Best Restaurants with a Happy Hour in La Mesa

We came in last night and had a wonderful experience. Our server was Alessandra and she was just amazing. First off the place is so cute & trendy, I love what they did with the space. We started our meal with the fritto misto (mixed calamari & veggies), fungo ripieno (mushroom w artichoke, red sauce & polenta) which was my personal favorite (the polenta was to die for) and the crispy burrata. We ate everything and left no crumbs ! Then we went on to our main courses. We ordered the fettuccine tartufo (mushroom & truffle - our tables favorite), spicy vodka pasta, ragu Della Nonna (red sauce with meat), and the parmigiana Milanese (eggplant Parmesan). Everything was delicious. The pasta was cooked perfect & al dente, we ate what we could & took the rest home! Then came dessert. It was my father’s birthday and they offered us a dessert of our choice, Alessandra recommended the fresh made table side tiramisu -good choice. Flavors were so well balanced. We also ordered the cannoli and was one of my favorite cannolis ever! Needless to say we will be coming back again! Thank you for the great dinner.

Honestly the food was probably some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. I loved it. Price matched the food for sure. Ambiance was nice as well.

Great food! We got Chicken Tinga Tacos and Sirloin enchiladas. My $5 Margarita was beautifully presented. There being a slight chill in the air, I was given a cozy, bright red throw to put over my legs. A delightful and tasty experience.

Great lunch w a friend that I haven’t seen in years! We were allowed a leisurely unhurried delicious lunch.

We have come here since they opened over 16 years ago, and been through the iterations of multiple owners. The service is always wonderful, the drinks are strong and the food is good. Their happy hour 4-6 pm is the best in town. Our go-to items are the turquoise tots and the flat iron. The soups have been a great addition. It’s a great local dive - big red booths, fun cocktails - and we love coming here.