Delicious food and some strong drinks. My husband and I went on a early day date here and all though the insides are humble, the service was wonderful and the food better. How can you argue with free bread and oil??! As for portion sizes, my husband and I were both satisfied but no leftovers were taken home. Usually I always have leftovers. Take that for what you will. Parking is in the neighborhood mainly and although we found parking, it was a couple blocks away. Give yourself time when going. read more

La Buca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is the first sit-down Italian food we've had since the COVID pandemic. We were seated right away, but unfortunately by the door. There was spot near the a distant window, but they didn't want to overload the server. I guess that reasonable, but not so much if they put somewhere there 15 minutes after us!!!! :( Other than that small snafu, very good food! I had the special which was a seafood white wine linguine. Very tasty and had that deep savory salty seafood taste strewn throughout, which is difficult to do! My partner had a pancetta e funghi noodle dish. I wanted to like it more, but it was too creamy and drying to the mucous membranes of my mouth. I'll come back to try more though! read more

The cocktails were good and reasonably priced. And.... That's the only good thing I have to say about this place. We probably should have known better than to go into a restaurant in that area that was dead at 5om on the weekend Hopping on to give a review, I'm genuinely shocked at all the five star reviews. My pollo marsala was oddly sweet. It kind of reminded me of kettle corn. His beef was also on the sweet side. Both the beef and chicken had the texture of something left frozen for too long then reheated. TL;DR If you really enjoy reheated cafeteria food, this is the place for you. read more

Our server was awesome here but I don't remember her name. We sat outside and there was plenty of seating spread out on the busy street. We ordered the Pollo Marsala and the Pesto basilico w/ spicy sausage. Of course I tried both and the best I basilico was so flavorful but the spicy sausage had no spice and there wasn't much added. I loved the pollo Marsala and ate the whole thing. Just felt like it was overpriced for portions and what you got. read more

La Buca - Pollo Marsala - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Not sure how I missed posting a review of La Buca many years ago. Between going with friends, relatives, visitors to town, and coworkers, La Buca may be the place my wife and I have visited the most, both separately and together. It remains both unassuming and accomplished, putting out food that is both a solid value, and delicious. Our most recent visit was with friends who were equally impressed. I have to mention the 'Abituale', which I believe translates loosely as 'the usual'. As far as I'm concerned, it is most definitely that - this dish of penne, spicy sausage, and creamy tomato sauce is the dish I most often think of when trying to come up with something that I have a craving for. My wife is more adventurous, and on our last visit she had a pork and polenta dish that drew raves. Great atmosphere, with nice art for sale on the walls, tops off a visit. La Buca has been here for a long time, and for good reason. read more

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Walk-in to the bar area instead of restaurant side. Bcz bar side room is more cozy and romantic atmosphere. The restaurant side more noisy and open spaces. Good for family and group. We ordered Alfredo chicken paste, and Abituale, and Salmon Caesar salad. Breads come with butter and olive oil & balsamic vinegar All prices are very reasonable, and good volume, and taste was delicious. I feel so happy to be here. read more

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The food was okay, let's leave it at that--okay. I ate it all but I wouldn't really consider it great food. I had the caprese bruschetta and eggplant parmesan. The caprese was good, but I had to add my own oil and balsamic/salt to make the dish good. It was really bland to begin with. The eggplant parmesan seemed to be the restaurant's own take at it. I can't say if the eggplant was actually fried, it felt like raw eggplant medallions on top of spaghetti. On the plus side the red sauce was good and the pasta was cooked perfectly. All in all I would say hit or miss. I would try it again with a different selection of menu items and will update my review accordingly. read more

This used to be one of my favorite places to grab a quick lunch when I was working in the area. Came here on a random lunch with my fellow colleague as we decided on some pasta. We both ordered the special- spicy italian sausage with kale, garlic, and sun dried tomato cream sauce on penne. The food was quick to come out despite a larger lunch crowd had just ordered before us. The food was solid and definitely satisfied our hunger and cravings. The service is also very friendly and accommodating. read more

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I don't get to eat as much Italian food as I'd like to up here in PDX. I guess that's because there's so much good international cuisine that some of the standards I grew up with haven't gotten as much attention. There aren't as many mom and pop pizza joints/ Italian restaurants up here, just higher end Italian. That's not a bad thing because homemade pasta is so good. But because it's higher end, it also means it's gonna cost you to eat that good food. La Buca isn't really that high a priced place and the food was clean, amazing and presented well. It was an evening to splurge a little. I was over around Burnside and 28th and there are so many good choices up and down 28th, both north and south. Tapalaya, Bar & Kitchen, Paadee, the food pod south of Burnside. I chose some rather good looking Italian food. I got a really tasty spinach salad to start with feta, tomatoes and mixed olives with a lemon-infused olive oil and balsamic dressing. The citrus was clearly tasted and made for a pleasant salad. For my meal I got Polenta con Maiale. Slow roasted pork with caramalized onions and peas over a parmesan polenta in a sage chianti butter sauce. This was sweet but not overly sweet with the onions and the pork. The polenta was creamy and balanced it out. I will admit, I didn't really get any sage flavor but it didn't take anything away from the dish. It was perfect. Overall a great meal with great service and the prices were pretty good for all the pasta dishes and even sandwiches on homemade bread that are on the menu. Some really great Italian food. Enjioy. read more

La Buca - Spinach salad - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Our family of 6 people ate there last night and the food was delicious! One guest was GF and he had no trouble getting a variety of items Gf. The waitress even had calamari cooked/GF and we had no idea that was possible! The service people were "over-the-top" friendly and very helpful. Complimentary bread (yumm-o!) was served. From people who are vegan to GF-to eat whatever - this restaurant had it. The staff served with graciousness and friendly personalities. We will be back! read more

I had been looking for Chicken Marsala and came to La Buca and was not disappointed. My mother in law got the polenta and said it was amazing, and my husband got the special that was a lemon cream sauce. We all spilt the Capresse Bruschetta that was very good. Can't wait to go back and try the dessert! read more

Really, as good as it gets. A true gem! This is what I might compare to a new age italian restaurant. It serves delicious italian food/wine and have a very modern/Portland feel. When you go for dinner, there are plenty of tables, and they rarely have a long wait for a party of two. While you wait for your food to arrive, they will bring you out some bread with oil & vinegar. For the food I highly recommend any special they serve the most recent we had was a seafood penne special with a red pepper cream sauce, kale, salmon, prawns, artichoke hearts, and some other yums. A staple of their menu is the Al Forno, a baked pasta dish, which is great especially if you add spicy meatballs. For you non meat eaters, they definitely have a good selection of vegetable based dishes, and their side of sautéed seasonal veggies, though simple, is divine. Five stars for keeping the prices low. This is high quality italian food for an affordable price. Thank you! The service is great. Every server/host/etc has a smile on their face and genuinely seems to enjoy being there. It's a quiet ambiance, perfect for smaller groups or a date. Don't forget to try the tiramisu! read more

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I'm not sure what's up with all of these one star reviews. My fiancé and I went for our first time with another couple this evening and it was good. I'm Italian and I'm not giving it four stars for authenticity, but the food was good and the wait staff was more than attentive. We didn't have to wait for a table or wait for anything. The food was about what I expected, I will say the potatoes needed some salt but that was quickly remedied. Definitely a cute neighborhood spot when you don't want to wait and aren't looking for super fancy. We had a lovely visit. read more

Quaint little setting with fantastic food! Yummy bread was complimented by top notch Calamari - A must! Also had delicious risotto, the Abituale and the Bavette Ravioli! Loved all 3! Large portions! Will be back an you should try it too! read more

We have been here a few times and each time I leave...I feel like I had an OK, but just OK experience. Its such a quaint space. The hostess is welcoming. The food is good, and overpriced like most Portland Italian food. There is a male server? manager? who just seems apathetic, not engaging, annoyed. It puts me off every time. It makes me feel like I am troubling him by asking for anything. So I dont. We just eat and leave. But I think this is my final time. Nothing specific, just want to feel better and enjoy spending $$ for a plate of pasta. read more

Over cooked awful. The bread is good, though. Maybe it's fresh on some days. If you can't even have fresh basil on your bruschetta, how dare you charge more than Taco Bell. read more

I just got my delivery order and I expected the kids meal to come with 4oz of steak and mashed potatoes like it says on the Grubhub menu-I have pictures of the page that indicates as such. They sent me a small amount of pasta with no flavor, 4 bite sized pieces of bread and a half an apple in a paper wrapper for $13. Boo. read more

A nice little corner Cafe amongst other little eateries along the same street. The lighting is dim which I can dig it if you want to be incognito. The appetizers were good and filling (Calamari, Olive and Pomodoro bruschetta) plus the bread with olive oil/balsamic vinegar. The main course we had the bravette steak, salmon ubriaco and lasagne. They were all very good and for dessert we had the double fudge chocloate cake, tiramisu and the gelato (carmel was the flavor of the day). The end game price for a party of five was reasonable, no complaints. Parking could be a challenge since its all street parking. There are parking lots but it belongs to the particular businesses. I'd eat here again. Don't forget to tip. read more

A reasonably priced, good Italian restaurant, with eager wait staff. I'm not saying it's cheap, because it's not. But it is reasonably priced for the quality of food being served. Everything was good; not excellent, but certainly good. We shared a small salad to start. It came dressed and would have been quite adequate as a meal if bread had been served. Sorry folks, bread does not come with the meals. I had the pesto and added chicken. The others at the table ordered Marsala chicken, and a pasta in red sauce with sausage. All the pastas were cooked just the way I like, ever so slightly past al dente. (That's right. I tasted all the dishes. If you're with me, this is something you just have to put up with.) There were no complaints as attested to by the empty plates at the end and my take home box. We topped off dinner with a shared flourless chocolate torte without gelato. Heavenly. The wait staff were all new. They were all excited and eager to please. No attitude at this restaurant! Overall, this restaurant was enjoyable. It was not Babbo, but it was a pleasant place to enjoy the simple goodness of fresh Italian cuisine. I would dine here again. read more

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Why this place doesn't have a 5 star review baffles me.....the servers were on point, the food was nothing short of outstanding and the serving sizes were decent...I highly suggest this restaurant read more

The service was great. The food was simply fantastic. We really appreciated that the owner came out and talked to us and asked us how our meal was. The tiramisu was delicious as well. My fiance and I can't wait to go back read more

We arrived early 5:30 and were the only ones except for a couple in the bar. Instead of being easy and available, the waiter/manager seemed to not be very on top of things. He didn't know the menu very well, and then forgot to check on the one question that I asked. The food was ok, but we paid lots for a chicken addition to a pasta, and there was NOT very much chicken. But the worst thing was that they served a $8.50 glass of wine in a juice glass. What a poor representation of nice Italian wine. I practically felt like I was using a sippy cup. good grief. Don't go here. There are lots of better choices! read more

this was an amazing restaurant. the food is fantastic but the thing that was above all was the customer service. our waiter, Rob, gave us bonding experiences that we will remember forever. if rob's bosses read this, please give him a raise. when it got darker outside, it the aesthetic was phenomenal. when we come back to portland, rob, we will most definitely come back to La Buca. Thank you Rob!! read more

This place..... Was delightful! I haven't found a good Italian place to eat for some time, and my boyfriend took me here because I really wanted some good food. When we got there, there was many seats available (surprising because of how amazing the food is. I would think it'd be full all the time) We decided to sit outside because it was so nice out! I ordered an iced tea, and the spicy meatball panini with a side of mashed potatoes and my boyfriend ordered the salmon alfredo. Spicy meatball panini- SO GOOD! Slightly spicy, the panini was crispy, and on top of that the overall flavor was so satisfying! (The only thing I would say is that I would have loved it a little bit more if the meatballs had been bigger and filled out he sandwich a bit more) Mashed potatoes- I have nothing bad to say about the mashed potatoes... They were creamy, fluffy and soft. Really all you can ask for in mashed potatoes! Salmon alfredo- AMAZING! I was actually shocked at how light and fluffy the alfredo was. All the other alfredos I have had have been thicker and heavier then this one. This one was light and made it feel like you could actually finish the whole bowl without feeling weighed down from a creamy/carby meal. (The salmon was a bit on the over done side, but my boyfriend didn't mind, and I didn't either. It still tasted pretty awesome.) Anyone who is looking for a tasty place to eat NEEDS to eat here. They have a pretty large selection of food on the menu, and I'm sure that all of it is just as good as the items that we got this time around. We will surely be back sometime soon to try another round of the tasty items they have on the menu! read more

Another disappointing Portland Italian experience. Bland and extremely overpriced. Don't get the Bolognese or the arancini.

This was a below average Italian spot that we went for dinner. Our group of 6 sat outside and chose the spot because it was in a convenient location for us. THe service was good and attentive, but the flavors just weren't up to par. It wasn't "bad" but it was far from good. I got the pasta with red pomodoro with salmon and sausage added. Nothing about the dish had taste. It was a bland sauce and the sausage didn't add anything. With enough added salt (and I was hungry) I ate it. My partner ordered a vegan plate of veggies and didn't think it was good either. I gave it three stars because it was good enough to go if there were no other good options and you wanted to go somewhere. It wouldn't be my choice. read more

I am going to lead the good. Cute place - nice cocktail list. Service was friendly & prompt. Unfortunately, the food totally lacked flavor. My husband & I got the eggplant parmesan & polenta. I am from Philadelphia & I LOVE Italian food. This just didn't cut it for me. Looks like I will be continuing my never ending quest for good Italian food in Portland. read more

This is the second time I've been to la buca. the first was for a lunch and this time for dinner. The service was great both times (attentive, but not intrusive; and while you don't feel rushed, you also are not left tapping your feet and waiting for someone to check in on you). I highly recommend the arancini appetizer (crispy, gooey, perfectly cooked fried risotto balls in marinara), and pancetta e funghi. I would like a little more consistency in the flavors. I ordered the seafood of the day, which was scallops with parmesan polenta and kale, and it was on the bland side. But overall,this is a lovely little neighborhood Italian spot. read more

La Buca - Seared scallops with parmesan polenta and sauteed kale - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I got the Alfredo with Chicken from here and it was so bland I thought I had Covid. The "grilled" chicken that cost an extra $7, on top of an already overpriced pasta dish, was dry and stringy and more likely boiled 3 days ago than grilled today. I wouldn't even pay $10 for this dish again, let alone $22. Next time I'll take my money and go buy some Chicken Alfredo TV dinners and put em on a nice plate, it would be better than whatever the hell I just ate tonight. I feel like this place stole my money. read more

The servers were so nice I wish I would've loved this restaurant. I tried several menus items and was not impressed with any of them. We started with the pomodoro bruschetta which was bland bland bland, no tomato flavor, no garlic flavor...not even any saltiness. I think it had some kind of garlic paste on it but the texture was unappealing. The spinach salad had very fresh looking greens in it, so that was a plus, but the ingredients of the salad were confusing... I guess it was supposed to be Greek-ish. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. The al forno pasta dish was probably the worst item I ordered. The consistency was as if it had been reheated multiple times. Stale pasta, crusty cheese (not in a good crusty way), and came out room temperature. It reminded me of when I make a big pan of lasagna, and by the end of the week I'm tired of eating it so I do a lazy job of reheating an expired lump of pasta. The pesto pasta was the only decent dish, but wasn't any more impressive than throwing some Trader Joe's Genova pesto on pasta at home. With tip we ended up spending over $100 and I can think of a whole lot of other places that I would have preferred to spend that amount on dinner. read more

This was our last meal on our Portland trip and I'm so glad we chose this place. Intimate, little Italian place with the cutest globe lights across the main dining room made this place all the more inviting. Started off our meal with two of their Modern Fashioned's, which was their version of an Old Fashioned's. They were pretty freaking tasty and I've had many Old Fashioned's in the last few years. Definitely up there with some of my favorites. For our starter, we got the caprese bruschetta, which was a great start to our meal. It was light and refreshing and prepared us for our main entrees. I had the Abituale, which was a penne pasta with red sauce and spicy sausages. Absolutely delicious. Such a comforting dish. If I had an Italian grandma, she probably would've made this dish. Except I don't. So yeah ): The boyfriend got the Chicken Marsala, which came with creamy mashed potatoes. The chicken was tender and the marsala wine sauce was very rich and flavorful. He said it was definitely one of the better marsala dishes he's had. I was, and still am, a marsala noob, so everything just tasted amazing to me regardless. We both loved our dishes so much that we ended up finishing every last bite of it and didn't get to try dessert. I would definitely recommend this place for a quiet, intimate night out with amazing food. read more

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After a recent dinner, I feel like it's time to update my review on La Buca. This is my favorite Italian place in PDX! Why? Well, because they have stellar food, good service and the prices are reasonable. I've been to tasty, more upscale Italian places in town but we always seem to have service issues at those establishments. First off, if you can, snag a table in the bar. It's a much smaller, quieter, more intimate space. At our recent meal there, we had a small table by a window, it felt like we were in our own private world. The room has a very romantic glow about it. It's too small for large groups, but will work if you have four or less people. The thing I notice about great food and drink is that it's all about balance, getting the perfect balance of flavors. Since I'm not much of a wine person, I ordered a vodka and cranberry. Why would I even bother mentioning such a run of the mill drink? Well, because it was perfect. I've had them at places where they pour so strong my drink is very light pink. And while I'm all in favor of a good buzz, it can be a bit much to choke down. The majority of bars err on the other side, where I'm served a drink that is so weak that it feels like I'm drinking a glass of juice. La Buca gets it just right: I could taste the vodka, I could taste the juice, neither was overpowering and the lime was a perfect compliment. My partner ordered a Caesar salad as a starter and I had wanted to try a bite. We ended up sharing as I couldn't stop taking bites of it. Again, the flavors were just excellent. Too many restaurants either under-dress or over-dress this salad. La Buca brought it with a lemon wedge and it was a perfect blend of creamy dressing, sharp lemon and mellow parmesan. Totally delicious! Saturday night is my cheat meal night and I had been looking forward to getting the alfredo pasta with chicken. It was everything I'd hoped for: rich, creamy and decadent. Personally, I would have preferred a touch more garlic in the mix, but it was still divine! My guy had the polenta with roasted pork. I had a bite and it was terrific as well, very creamy and flavorful. The pork was so tender it almost melted in my mouth. We passed on the dessert menu as we had something waiting for us at home. But they did have some fantastic looking cakes in their display case. Service was quiet, efficient and relaxing. This is the perfect place for a lovely dinner and evening. read more

Grabbed a carryout from here last week and was highly disappointed. Pasta is bland and over priced. Had the "fresh out the box" vibe. I wish I took a picture of the food because I paid $45 for 2 entrees and a slice of chocolate cake. The baby slice of cake was $8 and according to my girlfriend, hella dry. They also charge $5 for me adding chicken to my alfredo and gave me a few slivers of chicken breast. I could have gotten a whole a** rotesserie chicken from Costco for that price and had chicken for days. I would not recommend. read more

Ideal for noontime pasta! Laid-back atmosphere under a high ceiling and inside large glass windows. Upon entering the restaurant, the waitstaff will tell you that you can sit anywhere. Me likes that! Today, soup of the day was tomato garbonzo bean. Fabulous! So many appealing entrees to pick from! JP ordered the chicken pesto pasta with lime. The menu indicates that the dish contains pine nuts. It does, but the pine nuts are ground up with the basil, so it's not necessary to tell the waitress that the chef left off the pine nuts. JP thought the dish was very good. The panceta pasta (with shallots sauteed in vermouth) is divine, though perhaps...and this is just a perhaps...a bit salty. We will definitely be back!! read more

This place was "eh" for me. With such high reviews, I may have entered with too high of expectations but my dinner was a flavorless plate of pesto pasta that I could cook at home (and I'm no top chef either!). Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Or, maybe the prices reflect the quality of food... Pros: reasonable prices, solid service, relaxing atmosphere Cons: bland food A place in keep in mind for cheap Italian in the future but I'm betting there's other more interesting Italian joints in the area to check out. read more

Very good pasta! Came to celebrate my mother's birthday and the service was great. They gave a nice birthday treat at the end for everyone to share. Definitely will be back! Very filling! We all had leftovers! read more

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LA Buca is a solid 4 Stars. .. I enjoyed the dinner very much. I started with a Caesar salad and then had their chicken Marsala over risotto. It was very good and very reasonably priced. I finished with a tirimisu which looks authentic but will enjoy later. My bill was only $26.00 which is more than worth it. I will be back for the food but not the parking. All in all dinner cost $116 because of the damn $90 parking ticket that I got down the street. Street was painted with the + signs indicating parking spaces, but the sign said no parking which I missed. Thanks LaBuca for a nice dinner and no thanks to the parking Nazi's... read more

La Buca - Chicken Marsala over risotto. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was good. Big portions, fresh food, small salad was huge! Clean, nice atmosphere.

Generally speaking this is a good place. I've eaten there for years. The menu doesn't really change so I've tried about everything. All good. However, tonight I decided to try the eggplant parm. Don't order this. Im not sure what I got, but it wasn't eggplant parm. Awful. Everything else is pretty good. read more

This absolute Portland must is a great place for a casual family dinner, a client lunch date, or a special intimate dinner. You will not be disappointed. The staff stand out- professional and personable. I have my stand by regular pasta dish and so does my son. He has practically been raised on the LaBuca menu. The bar is small and has separate seating from the main restaurant. The drinks and desserts are delicious! read more