Portofino Pizza and Pasta — Restaurant in Parker

Decent food, possibly the worst service I’ve ever received at a sit-down restaurant. We brought in two outside drinks (cans of sparkling water) because we were thirsty in the car. The waitress told us that outside drinks were not allowed, and took our drinks from us… We weren’t concerned about the actual drinks themselves, but still an extremely strange interaction that outright set a bad tone for the meal (keep in mind, we still ordered and paid for drinks from the restaurant — these drinks weren’t brought in to save money). About 30 minutes after ordering, the food still had not come — we asked if we could have the garlic knots that were included with our meal while we waited and were told we could only have them before the food came out if we paid for them as an appetizer. I can’t even imagine why this would be the case, and it very obviously seems like an attempt to make more money off of patrons. When the food finally came, it wasn’t served all at once — there was about a ten minute difference between when the first person received their meal versus the last. When we were obviously dissatisfied (but not rude) the waitress became snippy with us, to the point where she rolled her eyes when someone in our party asked for a to-go box — I think she assumed she was getting a bad tip and just dropped all efforts to be hospitable. I’ve worked in food service, as a waitress, for several years, and I would never even THINK to treat guests in this manner. The service at Portofino’s very much implies that money is valued over customer experience.

The previous two times I have gone to this restaurant, service was also painfully slow. One time, my party of two waited for an hour and fifteen minutes for two dishes. This was after lunchtime while it wasn’t busy, so not sure why it could possibly have taken so long.

The food was decent — garlic knots were delicious, 5/6 main dishes tasted great, only one was mediocre. Dessert was just okay. Place was clean. However, the good food doesn’t really outweigh the negative experience of dining at a place that obviously does not care about offering kind service to its patrons. I would encourage you to spend your money at a place that is happy to...

First, I love supporting local small businesses. Second, I especially love to support them when their food is awesome, the price is right and there customer service is top notch!

We have eaten at Portofino's since they opened and have never had a bad meal, everything tastes great! When you go in, everyone has a smile on their face, and it just seems like they are happy to be there and love what they do.

Two examples of how their customer service is top notch, is a month or two ago, I ordered our family dinner from Portofino's and was just going to pick it up on the way home. I got stuck at work and traffic was bad so I showed up an hour later than i told them I was going to be there. Seeing that I was late, and the food was set out for that time, Gabriel, the owner, offered to dump everything out and remake it for me. Are you kidding me! He was willing to lose $ just to make sure we had the freshest food. It was my fault I was late, so of course I declined the offer. Nothing was going to spoil. That offer alone, shows me that they know how to treat their customers.

The second time, was just recently. We placed a large to go order during a very busy time for them. We went in and picked it up as usual and went home to eat a great meal. When I got there, my wife noticed they forgot to include the salads we ordered. We forgot about it and got caught up with the friends we had over. No biggie, things happen. The next day, my wife got a call from Gabriel, saying that they noticed there were salads left over from the night before and he went through all the to go orders to find what matched. He apologized and refunded the price of the salads to our credit card and asked my wife to come pick up some fresh salads free of charge, for that nights meal. Simply Awesome that he would take the time to do that.

Thank you Gabriel and Portofino's! You have very happy customer...

I'm very adventurous and LOVE to try new things but I must admit...this place has me stuck in three different AMAZING ways.

First? The food of course! We have tried a couple different items on the menu but both my daughter and I are STUCK on the lobster mac and cheese. The noodles are always cooked to perfection and the sauce is not only superbly flavorful but is perfectly proportioned. The lobster is sweet as well as abundant and the cheese...ahhh...the cheese is precisely and expertly balanced!!!

Second, the staff. They are lively, friendly and fun! Sense of urgency is abounding here. The wait times can be long when business is booming and with COVID, the restrictions can be a true burden but they handle it with style and class, going the extra mile to be friendly and helpful! I have yet to dine in but have already come to recognize several of the staff through what should have been casual interactions but with the open ambiance...it is so much more. From the order process through the end, the genuine appreciation is felt from them all. Even waiting outside, you don't feel abandoned. There is a man there (owner or manager I believe) who is not only ALWAYS there and available but genuinely cares if the entire experience is the best his staff can possibly make it be and it shows not only in him but the business as a whole. Hats off to your hiring manager!

Lastly... in this age it is important to not only support small business but to repeatedly support those we personally care to have around in the future. We could go to fast food or national chains but they are not only substandard in service, food and compassion but they have the reserves to see this pandemic through. I believe that a place as truly special as this... it's important to do my part to insure they are around for a long...