So I first came to one of their locations in 2015 when I had one of their squid ink pastas. I remember the ambiance being so nice - even with communal dining - and the pasta being so unforgettably delicious that I had to try them again when I visited Portland again 2021. I remember it felt a bit tricky finding outdoor seating, as the pandemic still felt new, but somehow my friend and I were able to grab a table. Grassa PDX seems to switch out their menu every so often, so while I did not get to have their squid ink pasta again, I did have this unbelievably delicious shrimp pesto pasta. I don't know how they do it ! I wish there was something comparable in the Bay Area of California. Would definitely recommend trying this place out if you're in the Portland area ! read more

Grassa - The yummy shrimp pesto pasta - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The food here was absolutely amazing! Quick and amazing food, the service was great too! We sat next to the chefs counter and got to see the whole kitchen scene it was great! Everyone took pride in their work! We also got blueberries for breakfast drink!! Delicious!!!!!!!! And the Caesar salad TOP tier best salad tasted so fresh. read more

Grassa - Radiatore - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Very bad service. We ordered Mac and cheese for our toddler who was very hungry. After ordering, we asked the server if there was anything they could do to expedite and were told in a very rude way that there was nothing they could do. Once the pasta was made, it was left on the kitchen counter for 5 minutes. We saw the pasta and asked the waiter if they could bring it to us since it was ready and our toddler was crying. The waiter was very rude, showed no empathy and gave us a lot of attitude when he then gave us the pasta. This restaurant is not family friendly read more

I love Grassa, I endorse their food, simple good elevated pasta and a perfect spot for a date. Plus they change up the menu frequently. But man this spot specifically really turned me away. I ordered and waited for 20 mins and then was approached why I was waiting on their bench. It wasn't like there was a line out the door. So they forgot to make out food, I guess that happens. But at least apologize? Our food took under 10 mins to make after. And still no sincere apology. What a weird service interaction.. Go to their other spots, it's better! read more

Wednesday 9/20/23 I had no idea about this place until my aunt told me about it. I was skeptical at first but after trying it it was definitely the right choice. The restaurant has a cool and interesting concept of new style American/ Italian meal and they make all their noodles by hand. The service was solid. You order your food at the front counter and then they bring it to your table. Our table got the pork belly Mac and cheese, fusilli alla vodka, baked occhi di lupo, garlic bread, and grassa meatballs. All of them items were pretty good but the pork belly Mac n cheese was by far my favorite dish. The Mac n cheese was creamy and the pork belly was flat out amazing and very flavorful. All in all, this spot was a pleasant surprise and the pork belly Mac n cheese is a must have. I would recommend and come back for more but I just wish they had fettuccine Alfredo since that's my number 1 fav pasta. read more

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Food as always is great at this place. Having fresh pasta is always the best. It's located on NW 23rd where all types of different restaurants are located. It has a great welcoming environment where seating is welcome inside and outside the restaurant. People were very nice and welcoming. We took a bit of time to figure out what to order since all the entrees sound so yummy. read more

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Spacious seating, both indoors and outdoors. They serve Italian cuisine with homemade pasta. We ordered pizza and pasta -- both were delicious (though maybe I was just too hungry!). You pay when you order. It was pretty empty on a weekday, but don't let that fool you -- this place is definitely worth visiting if you're craving Italian food. I highly recommend it! read more

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GREAT little casual lunch spot. Good drink variety and ordered the meatballs and the Black Pepper Pappardelle. Delicious! This is our second time coming, instant favorite. read more

It's good pasta. Not great pasta. But still good, it hits the spot. I love the pork ragu. The meat is so tender, and the sauce is incredibly delicious. However, the pasta is way too chewy and a bit of a strange texture; doesn't strike me as handmade. Overall a solid casual pasta joint. read more

Grassa - Ragu - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Always a good time at Grassa! Had the Jockey Full of Bourbon as our drinks, and it is definitely the winner! Like other Grassa's...order first, then sit at your seats. This location specifically, not much distance from the counter to order and the front door, so it definitely gets a bit clogged up front. Ordered quite a bit of food for two: -wild mushroom alfredo -bbq mac and cheese -rigatoni -caesar salad All the food above was great. and made well. The dish that was bottom tier was the calamari, A bit too much batter and not much seafood. Mixed a lot with some greens. Ambiance is nice. Grassa is definitely a good spot for some value pasta eats! Street parking only. read more

My hubby has been ordering grassa via Uber eats for years and he has brought me a few leftovers, so I suggested we go in and sit since we haven't had a chance yet. What a lovely place clean and bright. Food is phenomenal hand made noodles that have the perfect bite. My grandson who believes he is a macaroni and cheese connoisseur stated that this was the best Mac he's ever had and he's had a lot ;) The wedge salad had the perfect dressing to complement it. Would return any chance we get. FYI self bus only read more

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Aside from the delicious pasta, the staff there are amazingly gracious. I had lost my wallet last night and a very kind employee noticed and kept it safe at the front counter. I went beck to look where my car was parked near the door, and she saw me looking for it and came outside to ask if I had lost a wallet and said they were trying to find a way to contact me. I didn't catch her name but I'm so grateful to her for looking out. Thank you so much, Grassa! read more

Never NOT a long wait for food. Even if the restaurant is 25% full. They don't prioritize seated people vs takeout orders, unfortunately. Bummer because food is pretty good! read more

Walked in and were greeted by staff. This isn't your traditional Italian set up, it's very coffee shop ambience but it's a nice place just coffee vibes. The food was really good, we ordered the vodka pasta, pork belly mac n cheese, rigatoni, and the Caesar salad. I got the vodka pasta, it was really good but a bit too spicy for me. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and it was delicious! We also ordered garlic bread later on and it was really good. Caesar salad, pork belly mac, calamari, were my absolute favorites, but everything was really good! Also tried the lemonade was very refreshing. Staff was very nice, place was clean. read more

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I did take out. The marinara sauce wand noodles were cooked perfectly! Usually with pasta take out it is nasty by the time it gets to you. My dish was yummy! Will order again!! read more

My go to location for when I want pasta pronto. I do avoid ordering during dinner (5-7ish PM) as I tend to run into a 30-40 minute wait. My fav is the fusilli. I noticed that the food quality and quantity can be inconsistent at times so I specify exactly how I want my pasta. For example, there are a few times where I ordered the mac & cheese to go and the pork belly portion was laughable. Then there were times when I ordered the fusilli and it was too dry (i.e., not enough sauce or the sausage was overcooked). When dining in, the service is nice - even though it's bus your own tables, I see workers asking to clear the tables anyway. Recently, they forgot the garlic bread on my to go order. :( read more

10/10 dining experience. We all absolutely loved our pasta!!! The ambiance of the restaurant and the service was also amazing. Truly good homemade pasta that was sooo fresh. I wish I lived in Portland simply for this pasta haha. Highly recommend visiting when you're in town! read more

BEST CAESAR SALAD AND BEST SPICY VODKA PASTA EVER You order and pay first at the counter then pick anywhere to sit, super casual spot with great food. The Caesar salad was perfection. There's an appropriate amount of parm dusted on top with anchovies (crucial), croutons (yum), but most importantly, the preserved lemon really did it for me. It sounds unusual at first but trust me just try it for yourself and thank me later. Their Fusilli Alla Vodka with handmade pasta.. you can tell it's handmade, the fusilli was huge and perfectly al dente, the perfect vehicle to carry the vodka sauce. Also their sauce is actually spicy, it's delicious. I tried Carbone's spicy vodka too and I can say Grassa really nailed it. Unfortunately, I don't live in Portland so I can't enjoy this as much as I want to but I'll make travel plans just to eat here again. read more

Grassa - Fusilli alla Vodka - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The Caesar salad is fresh and balanced really well with the lemon. It comes with anchovies so it's not vegetarian but you can get it without it when you order. Our server informed me that the dressing had anchovies in it as well and offered me an Italian vinaigrette without me asking which was really thoughtful and kind. The spaghetti al pesto is delicious with a good mix of pesto and the nice pine nut crunch on top. It almost felt healthy with the zucchini in it but still very flavorful and unique without being heavy. The aglio olio is iconic, light and savory. I could literally go for that all day, and their garlic bread is fresh hot and crispy so goes really well with anything. I also like how we can order at the counter and sit at the table for our food to come, makes it easier to come and go as we please. Great place to try in the NW for sure! read more

Grassa - Spaghetti Al Pesto - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is great if you want a yummy pasta w/ quick service! There're so many yummy choices to choose from the menu. We got the Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara, both were awesome! I'll definitely come back soon to try the other dishes from the menu. read more

Grassa - Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We stopped by Grassa for a Wednesday dinner after seeing their handmade pasta sign while on the bus to the Nob Hill food cart pod (which ended up being kind of sad, hence the change in our dinner plans). They have a cozy industrial interior with lots of seating and you pay up front before sitting down with a number. They also have self serve water at the counter. It was pretty empty when we arrived around 5, though by the time we left there was a big line of people waiting to order. The cashier was also kind enough to offer putting my entire group's order in at once to ensure we all got our food at the same time and then separating it back out to charge us individually. The portion sizes were right in the middle - not too small, but not giant. I got the rigatoni which al dente. The sauce was not bad and the pork was tender. I also tried a bite of the aglio e olio which was nice and garlicky, and a piece of gnocchi which was crispy but soft. My friends said the parsley used to garnish their pastas was kind of bitter though. Overall a cute lunch/dinner spot with decent pasta at a very affordable price point. I would go back! read more

This spot is great. The service is slow but the Mac n cheese is special. Worth the stop! read more

Grassa - Hot pocket. - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I have been to Grassa so many times but never at this particular location despite it being the closest to me . We were late for dinner and decided to try our luck , considering it was 30 minutes to closing time . The staff was more than accommodating and said that there was plenty of time still to have a sit down meal . We ordered the Carbonara and Pappardelle with a Negroni and the house Pinot Noir. The drinks were handed over to us right away and the food shortly after. Grassa knows what they are doing and the pasta is mostly A+ , however I did find my carbonara bone dry this time , the noodles were chewy and the egg on top was overcooked. The Pappardelle was just slightly better . I am still giving them 4 stars because my experience with Grassa overall has been good on majority of my visits. The staff was busy cleaning up and closing down but they were kind and courteous despite the late hour . Pricing is reasonable as are the portion sizes . The location is very convenient and popular and as a result parking can be tricky on weekends . read more

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Every week at work I see their advertisements with delicious looking plates and I do love Italian cuisine so after an afternoon shopping at Adidas we stopped in for a late lunch the delicious aroma coming from behind the counter was amazing the staff friendly and A great atmosphere with big green plants huge windows to people watch the service is order at the counter take your number and relax which was what we did our food arrived the spaghetti and meatballs, rigatoni and carbonara along with garlic bread my spaghetti was delicious but definitely over salted the other dishes were perfect that's why only three stars the ride home and later my mouth was still feeling dry and salty besides that the experience was good I hope this helps and thanks for reading. read more

My friend had a paste and wine date, and it was so much fun! We sat outside because it was warm. The pasta was amazing and the perfect portion! The service was lovely and the restaurant is so cute! I've been numerous times, I try something new every time and it never disappoints. Highly recommend! read more

First time here, and really liked it! We tried the brussel sprouts, ravioli and the pork belly mac. Everything was good, but the Mac & cheese was amazing. The cheese wasn't too heavy and the smoky pork belly was a perfect compliment. Will come back for that for sure. Not much to be said for the ambiance or amenities, but the food was amazing. (Lame complaint, but the warm water was a let down next to such great food). read more

Grassa - ravioli and mac & cheese - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The ambience, location, and environment is wonderful. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but what we ordered (paparadelle) was too salty. I didnt finish the food. Otherwise, not too bad. read more

Although most places don't get it right, I ordered the squash tortelli with sage and brown butter. It was damn good!! The pasta was rolled to the perfect thickness, cooked al dente, and the squash filling was appropriately sweet. I am eager to try their other pastas. read more

Absolutely love this place! I get takeout from here all the time and it's always consistently delicious. I take anyone visiting to the location on 23rd because the ambiance is so great. It's in the heart of some of the most beautiful shops, bars, etc in NW Portland. The service is always great and the food is simple and amazing. I always get a side of meatballs with any order, they are too good to pass up! read more

Legit pasta for $12-15/dish. I won't say that it was the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life, but it was legitimately very good. A fancy restaurant will have better pasta, but that'll run you $30+/plate for half the amount of food. This was incredible for the price point. I went with three other people and we shared four pasta dishes, meatballs with garlic bread, and calamari. Oh, and a ceasar salad as well. Two of the pasta dishes were taking longer so they weren't able to serve us all four pasta dishes together. The server apologized for this and offered us free stuff due to the inconvenience. Amazing! How often do you see that happen? Maybe at a fancy restaurant once in a while. And this is the sort of place you order at a counter, not a normal waiter sort of thing. So it's not like they were hunting for a tip or something. They gave us a free beer too in addition to the ceasar salad. Pretty cool. Ceasar Salad: Pretty good. Crisp romaine lettuce. The dressing was light and fresh. It came with slices of lemon too, which were really good! Calamari: I don't like calamari, but the others thought it was good. Y'know what I do like though? Fried lemon slices! They were insanely good! Why are they not more popular? Meatballs: These actually were not very good at all. I'd definitely recommend skipping them. They just were really lacking in flavor. Zero crispiness on the outside. The meat was kinda sponge-y, not juicy, and didn't have much flavor. The red sauce was lacking in flavor as well. Pesto Pasta: This was probably my favorite dish. The linguine (?) was on the thicker side and had a good bite to it. But the flavors, wow. Very good flavors. There were thin garlic slices cooked perfectly, and I know how easy those are to screw up. Hazelnuts toasted perfectly and a variety of sizes (some were crushed more than others) which I appreciated. Some sort of soft, fresh, amazing, Italian cheese that looked like fresh mozzarella but I don't think it was. The pesto was great. I'd definitely recommend this. Pork Belly Mac n Cheese: I was debating which dish was my favorite, and this was a very close second. As you can see from the picture, we dug into it pretty quickly, before I was able to take a picture. The cheese was perfectly gooey. The pork belly had a nice flavor and sweetness to it. The texture was pretty good, although I've had better "melt in your mouth" textured pork belly before. The little slivers of scallion were a perfect touch. Cacio e pepe: Personally I though it was solid but not great. The pasta could have been fresher. Actually, all of the pastas I thought could have had a fresher tasting flavor to them, but I think that's especially true of cacio e pepe, since cacio e pepe is a simpler dish flavor-wise that is more about the quality of the ingredients and freshness shining through. I also thought that it was underseasoned. Could have used more salt, pepper and parmesean cheese. It was still good though. Pasta with red sauce: We also got this pasta dish with fusilli noodles I think. It had bits of sausage and a slightly creamy red sauce. For the other people I was eating with, this was their favorite or second favorite dish. Personally I liked it but not that much. The spicy and meatiness of the sausage shined through into the red sauce, and it was good. I thought the red sauce could have had a deeper flavor though. One non-food thing to comment on is that the environment wasn't the best. It was pretty hot in there, enough where we were uncomfortable and it interfered with the enjoyment of the meal. Granted, this is late July where Portland is having a bit of a heat wave. Temperatures are in the upper 90s. The other thing is that water was serve-yourself -- they had cups and a faucet thing -- but there was nowhere to get ice! So we had to get up and wave down a server behind the counter a few times to get ice. read more

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We came for a plate of fresh pasta. I liked the open plan and large space where we could sit away from others. I was thinking that this is probably one of my last times of eating in a restaurant For a long time, and I was really prepared to love my lunch. If there's one thing that I can't stand it's paying good money for bad food. I tried very hard to like my pasta, fresh spaghetti, with pesto. However, the spaghetti was so al dente That chewing it took more energy than it should. There's a certain amount of snobbery associated with liking your pasta a tad undercooked, and I understand that. However, this pasta was too firm for me. In addition, the pesto sauce was questionable. There was strong garlic and basil, but there were also chunks of hazelnuts. Why hazelnuts? Just because they happen to be grown here? Give me pinenuts or give me death. My daughters butternut squash we're very sweet and swimming in pools of oil. By the time of our sitting together, the sauce in her dish had divided into olive oil and the rest of it. I also think there was sugar somewhere in this dish. I would not have been able to finish either the pesto or the ravioli. I am typically a very big eater, so really this food was too rich even for me. This restaurant also has you come up to the counter to order, bring your own water, and has your forks and knives at the table. I don't like this trend of low service, although I understand the need for it at this difficult time. In sum, this was a mediocre place holding itself out as more than it is. There are many other restaurants in Northwest Portland, which give you a far superior meal in my opinion. read more

Grassa - The view of exterior - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Start with the basics. Food. I never knew they serve spaghetti chewier than jerky and colder than your exes dirty looks. The music sounded as if the DJ was deaf. Beer was flatter than Madonna's butt. Service was decent, but so is 50* weather. And how you don't know the ratio to an Arnold Palmer people? It's flippin 2 ingredients Best part was leaving. Salud. read more

I love grassa so much! It's a great spot for a casual bite to eat. You walk in, order at the counter, and a staff member delivers the food to your table. My grandma is handicap and since there is a step near the entrance the staff was able to show us the accessible entry way around the corner! They also allowed us to move a table and some chairs to sit more comfortably. I got the rigatoni with pork ragu, my grandmother got the fussilli alla vodka, and my aunt got the pork belly mac n cheese! All the meals were great, I did add a few red pepper flakes to my rigatoni to add a little extra spice! My grandma noted the fussilli alla vodka was a bit spicy for her so be aware if you do order that one! I've also had the Campanella before and if you like olives, feta, and peppers that dish is worth trying! read more

Grassa - Pork Belly Mac & Cheese - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The food was very delicious and cooked well. Noodles were not overcooked and sauced just right. We enjoyed some tasty wine with our pasta. read more

Grassa - Macaroni and cheese with pork belly - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The pasta is great but doesn't blow me away. I am a PASTA LOVER. I drive from SE to come here and enjoy some noodles while taking in the scenery of the NW, and what a way to brighten your day. When you're cold and want something warm, comforting, and easy, Grassa. I usually get the Sunday Ragu, the Pork Belly Mac, & some sides of garlic bread. The Brussels sprouts also smack but are sometimes a big soggy by the time I pick up my to-go orders. The service is amazing... Logan is the sweetest & bestest server I've had there and always ensures my order goes through seamlessly whenever I stop by. And also has great music taste & beer recommendations to enjoy your pasta with. read more

Grassa - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had pasta alli vodka. Superb. Perfect sauce consistency and al dente pasta. Great meal. It was recommended and did not disappoint.

Food was amazing. But... not having table service I'm surprised at the price. You order from the counter and bus your own table. The $15 glass of wine was only 4oz vs the standard 5oz and it comes in a cup. I ordered a top shelf vodka drink, an appetizer and an entree at red onion down the street and it was the same price... and I got table service. Surprised at the price disparity just a few blocks away. read more

Grassa - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came in for nacho week, got my socks jacked. Enough pesto and protein to start CrossFit. Nice booths, good service. read more

Grassa - Nacho Week Nachos - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

A cute, wonderful Italian dinner experience. We went for dinner on a Friday night, It was pretty busy but didn't take too long to order or get our food. The handmade pasta was top notch and the pork ragu on the rigatoni was *chefs kiss*, the only knock was that there was not enough. The carbonara was creamy and flavorful. The portions were elite, leaving you feeling full but not stuffed. Prices were excellent, cocktails were also good, nothing spectacular but very solid. Would deff recommend and will be going back again. read more

Grassa - Rigatoni - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Honestly, not my favorite! First of all , you walk in grab a menu and order at the counter. This is fine for a lunch spot, but we were wanting to sit down and have table service. Didn't know this until we arrived, by then it was too late and we were starving. I don't really mind ordering at the counter when I'm expecting it, but the meal was not inexpensive for pasta, and they want a tip at the end. For what?????? (Everyone wants a tip anymore....) Me ordering my own food, and having to request someone clean off my table??? Spent time tracking down parm cheese and black pepper as well. Ordered Caesar salad and it was waaaay too salty . I love salt being from the Midwest, but my tongue was raw once the pasta arrived. My meal was nothing to write home about. Beautiful presentation but lacked flavor and creativity. Not a fan of pepperoncini as an ingredient in a pasta dish as well . Meatballs were sizable, but chewy and the texture was off. The wine, meh.... save your money! Drive me nuts that we live so close to some of the most beautiful wines in the world, and restaurants serve crap like what I ordered. We will pay for it people!!! It would be nice to have decent options. Won't come back here again. Sorry. read more

Grassa - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon