I can't go to San Diego without stopping in at Mona Lisa's! The sandwiches are always so good! Best Italian deli on the west coast for sure!! I also don't think I've ever gotten out of there without buying wine and cheese as well Don't ever change !

Saturday dinner visit to this Italian restaurant located in little Italy. I was pleasantly surprised by the grocery store integrated into the space, offering a selection of authentic Italian food finds. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated by the friendly staff, who provided excellent service throughout our meal. I highly recommend trying the pizzas and sandwiches. The pizza featured a perfectly baked crust, complemented by a generous amount of cheese. Although I was too full for dessert this time, their dessert menu looked tempting. The restaurant has availability of parking, which is a plus in an area where street parking can be a challenge. For those who prefer not to deal with the hassle of finding a spot, there is convenient public parking nearby, at a cost of $20 for two hours.

While I was already in San Diego for work, I asked my boyfriend if there was anything he wanted me to pick up. Among the few options he sent over, Mona Lisa Italian Foods was convenient to my venue and open at the time I was heading back home. When I arrived I got super lucky with street parking right next to the deli/restaurant. They also had a private lot in front, but it's a one way street and not in the direction where I couldn't have gotten to it without making circles. They have a restaurant side and a deli side. I went to the deli side. Upon entering THE PLACE IS SO CROWDED. A bit stressful and hectic. Sigh at least it must be good if all of these people are waiting around. I grabbed a ticket for a number and proceeded to wait until I was called. I started to walk around to browse while I waited but the aisles were so narrow and it was so busy, it was exhausting. I decided just to stand and wait in one spot, but it was hard for people not to bump into me. I was so happy when my ticket # was called. My boyfriend wanted the #18 Spicy Sandwich Special ($11.50) which had pepperoni, sopressata, and capicollo - no mayo. I had their #17 cause i wanted our numbers to be together. Just kidding, I actually really like Porchetta ($11.25). All of their sandwiches (except #11) come with lettuce, tomato, onions, Italian dressing, mustard, mayo, salt and pepper unless requested otherwise. When I got the sandwiches, they were so big. We probably could have shared one sandwich. Yikes. Full on sandwich baby! The next obstacle was waiting in line. There was a long line but it sounds like the staff noticed cause they were yelling at each other in Italian, then an additional cashier came to help ring up. It was a relief that the line sped up. If I had more time and wasn't worried for traffic I would have explored more of the store. While I was in line I noticed people buying pizza dough and fresh topping like pepperoni and mozzarella. Yum! The sandwiches were worth the trouble because we both enjoyed it. It probably would have been even better super fresh. The lettuce and onions were super thinly sliced. This is a sandwich to eat fresh because the Italian dressing will make the bread mushy if you wait too long. Since it was so big I only ate half the first day and half later on. I had to re toast the bread to get some crispiness. It was still good but just wet. Nothing against the business, more of a public service announcement to eat the sandwich quickly. This is one of my favorite execution of the porchetta sandwich. Despite being a bit stressful, I appreciate how authentic they are here and I want to support family businesses. Rounding up on my rating, but there is definitely some room for improvement for a more organized operation.

I love Mona Lisa is the best old school pizza service food love the market shin we are here every other weekend limoncello mont piciano and pizza wait let me not forget the soup oh wait Dylan is awesome !! Always personable and super friendly my husband is a super PITA and Dylan has been great !! No food pics I have to take to go thus hubby pita lol wait we also drink a bit and have. Food in deli a bit

Everything I was looking for preparing an Italian meal. Sun Dried Tomatoes , Extra Virgin Italian Olive Oil, Pistachio Cream, and Anchovies. Great selection of wine, cheeses, meats, pastas, sauces, etc. Reasonable prices and excellent customer service and satisfaction. Another hidden treasure within Little Italy!

I'm a big sandwich guy, and was craving one while I was in SD for work recently. I had heard a lot of people recommend Mona Lisa for a good sub. This place did not disappoint! It's a classic Italian deli where you can buy an assortment of things. They had a ton of sandwich options at a reasonable price. Service was great! Would highly recommend if you are in SD.

We drove down to San Diego for a day and ended up in the city's Little Italy section. It was about 2pm and we were starving mad. A friend recommended Mona Lisa's sandwiches. She was right. The sandwiches here are excellent! I had the eggplant and mozzarella sandwich. The eggplant was grilled with terrific tasting red sauce. The mozzarella cheese was deliciously melted on top of the eggplant and encased in a slightly crunchy sub-bun. At first I was thinking; Wow! A large sandwich. After the first bite, I was truly enjoying the hearty red sauce. All of the sudden my sandwich was gone. Yum! For lunch, we ordered at the counter, took our number to our table, and our order was delivered within ten minutes. The restaurant is large and appears to be an original institution here in San Diego. Think, family owned, mid-century Italian eatery with red-table cloth. The meals here are traditional- style Italian. I will try the pasta dishes next time. Excellent!

Definitely check it out Mona Lisa, Italian food located at 2061 Indian St., San Diego, CA 92101 this location doubles as a Italian food restaurant and a super awesome convenience store with lots of options of torpedo sandwiches, sodas, cooking oil, ham, meats, wines, and much more. My favorite time to go in lunchtime when they have half lasagna half soup for $12.49 the pastrami sandwiches are amazing as well. I didn't take any pictures, but I took a picture of the receipt. The ambience is very cool very dark. Very nice place to go eat at.. More picture to come