Godfather Restaurant
The Godfather, a Balistreri restaurant, is an Italian monument in downtown San Diego providing authentic cuisine from the hills of Italy. Established in 1974, The Godfather is a sophisticated and classy establishment that centers around generational recipes from both Northern and Southern Italy. Over the years, the quality of food and standard of service has never declined and thus garnered The Godfather a national recognition as one of the top twenty-five Italian restaurants in the entire nation.
The menu is filled with classic favorites based in steak, chicken and pasta. For an intimate evening for two, try the Sicilian kiss prix fixe meal that includes a bottle of champagne.
Popular dishes
Zucchini
Tender zucchini baked with Mozzarella cheese & marinara sauce
28 reviews
Enjoy Chicken or Shrimp with Your Pasta
8 reviews
Marsala
Chicken sautéed in Sicilian Marsala wine with fresh mushrooms
6 reviews
We always feel very welcomed. Our chicken piccata and sea bass favorites were even more delicious.
Wrfriendly
The wine collection is plentiful! I love the zucchini bites at the table upon sitting, and they’re delish! The portobello ravioli with shrimp was really tasty! The ambiance is great and the staff was awesome. Also, they had a pianist playing live during dinner!
Outstanding service! Makes you feel right at home! Greeted by Anthony and catered to by an amazing server. Food was spectacular as always....
Really dissapointed with food quality. Great atmosphere, cool vibe, but definitely not what you want if you’re expecting authentic quality Italian food. Cheap ingredients. This isnt to bash the restaurant. I loved the vibe of thr place and hope they get a real chef.
The food was delicious. Would definitely go back. Loved that they had a piano player.
Best fillet minion I ever had in my life!!! Great portions. Very happy to find that place. Will take my 6’3” foot tall son for his bday I’m sure he will enjoy those big portions.
Best food around! The sea bass is my absolute favorite, but every meal here is divine! The best part is the family that runs the place.....good people who really care about your dining experience!
Great place to bring friends!
Great food, ambience and service.
Valentine’s Day dinner, it was so nice to be inside again. The noise level is pretty loud but it was good to hear after all these months of being so separated from everyone. Of course the food was delicious I had the Seabass and my husband had the lasagna. The ambience is perfect for a romantic evening with your love. Thank you The Godfather for the red rose too!♥️
First time my wife and I have been here and we loved it. Food was amazing we had the filet mignon and lobster and a bottle of wine and we loved everything also got dessert also amazing.
I have always loved this Italian treasure. This family owned and operated restaurant has been in business for almost 50 years and it shows how well run it is. The staff is extremely friendly, professional and accommodating. Food is always outstanding and fresh. We have celebrated many milestones here and will come back soon! Thank you so much Tony, family and staff for all your hard work! Ivana
Valentines Day - couldn’t have been more romantic with outside dining, fabulous food and impeccable service - everything they do is with such style including the red rose - loved it ❤️
Great food great people
Perfect and awesome experience. They handed a rose to all the guests. The lighting was dimmed with candle lit tables. The food was good and worth the price. Would go again. All the staff are incredible. If you want a romantic night, this is the place to go to.
Amazing I will for sure will return next time I stay in San Diego
Godfathers has such a nice sophisticated ambiance from the decor to the Maitre de to the piano player and all the waitstaff which creates a higher level of dining. The menu is top notch as well. When my wife and I want somewhere special to dine, not just to eat, Godfathers is high on our list.
I always have a good time at Godfathers the food is always excellent and the service is impeccable
Fantastic restaurant. I've never had a bad meal there and the service is exceptional. Best bolognese, chicken marsala and chicken piccata I've ever had. The Godfather is a throw back to when restaurants had class and elegance. You could go to the Gaslamp or Little Italy and pay more, but you won't get a better meal or better service. I highly recommend.
Jill & I always have a "most excellent" time at The Godfather. Everyone there is highly professional, pay attention-to-detail, & are very personable. Good luck in trying to find an overall better experience at another restaurant.
Love this place
This was our first time dining at the godfather. Right from the start we were greeted by the owners and from there on our experience was wonderful. Service was outstanding and I really liked the tips on some of the entrées. Very delicious I had to lasagna and my boyfriend had Spaghetti and meatballs One suggestion we would’ve liked some more bread.
A MUST visit on the business lunch scene in Kearny Mesa, awesome variety, friendly service, reasonable priced. Did i say their food was awesome. Dinner good too. Call to see what their hours and indoor versus outdoor during these crazy times. A hit for sure.
Amazing as always! The Linguini Frutti di Mare is to die for. Excellent service and great for date night.
We just discovered this little restaurant, went back twice in one week we loved it so much
Great Italian restaurant. Quiet romantic ambience and delicious food.
Amazing!!!! Love the ambiance and the staff was excellent! The wine selection was on par (try the Jordan Cab from Alexander Valley!) and my Chicken Parmigiana was delicious! They give you tasted zucchini bites for an app (in place of the normal bread at Italian restaurants) and they were great!! My friend loved her Carbonara and appreciated there were no peas in it! Totally recommend for casual dining or date night!! Very clean also!
Great locale and lot's of ambience tucked away in a little strip mall. Very elegant and romantic but I dine alone and always feel very welcome and happy to have gone.
Excellent food and service. Would highly recommend for a nice date night!
My first time eating here and it made it on my 5 top restaurant list. Amazing staff and food was delicious.
Just an excellent restaurant overall - no complaints - only good things to say.
The food is phenomenal. The service is always top notch. The piano player is very talented and fun, leaving the ambience perfect.
Wonderful as always!!!
Good food good safe environment. Well spaced outdoor seething excellent waiter.
The food is the best Italian I have ever had including Italy it self were I have eaten.
I am so Thankful to have thus wonderful place to celebrate holidays and special events as I did this Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve! They are wonderful people and have great courage to serve their customers with safety and style in this challenge times.
I come for my self and to honor and support them. Can’t wait to
Bring all my guests when they come to San Diego. I have been sharing their web with people.
It has a old world ambience. Cozy and elegant ...
Dining here is always a special occasion.
Given that they were required to serve outdoors, they did a very good job. Food was very good as usual
This restaurant is one our favorites. It's to bad that they ,like so many others have to suffer through this ridiculous color chart system.
Godfather Restaurant is ALWAYS Amazing! Great service, excellent food and ambiance!
As local restaurants and patrons navigate the new norm that we find ourselves, this is one family owned restaurant, rich in history that is newsworthy. They are definitely doing it right. And have transformed their inside to the outside for a wonderful and unique dining experience. The owner, Anthony Balistreri and his staff provide exceptional service. There's definitely something for everyone. They provide authentic Italian cuisine. I'm partial to seafood and enjoyed their lobster ravioli with shrimp, a special that evening. The creme brulee cheesecake desert, a new addition is something to be sampled. The ambiance is just extraordinary and perfect for date nights, celebrations and gatherings. You definitely must visit. They never disappoint. Simply the best!
FAQs
Godfather Restaurant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (858) 560-1747.
Godfather Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 688 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.