You know that feeling when you pass a plain storefront a dozen times and finally decide to pull in? That was me, hungry and a little curious, somewhere in central Oklahoma.
What waited inside was a basket of soft rolls, a small dish of peppered olive oil, and a plate of pasta that made the whole afternoon feel bigger. Some of the best meals hide in the least flashy spots, and this one proves it.
A Family-Run Italian Kitchen on NW 12th Street
Tucked along NW 12th Street in Moore, Fontana is an Italian restaurant that looks like any other storefront from the road. Its Google Maps description sums it up nicely: homestyle Italian eats in unfussy digs, with red-sauce classics like pizza, baked pastas, and veal parmigiana.
Step past the door and the focus shifts quickly from the building to the plate. Visitors keep coming back to the same handful of things, including warm rolls, creamy alfredo, and a sampler of baked pasta.
The address is 854 NW 12th St, and the phone number is 405-703-0911 if you would like to ask a question before heading over. A website is also listed at fontanaitalianok.com.
This article walks through what makes the place tick, from its bread basket to its quiet dining room. Think of it as a friendly map for anyone who has ever driven past and wondered what the food is like inside.
The short version is that it is casual, comfortable, and built around old-school Italian American comfort food.
Family Ownership You Can Feel at the Table
Family owned shows up as a popular topic in visitor comments, with about twenty mentions. Regulars describe an authentic, hands-on operation where the owners, servers, and cooks all seem invested in the meal.
One diner noted that the owner stopped by to make sure everything tasted right. Small touches like that are hard to fake, and they tend to stick in memory longer than a fancy menu.
Another visitor said they have been coming for years and wish more people knew about the place. That sort of loyalty usually grows from steady cooking and a welcoming feel.
Of course, no restaurant is perfect for every guest. A few people said service felt uneven on their visits, and one mentioned only a single server on duty at the time.
Still, the family-run identity is a big part of the appeal. It gives the dining room a lived-in warmth that chain restaurants often chase and rarely catch.
Old-School Interior With Room to Relax
Picture a dining room that feels like a comfortable old sweater. Visitors call the interior old fashioned, relaxed, and easy to settle into, and one guest said it reminded them of a small Tuscan town lunch.
Space is modest. One diner counted roughly twelve tables, so a busy evening can fill it fast.
Nobody seems to worry about dress codes here. Regulars say you can walk in wearing almost anything and feel fine, from work clothes to a Sunday best.
Background music plays softly, and a couple of televisions run without sound. Another guest described the mood as cozy and quiet during an early Sunday dinner.
A first-timer once mentioned that the place was not anything special when they walked in, but felt cozy once seated. That is a fair summary of the charm.
The decor is not the show, and the food carries the night.
Rolls Worth Talking About
Rolls earned about thirty-one mentions in visitor feedback, which is a lot for something that arrives before the main event. Diners describe them as super soft and fresh, and one guest called them the best they have ever had.
They arrive with a saucer of seasoned, peppered olive oil for dipping. Several people said the complimentary basket was a highlight of the meal.
Here is a small tip: pace yourself. Most entrees also come with salad, so the table can fill up quickly, and the rolls are hard to stop eating.
Bread fans may also want to consider the garlic cheese bread appetizer. One regular recommended it, and another said the garlic bread was delicious, though a busy Saturday visit meant a long wait for one guest.
Still, the basic bread and oil pairing is the simplest way to understand why people talk about this kitchen. It is humble, warm, and deeply satisfying.
The Three-Pasta Combo Explained
Can’t pick just one baked pasta? The combo plate is built for you.
It pairs lasagna, manicotti, and cannelloni on a single plate, and it comes with a salad and rolls.
Visitors who ordered it praised the flavors and the generous portions. One fan enjoyed it alongside beef ravioli, and another guest paired the sampler with a slice of strawberry cheesecake afterward.
There is one quirk worth knowing. A diner said the three pastas were not clearly labeled, so they had to taste each one to figure out which was which.
Ask your server to point them out and you will skip the guessing game.
Opinions vary a bit, as they do everywhere. Some guests found a piece on their plate soft or overcooked, while others loved every bite.
If you want a broad sample of the kitchen in one order, this is the plate to try. It shows off the baked, cheesy, saucy side of the menu.
Alfredo, Pink Sauce, and Marinara
Sauce is where this kitchen gets the most attention. Alfredo leads the pack with about forty-five mentions, and several guests called it very good.
Marinara, with a dozen mentions, gets its own praise. One diner described the sauce on their cannelloni as robust and savory rather than sweet, which is exactly what red-sauce lovers hope for.
A regular also raved about the pink sauce and said the marinara was excellent. Pink sauce has a smaller number of mentions, but the fans are enthusiastic.
Not everyone agrees on every detail. One guest felt the alfredo could use a touch more salt, garlic, and parmesan, and that small tweak would have earned five stars from them.
Personal taste plays a role, so consider asking for extra parmesan at the table. If creamy pasta is your comfort food, the chicken fettuccine alfredo is a solid place to begin your order.
Chicken Parm and Veal Classics
Meat lovers have plenty to work with. Veal shows up in nineteen mentions, and chicken parm collects ten more, which tells you where many regulars point their forks.
One guest said this was the only Italian spot where the chicken parm is done correctly. Another returned for it after a first visit and declared it so good.
The menu goes beyond those two. Diners have ordered chicken marsala, chicken margarita, chicken creamosa, and grilled salmon, and one said the plates arrived loaded with an enticing aroma.
Results were mixed on a few dishes. One person found the marsala alright, and another felt a chicken Caesar salad had overcooked chicken.
The takeaway is simple. The classics like parmigiana are what the restaurant is known for, so start there and branch out on later visits if you like.
Stuffed Mushrooms and Other Starters
Starters can set the tone, and stuffed mushrooms are the most talked-about opener here with sixteen mentions. One diner ordered them alongside a salad and then went on to enjoy a big entree.
Not everybody was wowed. A guest said they were alright and wished more than four came on the plate for the price, so consider sharing them with the table.
Garlic cheese bread is another appetizer that earned a recommendation. Regulars called it delicious, and it pairs well with the marinara.
Then there is the house salad that arrives with most entrees. Some guests praised the house dressing, and one said their partner loves it, while another found it too heavy or not to their taste.
If you like a lighter touch, ask for dressing on the side. Between starters, salad, and rolls, you may find the meal is generous before the pasta even lands.
Manicotti, Cannelloni, and a Sweet Finish
Baked pasta is the quiet star of the menu. Manicotti has seven mentions, and one diner said the cheese-stuffed version was full of cheese with a top-notch presentation.
Cannelloni also comes up often. A guest who tried it as a dessert-style treat called it decadent, rich, and good.
For a more traditional sweet ending, one visitor recommended the strawberry cheesecake. It is a nice way to close a meal that already includes salad, rolls, and pasta.
Another diner celebrated National Spaghetti Day here with spaghetti, meat sauce, and a meatball. They said the sauce tasted fresh with a rich tomato flavor and that the meatball arrived very hot.
That kind of story explains the loyalty. Whether you crave baked pasta or a classic spaghetti plate, the kitchen seems to aim for comforting, freshly made flavor.
Prices and Portions
Value comes up again and again. Multiple visitors described the prices as some of the best in town for Italian food, and one called them super affordable with large portions.
Most entrees come with a salad and bread, which stretches a dollar further. One family ordered about six entrees and enjoyed all of them.
That said, some experiences were more mixed. A guest felt a group meal for a first visit cost around seventy dollars with fountain drinks and did not feel worth it, and another thought the stuffed mushrooms were pricey for four pieces.
A few others called the food a little pricey but good. Costs likely feel different depending on what you order and how many people you feed.
The best strategy is to plan on sharing. Between the combos, the sides, and the bread basket, you may come home with a to-go box.
Service Notes Before You Sit Down
Service is the most varied part of the experience, so it helps to go in with realistic expectations. Many guests describe friendly, efficient servers and a polite wait on their food.
Others had rougher visits. Some mentioned slow moments, and one Saturday evening visitor said the kitchen finished takeout orders first, which stretched their wait.
A few diners also felt a hostess was unwelcoming, while others praised the same team for great care. Experiences clearly differ from day to day.
You can stack the odds in your favor. Try a weekday or a quieter hour, such as an early Sunday dinner, when one guest found the room calm and cozy.
Patience goes a long way at a small, family-run place. When things go well, guests say the team makes them feel like regulars.
Hours, Parking, and Getting There
Plan your visit around the schedule. The restaurant opens at 11 AM and closes at 9 PM every day except Monday, when it is closed.
That makes it handy for lunch or dinner from Tuesday through Sunday. A guest who visited for lunch with a relative said the meal came with bread and a salad.
Parking is easy. One visitor noted lots of parking and plenty of seating, though the dining room itself is small.
The address is 854 NW 12th St in Moore, and you can call 405-703-0911 to check on the wait. Because the room has only about a dozen tables, calling ahead on a weekend is a smart idea.
One visitor noted it is a bit of a drive from other parts of the metro but said they would come back anyway. That is a pretty good endorsement for the trip.
Who Will Love It Most
Some places suit everyone, and some suit a certain kind of eater. This one is a great fit for people who love red-sauce comfort food and do not need a stylish room.
Families will find it easy, since the setting is relaxed and any dress is welcome. Couples on a budget can enjoy a full meal without a big bill.
Birthday diners and celebration seekers have shown up too, including one group that left a chain restaurant and settled in here instead. They came away happy.
People who want a polished, fast, perfectly consistent experience may want to be flexible. A few guests found the pace slow or the service uneven.
If you enjoy old-fashioned dining, generous plates, and a family-run feel, this spot is likely to fit you well. Come hungry and bring someone who likes to share.
A Soft Verdict for a Hidden Oklahoma Table
Overall, this is a modest restaurant with a big heart and a strong bread basket. Its 4.4 star rating on Google Maps reflects a lot of happy tables, even if a few visits were bumpy.
The best moments involve warm rolls, saucy baked pasta, and a comfortable room that asks nothing of you. The rougher moments mostly involve service and timing.
If you go, order the pasta combo, ask which pasta is which, and dip everything in that peppered olive oil. Save room if you can for cheesecake.
Oklahomans who love a discovery will appreciate the payoff of stopping at a place that does not shout for attention. Sometimes the most memorable meal is the one you almost drove past.
Just remember that Monday is closed, and give yourself time to linger.
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