19. Il Forno 122 Nogalitos St, (726) 444-0744, ilfornosa.com “We started off with the antipasto and I’d come back for that alone with a glass of wine. The weather was perfect for eating al fresco and the music was a great selection of 80’s, 90’s and freestyle.” – Nancy. M. Credit: Instagram / ilfornosa

Time to extend another congratulazioni to Il Forno. The Southtown staple has again been named one of the best U.S. pizzerias by Italian rating guide 50 Top Pizza.

This is the second year in a row the San Antonio-owned and -operated restaurant has landed on the list — and this time with a higher ranking. In 2022, the wood-fire oven operation was ranked at No. 32; this year, it snagged the No. 24 spot.

“In this venue, one chooses to dine in a satisfying way among the various Italian courses that you would expect to find in Italy,” the guide says of Il Forno. “You will find Neapolitan pizza both in its traditional version and others influenced by local flavors such as the Americano with the legendary ‘pepperoni’ salami.”

50 Top Pizza also praises Il Forno’s craft beer and wine selection, lighter lunch offerings and efficient service.

Helmed by chef Jason Garcia, Il Forno — or “oven” in Italian — serves up decadent pies with scratch-made mozzarella, fresh veggies and house-cured meats. There’s also a robust “Not Pizza” section that includes salads, hummus, meatballs and antipasto.

According to the 50 Top Pizza website, Italian scholars and epicures Barbara Guerra, Albert Sapere and Luciano Pignataro are co-creators of the international signature cooking congress Le strade della Mozzarella. Since 2020, the group has used surveys from more than 150 Italian inspectors based on anonymous visits to pizzerias around the globe to determine the annual rankings.

Il Forno, 122 Nogalitos St., joins just one other Texas pizzeria on this year’s 50 Top Pizza list: Partenope Ristorante in Dallas.

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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 11, 2023.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...