Location: Wake Forest
Top Restaurants in Wake Forest
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Most Popular Italian food in Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States
Discover Restaurants offering the best Italian food in Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States. Wake Forest is a town in Franklin and Wake counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina; located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. The population was 30,117 at the 2010 census, up from 12,588 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population to be 34,752 as of July 1, 2013. In 2007, the town was listed by Forbes magazine as the 20th fastest growing suburb in America, with a 73.2 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2006. Wake Forest was the original home of Wake Forest University for 122 years before it moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.
Things to do in Wake Forest
10. Slices & Ices
Serving our customers successfully since 1997! Walk in to choose from over 20 gourmet slices of Pizza, paninis, salads, and so much more! Then finish with a refreshing gourmet Italian Ice by choosing one of the 40 flavors we are now serving! LOCATED IN TH
Reviewed By mike_jarman2002
Small off-the-wall type of place in what we call "The Factory". Pizza by the slice was very good (especially the lasagna pizza). They offer Italian ice also but we were too full to give it a shot. The reason for 3 stars is the soda. I had a soda that was flavorless, and tasted like plain soda water.
9. Amalia's Authentic Italian Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By katsusanna
Amalia's is my new favorite Italian restaurant in NC -- possibly my favorite outside of Italy! I love many Italian-American restaurants, but let's be honest -- none of them are as good as restaurants in actual Italy. The food in Italy is just incredibly more flavorful than its American counterparts. Which is why Amalia's is such a welcome surprise. The chef/owner of Amalia's was born and raised in Italy, and he learned to cook there, so the food at Amalia's is entirely authentic. And it's not just about recipes or techniques -- flavorful, quality ingredients are essential to true Italian cooking, and Amalia's imports some of their ingredients from Italy and sources others locally, resulting in outstanding flavor.I'm going to start right out with my favorite thing on the menu -- Cacio e Pepe. On one of my visits to Italy, I discovered this seemingly simple (but deceptively complex) pasta dish during an extended stay in Rome. It's so ubiquitous in Rome, they don't usually even put it on the menu -- you just know that you can ask for it in any restaurant, and they will make it for you. It was so delicious, I ended up eating it almost every single night of my stay in Rome! Unfortunately, very few Italian-American restaurants offer Cacio e Pepe on their menu, and the few times I've found it on a menu in America, the dish has come out very bland and flavorless, so I gave up and worked on perfecting the technique at home. My efforts were better than the American restaurant versions, but still not as good as in Rome! So, I was both excited and wary to see Cacio e Pepe on the menu at Amalia's. Of course, I had to try it, but I wasn't expecting it to be great. But --- you guessed it --- it was GREAT!!! It was so good!!! The best Cacio e Pepe I've ever had outside of Italy, and, frankly, it was just as delicious as what I had in Italy! I'm so happy and excited to have finally found a restaurant that does Cacio e Pepe right! It's just as it should be -- super flavorful and savory with the cheese, with just the right amount of kick from the pepper. It was perfect!!! I will note that the dish on the menu is made with spaghetti noodles, and as I don't care for long pasta, I ordered it made with short pasta (which is how I always ate it in Rome). The pasta shape ended up being mezze maniche, which is basically a half-rigatoni, which was PERFECT for the Cacio e Pepe!!! It was so good, I ate every single bite. My husband also tried a bite and agreed that it was AMAZING. I think he was disappointed that I ate it all, resulting in no leftovers for him. Needless to say, I highly recommend the Cacio e Pepe (preferably made with the short rigatoni pasta), but I'm sure you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. All of our dining companions on both of our visits to the restaurant have loved their meals, from starters to desserts. On our second visit, my father tried the linguine pesto and absolutely raved about it!The chef/owner of Amalia's, Filippo, visited our table both times we've eaten there. He is just as delightful and welcoming as can be. He is an extremely talented chef as well as a gracious host. The servers are equally hospitable and attentive.The ambience at Amalia's is wonderful -- much nicer than when it was Bruno's. It retains the charm of its location in a historic home, with small, intimate dining rooms and original architectural elements, but Amalia's has a much more beautiful and more upscale decor than Bruno's. It's not stuffy or pretentious, though. It's just lovely, charming, and welcoming. The white tablecloths and beautiful place settings give it a sophisticated feel, while the original fireplaces and wood-beamed ceilings make it warm and comfortable.We have already visited Amalia's twice within two weeks, and we can't wait to go back again! We're just thrilled to have an authentic Italian restaurant in the Triangle!
8. Bella Italia Incorporated
Overall Ratings
4 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By shuggs30
We have been coming here a long time and the food is fantastic. The stomboli and pizza are great. We ate in on the last visit. While the food was good, the service could use some improvement. We were one of only 2 tables occupied, and the servers were busy "chit-chatting" at the main station instead of watching for drink refills, our order to be ready and brought out hot, etc. Best bet is to get take out as this is the second time in a row this has happened.
7. Main Street Grille Pizzeria & Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By Pattimac415
The tradition of excellent food started at the original Main Street continues here. Our favorite pizza is Grandma's, which is plum tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. They don't have all the pastries of the original location, but often offers delicious cake slices or brownies.
6. Rosati's Pizza - Wake Forest
Overall Ratings
4 based on 44 reviews
Reviewed By Michael S
This place has had an ownership change and the "new" owner is working hard at turning out a great pizza. It's a nice little sports bar/pizza place kinda restaurant. I prefer a thin crust pizza, no problem. Lots of cheese, sauce and on my pizza MEAT and still with all of that my crust was crispy and crunchy. Friends had the pan Chicago style and were equally impressed and to top it off, my friend from NY (Queens) likes their thin crust pizza!!! Wow.
5. Olive Garden
Overall Ratings
4 based on 96 reviews
Restaurant #1831
Reviewed By cincosantos
Weâve always had excellent food at this OG location. The customer service is hit or miss, however, mostly with the hostesses. The waiters and waitresses are generally very good and responsive. My boys love the food and sometimes even have enough left to take home for later, which never happens :)
4. Trattoria Italiana by Bruno
Overall Ratings
4 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By jrscooter
Fresh locally sourced fare as available . Everything prepared to order . No food service chicken parm here ! Dishes are authentic ,yet infused with a bit of creativity . Seasoned perfectly . No salty coverups . Marsala made with fresh mushrooms from the farmers market . I have no idea how a larger â Italian â place down the road and Brunoâs exist in the same universe . The other place uses white processed cheddar in place of mozzarella !
Where to eat Mediterranean food in Wake Forest: The Best Restaurants and Bars
3. Il Bacio
Overall Ratings
4 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By Rodster117
This is one of those reviews that I hate because the food was very tasty but the service is TERRIBLE. I can't remember her name but the receipt says "22. Emillie. Hard to put into words here but, OWNER!!! If you are not reading this, you certainly need to. I own businesses too and hate for others telling me how to run them but like me, if you're in the service industry, then you'd better listen up. I take reviewing someone's livelihood VERY seriously so please understand that. The people that you have working there need to be brought to task as to how they handle servicing the people who keep the lights on. If it could have gone wrong, it did. (other than the food being good). Basically, there were 4 of us. We each ordered drinks appetizers and main dishes. Drinks all came at different times with one, a tea mind you, coming after the salads and appetizers had already arrived. 2 of my party never received salads at all, then finally brought them mid way through main course. Now, we saw our original server a total of 3 maybe 4 times and each time other than the first encounter, we asked about this and that and the look on this person face was ridiculous. First, she was standing there twirling her hair with one hand. All that was needed was her smacking gum for the full effect. She was more interested in what was going on with her phone than helping us. Service personnel are your first line and I for one will tell you that no matter how good the food is, if the people paying are treated badly, they will EVENTUALLY stop coming, some take longer than others but the negative feedback you are not seeing on reviews is spreading like wildfire from word of mouth. Most patrons will not take the time to let the owner/management know stuff like this. They simply rant and rave like mental patients and for the most part, are ignored. Like I said, the food is good and I'm sure service in some areas are better than others but the consistency is not there and money will slow. I will reevaluate this at a later date and hopefully change it to a more positive review
2. Pizza Amore - A taste of Sicily
Overall Ratings
4 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By ElaineG570
Our visit to Pizza Amore was a great experience. There were quite a few customers and only one server, but she was very efficient. The Sicilian pizza was huge and very tasty. I particularly enjoyed my Chicken Parmigiana Roll, loaded with mozzarella and tender chicken. Wish we lived closer!
Best Bar food near Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States
1. Leli's Diner
Overall Ratings
4 based on 112 reviews
OK....so Leli's Diner was conceived almost overnight. My wife and I where about to launch a food truck (ciabatta man) when we stumbled upon the location. We were going to pick up our daughter at a friend's house and saw the location for lease. We signed w
Reviewed By L6646MNpatrickr
We have been there several times. Every time we go we try something new, and love the new thing we tried. Last time we had lasagna and a portabella sandwich and they were great. Before that, we did breakfast. Again, awesome. A word of warning...their pancakes are huge!!! I got a short stack and still could not finish them. Next time I'm getting one with my breakfast. Next time I plan on trying the vegan burger. I believe it is a recipe of their own devising. Mind you, the food is fresh and wonderful and something like that along with personalized service is not something you will get at Denny's prices. It does cost a bit more, but it's not what I would consider expensive. Moreover, the quality of food and service make it a bargain in my book!
Top 10 American food in Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States
