Café Porto Bello is an unassuming little eatery in South Boston on Broadway. Don't be put off by the restroom being off the kitchen...both the restroom and kitchen were immaculately clean! Trust...I inspected. The food was excellent and the staff were friendly. The only real downer is that it's a cash only spot. We weren't aware of this vital bit of information before arrival. We saw the notice on website, but it's so close to the takeout information that we assumed it referred to takeout only. We will visit again. Our food selection: Sweet and hot pizza: hot cherry tomatoes and Italian sausage. Pollo allá Richie: crusted chicken breast topped with spinach and a tasty cream sauce. I had it served over angel hair pasta. Yummy! read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Pollo alla Richie - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Very good Italian food in a city known for outstanding Italian food. Place is VERY loud and hard to hear a normal conversation. Bathroom makes airplane bathrooms look spacious. Food is good regardless. read more

Solid neighborhood Italian spot that usually has a line outside for a table. The space is small but you can tell people really love the food here. It's cash only unless you order online. I've only been getting take out here just to make things a bit easier and you just go to the back to pick it up. Estimated wait times via toast are not accurate especially between 5:30-8:30pm, so I call to get a better estimate. I've only gotten pizza here and it's one of my favorites in Southie. My go to is the mushroom and fontina which is simple but delicious. Maybe could use a bit more salt but no complaints overall. Looking forward to trying their pasta sometime soon. read more

Don't waste your time here. This place is extremely unfriendly to families. We were told to leave our stroller outside on the street, then stood at the door for five minutes while the waitress ignored us. When we finally walked in, a middle-aged woman scolded us instead of helping us. They're also cash-only, which adds another inconvenience to an already unpleasant experience. Rude service, bad attitude, and not worth checking out. read more

I found this wonderful place on the phantom gourmet you tube web site. As soon as I watched the video history about the cafe I was hooked. Make sure you bring cash. No credit cards had to got the atm and withdraw money. The food was awesome I had a 10 inch pizza with pepperoni and sausage which was fantastic . My daughter had vodka and sausage spaghetti dish with meat. The ambiance was south Boston full of great Boston working class people talking about their everyday lives . It was really refreshing and come early the place is tiny . The food does come fast and furious but you may have to wait some time if you come during a busy time. I almost forgot they serve you up some delicious bread and olive oil as appetizer. So if you find yourself in Boston stop in at Cafe Porto Bello definite cult classic of Boston. read more

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A step back into time Ol School spot in Southie. Great Italian restaurant. My son had Chicken Parm and requested vodka sauce it was superb. We ordered a personable pizza to start crust was thin n crispy... excellent all around... waitress Susan was personable, informative and filled with history. Coming from New York I visit frequently I look forward to coming to this establishment I have been here 3x and will continue to come back. read more

Had lunch at Cafe Portobello today. Started with lobster raviolis and eggplant parm appetizers. The raviolis were served in a delicious lemon butter sauce, delicious. The eggplant parm was crisp and cheesy in a delightful red sauce. I had the pork chop with vinegar peppers and potatoes. The chop was juicy and delicious, potatoes were cooked perfectly, the vinegar peppers added just enough zing to the dish. The prices are so reasonable. Our server was so helpful efficient. We will absolutely be returning. read more

CASH ONLY--- Went here on the recommendation of a local bartender. First thing you need to know is NO Credit cards, CASH ONLY. We were visiting from out of state and I don't use debit cards/ATM. The place was packed for a Wednesday night. It is a small , cozy restaurant. Unfortunately our choices were limited by the amount of cash money we had. We ordered the tortellini Alfredo which came with bread as well as a glass of house wine . Would certainly come back and this time with enough money to enjoy dessert read more

I just tasted a brilliant! Linguine alla vongole is good pasta reminds of Italian as every pasta! And Garlic beard is great bread with cheese. read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Garlic Bread - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

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Best Caesar salad! Delicious oil and bread. Awesome chicken Marcella and the most amazing chocolate soufflé. Also, the service was really good.! read more

Service is so friendly. Amazing local southie spot. One of the most underrated restaurants in the city. LOVE read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Chicken cacciatore! - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Best Italian food in Southie! Favorite place to go. The Pollo Alla Richie is my favorite. Great for takeout but also good to sit. Very intimidate. Limited seating; it's a small place. Cash only read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Chicken Pollo alla Richie - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Great food ! Great prices ! Pizza is delicious and chicken parm , veal parm and chicken zittie broccoli Meatballs are mid but eggplant app is great ! Awesome lunch deals chicken parm on fresh braided roll w salad for under $10 ... no better deal in town read more

Porta bello has great Italian food. Their vodka sauce is the best I've ever had. Fresh pasta with plenty of options. Oh, did I mention they also have incredible pizzas! read more

This place is the real deal. Get the eggplant parm appetizer, you will not be disappointed. Chicken parm also delicious. Server has been amazing every time I've been there, so friendly and very knowledgeable. Hot take... I love that it's cash only!! My new favorite restaurant. read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Chicken Parmigiana - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Amazing food! Great spot in southie for a carb loaded incredible dinner. Would come back!

Really yummy Italian food if you're looking to stay in Southie and not venture all the way to the north end!

The best Italian meal that I have had in a loooong time! We ordered the chicken parm, veal parm and the pasta in vodka sauce and all 3 were fabulous! The Tiramisu was absolutely yummy with their own spin of raspberry jam. Excellent service . Did I mention that the owners are so friendly that you feel like youre dining in a traditional Italian home... will surely return! read more

Super good and casual. Great neighborhood spot. We've been going for years and it never disappoints!!

Quick takeout -- tasty pizza, delicious chicken dishes, great local restaurant. Quite pleased.

Great service, homey ambiance, and phenomenal food. Same quality you can find in the north end, for 2/3 of the price. Will definitely be back again to try everything on the menu! read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

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Food is Fantastic! Went with group, everyone loved it! The sausage was great! Would definitely go back! Cash Only though.

Great food and atmosphere. We are visiting and found this place online. It was worth the try.

This is my favorite spot ever! Food is so good and always a perfect meal! 10/10 This is as good as any place in the North End Worth the trip! read more

I love coming to Cafe Porto Bello. Such a hidden gem in the South Boston area. The food is ALWAYS amazing and service is top notch. You can't beat the prices either - house wine is $7 and most of the dishes are $20 and under. read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Pollo Saltimboca - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

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Awesome. So good. Love this place. Everything's fresh and tasty. Slammin' pizza. Reasonable. Great staff

Delicious Italian -- order everything!!! Tiramisu was to die for, love the atmosphere -- local favorite! read more

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Just got a pizza and the dough was OLD. A real disappointment. I guess they don't care about the quality of the food. read more

Wonderful local restaurant very affordable price excellent service good Italian food fresh bake bread read more

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This place is a very intimate, neighborhood-y type of restaurant with very good food. We got takeout and the wait staff was very nice in greeting us and getting us the order. CASH ONLY but there are many ATMs around. read more

Just when you are about to give up hope that there are kind and friendly people in the world, you stumble into a place like Cafe Porto Bello. I found myself in South Boston at a B&B (a real one, where the owner lives downstairs)...for a business stay because all the Seaport hotels were so expensive for the summer. Took a walk looking for dinner and this neighborhood Italian bistro was calling me. Not only was my apple-Gorgonzola-prosciutto-arugula pizza to die for...the service was so friendly and my neighboring diners befriended me. The entire menu looked amazing (as the rest of the reviews attest) and the cozy friendly vibe is so rare these days. read more

We had lunch and the food was not as good as it usually is. Before Covid it was my go to local restaurant, something has changed. The restaurant has only one waitress at lunch time, (understandable) but the lone waitress was uptight, trying to get it all done. It made for a very uncomfortable atmosphere. read more

Such a Comfortable setting! The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is quaint and the Food is great! Awesome Comfort Food! You usually know quite a few people dining there as well. Porto Bello is a SB Neighborhood charm! read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Pollo Alla Richie! - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Unless you have cash, don't bother to go here. They don't take checks or credit cards! Also, the restaurant is tiny and very crowded. Good luck getting in!! read more

A very authentic Italian restaurant with local vibe and lot of patrons. I love the friendly atmosphere and decent selection of food, wine, and pizza. Reasonable price with huge serving of food. I highly recommend this restaurant when visiting South Boston! read more

The food is delicious, the staff is amazing, it's my favorite little hole in the wall in Southie.

Be prepared - Accepts only cash Decent ambience - small room- might be crowded on weekends Reasonable prices - entree around 20 bucks We ordered two items - one was outstanding but the other item is fine. Boston have better Italian restaurants read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

Called in a pick up. Got someone's left overs that were hours old. Not worth it. Waste of money and time. read more

Cafe Porto Bello - Three hour old pizza. - Pizza Near Me - South Boston, Massachusetts

If you haven't been, you're missing a very special Italian bistro. Feels like you're in Italy. Need to use the bathroom? In the back, thru the kitchen:) Excellent food every time!!! That is important. Unparalleled service. To stay or go. The cost is unbelievably affordable. Cash only. Support small business + your community. read more

Never thought I'd be enjoying excellent Italian food in South Boston. The place is small. Kind of old-school. You need to go to the restroom, you need to actually almost walk into the kitchen. Which says a lot because they have no fear of anybody seeing their kitchen. We went at lunchtime on a Thursday, and the place was pretty busy. The waitress was exceptional and very efficient. We got some bread and oil to start things off, which was great. Food took a little while to come. First was a appetizer. We ordered the eggplant Parmesan appetizer. It was absolutely delicious and left me wanting to try more now. I was pretty excited about my lunch. My wife ordered the chicken piccata and it was absolutely perfect. My stepdaughter had Alfredo pasta and broccoli and she said it was great. I got the tortellini alfredo with prosciutto and peas. It was a great size bowl and absolutely delicious and my youngest daughter got a regular cheese pizza. The cheese pizza was perfect. I definitely read it one of the highest pizzas in the area. I decided to take home dinner for that night and ordered the spicy pepper and sweet sausage pizza, it may very well be one of my favorite pizzas ever. I cannot wait to go back for more. The check came and I was shocked how cheap the meal was. I will definitely be back very soon. read more