Volare traces back to 1969, when the Sanfilippo family arrived in San Diego from Sicily. Brothers Alfio and Onofrio Sanfilippo opened the restaurant in 1978 and ran it together until 1998, when they returned to Sicily and their sister Anna Sanfilippo took over. It has stayed in family hands since, with her children and longtime staff continuing to run the Midway District dining room on Barnett Avenue.
The menu leans into home-style Italian: lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, fettuccine alfredo, ravioli, seafood pastas, and meatballs, alongside dinner specials like pork tenderloin Milanese, cioppino, and spinach ravioli in gorgonzola sauce. Its best-known item is the Giant 28-inch take-out pizza. The room is set up for casual, come-as-you-are dining, with groups, families, and couples all part of the regular mix.
Volare has built a following among neighborhood regulars who treat it as a dependable local stop, prized for value and a relaxed, homey feel even as experiences among diners can vary.
The menu leans into home-style Italian: lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, fettuccine alfredo, ravioli, seafood pastas, and meatballs, alongside dinner specials like pork tenderloin Milanese, cioppino, and spinach ravioli in gorgonzola sauce. Its best-known item is the Giant 28-inch take-out pizza. The room is set up for casual, come-as-you-are dining, with groups, families, and couples all part of the regular mix.
Volare has built a following among neighborhood regulars who treat it as a dependable local stop, prized for value and a relaxed, homey feel even as experiences among diners can vary.