We had reservations at a different restaurant that were canceled by the restaurant due to a leak of some kind, so we had to find a new place to dine and decided to go to Portofino's since it was walking distance from our hotel. We were very happy with our experience at Portofino's. The food tasted great, and the prices were reasonable. I recommend this place for anyone wanting authentic Italian food that's delicious. read more

Food was just ok. I got the lasagna. They also charged me .25 for extra lemons and my sister who also asked for extra lemons was charged .50. I probably won't be back. read more

I have had many dishes and at Portafino's, both locations. Everything including the pizza has been amazing. The dish that sent me here to write a review that to me, tops it all is the baked ziti with Italian pink sauce! I'm a baked ziti lover and this is the best I've ever had. I also love the atmosphere at Portofino's bc it's like finding Italy in Waco. I've built a cordial and friendly relationship with the owners and their Italian accents and recipes are so genuine, authentic, and friendly. The being Italian family traditions to Waco, highly recommended! Either location. The downtown location has they down town feel and the China Spring location has that family feel. The food is amazing! And mmmmm the bread! read more

Portofino's - Baked Ziti and house made Italian bread. - Pizza Near Me - Waco, Texas

If you are craving Italian, or even if you are not, this place has AMAZING Italian food and EXCEPTIONAL customer service. The staff took such great care of us and we really enjoyed our experience here. read more

My wife and I visited the restaurant for our 2nd time last night. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. We each had the Chicken Parmigiana Cremora (I highly recommend). Our server, Sitina, was great...she kindly obliged to allow my wife to have an unbreaded chicken breast for her order. We will definitely return on another trip to Waco! read more

I always love when I can find a good family owned and run Italian restaurant! The veal Parm was absolutely delicious and the portion was huge. The homemade bread was so good, but it was even better with the garlic olive oil. our server was extremely attentive and quick. I would recommend. read more

Portofino's - Veal Parmigina - Pizza Near Me - Waco, Texas

Admittedly, Italian cuisine isn't at the top of my list but Portofino's changed my mind! The service is the best, the ambiance is great, and the food is some of the best I've ever had. We talked about the meal daily for the next few days after eating there. Nona's Trio was so good! The bruschetta is the tastiest appetizer ever! You can't go wrong. We'll be back asap! read more

Chicken piccata was awful . Chicken seemed like a boneless chicken breast poached or boiled. Very tough and flavorless. Must have used half a jar of capers, rendering the dish super briny. When asked if we wanted a to go box I told him we did not care for the meal and he said sorry. Waitress very good as was bread. read more

Have eaten here previously & been pleased, but this visit totally missed the mark. The pastas dishes were served "floating" in liquid. Had the kitchen forgotten to drain the pasta before adding the various sauces, both red & white? Have never been served pasta by a restaurant, with so much "liquid" that it was almost like eating a bowl of soup. Both the bread & service were good as always, but the kitchen definitely had an off night. Should have sent it all back, but we ate about 1/2 & left. We will return since Portofino has been a long time favorite, but if the pasta arrives in this condition again, we will absolutely return it to the kitchen. read more

I'm sorry but we walked inside to be seated & I was immediate grossed out! The white linen table cloth at our table had big clumps of old beef/food stuck to it. I looked around and almost all of the tables had that same dirty dingy gross looking white tablecloth underneath a black cloth. I mean it honestly looks like they're trying to cover up the dirty dingy white tablecloth by putting a black cover over it. But the white that sticks out is not white is dirty and disgusting. We walked out and I will never eat there read more

We had an awesome experience here at Portofino's! The staff was very attentive and mace sure we had every thing we needed. Pizza was pretty darn good! Definitely our second go to place for pizza! Caesar Salad was great as well! read more

Ok, we came here because of reviews and recommendations. But not sure why to be honest and super disappointed. Our waitress was nice but service was slow for only 3 parties in the restaurant. My sauce tasted like chef boyrdee balls as I stared at cobwebs with spider egg sacks. Don't ask for parmesan, you won't get anything fresh, togo pizzahut has better. My ceaser was warm and wilty. Bread was amazing, though it came after apps. We had the mozzarella sticks that I would put money on that it came from a frozen box. Icing on the cake is no bathroom doors just shower curtains and they ask that you do not flush any toilet paper. Going home hungry with a possible disease or uti. read more

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Very delicious! Came for dinner and service and food was amazing! Asked for shrimp to be added to my lobster ravioli and would highly recommend anyone else to do the same. Service was exceptional, quick and attentive to everything we needed. Definitely recommend the lemon cake for desert! read more

Portofino's - Entrees - Pizza Near Me - Waco, Texas

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My wife and I was here one year ago and ate at this Italian restaurant and we remembered how good it was so we returned. It's a Friday evening and the place is full of locals I got the spaghetti and my wife had the lasagna. Both dishes were awesome and large portions service was great highly recommend this Resaurant. read more

With local Waco friends, found this place on Yelp. Had a delicious dinner and it started with some fresh baked hot rolls! Oh my gosh! Amazing! Friendly server and good food! read more

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USED to be one of my favorite restaurants. Was definitely my favorite Italian restaurant. But tonight, on "date night" the server looked at me like I was a homeless trespasser before informing me that the kitchen closed more than an hour early. I PROMISE that my money is good. I'm glad to see that you don't need it. It's a shame to see how far downhill you have gone. read more

Two people in front of us walked in and was seated immediately with no reservations. We walked in with a party of 7, the server was going to seat us. Then another server stopped him, and asked if we had reservations. The server walked back and said there was no more reservations for the day. The restaurant was empty, but yet they didn't have any seats for us that night. That server did us a favor because the restaurant stunk from the minute we walked in, and the decor was dated and looked like folding tables like from Sams covered in black table cloths with black chairs. Restaurant rescue couldn't save this place! read more

We ordered personal size pizzas and they were great! The bread is delicious. Service is friendly!

Food was outstanding, served hot and timely. The service was just right. Ambiance was a little noisy and boisterous but it was Friday night. We were surprised that there was a service fee charged because we did not pay cash. The waitress did not inform us of that fact and the fee was 4% applied on the total bill and was added on top of the total including tax. Just a heads up for folks visiting the area. Other restaurants do not openly portray that charge and build it into their operating expenses. So we obliged and did the same and absorbed the fee into our tip calculation for the restaurant folks. Seemed fair. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. Everything was frozen. Not really good at all. Edible but not even close to what a restaurant should be serving. Service was subpar at best. When we saw everyone around us get bread we asked if we were able to get any the Server gave us the excuse that we didn't get bread because we got an appetizer. What? Save your money and bring your business elsewhere. Tables were also sat very close together. If you're concerned about being social distant this is also not the place for you. read more

Excellent service. Delicious food! I had chicken piccata and it was just perfect. My daughter had chicken tortellini Alfredo and it was superb. Both meals were excellent and service outstanding. Eat here!!! read more

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One of the few restaurants open on Sunday, was the main draw for us, however the food was good and ample servings. Good heavy red sauce, not oily or just chunks of tomato's, more like we consider Rome and Naples area sauce. Eggplant parmigiana not great, but we have had much worse. Pastas were good. We will come back especially on a Sunday. read more

I have been wanting to check out the restaurant for a while and friends suggested going there, so we jumped at the chance. While I was was hoping for good Italian food, the bread and the dessert were the best parts of the meal, the rest wasn't Olive Garden equivalent. Won't be going back.. read more

The service at Portofino's Italian Restaurant needs major improvement but, the food tastes delicious. I recommend the eggplant parmigiana! read more

Portofino's - Cannoli at Portofino's Italian Restaurant. - Pizza Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Less than mediocre. The garlic cheese bread was good. That was about it. The sauces had absolutely no seasoning or flavor. The chicken had no color at all and would have been much better grilled or sautéed more. The cheese sticks were frozen. Not the "authentic" Italian food we were hoping for. Pizza Hut pasta is better. read more

Wonderful food. Great customer service. Lobster ravioli is the bomb . Wonderful Alfredo pizza . Baked pasta is cheesy .

We were looking for something close to where we were staying and Portofino's hit the spot. The chicken, mushroom and artichoke was enough for the two of us, but the sauce was too viscous so it didn't hold well to the noodles. The bread didn't seem fresh, seemed bought and wasn't warm, so the butter offered with it was hard to spread. The atmosphere and service was great though so we might give them another chance. read more

I think the food is okay. It was not cheap for the food you were getting, some people might like it but I would probably not come back. Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo read more

I have been to many excellent and delicious Italian restaurants and Portofino's IS NOT one of them. The pasta was overcooked and the sauce was bland and tasteless also the chicken was not cooked properly. Horrible overpriced food. STAY AWAY! read more

This place was pleasantly surprising. If I am being honest... the photos posted by customers almost turned me away. With that said, the pictures posted here on yelp do not do the business justice. The restaurant has an intimate setting, the service was excellent (which is hard to come by here in Waco), and the food was phenomenal. The only constructive criticism I have is that they should warm the butter before serving with bread. Have you ever tried spreading rock hard cold butter??? It doesn't work. In closing, i have given other restaurants a 5 star review on my first visit only to be let down the next time I go. Hopefully that isn't the case with this place (fingers crossed)... As of now, I highly recommend the chicken piccata. I will definitely be returning in the future. read more

I came here for my birthday! We had a table of four and brought our own dessert. They do have their own dessert options FYI. We brought our own candles and the waitress was nice to let us borrow their lighter! I was hesitant to come here because the chairs In the pictures looked really uncomfortable. And I was right - the chairs are old and many are missing cushion. I think customers would be more comfortable with reupholstered seats or even new chairs would be a big benefit! Even though the chair was uncomfortable the meal and service were great. Portofino's has an extensive menu to offer customers who are craving Italian food. They offer chicken, veal, shrimp, and lobster. Plenty of pasta entrees without meat as well. They do have a small wine and beer selection. And they give you bread and butter while you wait for your meal! For our meal, I ordered the veal picatta and the house Cabernet. My family had the lobster ravioli and the pasta sampler. I honestly was disappointed with the veal picatta. There was way too much sauce and not enough capers. The entree itself is just not very appealing when served. However the lobster ravioli and the pasta sampler were so good!! I would go back just for the lobster ravioli and pasta sampler! The sauce was amazing. Our waitress was very attentive and provided great service. Although I was disappointed with my meal they do have other great entrees! read more

Portofino's - Veal picatta - Pizza Near Me - Waco, Texas

This was our first time to this restaurant and it made my husband and I, two East Coast transplants to Texas, very happy. The food was excellent and the place packed. Old World flare to the decor and heard Frankie on the sound system before the crowds arrived. The staff was up to the challenge and everything arrived timely and hot and delicious. We enjoyed calamari, veal parm cremora, and eggplant parm. Also salads with a tomato-garlic house dressing and soft, warm large homemade rolls. Buono!! read more

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Excellent food and service, AND VERY GOOD PRICE RATIO on quality. Nice terrace and good wine selection.

This is a first date kind of place. Wait staff is friendly. They dim the lighting for dinner. Also, they take reservations. The chicken ceased salad was a good portion, but could have been a bit more flavorful, chicken was not very juicy. Their roles are all the rage-- thick yeast rolls with slabs of butter, very delicious. As for dietary needs/restrictions, which my friend had, it seemed like items could be lightly revised upon request, but it was nothing special-- there is not a specific menu. In the end, didn't blow us away, but wasn't terrible. read more

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We stumbled into Portofino's tonight for a bite and am I pleased we did. This is the classic little family Italian restaurant! Great food, friendly service, niche decor with easy parking! I had my favorite dish, fettuccine Alfredo (with chicken). It was stupendous! So smooth and buttery, top it off with the garlic cheese bread and you have an amazing meal. We will be back! Portofino's gets four stars! Happy Eating Y'all read more

After a Hill Country Girl's trip, we stopped for a late lunch at Portofino's in Waco. We were extremely pleased with the quality of the food and superb service. Marshall (our waiter) guided us through the menu and wine list with expertise and suggested a few of his favorites. I enjoyed Joe's Garden Special with pink vodka sauce and my sisters had the Bruschcetta Pizza, Chicken Vegetable pasta, and spinach salad. Simply delicious and we highly recommend it! read more

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One star is far too many. If real Italian food were 5 stars and Stouffer's lasagna was 1, this would be negative 10. Bland, overcooked, overpriced. I am not picky about Italian food. We ordered food to go. If I had been in the dining room I would have just walked out, which I have never done in my life. I am throwing this in the garbage where it belongs. read more

Waco is in the midst of trying to revitalize its downtown and it's still a work in progress. That experience also describes my dinner at Portofino's. There were several things to compliment Portofino's on. First, the service is friendly and willing to accommodate. We arrived early for our reservation and despite the crowd, they were able to seat us outside immediately. Our server was also beyond friendly. My chicken marsala was above average. The marsala sauce was good and the portion was generous, especially the amount of mushrooms. My dining companion also enjoyed her chicken parmigiana. The kitchen was willing to customize hers with pink sauce instead of the marinara sauce. The bread was also a pleasant surprise. We received two large rolls which turned out to be soft Italian rolls. Now, the negatives. The bread would've been much better with a side of olive oil seasoned with pepper and herbs as opposed to the bowl of butter packets we received. Also, we had to request several things to be brought to the table including napkins, silverware, and sweetener for the tea. Portofino's does a very good job, but they need more help to become a true fine dining option. read more

Three of us decided to try Portofino's because it was close to our hotel and looked inviting as we drove by. So glad we tried it because the food was AMAZING! Excellent service as well. Everything came to the table steaming hot, including the fresh from the oven bread. I had shrimp piccata : huge shrimp served over pasta in a lemon butter caper sauce. I can truthfully say I've never had better. My brother was equally impressed with his shrimp Scarapelli. This was large shrimp with Italian sausage and peppers in a red sauce served over pasta. My sister had the chicken and vegetables over pasta. She loved her dish too. The servings are quite generous, the food is tasty and hot and very professional service. Highly recommend Portofino's read more

Went while traveling through Waco. Its on a cute downtown street with other shopping and restaurants/bars. The chicken Alfredo ($15) was very tasty. Not bland like a lot of places. The portions are huge. You get a lot for your money. The bread is delish and fresh. The house Chardonnay is only $5 a glass. Service is a little slow but I assume that's because everything is fresh. We weren't too impressed with the Caesar salad, no croutons and the dressing was warm. Just my opinion. I would return to try other menu items. read more