests to enjoy a four-course, chef-curated journey inspired by what Brad’s loving in the moment.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary Italian, Steakhouse
Hours of operation
Happy Hour Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 600-5311
Website
http://www.cardellinosd.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Brad Wise
Private party facilities
Enjoy one big table for all your guests with a custom menu, wine pairings, cocktails, even dessert. This tucked-away dining room boasts one, long communal table to enjoy an enchanting evening or leisurely lunch sharing delightful apertivis, thoughtful conversation, or a presentation utilizing a full suite of audio / visual equipment.

Location
4033 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA 92103-1871
Neighborhood
Mission Hills
Cross street
Fort Stockon Drive
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room

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What 47 people are saying

Cardellino reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cardellino boasts "amazing" service and "exceptional" food, with standout dishes like the NY steak and spicy rigatoni. Its vibrant atmosphere and attentive staff create a memorable dining experience. Many guests celebrate special occasions here, praising the thoughtful gestures and "fantastic" service. Though some find prices high, the overall quality and ambiance make it a "favorite" spot in San Diego.

47 Reviews

C
Charlene VIP
Coastal Georgia6 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Second time dining & food was delicious again. Loved the lamb lollipops. It is nice you can order how many you want. The salsa verde sauce was amazing. I even dipped the fresh baked sourdough bread in it & asked for a side of it for our steak. We had ribeye cooked a perfect med rare, asparagus which was served with an egg & finely shredded percornio cheese was yummy & the clam pasta dish which was in a light Meyer lemon olive oil sauce so delish, The dessert was the carrot cake. I had to have it again. So moist, served with a caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting with pecans…amazing. Server again attentive the bartender made a perfect aperol spritz. Perfect balance of ingredients so very smooth. Sometime they are made & can be a little bitter by some places. This restaurant is added to my favorites.
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A
Adam VIP
Los Angeles7 reviews
3.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Will unfortunately not return. Food is very good. Service is okay. But it’s all about turning tables here. Three of us spent close to four hundred dollars and we were done on an hour and 10 minutes because they dump all the courses on you at once after telling you to order everything up front and it will be coursed out. (Never seen a fine dining Italian where pasti and secondi served together.) Ironically we would have spent plenty more money on wine and maybe dessert if given adequate time to savor the food instead having to eat fast before it all gets cold. That was to be our evening out and we were home quite early.
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A
Adan
Houston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
It was our first time at Cardellino and it was amazing. We are already planning our next visit because we want to try the other dishes.
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D
Darin VIP
San Diego16 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food is just so yummy and consistent. This is a restaurant that you can rely on over and over. Whether you sit at a table or at the bar you're destined to have an engaging server/bartender who just add to the experience of the delicious food. Great vibe, great peeps and great process.
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K
Kathy VIP
San Diego41 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 28, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had the most fabulous RibEye and potatoes and the only reason that I did not give it a 5 star is that we ordered our steak Medium pink and it was served almost alive! Not once but twice! But it was so delicious and we ate it anyway! Service was terrific and the Aperol Spritz's and the dessert were superb! Kathy
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A
Alexander VIP
San Diego10 reviews
1.0
Dined on June 26, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Horrible, unbelievable rude and pretentious place, I’ll never go back!
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F
Frank VIP
San Diego15 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience from start to finish. Heard great things about the food and service and every expectation was met. I highly recommend the Sunday spaghetti dish, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and they had a good special on bottles of wine.
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Z
Zanyar
Los Angeles1 review
5.0
Dined on June 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was amazing envoriment, service and energy. Every single item we ordered which was a lot lol taste 10/10 so I highly recommend and will definitely go back
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J
Judith VIP
San Diego15 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent service and food as always. The NY steak was outstanding. Tender and flavor.
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k
kathleen VIP
San Diego15 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN SAN DIEGO. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED, EXCELLENT SERVICE AND FOOD
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FAQs

Cardellino is rated 4.7 stars by 47 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 13, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 40 times today

4033 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA 92103-1871

Additional information

Cross street
Fort Stockon Drive
Neighborhood
Mission Hills
Hours of operation
Happy Hour Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary Italian, Steakhouse
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Brad Wise
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room

Website
http://www.cardellinosd.com/
Phone number
(619) 600-5311
Private party facilities
Enjoy one big table for all your guests with a custom menu, wine pairings, cocktails, even dessert. This tucked-away dining room boasts one, long communal table to enjoy an enchanting evening or leisurely lunch sharing delightful apertivis, thoughtful conversation, or a presentation utilizing a full suite of audio / visual equipment.

Cardellino

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 47 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cardellino restaurant rated?

Is Cardellino currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information