Buona Forchetta - San Marcos

Love this chain but location is not good. For some reason, no other location can come close to the original South Park location. Liberty Station and Encinitas are an okay substitute but the San Marcos location has nothing going for it. The atmosphere is not relaxing, the food is not good, and service is very poor. Probably because it's a lot of college kids working there. We split a salad and a veal tortollini pasta special but there was no veal to be found and I'm pretty sure the mushrooms were canned. They were really slimy. The salad was actually really good but the chocolate mousse we got for dessert was not chocolate mousse. It had an overwhelming hazelnut flavor and not the right consistency. I've had the mousse at their other locations and it has always been solid. I'm not sure if this location is still trying to figure out their staffing but I'd wait a while before giving it another shot.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

My husband came here for a celebratory dinner and were not disappointed. The food tasted incredibly fresh and not at all fussy. Great wine and beer list. The food was closer to Italian food from Italy than we've had in a while. Buon appetito!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

The focaccia and artichoke appetizers were fantastic! The pizza was good. The eggplant, lasagna, and pasta were just ok. The server did not bring the dinner for one of our guests. We had to ask for it. Seems it was forgotten and the chef just started to make it. It came out when the rest of the party was pretty much finished eating. The food was not the same quality as when they first opened. If we go again, we will just get the pizza.

Food and service was very mediocre; the lighting in the main dining room is way too bright

Drove here from oceanside to try for first time I decided on this location instead of Encinitas because you know parking and Encinitas. Omg the parking here was just as bad or worse!!%% The food was average. Tried the lasagna and wife had pizza. The pizza crust was good but lasagna was eh. Our waitress seemed to be swamped but was very pleasant. Best thing was it did have a metropolitan feel in the building complex.

Well...we've enjoyed many meals there but maybe last night was off. Eggplant parm was barely warm & husband's veggie calzone was skimpy but very “bready” So neither of us were thrilled. Server was very pleasant but busboy stacked all 4 of our plates, etc & I guess I'm just fussy...plates could be individually carried without us diners watching his effort. We'll likely stay loyal customers but with some hesitation.

Excellent service We ate on the patio good ambiance and quiet Food was excellent and veggie lasagna was vest I've ever had

We were a bit disappointed in the food at the San Marcos location. We ate at the Encinitas location a few weeks ago and it was amazing. We thought we would try the San Marcos location. The sausage calzone had the smallest amount of chopped sausage in one corner we had ever seen. It was mostly just cheese and dough. The sausage rested on top rather than being throughout the calzone. The eggplant Parmesan lacked taste. The pizza we got was also not very good , very skimpy on the toppings. The rib eye was thick and not as tasty as the Encinitas restaurant. One thing that was very good was the walnut salad that was ordered. All 4 of us were disappointed with the food. The service was pretty good. Not outstanding.

I discovered this place about a month ago, and have eaten here three times. Every meal has been excellent. They have one of the best eggplant parm's I've ever had, and their gnocchi are of the gods! They even make an actual, real Cara with egg yolks and no cream. I love this place!!!

The service wasn't great and they were out of a few items we had ordered. They may have been pressing the wine I. The back for as long as it took to get a glass. Also sad the cheesecake is no longer gluten free. The food is solid value- nothing lacking, nothing WOWing.

Good I think it's a nice pizza place . I really don't know why I have to do this review. I am being forced to complete it which makes me not use this app.

Food was fantastic. But two visits in a row I'm just completely turned off by the service. They just act like you're a bother. Our waitress was incredibly rude when my dad asked about the draft beer selection. So much so he didn't even order one. It's so dark several older customers were pulling out their cell phone flashlights to read the menu. We asked to have dirty plates removed in between app and dinner- she said let me get someone to do that. Then said she was sending something over for our special occasion and we paid the bill and sat there waiting until we had to ask if it was coming. It wasn't busy there really is no excuse for how we were treated. Again, the food was fantastic but there are other great local options that have great food and great service.

One of the pizzas was burnt, one tasted flat. It was very cold inside and we closed the door that was propped open. Should be considerate and ask if customer would like door closed especially when choosing to eat indoors. Servers were great and attentive. Waited 45-minutes for food to arrive for some reason ?

Buona Forchetta in San Marcos absolutely impressed me! The food tasted so fresh and authentic, and you can feel the love in every dish. The staff was warm, attentive, and made the whole experience feel so welcoming. Definitely one of my new favorite spots in San Marcos!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food is really good, the waiters are friendly. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendly staff. Definitely coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5