Italian Bistro - Porters Neck — Restaurant in Kirkland

I went there on Sunday to have dinner with my husband and grandson who is seven, and the waitress came over right away and introduced herself as Sarah. She was so sweet to my son and gave him a paper with crayons to color on and kids menu and took our order for drinks and for appetizers. Then took our order for food. The appetizers were phenomenal. We got mozzarella sticks and fried ravioli. Our dinners were eggplant roll Latini and chicken franchise. The portions were huge, and the service was great. The atmosphere is nice and comfortable. We absolutely loved Sarah and at the end when we left I told her thank you for making my birthday special. And she was like it’s your birthday and I said yeah and she said happy birthday. Then two days later I get a text on my phone with happy birthday. You get a free entrée or free pizza within 14 days. Also just signing up with them they sent me a five dollar coupon off. So this Sunday we went back and we had Maria. She was so sweet and so nice and so busy, but she still was present to us constantly. She was wonderful also to my son and that night we had calamari which was out of this world and we tried the Sicilian pizza and the garlic bread and the lasagna and Marco, which is a chicken dish. Every single thing was out of this world. I am telling you you have to go try this restaurant. But the girls, Sarah and Maria I have to give my biggest thanks to just because their personality was amazing and they were just so kind and sweet to us we were not rushed, we were not forgotten about. They were not pushy. They were not nasty. They are just too really sweet girls and we will be going back there again. You can get takeout and it seems like a lot of people do. It is a small restaurant inside, but that’s what makes it cozy. No dress attire needed and then I saw today. They also have two more restaurants opened, so that tells you right there that their food is to die for and so is there waitress service. Thank you for such a great experience. We will definitely be...

I meant to leave a review after our first time in, about 6 weeks ago. Since then I’ve been in 2 more times and have gotten take out twice. We live in Leland but don’t mind driving to your place because it’s amazing. We’re NJ natives and classify ourselves as pizza snobs. I know pizza can be very regional but for what we like this place hits all the marks. The pizza is just like home 💜. The calzones are probably the best we’ve ever had. The blue cheese dressing is to die for and that Budino (bread pudding) (am I spelling it right?)..... omg! Your take on bread pudding.... I have no words to describe how much we all love it! What brought us there for dinner the first time were the reviews. The good and the bad. How the owner handled a questionable review while defending his team was perfect and it is what brought us there that first time. We are now lifers. The food is great. The consistency is there! But I have to say, the best part of our visit every single time, is the service. You have an AMAZING team. I’m so bad at remembering names but I’ve had 3 different servers on 3 different visits and all 3 were so so so friendly and accommodating. You can tell they love their jobs and that speaks volumes to me. Great job to you and your team! I’m so happy to find good pizza but I’m even happier to find a place that works perfectly in harmony with all aspects. Can’t wait to come back over and over again!

Update…..

Every single time I’ve dined here or gotten take out it has been perfect! I like to come in early, before you get busy, and have a glass of wine and order takeout and every single time your staff treats me great! With such a small dining room I don’t want to ever take away from the servers by sitting at a table so I make sure I’m done before it gets busy. Your staff has never made me feel like I’m putting them out by occupying a table for take out. They are so warm and kind. I wish you were closer to Leland but it’s definitely worth the drive. Thank you and your staff for amazing food and...

UPDATE: 09.19.19 We did, in fact, return to this restaurant. Several times. The first time our son was visiting from Boston, and he chose the Bistro in December, 2018. Both of our meals were delicious. The second time our younger son's friends were here from Boston last month (08.2019) and the boys wanted pizza. Wonderful meals for all of us. The pasta, the pizza and the wine were perfection. Service was magnificent!

My husband, son and I went in the middle of the day this month for pizza, pasta and drinks to recover from a particularly hard week. This nailed it for us. THE ITALIAN BISTRO is now one of our favorite places to go. The pizza selection is extensive and they have 3-topping specials on Wednesdays! Of course I had the pasta, Chicken Piccata, and it was magnificent. The wine and beer selection is very pleasing. :)

Service here is always splendid. The servers are attentive and quick, but not hovering. They have all been kind to our youngest son who is on the autism spectrum, and that means a great deal to us.

Bottom line: If you're looking for great Italian food with impeccable service at reasonable prices, look no further than the ITALIAN BISTRO!

Air conditioning not working. No sign out front warning us of this in advance. Out of Merlot! Really? An Italian restaurant is out of Merlot at 7:00 on a Saturday night? Soups and salads were ok. My husband's ravioli was delicious. My chicken picatta was bland. I make it better at home. The pasta was overcooked and that really irks me. Should be al dente! The chicken itself had no flavor and the soft noodles were way too lemony albeit the cooks were probably melting in the kitchen. Our son's pizza was ok. Nothing to rave about. Our server was wonderful. Probably...