Forno 301

Reviews

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  Clay 2 months ago

  4.0

  New age modern exterior but rustic interior. The bar area kinda dominates the space. Not your typical pizza joint atmosphere, the yuppie vibe is in full effect here. The waitresses were on the slow side, but everyone's generally friendly which i do miss about the west coast. We shared a Margarita pie and it was fantastic, a bit on the small side comparatively speaking to highly rated pizza joints on the east coast. The crust was true to NY style pies. So good! The Russian bartender is a trip! He stared at us a while. After we were done eating, he replaced my sons cell with a cup vanilla Gelato. "No cell, gelato ice-cream." Man that was mm mmm good stuff! Great spot. Id return.

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  nathen timbrook 4 months ago

  5.0

  Took my wife and her mother here. Great food, great service, and vibe. Elijah did an outstanding job taking care of us. If you’re contemplating on going, just do it you won’t regret it. If you have 100$ to spend you can easily feed 3 to 4 people for good quality food.

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  Edie Dafoe 3 months ago

  5.0

  Come hungry; The paninis are huge and so, so delicious!! We toured the library and walked a couple of blocks here. We ordered the roast beef and the sausage panini and shared half with each other. They were very different, but both were exceptionally good. Shady outdoor seating at lunchtime.

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  Alex Preston 4 months ago

  5.0

  Such a lovely spot to enjoy dinner or drinks. The outdoor seating is comfortable and adds to the relaxing vibe. The food turned out far better than expected and tasted amazing. Truly enjoyed the evening and will return again without a doubt.

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  J.F. Forests 3 months ago

  4.0

  Shared a delicious artichoke and eggplant pizza and it was the perfect size to share with fine "pickupableness" with Neapolitan texture and flavor. An extra treat was that they have bottles of spicy oil on the tables, so I was able to enjoy the crusts by slathering them with the tasty oil as though they were breadsticks. On the way out, after mentioning to the bartender how good the oil was, I was gifted a couple of condiment cuplets to-go, which was a thoughtful and nice touch and sort of made up for the server who wasn't particularly warm or informative as I had to ask about the specials and whether or not all the pasta is freshly made, etc. Heck, if you have a great selling point like homemade pasta, talk it up and get us to drooling! There is a variety of seating available, including outside and at the bar--bar has an inside section as well as outside which is a nice design for the lovely weather days. However, it's unfortunate that the outdoor seating is on such a busy traffic corner, so it's not the little retreat it would otherwise be. The lunchtime music was more like happy hour music, not conducive to conversation--maybe for the cellphones-at-the -table crowd it's okay, but being near the Phoenix Art Museum and Arizona Opera, why not add to the cultural experience of the area by celebrating its Italian origins with some Italian music? Even if just added as interludes during every few pieces, it would enhance the ambiance. We had to raise our voices to carry on our conversation, but it was manageable. However, when I came back the next week with a friend with a hearing impairment, it became more problematic. She tried adjusting her hearing aids, but the thumping rhythm kept taking precedence as we tried to find a quieter corner, but it wasn't possible as it is a small space and speakers were close to each table. I felt so bad that she couldn't enjoy a meal there--we both were so looking forward to having a fresh pasta dish, but just couldn't stay. Upon leaving, I felt I should let management know why so I waited to speak to him, offering constructive criticism about the sound level but he was not the least apologetic nor said he would take it under advisement, but was completely dismissive and harrumphy as though we were annoying problems and not potential regulars with suggestions worthy of consideration. How hard would it be to have a quieter area or make a speaker accessible with volume control? People, whether on the spectrum, with hearing impairments, or just lovers of good conversation deserve respect and when it is not given, will go elsewhere....

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• 3

  382peggyi 6 months ago

  1.0

  This was one of the most horrible dining experiences I have ever had. From the moment we entered the restaurant we were made to feel unwelcome. We came to this restaurant at 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon. We asked to be seated inside where we could see that almost all the tables were empty. They stated because we didn't have a reservation we had to sit outside. It was already becoming cold by the time we decided to accept that seating, thus our request for indoor seating. When we finished our meal and left, we could see that almost every table inside was still empty. Why we weren't allowed at any of those tables was never explained outside of the fact we hadn't made a reservation. Every person we encountered was rude and inhospitable. Our waitress spent as little time as possible with us. Orders were taken and meals delivered with no conversation or concern over our needs or our satisfaction with our food. Our meals were adequate, but nothing so special as to overcome the frustration, rudeness, and total disinterest from the staff. I would not recommend this restaurant.

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  OliverS934 8 months ago

  3.0

  In Norwalk, Connecticut, there is a store called Stew Leonard’s. It’s a combination of Disney World with a produce store and a supermarket, there is even a petting farm outside for the kids. It’s been featured on Ripley’s Believe it or Not and you get free ice cream if you spend a certain amount of the green bucks there. There is a large bolder at the entrance with a sign: 1. The customer is always right 2. If the customer is ever wrong, see 1 above The owner/manager(?) of Forno 301 would do well to read that sign: because if you treat your customers as cockroaches, you will never succeed, no matter how good your pizza and prices are. We went there for lunch, after a visit to the Phoenix Art museum, only a block away. At our table, he showed once, to question why we requested that they clear the table from dirty dishes and glasses. Then, when we needed him and signed for him that we needed help, he never condescended to our level. Of the two pizzas we ordered, one was the wrong pizza, the other one was delicious. Prices are good but that’s not enough. Not going back.

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  785joseo 1 year ago

  1.0

  Not sure exiting at all. If you want to spend your time in a place they pretend to be Italian and want.. don’t waste your time. Just an American bad version of a pretending Italian pizza place. Average and nothing more tah the average

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  marypatricia2 1 year ago

  5.0

  lunch or dinner. Doesn't matter. The food is awesome and the staff incredible. The bartender, Roberto, will keep me coming back forever. A place full of joy that seeps into the customer base. When the weather is good and the bar wall opens to the outside dining area, it's even more fun. Don't miss it.

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  SteveC_ontheRoad 1 year ago

  5.0

  Terrific Italian food. We had a long day, and a visit to this restaurant was the perfect ending. We enjoyed the bruschetta appetizer, gnocchi, cavatelli, and rigatoni special -- all were fabulous. The desserts (panna cotta, tiramisu, and affogato) were excellent, served in tumblers, and just the right size. When we're back in PHX, we'll make a point to stop again.

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