Restaurants & Bars
San Diego Pasta Shop Ranks Among 10 Best In U.S., Yelp Says
The Little Italy establishment earned a top 10 spot on Yelp's inaugural ranking of the nation's 100 best pasta places.
SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego pasta shop is among the best in the country, according to a new ranking from Yelp.
Yelp recently released its Top 100 Pasta Places of 2026, and a Little Italy establishment landed among the top 10 nationally.
Assenti's Pasta in San Diego ranked No. 7 nationally, making it the highest-ranked California business on the inaugural list.
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Located in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood, Assenti's Pasta has been serving fresh pasta and Italian specialties since 1981. The family-owned shop offers more than 40 flavors and 20 pasta shapes, according to Yelp.
Two other California establishments also landed among the top 12. Etto Pastificio in Paso Robles ranked No. 11, while Simply Pasta in Union City ranked No. 12.
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Yelp released the rankings ahead of National Pasta Day on Oct. 17, citing growing interest in fresh, house-made pasta.
According to Yelp, searches for "pasta shops" increased 52% from September 2025 through August 2026 compared with the previous 12 months.
The company used Yelp data and community reviews to identify top pasta shops, restaurants and Italian markets across the country.
The Pasta Shop in Denville, New Jersey, claimed the No. 1 spot nationally, followed by Eataliana Homemade Pasta in Shelby Township, Michigan, and Forma Pasta Factory in Brooklyn, New York.
New York and Washington each had nine establishments on the list, the most of any state.
The full rankings are available on Yelp's website.
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