Portinos Restaurant — Restaurant in Valley Center

My fiancée and I were driving passed this spot and were curious about the food. We both are pretty much health-nuts, but know how to balance "fast-food" and dining-out into our diets with balance. That being said, we wanted some Italian food (specifically pizza), but we weren't looking for frozen junk or unhealthy options like Dominos; and this is where Portino's comes in. Being new to Valley Center, I can see that there aren't many options on the main stretch and the establishments come in the form of "mom & pop" joints; Portino's is the epitome of just this. There was a nice little crowd of families inside and there was ample seating as there are 2 dining areas. We were greeted with friendly service and chose a nice, cozy spot near the windows. The decor is comfy and homie with an earthy/woody feel to it. Service was prompt and timely, considering it got swamped and there were only 2 servers on staff. Ordered some bruschetta to start, a house salad and their BBQ chicken pizza. The food came in good timing and I loved the bruschetta and how it appeared to be made fresh 'in-house' and not some frozen/reheated dish. The tomatoes and seasoning were just right. The salad was different to say the least; different, but palatable. We appreciated the diverse flavors of the apples and the dressing and finished it off. Next came the coup de grace; the BBQ chicken pizza. Awesomeness!!! Did not disappoint. The only real 'complaint' we could muster was that the temperature control was set for [very cool] and we weren't the only customers that were chilly. This was an easy fix, as we agreed to dress a little warmer next time we dined-in. As for the pricing; which is honestly to be expected for a solo-mom & pop establishment; because of its location and there's no competition in the area. I am also taking into account the "freshness" and quality of the food. If you want fast-food junk that's affordable-cheap and will give you cancer later in life, well, you know where to be find it. This isn't it. If anything, perhaps the portions for the pizza could be a tad bigger to offset the price-to-quantity ratio slightly. Still, overall a nice place to dine-out with the family and I'm sure calling in advance for availability is...

We had some business out in Valley Center Sunday afternoon and we were looking for somewhere to grab a bite to eat. Being a Sunday and sort of out of the way it wasn’t easy to find a place that was open past breakfast. We came across Portino’s on Yelp and decided to give it a try and am I glad we did. The turkey sandwich was good, there were various toppings you could get we just got mayo, tomato, and lettuce and it came on a bun, almost like a ciabatta roll. It was packed with turkey and veggies and came with a side (we got chips). The cheesesteak was also loaded with thinly sliced meat and cheese, same roll and equally as tasty. I got the grilled chicken sandwich, the chicken breast was well prepared and was cut to fit the huge roll it was on. We also got an order of bruschetta and garlic cheese bread. Bruschetta was good, very fresh and would be good on a hot day. The garlic cheese bread was super tasty. It was oozing with fresh melty mozzarella cheese and had the most wonderful hint of garlic on a crispy crunchy bread. Reasonably priced as well, we got a lot of food to share and everything was under $50. We ordered for pick up to go and everyone was nice, great staff...

The sauce!! Mmm.... ordered a gluten-free pie with garlic, spinach, feta, artichoke, & tomatoes & a meatball sub with added bell peppers and mushrooms. My wife loved the pizza. Said it was the BEST gf pizza she's had (have tried loads). The meatball sub was dang near perfect, though I'd prefer the meatballs cooked just a bit more and pan seared for a nice bit of crust. The balls were smashed, which evened the sub bites (no bites of just bread after getting a whole ball in one bite). Love the idea & and I will be doing it from now on at home as well. Wouldn't be surprised if they make the hoagies for the subs. Lovely buttery roll, though, did start falling apart towards the end. I enjoyed just as much with a fork, though again the meatballs may have been just a bit undercooked/mushy. We added just a bit of parm and loved everything. We complimented on the sauce and was told, "My mamma makes it every day!" Seriously loved this place and want to be back ASAP to try some traditional Italian fare....