Unique menu, authentic Italian dishes. Definitely a go-to in San Clemente. We had the Agnese pizza, beet salad and carbonara pasta and all were delicious. So many offerings, you won't be disappointed. read more

Lovely spot for a date night or girls night out!! We had an awesome dinner at Buona Forchetta. Their homemade pastas are incredible and you can mix and match pasta with different sauce and add ins. The salads are also really good as starters. Great selection of wines and desserts. We got the fried pizza dough with dipping sauce - amazing!' Service was wonderful as well. Our waiter was super personable and made great recommendations. We can't wait to go back! read more

Met friends for dinner tonight and none of us had eaten here before of even noticed it so we were all excited to try something new. It was a little chilly to fully enjoy the big open space of the big main room and the large windows. The big doors are likely open on a warm summer night. The design elements gave an intentional feel as though you are eating in a friend's Italian garden at a farm house table. Boxes of wine bottles stacked neatly against the wall added to the charm of a "local Italian business" nothing pretentious about this place. We had fast and friendly service and our food was prepared quite quickly despite a nearly full restaurant. Everyone in our party loved their menu choice but I only got to photograph my Margherita pizza and our surprise birthday dessert. The pizza was perfectly cooked with a nice wood smoked scent to the slightly chewy crust. A few of the bubbles on the crust were also a nice blackened char that added to the overall flavor but didn't detract from the sweetness of the sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about eat bite as I write this. Our server knew we were celebrating two birthdays and brought us a surprise Panna Cotta with fresh berries and a sparkler to top it off. Surprisingly, I have never had Panna Cotta before and it is such a lovely treat. Not overly sweet and something everyone can enjoy. We had a pleasant evening and will definitely return. We look forward to tasting more items from the menu but as a Margherita pizza lover myself, I will find it hard to stray from that selection now that I've tasted how fresh it is! Thanks Buona Forchetta for welcoming our families into your "home" tonight. read more

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Since moving to San Clemente a year and a half ago, this is still our favorite Italian place in town. Hands down. The only thing is the pizza is inconsistent in a different way, sometimes it's incredible like today (Easter Sunday) with thick crust and juicy, delicious, with tons of toppings and other times it's very thin dough and overdone with barely any toppings. It got to the point where we'd only come on certain days since whoever was cooking just wasn't using enough ingredients. Other than that, I can't get enough of this place. I've never had gluten free dough that's better than regular dough, it's sooooo good. And the pepperoni...don't get me started on the pepperoni. Mmmmmmm! Mmm! Mmm! Still five stars. read more

This was our first time coming to Buona Forchetta and we were so happy with our experience. We came to celebrate our 7th anniversary and came on a quiet Sunday evening. The restaurant gave such a cozy atmosphere and seemed like a great local spot for families and friends. Our server, Kevin, was incredibly kind and explained how the menu operated and what he recommended. We ordered some calamari to start, which was light and delicious and not too heavy on the breading. Then we split a carbonara and a pizza. The carbonara was rich and delicious. We both loved this pasta so much! The pizza crust was to die for and the ingredients were very fresh! We even had leftovers for the next night and it was perfect. Very happy with the portions and quality of food. Finally, we split the specialty lemon dessert per Kevin's recommendation and it was perfect. They had decaf espresso, which was such a treat for me being pregnant and ended the night perfectly. Thanks for making our night special! read more

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The food was outstanding! I ordered off the specials menu & it was a fantastic choice! I ordered a mushroom pasta & the portion size was huge! It's very light and airy, not many places to sit. Our server was awesome and she was very attentive. read more

Buona Forchetta - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I'm obsessed with their gluten free focaccia but they never put enough garlic even when I call and request it however it's still AMAZING! The salmon tonight was overcooked and I think it was previously frozen which is unnecessary when they can easily have fresh salmon. I'm kind of bummed but the focaccia was delicious. I can't wait to eat it for breakfast tomorrow with avocado on top. read more

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WHOA. Just the thought of Buona Forchetta induces an embarrassing amount of drool. Although I'd explored the Newport location's menu and was enticed by ample vegan options, I didn't get around to actually visiting the restaurant until an overnight pet-sit led me to this San Clemente spot. Better late than never...better never late. My only regret is not gettin' my nom on at Buona Forchetta sooner. My date (erm, Italian lover) and I ordered everything from the vegan ravioli with asparagus to foccacia to roasted potatoes with vegan cheese (customized). Our decadent drinks included champagne and red wine--both house (my choice) and whatever obscure brand that my date raved about. I actually loved my house wine more than his semi-fancy choice (he agreed!), but I'm also a two-buck-Chuck/Charles Shaw kind of girl. Staff was accommodating to my dietary needs. It's so refreshing to see a menu that caters to all preferences! More Orange County restaurants should take note. Generous portions of fantastic food: leftovers the next day tasted just as divine--if not more so--as original meal. The fact that my Italian amante loves this place as much as me says everything. No more need be said: just go! read more

Buona Forchetta - Vegan ravioli with asparagus. Omggg-worthy. - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is our go to spot for pizza! We've tried their ciopinno and it was a miss. Lackluster flavor and they wouldn't even give us a bowl to share it, told us it's their policy. The salads are all very good, but the best thing going is their authentic Italian style pizza. Their interior is not so cozy, but they do have outside seating too. I just picked up a pizza to go for lunch and it was amazing! I asked for it to be very cooked in the center, not soggy. They explained it might have burnt crust edges, and it did - but that made it even better! Found them to be very accommodating for special requests in topping. The mix of cheese and tasty red sauce is perfect. These are not like some overly-loaded -cheese pizzas found so often. We think these pizzas are the closest to Italy that we could find in San Clemente. read more

Another awesome meal@Buona Forchetta!! You can always depend on excellent service & quality food. Lovely inside and outside patio for your choice of dining. On site parking is very convenient. Never a disappointed! Awesome wine list. read more

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We stopped by for Sunday lunch and had no trouble getting a table. The staff were friendly and polite, and the restaurant has a cute design. Here's what we ordered: * Calamari (appetizer): Really good, crispy and flavorful. * Juna Pizza: Light, fresh, and satisfying. * Eggplant Tortino: Soft and good * Penne with Bolognese: Just okay, nothing standout. Overall, the food felt light and on the healthier side, but some dishes could've used a bit more seasoning, especially salt. A nice spot for a casual meal, but nothing particularly memorable for me. read more

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I usually love this place--the food is great, the service is great, and the whole experience is typically amazing. This time, though, we ordered takeout and they completely mixed up our meals. We ordered two pasta dishes with different sauces and noodles, plus a dessert. To avoid confusion, we placed the order as one pasta, then the dessert, then the other pasta, and even had them read it back to us. Despite that, the pastas came swapped, and the added proteins were all mixed up. It kind of ruined the meal, which was disappointing. read more

Wonderful experience! They had me at the Artichoke appetizer. Absolutely lovely with the olive oil and garlic. Great start and it built from there a flavorful foundation for the rest of the afternoon meal. The pesto is fantastic and the pizza is perfect. Reminded me of my favorite pizza place in Brooklyn. I am a fan! read more

Actually great gluten free pasta (bucatini only). We tried the carbonara with both regular and gluten free pasta and both were great. Cacio e pepe was the same sauce without the guanciale. The gluten free focaccia was really great! I would get that again a heartbeat! Fantastic. Everyone enjoyed it. Service was great and the patio was plenty warm with heaters, even tho it was a breezy cold evening. Service was excellent. Everyone was wonderful, great recommendations, very personable, kind and entertaining. This was a very fun place to dine. read more

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So happy to have found this place! Great food, service, and ambiance. Pretty large menu with so many different options including customizable pasta dishes. They also have a nice amount of gluten free options, some of which are gluten free focaccia bread and even gluten free gnocchi! I haven't had gluten free gnocchi in over a year so was pleasantly surprised to see that they offer that here. I ordered it with pesto and burrata and it was really good! Definitely hard to stop eating! I can't wait for my next trip here to try more of the menu! read more

Buona Forchetta - Gluten free gnocchi with pesto and burrata - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This visit we ordered takeout rather late in the evening and it was wonderful on a Monday night that their hours accommodated our order after flight delays and late return home. I'd been eyeing their pastas from afar and this was the perfect opportunity to indulge. They did not disappoint! I can't tell you how difficult it is to find an Amatriciana pasta, and then for it to actually be delicious. Very satisfied. My husband got the lasagna bolognese and really enjoyed it - wonderful and hearty for a chilly evening. The brushcettone is still the go-to dish for us. One of these days we'll have to find time to dine in :) On a side note, I'd like to add that Joe B and his responses to reviews, including my own is very honest, targeted and genuine, unlike a lot of others in this community. Looking forward to that potato pizza romana ;) read more

I enjoyed this restaurant. The food was good (not great) but it came out cold. Meh. The manager was kind of a d*ck the whole night which was a bummer. The rest of the service was excellent including our lovely server from Rome. Apparently the cioppino was the thing to have. Artichoke app and salads were also pretty good. read more

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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. read more

Buona Forchetta - Lamb - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Kristin C. was wonderful. We had some car issues and were late for our Rez, but they sat is within 15 min. Service and food was fantastic!

I dined here for the first time and I would highly recommend trying this restaurant for the service, great team and staff, and the pizza! The front desk is very helpful with accommodating reservations. I was able to secure one for Saturday at 5:15pm last minute so make sure to book in advance. Our server was Alexandra and she made us feel very welcomed, relaxed, and excited for our birthday dinner. Her warmth and hospitality went above and beyond. We tried the special items: Cioppino (very tasty and perfect for 2-3 to share) and the Lobster Tagliolini Special (it was good if you prefer pasta with less sauce). We ordered the Sergio pizza and it was great! The cheesecake was a wonderful dessert. The manager on staff was also so gracious, understanding and generous when there was a mixup with our dish to go, but he resolved the issue no problem. I will be back for more pizza options! Im grateful for the service, the entire crew from the kitchen, servers, busboys, receptionist, and manager made the moment truly memorable! read more

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This place exceeded my expectations. What a fabulous find! We were getting in from Rosarito, Baja Norte and wanted to try a new Italian spot; glad we did. We enjoyed icy cold blond Menabreas with their focaccia bread w/olive oil, Bolognese Fettuccine, and their Margherita Pizza. The pizza dough was PERFECT! Their pizza is easily as delicious as Sei's Pizza from Los Angeles (Michelin Guide Bib). The Bolognese Fettuccine was perfectly Al dente and finally, a bolognese with a generous amount of meat sauce (yes!). The Bolognese had a bold savory flavor with just the right amount of sweetness at end of every pasta bite. Reminded me of my food experience in Italy. We finished our meal with a delicious jumpstart espresso for our trek back to Los Angeles. I'd give it more stars if I could. Service was very pleasant as well. read more

Buona Forchetta - Bolognese Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Amazing service... Everything was great... The heater on the patio kept me very warm. I was getting picky about my food and Joe the GM solved my problems quickly with a lot of care Amazing read more

Buona Forchetta - Buono Forchetta - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

This restaurant has a feel of a small authentic Italian Restaurant. My husband and I had dinner here last night. We ordered a salad with blue cheese, pears, and almonds and it was very fresh and delicious. We also shared the Sophia pizza which was very delicious. It had ham, mushrooms, and artichokes on it. Unfortunately the crust was not fully cooked. That was disappointing. The cab blend wine we enjoyed was perfect and our waitress suggested it. We loved our waitress. She was very cheerful and she really spoiled us. We will return. read more

The food was delicious! Our server Alex was amazing along with the staff! Ambiance was great too! Highly recommend it, if you're craving Italian cuisine. read more

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This came up as a great Italian spot by the Outlets, so we decided to stop by before shopping, and were instantly impressed by the variety on the menu -- from pizzas to pastas to hearty mains. Despite all the tempting options, we all ended up going the pasta route, and we have zero regrets! The menu is wonderfully laid out, especially the "build your own pasta" section -- you get to choose your pasta shape, your sauce, and then add any extras like proteins. I especially loved that they included visuals of each pasta type, which is so helpful (and fun!) for anyone not super familiar with Italian noodles. They also offer fresh pasta and gluten-free options, which is a huge plus. We started with the flatbread focaccia appetizer, and WOW -- perfectly chewy, beautifully herbed, and the optional garlic addition took it to another level. It was so good that I'm already planning my next visit just to try their pizza, which I now have high hopes for based on how amazing that focaccia was. Can't wait to come back and mix and match more pasta combinations -- I already have a few sauce pairings in mind! read more

The food was very good! We had the pasta and pizza and they are both delicious!! However our server was not very attentive. She went MIA for over 15 minutes without coming by to see how we were doing. Never came by to check if we wanted desserts after dinner... one of the other servers saw us kept waiting and actually came by and helped us instead ... a little disappointed! read more

Our family booked Thanksgiving dinner at this location we had never patronized. What a great surprise! My husband and I arrived early and the manager was so sweet, managed to accommodate us while we waited for our daughters. We enjoyed a bottle of wine, calamari, focaccia & a salad before ordering. Loved the lasagna, gnocchi, eggplant & carbonara.....fantastic service & warm atmosphere. Pumpkin cheesecake and Porto for dessert. Beautiful dinner. Chao! read more

Food $ service was excellent!! Kevin are waiter from Rome was amazing!! Will definitely be back again

Our favorite go to homemade Italian food. They are fun and friendly and I can't say enough of about every item I have tried.

My new favorite Italian restaurant in Orange County!! Their homemade pastas are so delicious and the pizzas are top tier !! You MUST get the artichoke hearts if you come here, best I've ever had. The staff was so friendly, very attentive and extremely kind. I love their little patio and the inside area is also perfect. The prices are very reasonable for how much food you get. I can't wait to come back! read more

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First time here! The pizza was very fresh, savory, crispy, flavorful, and delicious. I did pick up, the pizza was well packaged and it smelled really good on the way home, awesome service, nice atmosphere, and I had an amazing, wonderful first visit today. read more

Buona Forchetta - Buona Forchetta. - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I've been here a few times and have always had a really great experience. What you can expect is delicious, yummy food. The radicchio salad and the beat salad were made with very fresh ingredients and large enough to share. The calamari was fried to perfection. The pasta and pizza were perfecto. I had the cioppino and the flavor was really good. My only complaint was that many muscles and clams weren't open. The service, surprisingly, was quite slow. Our server, Alex, was super friendly but disappeared for what seemed like 30 minutes. We were very hungry and had 2 hungry kids with us. read more

Still one of my favorite restaurants. It all started with Point Loma in San Diego, as I mentioned in my previous review, so it was a welcomed sight to get Bouna Forchetta in San Clemente. I'm a creature of habit and usually order the same thing. One star off for inconsistency...sometimes the pizza I get, usually the Martina, hardly has any toppings at all ( when I go to Encinitas let's say, it's double ( arugula and sauce ) than what I get here in SC, it's what it should look like...not just a few scattered ingredients. Same with San Diego, so it's difficult not to compare. I'm gluten free and don't eat much pasta so for me this is my go to pizza spot. As far as the waitstaff, I've always had a welcoming, pleasant experience, my family and I have been here many times. Love the female waitress, she has always been so friendly and attentive every time. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Buona Forchetta - Artichoke - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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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 read more

Buona Forchetta - The sign out front - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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To be honest, this place was good but not great. Inside is very cute and warm. We were seated very quickly with a party of 8 & our waiter was very helpful explaining the "build-your-own" pasta menu. There was a delicious Italian soda I recommend you try if you're not having alcoholic beverages (blood orange or grapefruit flavor were my favorites). The food itself is where it fell a little flat for me. My pesto pappardelle pasta with chicken was under seasoned for my taste & the roasted chicken was dry. The pappardelle with Aglio Olio E Peperoncino was much better, but again the chicken was pretty dry. The best thing I tried was the chef's special ravioli with pink sauce! Overall it was pretty good. I'd just stay away from the pesto next time. read more

Buona Forchetta - Pesto pappardelle with chicken - a bit disappointing. - Italian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Buona Forchetta opened recently and we gave it some time to get over the new restaurant growing pains. My expectations were high, as the reviews look good and friends have raved. Since they are busy, being a new hot spot in San Clemente, I made a reservation at 5:30pm on a Thursday. Not an issue getting the reservation a couple days in advance and we were seated quickly upon arriving, even though there were a couple of groups of walk-ins waiting. It was not too crowded but by the time we left most tables were taken. I requested the patio, as it was a nice evening and I heard that the inside gets noisy when filled up. Once we were seated we were quickly brought a nice carafe of water with ice. Our server came up and introduced himself, can't recall his name, but the receipt says Alp. We were given various menus for drinks, wines, food, specials. Our table was very small, so it was fun managing the pile of menus around especially when we got appetizer and plates. The wife has a system, of sorts, when we go out to dine. She does not look at a menu before we arrive, like the restaurant's website. Once we arrive, she checks only the drink menu to pick a specialty cocktail. Once the cocktail is ordered she will check appetizers. The salad, entree and side menu is not cracked open until we are well into our appetizer and likely on our second cocktail. So that is how the evening progressed. To start, the wife picked the Venetian Spritzer (orange vermouth, prosecco, club soda). She loved it. I ordered the Buona Forchetta IPA on draft and it was very good. Since they only have beer & wine, the cocktails are imaginative concoctions of wine, sujo, vermouth. Cocktail on table? Check. Time to pick an appetizer. We both agreed on the Burrata Caprese: organic tomatoes, burrata, EVOO, balsamic glaze. We were served bread, olive oil & balsamic. The caprese was really good. Fresh burrata, fresh tomatoes, nice drizzle of EVOO and balsamic. The bread was just OK, a bit dense for me. They do give a hefty portion of bread. Now that we were enjoying our cocktails and app, the wife could look at the menu. A large selection of options and a large list of specials took some time to review. Unlike my wife, I don't like the stress of trying to pick out something when reading a menu for the first time, so I do look ahead and check Yelp to see what people liked. The wife calls it "cheating" and I call it "stress free". Usually I pick out a couple of things and then make the call at the restaurant unless there is one thing that EVERYONE recommends. In this case, I heard the most about the pizzas, so I concentrated there. (One other caveat is if one of the specials jumps out at me once I get to the restaurant) The wife decided on pasta and the way they do it is pick a pasta, pick a sauce and then pick "toppings". Toppings include various proteins, cheeses and vegetables. Her combo was Fettucine + Cacio e Pepe (Pecorino cheese, black pepper) + Shrimp (5 sauted jumbo shrimp). No side for her. Once we had the bill, it was interesting to see that they charged $1 for the fettucine after paying $19 for the sauce. Ok. I had a hard time deciding between the Puttenesca (Mozzarella, capers, anchovies, olives, San Marzano tomatoes) or the Bruna (Mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni, spicy salame) pizzas. They have about 30 pizza options. It would not have been a pretty sight for me to try and pick one at the restaurant. Puttenesca it is. I ordered a tasty wine, Abate Pietro, 2016, Shiraz and Montepulciano. The food came out fast. We still had some appetizer, plates and bread on the tiny table. One server had to take away the app and plates while another server waited to set down our mains. While not pushing, they were certainly trying to move people through the restaurant. Upon presenting the bill, the server did hover, waiting for my payment even though we were still finishing our wine. The pizza looked good. Olives, Anchovies and Capers, Oh My! It reminded me of pizzas in Italy. I assumed that I would eat it with a fork and knife, like Italy, but it was already sliced. No worries. I picked up one piece and the tip of the slice sagged and the cheese, sauce, toppings slid off. The crust was firm until about 2/3 down the slice. I wish it was a bit less watery in the middle. The taste was fine, but not mind blowing like I had hoped. These days, 16 bucks seems cheap for an individual pizza! The wife's pasta looked nice but she thought it was only 2 shrimp, even though the menu said 5. She found the other 3. Jumbo shrimp not so big! All in all, she said it was OK, but didn't finish it or take any home. I finished my pizza, but had to use my fork to fold the soggy middle back on to the more firm part and then reinstall the cheese & toppings. The service was very good, though felt a bit rushed. It was a pricey meal of pretty standard pasta and pizza, so I am not sure when we will return. Go? Try it or go somewhere else? HAVE FUN! read more

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Terrible customer service! We're new to town. We've been told that BF is a great restaurant, & we wanted to buy a gift card for someone whose generosity has been overwhelmingly helpful during our transition. My husband stopped by today around 4pm, understanding that restaurants don't want to hassle with gift cards during the lunch/dinner rush. Someone, maybe the manager?, opened the door & refused to sell a gift card! The bummer is that person just lost multiple sales- no gift cards for now, but also, we're not inclined to patronize a place that doesn't prioritize service. Seriously, do better. read more

Food amazing!! Ambiance a little above average, the service will improve because the entire staff is new. I chalked up the lower service due to experience which they will gain. The staff were still amazingly friendly with good attitudes. It has been over 3 months since I ate there so will go again to see the great improvements. If not for the inexperienced staff at the time I would've given 5 stars. But besides all of that the quality of their food for the price will always bring me back! read more