Best Italian restaurants in Wake Forest

Wake Forest has plenty of pizza but few full Italian dining rooms, the kind where pasta and entrees carry the menu. Four sit inside town limits: Amalia's in a renovated 1800s house on South Main Street, Il Bacio and Milazzo's on Rogers Road, and Sabatino's, which opened in Crenshaw Corners in early 2026. Most other places in town that call themselves Italian are pizzerias (they have their own list) or chains.

So the list widens a little. Trattoria Franko soft-opened in Rolesville in June 2026, and three north Raleigh rooms sit within about 15 minutes of Heritage, from Wakefield down to Lafayette Village. Our read: Amalia's is the special-occasion dinner, and Rogers Road handles the weeknight.

Use the list by distance and budget, and read the last bullet of each entry before driving over; a few carry call-ahead notes.

How we chose

We started inside Wake Forest, and only four places qualified: Amalia's, Il Bacio, Milazzo's and Sabatino's. Trattoria Franko is in Rolesville, and Encore, Bella Italia and Farina are in north Raleigh; we included them because each sits within about 15 minutes of Heritage. Every pick needed a sign of being open as of October 2026, facts came from the restaurant's own site or menu first, and awards counted only when named and dated.

We left out pizzerias that belong on the pizza list, chains such as Piada and Olive Garden, Granchio (half seafood boil) and Schiano's, which showed no 2026 signal. Entries are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Hours and prices were last checked in October 2026; call for anything an entry marks as unconfirmed.

Amalia's Authentic Italian Restaurant

Chef Filippo Fanfani cooks in a renovated 1800s house on South Main Street, just south of downtown Wake Forest. He named the restaurant for his grandmother, Amalia Fumelli, born in Italy in 1932, who taught him to make pasta by hand. The menu runs from Carpaccio di Manzo at $21 to Ossobuco di Vitello at $62, with Bucatini all'Amatriciana at $27 and Cavatelli alla Norcina at $29 in between. It is dinner only, and OpenTable puts it in the $50-and-over price band.

Why we chose them

• Fanfani trained at ALMA and cooked at Paolo Teverini, El Molin and KOKS, all restaurants with Michelin stars, per the restaurant's About page.
• He took possession of the house in January 2019, according to the restaurant's own site.
• The restaurant's site recommends reserving ahead, and bookings run through OpenTable.
• No Sunday or Monday hours are posted, so plan on a Tuesday through Saturday dinner.
• Parking is in a private lot, according to OpenTable.

Address: Wake Forest — 1248 S. Main St.

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Bella Italia Pizzeria & Ristorante

Naples-born Carlo Nicolazza opened Bella Italia on Durant Road in north Raleigh in 2001, just off Falls of Neuse Road near WakeMed North, and new owners took over in February 2023. It is a pizzeria by name, but the full menu runs veal, chicken and seafood entrees: Chicken Marsala at $21, Salmon Piccata at $25 and Spaghetti Puttanesca at $17. It is a separate business from Bella Italia Pizzeria on Capcom Avenue in Wake Forest.

Why we chose them

• The Wednesday deal is two entrees, two side salads and a bottle of house wine for $46.99, per its own site.
• Lunch specials run Monday through Saturday, according to the restaurant's site.
• Open seven days a week, per the restaurant's site, with weekly specials and online ordering.
• No dated 2026 post from the restaurant turned up, though its site lists current hours.

Address: Raleigh — 10630-101 Durant Rd.

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Encore Ristorante

In north Raleigh's Wakefield area, Encore took over the former Bruno Seafood & Steaks space in the Shoppes at Wakefield Park in October 2024. Chef John Scarangella and his wife Carol, who also run Northside Bistro & Cocktails, opened it as their second Raleigh restaurant. It does lunch as well as dinner, and OpenTable places it in the $31 to $50 price band, a notch below Amalia's.

Why we chose them

• Closed Sunday and Monday, per OpenTable; lunch and dinner run Tuesday through Saturday.
• OpenTable shows a diner review dated October 2, 2026, a fresh sign the dining room is open.
• OpenTable lists the street as TBD and the restaurant's site could not be read, so confirm the address.
• Parking is in a private lot, according to OpenTable.

Address: Raleigh — 11211 Galleria Ave.

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Farina Neighborhood Italian

Farina has spent about a decade in Lafayette Village, the north Raleigh center off Honeycutt Road; it opened in August 2015. The dinner menu sticks to neighborhood Italian: Carbonara at $23, Baked Rigatoni at $24, Lobster Spaghetti at $29 and Braised Short Rib at $29. The same center now holds Franko's Prime, from the group behind Trattoria Franko, so Lafayette Village makes an easy two-restaurant comparison for Wake Forest diners.

Why we chose them

• Reservations were limited to parties of five or more as of September 2026; confirm by phone.
• Hours are not posted on the restaurant's menu page, so call before driving over.
• No dated 2026 post from the restaurant turned up; a live dinner menu with current prices is the open signal.
• Seafood Pasta is $31 and Grilled Salmon is $28 on the posted dinner menu.

Address: Raleigh — 8450 Honeycutt Rd., B100

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Il Bacio Italian Grill & Pizza

On the Heritage side of Rogers Road, Il Bacio has pizza in its name, yet its dinner menu lists about 45 pastas and entrees, roughly 17 of them seafood, against about 7 pizza items. Owners Michele Rizzo, the chef, and Carlo Finazzo cook family Sicilian recipes. Expect Veal Marsala at $28, Penne alla Vodka at $22 and Lobster Ravioli at $25. It also appears on the Wake Forest pizza list for the pies.

Why we chose them

• Family owned and operated since 2010, per its own site, which makes 16 years on Rogers Road.
• Open seven days a week with a separate lunch menu, according to the restaurant's site.
• Reservations are taken, and a party room and catering are listed for group dinners.
• No dated 2026 post from the restaurant turned up, though its site shows current hours and online ordering.

Address: Wake Forest — 3622 Rogers Rd.

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Milazzo's Ristorante

Dinner only and white tablecloth, this Rogers Road room in Wake Forest shares an address with Paco's Pizza but runs a very different night out. The restaurant tells its own family story: Grandpa Joe Milazzo dreamed of opening a place with his first grandchild, Christopher, who now runs it. The menu goes from Eggplant Rollatini at $14 to Mushroom Ravioli at $28, and the herbed focaccia is made in house.

Why we chose them

• Closed Sunday and Monday, with dinner Tuesday through Saturday, per its own site.
• Gnocchi Bolognese comes with a homemade meatball for $25 on the current menu.
• Catering and a wine and cocktail menu are listed on the restaurant's site.
• One roundup lists the unit as Suite 109; the restaurant's own site gives no suite number.
• No dated 2026 post from the restaurant turned up, though its site lists current hours and prices.

Address: Wake Forest — 3325 Rogers Rd.

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Sabatino's Ristorante

The newest full Italian kitchen in Wake Forest moved into the former Patronies Pizza space in Crenshaw Corners, off Forestville Road, in early 2026. It is the second Sabatino's, after the original in Apex. Pasta leads the menu, and Business Debut reported scratch-made bread, soups made to order and fresh pasta. Pappardelle Bolognese is $24, Spaghetti Carbonara is $21 and Ricotta Cavatelli alla Norma is $23 on its ordering page.

Why we chose them

• Opening reports differ: Business Debut gave February 24, 2026, and WRAL gave March 10, 2026.
• Co-owner Phil Seigman runs it with partner James Ripple, per Business Debut.
• Closed Monday, according to its Toast ordering page, which does not post full weekly hours.
• There is no website beyond the Toast ordering page, so call for hours before driving over.

Address: Wake Forest — 131 Crenshaw Corners Dr.

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Trattoria Franko

Rolesville got its own trattoria in June 2026, when Franko's Hospitality soft-opened this room. The group, led by Nunzio Scordo, also runs Franko's Italian Steakhouse in Franklinton and Franko's Prime in Lafayette Village. WRAL described the focus as homemade pasta and Italian wines, and the menu bears that out: Sunday Gravy Rigatoni at $26, Lasagne at $28, Cavatelli Pomodoro with burrata at $21 and meatballs ground in house for $16.

Why we chose them

• Open every night of the week, per its own site, while Milazzo's is closed Sunday and Monday.
• Reservations run through OpenTable, which also lists it on its Wake Forest Italian page.
• Chicken Parmesan comes with rigatoni alla vodka and burrata for $28 on the posted menu.
• Crispy Fritto Misto is $21 and Arancini Grande is $14 on the posted menu.

Address: Rolesville — 205 Basalt Pl.

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Prices, hours and opening status last checked October 12, 2026. Call ahead where an entry says to.