Saint Pasta — Restaurant in Phoenix

Saint Pasta 100 W Portland St, Phoenix, AZ 85003

When I googled "pasta downtown Phoenix", I was SUPER excited to see this spot pop up. I had eaten at this food truck a few years ago at the Pemberton, I had ordered the linguini garlic and oil w breaded chicken cutlet, and it was yummy! I was sad to see when they closed down. Imagine my delight to see them have a brick and mortar store! 😄😄❤️

AMBIANCE: The place is honestly a little bit small, but they definitely work with what they've got. Expect lots of bar top seating and only four proper seated tables. The kitchen is also an open concept so you can see what all the people are doing. When you step in, you can smell the garlic smell in the air (mmm 😋), but you do end up smelling like that a little bit too. It was kinda noisy and the music was a little bit too loud for me (tho it was fun old school r&B jams). I had to scoot real close to my friend to hear what she was saying. 😅 The lighting is also reddish-blue, so not the cutest for pics of food and selfies. 😆🤣 The place was bustling and busy the whole time we were there, good for them! ❤️🔥

FOOD: The menu is pretty limited; however, I would rather a place have a small menu with yummy food, rather than a large menu with mediocre items. For pasta, I do feel the pricing is a little bit on the higher side. However, the quality of the food is good and the flavors are yummy, so that makes up for it.

Caesar salad: We got this to share and it was really good. I wished there was a stronger anchovy flavor; however, that is just personal preference. I loved the breadcrumbs on the salad.

Linguini garlic and oil (I added a breaded chicken cutlet): The linguini was perfectly al dente (I don't usually like al dente pasta, don't come for me 😂🤣😆🙈🙈😅) but I liked it! It was crispy w breadcrumbs and garlicky. The breaded chicken cutlet was perfectly crispy. I think the only thing I would have added was a teensy bit of salt. And I wish my linguini portion was a little bit bigger. 🤣😂

Chicken vodka Parmesan: My friend got this and she liked it. I also thought it was good, not overly mushy. I also got a Jamaican cider and it was decent. They do have a varied drink menu as well, w beer, wine and cocktails.

SERVICE: Being such a small spot, it's hard to have bad service, I feel. Our server was very attentive and checked up on us often. They also refilled our waters without asking, which was nice.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I was happy to see the food truck had evolved into this place. My friend enjoyed her food and so did I. The total bill ended up being $100 after tip, so maybe on the higher side, but I felt it was worth it for me. The rules are strict here though (no substitutions, etc) so please don't be fussy or rude to staff, otherwise you will literally end up paying for it. 🤣🤣 We left, full and happy but also smelling like eau de garlic (no regrets though! 🤣🤣) I would definitely come back to this place and try some other...

Pasta worth breaking out of the hospital for!

Listen, when you're fresh out of the hospital and dreaming of your first real meal, you better make it count. Saint Pasta didn't just count – it knocked it out of the park, across the street, and probably into the next zip code, probably all the way to haters on the internet.

Let's talk about Racan, the Pasta Patron Saint himself. Despite having a packed house, this gem of a human being took time to stop by our table, remember us from the food truck days, and show genuine care about my recovery. In a world where kindness can be as rare as an unbroken piece of spaghetti, this meant everything.

The spaghetti pomodoro with chicken cutlet and ricotta? Oh. My. Pasta. If there was a support group for people obsessed with this dish, I'd need to join immediately. The chicken was crispy perfection, the sauce was a symphony of flavors, and that ricotta? Let's just say I'm pretty sure angels make it themselves. But it may be devils because it has to be sin to be that good.

And the cheesecake? Well, there may or may not have been a minor family feud over the last bite. I'm not saying I'm still giving side-eye to the person who snagged it, but... okay, yes I am. Worth noting: This might be the first time I've considered arm-wrestling a relative over dessert.

The portions are generous enough that I had leftovers for the next day, which honestly felt like finding money in your pocket – except better, because it's pasta. The atmosphere inside is energetic and fun, with playlists that make you want to dance between bites (though I will need to wait a bit longer in my recovery for that). If you're looking for a quieter experience, the outdoor seating is your jam – though you'll miss out on the killer soundtrack.

The entire team operates like a well-oiled machine, attentive and friendly throughout the meal. They've somehow managed to create that perfect sweet spot between casual comfort, speed, and exceptional dining that makes you want to come back again and again.

Pro tip: If you're planning to share that cheesecake, maybe bring a referee. Just saying.

In conclusion: Was this the perfect post-hospital meal? Absolutely.

P.S. To the staff at Saint Pasta: Thank you for making a special moment even more memorable. You're not just serving food – you're serving joy, one perfectly crafted pasta dish at a time....

To explain that my wife and I were excited to try this is an understatement. WOW we were disappointed. 3 apps, 4 pastas, 3 entrees, no modifications. Now, if you are going to go with this menu, my expectations are extremely high. I’ll start with the highlight, the pinsa bread was delicious, but I had to wait till it was cold, when my pasta came, bc you cannot get a side of pomodoro with it. We ordered the vodka sauce and the garlic noodles. We got the ricotta added to the vodka sauce. The ricotta was top tier. BOTH pastas lacked salt. Might not have been any, the lemon zest on the garlic pasta, needed lemon zest. Texture with the bread crumb was great, but both pastas lacked depth of flavor, and I believe it was the lack of salt. Salt is a flavor enhancer. Also if you are going to have a sign on the wall that says, “ Al dente, or die” I EXPECT Al dente. The spaghetti was over cooked. The vibe was cool. I know this property was let go by Stephen Jones due to the price they wanted to renew the lease. This will be a cool vibe hot spot for a single season, but it will tail off, don’t expect this place here in 18 months. I’ll try the cocktail’s next time, maybe that can be their saving grace. Last with such a small wine list, it would be nice to have wine temped correctly. I had to get ice for a red...