Discovered this amazing restaurant while on vacation from New Hampshire. Awesome food, service and atmosphere. Only in SD for a week and ate here twice. Absolutely perfection. We'll be back for sure! read more

Greatest place in the US. Just like when we went to Italy. Establishments is warm and inviting. Food was authentic and great. Giaco is the best and obviously knows how to treat his customers. A plus! read more

Had the most amazing birthday dinner at Buona Forchetta! The chicken parm was to fie for and the bucattini was also phenomenal. Their panna cotta was one of the best ones I've ever had. The service was beyond good, efficient and incredibly kind. Just everything about it was great, we will absolutely be returning read more

This was our first time at Buona Forchetta, and we were so impressed. The restaurant has a warm, inviting atmosphere that made it the perfect place to enjoy dinner on a beautiful sunny evening. It was lively without feeling overwhelming, and it was also very family-friendly. Every single dish we ordered was outstanding. The fresh pasta was the highlight of the meal. You could immediately tell it was homemade. The texture was perfect, and every sauce was packed with flavor. The pesto pasta with grilled chicken was fresh, vibrant, and incredibly well balanced. The creamy pasta was rich, velvety, and pure comfort food. We honestly couldn't stop talking about how good the pasta was. The pizza was just as impressive. The crust was light, airy, and perfectly charred from the wood-fired oven. The toppings tasted fresh, and even with all the meat and mushrooms, it never felt too heavy. It had that authentic Neapolitan-style texture that kept us reaching for another slice. The service was excellent from start to finish. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and our food came out surprisingly fast. Even though the restaurant was busy, we never felt forgotten, and everything arrived fresh and perfectly prepared. There honestly wasn't a single thing we didn't enjoy. Every dish exceeded our expectations, and we left already planning our next visit. If you're looking for authentic Italian food with amazing fresh pasta, delicious pizza, outstanding service, and a welcoming atmosphere, Buona Forchetta is absolutely worth the visit. read more

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We had a really good meal at Buona Forchetta in South Park. It was a hot day, so we were especially grateful for the air conditioning inside. The restaurant has a lot of charm, with simple, nicely laid-out tables. The metal chairs were a little uncomfortable for me, but otherwise we really enjoyed the atmosphere. The staff was excellent. They work like a well-oiled machine and were constantly checking the tables, refilling things, and making sure everyone had what they needed without being intrusive. I had the pesto pasta with gluten-free noodles and added the sliced grilled chicken. It was fantastic with a great balance of flavors, and the chicken was generously portioned and very well seasoned. We also had the sauteed baby spinach, which was prepared just right. We finished with the tiramisu, which was a great burst of flavor to end the meal. Great food, great service, and a very charming place. I would definitely come back. read more

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I was in San Diego for Valentine's Day weekend and came to this spot that was recommended by a local. Since we aren't from San Diego we didn't realize how hard it would be to find parking but we did get street parking a few blocks down. I don't want to say the place is bad because it isn't. Food has good flavor and the servers are sweet. This place is very small and compact. We felt a little awkward with the seating and the very small tables. The plates they give you are huge so trying to fit everything on the table was a hassle. They do get really busy so seating might take a while. They actually sat us in the restaurant next door. I'm guessing they rent the place from the owners at night?? Overall this place was good but I don't think I'll be coming back on my next trip. read more

Buona Forchetta - Sergio - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Buona Forchetta , an Italian restaurant tucked away in a quiet residential corner of South Park, was such a lovely find. From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly friendly and made a real effort to connect with us as guests. We shared a few laughs throughout the evening, and I really appreciated that any staff member would check in. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food overall was very enjoyable. The pizza was definitely a highlight for me, especially the Nicola pizza--it was my favorite of the night with the prosciutto and mushrooms. I originally ordered the Juna pizza, but I have to say I couldn't taste the hot honey at all, and neither could anyone at my table, it tasted more smokey then anything. That was a bit disappointing since that was the main reason I chose it. We also shared a burrata salad that was absolutely delicious, and my friend ordered a pasta dish that I was able to try a small bite of. The tomato sauce was very tasty, though I didn't get enough of the dish to fully experience all the flavors. For dessert, the tiramisu was a standout. I really enjoyed the chocolate chips and strawberry elements. It didn't have a heavy mascarpone presence, but overall it was well balanced and enjoyable. The restaurant was quite busy, and we were seated in their second space, which actually felt more intimate and cozy. Overall, we're very grateful for the hospitality and the delicious food--it was a great experience from start to finish. read more

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Obsessed with their sunrise cocktail. Their desserts are so special too. Favorite pasta spot so, so perfect every-time. read more

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We'd been hearing great things about Buona Forchetta, so we were excited to finally give it a try. We came on a Saturday evening with reservations and the place was packed. Overall, it was a good meal. The place was clean but extremely hot inside. We didn't sit in the location which appeared to be the main part of the restaurant rather we sat in an adjacent building. It was an odd layout. We ordered the Piemonte salad, two pasta dishes, and two pizzas--the Nicola and the Guillia. The pasta was fresh and had good flavor, but it wasn't served as hot as we would have liked. The salad was fresh and a nice way to start the meal. The standout of the night was definitely the Nicola pizza. The crust, toppings, and overall flavor combination were excellent, and it was easily our favorite dish. The Giulia pizza was also good, but the Nicola was the clear winner. Overall, the food was good, but if we came back, it would be for the pizza.....especially the Nicola. read more

Went to Buona Forchetta in South Park and you can tell it is a neighborhood favorite. The staff is so welcoming and the food was very tasty. I like that there is also gluten free option as well. We ordered artichoke appetizer, spinach as a side dish and pesto and carbonara pasta and tiramisu for dessert. The server kept checking on us throughout the evening and asking if we liked the food. The inside has air conditioning which is nice on a hot day, and there is a large outdoor covered patio in the front. There are 7 establishments all over. read more

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This place is wow. Came to San Diego for a weekend trip and we wanted some Italian. We were able to make a reservation on open table for 12pm on a Saturday for 6 people and a baby. There is only street parking so you may need to drive around a block or two. The restaurant has both patio seating and indoor. The patio seating feels like you're in Rome with the chairs and decor matching a Roman Fraschetta. Our server Cosimo was wonderful! He took the wonderful to a different level with his Italian charisma. There is an extensive drink menu, all the pastas, pizzas, and other Italian dishes. We went with all of the recommendations that Cosimo made- 4 pizzas and 4 pastas. All were delicious. We also enjoyed the Tiramisu. If you want authentic Italian food and vibes go to Forchetta! read more

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We came here on a Thursday for lunch with three people, so we ordered a few dishes to share. We started with the calamari, which was tender and light without being overly greasy. The Renato pizza, with sausage, mushrooms, and truffle oil, was also very flavorful and lighter than expected. I do wish the crust had been a little crispier. The pappardelle with Buona Forchetta sauce was good, although the noodles felt a bit too thick for the dish. The hostess ended up being our server and was friendly enough, but didn't seem very familiar with the menu when we had questions. The other servers and bussers, however, were all very friendly and attentive. We sat outside, which was nice, but there were quite a few flies around during our meal. Each table had a fly repeller, so it seems like this is something they're aware of, but it was still a little distracting. Overall, the food was good and everything we tried was enjoyable, but nothing really stood out as exceptional. I'd come back, but there are probably other places I'd choose first. read more

With changing portions and slightly modified menu items, this is still one of my favorite places to come to for dinner. It's just really great food, lovely wine and inviting neighborhood vibes read more

Buona Forchetta - Sangiovese, my fave! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Service is always so good here. Everyone is so friendly. I love the covered patio seating...very nice. I wish the chairs were better though. I had the Diana and beet salad. Both very good (unfortunately, they do not make good leftovers though ) I was really looking forward to the chocolate mousse, but they changed it. Used to be rich and decadent...seems to be more cheaply made now...and not sure about the middle part. Wish they had the old version back. read more

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I don't even like Italian pizza that much (a sin, I know) but I did really enjoy the pizza giulia here. The free fresh bread was also delicious and my friend had a huge salad she enjoyed. Service was fast and friendly and I liked that they had outdoor seating! read more

Buona Forchetta - I think this is the pizza giulia 10/10 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We've had dozens of excellent meals here over the years and last weekend was no different! I highly recommend reservations. We always get the same things: Fatorre salad, eggplant tortino, and two pizzas. The pizza special with mushrooms and sausage was delicious. The tiramisu is worth ordering as well. read more

Buona Forchetta - Eggplant Tortine - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is easy. Booked on OpenTable, sat right away, servers were friendly and attentive, and the food tasted authentic. Always recommend read more

We just got engaged and came here to celebrate. Walking up on a Saturday night for dinner was about 35-40 min wait but it went by quicker than expected. We got a table inside and they are small tables so be cautious if you want to order full appetizer, entrees and drinks. Great selection to choose from and the house red was only $10 and decent. Their sodas come in the bottle and a glass to pour to yourself. Focaccia bread was delicious! Came with a bottle of olive and balsamic to pour onto your little plate. Well seasoned We decided to split the lasagna and a pizza. Lasagna was so yummy and not too hot. Pizza was amazing! We got the Eva and the hot honey was the perfect topping on that. The only downside was it was hard to flag our waiter down he kept coming over to our area and serve others but wouldn't look at us at all. He finally cane by to ask if we wanted dessert but we just asked for the check. We wonder if he saw the wine glass was not empty and assumed we were nursing it. Overall though great spot big line and lots of to go orders flying out the kitchen . We would love to come back and try more of their pizzas!! read more

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We stopped in for happy hour and were pretty underwhelmed. The service felt very minimal--our server checked in from a distance without coming to the table and didn't offer another round, even though both of our glasses were empty. When we asked a busser for help, he relayed the request, but the server finished a conversation with coworkers before eventually coming over. The pasta was slightly undercooked (less than al dente), though the flavor was there. Looking around, we also noticed the wine bottles displayed above the kitchen were covered in dust, which wasn't the best look. I've had great experiences at the Coronado location before, so I'm not sure why the visit the this location missed the mark. read more

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Always such a great spot! Great ambiance, amazing food, the staff is super sweet. So nice to sit outside and enjoy a slow lunch. Great spot for a family. We brought our 8 month old baby and everyone was so great with us. Nice options for gluten free for our nana. She was able to modify her pasta how she wanted and have the noodles cooked to her liking! The beet salad, Juna pizza and carbonara were super fresh and had great flavor. The salad was big enough to share! House white wine was very tasty. read more

We come here to celebrate my birthday every other year, I bring my out of town friends here so they can get a taste of local favorites... they do have a location at Liberty Station which is worth checking out! We usually order a few pizzas, pasta and antipasti for our small group of 6. It is usually quite enough to share. The service is great and it is nice to hear Italian being spoken. read more

Buona Forchetta is a gem! The food and wine had me reminiscing to an extraordinary time Italy! The service and recommendation were excellent! South Park is a quaint oasis adjacent to the city and I cannot wait to visit again! read more

Buona Forchetta - Margherita Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Second time at Buona Forchetta, and it brought back such good memories, plus instant dopamine from the chew of their pizza crust! I came here with a big group of friends on a Thursday night, and the place was packed. The restaurant is located in a quieter area of South Park with plenty of street parking available (no dedicated lot, though). We made a reservation, and they seated us right on time. We ordered a little bit of everything, including appetizers, pizzas, and pasta. What surprised me most was how light everything tasted. The brightness and freshness of the dishes really made the overall experience stand out. Our favorite dishes at the table were the Nicola and Juna pizzas, along with the gnocchi carbonara. By the way, this is a fork and knife place for everything. This place is definitely a carb overload, but absolutely worth it. Come for the classics, stay for the vibes :) read more

Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Everything was so yummy here! We got the montanara and the pappardelle with bolognese. The montanara had three different toppings: olives, pine nuts, and burrata. Service helped explain some of the pastas and their best pairings too which I really appreciated. We came in at 2pm on a Monday, an hour before they closed, so it was really empty, but it didn't feel like they were rushing us and we finished before 3pm. There was a heat source on the wall where we sat outside so it was pretty warm. The pasta was so good! I highly recommend pappardelle with bolognese. The pappardelle is an egg pasta which I feel like makes it taste so fresh! Overall we'd definitely come back whenever we're in San Diego. read more

Buona Forchetta - montanara with three different toppings: olives, pine nuts, and burrata - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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DEBBBBYY!!!! 10/10 best server ever. Insanely good service and even better pizza. Also great photographer that went around with free pictures! read more

Buona Forchetta - TeePoo pizza & Martina pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Dearest Buona, Please bring back your old chocolate mousse. I was so happy to finally come back and have it, and you changed it to something that doesn't taste mousse like at all. Not sure what the white center was either. The old one was perfect, like a true mousse. This new one is not it, and feels cheap for the rising costs on the menu Otherwise pizza still good, and enjoyed the burrata (needed more balsamic though ) read more

Came here for a second time, 4 years after my first time, and sadly it's gone downhill. They were known for their pizzas, but I've felt like their pizzas did not hit the spot this time around. They had dry burnt uneven crusts with extremely wet centers that were not cut evenly, and fell apart the moment it was lifted. One of the specialty pizzas did taste decent, but looked unappetizing with the globs of cheese that were so uneven and made a huge mess in the middle. Also had the calamari which was just ok, definitely could have been crispier. The best dish was probably the pesto chicken, many of the pasta you can kinda build your own. Pesto could have had more flavor but the chicken wasn't as dry as I was expecting. Don't think I'm going to be coming back again anytime soon. read more

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Our first visit here. We golfed at the Balboa Golf Course and came here for a dinner. The food was delicious. We had the artichokes as an appetizer and pastas for dinner. I took a couple of pizzas home for the family. The pastas were fresh, the sauces and bread were great. Service was a 10 out of 10. The restaurant is spacious ... But it got crowded pretty quickly. It has both indoor and outdoor seating. Clearly, this is a much loved neighborhood spot. The pizzas that I took home were excellent. We also loved the tiramisu for dessert. My husband and I will be coming back here. This is truly a great little spot. Go and enjoy. read more

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Great food and service! Everything we had was amazing!! Food did come out pretty fast almost too fast we didn't even have a chance to enjoy our drinks but great experience! read more

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I was super excited to try this place as I heard raving reviews. I booked a reservation online via open table for my friend and I for 6pm. The inside of the establishment is very well decorated and the ambiance hits the spot. However, service was very disappointing. Our waiter only came to us twice, once for ordering and to give us, to go boxes. We had to wave him down for us to get the check even though the place was fairly slow at the time. I had ordered the LINA pizza and it was overall pretty good. Not the best I've had, but satisfying! I am not sure I would come back however, definitely glad I was able to try this place ! read more

Buona Forchetta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Really sad to say I thought this place was just ok!!! :( So many people really hyped this place up so I was excited to go with my friend! We had reservations for this location on a Wednesday after work but there were plenty of open tables. Lots of available street parking around. The staff was really kind! We sat on the patio. I got pasta with the buona forchetta sauce and mushrooms. My dish came out with chicken instead :( I also think the sauce was wayyy too oily for my liking. Very generous portions though! I'd visit again to try a different dish, but I wasn't wowed the first time around read more

Had a nice time and had delicious food! Ordered the focaccia, polpettine, cacio e pepe and the Margherita. Everything was very quick and tasted so fresh! Loved the seasonings of the pasta and pizza. It was perfectly baked. The service was slow to order but then everything else was done so fast. We got our items super fast! It seems like a lively place so be sure to make a reservation. It's a mixed crowd. This area in general is very cute. The focaccia is simple but delicious. I also thought the pasta was filling. read more

My mom came to visit and we had the most beautiful dinner here. Everybody was so friendly and they even sat us early on a Saturday night. We loved the focaccia bread as well as the pasta and the meatballs. They were incredibly accommodating and checked on us frequently. I loved the beautiful inside of the restaurant and we felt right at home. I'm glad I have an Italian restaurant I can take people to when they come to town. We didn't feel rushed and the food was so fresh and tasty. All the ingredients were incredible, especially in the tomato sauce with the pasta. Definitely looking forward to coming back, my mom said it was the best Italian food she had had in a very long time. read more

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My husband originally ate here and brought me back some leftover pizza. The pizza was so good that I had to come in person! I got the pepperoni pizza, lasagna, and Piemonte salad. Everything was so good! This restaurant is tucked away in a small community with a few businesses to walk around before or after. The staff was very friendly. Ill be back to try the dessert! read more

Buona Forchetta in South Park is a great spot if you're in the mood for authentic Italian food. The pizza is the star here. Perfectly blistered crust from the wood-fired oven with fresh, high quality toppings that really stand out. Every bite tastes like the real deal. Service was friendly and welcoming. The staff kept things moving and checked in enough to make sure we had what we needed without hovering. Even when it gets busy, they do a good job keeping the experience enjoyable. The ambiance is one of the best parts. The cozy Italian vibe, rustic decor, and lively atmosphere make it a fun place for a casual dinner or date night in South Park. It can get a little crowded, but that just shows how popular it is read more

Good drinks, loud outside though, also the pasta was extremely oily, vegan cheese on the pizza was also like glue, not great, the people were nice though, wouldn't go back personally read more

The pizzas are really good and have perfect ratios. Really can't go wrong with any of them. The place is great for date nights

enerous portions, beautiful presentation, and excellent service. The ambiance was lovely, and the outdoor patio made this a great spot to catch up with a friend. The calamari and spinach salad were delicious. The pork chops were tender and juicy, and the sea bass was cooked perfectly. My only concern was the salt level, as several dishes were too salty for me to fully enjoy. read more

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Killer food, average service. First time at this location; we will return to the original location in South Park.

Very friendly staff and delicious food! Both the Bruna and the Giulia were really good. Anything hot honey for me right now hits the spot. The artichokes were packed with flavor and really good cold the next day in my salad. Outside patio was really nice, caught a perfect weather afternoon. read more

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