FERRO

Too bad I stuffed myself with the thin, fancy breadsticks before the pizzas arrived. We ordered two pizzas: a squash and ricotta one and a pepperoni and mushroom one. We enjoyed the taste of the pepperoni and mushroom one more, although both tasted really delicious. The food at the other tables looked divine, too. Judging by the way my boyfriend hogged the hazelnut cake with gelato dessert, I’m guessing it was phenomenal, too.
We really enjoyed the date-​night atmosphere and live music.

Excellent, authentic Italian food. Excellent service. Beautiful ambiance. This is a great restaurant, and my wife and I will certainly be returning.

Holy crap, this might be my favorite meal that I’ve had up here. We’d been dying to try this place since they opened, and finally got to go for an impromptu birthday lunch this past Wednesday. Thankfully, we got there before it got too busy, and we were able to grab a table by the window. The interior is very clean, sleek, and beautifully decorated. We each got a couple of cocktails, and every single one was delicious. Our server (I believe her name was Christina) was fantastic, very friendly and attentive without being overbearing or hovering. We started with the Gamberoni alla griglia, which are prawns with drawn butter. Oh my god, if I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, these would be it. They were SO GOOD. For our entrees, boyfriend ordered the chicken pesto pizza, and I ordered the linguine all bolognese. Both were absolute perfection. Boyfriend devoured his pizza, and I was lucky to get a bite! The bolognese was a pretty large portion, and absolutely fantastic. It was perfectly seasoned, the pasta and meat cooked perfectly, and it came with a delicious pink sauce. We finished the meal off with the house made limoncello, and that was great as well! We couldn’t have asked for a better birthday meal. I can’t wait to come back and try other things on the menu!

de-​li-​ciou-​s. Some of the employees were rude. Since it was our first time we walked in and went straight to the back to check it out. We immediately got yelled by a waitress. Almost left. The food made up for it. Thumbs up to the chefs. amazing food. Will definitely have to make a drive up the mountain and try it again

Best food in Idyllwild.

This place is amazing. Everything was perfect. The delicious drinks, the Old Fashion is one of the best I’ve had. The fresh baked bread is soft and perfect and the breakfast pizza with the egg on top. I dream of that pizza. This restaurant is worth the trip up here for a date night or just an amazing time. The seating outside under the big trees is beautiful. This will be a regular spot for us everytime we come to Idyllwild!

So happy I found this place! We can’t wait to go back again! Food and atmosphere was perfect! Even the drinks and desserts!

We went on a Tuesday night while they have live jazz… It was wonderful. The setting is amazing, The music was fantastic and the food was spectacular. My husband had the fish and he said it was the best he ever had. I had a pizza… Absolutely delicious. You must try the olive oil gelato if you go there. We can’t wait to come back on another trip to Idlewild

My favorite escape from the desert is to Ferro’s. Outside ambience, food, live music in the evenings and wine selection make for a perfect date night!

Outstanding food. Period. I was blown away that they only have 4 ½ stars on Unilocal.If there was an option for six stars they deserve it. The negative reviews seem to be mostly from people who want large American-​size portions so they can feel stuffed or take home a second meal to microwave later. It’s true that I can spend less for more food at Dominoes pizza but I’d rather have the broccolini pizza at Ferros that has quality ingredients and as a bonus I’ll still feel great after my meal.
Frank and Lori Ferro know how to create a positive experience from beginning to end. The atmosphere is perfect and we love sitting outside on the back patio. Whether for lunch or dinner there’s a great selection of drinks as well. There’s an outstanding bock beer on tap as well as a great wine selection and full bar. Between my family we’ve tried most items on their menu and all their dishes are top-​notch. The sandwiches are phenomenal, especially the pork sandwich. The bread the sandwiches come on is good enough to eat on its own. All the pizzas are amazing, and have unique toppings. Maybe smaller and less filling than a meat-​lovers extra large, but I’d never thought of fennel on pizza or lemon zest, but the cheeses and toppings are perfect if you appreciate these flavor profiles.
The bolognese sauce is awesome as well, and goes great with a glass of Chianti, of which they have several on the wine list. We go there quite frequently and have never had anything but a great experience. We can’t wait for the brewpub that the Ferros are opening next.

Let me start out by saying I love this place and I had the best cocktail OF MY LIFE.
My boyfriend and I were walking back to the house we were staying at after dinner and heard live jazz music coming from Ferro. We looked over, and the place was poppin’ so we decided to get drinks & dessert and listen to music.
We sat in the cute picnic area in the back and ordered tiramisu (bomb) and cocktails. I could not pronounce the name of the drink I got — or much of anything else for that matter — because it was in Italian, but it was under the old fashion (which my boyfriend ordered). Mine was some kind of Citrus-​y whiskey concoction and OH EM GEE ! Perfection. Now, I don’t like when cocktails are really sweet and you cannot taste the alcohol. This one was the perfect level of sweetness, citrus, and they do not skimp on the alcohol. The old fashioned was great too. We enjoyed them so much we had to get another round. Had to…
The Jazz band that night was super groovy, the servers were attentive and friendly, the weather was perfect, everyone was happy… Needless to say any more, we had an amazing evening. I only wish we had eaten there for dinner…

Made a pit stop in Idyllwild while driving from Indio The Living Desert Zoo to Hemet on hwy 74. Had NO idea how freakin cute this lil town was. Its like Big Bear but much nicer, I think.
Anyways ended up having Mothers Day dinner at Ferro’s. Restaurant is family owned and operated, dad is the chef, mom makes the desserts, daughter Christina was our waitress. Everyone in the entire restaurant was sooooo friendly and accommodating from the time we sat down until the time we left, service was just amazing! We had pizza and spaghetti with 3 desserts, i dont think you could go wrong ordering anything from here!!! Honestly. Super affordable too, we got pizza, spaghetti, 3 beers and 3 large desserts for $ 62, $ 20 per person, not bad!!!
We live in Hemet and had no idea how fab this town is, would much rather drive up the hill for brunch or dinner than drive to Temecula. Idyllwild and Ferro’s are a must

This Italian gem is a must for any trip to Idyllwild. We tried their Caprese ensalada, simply amazing. The buffalo mozzarella with fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes was simply amazing. We also sampled the oysters on the half shell special with a spicy tomato sauce, topped with a caviar and olive oil and oh MY GOD, yes! My sons chose two different types of pizza and both were so different but SO epic in taste!
Please try the Rosemary mule. Pretty amazing.

Was here on a cool spring night and loved the modern, comfy and warm atmosphere and the local vibe. It’s dramatically different than most of the décor you see in Idyllwild. On this Thursday night, there was some lovely live music, but the tiny place downstairs was packed (SRO) and no where to sit at the bar (which only seats 6 unless that back patio bar is open) … must have been the wildly popular musicians on this particular night.
Frank (the owner) was quite friendly and engaging. I would come back to try the food (although gluten and lactose-​free looks to be a challenge just in glancing at the menu).

My daughter and I have been coming to Idyllwild together for 12 years and were delighted to enjoy yet another new eatery. Ferro is z bomb!!! Frank is z best and z food was absolutely LA chic, fresh, yummy and perfecto served by a congenial staff! Z atmosphere was warm and friendly on a drizzly evening where we sat next to z fireplace and listened to live jazz guitar by Peter Curtis (Yale grad) and Baba on bass both exceptional musicians, as well as professors of music. They were a dynamic duo and played for 3 hours entertaining all of those fortunate to be basking in their talent for z Friday evening! All of our senses were being satiated in a fabulous way at Ferro!
Z complementary thin bread sticks paired with green zesty olives and garlic spread were a great way to start. Then we enjoyed z Lasagne di Verdure that was made with house-​made ricotta, cooked just right with a bit of a crusty edge on one side for a delectable contrast to z layered cheesy goodness of fresh veggies and marina one cannot help but savor from z aroma to z palate. Z Linguine con Vongole e Cozze with clams, mussels, white wine & red chile compels one to consume more of the unforgettable flavor bite after bite. We shared a dessert special composed of a thin layer of banana bread with Nutella ice cream and chocolate ganache icing with whipped cream and frothy cappuccinos! We cannot wait to come back up the hill to try their other delectable menu items. Idyllwild has just stepped it up!

Delicious food & great service. Our new favorite dinner restaurant in Idyllwild. We try to come to this adorable mountain town every spring break & were disappointed when the restaurant we usually go to was closed on Tuesdays. We saw all the great reviews here on Unilocal & decided to try someplace new. So glad we did.
Pizza was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of smoky wood fired flavor. Vegetable lasagne delicious. My salad with Gorgonzola was a little heavy in the cheese side but still fresh and crisp. More of a personal taste thing for me. The vegetables were perfect. Kids loved their banana dessert with Nutella ice cream.
All in all a great experience. Didn’t get our waiters name but he was just friendly enough without being unprofessional. He was prompt and managed his section upstairs very well. I had three teens with me & he was great with them too.
We’ll see you again next spring!

I love everything about Ferro’s location, food and vibe. If you’re looking for something cozy and intimate, sit inside next to the fireplace. If you prefer an upscale backyard setting, head to the patio and grab a seat next to the garden, pizza oven or pine trees.
Don’t Miss: Fresh baked bread, wild boar lasagna, goat cheese, leek and bacon pizza
Skip: Being in a rush. The lasagna takes twenty minutes to cook. Also, if you’re sensitive to salt, skip the bread – it’s crusted in it.

My BF and I visited FERRO for a Wednesday dinner while staying in Idyllwild as a getaway this winter break. We arrived at 7PM and there was no one dining in the restaurant. The décor and ambiance were really nice so we asked to be seated upstairs, thinking there’d be more people up there but there wasn’t.
We were served some complimentary bread sticks? with herb butter and olives, which was delish but had trouble understanding the menu since most of it was in Italian. Silly us didn’t think about asking for help so we ordered the vongole al capore under the antipasta section, thinking it was a steamed clam, white wine broth pasta when it really was a soup. Oops.
My BF ordered a pesto chicken pizza (had no problem reading that one) and we shared a basic salad. Overall — the soup was a bit heavy on the alcohol for me, the salad was drowned in the dressing and the pizza was just a-​ok. Portions were definitely on the smaller side and the staff was pretty hands off. We paid around $ 40 with tip and tax, but left feeling relatively unsatisfied. In retrospect, we definitely should’ve paid more attention to the lack of customers in the restaurant before going in.

Idyllwild is Riverside’s best kept secret and recently after several visits Ferro is now my official new favorite stop. It is very cosy with a big back patio.
They also have a second story with an amazing private bathroom. Frank is funny and a warm person. Tara makes everything happen and she is emotionally intelligent. Justin makes delicious cocktsils.
The servings are more in the lines of tapas. So ordering several dishes is always nice. I love olives and they offer an excellent wide selection. Wines is also a nice wide selection. The pizza is just perfection. I love all the homegrown herbs they use on all the dishes. It is always fun to have a live music. Mostly blues or jazz or other. The bread is outstanding and they actually offer real butter. All the salads are perfect with homemade dressing as well.
On Halloween night was the funnest and they even played Ministry «Everyday is Halloween» with lots of candy. I thought that was the radest.
Of course I lost my nerd bag and they saved it for me safe and sound.
If your going buy you must try the happy hour at the bar they hand out free appetizers.

From the moment you walk up to the building, this restaurant already wins. It is beautiful. It glows. Add that to the amazing live music coming from the back patio, and it’s a recipe for success.
We came for late night snacks and drinks. The menu is so varied, there was something interesting for all of the members of our large group. Notable: the lentil soup, the oysters on the half shell, and the pizzas.
We also had great service from Michael. That made it super comfortable.
In Idyllwild, nothing else compares to Ferro. Go immediately.