I have to say... I hardly ever give places 1 star reviews, but this place was beyond disappointing.. And here is why. My best friend made a reservation here for my birthday after having read reviews saying there were very good (service/food/vibe etc). We were expecting the warm/pleasant environment people were talking about, and didn't get that at all. Let me paint you a word picture.. We had a res at 7pm, and I walked in a few mins early. A couple workers just stared at me and walked by, and then someone asked if I had a res which I said yes. My friend was just walking up as I was about to be taken to our seat (great timing lol) The person walked us to our counter seat way at the end in the back (which was totally fine). I should have started a timer because we put in our order for our mocktails and they didn't come out for like 15min? No one came to check on us or ask to take our food order for at least 20+min. After waiting quite a long time, my friend asked another person that was walking by if she could take our order because our server was nowhere to be seen, and just had not come back. The woman we asked said something along the lines of "no, you have a server" lol my friend asked nicely, and my friend was met with unpleasant vibes. I don't know how to describe our sever, but she was not very personable and seemed aloof to everything that was going on. It was giving Get out (the movie) vibes. The dinner was fine, but the vibe and service were beyond uncomfortable/strange and overall not pleasant. All we were trying to do was celebrate my birthday with a nice dinner. I would absolutely not come back here. Generally if someone is willing to spend their money somewhere, they would at least like to feel welcomed.. I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated... As I have been customer facing in many jobs and understand that it can bring difficult times and difficult customers, so I choose to be appreciative and easy to wait on when going out. But I did not feel like there was any pleasantness coming from the people there. I didn't even take photos of the food because of how off and uncomfy it was feeling the whole time. I would say go at your own risk, and I hope you have a better experience than we did. read more

Decent pasta and pizza options out of the old Radar space. We were able to grab bar seats around 6:30pm Friday without issue after being turned away by the two hour wait at Lovely's. Very friendly bartenders that made us feel welcomed and were great with helping us decide between dishes. Definitely one of the better pasta options in this area. We are not usually huge on olive oil cakes, but the one here was delicious and paired well with toppings/earl grey ice cream. read more

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Tartuca. Tartuca. I love saying the name. I love how accommodating they were when I had to switch my reservation a couple times due to time constraints not of my control. I didn't want them to charge my card $15 if I canceled within 2 hours of my reservation. When I finally arrived, it was like a nice oasis of fun date dinner atmosphere. Looking over the menu, I chose a charcuterie board to start and decided on the pizza that had salami, olives and fennel on it. The charcuterie board arrived and it was just so beautiful. I just went in and started combining whatever I could onto a piece of crostini. I had no rhyme or reason other than just eating. The nectarine slices that were there were the high notes of the board after all the salty meats were devoured. As I waited, I started seeing plates come from the bar and I started to doubt my pizza choice -like did I choose well? Was it too basic? Should I have gone with more of a unique pairing? I had all these thoughts disappear when my pizza finally arrived. As hungry as I was, I was able to control myself to take photos of it. It was beautiful and looked delicious. The first bite proved all my thoughts were based on fear and anxiety. Damn you, Anxiety! The pizza was so effin delicious, I wanted to moan. Yes, that good! I couldn't finish the pizza, but I took it home and ate the slices the following morning! Still just as delicious as the night before. Five stars! read more

It wasn't the most memorable pasta that I have had (good, would go back, just not going to make a claim it's the best in Portland), but it was THE best focaccia I've had hands down anywhere. I love olive oil (probably would eat with spoon if I could) and the olive oil flavor in this was so rich. Crispy edges, soft but not doughy center. I think about it all the time. read more

We came in for the soft opening around 5:30pm and they were well staffed. In the former Radar space, they fit right in. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. For starters, we ordered the house made focaccia with olive oil flight and the cheese plate which also come with focaccia. We are fools because that focaccia is pretty filling! An airy bread would've been better for us but the olive oils were great! Pasta. The bucatini and radiatore were perfect. It's all about the texture of the noodle for me and both had good bounce. For dessert, we got the Panna Cotta and it was light & refreshing. It was a good finish to the meal. We never felt rushed or like anyone was stressed. They seem to have a nice rhythm going already! P.s. great wine list! We will be back! read more

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Loved the vibes of this place! Totally takes you to a different vibe espeically being right next to the bustle of Bar Bar. The food was delicious. If you are a fan of salads, get the Caesar here! The dressing is fantastic! The pastas were good, the noodles were a little too al dente for me, but the sauces were sooo good! Meatballs were also delicious. Great date night spot! read more

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My first bad yelp review pros focaccia and balsamic vinegar cons food that was so so cold but we waited almost an hour for it so we honestly just ate it in painful silence. The pasta wasn't cooked all the way and everything honestly seemed like it sat in a fridge it was odd. The food would have been wonderful if it wasn't so cold. Our waitress never asked how our food was but did take a smoke break while we waited for our check so we eventually just brought our card upfront. Very bummed because we have heard such good things about this place hoping it was maybe just a weird fluke experience but it was definitely the most I've paid for such bad service. read more

Exceptional service, balance of high quality ingredients, great attention to detail. Bless you and your loved ones that you will eventually bring here by giving it a try. I have always loved everything about cooking, I worked on customer service teams for about 5-7 years and have designed/developed customer experiences - I can appreciate when a team truly delivers. FOOD We had hundreds of places bookmarked, making it a point to not eat at the same place twice and for our final dinner on our week-long visit to Portland we ended up at Tartuca - it couldn't have been a more perfect choice. This is what we got: Housemade focaccia with olive oil Radiatori #4 Pizza Some chocolate dessert that don't remember with a small glass of something that I don't remember even though I asked them to repeat it for me For those of you who understand, every ingredient had its place which only works if you are using high quality ingredients. A bite of pizza isn't just a bite of pizza, it's the slightly bitter char on the bottom, the perfect bite that is crunchy with a slight chew to it, the perfectly sized tomato chunks in the sauce that makes you feel like they have it growing in the back without dominating the flavor for the tomato haters (like myself, I know...), the perfect amount of cheese that doesn't feel too heavy but still has a perfect pull when you grab your slice, the confit garlic which added a sweet/buttery/not-too-garlicky note, the prosciutto that melts into a salty/savory companion to the slightly bitter/slightly citrusy salad on top. I'm going straight into dessert to lead into the experience. I told the waiter that I wanted to close out while my girl was in the bathroom since we tend to skip dessert, this was not the place to do that. As soon as she came back she said 2 things, she appreciated that they had tampons and she wanted dessert. I ran to the waiter as they printed my receipt to let them know not to close out, not only did he let me know it wouldn't be a problem he went out of his way to ensure that I did not feel like a burden at all for changing my mind last minute. We asked for recommendations for dessert and instead of just listing off favorites he took the time to understand what would best suit how we are feeling and recommended the perfect dessert/drink pairing.... When I tell you this was the best dessert I have had in my life, I mean it. The balance of flavor continued, I truly have no idea what was in there because I couldn't find the dessert menu online but it was like a fudge brownie with a berry sauce and toffee brittle. The drink was like the love child of Dr Pepper and Bulleit. When you put it all together your tastebuds will dance like they have never danced before. TEAM/RESTAURANT I'll try to go quickly. We walked in without a reservation and got lucky since it was a Monday night. The kitchen is in the damn restaurant, you can see your food being made, you can see the teamwork amongst staff members, you can entertain yourself with how clean their grease traps are before closing and how perfectly organized all of their bins are right there behind the counter or if you're a normal person you can appreciate what appears to be a well oiled machine operated by a group of friends who all have a passion for delivering exceptional experiences. The entire team that cooked our food literally said bye to us on our way out and we got to tell them thank you because THE KITCHEN IS IN THE DAMN RESTAURANT. In a world where you never know where people might be cutting corners, Tartuca treats you like a friend that is so excited to share their passion with you that they sit you down in their kitchen and eagerly await to see your reaction when you take a bite. DRINKS Bomb, everything I said about the food applies to the drinks. Sorry for not having better photos read more

Tartuca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Dinner tonight at Tartuca was absolutely exquisite! Had the trout Caesar salad which was delicious. The osso bucco was sublime! Melt in your mouth superb. Jeffrey offered wine choices that were hard to choose from. Shared the lemon tart was a perfect for three. Will be back soon!!! read more

Outstanding pizza!! Perfect crust and creative seasonal toppings: peach, prosciutto, Thai basil, ricotta and a hint of possibly citrus zest. Just delectable read more

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Such a cute restaurant. Food was amazing. Ingredients were fresh and the presentation was a 10. I have zero complaints. The service was very slow however. Great for small tables 2-3 ppl. I don't recommend more than that. read more

Tartuca - Campanelle - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was really great. Mushroom bucatini was delish! Focaccia was really amazing, house made and served with quality evoo and burrata. Wine was tart and kind of a small pour though that's no big deal. Pilsner was fresh and delish. Two suggestions though. Build some kind of blind for the dish station. It was a disaster and only a few feet from our table. And service wasn't good. Never brought the lamb meatballs we ordered. Didn't seem particularly interested in our experience. Took my plate without asking (i was soaking up the sauce with the focaccia.). Food I give 5. Service 2. read more

Very small unique low lit restaurant on Mississippi. I'd recommend getting a reservation. Our server was fantastic. The wine list is all Italian and great options. The food was good. Very unique. The NY strip steak was fantastic. The bucatini wild boar, so so. Not a lot of flavor and lots of broth and stuff in it. read more

I don't want to bash because the food was so good! But there is no pizza and there is no olive oil cake. I made the reservations after seeing a instagram video that made the food look amazing. I was looking forward to the pizza and the olive oil cake and was disappointed when I got there that those weren't options. I had the bolognese pasta and focaccia bread which were both amazing!! read more

Tartuca is a special place. Everything from the ambiance to the service to the food was outstanding. We absolutely loved our meal from start to finish. The pastas are delicate and tasty, and the mains are thoughtful and curated. Sad to see from other review that I've missed out on their pizza. I hope they bring it back in some form so I can enjoy that next time. read more

We lucked out and walked past Tartuca while strolling through the neighborhood, and so dang glad we did! We peeked at the menu, but had just had lunch, so decided to put our name down and return for dinner! The food was absolutely incredible! We got some wine, a pasta and pizza and everything was incredible! The quality of food was superb, staff were nice. The place is tiny! So definitely recommend making reservations before you go. You will certainly not be disappointed read more

Oh man! So good of food. The flavors are outstanding. That drink is really delicious as well. The staff were really nice. The look of the place was a bit rugged with bare wood ceilings. Had a great evening. read more

Tartuca - Lungo & Ratiatori, with a Clarice. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Very good service. On point food. Good selection of appetizers and pizza. A long bar with bar seats. They also have covered outdoor seating with heat lamps. read more

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Tartuca is ideal for date night with a really cozy atmosphere. The servicer was so kind and welcoming. The Radiatori was good, I would rate it a 7/10. The pepperoni pizza was so delicious and the bread was amazing. The sheep cheese and honey was my favorite with the bread, it was full of flavor! read more

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Tartuca is unassuming in the hustle and bustle of Mississippi, but they are authentic and sure do Italian well. The space is small and intimate with indoor and outdoor seating. They take reservations online through their website, highly recommend it! We came on a Wednesday evening and they were quite busy. Our waitress was friendly and gave us an overview of the menu along with the night's specials. We ordered the burrata, radiatori pasta, and the proscuitto pizza. The burrata was creamy, fresh, and it was paired with carrots, hazelnuts, and spring mix. The seasoning was citrusy, peppery, balanced and refined. The radiatori pasta was mediocre to me. The bolognese sauce was a bit too salty, which was overpowering. I ate it with the burrata which helped balance the dish. The pasta was also a tad overcooked. However, the pizza was the winner of the night. The crust was tangy, chewy, had a nice char. Dare I say it is a top contender in Portland? The butternut squash was a sweet contrast to the savory prosciutto, and the hot honey was the cherry on top. It just tied the whole dish together and everything worked. I would come back for this pizza. Service was attentive - my water got refilled multiple times throughout the night, and we were checked upon, overall a great experience! Fresh ingredients, scratch Italian cooking, I can't wait to be back! read more

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Some of the best pizza on Mississippi! The restaurant is very cute and would be a great option for date night. We came in for Portland Pizza Week and it did not disappoint! We ordered some cocktails to start, including the Lavender Haze and the Fernet About It. Both were delicious! We also ordered some of the Housemade Focaccia. I had hoped it would be served warmed up, but it was still tasty regardless. The star of the show was definitely the pizza, the Highway Raabery. Toppings included broccoli rabe, confit garlic, mozzarella, pecorino, and garlic oil. It was so good that we devoured it without taking any photos! Our server was very friendly and attentive. He recommended some great amaros as well. We will definitely be back and I'm excited to try some of the pizzas on their regular menu! read more

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Pizza lovers rejoice. This from scratch Italian kitchen on Mississippi is hands down a five-star experience. The menu changes frequently utilizing seasonal ingredients. We had the lamb sausage and fennel pizza and watched the dough be hand-tossed and topped then slipped into the oven with skill. While this modern farm to table may be called Tartuca (Italian for turtle or tortoise) the service is anything but slow. We waited a mere 15 minutes for a 16" pizza on a Friday evening. I'm a sauce guy so I asked for a side of marinara to dip the crust in and was delighted by an in-house red sauce loaded with flavor. We will most definitely be back! read more

Tartuca - Side of marinara - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've had dinner at Tartuca three times and unfortunately cannot recommend it for the price, flavor, or service. They do not meet our expectations based on similar experiences in other comparable Portland restaurants. I have gone as a group of two and three. It commonly takes a long time to be acknowledged at the door, and a long time between table visits while dining. This most recent visit, I took a photo of my mains which inadvertently also allowed me to later time-check how long it took to replenish our table's water or get offered another beverage. Those offers never came. 40 minutes later when a dessert menu arrived, we declined because we didn't care to be neglected further. The food was notably salty, which is the trend for each dish I've had at Tartuca. The indoor ambience trends loud, and is difficult for older diners to enjoy or hear conversation. read more

Tartuca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I just got home from a wonderful dinner here with my wife and son. We sat on the back patio and we were treated well from the moment we arrived. We were greeted in a friendly manner, and I told them about my reservation. They immediately grabbed menus and brought us to a table which was set up for us. We were alone on the back patio at first, and it was quiet and clean, and it was very pleasant to be out in the open air. There is a roof over the patio, so even if it had been raining, it would not have been a problem. We ordered the caesar salad, a pizza, and two pasta dishes, as well as a beer and a glass of wine. Everything was very tasty. Between the three of us, nothing was left on our plates or in our glasses. It was a great experience. I look forward to returning here, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys high quality pasta and sauces. read more

First two times I've been to Tartuca they were quite good, but just as many places in Portland, the quality went down hill. We gave them a few second chances but today it was a goodbye deal. Their bolognese was ridiculously salty. For my husband to even agree with me, and push his dish to the side, it's because they poured a hand full of salt in a small dish of pasta. The pasta itself was overcooked too, which makes this restaurant not as Italian as they claim. Last couple of times we came here there was always something wrong, Ie. a completely burnt focaccia crust - that they insisted to tell us it was still good (despite having a black crust). I don't want to sound snob but I lived in Italy and never ever they would serve you a burnt focaccia and say 'that's the style', nor they would serve you overcooked and over salted pasta. They're not paying attention to their finished product. read more

Who doesn't love fresh homemade pasta? Located in the old Radar space on Mississippi you can easily stumble upon this place walking down the street. I had it bookmarked after reading an Eater article about it opening up and when I went they were still fairly new so no crowds to worry about. I would recommend the mushroom pizza and the pasta specials. I can't quite remember which pasta I got as they have specials but it was wonderful. Super creamy and spicy. The pasta shape was perfect for absorbing the sauce in the dish and was cooked al dente. I thought the portion size was small at first but with the pizza and some chats it was just the right amount. read more

Absolutely delicious food with an adorable, transportive ambiance -- we truly felt like we were in Italy, especially after savoring the fresh, pillowy focaccia with burrata and olive oil. The confit potatoes were a standout, perfectly crispy and flavorful. We ordered the bucatini and the campanelle -- both were excellent and packed a spicy kick. In hindsight, we would've liked to balance it out with a non-spicy pasta option. The raw oysters were fresh and delicious, a great addition to the meal. My only critique is the wine list -- both white wines I tried were just okay. read more

On a search for a new pasta place to call my favorite in Portland, I found Tartuca and decided to give it a try. I didn't have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate a high table for two inside the restaurant. The two pasta dishes I tried were good, really good... But they weren't "omg that was so good I need to come back here asap" type of good. I also added an order of their house made focaccia bread after seeing plates of it go past my table over and over. It looks like they have a rotating menu so I may come back to try different things, maybe a pizza. It's a cute restaurant in a great area to walk around so it's a good date night spot if that's what you're looking for! read more

I really loved this place the first time we dined here. The second time was a dud and the third time better, but perhaps not worth a repeat visit. The spaghetti with meatballs seems to be the dish I always gravitate towards. I love the fresh basil thrown in there, but it's heavy on the sauce for my taste and the meatballs were too salty on two occasions. It was very tasty the first time I tried the dish, but couldn't be replicated in the 2nd and 3rd try. Ditto on the starters. We had a few delicious salads the first time, but wasn't super impressed the 2nd and 3rd. Service has always been great and they've got a nice wine and cocktail menu. I'm really on the fence about this one. I feel like we'll be back since we love Italian (hence the 4), but our last two visits were less than memorable. read more

Wow my meal was so good I've thought about it twice a day for the last two weeks Service was super friendly and accommodating to food allergies and dietary preferences Definitely be eating here next time I'm in town read more

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Excellent food and drink. Options are limited but all taste so good . The ambience is also relaxing read more

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Currently one of the most under-hyped restaurants in Portland. I've been here three times and have tried several dishes... and I still haven't tried anything that wasn't absolutely fantastic. The combinations of flavor, texture, and high quality ingredients have really stood out to me. Their hand made pasta is exquisite and I keep coming back for more. The menu is constantly changing but I suggest trying their burrata, gemelli, agnolotti, or any of the pastas with lamb or lamb Italian sausage. I could easily see this restaurant sky-rocketing in popularity in the coming years. read more

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Came in for dinner on a Friday night Was looking forward to trying the restaurant I started with oysters - very fresh and delicious Then ordered the burrata plate (delicious but a small portion) Also ordered the vegetarian bucatini pasta - not very flavorful and pasta to sauce ratio was high so unfortunately a very underwhelming dish. Service was also very slow (perhaps for a weekend night). For dessert had the olive oil cake, toppings were actually very fresh and nice and cake moist - highly recommended. Will have to come back to try the pizza (looked delicious) read more

Tartuca - Burrata - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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In short - one of the best pasta I've had in the west coast. Outstandingly amazing. They truly know what does al dente means. They didn't mess around with the sauce. The flavor profiles are delicate and intentional. We came here on the day of Mississippi Ave street fair. Due to huge crowd they offered limited menu. This was our first time trying the restaurant. We ordered: * lamb fat potatoes with pistachios, lavender, scallions- super good combination of flavors. Potatoes are well cooked. * Gemelli pesto pasta - when I took a bite on the pasta, I almost wanted to turn my face to the chef and yell "perfect al dente! this is SO delicious!". It was such a joy to have this in summer. The pesto, the lemon, and I think there's something else delicate nicely merged everything together. * Gemelli lungo with sausage and chili - just as good as the other pasta. the flavor profile reminded me a lot of Asian cuisine, which was a unexpected nice surprise! I can't wait to come back. read more

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Love Tartuca! The space has exposed brick, mostly two tops, and a counter where you can watch folks make pizza. We got the burrata and their rotating seasonal pizza. The roasted carrot burrata was amazing and refreshing on a classic burrata salad. The pizza is wood fired and had the perfect amount of crisp. If you are feeling a more intimate dinner spot, check out Tartuca. read more

Tartuca - Burrata - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great service and delicious food. We had the fresh focaccia, burrata, and pizza of the day: roasted garlic, broccoli rabe, mozzarella on garlic confit base. So f*%#ing good! Neapolitan style dough, soft and perfectly chewy. We also had the cardamom and rhubarb cake, which had a very subtle and balanced flavor. Small space so can be a bit of a wait. Plan to walk around for a bit while you wait. They even have a cute little patio. read more

Tartuca - Neapolitan style pizza: garlic confit, broccoli rabe and mozzarella - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We visited Tartuca while visiting Portland back in November, and safe to say we absolutely LOVED it. The space is intimate, the service is fantastic (shout out to our server, Daniel, for taking great care of us) and the FOOD was truly spectacular. We had the housemade focaccia (fluffy), burrata (creamy), two pizzas (the prosciutto/confit garlic and squash/ricotta -- both perfect combinations), and standout of the meal: cappelletti in parmesan brodo. The housemade pasta is one of the best dishes I had all year and it's one I'm going to be dreaming about until I can make a return trip to Portland. read more

Tartuca - Cappelletti in Parmesan brodo - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I loved the gemelli- their vegetarian pasta dish. It had slight tartness and freshness that I really enjoyed. Mushroom pizza was a solid choice too. Although personally, I find gnudi too starchy and dense, I still enjoyed the smoked paprika sauce it came with. Servers are kind :) Their big tables by the window are my favorite. read more

The drinks are inventive, interesting, and delicious. The foccacia is swoon worthy. Tonight's gemelli with lamb sausage had the kind of heat that doesn't taste hot but that leaves your mouth tingling. The olive oil cake with blueberries was a nice way to end the meal. The grapefruit-cello was something I would go back for and I can't wait to try the pomelo-cello! How about bergamot-cello??? read more

My friends and I had an amazing night here. It was a cold rainy Portland night and we were skeptical about being seated at the outdoor patio, but it was covered and heated and the ambient lighting and sound of rainfall on the covered roof was such a vibe. We ordered a few appetizers and we all got a different pasta dish and we shared everything. All the pastas we ordered were amazing, but it was the carrot based pasta that took everyone by surprise. We all voted it best dish of the night. We finished off with the pavlova which was a wonderful light dessert. Our server was super friendly and attentive. Great experience! read more

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