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Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante: Restaurant Reviews

31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
949.481.8300
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Cuisines: Italian
Dining options: Reservations
Most recent review
- Mar 8, 2013
Restaurant details
Dining options: Reservations
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33 reviews from our community

87% Recommend
    17
    12
    2
    2
    0
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
There are newer reviews for Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
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San Juan Capistrano, California
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
15 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“A Happenin' Place in the Heart of San Juan Capistrano”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 8, 2013

A fun location in downtown San Juan, just a stones' throw from the famous Mission. Service was excellent and our BBQ Chicken pizza was very good. Vito's makes thin crust pizza so you don't feel like you're eating a loaf of bread with toppings. We had a nice Caesar salad which was a tad bit on the small side although they called it 'large'. Nice decor to top it off! We will definitely be back!

  • Visited March 2013
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
Was this review helpful? Yes
See 3 more reviews by JaneSJC for San Juan Capistrano
Ask JaneSJC about Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ryan V, Owner at Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante, responded to this review
March 11, 2013
Hello, JaneSJC!
Wow! Thank you for the great review of us, and for sharing your feedback about our food! We are so happy you enjoyed the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Thank you for taking the time to review us, and we hope to see you soon.
Best, Ryan V., Owner.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Irvine, CA
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
24 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
“Tasty food, decent service, but here's what you need to know:”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 28, 2013

My boyfriend and I visited Vito's for the first time on 2/27/13, as we're always looking for good Italian food. The bread and herb butter was VERY tasty, and ultimately, we both thoroughly enjoyed our entrees. They had a few decent wines by the glass, which is always something I consider, so that was helpful. I had the Parmigiana with Chicken and was accommodated at no extra charge when I requested vegetables with it instead of a bed of pasta. My dish was delicious and I would order it again. My Boyfriend had a rigatoni/penne dish with meat sauce and peas. He was quite pleased with his dish, too.
The service was nothing special, but was certainly acceptable. We were never left waiting too long for anything and I was satisfied with our waitress.
However, there are a few things to note about visiting VIto's:
First, unless you're lucky enough to find a space on the street right out front, parking is not directly adjacent to the restaurant. So ladies, if you're in heels like I was, be prepared for a short walk.
Next, there are two rooms plus a bar at Vito's. I thought the decor was very pretty, but it seemed to be a bit confused. The decor seems like it's leaning toward a nicer restaurant - more of an "adult" environment for business or a romantic atmosphere. But there are no linens on the tables and the lights were turned up all the way when we arrived at 7pm, which felt very awkward to me. The lack of linens and the bright lighting made it feel like a family-style restaurant with decor and touches that were way too nice for a family-style restaurant. I would recommend that they dim the lights significantly as soon as the sun begins to set and put nice linens on the tables so that those important bits match the elegant touches of the light fixtures, fabric on the booths, artwork, finishes, etc., and make it a spot that is more conducive to adults. If they did this, the service would need to step up a notch, too, and they should also consider serving bottled water. Obviously, kids and families would still fit in, but the decor would be properly aligned with itself instead of creating confusion. I think Vito's could be a really special place if they can get past this identity crisis.
BOTTOM LINE: The food was great, and I would go back. It's a bit of a drive from where I live and while I'm always willing to drive for a great restaurant, I'll probably visit this one sparingly unless or until they get past their identity crisis. And if they make it more of a family-style restaurant, they should also adjust their prices down a tiny bit. If they go with a more mature environment, the prices, in my opinion, are okay as they are. Check it out and decide for yourself!

  • Visited February 2013
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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Ask ockathylovesred about Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ryan V, Owner at Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante, responded to this review
March 7, 2013
We appreciate your detailed review and your feedback is welcomed. We thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts, and we’re glad you loved your dining choices. We hope to see you again, and thank you, again!
Best, Ryan V., Owner.
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Carlsbad, California
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
21 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Excellent service and pizza”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 11, 2013

Made a reservation on open table. Some reviews not so good, but decided to try anyway. We were seated in a room with a bunch of kids eating before a dance, so we got moved. The owner said he recently took over the place because it wasn't being run properly. We had some of the happy hour Chianti which was good and only $5 a glass. Then stuffed mushrooms and a veggie pizza which were both very good. We will be back when we are in the area.

    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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Ask Quincy56 about Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ryan V, Owner at Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante, responded to this review
March 7, 2013
We’re glad you enjoyed your dining experience with us! We thank you for your feedback and taking the time to review us. We hope to see you back again!
Best,
Ryan V., Owner
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Montclair, New Jersey
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
31 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Good Italian”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 23, 2013

We had a quick dinner there one evening, and all was good. The bread is quite tasty, and the entrees good. Try the antipasta - large enough to have as a meal or to share with many. Portions were quite filling. Would go back

Visited January 2013
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See 4 more reviews by Montypythons for San Juan Capistrano
Ask Montypythons about Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ryan V, Owner at Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante, responded to this review
January 24, 2013
Hi, Montypythons:
Thank you for your review and taking the time to write us your feedback. We appreciate it. We're glad you enjoyed your meal, and look forward to the next time you're in the mood for Italian.
Best, Ryan V., Owner.
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Diamond Bar, California
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
16 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Not very good at all except for the Atmostphere”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed January 23, 2013

The first clue was when I asked if the minestrone soup was traditional or some odd variation which I have been running into lately. The answer was 'I don't know what traditional minestrone is'. I felt like saying 'open a can of Progresso or go online to a food site and you will get an idea'. But I refrained and instead described it... Not going to get it here. The pizza dough tasted like flour and water, the sauce was strange tasting, the meatballs were tasty but unusual. Very nice atmosphere.

  • Visited December 2012
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Food
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask lisadlov about Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ryan V, Owner at Vito's Pizza & Italian Ristorante, responded to this review
January 24, 2013
Hello, lisadlov,
We're sorry to hear you weren't Wowed by our menu. We have let our kitchen staff know about your concerns, and we'll work on resolving them for the future. Thank you for leaving us a review and letting us know your feedback.
Best, Ryan V., Owner.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

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