Amazing service. Really went the extra mile to accommodate my dairy allergy and get my daughter something she'd love. Atmosphere is more "classy" but they were definitely kid friendly. Everything we had was delicious and the ingredients were fresh!

We went to Italy fall of 2024 and ate all the authentic food and have been looking to replicate it here in San Clemente and THIS PLACE is just that !! Great friendly service , and excellent food- we tried the pizza, the pasta dishes and salads ! All great . Will be back for the rest of the menu ! House red wine only so so but that's ok...

The Juna pizza is delicious. My wife says they have the best gluten free crust and she loves the spicy honey.

If only this place was open back when I lived in the area. 10 years ago, there were no good Italian restaurants in all of San Clemente and I had to go all the way down to San Diego to go to Buona Forchetta. But times have changed and now there's a lot of good restaurants in the area. I hear this is still the go to place for Gluten free pasta as told by my friend. I think their pasta is quite good, but not as good as some other Italian places farther north or south. That said food in San Clemente has never been very competitive so this is still a good place to go. They have nice outdoor seating and the servers are nice. Parking is terrible though as there is no dedicated lot and you are at the mercy of SC's narrow streets. I am not a very big of the choose your pasta, sauce, topping thing they do. I like my pasta with a bunch of stuff in it.

The wait staff are all friendly, efficient, and Italian (!) my husband ordered spaghetti bolognese, which he loved, and I got lasagna. It was delicious! Very meaty and soft . We also had ordered wine: there are many good choices. I got Pinot Gris and my husband got a nice red from Montepulciano. The whole place is very authentic and lovely! My negative note: they brought out the food so fast (like within 5 minutes), and we would have liked to have our wine first. As it was, I had only had two sips. I would have ordered a second glass with dinner. Next time I will ask they wait for the wine to be gone.

WOW!!! "an authentic experience of Italian cuisine and atmosphere". Did they hit this nail on the head? Such an identical look, feel, taste, smell and sound of the mother land. Even the servers were Italian or they had a really good impersonation accent. My son had recently visited several Italian cities. We had visited numerous areas of the Italian countryside and all of the tourist cities as well, back in 2018. We also have Italian in-laws and recently had an Italian student living with us for the last three months. He had just returned home to Molfetta just a few days ago. He would've thought this place to be a truly authentic Italian experience as well. The food was excellent for what we tasted. The pizza is identical to what you get in Italy; of course, the pies in Italy are regional as well but mostly the crusts are the lightest in the world. Unbelievably similar here at Buona Forchetta. Really great stuff. Buona Forchetta says it right on their menu, " "an authentic experience of Italian cuisine and atmosphere". An excellent customer experience. Dicks

It's a chain but they always deliver. Whether it's the homemade pasta or a regular entree. Food is always good and the service never disappoints. I went with a rack of lamb which was delicious as always. Would have liked more lamb but beggars can't be choosers. Risotto was super tasty as well. Pretty much anything you get here will be good. Trust. Parking is definitely a pain but that's pretty much everywhere in San Clemente. Definitely stop by if you're looking for some good Italian.

Tried Buona Forchetta for the first time, and I was absolutely blown away! From the warm ambiance to the outstanding food, this place is a gem. If you're planning to dine inside, make a reservation ahead of time--walk-ins are welcome, but in my experience, I ended up sitting on the patio (which was still a great vibe!). The chef's special is a must-check--when I went, they had homemade pappardelle with Tuscan wild boar ragu, and just wow--one of the best pasta dishes I've had. Service was fantastic, especially thanks to Alex, who took great care of us and kept the wine flowing. Definitely 5 out of 5, and I can't wait to come back!

Cute ambiance, good service, and decent food. We got the artichokes which were so so delicious. Then for dinner we got Buona Forchetta with Salsiccia on parpadelle. There were a lot of flavors going on but it was stilly tasty.

Wait times were long for a Saturday night dinner reservation (further extended when diners lingered at their -- which turned out to be our -- table long after they'd finished). Customer service from the host desk to the support staff, to our server was appreciatively friendly and approachable -- just slow. Learning that the restaurant had just recently opened explained why they could still be getting their team work and timing down. We started with a side of Brussel Sprouts; we were offered the option to have them crispy; however, they sprouts were not crispy, at all. The wine we'd ordered off the evening's wine specials was very nice (until I got to all the sediment at the end). The Buona Forchetta pasta was rich, creamy, and tasty; my husband noticed that a neighboring table appeared to have the same order and was offered parmesan cheese, when he wasn't offered the same. The pizzas are generous in size; the gluten-free crust was soft-and-fluffy; however, their Margherita pizza was not my favorite -- too saucy for me, and was very minimal on the basil. The Panna Cotta (my first time to experience this Italian dessert) was dense and delicious. Fun-but-frenetic experience; indoor and limited outdoor seating; charismatic crew. Only 1 restroom. Glad to have experienced this restaurant but not sure if it was worth the wait.