Portobello's Italian Bistro — Restaurant in Johnson City

Ordered dinner from this establishment this evening, as we have done for years. Tonight was horrible! After waiting for a bit I decided to call and let them know I have not received my order. The delivery driver happened to answer the phone. When I told him that I had not received my order he told me that he dropped it off because he rang the doorbell and it said that no one was home or no one was available and he decided to leave. I found this to be odd because I can hear my doorbell throughout my entire home and my doorbell never rang. I asked him why didn't he call? No response. I walked outside and as I was on the phone with him I let him know that I did not have any food in my driveway and he told me "well maybe somebody stole it, and that would not be on us that's not our fault." I began to get very frustrated because looking on my camera footage I never saw anybody in my driveway nor was there any food left in my driveway. On top of the fact that we have ordered from them for years and have never had an issue as far as them getting our address wrong. We have even received phone calls if the driver was confused as to their whereabouts. But not this driver! He decided to make our address someone else's address just because he saw the number six. As I'm standing outside I look across the street at some condominiums and at apartment 6 there is my food sitting on the doorstep. That condominiums complex address is 100, My address begins with a 28. He delivered the food to the wrong address simply because he saw a number 6 and decided to just leave it there without even calling to verify. He didn't even look at the numbers on the building to see that they did not match the address of the order. And have the nerve to be a smart aleck. So in all actuality had I not saw my food sitting across the street and it had been stolen that would have actually been his fault because he delivered it to the wrong place. I spoke with the owner who said he was going to go speak with the young man and call me back and he never did they close their restaurant for the evening and I've never heard anything back and that is completely okay with me it lets me know how they handle their mess ups no accountability no apology just ignored. The food is quite tasty and it's close to our home so we have always ordered from them, for years. But it is okay. They do not have to worry about our business anymore we will definitely be happy to support another Italian restaurant in our area even if it is a little further...

It was a dark and stormy afternoon but the Glazed Salmon brightened my day!!! It was perfectly cooked, just a hint of crusties outside and juicy, flakey goodness inside. I wish I could report with the same exuberance on the bed of rice and the asparagus; my sides weren't horrible by any means, just ok in comparison to the excellence of my fish. The asparagus was thick and "wibbley" such that I needed to use my knife to cut it. The flavor was good and I am sure most people would enjoy it but for me veggies shouldn't be overly cooked or adulterated with lots of butter and/or sauce. Additionally, good asparagus should be be thin, not thick.

My Order Taker was as nice as most "kids" are these days but lacking in the service department. She did follow up with the usual "How is everything?" though without genuine concern when I honestly answered her. Though my observations were not pressing I do feel it is important to share them with staff, especially when asked, otherwise there is no opportunity to remedy any problem areas. I chalk this up to more of a training issue than fault with my server.

When going to the ladies room to wash my paws prior to eating I noticed there were no paper towels so I also mentioned that to my Order Taker. After eating, out of my Kat-like curiosity, I went back to the facilities to see if the issue was addressed...well yes, sort of; the dispenser was still empty though a partial roll was conspicuously placed on the counter. Better than nothing, I suppose.

One last note about service. When I go out to eat I want to enjoy the experience not rush through it so it was a bit off putting when my check was dropped off right after finishing my lunch. Surprisingly, I was not asked if I cared for dessert or anything else. I will have to seek out my Order Taker to ask for a cup of coffee to comfort me on this wet, chilly day.

In the end, most review readers just want to know if the experience is worth it and I wholeheartedly say Yes. One would be hard pressed to find an entree of this quality at this...

I recently had the absolute displeasure of dining at this so-called "Italian" restaurant, and it was, without question, one of the worst dining experiences of my life. To start, the ambiance was less “Italian bistro” and more “dingy cafeteria.” The lighting was harsh, the décor outdated, and the constant blaring of bad pop music killed any hope of a cozy atmosphere.

The service was beyond atrocious. The waitstaff was either completely disinterested or painfully slow. We waited nearly 30 minutes just to place our order, and when we finally did, the server seemed annoyed by basic questions about the menu. But that was nothing compared to the food.

The pasta? Overcooked mush. It tasted like it had been sitting in a pot of water for hours, and the sauce, if you could call it that, was watery, bland, and lacked any seasoning. My spaghetti Bolognese was a pile of soggy noodles swimming in a puddle of tasteless tomato water with the saddest, most flavorless bits of meat imaginable. It was as if they had never heard of garlic, basil, or any of the basic ingredients that make Italian food what it is.

The pizza was even worse. The crust was a soggy, undercooked mess, the cheese was rubbery, and the toppings were sparse and tasteless. It felt like they had taken the cheapest possible ingredients and thrown them together without any care or thought. The whole thing looked and tasted like it came from a freezer.

To top it all off, the prices were outrageous for the quality of the food. I wouldn’t eat here again if it were free. This place is an insult to Italian cuisine, and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy. If you’re looking for a real Italian experience, do yourself a favor and steer clear of...