Barbusa, located in the bustling neighborhood of Little Italy, continues the tradition of Busalacchi family restaurants in San Diego.
The modern Sicilian trattoria occupies the space that previously housed Po Pazzo, the family's Italian steakhouse. Undergoing a complete redesign in 2016, Barbusa now features a contemporary dining room, a white Carrara marble bar and crudo station, a chilled case for meats and cheeses, and an eight-person chef's table. A revolving gallery of pop art portraits of famous Italians line the walls. Barbusa’s Southern Italian menu features the family’s take on lighter Sicilian dishes.
Designed by Busalacchi patriarch Chef Joe Busalacchi and his nephew Executive Chef Nino Zizzo, the menu offers house made pastas, wood fired pizzas, crudo, seafood, and specialty meat and cheeses.
Operating under the Italian-born farm to table tradition, Barbusa sources seafood and produce from local purveyors, while meats and speciality cheeses are imported directly from Italy.
A true family business, Barbusa is operated by two of Joe's sons, Joey and PJ.
