Authentic Italian cuisine. Home made rigatoni is to die for! Servers are excellent and made us feel right at home.

Went here on a date while traveling, had a really great time. Friendly and nice staff and comfortable yet elegant environment. 10/10 for sure read more

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Service was spot on along with the atmosphere. Our prawn dish and Chicken Picata were just as expected and very tasty too. Eating out isn't inexpensive but felt their prices were very reasonable. We will be back. read more

Mario's Portofino - Shrimp scampi Prawns (4) Prawns (4) - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Another Reno strip mall restaurant with no windows? Another place next to a crummy gym? Another spot surrounded by pavement? Yes to all these but with a central theme of quality food. (Mushroom ravioli and the gnocchi both hand made in house and dissolvable good). A++ people. So When I'm going down to the central part of midtown. And It's Cadillac rainbows and lots of spaghetti And I love meatballs (vegan) so you better be ready to see us again ! read more

You gotta love this place. Kinda old school "Johnnys" only easier to get into! Went on a whim the other evening and loved it all. The deeply local Italianos frequent this place. Love that. The decor screams Italy . The bartender knows how to make a mean Vesper, the waitstaff are super pros, they make their own pasta... what else can I say? We kinda opened and almost closed Mario's the other day. Had a great meal. No apps or salads but our pasta dishes were wonderful and the Spumoni was yum! Looking forward to next time! read more

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After working now, my wife and I decided to go out before dinner and have a 'non-aversary' dinner. It's why we go out and celebrate and have a nice dinner but for no particular reason. It's been a couple years since we came here and I was in the mood for some steamed clams and they have some really good clams. We called head and made sure that they were not busy and a girl on the phone said they were not. So we showed up. We were sat within five minutes... didn't go so well after that. After sitting for about 10 minutes, we watched a couple of servers taking care of the tables all around us. No one greeted us. I finally flagged down a busser and asked if he knew who our waiter was. He said he did and would send a waiter over. After a couple of minutes, a waiter came over and introduced himself as Tyler. I immediately ordered some cocktails and an appetizer. He asked if we knew what we wanted for dinner and we did so we gave him our dinner order also. The table next to us ordered some cocktails and a different server. Brought the drinks within five minutes. We sat for about 10 minutes and I was thinking it's not so busy. There are six or seven empty tables, I wonder why it's taking long. Tyler came back and told us that they were out of steamed clams. I told him that's why we actually came here, but it's OK. Just please bring us the alcohol as drinks are a priority. Took 15 more minutes for our drinks. Next problem...wife's drink was wrong. Waiter never returned to check on us. I sent the busser to get the waiter. Waiter came back and said he was going to check on the food and I told him to please fix the drink. 50 minutes have passed, one drink and no food. Now I have to tell you. The food was perfect. My wife loved her ravioli. My veal was tender, and the sauce was delicious. Only problem we have now is: we never saw our waiter again. We finished our drinks, ate the whole dinner, sat for about 15 minutes after dinner...no waiter... we asked for the check and paid online. 1. Server never came back to check on the food. 2. Server never asked us if we wanted more cocktails or if the cocktails were good. 3. Server never offer us dessert. 4. Server completely neglected us It's not acceptable. read more

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Portofino's for as many times as I've been there, I don't recall ever reviewing them. It makes for a great dining experience when in want of some Italian eatery. The restaurant is spacious, the ambiance is your usual ambiance of restaurant hustle and bustle with guest talking, enjoying their food. Tonight Fritzie W. and I would go to celebrate a friend's birthday along with our youngest, and this evening didn't entirely disappoint. With a change in waiters, we got Tyler who was positive and engaging. The ladies may cite he was slightly forgetful on things like utensils and slow to draw on side quests, but overall, courteous which made for a positive experience. Around the table I had the Linguine Corleone a dish with sautéed chicken, shrimp, spinach, artichoke carts, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, our youngest would have their Risotto Fruitti Mi Maré with Arborio rice and assorted seafood, our guest their birthday would have a deliciously prepared Steak (I had a piece, don't judge me) and Fritzie W. had a Veal Marsala. It wasn't too gamy or salty, but tender and wonderful to eat. Each dish had their highs, each boasting a wonderful and heady flavor. We might have went a tad overboard on the cheese but, you get the picture that by the end of the meal it enhanced the flavor some. Side note: their Goat cheese salad is delicious, fresh, flavorful. For dessert we enjoyed what appeared to be lady fingers covered in an espresso type liqueur, but the Fritzie and company cited the presentation wasn't as enticing as the meal. Did we finish eating it though? Yes. Yes, we did. Overall a good meal, with good service and smiles all around. It of course ends up being the little things that would make things better in terms of service, like getting utensils, having bread presentation that I won't knit-pick on too much, but I will say, you'll notice when it's forgotten or you'd have to ask for something. This is a tremendous spot for a weekend meal, special events and when you want tried and true flavors that for the most part hit almost every high note. Give them a try, see what you think. read more

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First time here and I was very happy with my choice although I went wanting pasta, I ended up choosing their special of the day with a little bit of pasta and yummy veggies. Very delicious sauce over the fish. My friend had the salmon and enjoyed it very much. Not pictured, the tiramisu, delicious take home treat. Friendly staff and traditional Italian restaurant. We will need to go back to try a pasta dish! read more

Mario's Portofino - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I hadn't been to Mario Portofino's and quite a few years. Some friends and I were trying to find a place and we landed on Mario's. We were very pleasantly surprised at how the interior had been redecorated and the staff was more than gracious and friendly. We made a reservation for 530 and by 6 o'clock 6:15 PM the restaurant was packed and people were waiting at the bar for the reservation. I needed something corrected on my plate and they were more than happy to do that for me which left a very good impression on me. Super reasonable. Quite quaint actually going there. Not a super huge place, but very quaint and big enough for large parties as they have a back room. And also probably seating for 75 in the main dining room so overall the food is very tasty, very fresh, I had the goat cheese salad to start and ended up with chicken marsala. They have a pair martini there that was exquisite. I could've had another one, but I didn't. They didn't rush us out because other people had reservations behind us. They let us take our time and enjoy our meal. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. We will be going back most definitely. Located in the sports west Shopping Center on South Virginia, close to Midtown. Even the next morning, my friend and I were chatting about what a nice evening we had there. It definitely can be intimate if you want it to be or casual. Family friendly. Overall, I'd give it five stars for sure. read more

Mario's Portofino - Salad with the fried goat cheese - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Was part of a party of six in the back room which accommodates larger groups. The ambience of the restaurant is very nice and appropriate. All six of us enjoyed the food we ordered and the service was great, will be back, enjoy. read more

great food, specialty drinks, and romantic atmosphere. reasonable prices compared to others

The food was amazing!!!! The service was amazing! It also had a good romantic ambiance. I got the carpaccio and I was surprised it didn't come with crackers or toast but it went so well with the table bread. It was such a good combination. I also got my pasta with sausage and it was divine. It came with chicken and shrimp. It only had two shrimp but they were massive. When I cut the shrimp into bite sized pieces it was a lot. It also had so much chicken that I couldn't finish it. This is for sure my favorite restaurant in Reno now. Also our waitress was incredible. Shout out to her! She had such good energy and the staff constantly came around to ask about the food and check if we needed anything. The service and food was so much better than a lot of the really expensive restaurants we've been to out here. read more

Mario's Portofino - Linguine Corleone - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Mario's is a fantastic Italian restaurant. The vibes are cool with the feeling this place has a lot of regulars that makes it feel they're doing it right. The Hostess was great as you walk in greets you professionally which is a great sign to your dinning experience. The server was great, we had a party of 6 and we had a great time with his professionalism and recommendations. The kitchen and crew do a great job with the menu, Homemade sauces and pastas done to perfection! Highly recommend becoming a regular here! read more

Mario's Portofino - Vintage Ferrari Outside Mario's! Totally Ol' Skool Italian American Vibes! - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Learn how to PURGE THE EGGPLANT ! It's bitter and tastes awful! The garlic bread is not good. The red sauce is not good. Salads are not good. How incredibly disappointing and expensive this was! Glad I had my own plasticware because they didn't include any on an expensive to go order. It was supposed to be a chopped salad but it's a pile of weeds with giant fried cheeseballs. Definitely not as described. How does this place get any good reviews? read more

Mario's Portofino - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Great find on a quick trip to Reno. House made pasta, great wine selection and an old school ambiance. read more

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Excellent desserts. Very very good yummy food, we've been here for over 6 years. Really recommend this place read more

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What a difference a good server makes! On our first visit to Mario's, we were impressed with the food, but had the worst service we've ever encountered in Reno. But the food was good enough to go back and try again. This time our server was Tyler, and we had an excellent experience with him. So we'll definitely be back! The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of five was that my husband asked for a substitution in his dish (he doesn't like calamari and asked for a couple of shrimp in place of the calamari in a pasta dish) and they charged him $12 for the substitution without telling him in advance. That was an unpleasant surprise. read more

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff was friendly and very attentive. The food was amazing!! We had the pancetta wrapped prawns for an appetizer- amazing! And a corkscrew pasta dish with a cream sauce and the stuff pork chop was out of this world. Tender and an amazing flavor! read more

Mario's Portofino - Fusilli Alla Nina - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Went to dinner after the big snow and we got in with no reservations! We sat in the back with another table who were pretty noisy but we could hear ourselves talk. So the acoustics are good here. Hubby and I got the specials. I had halibut with prawns and hubby had steak Diane. Both were very good! No doggy bags! We've here before and every time we have great food and great service, highly recommend this place! read more

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The service was friendly enough. Interior was clean and comfortable. The food was just..eh. We had bread, garlic bread, pasta, and halibut. Nothing stood out as being particularly good and worth the money. We will not return. read more

Mario's Portofino - Halibut - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

The food was excellent; the wine was tasteful and complimentary to the company of the business meeting I attended. It was might first tie to this iconic restaurant and I looked forward to tasting every bite after hearing from everyone I knew how delicious it was. Our service was impeccable. the entire place from restroom to bar and dining room was spotless and the glassware shined with reflections of the dim light. This place was fancy yet humble and eloquent. I would highly recommend you try it when y'all make a stop through Reno. It would be helpful to note that it is not a place for a quick bite to eat but take time to relax and enjoy the ambiance. read more

What a Fabulous Restaurant!!! From the time we arrived until our departure, everything was "Perfect "! Excellent Service!! Excellent Drinks!!! Excellent Appetizers !!! Excellent Meal!!! Excellent Dessert!!! A Wonderful Family Environment!!! Please try it! You will Love it!!! read more

Mario's Portofino - Mario's Portifino's Delightful Celebration! - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

The chicken Parmesan Is consistently a 5 star dish. Always love the service and fresh ingredients.. thank you.

Mario Portofino is a nice little surprise tucked into a Midtown strip mall. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but inside it's cozy, dimly lit, and has a classic, old-school Italian vibe. The place feels quiet and relaxed, perfect for date night or catching up with friends. Service was solid throughout our visit, attentive without being overbearing, and everything came out hot and in good time. We ordered the linguine frutti di mare, the rack of lamb, and the steak & the truffle fries. Everything was flavorful and well-prepared. The seafood pasta was especially good, with plenty of fresh clams, mussels, and shrimp in a garlicky white wine sauce. The lamb was cooked just right, and the steak had a nice crust on it. Truffle fries were a fun side--crispy and super aromatic. It's a comfortable spot with good food and service, and the big parking lot is a plus. I'd definitely come back. read more

Absolutely amazing Italian food has been going down in this location for many years, Yes, we occasionally stop in for a dinner after doing something else in Midtown, but I would also absolutely recommend this place for an upscale treat of a lunch or dinner The service is multiperson and tight, and we were never left alone for long and in a very good way Good old school, Italian restaurant service, not bottle of red bottle of white candles in the wine bottles cheesiness read more

I cannot believe that I didn't review this magnificent restaurant in Reno NV. At first I was a bit concerned about the location, but once you entered, you're truly transformed to an authentic Italian dining experience and ambience. The food and service are absolutely SUPURB! Giuseppe was amazing and has the most wonderful singing voice! The local diners are very friendly. Again, the food- amazing! We had traditional Alfredo. Don't miss the amazing deserts. Five stars all the way. Can't wait to return this summer. read more

Decided to try this eatery last night when friends came into town from California and they wanted Italian. The one term to describe Mario's Portofino Restaurant is WOW!!! It's a rather unassuming business in a mini strip mall area, but don't let that fool you. Upon entering the front door, there is a feeling that Mario's is more upscale than meets the eye. The menu contains traditional Italian dishes along with innovative creations by the owner and/or Chef. After receiving our entrées, my guests were shocked at the delectable and high-quality dishes. Although the ambience was fair, the service was outstanding. We all wanted to give a shout out to our server, Lily. Apparently, she has been engaged in this field for many years, and her actions definitely show it. From the start, she explained the specials and all questions we posed to her. If I were a corporate executive, Lily would be first on the list to be a trainer for customer service. After finishing our entrées, we faced the desert challenge. Two of us were looking for an Italian dessert that wasn't on the dessert menu. To our surprise, Lily made it happen and was able to complete or meal with total satisfaction. To our entire party, this restaurant is top notch when it comes to food and service. I will recommend it to family and friends in the future. read more

Food was sub par. The chicken was tough the shrimp scampi didn't have but a hint of garlic and the pasta was dry and sticky. Service was good. Ambiance was nice. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant. Was there last night. The pistachio crusted salmon with roasted vegetables was absolutely amazing! I could eat it for dinner again tonight. So yummy. Of course service was excellent read more

We had a wonderful dinner here. The seafood salad was fantastic and very generous with the salmon and large prawns. While the venue offers a nice, comfortable vibe, the stellar service truly stole the show. It is incredibly refreshing to find a place that still prioritizes great hospitality. Will definitely return! read more

My husband finally asked me on a date night and this is where he chose as we've never been and we were next door last week. Cute cozy little entrance. Nice bar. Definitely old school staple it seemed upon entering the main dining room. Holiday decor hanging from the ceiling. Our burrata appetizer was delicious, although one of the apples had a bit of a burned taste instead of the grilled taste the other ones had. I am recently gluten free and learning it. So happy to have a gluten free pasta option because I miss it. I tweaked my dish adding sausage and mushrooms but no sauce other than olive oil or a little wine sauce or butter. Not sure what they ended up using but I was pleased with my dish. Hubs had the halibut special that came with two prawns and he added two more (8$). He liked it but would most likely choose something more gluttonous next time. Of note food was a bit slow to come out. My lemon drop I had high expectations due to the ingredients listed but it fell short of them but was still good. Service was nice and she double checked with me about my order which was appreciated. They give you what I assume is freshly baked sourdough bread (which apparently GF people can sometimes have....) I kept it to one bite and it was heavenly and might even be worth a tummy ache next time. We would return mostly because I can get gluten free options here that tasted good! read more

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Food was delish. Flavors were excellent and all dishes came out piping hot we had a table for 9. Added two settings with no problem. Two of us dad the linquini fruti de mare. The dish was fulll of mussels, clams, scallops, and two large jumbo shrimps. The sauce was a red seafood marinara sauce.Linquini was cooked perfectly. Bread was warm and served with olive oil and balsamic. Service staff was very accomodating and efficient. They tended to all our needs. The table ordered 7 different dishes and every loved what they ordered, from salad to pastas. The interior decor at Marios Portofinos is classic upscale Italian. We highly recommend Marios Portofinomfor your next special dining occassion. We celebrated Father's Day there. read more

We've eaten here many times over the years. Last evening's dinner was the best we've ever had here. Very reassuring! Thank you Marta and your trainee (Lacey? Lindsey?) for your excellent service! read more

We really wanted to find something to love about this place, but the whole experience was just a bit well...meh. It was kinda average food and service pretending to be fancy. The waiter was nice enough once we chatted him out of his shell, but really kinda stiff. The ambiance was nice. Maybe the food would have been better if the server had been more enthusiastic, but maybe not. We were kinda reminded why it had been about 20 years since the last time we were there. Sorry Mario. read more

Always a solid choice for traditional Italian food. We came here to celebrate my mom's promotion. GO MOM! Started with a martini. I would have preferred it to be more chilled, but still good. We then had the calamari and appetizer for 2 that we all shared. The calamari was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. For my main, I went off script and got the Mediterranean manicotti. Delicious and simple. Not too heavy read more

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I took my boss and team of 12 for dinner. Everyone enjoyed their meals it was incredibly good food.

We came here for dinner with a group of 10. I have to say it was pretty busy for a Wednesday night and we basically closed the place with the exception of two folks at the bar. Our server was fantastic and very accommodating. All the food came out in a good amount of time and was delicious. We were pretty hungry since it was a late dinner so needless to say I didn't get pics of the food, but we will be back so expect more pics at some point. They offered two great fish specials too which was nice. A few of us got the halibut special; other orders were veal parmigiana, calamari steak, polenta, calamari (appetizer), and salmon. Everything was delicious. We even had a lil dessert. Tiramisu, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet, and spumoni. FYI - the sorbet, ice cream, and spumoni come in big sundae type dishes so expect more than a scoop and save room. The seating was great and the decor was lovely. Looking forward to going back again. read more

Mario's Portofino - Main dining and there is a side room off to the left that has more tables/booth seating - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I have been to Mario's several times in the last 10 years. I had veal piccata - 5 stars. My partner had Calamari steak - 2 stars. The 'cream orange sauce' had a strong, unpleasant vinegar taste. The water they put on the table was awful. It reminded me of Sunnyvale, CA, where they inject water into the bedrock and then draw it out of the water table several miles away. Zero stars. They were crowded and the service was slow one hour after opening on a Saturday. I voiced my complaints to the manager. I think I will go to La Cucina next time. read more

Definitely NOT gluten free friendly. I made a reservation for a group of 10 and I asked before I confirmed if they had any gluten free options because my sister has celiac disease. I also asked about cross contamination in which they told me they're good about and cook their gluten free items in a separate area. When we first walked in, the host was very friendly. Everything after that went down hill, I'm not sure if the server was new but, she was not the best. We probably asked for bread at least three separate times since we had a toddler in a group and wanted to feed right away. Before we ordered, we told the server that my sister has celiac and is very sensitive to gluten. She told us that they had gluten free pasta available but, when we asked about the sauce (this should have been our first RED flag) she stated she was unsure which ones are gluten free and should just pick whatever we wanted and she'll let the cook knows. Our food took about an hour to get there, my order which was the veal piccata and my sisters gluten free pasta took another 15-20 minutes after everyone got their food. By the time the group was done eating, we got our food. After 3 bites of her gluten free pasta, we noticed a noodle strand which was NOT gluten free. Long story short, server never even really apologized, probably came back to us one more after that. I had to find her just so we could get our check. Overall, I gave it a two because the food was good but, everything else was awful. I was disappointed because I really love this place and always recommend it to people. ***My sister ended up getting sick that night. read more

I want to start by saying that my review should not stop you from trying Mario's. I hadn't been since I got active on Yelp again and I wanted to be able to post with photos. We have had prior, positive experiences which is why we went last night. That being said, it's unfortunate that last night was the night. All went smoothly with making the reservation. I had a request to be on the wall which was confirmed via email. We arrived on time and there was no note of this. The restaurant was not busy at 5pm, maybe 3-4 tables seated at that point and we were still seated at a booth as previously promised after a quick stroll through the restaurant offering us other tables. This was probably the warning we didn't heed. Short Version, we left at 6:46pm hungry and running late for our show. When we were seated, we were told our server was new and it might be a minute. We had two hours so it was fine. Ordering went smoothly, she read the specials was really nice and professional. Because of my colitis, I tweaked my order but she noted my restrictions - no onions, bell peppers, tomato (including sauce) and no chili flakes. We ordered at 5:15, the artichoke soup which was divine and the Pollo Portofinto with gorgonzola sauce instead of aurora sauce, pesto on my side and comfirmed the mixed had no onions or peppers. My friend ordered Gnocchi with gorgenzola sauce. The place was getting busy. I ate my soup and we watched table after table receive and finish their food. The people behind us when we arrived, were having dessert and coffee and we still didn't have our food. I went outside at 6:06pm and told her to go ahead and serve it if I wasn't there. No food when I returned. I went to the podium and told her we didn't have our food and she went back to check on it. We are pretty certain that since she said she watched them make it, that they lost our order and didn't want to tell us. We were brought food at 6:21 and they definitely rushed it. At first, my concern was there was both bell pepper and onion all over the veggies and leaking into the food. We were going to eat it anyway but asked for boxes because we knew we had to leave soon (I was just going to eat what hadn't touched the veg) but it was just plain awful. We pointed out that it was not hot to the hostess and she said she watched them make it. I took one bite of chicken and it had no flavor. No seasoning, no salt, nothing. It tasted like chalk and couldn't even swallow it. Same with the gnocchi, no flavor and not cooked. it was cold and doughy and again, no flavor. Pesto was just flour, cream and all I could taste was flour and parsley. The hostess said she was going to discount the check but we couldn't even eat the food. So we were charged for the soup and martini and offered no compensation. We would have been happy to be offered two bowls of soup because we still had to eat, no time to remake anything but after over an hour and a half, we left hungry and went to McDonald's. I emailed about my experience late last night and have yet to get a reply. I'm hoping to at least get some sort of an apology because this is not the Mario's we know and love and we certainly did not get one last night. I will update my review when I have something new to add. read more

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