La Focaccia Gourmet Pizza & Organic Salads

This place is called Fig Tree Café now, and it was definitely confusing because we thought we were looking for La Focaccia still. Regardless, when we walked in, the owner greeted us warmly and offered us a seat outside (we had a baby with us). The ambience of the restaurant is certainly inviting, and you walk along a wall that is lined with all sorts of wine… I thought that was pretty neat. We ordered the Turkey Panini and the pasta. The pasta was just okay, but the panini was wonderful. I think it’s the bread it comes on… garlicky, thick, and perfectly toasted. I didn’t get a chance to try their pizzas, but I am curious about the fig pizza that was listed on their menu. The portion sizes aren’t the largest, but it’s enough to make you feel satisfied.

I would have loved to try the food here but this place is actually CLOSED now. They are going to open «Fig Tree Café» in the same location soon but I was extremely disappointed since I bought a
coupon and am now unable to use it.
JUST FYI this place is no longer in business.

This place is centrally located in Hillcrest and perfect for a quick stop and go before going to the movie theater! The focaccia bread is crispy outside and soft inside… just perfect! you can choose your toppings to make it delicious! I had a focaccia sandwich with zucchini, eggplant, mozzarella and tomatoes… gnammy!
I will go back for sure

I love their pizza & they have really fantastic service. I’ve been there a million times & they have a 2 pizzas 1 soda deal for about $ 6. You can choose whatever pizza you want from the selection in the display counter. They have original combinations & some traditional ones, both are awesome.
I definitely recommend this place! The hostess I had was very courteous, I wish I remembered her name. she deserves a raise! :)

We ate here with a certificate from one of the local daily deals. My boyfriend had heard it was good, and everyone was right.
I felt bad because it was pretty empty at 7 on a Friday night, but it meant our service was even better.
We shared the pear and Gorgonzola salad. The cheese was amazing and creamy, and the pears just sweet enough. For dinner, we had a small Margarita pizza and added tomatoes. It was so good! The crust was thin, but not super crispy and the basil was nice and fresh.
We will definitely be back for more!

Went here for dinner tonight to use our coupon we bought online ($ 16 worth of food).
The portion sizes are super small here! This place is OK to go to if you aren’t hungry. My boyfriend and I ordered the Spinach Salad and the Cannelloni to share. They were both pretty small dishes and we were both still hungry after we were done… what a disappointment! I didn’t see a couple of things on their menu that they have online (e.g. the Bruschetta, Caprese.). They need more variety on their menu… maybe offering more choices of salads and paninis.
The service is not that great either. We ordered the salad which says «with your choice of vinaigrette» so we asked what the choices were. The choices given were Caesar and Ranch. The last time I checked those are not vinaigrette dressings! So we ask for Caesar on the side… the salad comes out with the dressing on the salad. We tell her that we want dressing on the side… she comes back to the table with some other dressings. We explain that the salad has dressing on it already and we wanted it on the side. At first she says no there is no dressing on it (but clearly there is). So we show her and then she takes it back.
I dunno about this place. We plan on going to try the pizza since we have another coupon, but I don’t think I’d go back again. There are a lot better Italian type restaurants in SD.

I REALLY enjoyed their pizza. We had two pizzas delivered and they were great. I’m a huge fan of thin pizza. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and the spinach, riccatta pizza.
I love that they deliver to us in Mission Valley even though they are in Hillcrest. They do have a $ 20 order min to deliver.
I use to really like Pizza Fusion but they closed. I think this is my new FAVORITE pizza place.

An authentic Italian dining experience in the heart of Hillcrest.
Despite the fact I don’t come from a big Italian family, or an Italian family at all for that matter, I have always had a great appreciation for all things Italian.
Pizza, pasta, real gelato, Campagnolo cycling gear, Italian/​American gangster cinema; I love it all.
About two years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of spending some time in Italy with my wife. We enjoyed fine art, gelato, saw the sights, met great people, had more gelato, crashed a Vespa into a parked car outside the Coliseum, and then there was the food.
Food in Italy isn’t just food. It’s a lifestyle, an event, it’s multiple courses and hours spent in the company of people who matter the most.
La Focaccia Gourmet Pizzeria is the closest thing to a real Italian pizzeria I’ve experienced on this side of the pond.
I had the basil pesto pizza with chicken, and it was outstanding. The crust is the perfect blend of thin Roman style crust and thicker Napoli style crust; it’s thin, but just dense enough, with a light crisp on the outside of the crust. Anyone can taste the quality in the cheese they use (real, rich and flavorful mozzarella) and all their veggies are fresh. We shared some focaccia bread that was topped with an amazing vinaigrette, and although I didn’t try any of their pasta dishes, I will eventually.
While the food has an authentic pizzeria taste, the experience was authentic too. We had the luxury of time, and enjoyed the laid-​back, relaxed, what some may consider slow service, in classic Italian fashion. Ultimately, the food was worth the wait. We laughed and reminisced about our three hour dinner outside the Pantheon.
I strongly recommend the Focaccia Gourmet Pizzeria for a memorable pizzeria experience.

I was very surprised by the quality of this pizza; most pizza in SD sucks.
Pizza can be so good that you’re like «what the fuck? how did you do that with just crust and sauce and cheese?», but you can’t get that here.
This pizza was almost that good, which is still pretty fucking good.
Just one complaint — every once in a while I tasted a buttery taste that only comes from cheap mozzarella, but maybe it was my imagination.

The quality of the food is outstanding and deserves Five Stars. The staff, however, seemed inexperienced and they had very poor communication skills. They also lacked the ability to deliver the food in a timely manner. Also, the breaker switch to the restroom was off. So I had to use the flashlight app on my iPhone to illuminate and use the restroom :(
I’ll try them again, but the owner needs to replace this staff if this restaurant is going to make it.

I phoned in a take-​out order and ~15 minutes later, the guy at the counter had no idea what I was talking about. No worries, it happens.
The owner walks in and I see him hastily make my pizza (12″ spinach ricotta). He pours tomato sauce then realizes the pizza doesn’t call for it. He uses his hands to scoop it out. Mind you, after he walked into the store, he washed his hands for ~5 seconds.
Typical pizza joint salad: Toss refridgerated lettuce and ingredients together… all in less than 2 minutes. Organic lettuce? Who cares. I rather have plain lettuce that has been properly hydrated so it has texture (not dried out).
The pizza was decent (good crust) but please don’t slather tomato sauce on a pizza that doesn’t call for it. If this is the BEST PIZZA IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, please save us all. New Yorkers, Italians, Sicilians, Los Angelenos, etc. must all be laughing at us.

This is the best pizza in San Diego. Kills Bronx. Destroys Naked Pizza (that place is the worst). The owner/​chef is a bonafide pizza maker, learning from the best in Sicily.
You can make your own salads, and the bread knots are simple yet satisfying.

After being in my bookmarks for some time, I finally made it over to La Focaccia, and am I ever glad that I did. We were in a pizza mood, but didn’t want to go all the way to Luigi’s, or deal with the packed house at Lefty’s, etc, so we headed on over to LF.
When we first walked in, I was a bit nervous as we were the only people there… But after we sat down, other patrons trickled in (and it was later on a Sunday evening). The place is cute and comfy inside, not cramped at all. And I love the random «we proudly support the LGBT community» sign on the window.
We ordered the salad with the pears, goat cheese and nuts, a calzone and a 12″ spinach ricotta, with added zucchini. As an afterthought we threw in a carafe of the $ 5 house chardonnay, of which we ended up having two. The salad was divine. Definitely big enough to share (unless it’s an entrée), and served with their delicious focaccia bread. The calzone and pizza were both incredibly delicious. And my 12″ pizza was big. The table next to us got the 18″, and for a few bucks more than the 12″, that is a STEAL.
We ended up taking a large pizza size slab of focaccia home ($ 9.00), and a resolution to take advantage of the free delivery very, very soon.

I would give this 2 ½ stars if I could, but I’ll round up rather then down. My boyfriend bought the Deal On coupon and we were excited to try this place out.
First, I loved the atmosphere. It felt upscale, and I was ready to be impressed by the service/​food. I over heard the owner talking to another customer about how it was a family owned and operated business, so again… ready for a good meal.
My boyfriend and I sat down and first red flag, was they handed us One paper menu, and gave us a few minutes to decide.
We ordered two cokes, and they brought us cans of cokes (no cup, nothing).
We ordered Garlic Bread & a pizza called «The woodsman» (I cant remember the Italian name on the menu.
The food was on white paper plates, and the napkins were the cheapest napkins you can buy. So this greasy pizza was soaking through the paper plates and onto the table. The pizza was so greasy it was dripping the entire time, and didnt have much flavor. The napkins were so thin, that we ended up using about 20 cheap napkins.
I think if they invest in real silverware and plates it would make a huge difference. Until then… I will not be returning.

I had a craving for pizza this past weekend, so I saw that I had a livingsocial coupon for La Focaccia and decided to call in my order.
They had many pizza choices to choose from that sounded really good, but I narrowed it down to the Porchetta and Cremina with the addition of anchovies. The Porchetta (thinly sliced pork, AKA bacon, potato, mozzarella, fresh thyme, & caramelized onions) was really good! The thinly sliced potato was a nice addition. The Cremina (infused black truffle cream, fontina cheese, cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme) was lacking in flavor and toppings. Overall, their pizza is okay. The quality and freshness is there, and it is organic which is a plus. Because their pizza is sauceless & thin crust, I found it to be a little dry. Their pizza dough is good (they use focaccia). I also ordered a spinach salad with strawberries, candied walnuts, gargonzola, & red onion. Although fresh, it was really small and the toppings were lacking.
Service was great! Family owned & friendly. Fast service too! They had 2 large pizzas ready for me to pick up in 15 minutes! Oh yeah, when they say large they mean it (18 inch)!
Some of the pizzas are pricey but you do pay more for quality ingredients like the black truffle cream. Additional topping such as eggplant, zucchini, roasted red pepper, or chicken are only 75 cents & $ 1.25 extra for medium & large.
It was my first time there, but I would try them again if in the area. I definitely like them better than Bronx!

I couldn’t decide whether to give this place 3 stars or 4 stars. I’m in a generous mood, so I’m going with 4. Here’s the low down:
1) The pizza is amazing. Definitely authentic. My husband has this NY elite pizza attitude. The only pizza place he likes in these parts is Fiori’s because they make a decent NY pizza. But now we have found La Focaccia, which makes a GREAT European pizza. Thin crust, homemade ingredients, and it is baked in a real oven (without a conveyor belt). We were impressed by the pizza.
2) But… our waitress wasn’t fabulous. She was never around when we needed her, and the service overall was slow. Slow service isn’t such a bad thing. Before I had my kid I loved having a nice, leisurely meal. But we were with our son at La Focaccia last night and the place just didn’t seem equipped to deal with kids.
3) In addition to our pizza, we ordered the antipasto plate. Unfortunately, I am forced to compare every single antipasto salad on the face of this Earth with that of Filippi’s in Little Italy. Their plate is piled mile-​high with 20 different kinds of beans alone, plus tons of sliced meats and cheeses and other yummies. La Focaccia’s antipasto plate had 6 slices of supermarket meats, 2 slices of supermarket cheese, 2 tomato slices, a few artichoke hearts, and a sprinkling of canned black olives. It was so unimpressive, and yet the cost was sky high: $ 12. It basically came out to $ 1 per slice of mediocre mortadelo. So not worth it.
I want this place to succeed, not only because their pizza is fantastico and I want to eat it again and again, but because the chef seemed nice and it really is great to see new businesses in our area.
I just hope they can fix the antipasto plate before I come back.

I’m very skeptical about pizza places, but La Focaccia really met my expectations and more!
Our server was GREAT and she knew everything on the menu with out having to look at it. She recommended a different sauce for our breadsticks that was great. I had a white wine that was a blend and she knew the all of the grapes. My boyfriend and I each had a personal pizza. I had the greek-​he had the philly cheesesteak. He said the meat was cooked just right which is definitely an A+ in his book. The pices of meat were small, but he enjoyed it anyway.
My pizza was great! The flavor combination of the cheeses and the olives was awesome.
The prices were definitely budget friendly and that is a big plus for us.
Since we live close-​we will definitely be going back frequently.

Everything I personally look for and more?
Yes, my boyfriend has all those things. Luckily he was with me when I ate at La Focaccia – the most delicious, best bang-​for-​your-​buck eatery I can remember.
The setup is simple, décor is minimalist and elegant. The tall glasses are square-​ish on the top, so prepare to spill all over yourself. I went during a hot summer day, so the spilt water felt good on me.
Aaaaanyway, our server – whose name escapes me… and who reminds my boyfriend of some tennis player lady from Argentina – was animated and wonderfully Italian. Hailing from Rome, she was more than happy to indulge us culinary students with food talk. Very knowledgeable, she knew that menu through and through. And lucky her. It’s a goooooood menu. She also had a great way of describing the selections so that we’d order more, heheh.
«Tutto fresco,» which is how she described the fresh-​made pasta, and basically everything else here. Down to the proudly-​displayed «organic» certification, this place is for real… and it won’t break your bank account to experience it.
My boyfriend and I were predictably torn. The menu is well-​sized. He ended up having the Aneletti, which was yummy in a subtle and authentic way. But the true magic happened when I tasted the Cannelloni. Both of us were floored.
The last time I had something this good was in a hole in the wall in Venezia. And the boyf says it was amazing – he NEVER says anything is amazing.
Basically, it’s a couple lasagna sheets of fresh pasta rolled around chunks of free-​range chicken and fontina. Baked and served with basil chiffonade, rosemary sprigs and a perfectly seasoned Pomodoro sauce, this is my new «Dish for which I will hug you forever if you bring it to me at work for lunch.»
On top of it all, the prices are blessedly low. For this quality, the boyf insists that they could charge over double the amounts. I’m inclined to concur. Even then, I’d gladly come here for another round with the Cannelloni.
*drool*

This is a place you would eat in a relaxed environment. The lasagna is not that heavy and not very high priced so I would eat there.

Alberto, owner/​chef is friendly and helpful working the room with enthusiasm for his craft and pride which is easy to see in the products on display. Sabrina our waitress was so full of enthusiasm for the food we were almost overwhelmed by her desire to please us but in the end we were there to taste and sample so enough entertainment– mangi, mangi!
We started with a sample slice of thin pizza, after all we’re only a block or so from pizza mecca in SD. Do we need to say it. The Spinach Ricotta didn’t disappoint. They use organic produce and it’s obvious in the bright flavor imparted from the combination of olive oil, spinach and garlic– very good. Also tried the Porchetta– the menu describes it as a savory, boneless pork, thinly sliced with potato and fresh thyme. I was expecting Italian roasted pork, it was ham, not bad but a let down none the less. I thought it needed some caramelized onion to give it more depth of flavor. The best pizza, hands down, was the simple thick Sicilian with only pomodoro sauce– no cheese. It was as good as my grandmother’s. Probably best thing I tasted.
One of my friends recommended I rush to University to try this newly opened pizza and pasta restaurant. His praise for the baked pasta dishes was incentive enough to motivate a sampling of three of the five offerings all prepared in the pizza oven. The Baked Ziti ($ 8.50) was a decent portion of the classic pasta alla Norma with baked eggplant and ziti, pasta which is almost indistinguishable from Penne, tossed together and in this case smothered under mounds of melted mozzarella and a refreshing marinara sauce, which they label a pomodoro sauce. Good and well worth the price. The Cannelloni ($ 9.50) consisted of two neatly rolled sheets of pasta dough filled with a «stuffing» of roasted minced free-​range chicken mixed with fresh herbs and mascarpone cheese, usually topped with a basamella sauce, in this case again smothered in a ton of mozzarella and the aforementioned pomodoro. A very tasty selection and another good value portion. The stuffed Manicotti ($ 9.50) was a similar production, almost identical in appearance which was mystifying as I was brought up on stuffed Manicotti which were always made by stuffing spinach and ricotta into large tube shaped pasta, here they were again rolled pasta sheets, tasty, but not traditional Manicotti. No complaints if you’re looking for gooey, cheesy baked pasta dishes– these will satisfy your cravings.
As of this week, deliveries are not yet available, but Alberto is gearing up for it in the near future. It takes time to get up to speed and I have no doubt that La Focaccia is about to shift from second to third– in a Ferrari that’s high RPM’s baby.