Il Forno a Legna

Decor inside was sharp, clean, and relaxing. Nice selection of appetizers. Wine selection was good. Classic variety of pizza and pasta dishes. Service was excellent. Desserts were delightful. Overall excellent place to dine and enjoy Italian cuisine.

Absolutely loved our visit to Il Forno a Legna! The pizza was incredible — fresh, flavorful, and perfectly wood-fired with that delicious crispy crust. You can really taste the quality ingredients and the love they put into their food. Cozy atmosphere and friendly service made it even better. Definitely a new favorite spot for authentic Italian pizza!

Recently, my partner and I celebrated our anniversary. Our host/server made sure our experience was met to our satisfaction and was very attentive! The food is delicious! Price is fair. We would absolutely come back again! (:

The service was friendly, but I was disappointed with the food. The Carbonara pasta sauce was overcooked and lacked the freshness I expected. I was also surprised by a $12 upcharge for just four pieces of shrimp — it felt excessive for what was offered. I really wanted to enjoy the meal more, but it didn’t live up to the price.

It was our first time dining here and we decided to order the Margherita Pizza and the Conchiglie al Forno (CAF). The CAF had terrific flavor and was cooked perfectly. The pizza was alright; it had a nice flavor to it but the dough was way too thin and, because of it, it didn’t have enough sauce and cheese to keep the slice together. As soon as I picked up the slice, what little was there slipped off. I would skip the pizza, next time and focus on trying their pasta dishes. The service was pretty good. We went around 05:00 pm so we didn’t have to wait to get seated. The decor is nice and would make for a good date night setting.

Made an order online for two pizzas and fettuccine Alfredo. The fettuccine tasted like the black plastic box it came in. The pizza had severely burnt edges but was good. Food like this is why I rather cook at home. Waste of money.

Been here twice now, once for a friend’s birthday and again for an anniversary date. Amazing food and service, very busy during the evenings/dinner hours so I highly recommend getting a reservation (as we had done).

From the moment we stepped into this cozy Italian gem, we were greeted with warmth, charm, and exceptional hospitality. The entire staff made us feel like family, and a special shoutout goes to Zach, our waiter, whose attentiveness and knowledge elevated the entire evening. His recommendations were spot-on and made our dining experience truly unforgettable. We started with the calamari, perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside—an absolute must-try. But the real star of the night was the BRANZINO AL VINO BIANCO—their signature dish. Delicately prepared, bathed in a light white wine sauce, and bursting with Mediterranean flavor, it was a masterpiece on a plate. And just when we thought the evening couldn’t get better, along came the tiramisu. Light, creamy, and rich with espresso flavor—it was simply to die for. A sweet ending to a perfect night. Grazie mille to the whole team for such a delightful experience. We’ll be back—soon and often!

I passed this place many many times and finally decided to just stop in. The place is beautiful inside. I ordered the pizza with prosciutto on it. The crust is amazing. I had two glasses of the house red wine. The bartender America chatted with me and I must say she was the most enjoyable part of the experience. She was super kind and friendly. I will definitely be back and recommend anyone in town to try this place out. Support local!

I'll Forno has always been one of our favorite Italian restaurants in McAllen. Our dinner order was very late (30 minutes) Salad greens were wilted...Chicken Parmesan was burnt on the edge and the Prawns were tough... Sandra, the manager was very nice to provide another chicken Parmesan for us.

Overall, a very disappointing experience. I was craving Italian, and saw the decent reviews. The ambiance was nice, but the music didn't really match the interior vibe. Upon being sat, we found our silverware had some foreign white object lodged in the fork. I couldn't tell if it was a bug larvae or a piece of rice- either way, I was worried about the cleanliness. My husband got the Meatlovers pizza, and I got the eggplant parmesean. The eggplant was good, but the sauce was very sweet. The meatlovers pizza, unfortunately, wasn't anything special. Most disappointing of all, the "night of the chocolate cake." For $14, you'd expect a delicious and decadent experience. This cake, despite being so pretty, was terribly bland. Tasted like something straight from the grocery store. The custard sauce was good, though. Our server, Zack, was very kind and walked us through the menu and provided his recommendations. Maybe we didn't get the right things, but the food didn't really inspire us to come back. The kind service really helps this place, but the food seems like it was made more for Instagram than to eat. We left disappointed and still hungry.

The event I attended here was ruined because the staff smokes indoors and allowed patrons to smoke as well. I'm allergic and had to leave. I drove 1.5 hours to the event for it to be ruined by rude staff.

We enjoy every bite when we go here! My fav is the lasagne buy my friend always get pizzas. Delicious caprese salad as well. Never room for dessert though

I decided to celebrate my birthday here and knew they were pretty popular and had heard good things about their food so I made a reservation and I spoke with a hostess maybe 4-5 days before my dinner date. I told her I was wanting to make a reservation for a birthday dinner and she took my name, phone number and assured me someone would call the day of to confirm. The day of the dinner I did in fact receive a confirmation call from another woman who said we would have a private room and I told her we would see her at 6. We get there and of course brought in our cake/cupcakes which we brought in from Sam's. They sat us in a semi private room, there was another party going on, not a big deal at all, and as we're getting comfortable the hostess comes up to me and apologizes because apparently nobody told me about a $25 cake fee we would be charged if we decided to eat our cake. I told her that no, nobody informed me and she says I didn't have to pay if I didn't feel comfortable BUT my guests and I could not eat my birthday cake. Another woman, who I find out was the woman who called me earlier in the day, said that when I made the reservation they usually ask what the occasion is for and I told her well when I spoke to (hostess, I'm leaving names out) I specifically told her that it was for my birthday and the woman looks to the hostess who clearly was the one I spoke to and again, apologized and told me that someone should have told me earlier that afternoon when they called to confirm and I told her well I spoke to (nameless) and again, no one told me about a cake fee. It was obvious that this woman was the one who I spoke to earlier but of course she didn't admit to that. She simply said we didn't have to pay if we chose not to but that we couldn't eat my cake. She went on to say that a lot of restaurants use this practice if they have their own dessert menu and she went on further to say they had an excellent dessert menu we could choose from. With all due respect, I did not want to choose from their menu I wanted to enjoy my cake that we brought for my birthday dinner. I don't think it was right for them to charge us this cake fee because nobody informed me. I spoke to two employees and neither of them mentioned it. So instead of apologizing and accepting they screwed up, they decided they were still going to charge me. I understand if some restaurants do this, fine, but you need to inform your customers. Had I known of this fee I definitely would not have chosen to have my birthday dinner here. This was strike one. Now on to the food. The appetizer pizzas were ok. Not great. A little too greasy for my liking. The lasagna was delicious, I have to say. A huge portion that my mom I decided to share. Unfortunately, a few of my dinner guests decided to try the Alfredo's. A couple had chicken and one had the seafood. They all said the sauce was bland and the overall dish had no flavor. A couple had the chicken parmigiana and they said the meat tasted frozen and the spaghetti, again, had no flavor. This was strike two. The overall service was slow, we weren't that big of a party, less than 10 and we were not a demanding group at all. Our server, again, no names, was not warm or friendly, seemed quite distracted. This was strike three. I do not recommend this restaurant for any occasion really. The prices are ridiculous for the quality of the food they claim to serve. The fact that they didn't correct their blunder, the disappointing food, the service, makes me never want to come here again. I'll stick to the Olive Garden for my next special occasion.

Italian food is universally loved, but unfortunately that has allowed too many purveyors of mediocre pasta and pizza to lower the bar for what gets to pass as Italian. When I find a place that reminds me why I like certain dishes, I feel the need to share; I was immediately smitten by what is happening at Il Forno. We ordered a pizza with shrimp and peppers as a starter for the table to share and it was the kind of pie that I rarely find. There was a debate about the marinara sauce (yes, my friends are also foodies). Was the slight sweetness caused by the peppers or is their basic sauce just less acidic than what most chefs use? That will be a topic for next time as we all loved it... There was even more chatter about the crust - not soggy, not burned, but perfectly cooked. It looked beautiful and tasted like a slice of heaven. For the main course, I ordered Capellini Positano, which has crab, olives, and mozzarella. The server asked if I would like to add another protein, which had not occurred to me, but why not, so I requested shrimp. The portion was big enough for two, but since I was visiting and there was no fridge in my hotel room, I ate it all (great food should never be wasted). We ordered a few desserts to share that included Tiramisu, Night of the Chocolate, and Pistachio Gelato. Even though tiramisu was my favorite (as it usually is), I ate quite a bit of the others as well. I'm happy to see that Il Forno is serving what great Italian food should be and I can't wait for my next visit.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this place. I came on a Friday night, and it wasn't too crowded. The ambiance is nice. Tables are clean. They have a have a nice bar area and a fire oven in the back. I ordered the bolognese. It was amazing! My friends had the carbonara, which was yummy. Also we had the linguini. And the capellini positano, which was insanely good. The service was good, and they were very helpful. I think the food is reasonably priced for the quality. I will have to come back and try other dishes!

Fanciest Italian joint I've ever visited by far. Definitely the opposite of some Olive G Carino type nonsense. This will cost you (nicely) Came for the lobster thermidor and may now consider my curiosity satisfied. Served with a delightfully rich and creamy mushroom risotto. First time trying either so I'm glad they were paired together because both were delicious. The decent house red buzzed me well while the modern electropop provided a pleasant soundtrack in the tastefully decorated space. The waiter wore a bit too much cologne for my taste but he never lingered for long so it never presented a problem. Would totally come back to try other menu items next time I'm in town. Cheers!

Great food and service. The chef and staff are wonderful. Atmosphere is relaxing and music adds to the over all experience. We enjoy going.

Toda la comida muy rica, deliciosa. Muy tardado pero así es cuando. Se cocina realmente

Really enjoyed my meal here. Quick service, enjoyed the booths/coat racks by the tables/bar/stone oven. It was nice inside. Next time I'll probably try some pizzas but the pastas were all really good. Will come again.

Best bartender ever!!! Works very well under pressure, he was very fast and had fantastic recommendation. For be upscale the ambiance was great and made me feel right at home. The pizza was second to none!

This place rocks. It's a top 5 restaurant in the RGV, no doubt. Wood fire pizza oven right in the open kitchen, pumps out pretty damn good pizza (for the rgv). The pastas thought are fantastic. Great wine selection. Really nice ambiance. Great bar. Fantastic service. Very picky with my 5's if there was a 4.5 I woulda given it that.

Mixed review: my food was good, ordered a wedge salad (dressing was very good), and a pasta dish. Hubby's was not good: lasagna was sadly, not what it once was at this place. Portion and quality just not the same! He ordered a pizza instead. Oh dear-Crust was so thin and soggy he couldn't eat it! Restaurants are struggling these days, and this one is no exception, unfortunately. I really wanted to like the whole experience because we were looking for some good Italian food. :(

Half of these pretentious reviews have to be made up. Service was decent, but food was mediocre at best. Ambiance was fair, and the worst part about this establishment is the price. Prices that high demand the highest quality of food to be served; chicken was dry and dull, shrimp over cooked and under flavored as well.

I had been before 2 years ago and remember food and service being amazing. This time around, was very disappointed. My steak came out 40mins after ordering and was WAY over cooked. The steak was cooked in 3 different temperatures throughout, rib cap was pink, middle was gray like a hamburger, corners were medium well. I'd expect the cooks know how to properly cook a steak if they put it on the menu and at a higher price. I'd go somewhere else for steak.

WOW!!! This is my 3rd or 4th visit to Il Forno and by far it was the best. Our server was attentative and obtained clarification when asked about a specific dish. We skipped appetizers and started with house made red Sangria and house made bread. The bread was dense and moist inside and crispy outside - we requested butter to accompany the bread and could have eaten more. Mom had salmon with fresh vegetables, which was moist and flaky. Dad had the 8 ounce Filet Mignon with potatoes and vegetables which he plans on having at our next visit. I had the Veal Saltimbucco, the veal was pounded to a delicate thickness. The mushroom and Prosciutto sauce was flavorful with the right amount of salt, I had to stop myself from licking the plate. I'm already planning my next meal when I travel to Mission again. Can't wait!!!

By far the best Italian food around We usually enjoy their food curbside but enjoy the restaurant ambiance

Great food and service. The place is very nice and our server attentive. I would love to go back for another date night.

I came with my family, had a great time. I made reservations, we were seated right away. Ambiance was good, just a bit loud because bar in same area. We ordered the Burrata and Prosecco's to start. Very good flavors, just wish they would have pitted the kalamata olives, portion small as well compared to other boards. Main course we have the Lobster risotto, Branzino, and 2 pancettas. The flavors were amazing and fresh. Risotto was cooked well , which can sometimes be hard to find. The wait staff was good too, just wish would have explained menu in the beginning and being new silverware when main course arrived. Overall, great first visit , would definitely recommend.

We really wanted to like this place, the ambiance is very nice and welcoming, however the food is not. Really overpriced for what it is, the tomato basil soup was swimming in oil, it was just ok. My husband ordered the seafood pasta, but he said the taste was just awful , the mussels were not washed or something so it tasted like dirty water and sand, and it only had 5 mussels and 3 of them empty. The fried calamari was a bit overcooked and lacked taste, very bland. My pasta with salmon was just ok, the salmon tasted a bit like what a wet cloth smells, my husband said it was the same aftertaste his dish had and was also super oily, everything was swimming in oil. My kid asked for the pasta carbonara and he liked it, he said it was ok, I tasted it and it was ok, definitely not a carbonara, but ok, the description said it had prosciutto, but it was nowhere to be found. Will not be coming back, very disappointed.

Went during a work trip and sat at the bar. The bar tender Joey made the visit very enjoyable! His humor, food suggestions and attention were 100%. The food was delicious and now I wish I would have gone the next day for the pizza! I will be back for sure:

Service was mediocre. It was busy, but they had enough people working, it just not attention to customer. Pizzas were good if they would have served hot, But when arrived to the table it seems they have been sitting for 10 minutes, making them soggy. Order a house wine and came in a Dirty glads and have some little things floating. The best part was the $10 dollar limonade, Not even freshly squeezed! If you go for pizza, you are better eating elsewhere

Nice ambient Dining area with a bar as well. There's a separate area for larger parties or more intimate and quieter setting. The food was good...definitely has the fresh Italian flavor to it. Really enjoyed the clams in red fravoli sauce. Great for the complimentary bread to dip in as well. The pizza dough was great, nice cheese amount but lacked a bit in the amount of sauce and toppings. Pasta dishes great portions and good flavor. Overall would come back to try some other entrees.

The atmosphere was fantastic, great mood lighting, the music is loud enough to drown out other people but not so loud you can have a conversation at your own table. Love that they have little purse/coat racks at each table, that was a nice touch. The service was impeccable. Both our waitress and her trainee were so polite and helpful. We had the meatballs which were nicely seasoned and cooked well. The wood fired pizza was delicious, and the little neck clams. The clams were not my favorite, they were served in a thick tomato based sauce/broth and the clams themselves were very large and tough. The old fashioned was a little on the sweeter side but very well balanced. Overall we had a fantastic anniversary dinner and would definitely go back!

Great environment! Amazing food! Their Classic Bruschetta is a must. We enjoyed several pizza options. I secured a reservation online for a birthday and the process was smooth and without issues. Highly recommend.

The service was amazing!!! It was hospitality at its finest, with our server being Johan he made choosing what to eat an easy feat. The food was delicious and the menu was packed with difficult things to choose from... because they all sounded so good. For the basics, such as spaghetti, fettuccine Alfredo, and lasagna, you'll get exactly what you ask for every single time. Shout out to our amazing server Johan for representing the place amazingly, and giving us amazing hospitality. The ambience near the kitchen everything's real nice in there.

First off the waiter didn't have a clue. She was new so I forgive her for that and left her a decent tip. My wife ,my 3 daughters and I went out for a special occasion. 13 Yr anniversary. Ordered a house salad and asked for 1000 islands and so did wife, asked waitress if they had it she said yes. Brings a salad with vinegrette. Then says oh that's all we have. Had to ask her for bread for the table. The two young girls had pepperoni pizza (only thing good there other than the rolls) my other daughter had some chicken and pasta dish, my wife had parm chicken, and I had lump crab and paroadelle pasta. Their food was ok bland tho. Here's what really pissed me off : lump crab pasta - where the FUCK WAS THE CRAB !! Not one bite of crab was there. NOTHING barely had this tomato sauce. I asked waitress to take back and ask where the crab was. She came back with plate and stated that the chef (hardly) said the crab was mixed with the sauce. There was barely any sauce and definitely no Fucking Crab. $25 for basically dry spaghetti. Do yourself a favor and don't eat at this overpriced shit house. Blasting u guys on every social media btw. U SUCK

Walked in the Eve before Thanksgivings and were lucky enough to snag a table for 2. It was crowded and the music sounded like we were in a dance club, straight cheese techno which was strange Bc the decor and food were upscale-ish. Our waiter was friendly but was having a hard time hearing and being heard over the oomtah oomtah. We split the wedge salad and it was fantastic, the Chianti wine was delish and my seafood linguini was some of the best I've had. It wasn't a cream based sauce, mostly just white wine and lemon so although it was pasta it didn't feel super heavy. Would definitely get it again. Mi novio got a pastawith lump crab in it and we were both shocked at the amount of huge portions of lump crab. Highly recommend this place if you're ever in McAllen!

We have been here a few times now and have always enjoyed their pizza. This time however, we came with another couple for a special dinner and I wanted to try a pasta dish so I ordered the Pescatore. It had a choice of Sauces; White, Red, or Fra Diavolo. I ordered the red, thinking it was a safe choice. When the dish arrived, it looked great and first thing I tried was one of the mussels. Nice and fresh but small. I then tried the pasta and was overwhelmed by the amount of spice in the sauce. Thinking a mistake was made in the kitchen and I recieved the Fra Diavolo by mistake, the waiter took the dish back to the kitchen. By the time he returned, my dinner partners were almost finished eating and the waiter returned with the same plate saying it was correct and that the chef puts ground red pepper in the red sauce. He asked if I still wanted it. I said I couldn't eat it because it was to hot, but because my husband who loves spicy food said he liked the dish; the waiter put it in a takeaway container. At no time was I offered an alternative! I wasn't asked if I wanted to order something else. No apology. The pizza my husband ordered was also a disappointment. The crust was doughy in the middle and the sauce was not up to the usual standards. Needless to say, I left hungry and sad at the same time. We will not be going back again.

Takes a lot for me to write a review. I ordered for delivery through Grubhub. The chicken and asparagus risotto was good overall. The risotto could have been creamier, but it was acceptable. Caesar salad is what you would expect. My complaint is about the bottle of Acqua Panna. It was nearly 3 years expired and has a production date in 2014. The bottle's label has surface mold (prompted me to check date) and the cap has rust forming. This is completely unacceptable and it seems like they tried to slip it through because it's a deliver order. Could be an honest mistake, but seems disingenuous nevertheless. Hopefully they aren't selling these bottles at the actual restaurant. They need to have significantly better inventory management. Very disappointing and I will not patronize this place again.

Nice Italian restaurant. This was our second visit. Everything was clean and the ambiance was relaxing. Brian our server was good. The Antipasto and Cesar Salads were good. The main courses were good too but we were disappointed with the sauces. The Chicken Marsala did not have a Marsala taste but more of a cream sauce. The Il Forno Bolognese did not really have a sauce but there was a little flavoring from the meat on the linguini. We will not be ordering these main courses again.

I told the bartender that i was craving Veal Parmessan. It is not on the menu, but they baked one for me anyhow. It was excellent. This place is 1 of only 2 legit Italian restaurants in the area. Great atmosphere and great service. Excellent staff. Beautiful food.

Best place to eat! Omar the manager provides the best service! El chef Cruz es el mejor!!!!!!

I have eaten takeout from here many times. The pizza is very good and the risotto has always been good as well. Definitely the place I order from when I am craving Italian food in McAllen.

I am SUPER STUFFED & pleased w our selections. Amazing Service great wine selection. Pizza looked to die for can't wait to come back and try!

We have been going to this restaurant since they opened, it's a shame they changed the menu and the chef. Vladimir Cruz was the best chef ever. Tonight was probably the last time we will go.... The bread was like hard baseballs..... the lump crab pasta was almost absent of sauce and crab. The truffle fries were horrible, I've had better fries at a fast food restaurant. They had a great thing going until they changed chefs again. I will no longer recommend this restaurant to people.

Great pizza! The best crust hands down! The sauce is simple and authentic. Service is good

Food is great and service is good, although the bar a little slow. Don't get stuck in the room without a view. Wait staff should not call male Sr. citizens.....boss. I am not sure where this younger generation picked this up, but it is not for fine dining establishments.

First off the waiter didn't have a clue. She was new so I forgive her for that and left her a decent tip. My wife ,my 3 daughters and I went out for a special occasion. 13 Yr anniversary. Ordered a house salad and asked for 1000 islands and so did wife, asked waitress if they had it she said yes. Brings a salad with vinegrette. Then says oh that's all we have. Had to ask her for bread for the table. The two young girls had pepperoni pizza (only thing good there other than the rolls) my other daughter had some chicken and pasta dish, my wife had parm chicken, and I had lump crab and paroadelle pasta. Their food was ok bland tho. Here's what really pissed me off : lump crab pasta - where the FUCK WAS THE CRAB !! Not one bite of crab was there. NOTHING barely had this tomato sauce. I asked waitress to take back and ask where the crab was. She came back with plate and stated that the chef (hardly) said the crab was mixed with the sauce. There was barely any sauce and definitely no Fucking Crab. $25 for basically dry spaghetti. Do yourself a favor and don't eat at this overpriced shit house.

This is some seriously good neapolitan pizza, if you're looking for the real deal this place is it. Nice and cozy intimate setting, really nice place in general. They have one of the coolest ovens I've ever seen, producing some of the finest pizza in the entire valley. The crust on the pizza is fabulous, it has an amazing texture and taste, truly remarkable. The tomato sauce is blended perfectly, nice herbal notes with a fresh tomato flavor, a bit smoky which added great notes in every bite. The cheese was nice and melted perfectly, had a nice saltiness to it, very mild though just perfect. The olive oil and basil was spot on, really brought the dish together. Service was awesome, they really take good care of you here, very quick and prompt, felt great dining here. Will definitely be stopping by again soon, I strongly recommend this place.

Oh My God. Il Forno a Legna is so freakin' good. I come to McAllen for work every once and while and I'm always excited to explore the food scene. (It's definitely a best kept secret, huh?) Today I wanted something light but filling and ended up here. When you first walk in, the lights are dimmed and the decor is absolutely stunning. They had Parisian music playing in the back ground and so it reminded me of my trip to Europe. Perhaps, a wonderful spot for a date night. I ordered two small plates - their octopus salad and their zuppa di vongole (mussel soups?) I LOVED their octopus salad. It came with olives, grilled red peppers, arugula and lemon-y vinagrette - it was refreshing and light. The Zuppa di Vongole is a mussel/clam soup and comes with the option choosing one of three soup-bases - white, red, or spicy red. Of course, I went for the spicy red and had it 5/10 hot. Which was still fairly spicy. One of the best things about Il Fornia is their Focaccia bread. It's so soft and moist and comes with a spicy olive oil. I killed a basket by myself - and, I'm avoiding carbs - so you know that it's just THAT amazing. Bold words here - but it's my favorite restaurant in McAllen! Go get ya some Italian food!

Valentines dinner from hell. Well at least in hell our food would've been fully cooked.

Sharing a salad and pizza; it was so salty! Too salty to finish! Now I must say this was from their food truck which is down the street, but the sauce or cheese should be the same! I don't think that I will try the food truck again. :(

Very dissatisfied this time. The service was horrible (young kid). The pizza we had was cold and after they reheated it is was good. The lasagne had a good flavor but was also cold had to reheat it as well. Nobody really cared. Not sure I will be back too bad

Server was amazing! Food was out of this world! Def. will be back. Wine list was also a huge plus!

Today I finally made my way to Il Forno on 10th street. Many of my friends raved about this place and trust me they were not lying. We started off with an eggplant appetizer, then one of their brick oven pizzas and finally ended with the spaghetti with meatballs. All three dishes were phenomenal. The tomato sauce was definitely from scratch. The service was excellent as well. Our waiter was patient, attentive and generous. He recommended a fabulous Malbec that went smoothly with our dishes. All in all 10/10

Very disappointed!!! My plate came with mashed potatoes and asparagus, the plate came out with zucchini and no mashed potatoes. The waitress did not say anything to us about substitutions! When we asked, she explained they gave us the vegetables they had available and they didn't have any mashed potatoes. I explained to her that we should have been notified and given a choice. They also never offered a substitute for the potatoes. Very bad customer service. I definitely will not return to this place, they will make all the choices for what you will eat and not what you actually ordered. My daughter ordered pizza and it was so soggy. I ordered pasta with lobster and as I was chewing my food It had several shell pieces. VERY DISSATISFIED!