Very big disappointment to say the least. Waiters with no personality.I would not come back,food was nothing to return for. Food that was ordered but was forgotten but they tried to charge for . Atmosphere like a morgue except for the LOUD clanging of dishes in the back. Save your money and go to domino's instead. read more

Fair review, unrelated to COVID. I've tried this place twice now and the food is really just not good. Got a dirty martini with Tanqueray and it was very light to the taste. Got the crab bisque and it was all heavy cream except for 4 chunks of crab. Got the garlic breadsticks and they had a bizarre after taste so didn't finish them. And got the clams casino, which was really just ok. The first time I came here I got spinach ravioli in Alfredo sauce and it was super bland and the Alfredo sauce was not creamy. read more

I was treating myself to lunch today in Frederick. I had been to this restaurant a few years ago and wanted to return to see if it was still as good as I remembered. I was promptly greeted and seated. I was brought water, menu and drink list right away. I ordered a glass of wine and perused the menu. My wine was delivered along with warm soft bread with dipping oil which was rosemary infused - very tasty. I had asparagus parmiagiano which was cooked to the perfect tenderness. It was very good. read more

My first time here was very good and I was going to leave a positive review. But last Sunday we went for a second visit and it was awful. I ordered the Chicken Romano this time and the sauce was this weird sweet brown sauce. Maybe they used a sweet marsala or something but other than sweet the sauce had no other flavor. My daughter had the Eggplant Parm....The eggplant was was undercooked. It was hard and tough. Maybe because it was a Sunday, I don't know but the food was clearly not as good as the previous time I was there so 3 stars is kind of an average of the two visits The other stuff: seated quickly, staff friendly, all very good. But excellent service can't make up for poor food read more

Bellisima!! Wow everything was so tasty and delicious We ordered a variety off of the menu- the calimari appetizer was lightly battered and perfectly portioned served with dipping marinara and lemon- order extra lemon for taste and moisture. the roasted red peppers which they make their own marinating for a week just drowning in oil garlic and spices!! The cheese manicotti was tender and homemade, the seafood fra Diablo just right amount of spices, The fish dish with crab was amazing!! A quick walk just past the main section of business and it up on the corner- don't be turned off by the neighborhood to walk by- read more

When we want Italian in Frederick, we go to Il Porto. Wine menu is great, staff is kind and attentive, and food is legit with quality ingredients. read more

Not sure what all the fuss is about (unless there are NO decent Italian restaurants in the area). We started with the fried zucchini. It was ok but greasy. The true test of good Italian food is in the sauce. I found their red sauce to be overly sweet. Veal Francese was tough and the sauce was unpleasant. I had two bites and left the rest. I would not return. read more

Il Porto - Veal Francese - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

My last review for Il Porto was over 9 years ago and may have been back only once since. I mentioned not being that impressed, that it had good ambiance and it was entertaining to see my boyfriends beard full of cheese. Fast forward to 2021, a different boyfriend, bearded as well, but clean this time. I was much more impressed this time around (minus not being able to hear the waiter in his mask and the cold butter) and liked that all the pasta was made in house. Finish with the chocolate mousse cake! read more

I'm so glad I gave this place a second chance. Years and years ago I stopped in for dinner and wasn't impressed but we went for Christmas Eve dinner and I was impressed. Luckily we made reservations because it was busy. Our table was tight against a petition and on top of another table but we made it work. Service was good, not amazing but good. Appetizers were well received at my table. The fried calamari and mozzarella sticks. Dinner entrees were big! I couldn't finish my eggplant parmigiana but was able to enjoy it for two meals. The pasta and sauce were very good but the eggplant was average. I prefer small pieces of eggplant that are more crispy but these were large pieces that unfortunately were mushy. My husbands chicken parmigiana was delicious and the kids enjoyed their spaghetti and meatballs. Wine and desserts, cannoli and mango sorbet, were delicious too. Overall, very good meal. Even though the place was packed they were moving food out fast! We will be back. This is the best place for Italian food in Frederick by far. Not sure what went wrong my first visit but just glad I tried it again. read more

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We went last night for dinner with friends last night. 7:00 reservation and they seated us immediately. The wait staff was practicing good hygiene fir covid and the restaurant was set up well. Service was excellent. The wine list by the glass is a little limited but the Cabernet I had was excellent. Our dinner partners ordered the antipasto, well presented and they said it was great. Fir dinner I had calamari in red sauce with Pasta. All our dishes came out at the same time. The dish had a generous amount of calamari and pasta. It was hit and obviously just prepared. Delicious and I was filled up. The only complaint was the butter being stone cold and hard to spread. They could also be a bit more generous with the bread but they gave us more when asked. Great place, I am going back. read more

Il Porto - Excellent meal. - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Very Disappointing. The sign in the restaurant said Martini's were $5.99 all day. When the bill came they were 10.99 each. The waiter was 'sorry' but that price is only on Tuesdays. Although the sign did not say that. The waiter said that the Lobster ravioli dinner came with 7 or 8 raviolis - it came with 5. The picture of the spaghetti with meatballs showed 5 or 6 meatballs - it came with 3. The rockfish dinner had 3 small filets for $35 and the marsala was made with canned mushrooms. The food tasted good, the service was great, but left with no chance of returning. read more

Pizza was undercooked. $20 for a large Pepperoni. Wasnt cut all the waybso you will need a pizza cutter. Probably wouldn't be too bad if it was cooked all the way. I'd pass on the pizza next time ot at least ask for it to be well done. read more

Il Porto - Large Pepperoni Pizza - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

So on Saturday 27 November I called and try to order to go food.last time I got my order wrong ,so I just wanted to make sure I get my food right.and when I call this manager cooper Cruz answer the phone call and he answer very rudely and yelled on me twice.like I don't speak English .the more worst thing happen when I went to Resturant pick up my food,I asked the sever his name so he approach me and still his attitude was same .i am not sure if he is well trained to be manager or he judge people on racial basic.but the worst experience ever I had in my entire life.this person should not be in hospitality business. read more

Great service and atmosphere! We've been here a handful of times and the service is always attentive and friendly. I love that they boxed my leftovers up for me (I always make a mess of it). And the restaurant is welcoming while still being date worthy. I love Italian food. And I love I'll Porto's baked ziti (and they'll leave the meat off if asked and have always been nice about it!) It's super cheesy and the pasta is cooked just right (no slimy ziti here). And the sauce compliments the cheese without overpowering it. (Okay full disclosure, I don't think I've ever had anything else here.) Oh, and you get oil and parmesan for dipping your bread. Which means I fill up on bread and have leftovers, so it's a major plus. The tiramisu was heavenly. While the ziti is excellent, the chicken and eggplant parmesan my group had tonight missed the mark. I had a few bites of the eggplant (which is my second go to Italian dish) and it was off - chewier than it should be is the best way to describe it. My guess is it was frozen. The chicken was bland and both were swimming in sauce. I stuck with the four star review because everything else was tasty, the service was great, and our past experiences have been good. read more

Carryout order review: Excellent service, food was ready when promised and was delicious. Portions are large and fresh. Highly recommend the eggplant parm. Small interior - intimate and romantic with a very small bar area. Off-street parking and in the heart of downtown Frederick. read more

Horrible excuse for Italian food! Pasta was over cooked and mushy. The sauce was bland and the pasta was literally swimming in it. Also had a special which was fish crusted in Parmesan and panko. The fish was dry and tasted freezer burnt. The broccoli that came with it was steamed with zero seasoning! Expected more given their prices. Macaroni Grill is sadly better. read more

All I really wanted was soup and salad for dinner. The cream of crab soup was phenomenal. It was strange that the Caesar salad didn't have any options on the menu for any protein on top, however they were good when I asked if I could get some shrimp on top, so I appreciated that they were accommodating. Then I got the bill! Oh my. They up-charged the salad $2 from "Caesar" to "Billy" (no big deal) but also up-charged an additional $18 for a few shrimp! That is a $20 upcharge to a Caesar salad just to add a few shrimp to the top, which was really quite excessive, and I'm not a penny pincher by any means when it comes to eating a good meal. This brought a very plain salad from $5.99 to $26. So, I doubt I'll be back, since that made my single salad one of the most expensive entrees in the entire restaurant, and I feel that was a bit ridiculous when all it had was lettuce, croutons, dressing, and a few shrimp. That soup was pretty great however... read more

Food is excellent. Making a reservation not so much. They bite off more than they can chew.

So my husband and I went on Friday night and were incredibly surprised! We had driven by this restaurant numerous times but never had we been inside until a client suggested it. We were greeted promptly, ordered the fried artichoke, which I had never had before and actually liked it a lot! We expected a bit more flavor, maybe if it had come with a sauce, but it was great and light! I ordered the eggplant part which was a huge portion which was perfect for lunch the next day. My husband ordered a creamy pasta dish with shrimp that was also delicious! Overall, the service and food were great and we cannot wait to go back for date night! What a little gem in downtown frederick! read more

I've eaten here pre-covid many times and it was always fantastic. I came again sometime last month and it was a bit different but that was mainly just because of the limited menu. I missed dipping their bread in olive oil and Parmesan the most. Otherwise everything was fantastic and our server was kind and graceful (even after I spilled my water on the table lol). read more

What a treat this place was! I have been visiting Frederick for over 5 years and have passed this place multiple times and never visited. I decided to take advantage of Frederick's Restaurant Week and went last night and it was great! We made reservations for 8pm and were seated around 7:50 despite the crowded restaurant. I ordered the Shrimp & Scallops alla panna and it was awesome! The sangria was also delicious! My boyfriend ordered the Lobster Ravioli which had the richest sauce as well. Even the fresh baked bread was tasty! The server was fabulous - quick and courteous and the manager checked on us as well. We will definitely revisit! read more

My husband and I went here for dinner on Saturday and we have fallen in love. The atmosphere is cozy, the service is attentive without being overbearing, and the food is fantastic. We shared mozzarella sticks that were clearly homemade, as was the lovely, thick sauce that accompanied them. My husband had the delicious spinach lasagna, which was cooked just right; the pasta was tender but neither rubbery nor falling apart. I had the chicken parmigiana, which was beautifully breaded and crispy on the outside but still tender on the inside. We'll definitely be back. read more

Don't stray from the traditional Italian food at this place or you'll risk a disappointment. Clams casino unlike any I've ever had, rubbery, over cooked, and flavorless with a big hunk of bacon on top. Huh??? Sent them back and replaced with asparagus Parmesan. That too was flat, but easily rescued with lots of lemon. Tried the Rockfish special in a Parmesan cream sauce, it too was disappointing. Flavorless, bland but again rescued by lemon. For $28 I expected better. Front of the house good, but the kitchens specials really let them down. So stick to pizza and spaghetti and your odds may improve. I won't be returning, last time there was marginal too. I'm leaving the plate before the third strike. read more

Went for dinner last night with my family. Service is superb. Very Clean and great food. So happy we walked in!!

I really don't understand the rave reviews for this place. I want to like it (especially since it's right down the street from me and so convenient), but I've tried Il Porto a few times now, hoping it will get better only to be disappointed. The food is not impressive. This time around we tried the fried mozzarella which in Italian restaurants is usually a step above fast food mozzarella. Not here. They were served on a paper towel (which I thought was strange for a place with cloth tablecloths) and were over fried to the point of being slightly burnt. The few pasta dishes I have tried here have been lackluster and lacking flavor and salt (and I'm NEVER one to add salt to my food). For the quality and what you get, it's pretty expensive. Service is sloooooooow. Our drinks were always empty and the bread came out pretty much immediately before our entrees. Everyone is very nice- it just seems like there isn't enough staff for such a busy little place. If I want Italian, I'm gonna go elsewhere. read more

Exactly what you want from an Italian restaurant. Great ambiance, perfectly made martini, great wines, knowledgeable but not pushy wait staff. Oh and the food is delicious! My go-to place in Frederick for a nice meal that won't break the bank. read more

This was such a sad disappointment... they have this tv screen advertising their specials so I chose a Cesar salad and house made lobster ravioli ...after I ordered I was told that they don't, in fact, make any pasta in house and indeed these are frozen ... ok so maybe they are still good??? And then this is what I received an anemic White on white plate of limp ravioli swimming in a broken Parmesan white wine save with zero filling that's right the "lobster " is canned and processed till it resembles tuna .... sad sad sad. And when I sent this dish away the server offered no apology no replacement nothing that would pass as customer appreciation... sadly never again will I refer or pass through these doors read more

Il Porto - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Lacking on service and quality....For starters, it's on a corner downtown without parking. Good luck finding parking in a reasonable distance and pray it doesn't rain. The service started out having to ask for bread. Bus boy drops bread and swiftly walks away. Then we had to flag down server to ask for olive oil for the bread. Server sends bus boy to drop a small bottle of olive oil on the table. Again, he runs away quickly. Umm, hello can someone take the time to look at us and provide attentive service? We need a plate to put the olive oil in....What about asking us if we want some cracked black pepper or cheese in the olive oil? Not a care in the world from the server or bus boy. We just grabbed a small plate and some salt and pepper from table next to us. For appetizers we ordered Clams Casino, Mussels in white sauce, and Fried Zucchini. Mussels and Clams were both good, Fried Zucchini was bland and lacking flavor. The Mussels were actually impressive. Each shell had quite a large mussel and the white sauce was really good. We flagged down the server to ask for more bread to dip in the Mussels white sauce. We ordered Shrimp with Garlic, King Crab and Shrimp, a house salad and Cream of Crab Soup. The soup was ok, not bad, not great, but a very small portion, maybe 8 oz....The shrimp with Garlic was disappointing. 4 medium sized shrimp on top of a bed of linguini. Shrimp still had tails on so you have to peel them off. There was no garlic or any sauce evident on the plain bare tasteless noodles. The shrimp were over boiled and tasted like you got a mouth full of hot dirty dish water in your mouth when you bit in to them. The King crab and shrimp were ok, but who wants to dig their hands through hot red sauce to fish a crab shell out of the linguini? We had to crack the crab covered in red sauce with sauce all over our fingers and splattering everywhere. Again, we had to peel tails off the shrimp and they tasted like they were boiled in the same pot of dirty dish water. For drinks, Wife had the key lime martini, it was ok. I had two glasses of the house Cabernet and that was good. But I also had to flag down the waiter for that 2nd glass of wine and anything else we needed. They don't tell you the Carafes of water are $6.50 each, but we expected they would have a cost. Overall our total meal was around $140 and it was disappointing. The previous night we had similar dishes at $120 total with greater quantity and quality of food with great attentive service at Manalù Italian Restaurant across town. Parking at Manalù was a breeze. We wont be going back to Il Porto. read more

Not my cup of tea at all. We waited for over an hour to get seated for our reservation. The olive oil for the bread was tasteless. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and was very disappointed. Two very small meatballs and the red sauce tasted like they cooked it with sausage. Not good folks and the 14.50 entree did not even include a salad! This place would never make it in New York! read more

The best restaurant in Frederick and for that matter central Maryland! Parmesan encrusted rockfish with lump crab and a butter sauce was fantastic, and the pasta perfect as always. Throw in the red sangria and why go anywhere else!! Delicioso! read more

For my money, this is the best place for Italian food in all of Frederick. And the prices make it not even close. Service was excellent. I recently went with my wife and two of our friends and we all decided we would order the same things again because they were so good. It is definitely worth trying for yourself. read more

Shamelessly I went in with a coupon and left having devoured a fine meal and half price bottle of wine- with some help of course. The luncheon special salad had beautiful presentation with greens, roasted red peppers and fresh "Italian" dressing so good that I will question future bottles and packets. Now I'm ready to return for my Italo faves : Cioppino, Frutti di Mare and Grillo along with Porchetta the wife's preferred Sunday gravy alongside Montepeluciano. Mangia Mangia. read more

I'm not in Frederick all that often but when I am I make a special effort to eat here. The food is really good based on everything I've tried thus far. Their menu may look kind of on the basic side yet somehow I'm always stumped about what to order as everything is always so tasty! I always start with the white beans, yum! Their soups are pretty good too if you're not sure what to get as a starter. I usually get either pasta or fish (usually listed on the specials menu not the main menu) and have been pleased with all of them. If you're torn between pastas, I'd recommend the cannelloni, lasagna, or one of the spaghetti dishes depending on what you're in the mood for. The decor and ambiance could use some help but really that's my only complaint. The food more than makes up for it! read more

Went to Il Porto on a whim last Sunday evening and I was very impressed. I must say that it's one of those places I have walked by countless times but have never gone in. Definitely worth the trip, go in! It was completely not what I was expecting but in the best way, a little nicer then what I thought it would be and slightly more formal, white table clothes etc. The food was great! We did an assortment of small dishes as our intention was to go somewhere else for desert. Tried the mussels in white wine sauce which were fair, I thought they could use a little seasoning and that the portion of mussels was small even for a starter. Had the prosciutto which was wonderful, sauteed mushrooms which I liked even though I am not the biggest mushroom fan, and Cesar salad. We each had a drink the Sangria (red) which I tried. I didn't think it was anything too special not bad but tasted fair and reminded me of the sangria Cacique (down the street) has. I had a blood orange martini which was great! The service was on point and the atmosphere was very cute, a little off of the beaten path of Market St. but I think worth the detour! Apparently they also have gluten free pasta fyi...as someone who is recently gluten free I definitely appreciate options! read more

Ok, wow. I bet I hadn't been here in 8 years. My husband had never been...and I have been on a quest for REAL spaghetti carbonara. So, we decided to go for it. We walked in tonight (Saturday the 23rd) at 8:30 to a lively, festive, yet cozy, environment. It was dimly lit with the glow of pretty red votives on each table. The room was packed with couples, families, prom pretties, and big tables of friends. We were greeted warmly and almost immediately...and taken to a 4-top against the wall. Our water, bread, olive oil, and fresh Parmesan arrived promptly. Our server was with us promptly, as well...and he was delightful! He gave us time to look over the menu and shared some specials. A few minutes later, he returned to take our order. We started with the asparagus Parmesan and the white beans. Both were perfect! The asparagus was simply dressed with a spritz of olive oil and parm. The white were EXACTLY as I remember them from Tuscany. My husband had the eggplant parm for his meal. It was a very generous portion with a side of thin linguini on the side. The tomato sauce was divine...tasted like fresh tomatoes - tangy, tart, light. While we are completely loyal to another eggplant parm in town, this was hardly second rate! So when I ordered the spaghetti carbonara, our server assured me that it was the real deal (he called it "dry style"). Well, it was exactly that - THE REAL DEAL! I no longer have to go to Little Italy in NYC or actual Italy to get the real stuff! The pasta was perfectly al dente, the egg tenderly and lightly clinging to the noodles, the pancetta was cooked just enough to release its fats and flavor...and my favorite...the onion offering tiny pockets of sweetness. It may seem like I'm overreacting a bit here...but you have no idea how long I'd looked for this. And it was right here under my nose. We finished our whole meal - because honestly, my portion was just the perfect size. The food certainly shined for us tonight, but the service was warm, inviting, and appreciative. They even walked us to the door and thanked us AGAIN as we got to the sidewalk. Such a supremely pleasant dining experience! Thank you! read more

First, my wife and I read an article in a recent "The Best of Frederick" magazine stating that Il Porto is one of the best Italian restaurants in the area. After eating there and one of the other Italian places in Frederick, I'm beginning to think that Frederick just doesn't have a really great Italian eatery. Before I discuss the food, I'd like to state that Il Porto is really conveniently located right downtown. The building is really neat and like many other old buildings in downtown Frederick, it has the pressed tin ceilings, which I think are quite neat. Additionally, the service was really great. Now, onto the food... Because it was Restaurant Week, my wife and I ordered items off of the pre-fix menu (an appetizer, entree, and dessert). Typically, restaurants use pre-fix menus during special occasions to feature certain items that are hot sellers and fan favorites. I'm not sure Il Porto has that kind of a business model though. One of the first things the waiter told us was that their ravioli was made fresh in house, pasta and all. However, not one of the dishes on the pre-fix menu featured house-made pasta. Appetizer. My wife ordered an Italian salad, which is pretty standard and hard to screw up. I ordered the parmesan asparagus, which was basically just blanched asparagus with some parmesan sprinkled on top. The asparagus was cooked well, but there was absolutely no flavor to it at all. No salt, pepper, or anything noteworthy. Just a hint of salt and some olive oil would have made that dish exponentially better. For our entrees, I ordered the veal parmesan and my wife ordered the eggplant parmesan. The veal was tough and chewy with little taste, but the eggplant was good. What bothered me was they didn't drain the pasta well at all, so the plates had a pool of warm, tomatoey water sitting on the bottom of the plate and the marinara had a mineral-y taste to it that was kind of off-putting. For dessert, we ordered the canoli because we figured that we couldn't go wrong with that. I'm not positive if we ordered the wrong items, but I'd imagine that veal and eggplant are fairly common items. To top it all off, Il Porto isn't an inexpensive place either. I'll give it one more try at some point in the future, but I'm not getting my hopes up. When it comes to Italian food, I think I'll just stay at home and make it myself. read more

Wow, wow, wow! Finally, I do not have to drive to Bethesda for really good, authentic Italian food. I have recently moved to Frederick and have been trying out different restaurants and this is the first Italian restaurant I have tried in this area. Il Porto did not disappoint. I started my tour with the house chianti. Any real Italian restaurant will have a good, if not great, house chianti. Once the waiter poured my glass and I saw the DOC label, I figured I was in the right place. Once I took my first sip, I KNEW I was in the right place! Next up were my appetizers of marinated red peppers and white cheese pizza with fontina. I have searched high and low for these two dishes that could compete with what is served at Pines of Rome. I have found my place, that's for sure! And the further upside of Il Porto is that the atmosphere is beautiful - white table cloths and Opera music to accompany delicious fare. I wanted to try their garlic spinach and also their white beans plus a pasta dishes but the waiter was insistent that it would be too much food. So he had the kitchen prepare a specialty pasta dish that included the garlic spinach and white beans plus diced tomatoes in an olive oil sauce. SCORE!!! Another hallmark of a really good Italian restaurant is they will make customized dishes that do not appear on the menu. Again I was beyond pleased. Finally I finished my meal with a cappuccino... strong, delicious and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon, just as it should be. I'll be back again and again and again! read more

We gave this place a try because of such great yelp reviews. The service was nice. The food was average. I've had better Italian food at other restaurants. Their pasta was cooked a bit past my preference. Tiramisu was okay. Nothing too great about it. The best dish we had was fried calamari appetizer. read more

Il Porto - Shrimp fra diavola - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Decided to try this place out after a recommendation from a friend. Went there on a Sunday night around 6pm and was seated right away. The decor is very nice/inviting and reminds me of the places in Little Italy. Good spot for a romantic dinner! I had the shrimp fra diavala and a dirty martini from the bar. The shrimp was excellent and I enjoyed their red sauce. The pasta was tender, too. I would give this place 5 stars except I was not happy with my martini and the wait staff, while professional, seemed over worked. If you're looking for a classic Italian experience or quiet romantic dinner, this is a good choice. I would come again. read more

Il Porto - Shrimp Fra Diavola - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

This was my second time here. Staff was super friendly. My Apple martini was fabulous. I gave it a 4 rating this time because of the seafood platter(20.99).I asked what was in it and was told calamari, mussels, crab legs, shrimp and clams in a white wine sauce over linguini. Platter came and there was 1...yes 1..shrimp, an abundance of calamari, which was overcooked, 1 chunk of crab leg(not even a whole claw or leg), several mussels and clams(cooked perfect). Linguine was really good. I mentioned to the waiter that I wish there was more shrimp, crab and less calamari and he agreed. He said next time request more shrimpwhy didn't he tell me this when I obviously had never ordered it before?? Still a good place, but I guess I need to know the kitchen better before I order next time. read more