Great local pasta joint - friendly service and delicious (if somewhat garlicky) food!

I ordered the Penne al sugo. It was delicious! It reminded me of beef stroganoff. So dang good! Service was excellent. Food was great!

I came here on a Wednesday for lunch. There's outside and indoor seating and I opted for indoor. Doors were open so fresh air was flowing throughout. There was no wait. I ordered a small Caesar salad and pesto ravioli. Pretty much inhaled the ravioli! Perfect portions, incredibly friendly staff, timely service for those that want a tasty meal during your lunch hour. read more

Justa Pasta - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The Kale Caesar Salad is one of the best in town. The wine pours are great, and the pasta is even better. With daily specials that rotate, there's always something different to try when we go, Great easy neighborhood spot to take the family for lunch and dinner. read more

The dude at the check in was rude today. Barked if everyone in the party was present and I said they are parking. Wanted me to sit at the smallest table. Meantime another couple were seated at the size of table I wanted. He grumped, well if you need so much room go ahead. Then he served the group after me first. I guess he was having a bad day or he shouldn't be in the hospitality business. Our eventual server was lovely and the rest of the meal was fine. I don't require much when I go out to eat but politeness and accommodating the customer counts for a lot. I had been looking g forward to trying this place. read more

I went here to celebrate my official first day of being a full time employee at my job. The spot is so quaint and cute. Service was incredible!!! The pasta was so delicious. Great pesto with chicken. I need to come back. I swear I took a photo but I can't find it sadly. read more

We spotted this place on our way to dinner somewhere else and we are so glad we decide to dine here instead. The cocktails and food were incredible! Best lemon drop I've ever had. The caesar with prawns was so fresh and crisp and flavorful, prawns were big and juicy! We had the pan-seared halibut and it was cooked to perfection, so buttery and flavorful. Also tried the mushroom lasagna and it was rich but amazing! Their Alfredo sauce it out of this world! We have found our new favorite Italian spot! Telling all of our friends and family to come try! read more

The owner is from Italy and it shows through his passion of pasta . I had the bolognese with tagliatelle pasta . Absolutely delicious . As I was waiting for the order, the lady at the counter was very nice and attentive . The ambiance gives off a modern Italian feel. It was nice , clean and cozy . I will be back to try there Alfredo sauce . I would recommend if you are in the mood for authentic Italian pasta . read more

Delicious!!!! Staff warm and welcoming. We ordered the pesto & prawns - homemade noodles and sauce was divine also pictured the special insalata. Couldn't have been more pleased. read more

Justa Pasta - Pesto Prawn - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Good food, good service. Very nice to eat outside. I had delicious chicken Parmesan. The cheesecake is great. There's something for everybody. read more

Decent pasta and good service, but everything is quite overpriced for what it is. Their kale Caesar is bomb though. Fresh, tangy, creamy, garlicky - if I had a comfort salad this would be it! The regular size with chicken is enough for a full meal. read more

Pesto spaghetti was amazing! I wish we had tried it on the first day when we moved from Bay Area to Portland We bought a piece of cheese cake to go to pair with the coffee we made at home.... It was a mistake... we should have bought two pieces instead of one . Highly recommend! read more

Hate to admit it but - I judged this establishment before I ever ventured in. This city is so focused on "concepts" and hip names, I've been of the mindset that thought, "Justa Pasta sounds like somewhere I'd take my mom into when she came in from Pocatello". I am eating my words friends, because Justa Pasta is absolutely more than its name would suggest. The service is fantastic. It's a small run operation, where you are likely to run into the owner on any given night. He's funny and has always been happy to make me the wettest martini - without judgement. The rest of the staff are also super helpful (including the kitchen folks, who are often found laughing and generally adding to the buzzy vibe of this place). The star of the show though is definitely the food (and the Cheesecake. Damn that Cheesecake is good.) The pasta is made in house and it shows. Every single dish I have tried has been amazing. From their specials to their build your own pasta, the flavors and care that goes into the food is always on display. Ok, so... Admittedly, I am not a fan of cheesecake (always way too sweet and too rich/thick/covered in saucy fruit). This Cheesecake made me a convert. If I should ever have a last meal, It would be to order a whole Cheesecake from this place and have it to myself. Its slightly loose, tangy, and really balanced on the sweetness. The crust is dense and crazy buttery. IT IS PERFECTION. The space inside is pretty small, with possibly 4-5 tables, but they have done a fab job with covering their former parking space into a really nice covered porch, with end to end heaters (for those cold wintery months). Their bar always seems packed and is about as small as the dining area. Ok so, if you have gone this far, I just want to say - Justa Pasta, I am so, so sorry to have judged you on your name alone, and to my mom - You're not from Pocatello but even if you were - Ill bring you here every time you come visit. Justa Pasta - A+ Me - still eating my words read more

Justa Pasta - The silent killer. Don't sleep on that Cheesecake, folx. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We came to the restaurant because it was recommended by our neighbor. When we came in we were greeted right away and we decided to sit in the bar. Tasha took care of us and I have to say that the service was amazing. The food didn't disappoint, we order the risotto and a roasted chicken lasagna. The quality and presentation of the food was amazing. I totally recommend this spot and I'll be coming back soon. read more

Justa Pasta - Risotto and Roasted chicken Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I 100% stand behind my review. The person brought to the front of the line from the back did not pick up a pre-order but made an order. Roland, give me your direct # & I'll be happy to re-account what I saw happen. I appreciate your reply, pleased to hear you would not allow this kind of behavior but I hope you will be pro-active & educate this particular staff member verses taking a blind eye of 'it couldn't happen' because it did. I was in line when I saw the rudest thing. Waitress with short blonde hair taking orders at the register being rude to a young black couple in line by ignoring them! Waitress sees a line forming, helps 1 person & then walks off not acknowledging anyone else in line (the couple was next in line). Waitress takes a To Go order from Caucasian male in the back of the line! I've eaten here several times & most everyone else is nice but her. She literally makes this almost perfect quant neighborhood restaurant look bad. It's a shame. I don't support that kind of behavior, will tell others of my experience & take my business else where. read more

Do not hesitate for a second to try this place! The pasta is absolutely incredible! The atmosphere was chill and the wine was a flowin'!!! We were welcomed to the table with bread and oil which is the key to my heart. We got the salad special of the day to be "healthy" because... balance but you know we couldn't wait for our main course of homemade pastas! The salad was fresh and seasoned perfectly. For the star of carb heaven I got the special of the day which was the chicken lasagna. It was smothered in mushrooms, peperjack cheese and alfredo sauce. I dove into that meal and was lost in flavor heaven. It had the perfect blend of spicy and savory and the chicken was tender and juicy. The spicy garlic noodles were also absolutely amazing! Garlic all through the bi#%h!! That chili oil I will dream of until I come back again for more. 100% delish. read more

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Justa Pasta is JUSTA AMAZING!!!! We eat here every time we're in town. Great fresh pasta and fresh salads with super friendly service. We LOVE this place. read more

I wish we lived closer! Dinner on the patio is always such a treat. Wonderful attentive service. A menu with something for everyone. The foccasia is airy and crispy with just enough salt. Olive oil so green marries with the perfect vinegar. The homemade pasta is always the star. Sauces that make you rethink your own recipes. We didn't have room for dessert! read more

No longer do you have to order at the counter. The new bar and surrounding seating area are a nice and much needed addition to the restaurant. We arrived 30 minutes before closing thinking we would get the spiel about last call but it was the total opposite -- we were not rushed one bit. The server brought us multiple samples of wine so we could decide on a bottle. For food, we ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and spinach penne Alfredo with chicken -- both were good but the fave was the Alfredo. I will say I never order this type of dish because it's heavy and I'm not the biggest fan of white sauce but it was amazing! Love that the pastas are fresh and handmade and you can choose the type of pasta you want for each dish. Tip: Don't forget to order their cheesecake -- it's so good with a delicate top layer; if you're too full like I was, ask for it to go. You won't regret it! read more

When you just gotta have great pasta, this is the place. And if you need fresh pasta to make at home, they sell that too. Service is spectacular and the bar staff knows how to make great cocktails. Can't wait to go back! read more

Cute outdoor set up that was well spaced out and felt safe! We stopped by at 8pm on a Saturday and were able to be promptly seated, which was nice. I ordered a martini and we got the garlic olive oil pasta (forget the exact name, but it basically like aglio e olio) and the spaghetti and meatballs. The martini was perfect, honestly one of the best I've had in a while! The marinara sauce was a little on the thin side for my taste and both sauces were unfortunately a little bland for us, but the noodles were made fresh in house and tasted it! Meatballs were also tender! Service was friendly and attentive, and when there was a little snafu with one of our dishes (dietary allergy) it was resolved promptly, which we appreciated. I'd be down to return and try one of their other pastas! read more

Justa Pasta - Spaghetti with meatballs - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

August Friday evening in Portland, Oregon after some warm weather it had cooled off a bit I thought it was great night to take in a one of Portland's restaurants before the rain sets in for the fall. It has been years since I dined here and Portland's food scene has gained strength since but so has Justa Pasta! I arrived without reservations a friend was on the way. I noticed one table open lucky for us as there were other guests arriving. The hostess checked us in and gave us the open table as soon as my friend arrived. Out door seating with a nice breeze. The owner was serving plates to guests tonight adding a nice touch. Our wait staff greeted us asked if we had drinks preference I had a nice mellow sweet Nebbiolo wine my friend the non alcoholic beer. We went straight to our main course after this my friend chose the risotto with linguine sausage and squash. I ordered the nana carfagno's meatballs in tomato sauce. My friend's dish was hot mine was luke warm. The risotto was tasty as no complaints from the patron. My dish was good a little water from the pasta sitting as the bottom of the bowl. Our server was the best ever. The hostess did a little cringe when greeting explained the setting very professionally seated us quickly easily this could have been a wait since Friday night at one of Portland's first-rate casual restaurants. Over all a pleasant experience with really good food and service. I would be back. The list of appetizers and dessert might need a look. Thank you for the nice Italian joint. read more

Justa Pasta started decades ago. It grew slowly, opening a small restaurant in 1998 for lunch, expanding the menu, adding dinner hours, and now enlarging again this week into a much bigger space. The current room is padded with a good amount of colorful and approachable environment. Justa Pasta use to be one of those places you hesitated to tell people about, because it was very small and often difficult to get in to. Don't expect anything fancy; order at the counter just inside the front door and choose your table. They'll bring your food to you and the service I experienced was GREAT! I am not about to say that this is the best pasta in Portland, but I will say that it stands head and shoulders above anything similarly priced in the area. One can get a complete meal for $12-$18 and leave pleasantly full. After this experience at Justa Pasta, you'd never go to Pastini again, but then you should never have gone in the first place. I like a restaurant that keeps the menu on its website up to date. Justa Pasta updates their menu every day, with the latest specials! They use quality ingredients and it shows in their dishes. Draper chicken and Painted Hills beef both show up on the menu, all pastas are homemade. When possible, they use local and organically grown ingredients. How they can do it and keep their prices so reasonable is beyond me. Most dishes and salads are available in two sizes. A small salad and small pasta will leave you quite satisfied. The formula has pretty much stayed the same: three or four salads, a soup or two, eight pastas, and eight ravioli. A lasagna special, a chicken special, and a few other options are always available. Each meal begins with complementary bread and olive oil. The salads are good, with the Kale Caesar being the standout, but this isn't your standard version but more of an acquired taste. Seasonal greens with simple balanced vinaigrette, or baby spinach salads with feta and pine nuts are also available, as well as occasional specials. They generally do a good job with winter soups, such as their wild mushroom soup with olive oil drizzled on top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Dishes tend to focus on the pasta, without drowning it in sauce, though they are tending towards more these days, probably catering to American taste. Carbonara means "with coal" in Italian, and refers to the pepper which is liberally ground on top of the pasta. My son had the basic kids pene with browned butter and cheese...INCREDIBLE and it was only $5. Ravioli can have great flavor, though the pasta has tended towards the thick side lately which tends to mute things. Roasted eggplant ravioli with garlic chili oil was fairly good; the eggplant flavor pushing its way through the sauce. I really like the pumpkin sweet potato ravioli in alfredo. The wine list has about 30 choices and markup is reasonable. The staff behind the counter is familiar with the characteristics and can help you with your choice. A few average wines are available by the glass. I'm not going to say this is the best Italian food in town, it's not. I will say you can't do any better for the price, casual but welcome environment, the friendly staff, and the relaxed, everyday dining environment.It is on my regular rotation read more

Justa Pasta - Caesar kale salad and local special salad - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Okay... I said I would be back and BOY am I back. The gal working lunch today was the sweetest soul, very accommodating. The FOOD....I mean COME ON. So frickin delicious I don't want to leave. Kale salad...chefs kiss. Pesto spaghetti...even bigger chefs kiss. If you are craving homemade pasta, big portions, great vino selection, then this is your spot. WILL BE BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN read more

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We used to eat here all the time, and it was great but then COVID happened. Now its an hour wait just to get a table (in a parking lot, by the way) and then over 45 more minutes to have our pasta arrive, and it was luke-warm at best. I might have sent it back, but I was hungry enough at that point to eat a raccoon ( if it was made of pasta) The food was very flavorful, even if it wasn't warm. The pastas are handmade, and I like the pesto or the tomato sauce the best. Also the roasted squash ravioli with sage butter if they bring that back. ( Not on the menu right now) Would I go back? 50/50 odds on that. read more

This place was yummy! Very good Italian food in NW Portland. I had the lamb lasagna special and it was unique, flavorful and delicious! Another time tried the Caesar which was not traditional (used kale) but good. Great, friendly service. Casual atmosphere. On my visit was seated at a table with some crumbs on it - the only reason for the lack of 5 stars. Otherwise the place seemed clean & well kept. Very good! I will come here again & bring friends! read more

What an incredible experience! We had lunch here this afternoon and it was a wonderful meal. The ambiance was great, and despite the chill/rain the outdoor patio was perfect. The heating lamps ensured we were comfortable and cozy throughout. Our server was thoughtful and attentive, providing favorite selections when requested and a positive demeanor! We had the daily salad, tagliatelle with bolognese, spinach shells with alfredo, and roasted butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage. All of which were made in house and I would order again! A hidden gem. Definitely will be returning read more

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How did we not know about this little gem of a restaurant? It's tucked away in a corner of the Pearl. The parking lot got turned into outdoor seating but I will say we really enjoyed sitting outside here. Tables are plenty spread apart but every sediment are limited on seating. You can call ahead for a reservation though so at least you won't be forced to go there in person just to put yourself on a list with a 45 min wait. I don't believe they are allowing indoor seating here at this time but anyways, let's get down to the real stuff. For drinks they they are all about the wine here but do offer like 3 beers but all bottled. I went with the hand made 3 cheese ravioli marinara and it was absolutely delicious! Even though it was pasta it wasn't heavy feeling. The serving portions were perfect. Pricing was decent too considering the great quality you were receiving. Service was great. They came around to touch base with the table just enough to be considered attentive without being annoying. I know that's a fine line and "different strokes for different folks" but for us they were spot on. read more

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We happened to be in this area, and saw Justa Pasta, and realized it had been ages since we had been there. They had outside seating with plenty of space in between tables so we decided to try them again. We ordered the half portion roasted chicken lasagna and the angel hair pasta with prawns. Both were excellent tasting. One downside to them were the cold plates that they put hot food on. Well, you know the rest of that story. My personal number one pet peeve in restaurants. Service was on point and they were good with the water refills and such. I think they need to revisit their pricing to be in line with the other Italian spots in town. But if you haven't tried them yet, please give them a try. "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well" - Virginia Woolf read more

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Lovely outdoor seating area with heated lamps! Service was impeccable, and the food was delightful. There's nothing taste better than handmade pasta with fresh creamy alfredo sauce, added chicken on top; and the roasted cauliflower soup was phenomenal, thick and creamy yet light, drizzled with some quality olive oil, it was so good that I ordered two! Definitely check this place out, you won't regret it. read more

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Bread 5/5 Kale Caesar 5/5 The best Caesar salad I've ever had. And the best kale salad I've ever had. Do not pass this one by. It is garlicky for sure, but it is good kinda garlicky. Perfectly dressed. Delicious and healthy tasting at the same time. Love it. And the pasta is always so delicious. Perfectly al dente and perfectly seasoned. Can't go wrong with any of the options. Service is friendly. Food doesn't take too long. read more

It's already too crowded, so I hesitate to say anything that would entice yet more diners to Justa Pasta--but it is just so good. The food, the service, the prices. . . Every neighborhood should have a Justa Pasta, and I'm so glad our neghborhood does. read more

Amazing foot. Nice staff. Love it. cheesecake is out of this world. Everything was great.

Justa Pasta is a true gem! We've eaten at the restaurant and also enjoyed takeout on several occasions. It's always delicious, and always comes with the best service. I love that the menu changes daily, so there's always something new and interesting to try. During COVID, the Justa Pasta staff transitioned to curbside pickup without a hitch -- or at least that's how it's felt for me as the customer! It was a joy to call in my order and still hear "Great choice, that's one of my favorite wines!" on the other end. I think my favorite dish so far has been the Chicken Parmesan...or maybe the Chicken Lasagna. Both are cheesy and amazing! And it's hard not to top off your order with cheesecake; Justa Pasta's is truly divine (so is the chocolate ganache cake, and so is the German chocolate cake...). I'm always proud to support this neighborhood favorite and look forward to making my next order. read more

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I ordered the Fusilli with free range chicken breast and corona bean with linguisa sausage & kale. The pasta was great and tasted awesome with enough flavor to satisfy. The grilled chicken and friend zucchini and eggplant(?) was tasty. The soup, just had the cup portion, was a good starter to begin. I also ordered the Très leches for desert... amazing! The service was accommodating and helpful. Parking is all around on the side streets too. I highly recommend checking out the daily specials as they are worth ordering. read more

Ordered the risotto. Thought it was just okay. More like a stir fry to be honest. Service was just okay as well- it was busy but server never came back for our drink order. The insalata was incredibly underwhelming. $17 for a handful of arugula and 5 small chunks of watermelon is robbery. I was excited to try this place but will likely not be coming back. read more

We've been coming here for years and recently had our first "OK" meal. The celery root soup was amazing, the 3 cheese ravioli with pesto was it's usual wonderful self, however the spaghetti with oil, olives and chilis was very disappointing. No sure what was going on with the last dish. It seems like the sauce mixture was on it's last legs and had more chilli and garlic than it should and no olives to speak of. Usually this place is a sure bet for solid food, good service and a nice wine list. We'll be back however we'll plan to stick with the regular dishes to ensure we get the usual solid meal. read more

It's not justa pasta. Far from it. The menu changes daily so be sure to check it out before you go. Thankfully their lasagna is ever-present - just in different and delicious meaty forms - so I always get that. The kale caesar salad is another staple you'll need to try. Feeling more saucy? Pick from their list of sauces and have it over any of their hand-cranked pastas. It's a cozy space inside with an outside patio that's super Covid appropriate. We justa love this little place. read more

Bullies straight bullies terrible service. The food is good. There is no parking the people have ruined. The staff have ruined this restaurant. They are mean to the customers they are obnoxious they are condescending. They are unbelievably rude.! Caesar Salad is ok Three Cheese Ravioli the worst service, and even worse are people who are serving now the cooks are genuinely good people, but I never had any action with them. The food is good. I wouldn't go there again. read more

The food is pretty good, but as a heads up, the portions are small. We ordered some ravioli and a salad, and the red sauce has a great flavor to it. The salad was a little 'meh', as was the customer service, but my rating is solely for the food. The pasta is homemade and it tastes like it. I'd come here again but would expect to be looked at like I don't belong by the hostess/waitresses, but you can't taste judgement in a good red sauce. read more