Il Fornello

A True Italian Gem That Feels Like Home! If you’re wondering what to order here, the answer is simple: everything. This restaurant delivers the kind of Italian dining experience everyone should have. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like family, and that warmth carried through the entire meal. Every dish that arrived at our table was absolutely delicious—beautifully prepared, full of flavor, and clearly made with love. If you happen to visit when Mama’s stuffed squash flowers are on the specials menu, don’t miss them. They’re unforgettable. Our waitress was exceptional: friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. By the end of the night, my family and I felt like longtime regulars. This is truly that place. Just go—you’re going to love it.

We are from out of state and traveling for work. After several disappointing meals in the area we were elated to fall upon this gem. Food was piping hot, fresh and definitely homemade. It was bursting with flavor and our whole table was pleased with their meals. Some of the best Italian fare we have had. And the service was top notch and atmosphere 10/10. We will definitely find ourselves back here if the opportunity presented itself.

This was the best dining experience I’ve had in a while! I didn’t get the name of our waitress, but she was extremely friendly and attentive. On top of that, service was speedy but not rushed, our waters were never empty, and our plates were continuously cleared! The bus boy was awesome as well and very aware of tables needing to be cleared. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. The whole ambience of the restaurant was lovely and the pace was perfect. Can’t wait to come back and try some more menu items!

My girl and I had the luxury of dining at this beautifully hiding gem of a restaurant. For starters we had the calamari baccala salad snails and veal and peas. My heart was won over by the veal and the calamari so crisp it’s like they fried it at the table ! For dinner we had the chicken rollatini stuffed with broccoli rabe and prosciutto finished with a Marsala demi not a crumb was left behind. I got the ribeye which was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Our server was extremely attentive. We will be back !

What a great place hidden on a side street. The food was awesome and so was the servive. We had a chance to meet the ower and his wife...what nice people! The shared salad has a great house dressing. The veal parm was tender and very flavorful. The oil and bread were also very good. The atmosphere was very cozy and warm. Pricea are very resonable. Would definitely go back.

We came across Il Fornello on the way to RWP Zoo. It was amazing!! The restaurant itself is adorable and very clean. The service was above and beyond and the food was delicious. Our server Brandon was awesome!! We had the meatball appetizer which was great. I had chick parm and my hubby had veal parm both delicious. Dinners come with amazing bread and a salad. Highly recommend will definitely return!!

Food was amazing. Our server Brandon great! He was friendly, very attentive and knowledgeable about the specials and dishes served. Atmosphere was very charming. Would most definitely recommend to a friend or family. Thanks Tony! great job this is definitely a gem and wish I had eaten here sooner.

The Italian restaurant provides a satisfying dining experience. While it may not reach the level of being exceptional, it certainly offers a good meal. The establishment is notably spacious, making it suitable for various occasions, especially family dinners. The servers contribute positively to the overall experience with their friendly and accommodating demeanor. Overall, it's a decent choice for those seeking a pleasant Italian dining option, particularly for family gatherings in a spacious setting.

First its dining area is pretty and cozy. The bar is separate from the dining area. A plus in my book. Becky, our server, was absolutely delightful. She also made our sangria's the way we liked them and I do mean liked them. The menu is extensive and you can switch things to your liking which is also a plus. The bread is delicious.Salad comes with the meal and has plenty of dressing served family style. It's a little piece of Italy here in North Providence, RI. Come and Enjoy!

Great Italian food, which was reasonably priced. The portions were large as I had enough to take home for another dinner. My chicken Parmesan had two nice sized pieces of chicken with pasta. My two other friends, both enjoyed their dinners. One of my friends makes us a weekly outing.

Classic - been coming here for YEARS. Have had almost everything on the menu. It's all DELICIOUS. Staff is amazing, treats us and everyone like family. We have had events here as well as just dinner, lunch, drinks etc. the back room is GORGEOUS- so is the bar and restaurant itself in general.. very clean and consistent. If you are looking for a private event this should be first on your list to check out and if you haven't been here yet- what are you waiting for ?! Hurry up and go !

Great food at a Good price ............. Old School Italiano` , Perfecto ! Great wine selection , deserts and service with a smile ............

What a warm and welcoming family owned restaurant. Their eggplant parm is fabulous. Focaccia is always fresh and delicious. And the salads are crunchy and inviting.

Our regular GoTo for class is Italian food. Never disappoints. In season, ask for squash blossoms.

This is my go to restaurant for good Italian food. It never disappoints. You always feel welcomed with the staff. They're always accommodating with your dish if you want to add or substitute something. Definitely a must try restaurant!!

I've been going to Il fornello since the week they opened. I moved away 22 years ago, but make it a point to come back at least once a year for a week to go in there and at least eat five meals. from their bread right through the desert everything is just fabulous and all homemade can't see enough about the service and quality that you get for such a reasonable price love everything about it.

Updating my review to reflect extreme unprofessionalism. See photo of interaction on social media with business owner. We will not be returning per owners request. For the record we have been giving this restaurant business for years. We've celebrated many birthdays, anniversaries, mothers/fathers days here as well as given them our patronage throughout the pandemic. I have referred many people here and I will be sure to share my recent experience with them. They don't value customers or their honest feedback. The quality of food has recently declined and clearly their professionalism has as well. I wonder if Mama is aware of this behavior towards patrons. This really saddens me. Such a shame. If you want good food, great service and humble, kind ownership visit The Social or Massimo on the hill. They haven't updated their decor since probably 2014 or earlier. We were patrons for about 10 years and there was never any updates besides the additional space in the back after the pandemic. Most of the clientele is old people with dead taste buds and when they die, I truly hope that they are nice enough to their younger patrons to retain some clients. The parking is complete trash. You may have to walk down the street and park at the playground. Don't bother ordering takeout. My husband ordered chicken pie with extra sauce because they always skimp on the sauce when you order out. When he called to complain and ask if he can pick up more sauce, they were clearly annoyed with him. They might actually ask you not to . If you like a lot of sauce and your chicken Parm and expect to have cheese on both slices forget about it because it's only on the top piece. And don't expect homemade pasta. I'm pretty sure it's out of the box. If you can request the owners nephew as server, he's the best.

Id have given this place a 5 star review except for the absolutely terrible waitress who was a relative of the owner and spent an absurd amount of time chatting with a table of her family's friends who were seated at the next table over. It actually seemed like several of the weight staff were memories of the owners family as a bus boy referred to our waitress as his cousin when we flagged him down after not seeing her for an insanely long period of time and I needed a refill for my drink. Anyway, the ambience was pretty decent, the food was outrageously delicious and the prices were reasonable, considering the portions that we were served. The service absolutely sucked and I will cautiously return there again in the future to try some of the other delicious looking items on the menu. It's hidden on residential side street off of the main road. It's one of those places that if you don't know about it, you never will. There's a pretty good amount of parking in the rear of the restaurant.

We came here on a weekday evening as a group of four and ordered takeout. The ambiance was pretty casual but the decor of the place is pretty nice. We ordered the eggplant Parmesan and Gnocchi, and the food came with a salad and bread. The bread was fresh and the salad was tasty and tart. The eggplant Parmesan was similarly amazing -- the eggplant was crispy and the sauce perfect and cheese gooey. Everyone else also really enjoyed their food. We would definitely recommend this place. There is a private parking lot, though narrow. We also called to make a reservation a couple of hours beforehand and it was pretty simple. The restaurant was pretty filled with people too.

4 of us had dinner at Il Fornello last evening. The food was as very good, the service was just ok. A young girl who was not our waitress came to the table to ask us if we wanted dessert when we were only midway through our dinner. Odd. A bus boy came to our table very early on when we were eating our salads to ask if he could take anything away. There was nothing to take at that point. We had just begun. Not the worst, but definitely odd. Again, the food was very, very good. The ambience is just ok, nothing crazy in the way of ambience.

We always enjoy dinner when we go there. The food and service is great! I love the frutti di mare! The atmosphere is really nice too!

Awesome!!! Staff is friendly and menu knowledgeable! Very accommodating for people with food issues... myself included!

Terrible, had the Fruiti Di Mare, one little neck, one scallop, 2 shrimp, and 4-5 mussels (2 not open, 2 cracked with pieces of shell in the dish), No calamari, worst I have had and wife's dish pasta was not even close to warm (cold). Will not suggest this restauarant to anyone. Maybe it is just me but most of these places post covid suck, not sure who is cooking this crap but just makes me appreciate my own cooking even more!!!!

Food and service goes without saying. Would definitely return. Was very impressed with entire experience

Old school Italian favorites! The Veal and Peas did not disappoint. Will definitely be back

Listen man. The restaurant industry in RI has always been notable, hinting at Italian flavors, atmosphere and leisure. I've been going here for a minute... and I have never been let down. It's almost as if it gets better every time. Tonight I enjoyed an eggplant parm accompanied by bow ties drenched in what I call the best pink sauce in the state. I make a good one at home yet I'd die for their receipe. Perfectly cooked eggplant, pasta. Could go on and on. After dinner I enjoyed a classic NY cheesecake in raspberry sauce... didn't even get a pic. Thing didn't stand a chance. Little espresso, little Sam-boocs. If you want an exceptional meal after a long day, with good company, service, music.. you'll come check it out here. Don't say I didn't warn ya

I've become a regular at this wonderful establishment. Why? The perfect combination of food, service, and ambiance. Phil is top notch at his job. Always smiling and happy, knows my favorites, and just makes it a great experience. Their homemade bread is excellent as is the salad that comes with meals. One of the rare times I'll eat an olive. The chicken parm is divine. I always judge a restaurant by their red sauce & I love theirs. Chicken marsala is also excellent. For drinks? The bourbon ball is a must. Topping it off for dessert is usually the pecan bread pudding.

Going again next week lively, clean, great staff, good food. Even bought a loaf of their amazing bread.

I have only been here a few times, but those few times have been nothing short of absolutely amazing service. Yesterday, my family held an after funeral reception here for my grandfather . The restaurant opened early for us to dine in, despite not opening till 4:00 pm which goes to show they truly care about their patrons. This was my grandfathers favorite restaurant and he frequented it often. He loved the food and the staff so dearly. It was an honor to be treated with such warmth and kindness by the staff and experience the exceptional food he loved. The food we ordered consisted of - Rigatoni alla vodka, chicken Marsala, eggplant parm, potato and veggie, salad, and assorted pastries. Everything was perfect. The woman who mainly served us also worked behind the bar and made sure everything was up to par. She was absolutely fantastic and made this a very memorable day for us. I will continue to visit the restaurant as I sincerely know my grandfather held this place close to his heart. Thank you for giving him great service and food and for treating my family above and beyond.

Love this place. The food rivals anything that you can get on Atwells Avenue. The only negative is that the restaurant is small. We do a lot of take out.

Food was good portion size not worth the money. SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE. Never came back to our table to see if we needed anything more. When we received our check never gave the original receipt to see breakdown . Over charged by giving wrong receipt and was upset when we asked for original receipt stating they don't give these out . I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT . A whole star is not correct 1/2 star would be more accurate

Food and service has gone way down. The attitude of the owners is absolutely unprofessional. When you give a great review no problem when you give an honest review about a not so great experience you're told who cares don't come back. lol bye Felicia.

The service was excellent, our waiter was great. The food was very good however the appetizers could have been warmer. Our meals were hot and delicious. We will be back!

I can't comment on the service because I had take out. The gnocchi Antonio was solid. It was cheesy and the sauce tasted pretty good. The bread that came with it was very oily, maybe a little too salty? Was kind of thrown off by the fact that for take out they didn't include the salad that usually comes with your meal, but it's whatever. I think I would come back again and dine in.

My wife and I have been here several times now and we will continue to go back. If you're looking for an Italian style family atmosphere, where everyone seemed to know someone there, you too, Will enjoy

After quite a bit of searching I decided to hold my daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner at Il Fornello. All I can say is that I was glad I did. The cost was reasonable for the amount of people we had attending. I had quoted other restaurants and many were extremely expensive. It is clear that this restaurant is a favorite of the community as it was extremely full. When we arrived the room that was promised was setup and ready for our arrival. We had a dedicated server (Rick). He was very flexible took care of everything and made sure all our needs were met. We dined in the enclosed patio on a pretty cold night and the room was very comfortable. The food was excellent and I especially liked the fact that it came with a pasta course, beyond the main course. The service provided and willingness to do what we wanted made the night great. We received many compliments from our guests, and I owe all of them to Tony, Rick, and the rest of the people at the restaurant. I would recommend this restaurant for events, and plan to go back for dinner some time. Well Done!!

We've been looking for a new (to us) little Italian spot for those times when we're craving authentic Italian food but don't want all the fuss, crowds, cost, and parking hassles of a Federal Hill place. Il Fornello fits the bill nicely. Hidden away in a modest working class neighborhood, the place is relatively small with questionable décor choices featuring rails all over the place made of gas pipe fittings... Kinda tacky but whatever. The dimmed lighting comes off as dingy rather than intimate, but once you get situated and start looking at your menu and dinner companions, it hardly matters. A lot of the appetizers sounded appealing but they promptly brought out their incredibly fresh focaccia bread with EVOO and family-style salad, so we opted to just order entrees. Probably smart but I'm now craving snail salad! We settled on a Scrod Francaise, Chicken Parm, and a Chicken Princess (artichoke/red pepper/olives/cheese). The fish was noticeably fresh and the egg batter coating was pretty as a picture. The Chicken Parm came with 2 flawlessly breaded breasts that were moist and delicious. Our son loved the Chicken Princess and raved about how well the side vegetables were cooked. My wife and I intentionally ordered simple dishes out of an abundance of caution, but looking around everything looked good. The chef's "love" showed in all of our dishes and every other one we saw go by. Next time we'll be more adventurous. Service was casual but attentive. Other patrons (mostly younger folks out on affordable dates) all seemed happy and most took home leftovers. Overall, just what we were looking for.

Appetizer is great, bread starter, amazing and sangria would recommend... Food was mediocre. I've had better, but of course, to each is own Service started off great very accommodating... But didn't really check in as much is one should and that's coming from someone who worked in the food service industry . Ambience is comfortable and pretty

Cute little Italian spot hidden in North Providence. We sat in the newly added back room, it had great natural light. They start you off with focaccia bread for the table, it was really good. For my dinner I got the scallops forno four jumbo scallops baked with ritz crackers on top, delicious. My boyfriend got the chicken rollitini, it was ok but not my favorite dish, I thought the rabe was very overpowering. With every dinner you also get a garden salad with an amazing dressing. I'll definitely be back to try other dishes!

Food is out of this world delicious! Need I say more??? Especially love the stuffed squash blossoms and chicken rollatini!

I have been going to Il Fornello for years and have yet to have a bad dining experience. The food here is fantastic. I've held a baby shower here before and the service was wonderful.

We went to this amazing restaurant last night and I had the Veal Chop which was a special along with a mushroom risotto. The veal was one of rhetorical best meals of my life. Family run with The Grandmother in the kitchen.

Rhode Island has finally started phasing in outdoor dining as of May due to the pandemic. My friend and I had just left a wake at a funeral hone and decided to grab some dinner nearby. At the restaurant there was a tented area with a few tables seating groups of four, and along the side of the building with smaller tables for groups of two. One of the wait staff approached us and asked if we had a reservation whereby we said no. She explained it was necessary so I simply dial the phone number to the restaurant and someone inside answered. He asked what time we would like our reservation and I said how about now since we're out in the parking lot. :-D He took my name, address and phone number for his record. This is a necessity to keep track of all visitors and I have no problem with that. They still didn't have paper menus printed that so we simply looked on our phones to view their website menu. We were offered complimentary focaccia and house salad to start with. The sangria and the margarita that we ordered for cocktails were very good. Entrees were baked scallops accompanied by smashed potatoes and veggies, and bow tie pasta panna with peas mushrooms and prosciutto. Both were excellent. All of the waitstaff were continuously spraying down tables while wearing their face masks. Service was excellent as was the food. This is going to be the New Norm for quite some time, and Il Fornello did an excellent job adhering to all the new rules and regulations while not compromising service or food quality. Thanks for a nice time!

Dinner tonight was at Il Fornello. This was my first time here. We sat "outside" which was nice. Food was very good! Service was great! Espresso Martini was delicious!! We got Stuffed Squash Flowers, Burrata Caprese, Cacio e Pepe and Tortellini Panna. Will be back!

We love it here but we had the worst time with friends visiting from the UK. Sonya is a terrible waitress and does not belong in a nice restaurant serving customers. She needs to work in some diner or at a McDonald's. This girl got our orders wrong and on top of that no apologies for the long wait just Yup Yup . "You didn't get your salads yet?" Not apologies. After we ate our appetizers? She asked after 20mins . We weren't even thinking of salads we just wanted our entrees which took 1 hr to come out and she's just. "It's coming out ! What you want now. " attitude the whole time Like really? We're not the problem here clearly you are. No apologies no explanation. We were so polite after waiting long but it's clear being polite to some street girl just doesn't work out. I hope management reads this and understand if you hire these types of people, they will loose customers whose coming in to experience fine dining and good Italian food. She's seems so ghetto and belongs working at a corner diner honestly.

My wife and i ordered the veal parm and although it was tasty the portions were small. The piece of veal was no larger than my hand. The waitress was attentive and very pleasant and the place looked clean. I would encourage anyone to try this place but i think it was less than we expected after being referred here by friends.

The other day was my birthday so we decided to come to this restaurant. My son and his family came from Groton MA with his wife and 2 daughters. My other son came as well. We live down the street so it was convenient for us. What can I say! The food was fantastic and the staff was attentive and had a bit of a sense of humor with us as we did with them. My youngest son can always find fault whenever we go out as a family. He isn't picky, he just doesn't like when his requests aren't responded to in a timely manner. Well, let me tell you, this had to be one of the best experiences we all had. I am going to see if we can do the Christmas family dinner there. Portions are excellent, food amazing, staff is both professsional and fun what more can I say. If you don't come here, you are missing a gem.

Friendly, casual and delicious! went first time as we were pretty close according to maps and felt like Italian - we weren't disappointed! Have recommended several times since and returned...more than once!

Excellent food , service and cleanliness . Very nice luncheon menu at a great price . Dinner entrees served with salad and bread with more than ample portions.

Service at Il Fornello was outstanding. Food was perfect. Absolutely loved it. We weren't rushed and we were seated immediately . We will continue to go Back.

A friend took the co reviewer and I out to dinner. First the positives. The place is clean and comfortable. The parking lot is large for a restaurant of this size. The restaurant is also very popular so I would definitely recommend you get reservations for the weekends. Our meals were very good, the drinks not so much. The staff is very pleasant but clearly short handed. This seems to be a problem at more and more restaurants these days. We may be back to give it another try.

Hubby decided he was in the mood for Italian for dinner so we decided to try Il Fornello and ended up being the first people seated at 4:30... yep, we are early birds. Cute little place... doesn't have much curb appeal, but I have to say, overall I was pleasantly surprised! The food was quite good and the staff very friendly (especially to my 6 year old, which is important to me). My son had the kids ravioli and he promptly devoured the whole thing. Hubby was craving chicken parm... good portion size and he said the penne pasta was cooked al dente, which we like... and the chicken itself was tender and quite good. I didn't want to stuff myself tonight (been watching the calories), so I ordered the cannellini beans with broccoli rabe and an order of meatballs. The beans with rabe was tasty and seasoned well, and perfect with their foccacia bread for dipping. The meatballs were tender and flavorful. Oh, and you get a large bowl of salad to start with as well... the vinaigrette dressing was quite good. We'll definitely be back to try some of their other selections.

Enjoyed my birthday at Il Fornello with family last week. We ordered Mama's Meatballs (w/a side of ricotta), fried mozzarella, antipasto, and bruschetta with cannellini beans. Everything was delicious. For dinner, I had the grilled chicken piccata over angel hair and it was phenomenal. Service and drinks were exceptional per usual. They built a new back indoor/outdoor room and it's gorgeous. I recommend making a reservation and enjoying the good weather back there.

Went with a guest today on a whim for what looked like some delicious and upscale Italian dining from the reviews I've read and heard. Initially I was impressed that they got us right in. Our waiter was wonderfully friendly, informed us of some tasty sounding specials, and was prompt. In all fairness, they seemed to have a really big 50th birthday party going on. But for our first experience, I wish they were just a little bit more attentive as we waited a bit trying to cash out and leave. My guest ordered chicken parmesan with penne. I ordered grilled chicken with penne vodka sauce. Their chicken parmesan tasted really good! Not heavily fried and fresh. I was a little disappointed with my dish as I had 4 small chicken pieces, maybe 1 full chicken breast at best. For the extra $4.50 charge, I wasn't happy. It was cooked well, the sauce was rich. I really didn't like the pasta and neither did they. It tasted like Stop & Shop brand penne. Overall the experience was good and I would consider going back, perhaps when it's not so busy and loud. I liked the I'm guessing bus boy that got our boxes and cashed us out, and our server was knowledgeable and put our orders in quickly. The bread they give you to start is quite good! My only real disappointment with this place was that I've been to restaurants where for the same price I have gotten handmade pasta and sauce for the same dish and not felt such heaviness in my stomach after eating-hence the quality of pasta I'm assuming. The place looks packed in all areas and a lot of people were waiting to get in so I'm thinking it's worth another shot.

Sorry no sorry. Went to Il Fornello for my friend's birthday, the menu looked great. When the food arrived, it was not great at all. Not even OK. Not even a so-so. My friends also were very unimpressed. I am surprised how it has 4 stars. Seems like a lot of regulars and maybe owners friends? Who knows, but nah, not my cup of tea. I miss my al di la Trattoria in Brooklyn.

Unbelievably great home style Italian cooking! Great drinks and service and they just added a beautiful outdoor patio. Tony just does things right!

Italian food at its finest, IMHO! This place is not a franchise and it shows. Very elegant place and fabulous food!