I hosted my husband's birthday dinner for 30 people at Buona Forchetta in Encinitas, and everything was great! The private space was perfect for our group, service was attentive, and everyone loved the food. read more

This place was great! Vibe felt like a mom And pop shop and the food tasted like true italian. Hubby had a pepperoni pizza which I think is boring but it was actually pretty good! I got a pesto pasta with grilled chicken and chose their house made Pasta which was delish! Went on a Monday night and the place was poppin'. Recommend a reservation just in case. Staff were friendly and attentive ...Definitely will be back. read more

Not the greatest parking options, especially for a rainy day, but we felt less slighted after settling on a puddle next to the Ferrari Spider. If they can get their Pirelli's muddy, we can do the same with our Sentry's. It's a small venue on the inside, so we were relegated to the outside dining, yes the area with the corrugated aluminum roof. The fun thing about that roof... because the restaurant is so close to the ocean... is that the occasional ocean gust will lift that mother about 4 feet from its support structure and then slam it down like Shaq. If you're not paying attention, it can send shivers down your spine and expletives out your mouth. Perfect for leaving lasting impressions with your mother in law. Now, the pizza is good. I had the gnocci. Why did I have the gnocci when I knew they were known for their pizza? Because it was one of my mother's favorite dishes, and this was a nod to her legacy. Sorry mom, that's the last gnocci nod you're getting from me. Wont be ordering it again, especially at $26. However, at $17, the Burrata Capresse was very nice. read more

Buona Forchetta - Caprese - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

Today I visited this restaurant for the second time, and once again I was very impressed. The food was delicious, with great seasoning and beautifully prepared dishes. The service from the waitstaff was excellent--very attentive and friendly. A special shout-out to the chef Enrique, who truly did an amazing job; every plate was full of flavor and perfectly made. Everything was perfect. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place. read more

Buona Forchetta - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

Friendly, lively atmosphere, great service and good food! Had the pizza puttanesca (delicious anchovies) and shared the sottoterra (salad). I was impressed with the pizza; the salad was more substantial that what I'd hoped for but that's my problem, not the restaurant's. House red was good too. read more

Just the cutest little place! Great atmosphere, great food, great service! Great vegan and gluten free options! read more

Buona Forchetta - Spaghetti puttanesca - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

Even with a reservation, we had a 10 minute wait. Parking here is tough (just street parking). Service was friendly, but people's food came at different times. Italian 75 cocktail was ok (not great). Juna pizza had great flavor, but was so oily, that the bottom crust was soggy. I wouldn't come back. read more

My husband and I had a little date night last night and decided to try Buona! I'm really indecisive and no matter what I order I end up being envious of our neighbor's orders haha. So we decided to trust our server Pavel and he did not disappoint!! He was super knowledgeable in the wines, food, and recommended some yummy specials. We ended up getting the lobster pasta and I think it was called the Adriano pizza! Both were incredibly tasty and hit the spot! He also recommended our new favorite wine, definitely give it a try if you go!! I don't normally write reviews, but we have two kids at home and don't get out much, so we are thankful that Pavel made our night so delicious and memorable!! read more

Buona Forchetta - Our new fav wine !! Thanks Pavel! - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

We came on a Friday night at 5:30 without a reservation and they quickly seated us. The food and service were excellent. We loved the pizzas and salads. Blood orange soda was a treat. We really enjoyed our time and will come again. Thank you Pauvel, for your great service and kind way! read more

Awesome date night spot with incredible food. We started with a prosciutto, fig, and burrata appetizer that was surprisingly very generous on the prosciutto especially. Dressed simply with balsamic glaze and a nice salad of arugula on top for a lovely, classic bite. Main was seafood and lobster tail risotto and house-made pappardelle pasta with mixed seafood. Both were generously portioned and perfectly seasoned. The different types of seafood (clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, lobster) were all respectfully cooked and nothing tasted overdone or compromised for all being in one dish. I asked for extra bread to sop up the sauce in the pasta dish, and they happily obliged. Intimate spot with tables inside as well as on their front and side patios. Service was prompt and lovely. Couldn't ask for more out of an enjoyable dining experience. read more

As an Italian from the south I can tell that Buona Forchetta delivers authentic Italian cuisine, starting from the Neapolitan pizza and the pasta. You can pick the pasta shape you prefer but ask for a suggestion to Andrea the GM, he's really prepared . The place is booked so I recommend a reservation , but that's a good sign, it means it's good. Good service and very good Italian wine list. Ciao! read more

TLDR: Food: 2.5/5 Space: 2/5 Staff: 3.5/5 Price: 1/5 Note: This may sound nit-picky and brutally honest but if you're going to have such high prices I have higher expectaions. Space: One thing that bothered me instantly is the cheapness of the interior, all dishes and cups were basic white or clear plastic, didn't appear very clean. Chairs were simple metal, same chairs as in fast food restraunts, not very comfortable for a long sit down dinner. Staff: Noticed something I saw other reviewers mention as well, staff asked to clear plates when people were clearly not ready. Checked in several times, were mostly polite. Didn't really provide a fun or enthusiastic atmosphere though, felt robotic like they were just going through a routine. Food: Portions are large, but quality is meh. Started with polpettine, they were small and without the tomato sauce very bland, with sauce they were probably the best item I had that night. Pizza (Nicola) had soggy cold bottom, couldn't even pick it up to eat it because it was so wet and floppy, tasted very oily and wasn't cut when it was brought to the table. Pasta (bucatini, buona forchetta, porcini, salsiccia) was served warm, pretty ok amount of added mushroom/sausage but sauce wasn't that flavorful felt like a basic cheesy cream sauce, and was very heavy I couldn't eat much of it, I added red pepper flakes for more flavor but wasn't very impressed with it. Ingredients felt cheap and not special. Price: WAY TO HIGH. Didn't feel like quality of food and experience overall matched steep price whatsoever, I mean $35 for a mediocre pasta dish?? For 2 people it was well over $100 with no drinks. If it was less expensive or quality increased I would love this place, but with how it is now you're much better off somewhere else, don't waste your money here. read more

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One of the best restaurants in Encinitas. I get their pesto gnocchi at least once a week. Highly recommended!

My boyfriend and I were visiting from out of town this weekend and were pleasantly surprised by this spot! Our server, Bella, went above and beyond, and genuinely seemed to care that we had a great experience. She took the time to walk us through the menu and recommended the ravioli and risotto from the specials menu, which were absolutely delicious. The entire staff was so kind and welcoming. I'll definitely be coming back; thank you to the Buona team for such a memorable experience! read more

This place is simply awesome. Great food, relaxing atmosphere, outstanding service. The pizzas are delicious and made out of best quality ingredients. In fact, their pizzas reminded us a lot of the ones we had in Italy - that's how authentic they are. No matter how busy it is, you never feel rushed or ignored. Francesco is the best waiter ever! We come to Buona Forchetta regularly, and every time it's great. Thank you, Buona Forchetta! read more

Really wasn't a fan of the food at buona forchetta. The service was REALLY good and that was honestly the only really good thing about it. The bread was stale and the pasta I got was just untasty. I didn't taste any spice and it really just tasted like slightly sour milk to be honest. The guy at the table next to me also got the buona forchetta sauce and said he rated it a "D" on a grade scale. I would say it was more of a "C" rating but it really just didn't hit the spot. I normally like creamy pasta or pink sauce but I didn't taste much of the marinara and it wasn't salty enough... just tasted like straight cream. After I was done with the pasta, there was a whole pool of oil beneath it which was unappetizing. For the price, a very underwhelming serving of pasta and I think you can get much better in the area. I will say, the pizzas looked very good and my friend's pasta was decent. However, her pasta still didn't wow me when I had a bite :( The staff however were realllyyyy friendly and that makes this experience a higher rating. Staff deserve 5 stars for sure! read more

Buona Forchetta - Buona forchetta sauce - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

It's been awhile since I've been back to BF and the food last night was way better than my previous experience a year or so prior. The artichoke appetizer was amazing and the pasta dishes were massive. I believe they just got a new GM, who introduced himself, and maybe they made some changes because everything was way better. Also shout out to our server Francesco. He's the man and the service as a whole was incredible. read more

Why close at 8:30 when it says you are open until 9:00 everywhere? Disappointing and not cool. Response to reply below....Peter I don't think you understand. The two doors leading inside were locked. Your staff closed the restaurant to patrons 30 minutes early, plain and simple. This has nothing to do with delivery and online booking. read more

Excellent pizzas with many choices and toppings. Also many choices for appetizers, and side dishes. The pizza is all handmade and thin in the main center part, with a thicker crust around the edges. Tasty toppings. We like the Juna and the Giuseppe. The meatball appetizers are to die for and are served with a nice tomato sauce. We shared a spinach salad too. Casual and pleasant atmosphere and decent service, portions & prices. Good selection of beers & wines. They also offer pasta dishes and you can customize it. read more

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Came here with a large party and was seated in a private dining room on a lower level in the back of the restaurant. Service was friendly and I liked the rustic decor in the room. I did notice there was no music, having some light music playing could have improved the atmosphere a bit. Really enjoyed the burrata and the server even brought an extra order on the house due to a mix up. I enjoyed my bolognese sauce pasta and the first wine on the reds list. Great spot for a private party with upscale but still casual dining. Found street parking pretty easily around the block. read more

This restaurant has decent pasta if that's what you're craving. They have unique pasta noodles you might not find in other Italian restaurants. I tried the pesto pasta and it was satisfying -- but on the oily side. Considering there's no protein, the price of $19 is kind of steep too. Service was slow, but we did go during rush lunch hour. The servers were friendly and you could tell they were doing their best given the circumstances. We sat outside because we had the pugs with us -- restaurants with nice outdoor seating always get bonus points :) Overall, I'd say this isn't the first restaurant that comes to mind when someone asks me where I want to eat in downtown Encinitas. But if I'm craving pasta, I would definitely come back and maybe try another entree. read more

Buona Forchetta - Pesto pasta - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

First off, the food is really good. The ravioli was tasty! Things that aren't so great: This place gets really busy, it's small and pretty cramped. The service wasn't great when I was there. We saw our server once to order and then at the end to pay the bill. He never checked to see how our food was or to see if we wanted more wine. I cut a lot of slack to servers when it's busy but it wasn't much of a dining experience here unfortunately. It felt like eat and leave. read more

Definitely some of the best pizza I have ever eaten. From the cheese to the dough it was delicious, fresh with high quality ingredients. Parking can be a little hard to find , but staff were polite and professional, service was definitely on point. read more

Buona Forchetta - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Definitely make a reservation ahead of time! Makes it a breeze to be seated. Plenty of seating out on the patio and inside. The patio is cute! Easy to park across the street in the dirt near the train tracks. Our hostess and server were very attentive and contanstly made sure our glasses were full. They were so kind! We ordered the Bueno Forchetta pasta and the Juna pizza with vegan mozzarella. I was so impressed by the vegan mozzarella. You would never know. It tasted so good! The dough for the pizza was delicious as well. Honestly we enjoyed it too much. I also loved the bueno Forchetta pasta as it was creamy and fresh. We couldn't finish either dish since they were much larger than expected. Would love to come back and try more on the menu. I'm sure you can't go wrong with any item. read more

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This is the BEST gluten free pizza - hands down!! my daughter lives in Italy and i can say that Buona Forchetta Gluten Free pizza rival any pizza I've gotten in Italy. it's so good i find myself confirming with them that its in fact rhe gluten free version. very importantly, i have a gluten allergy and i have never gotten sick eating here!! they even imported their pizza oven from Italy. if you want the beat gluten free and authentic pizza, you will not be disappointed! the staff are always great as well. read more

Food was amazing. Service was awesome. The pizza was absolutely incredible, came out so quick and fresh out the oven. The pasta was so good and the bolognese sauce was extremely flavorful!! It's hard to find a good Italian place that has that authentic feel but not super outrageous in pricing either! read more

Great special verity pizzas!!! Love there pizza oven! Nice for a change We tried the one in South Park years ago Now lots close to us! read more

We really enjoyed our visit here! Extremely fast service! Our pasta came out after like 10min of us waiting. Cute and intimate place for a date. I'd definitely recommend the buona forchetta sauce! My partner and I both got it with different noodles. read more

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Great pizza and pasta we got there before opening and servers could have been more informative otherwise great!

Love the owner he was so kind and gave us a free pizza because we didn't like the one we ordered. Will absolutely go back and try their wine pairing read more

The staff is super friendly and nice but they messed up my order and forgot a couple of my dishes .... this is very very unfortunate as it looks like it was caused due to staff change specifically the servers however everyone else was great and the food was amazing as always :) read more

Having dined at their location in Coronado just a few weeks earlier, I knew we could expect something special! It was lovely sitting outside, but under cover from the hot sun. The food was fantastic! read more

Wonderful meal with one of my longest friends! The restaurant was packed, but the staff hustled the entire time! We did not wait long for our food and the food was absolutely delicious. We made reservations, so the wait for a table was not long either. Our experience was wonderful which is why I rated this a 5 star but here are a few things to consider: - table was small but still doable - staff were working so hard that there isn't much time for them to give you an intimate experience - beer and wine only (no bar) Overall, I loved the food and I would definitely want to visit again! read more

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I really wanted to love this place after hearing so many good things, but I think it just fell slightly short of my expectations. I went on a Saturday afternoon and there was no wait, but it is quite a small place so I assume that is not the case all of the time. It's very cute and homely inside, adding to the ambiance. To begin, they have a very large menu and you will likely find that they can fulfill any of your Italian cravings. We ordered the Eva pizza and the buona forchetta pasta. The pizza was absolutely amazing in taste, but just a bit thin in the crust causing it to fall apart upon lifting it up to serve it--I would still order again however. The pasta on the other hand lacked any real deep flavor and it was extra to have your dish use fresh made pasta, which I found odd at an Italian restaurant because handmade pasta should really be the default. Overall I think the sauce could've had a tad more flavor and fell a bit short, but I would definitely come back to try their other pizza flavors. read more

Buona Forchetta - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

Buona forchetta pasta - meh. Basic. Not enough sauce, pretty dry. Only plus side is the shrimp was cooked perfectly. We also ordered the risotto special with salmon- it was so bland, added salt and parmesan. Speaking of Parmesan, theirs is not freshly grated, they just scoop it from a bowl and it doesn't even taste like parmesan. Pizza- we got the nicola. It was alright. Basic. Too much crust area read more

Buona Forchetta - Buona forchetta pasta - Pizza Near Me - Encinitas, California

First time here. Was a little nervous because some recent reviews were not good. Our experience was great. Very good service. Short wait because we didn't have reservations and even at 5:15 they were busy. We sat on the side patio and it was fine. They had heaters on so temp was good. Complimentary focaccia and oil and vinegar were good. Had wanted deep fried pizza bites but they were out. We opted for the regular pizza bite trio. We were actually glad they didn't have the ones we wanted. We each chose a pasta dish. My husband had Due Pomodoro with 2 meatballs and I had the tagliatelle with Aglio Olio E Peperoncino. Both were very tasty. We had plenty of attention from many of the staff. The Chianti Classico was a really good choice for wine and we had the vanilla panna cotta with berries for dessert. It was perfection. Thanks for a great Sunday dinner. read more

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Maybe this place is only meant to dine in at. I've heard only great things about Buona Forchetta, so was excited when this came to Encinitas. Getting truly AUTHENTIC Italian is very hard to find in San Diego. Was craving Italian, but didn't have the capacity to really sit down and dine in, so what the heck, got take out. Ordered Calamari fritti, carbonara, fettucini, and magherita pizza. Pretty simple stuff bc you can't f*ck up stuff like that... OR CAN YOU? I was STARVING, so I dove into the Calamari first. First few bites, yum, good, OK. Then.. all of a sudden... I started chewing on some hard pieces... I'm like WHAT IS THAT?! What am I eating? I pull it out, they were like clear plastic pieces. WTF. So so confused. Maybe something happened where it accidentally fell into the batter, who knows... Anyways, called. Talked the manager to notify her about this foreign object I found eating. She claimed that it was the bone from the calamaro and that it seemed like they didn't do a good job cleaning it, so she apologized, offered to give me a refund for the calamaro (which never happened BTW). Its just so odd bc I've never in my entire life have had calamari with bones in them. Could be a new thing, who knows. ANYWHO. Carbonara was pretty bland. Fettucini was bland. Pizza was just thin crust with sauce... It was a pretty uneventful meal. I'll probably go back for a dine in experience to see if it's any better, but for now.... it's Buona Forchetta is a pass for me. I'd rather just make the drive to Little Italy for better Italian. read more

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Buono Forchetta is a small chain of restaurants with the first (and best) located in South Park, San Diego. They have a location in Liberty Station on Point Loma, where I have dined many times, and then this one in Encinitas. I had been waiting to try Buona Forchetta Encinitas for a few months now, so I took the opportunity to eat there last Sunday night. The place is bigger than it seems from the street, and they can certainly pack a lot of folks in there - in the main room, the side patio, in the back, and even in the front right on PCH. The service is good at all three locations, but the food here seems to be a definite step down from Liberty station, which is not as good as South Park. The pizzas have less toppings, and the salads seem smaller. I ordered the Tagliere Vegano, and it was pretty spartan for $18. For a few dollars more, you get a sumptuous plate in Liberty Station. I was disappointed. This plate is supposed to serve 2-3 people, which would only be true if they ate like a bird! I probably won't be back to this location. The food was just OK, and there are so many good choices in Encinitas. The roadside local, right on PCH, lend a dusty ambiance, so I will pass and stick with the other two locations in the future. read more

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I enjoyed the side patio sitting area, it was small and quiet. The server was nice and he knew his menu which was great. I tried the Artichoke, Truffle, and Brie Bruschetta, the Kira Calzone, and the Bruna Pizza. I enjoyed the Calzone and the Pizza more than I did the Bruschetta....I would definitely recommend giving this place a shot! Enjoy!! read more

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I came in here with not high hopes about the gluten free menu items but it was truly the best thing I've ever tried. The manager was so nice and really cares about the guest and the music was so good also!! I highly recommend eating here and I will be coming back here ASAP! Leah is such an amazing host and she's truly the sweetest and Bella was such an amazing server and she had a lot of attention on us! read more