IL Forno Bar & Grill

Honestly, very impressed. Atmosphere was great. Server/Manager was fully attendant and excellent with recommendations and convo. Owner chatted with us well. We had the Lobster & Shrimp Linguini, Shrimp & Crab Portobello, as well as the Oyster Rockefeller. Make sure to have them make you a spicy margarita and smoke it table-side. The espresso martini was great and the chilled glass was a nice touch we don’t see often. Great date night. Will be back.

Well just take a peak at what we had...the grouper (btw, was the biggest portion i have ever had served to me anywhere) and scallops both well executed and succulent!!The appetizers were great, the sauces (blood orange corn relish) were delicious, and the hanger steak cooked to perfection. Don't forget dessert. Raspberry Lemoncello stole my heart, but Chocolate caramel crunch was amazing too!

Great food and service. Excellent pizza crust, not the American dough but the old school, old country stuff. Risotto was well cooked, calamari was flavored well but in my opinion needed a few more pieces. Happy I found this place.

The service was excellent. I ordered to go and Sarah, the bartender took my order. I had high expectations for the food based on the reviews. I was told by one of the patrons the meatballs were made fresh daily and was her favorite menu item. I don't eat beef, but my spouse said the meatballs lacked flavor and she had to doctor them up. I thought that 3 meatballs and penne pasta for $21 was a bit pricey for the serving, which you can see from the picture. I ordered the chicken parmesan, and it was ok to me, nothing too special. We had to add some sauce that we had at home to what they gave us since there wasn't a lot on our food. I would have asked for extra had I known. Over all, it looked better than it tasted. It wasn't bad, but I was expecting better.

Food was excellent especially the calamari and seafood bisque. Both of my host and server were extremely friendly. I felt welcomed although I dined in alone and close to their closing time. Highly recommended. Oh and the bread dip was YUM!

Our first time… Salads were good. Rolls were good, but not true Italian bread. Calamari was delicious but kind of a small portion. Steak tacos were tiny but very good. Honestly the best part of the meal. Portabella shrimp was not enough food for the price, and the crab sauce left something to be desired. Penne pasta with chicken was okay. Service was good until we saw our waiter leave for the night and no one checked on us for the additional hour + we were still sitting at the table. I wish this place well. If I was to go back, I’d get the steak tacos…which is not what I think of when going out for Italian.

After a long day of driving, this restaurant was just what we needed and were lucky to find. The menu was packed with great choices and every dish we ordered was mouth watering delicious and full of flavor. Our favorite drink, Moscow Mule was great. The place had comfortable decor was very clean and all the employees made us feel welcome. The waiters southern hospitality added a to our awesome experience!! Thank you for all of this🥂🍾🤗

I had dinner there for the first time tonight. It was delicious!! At my table, I tasted the tomato basil soup, the pepperoni pizza, and the short rib risotto. All of them were incredible. 5 out of 5. Highly recommend. I will definitely be back!

We drove all the way to Ashland to try this place and we were not disappointed. The pizza was great. We also had a chef salad, which was amazing. We had a little bit of a stumble with the service in the beginning and the manager was awesome. He gave us a complementary appetizer of the spicy shrimp and it was fantastic. I highly recommend this little restaurant located at the end of the strip mall in Ashland.

7/28/25: I've been here about 5-6 times since they opened about a year ago. The food has always been pretty good. This wasn't the case this past Saturday. I took my son, his wife, my husband and ex-husband. Their rolls, which have always been delicious, were super hard and burned on top. I think they had probably been reheated. They were so hard you could actually knock on them! And the sun dried tomato and olive oil to dip the bread in had no flavor. I don't know if they've changed brands or recipes or what. That used to be my favorite part of dinner there. The grilled shrimp in my Mediterranean salad was overcooked, kinda rubbery, and there weren't many of them. The lemon drop martini didn't taste like any lemon was in the glass. My son's salmon was really salty. Overall not a great experience for spending $177 for 5 of us. So many restaurants start out good and then slide downhill and cut corners and it shows in the quality of their food. I hope this isn't the case for Il Forno. Normally this place is really busy on a Saturday night between 6:00 and 7:00; that was definitely not the case for us. We were seated right away. I think this is very telling and speaks to the quality of the food here. The service itself was adequate.

This place is amazing and spacious! I used my wheelchair for this visit and everyone was very accommodating. When you come in you are greeted with a turf wall with il forno sign for optional photos. For appetizers we tried the roasted Brussel sprouts and the bang bang crispy oysters. I also tried the Lobster and crab bisque every thing was pretty good and the soup was perfectly hot I loved seeing the smoke. For the entree I opted for a dish that I have been chasing for years a risotto! It was delicious and melted in my mouth. The reheat the next day was just as good! When I return my next item is a pizza and I am looking forward to their spring menu!

Service was great once we finally got seated. We were at the door and it was a really cold day. I do wish they had some sort of a heater at the front. The place was packed. I did notice that a few small groups were sat at large tables which seemed to impact our wait time. Once we got seated, our server made up for the long wait. We started with the oysters and calamari which were both good. The sauce was definitely a special touch. Our entrees were a little disappointing. The toscana pasta was flavorless. I got the risotto and the texture was a little off. I was expecting it to be a little creamier and again, have a little more flavor. The scallops and shrimp made the dish. My sister got a burger which she said was good. Her fries left something to be desired.

Very Good Food and Great Service Visiting here from New York Ambiance was so nice I truly enjoyed

We stopped in to see this new restaurant in Ashland. There was plenty of parking, the staff were great. We placed our order and the food looked amazing when it came out! My son said his pizza was really good! My daughter enjoyed a sandwich with Brussels and lobster bisque soup and said it was very good. My wife got the braised short rib risotto, it was a little bland but not bad. I got the Tuscan Salmon pasta which was full of flavor and very good! Over all we really enjoyed our time here and will be back!

Don't let the shopping center fool you. The restaurant just happens to be located right next to a Dollar Tree. Il Forno is a modern, upscale restaurant with exceptional modern Italian cuisine. The decor is chic modern, with mood lighting, textured accents, and hip music softly playing in the background. I was seated immediately by a super friendly hostess. My waiter greeted me with enthusiasm and warmth. He was well versed in the menu and offered detailed descriptions when asked. His descriptions were spot on with the complex flavors I experienced with my order. I had the shrimp and lobster linguini sautéed in a decadent lobster brandy cream sauce. I savored every bite. The meal was served with a fresh baked roll and seasoned olive oil dipping sauce. I enjoyed my meal with a nice glass of Chardonnay. The wine list offers plenty of by-the-glass choices at a reasonable price. Bottles are also available. At the waiter's recommendation, I ordered the raspberry limoncello cake for dessert. Heavenly! My takeaway: I had a relaxing, taste-filled dining experience. I encourage you to plan a visit to Il Forno!

Love love love this classy restaurant! My family and I enjoy their pizzas and salad and I make sure to always leave room for dessert because I'm obsessed with their dulce de leche cheesecake!

Went here for my birthday after the Light up the Tracks in town. Started with a lemon drop martini, which I asked if it could be made on the tart, not sweet side. It was perfect. My hubby enjoyed his malbec. Next were the appetizers...sauteed oysters! Delish!!! I ordered the short rib gnocchi and hubby ordered the shrimp and scallop risotto over asparagus. For my birthday, I was allowed to order any dessert on the menu! I chose the Chocolate Caramel Crunch: A flourless chocolate almond cake with crunchy hazelnuts, topped with creamy caramel and drizzled with chocolate served with vanilla ice cream. All food and the service were amazing!! We will be back.

One of the best meals that I've had in Ashland. We had a great experience. The service was efficient and attentive. They were very patient with our toddler and even brought him a cool roll in the bread basket. Both my husband and I enjoyed our meals and desert. We will be back!

Excellent!!! Don't let the name fool you, this is not typical bar food! Restaurant was very clean as was the restroom. Staff were welcoming and friendly. Karen was our server, very friendly and willing to give recommendations! Can't forget - her peach cosmo suggestion was excellent!! Highly recommended!!

Once again another great meal. Short rib tacos and shrimp/scallop risotto were delicious. Service was great without being too intrusive

This review is mainly on to go food. The order was ready, and the staff seem nice. The Ahi tuna salad was actually really good. I would order that again. The blackened chicken salad was mediocre. The lettuce was rather bland and dressing not great. Would definitely not order that again. Would give 3.5 stars

The food was just okay. The burger was full of sauce until I could not taste the meet. The cocktails were subpar, full of ice. The sauce of the wings was horrible. Not to mention, there was a 5.00 surcharge for using a bank card. The best thing was the wine. Not sure who did the initial ratings.

We come for happy hour a few times a month and always sit at the bar. Bar staff is always amazing. They provided us with the bread and olive oil, DELICIOUS. For drinks we got red wine and the Godfather martini. Martini was very good. For eating, we ordered the Godfather pizza (a theme for us?). As always, the pizza was very delicious and arrived quickly. The pizza was not heavy nor greasy, which is why we like to order the pizzas. My Because the staff is GREAT, we always leave a good tip. But now they charge almost 4% to use a credit card. Not a discount to use cash which I've seen, but extra to use a credit card. It's pretty much the same end result, but that leaves a very bad taste, basically paying 34% for service and tip because Henrico has a meals tax of 4%, Sales tax of 6%, etc. Happy hour will put you over $100!

Pros: Atmosphere was great. Meal started well with yummy calamari, bread, and lobster crab bisque. Cons: Tables slightly too short to cross my legs making it an uncomfortable sit. After incredible appetizers, entrees lacking taste or that real something special. Server brought the check and never came back for 15 minutes- didn't even see him on the floor.

PROs: Ambiance is AMAZING! The bar is beautiful and worth visiting for happy hour. Service was prompt and friendly. CONs We ordered the Seafood Risotto which was terribly bland. No flavor at all. My crab cake sandwich was deep fried with lots of filler- what you'd expect at a sports bar and my biggest issue is that the menu descriptions are all very elaborate and set your expectations for very high quality, gourmet food. They may have great pizzas, burgers and other bar/grill food? I will NOT order the gourmet sounding entrees there. They'd do better to stay in their lane and specialize in what they are good at, rather than overselling lackluster entrees.

Ernie & Jane were our servers and they and the food were amazing on our first visit. We were served hot rolls with a dipping sauce. We started with the fried oysters and crab and lobster bisque. The oysters were served with a tangy sweet sauce and were flash-fried. The bisque was smooth and creamy and danced on our taste buds. We ordered the GOAT pizza and the crust had the perfect crispiness and the toppings were fresh and tasty.

Service is friendly and attentive. Looooooved the risotto! A little on the pricey side but we're definitely going back there again!

The food and service were stellar. We started with a calamari appetizer and it was delicious! It was cooked perfectly and drizzled with a sauce that was sweet with a little heat. For our entrees, my husband had the chicken parmesan sandwich and I had the Mediterranean salad. Can't think of any ways to improve any of our food. Service was very quick, friendly, and attentive.

Food is amazing! Service- not so much. I've eaten here on several occasions. Very long waits for drinks and servers don't come to the tables often to check in. Drinks were spilled (by the servers) and no one cleaned it up or brought extra napkins. Most of them are just not very attentive from what I've observed. The restaurant is new so hopefully it will improve... The atmosphere is nice. Decorated nicely. I recommend the GOAT pizza and the Tuscan Salmon. Perfection! The white peach margarita also very good!

The food was mostly bland and it's very loud. Has the shopping plaza feel. I would recommend other places in Ashland such as The Iron horse or Ash and Olive. Don't waste your time and money on this place.

Horrible service, owner was rude. Food was bland. I went here with an open mind but was disappointed. I prefer the Iron horse. Location was also in a weird spot. In the corner of an outlet mall next to the dollar general...?

I have had lunch twice at Il Fornos and it is NOT enough! The food is great...I am in love with the Il Forno Burger...talk about delicious...great atmosphere...spacious and very clean..wonderful wait staff was attentive and courteous...the owner makes everyone feel welcome. Can not wait to go back for more! Don't wait...go eat here asap!

Went for our anniversary dinner. It was freezing out so we asked to be seated away from the door and ended up near the bathrooms instead - should have asked for a different spot but didn't want to be difficult. Logan our server did a great job. Attentive but in just the right way. Our app came before our cocktails and was brought by someone else, I asked about cocktails and they were brought right over. I tried the the holidays mojito and was disappointed, it had no mint flavor at all and the alcohol was too strong, but my wife's cocktail the apple pie old fashioned was perfect. Food came in just the right amount of time after the app and everything was so good! We had mussels in white wine, short rib risotto (delicious though didn't seem to be made with Arborio rice so wasn't as creamy as risotto usually is) and something shrimp crab over a portabello mushroom. Also the house sun dried tomato pesto with the rolls was Amazing! Will definitely be back. Holiday decorations were well done also.

service is great! the food was excellent and the check was ok. Ashland is moving up in the places to go out without driving to the fan or Scott's Addition. So far i've had the burger and pizza with salad. loved both.

Been twice now and am SO happy to have a nice, new restaurant in Ashland with great ambiance, food and service! Can't wait to go back!

Great parking, cute place, great Godfather Martini and lobster bisque. Service was awesome.

No real pasta with red sauce on the menu. No lasagna No meat sauce pasta Not really a traditional Italian restaurant I am sort of a traditionalist I guess Pizza ordinary Nice pizza Also expensive for quick meal in Ashland I will go back

Great atmosphere and nicely decorated. Bread and dipping oil were fantastic. Service was good, for a busy Friday night. Ordered the Blackened Steak Salad at $18, expecting actual meaty strips of steak to be on the salad, only to have about 5 slivers of shaved steak. My husband had the Crab Portobello Shrimp and he said it was good, but wasn't great. May give them another chance, but overall, we were disappointed.

Always great service and very friendly. Broad menu, but seems like a lot of bar foods thrown into an Italian restaurant. Decent food, but run of the mill.

Great ambience, great and friendly service. The food is delicious that I visited this place two days in a row. My choices were Chicken Primavera and Penne Vodka, both delicious. The size of the meal is ideal and the price is fear.

Some of our friends wanted to meet up so we thought we would try this fairly new restaurant. We got there a little late and our friends had already been seated and were chatting it up. We hadn't seen one another in a while. Upon being seated I could tell the seat was not going to do well with my back, and it didn't, but it seems like that everywhere now. Basically a wooden seat but better than a metal one. We were given menu and weren't rushed in ordering. Waitress took our drinks. Wife got the Sangria and I got a Fuego Margarita which is their equivalent to a spicy margarita. Drinks were on point. My wife ordered the Fish and Chips and I got the Mediterranean Salad and the Calamari for starters. I love Calamari and am very picky about it. I always order it where ever I go and honestly have only found one place that consistently cooks it perfect and tasted awesome, until now. This dish was Killer and paired with my Margarita perfectly. The sauce with it was like a flavor bomb in your mouth. I highly recommend this! Wife said the fish was cooked great not greasy and fries were the same and crunchy. My salad was great also. The shrimp were cooked perfect. I'm a pretty big guy and for a salad it filled me up. The waitress was tentative but not overly. We were not rushed in any way as we sat and chatted it up. For as small as this place is there is a lot of room and have not crowded the space they have. I don't know if they take reservations but if you have a crowd you may want to check. The place was packed the whole time we were there and we almost closed the place. Our meals with my wife having one drink and me 2 came to $87.00 with out tip. Yes its a little pricey but I don't mind paying for good quality food and drink as long as it is that, and it was. I highly recommend giving this place a try.

My husband and I tried IL Forno Bar & Grill today for lunch. The minute we walked in, I decided this was going to be an experience that would help change my mood on a dark day. We were met by a young man as soon as we walked in. We were escorted near the bar area and seated quickly! Within a minute, our server Nester was there with a carafe of chilled water and poured it into small glasses. He took our drink orders, giving us a moment to look over their menu. Our drinks were brought back along with warm tasty rolls and delicious dipping sauce that was beyond our expectations! I asked him a few questions and made my decision...hanger steak, medium rare and the oven roasted potatoes. My husband asked his questions and placed his order...a Classic cheeseburger, plain, with mayonnaise and ketchup on the side and fries. We barely had time to devour our rolls and the dipping sauce before we were brought the meals, freshly cooked and piping hot! Nester checked on us several times and made sure we had fresh drinks when needed. My steak was melt in your mouth tender and cooked to perfection. My husband, a cheeseburger connoisseur, thought it was one of the better burgers in the Metro Richmond area along with some of his favorite fries! We both agreed we would share dessert, ( I made sure I saved room! ). We chose the GF Chocolate Fudge Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. On first sight, I was in chocolate heaven...dark chocolate cake iced with chocolate buttercream and topped with chocolate shavings! Perfect serving to share and enjoy with out feeling miserable! I can honestly say the restaurant itself was super clean, decorated in a comfortable modern, upscale fashion. The owner, manager and waitstaff were upbeat and polite. This has been one of the most enjoyable lunches we have had in a while! IL Forno is Ashland's new gem and worth a try! Our new special place in our special town XOXO

No reservations but told to call ahead 20-30 minutes before arriving (7pm). Took our name and when we did arrive the host was very accommodating suggesting we get drinks while waiting for our table. Our wait was very short and we were immediately greeted by JD (awesome waiter for sure). From that point on the service, food, drinks, and atmosphere were fantastic. The restaurant was very busy and no less than 4 staff members checked on us and all those around us during our visit. The bar looks awesome and we will certainly be back. Probably not for those who think they should be treated like royalty but for the rest of us it's definitely a destination location!

Horrible. Food came out cold and soggy. The serving portions were extremely tiny, not very filling. The server took forever to take our orders, the wait time for food or drinks even longer. The Caesar salad I had ordered woke me up at 3am, leaving me to throw it up. The fish and chips I placed as an entree came with two very small and cold fish. Though, the food was bad, the restaurant was very nice and modern looking. But it tried too hard to be original and new.

The food was fabulous and fresh! They've only been open for a week and the restaurant was hopping for a Tuesday! I had the penne vodka with the house salad, and my husband had the linguine with clam sauce with a Caesar salad, they call it Linguine Vongole! Food was unbelievable! We are looking forward to bringing the kids back to try appetizers and dessert with dinner! They had tons of options!

Just opened today and was very good. Reasonably priced. Nice wait staff. Food was good. The ambiance clean and kid friendly but also a nice bar.

Food was delicious and the service was great We went there for lunch. We sat there for about two hours, and everything was nice.

Ambiance is good - one of the best in Ashland. Food is not, unfortunately. If they hire better chefs, we'll be there all the time. Service was good.

Tried the new restaurant in Ashland, not too impressed. We will give them another chance but: 1- server was sweet but disappeared often, forgot drinks, bread, etc. (saw her behind the bar gabbing with the other servers on more than one occasion) 2- every dish (except dessert) was room temperature... I want a steaming bowl of bisque, at least warm oysters and Brussels sprouts. 3- no sweet tea! (Big X in my book) 4- the sauted oysters were WAY TOO lemony , I couldn't taste the oysters. 5- the "crispy" fried oysters were swimming in sauce and no longer crispy. 6- my cheesecake brûlée was soft almost soggy on top, I think they torched the sugar yesterday and it was allowed to sit. Sugar should be torched before serving so you get that nice crack when you cut into the top. 7- my son bit into a pearl in his oyster Pros: they have completely overhauled the space and it looks very nice. The restaurant has potential and I realize they just opened so we will wait awhile before returning. Sound too picky? Paying $100 for a meal of appetizers and desserts I should walk out smiling...I did not.

Amazing food and service! Love the dishes! Great addition to Ashland! Love the different dishes and flavors!

Great addition to local options! The food was thoughtfully prepared and the service was excellent. We will definitely be back.

i have had 2 meals at this restaurant one lunch and a dinner. the lunch was good, not wonderful which was the short rib tacos and chopped salad. bothe we're tasty and satisfying, I prefer corn tortillas which they did not have and felt the filling was short on content, we are lunch at the bar and service was excellent. dinner last night with a group of 7 did not go well. first there seemed to be confusion about who was going to wait on us. once that was settled. our drink orders were slow about 20 minutes. we never got our appetizer after about 40 minutes, got bread very late and dinner after about an hour. the people that got risotto loved it, those that got chicken Tuscana both stated the piece of chicken was minuscule, then there was my plate which was shrimp and crab over mushrooms. when it was served they had forgotten the crab, eventually I did get the crab after I went to the counter to complain. service was poor, food was disappointing. i was so disappointed because I love the other restaurants the family has and expected great things for Ashland. I hope they will be able to get things on track, obviously the kitchen was having difficulty last night and our server was inexperience. I will wait to return.