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Buona Forchetta San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Buona Forchetta San Clemente

4.8
4.8
309 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian
1014 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

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2 people
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
7:00 pm
Booked 38 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for groups
Experience a piece of the Buona Forchetta San Diego heritage through authentic Italian recipes that have been handed down through generations. Today, there are five locations around San Diego, with our sixth in San Clemente (plus a recent seventh in Newport Beach). Buona Forchetta’s Italian wood-fired pizzas—with the perfectly soft-yet-crispy crusts—continue to garner awards including San Diego Magazine Best Pizza 2023 Critic’s Choice, Gambero Rosso Best Pizzeria, Gayot Best Italian Restaurant San Diego, OpenTable Diner’s Choice and more. Our handmade pasta dishes bursting with rich flavors, fresh seafood specialities and decadent desserts will all leave you craving more. All Buona Forchetta locations also offer gluten-free Italian options and rotating specials.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Sat 12:00–22:00 Sun 12:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–21:00 Fri 17:00–22:00
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Delivery & takeout

What 309 people are saying

Buona Forchetta San Clemente reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orange County

    Italian

  • South Orange County

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Buona Forchetta San Clemente offers an authentic Italian dining experience with consistently "phenomenal" food and "amazing" service. The homemade pasta, authentic pizza, and delicious desserts receive high praise. The warm, family-friendly atmosphere and attentive staff make it a "favorite" spot for locals and visitors alike.
309 Reviews
  1. Matteo Romano

    Orange County11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Alex and team were fantastic! Service was excellent and food and beverage were superb

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  2. Susan

    Orange County7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every meal here I am greeted with the warmest friendliest people as if you are family. This is my favorite place to go! The food is incredible. I am Italian and I cannot eat Italian food out, but this place I could eat every day. Everything that I have had here is phenomenal!

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  3. ken

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    OMG…The bruschetta with burrata was molto delizioso! All 4 of us each ordered something different and we all were saying ours was the best! Simone was our server and he couldn’t be more delightful! Highly recommend!

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  4. Nancy VIP

    Orange County7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 31 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful Eggplant Parmesana and Gnocchi and Brussel Sprouts. Every time we eat there we are never disappointed.

    1 person found this helpful

  5. John

    Orange County17 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 31 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Promptly seated at the time if our reservation. Server was courteous and the food came out quickly. Calamari, pizza, and pesto sauced gnocchi were good. Lasagna bolognese was not great- bland with an overly sweet bolognese. Canolis were just ok.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. MaryAnn

    Orange County27 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Birthday dinner. Pasta dishes are great. Meatballs needed salt/flavor. All in all we had fun.

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  7. Mike

    San Francisco5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a great authentic Italian restaurant and would suggest to try a variety of everything from the homemade pastas to the authentic pizzas - you will be happy!

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  8. Maryam

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It's not easy to find truly authentic Italian food, but Buana Forchetta nails it. The ingredients are fresh, the recipes feel traditional yet elevated, and everything from the pizza crust to the sauces taste like it was made with love. From the moment we walked in the warm and cozy ambiance made us feel like we were inn the little trattoria in Rome. The Diavola Pizza had the perfect amount of spice, and the gnocchi melted your mouth. and the top-tier Service and a charming atmosphere, and you've got a place worth returning to again and again.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service, great value, lively atmosphere and all their food is so good! I know it’s a chain, but it feels like an authentic rustic Italian trattoria. And their pizzas are amazing, starting with their delicious pizza crust and the variety of toppings (get a few and share, there are so many good ones!)! Their salads are fresh, all the produce is so flavorful! The focaccia bread appetizer (get it with garlic!) is great, eggplant and chicken Parmesan are both so good and don’t forget the desserts (affogato and tiramisu, yum!)! Wine list is definitely worth exploring too. It’s simple, down-to-earth, authentic cuisine, which fits perfectly with San Clemente’s surf/beach town vibe! Reserve a table for your family and friends, you won’t be disappointed! Buonissima forchetta!!! 😋

    1 person found this helpful

  10. PhilG

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 21 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great. Bfchgfffffhhhhhhccccccccghhhhgccccggjjhggghh

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FAQs

Buona Forchetta San Clemente offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 503-2842.

Buona Forchetta San Clemente is rated 4.8 stars by 309 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

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  2. United States
  3. Orange County
  4. South Orange County
  5. San Clemente

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Booked 38 times today
Google Map for Buona Forchetta San Clemente

1014 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

Additional information

  • Area
    San Clemente
  • Hours of Operation
    Sat 12:00–22:00 Sun 12:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–21:00 Fri 17:00–22:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Delivery, Dog Friendly, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access
  • Delivery & takeout
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  • Terms of Use
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