Il Forno, Deerfield il.
Is there anything better than a pizza that reminds you of the best of your teens?
Il Forno
750 Osterman Ave, Deerfield, IL 60015
Phone: (847) 940-8611
Menu: ilforno.com
Visited: January 2026, 5:30 pm.
Reviewers: Andrea and Rich]
We’ve been going to Il Forno for 10 years, 15 years? We still have the same sensation every time, their pizza reminds us of our favorite pizzas from our teenage years (1960’s).
We have had pizza in every city we have visited in the United States, Canada, sometimes Mexico, and certainly in Italy. Pizza is the choice after the fancier, and more costly, travel dinners.
We may not like some pizzas, but it seems that every type, whether chain or family-run local pizzeria, traditional or artisanal wood fired, has its fans.
We grew up in pizza heaven in Chicago. We had the homegrown and now world-famous deep dish and the familiar thin crust. And we had our favorites for both. For older Chicagoans, remember the original Gino’s East, Uno and Due, Gulliver’s, and the Inferno. For thin crust, we had so many choices — our favorites were Papa Milano and Oddo’s pizzeria on Peterson Avenue.
Il Forno takes us back to those thin-crust days, especially Oddo’s. No puffy woodburning, skimpy on the cheese, modern pizza. No paper-thin, see-through, drippy tavern style.
The name, Il Forno is not unique, it means the oven in Italian and is widely used for pizza places. But interestingly, we learned the history from the owner. This Il Forno is a descendent of its namesake back in our Rogers Park neighborhood in our teen years. We did eat there often, we had other favorites at the time. Debbie said they’ve carried on the same recipe and when possible, the same ingredients, over the decades. Pizza fads come and go; you have to applaud the long-lasting durability of the Il Forno — Deerfield pizza.
The Place
Il Forno is in a tiny strip center behind the larger Deerfield Commons, with plenty of parking. the usual modern storefront, plenty of tables to dine in, although the carry-out business seems to be substantial, watching the people coming and going.
The room is bright with a full wall of windows, simple and clean wooden tables, and a bit of nostalgic decor on the walls. Plus, one of my all-time favorite neon signs.
You enter right into the dining room, walk to the back counter and place your order. Il Forno is definitely a family-run place, with mom and her twin daughters, and one regular server always available and friendly. You order; they bring the food to your table. And unlike many pizza places, they have the full complement of condiments, oregano, red pepper, garlic, and more Parmesan cheese on the table. In the warmer months, there’s a pleasant patio just outside.
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The Food.
One picture is worth a thousand bites.
On this recent visit, we had the medium thin crust, onions and green peppers, mushrooms on one quarter, cooked a little extra crispy. It was large enough to take a few pieces home for lunch the next day.
The buzzword in pizza for the last couple of years has been “tavern style”. Thin crust cut into squares, no wedges. I would not call Il Forno true tavern, the ones we’ve had have usually been thinner, but that’s their cutting style too.
Il Forno recaptures the perfect thickness and crispness of the crust, edge-to-edge cheese and sauce, and just the right number of toppings. And to Andrea’s delight, we can get one-quarter mushroom.
The pizza comes out just right, but we often ask for a little extra crispy depending upon the toppings. When you take edge peace it has a nice crispy edge and not drooping and spilling into your lap. But everybody has their favorites.
Il Forno has all the usual toppings, but to us, vegetables like onion and green pepper are key indicators. Some pizzerias use thickly cut veggies that are minimally cooked. At Il Forno, the veggies are sliced thin and cooked or sautéed to just the right firmness to complement the pizza. We think that one of the best meatball toppings around, and the sausage is good too.
Il Forno has a full menu of the usual Italian specialties and comfort foods, which we have never tried. Although sometimes we get a starter salad with excellent creamy garlic dressing.
Even though we might think about getting pasta before going to Il Forno, once in the door, our hardwired preferences take over, and we order a pizza. Sometimes a small, sometimes a medium, with leftovers to take home. And a more recent discovery, they have their version of the personal pizza, so that injury I can each have our own toppings and just the right size to eat there.
We have eyeballed other people’s orders of pasta and sandwiches; they look as good as any we’ve seen, maybe someday!
Il Forno is also open for lunch; I often go for their version of “the slice”. It’s almost like 1/3 of a medium pizza cut into two large wedges, for under five dollars for a slice of cheese or sausage. If there is a quality lunch based on value, the Il Forno slice is at the very top of my list.
The Experience
Il Forno is in a very convenient location, a simple but pleasant room, quick service when it’s not the height of rush hour, friendly people, and one of our favorite pizzas at reasonable prices in today’s market.
Il Forno is truly a cross-generational pizza stop — families with kids, grandparents with grandchildren, teams after a game, seniors for an early dinner, and people from local businesses. Il Forno is not your cliché pizza dive, nor a 2 level pizza Emporium that focuses more on the bar than pizza. Old-fashioned, great pizza.
The Verdict
⭐ Food Quality: Excellent
💰 Value: absolutely
🕐 Early Bird Experience: Very good
🔇 Atmosphere: Comfortable,
👍 Would Return: Always
B