Upon arrival at the small hole in the wall, I was immediately enjoying the authentic mob cellar scene. My party of 6 was seated in the furthest of what seemed to be small dining rooms throughout the restaurant. The service was slow but adequate which seemed appropriate for the authentic Italian meal feel. Our meal began with 2 calamari appetizers which were both cooked to toasty perfection. The accompanying sauce was nothing special, but good. For my main entree I decided to deviate form the norm and tried the chicken cord. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the breaded chicken breast, stuffed full of prosciutto and melted swiss. The breast was extremely moist and every bite melted in my mouth. I enjoyed a phenomenal meal at what I would consider a great price considering the portion size. Reading some of the negative reviews here makes me wonder if I was just lucky that night. In any event, this place is certainly well worth a try for excellent Italian. read more

I have been here twice with my friends. Each time the food and service was excellent. Restaurant is a little small, but the atmosphere is very intimate. A true gem of the capital district. read more

I don't understand the appeal. The food is relatively average as Italian goes in this area. It's not bad, but it's definitely not great. It's also quite expensive... and easy to walk by without even knowing it's a restaurant. Also, sometimes the waiters can be a bit snobby. Not a bad place to go on someone else's dime. read more

The manager of the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe in East Greenbush and myself had dinner at this Italian restaurant on Monday night. It was raining heavily but that did not deter the multitude of the regulars from arriving for their reservations. This place is totally old school Italian. Michael LoPorto, executive chef/owner greeted us warmly and spent time with us before and after the meal. The food was prepared to order and both veal dishes were delicious and came with vegetable, salad and side of pasta. So much food that I had to take the entire pasta dish home with me. The price point for the quality and quantity of the food they serve is exceptionally fair if not underpriced. Wait staff was engaging and courteous. I will definitely return on my next trip to Troy. read more

Excellent Italian restaurant. Service was great. Food was great. Waitress was very patient and knowledgeable in the menu. I would definitely return soon. This is a gem of a restaurant in Troy. read more

The atmosphere here is what I like to call upscale cozy. The lighting is just dim enough to be cozy but not dim enough to be sketchy, the staff and owners are warm, welcoming people and the food is fantastic! Can't recommend this place enough. I wasn't sure if having my 3year old in there was going to go well but the owner was so sweet to her and the staff went out of their way to make things easier for us! read more

Stopped by here while in Troy - had been looking for a nice quiet spot to get a quick drink. I was also trying to AVOID the ... uh ... dive-bar college spot. Lo Porto's was SUCH a pleasant surprise. Very quiet 'old school' spot. In hindsight I would have loved to have stayed for dinner, but the bar provided and warm and cozy atmosphere and the owner and manager were both super friendly and welcoming to out-of-towners. This place is genuinely a diamond in the rough. When I saw the owner pour grappa into his espresso I knew I was home - I will definitely be back. read more

Found this gem while up in Troy visiting RPI. I had Linguini with Clam Sauce, my son had the Fettuccini Alfredo, and my wife had Chicken Marsala. All three dishes were delicious. The service our friendly waitress Amelia provided was excellent. We look forward to enjoying many more dinners at this great restaurant when we visit our son at RPI over the next four years. read more

Excellent food wonderful service. A little taste of Italy. The shrimp fra diavalo and clams linguine were delicious!

For an Italian girl who is very picky on paying to eat Italian out, Lo Porto's is one of the only restaurants I will go. Their food is authentic and amazing. I go every chance I get. read more

Absolutely the best Italian food I've ever had and the service was amazing. We started off with the Oyster Rockefeller, had great flavor and cooked perfectly. My wife started with the mozzarella rapped in prosciutto. It was so fresh that it melted in your mouth. For dinner we got the veal parm and chicken Marsala and they were by far the best we've had. The hostess, Gabriella was very nice and helpful. Overall the best experience you can have I. The capital district. I highly recommend this place. read more

This is what I want in an Italian restaurant. Good character, great service and delicious food you cannot get anywhere else. I recommend the Chicken Milanese. The red snapper Mugnaia and veal Giuseppe was also amazing. We will be back. Reservations are a good idea. read more

We stopped without reservations and couldn't get a seat. The placed smelled delicious so we went back the next night with reservations. We were not disappointed. This small but quaint restaurant was homie where it seemed like the locals all knew each other. We had the Fettuccine Cagiucco, clams and crabmeat in a cream sauce and Veal Giuseppe, stuffed with fresh crab, provolone, basil in a cream sauce. Both delicious. I am not a veal fan but this actually tasted very good. We were very glad that we went the next day. Definitely a place we would go back to the next time we are in town. read more

Fantastic flavors, large selection of both old school and inventive new pasta. Generous portions ensure a nice portion to take home for lunch. Family run with excellent service and everything fresh and made to order. Highlights. ... bread.. blue cheese dressing...clams casino and seafood magiano read more

First time here not sure why. I read the reviews and went for the calamari. Good call it was perfectly cooked. I followed a yelpers suggestion and had the fra diavolo sauce with good tip! Service was 5 stars, calamari app 5, salad over dressed 2.5, mains (veal marsala and veal sorrento) 3, atmosphere 4. read more

I came across Lo Porto's completely by accident a couple years ago, and thankfully made the decision to stop in for a meal. I finally found pasta in the area I liked! The sauce is immensely flavorful, and good for a couple more meals, at least, if you take what's left of it home. The bread is soft, warm and served fresh. Also, if you have the stomach capacity for dessert after your meal, I highly recommend the lava cake. The staff is amazing -- despite the place being very busy on Fridays (which is when I go), they always stop by to say hi, check on how I'm doing, and (even if briefly) talk with me. This is one of the places that has made the Capital Region feel like home for me, and something to look forward to at the end of every week. read more

Best Italian ristorante in Troy! Will say it's not as good as the ones in NYC and NJ but it'll be the go-to ristorante when in troy. The food was priced right and the waitress (forget her name unfortunately) was extremely friendly. The owner also introduced himself to us and was very nice! Definitely a friendly atmosphere. read more

i was astounded that there were no reviews. i hope this changes soon. i don't know where to start - other than at the beginning i guess. brit took me out last night to celebrate the new job and as she recently moved to troy she had looked around at some places in the local paper and found an ad for lo porto's. it sounded fine so we decided to check it out. we drove right by it on 4th as the sign isn't big and the old Proctor's was on the opposite side distracting us. as we approached we were perhaps a bit unsure but still interested. they have some outdoor seating and several nice potted plants to separate you from the street/sidewalk. when we entered, we first got the impression that it was very small, only 4 or 5 tables on the left and a nice, well-lit bar on the right with a big round table in the front window. we were greeted right away and asked if we had reservations (there were several in the book and it was only a tuesday so the question was legit). we didn't but no problem. they sat us Upstairs at a wonderful table overlooking the downstairs dining area. there were 5 or 6 tables up here and then in a back room there is room for larger parties. our waitress was very friendly and brought us fresh crusty bread and water while we chose a lovely (primativo) red zin for dinner. we requested olive oil and holy crap. we got it. the bread dipping oil has fresh garlic, fresh ground pepper, salt, fresh basil bits and freshly grated romano. i say it again. holy crap. i wanted to bathe in it. the fried calamari were a surprise for me, i don't usually dig them too much and only have a few (david loves them) but these were Very fresh, lightly breaded with a very tasty breading. the cocktail sauce too was surprising (i usually hate it) the horseradish was incredible and not to overuse the word, it was obviously fresh. YUM!! we ate a ton of it but as they give Huge portions we had to get the rest wrapped. brit ordered the chicken parm - organic and free range with a side of ziti. the portion was enormous. she only was able to eat a little bit. it too was lightly breaded, the sauce was delicious and not chunky and the mozz was very tasty and not at all greasy. i ordered the tortellini ala panna. oh my god. every single bite made me moan. the prosciutto was totally unnecessary (usually i want a piece with every bite, it is what makes the dish). the sauce was absolute perfection. oh, and the salads that preceded the dinners were with arugula and other lovely greens served with the house italian (i poured some of the dipping oil on it too. because i could not help myself.) the deserts were also tempting and brit had a yummy canoli. i couldn't fit another bite so i just looked on smiling. the owner also came to our table and was gracious and complimentary. we had a chance to chat with him and some of the other staff later and they were all very friendly. the bill with the bottle of wine came to $86 but with the amount of food we had and how incredible it was i think that was a fine price. we will most definitely be going back. soon. and i may have to rethink the whole new wardrobe option. read more

Best food ever! We went for my mother's birthday and we had never been to this place we were very impressed with the food ! Small place with amazing food way better than D'Raymonds . The menu is not on yelp so I couldn't look up what they had almost didn't go but their menu is very extensive and so much to choose from only complaint is that I wish they had Cesar Salad ! read more

Husband and I went here to try something new since we are fairly new to the area. Atmosphere was nice, and the waiter Chris was attentive. The food however, was not the best. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu and the penne noodles were not even cooked. The mushroom sauce was very salty. The chicken was good however. My husband had the chicken Parmesan. His noodles were a little more cooked than mine but he wasn't impressed either. We probably won't be back. read more

Like Skye, this was long on our list of places to try. And finally, when we went, I tried to love it.....but it fell short of high expectations. First of all, when you walk into the bar/downstairs seating area, your olfactory senses are accosted by years of stale tobacco smoke, rather than the garlic and wine you might wish to inhale when entering a good Italian restaurant. The upstairs seating area feels cramped and dank. The menu options are very good, so I took heart. The bread is okay, but the way salty butter is the pits, and I did not feel like troubling our busy server for olive oil. The fried calamari app is indeed gynormous, but not really great. It bothered me that when I asked for marinara instead of cocktail or tarter, our server informed us that they charge extra for it. Hmm- their prices aren't high enough? But it was worth it, because their marinara is good. The calamari was underdone- that is to say, the flour coating was white and limp rather than a crispy golden brown. I really missed the crunch factor. HUGE portion - 'could feed 4 for an app - but I would rather have less and better tasting. Husband's ziti and meatballs was good and again, HUGE- but my white clam sauce inedible because the clams were way tough and impossible to chew and swallow. I do not understand why chef would not choose smaller, more tender clams - such as manila. The flavors were good and the pasta al dente. To their credit the dish was removed from our bill. That guarantees that I will not write them off. We were too full for dessert. I do hope to return because I like the menu and many dishes going by looked superb. I think this is a place where you need to find YOUR DISH. And I sure wish that they had more windows! read more

The service was excellent and matched by the food, Three couples had veal, seafood, chicken parm and lasagna-everyone was delighted. I had the seafood listed at the end of the menu-basically sauce that I was not familiar with but would recommend to anyone. Parking on street can be a bit of a problem. read more

Do not be scared away by the appearance of this place (I almost ran the other way)! The outside appears rough around the edges to say the least but the food was amazing, some of the best Italian I have had in awhile. Very affordable and large portions. It is a small place so make reservations if you go at a busy time. I'd sit outside, the inside smelled kinda funny, very clean bathrooms! read more

Been a couple of years since I've had dinner here. Used to be a solid red sauce joint you could count on for a reasonable pre show meal in downtown Troy. Not so much anymore based on a recent visit. Tasteless veal, over cooked pasta and a very weak, over priced wine selection. Is there anything left in Troy besides barbecue and frat bars? read more

Finally got to this restaurant! Kind of an old-school Italian spot, excellent traditional old world food. Had a bottle of wine, the Oysters Rockefeller which was amazing! My husband got the veal I orderesome pasta. The pasta was a little more al dente than I like and they gladly took it back and cooked it more. Enjoyed watching the people come and go in this lively environment. Waitress was a little gruff, she's been there many years knows everything, and let's you know it! I highly recommend going here! read more

The Fra Dilavo Sauce is amazing. I had the eggplant parmigiana open faced sandwich. I asked them to make it spicy and they added just the right heat. Huge portion... read more

Visiting the area from downstate found Loporto on Yelp. It was delicious,comparable to any restaurant on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. Classic old time Italian restaurant, small bar, nice size tables. We had fried calamari, huge for two. Excellent, not greasy. Asked for a dish of fra diavolo sauce with it. Also excellent with chunks of tomato and the right amount of 'heat'. For dinner, classic shrimp scampi over pasta and linguine and clams in oil and garlic. Pasta cooked al dente, large shrimp and great clams. Excellent meals. Typical house salad and dressing choices. No dessert we were too full and took leftovers home. Reasonable prices, highly recommended! read more

Awesome authentic Italian food. Huge portions so bring your appetite or be prepared to bring some home for lunch tomorrow. Fettuccine Alfredo is amazing. I suppose the environment could be a little nicer or they could do some updating, such as with the tables/chairs, paint, decorations, etc. But it has the feel of a great Italian place that's been around for a long time. Some of the best Italian food I've had; I'm not sure how Italian chain restaurants stay in business when there are places like this. read more

I love this little gem of an Italian restaurant. I've been there 4 times now and can't wait to go back. This place is legit!!! I try something different every time and I've yet to be disappointed. Great portions, great flavors, great staff. I'll be going back again and again!!!! Call ahead to make reservations though... limited seating. read more

Interesting atmosphere, seems very authentic. Some of the dishes were good but their red sauce was no good! Bland, bland, bland. That should be a crime. Seafood is a safe bet at this place though. read more

Lo Porto's never gets it wrong. I have been there many times with many different people (some very finicky!) and everyone has always been blown away. The food is amazing. The service is amazing. The prices are amazing. The steak au poivre is TO DIE FOR as are any of the parms. Oh, and don't you dare skip dessert. Ohhhh, Lo Porto's!!!! I would love to curl up in your culinary arms.... Go. Just go. read more

If you're looking for authentic Italian food...this is the best place I've been to in Troy. Well done!

We had a great evening of food and service. My brothers and I were on our annual retreat and a friend suggested we have dinner here. The sole was perfectly prepared. The filet au poive was excellent. We had a nice bottle of Pinot to accompany the meal. We would definitely recommend. read more

Intimate little place. Excellent sauce. Wish I could take it back to California. Noise level low, friendly staff, generous portions

Tasty, huge portion, and best Italian food you can find in Troy (although that sets a very low bar) and wait staff is very friendly.

Hands down the best Italian meal I have had in a long time. Our party of 7 was served impeccably. The meals were just out of this world. Great wine list. This truly is a hidden gem. read more

My fiance has been promising to bring me there for a year, and it was well worth the wait. We went there last Friday night and had 2 of the best Italian meals I've ever had. The portions were gigantic and the sauces were amazing. read more

Nice restaurant. Antipasto was very good. Pasta on the other hand was just OK. The potion is very large - I didn't even finish half of my pasta! read more

We got the Seafood Fra Diablo - its $43 but it can feed 3-4 people! The sauce is absolutely amazing (we got the hot version), the seafood was cooked to perfection. This is my go to meal at this restaurant. We also tried the canoli dessert... which was soooo good!!!! this is deff one of my favs. My only complaint is the waiter which is why this is 4 stars. He could have been more attentive!!!!!!! read more

Plain and simple. Great italian and a great menu. One of the biggest steaks around. Escargot is inedible. A authentic Italian red sauce you can actually eat and enjoy! read more