Portobello
41 Washington Ave, Grand Haven, MI, 49417
Portobello Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Grand Haven for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Grand Haven for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Grand Haven for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
41 Washington Ave
Grand Haven, MI, 49417 - Phone (616) 846-1221
- Website https://enjoyportobello.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Touristy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Ricky C.
The food was great and the atmosphere friendly.
(4)Angela R.
So we gave it two visits, but both times we left disappointed. Bland food, boring sauce, and terrible house salad dressing. Chicken parm was inedible. The chicken clearly went from freezer to fryer and was complete rubber. After it was remade, it was less burned, but still rubbery, like gristle...but was just old, processed chicken. Baked Ziti sat in a plate of pasta water. We won't be trying this a third time. Please hire a real chef because you've got great real estate. Oh, and a look through the window into the kitchen reveals a really gross mess.
(1)Gabbi J.
I've only been here twice & both times I only tried some different appetizers but they were all delicious & I love the low light and decor, gives each booth and table the feeling of some privacy. They seem to have a limited number of staff but I didn't notice a long wait for anything I ordered.
(4)Natalie W.
Not impressed with my dinner. I had baked ziti. The sauce was watery and the salad needed tons of salt. I was also disappointed that a place as nice as this would have kraft macaroni and cheese for the kids. Server was friendly and nice but food was a waste of money.
(2)Ranae Q.
Excellent food and staff was friendly and attentive. Large menu selection that does not disappoint! Loved the outdoor seating. Will be back again!
(4)Mel R.
Make the 10 minute drive to Olive Garden. Once my husband and I were here on a Sunday night just before 8:00 and we were seated. Then we were told by our server we needed to order fast because she got yelled at for seating us, we promptly left. Other times we were there we ordered spinach dip and received packaged soup crackers to dip in our dip. Sometimes the salad is good, but that's about it.
(1)Victor R.
Eat here if u want frozen pizza. This place is horrible. Kids are the wait staff and are not responsible for the horrible food. Seriously, just change your restaurant name to frozen food section of your local grocer. Avoid like the plague.
(1)Nicole V.
When we walked in the hostess didn't even acknowledge us, she sat with her back turned chatting with friends. When she finally turned around, with prompting, she barely said a word to us. Waitress was nice but the food was greasy and the selections were underwhelming on the menu. An Italian chain restaurant would be better.
(1)James O.
My family had the Chicken Caccitore, Chicken Parmesan, Cheese Ravioli and the Shrimp Scampi. My daughter liked the Shrimp Scampi and all the rest were nothing special. Besides the food being "Meh" some negatives- 1.) the salad was ice berg lettuce. No nutritional value and cheap. 2.) very surprised that they charged extra if you wanted more bread. 3.) We ate outside- the restaurant seems tired. Our table was held to the base with zip ties. You really didn't want to set your flatware on the table. 4.) Food was slow to come out- we were told there were two big parties and the kitchen was overwhelmed. On the plus side the service was good- but it seemed like they didn't have professional wait staff more college break kids. They were not very knowledgeable on the menu (though she had only worked there for two weeks so it will probably get better)
(2)Ian B.
Glorified freezer food. My "linguine" was noodle soup with freezer fresh shrimp and some kind of sauce. Bland definitely not worth the price tag for the food quality and serving size. Service was also unacceptable and just didn't care about giving us any attention.
(1)Kathleen K.
Started with a salad all around, and it was drenched in dressing. So much dressing that I couldn't finish my salad, nor could anyone else.. I ordered the shrimp scampi, which was only OK. My fiancé and my Dad split a pizza, and right away I realized that the crust was pre-made, from the line along the crust. In my mind, that's a major no no if you're going to sell pizza. They have the pizza a 2 out of 3. My Mom had lobster and crab ravioli, which was only OK (3 out of 5 stars). Again, I guess it was OK... Just OK.
(2)Mike W.
I was in town for the Grand Haven Triathlon and looking for a good pre-race meal, but I should have skipped this place. I left this place pretty unhappy on a number of levels and will not be back. First, the good: -Nice view of the water, pleasant outdoor patio -Live jazz inside The long list of the bad: -Stale bread and Olive Garden-esque Italian salad -Took over 45 minutes for 2 pasta orders to arrive, and 1 order was wrong and 1 was just bad -Pasta was mealy and tasted like it had been made way in advance, then doused in phoned-in sauce (so why 45 minute wait??) -After complaining to the manager, I was told that the restaurant was over capacity (as if that was my fault), then go no follow-up -Prices were high for portion sizes Skip this place - plenty of other nice-looking establishments nearby.
(2)Dillon R.
Went on a Friday, service was good, live music was good, drinks were good. I ordered chicken Marsala, and my only complaint would be that my sauce was a little bland. Otherwise good inside atmosphere and they have an outside porch as well.
(4)Susan F.
A glorified Olive Garden but I think the bread is even better! Lemon chicken is a huge dish, easy enough to share. Great atmosphere with plenty of seating, although the taptops and hardware are a bit cheap.
(3)Bonnie W.
This used to be one of our favorite restaurants to hit when we came into town but it seems to have really gone down hill. The salad was drenched in dressing and almost unedible. The pasta was eh and was not drained properly so it was very watery. The service was slow. The music was way to loud but this part was just personal preference. Overall we decided it may be time to find a new place.
(2)Rafal L.
We've been there twice now, and the only consistent thing is that the food is TERRIBLE. Sept 2010- Came in about 8:30, ordered pizzas. Waiter ignored us for 20 minutes until I found a manager; that apparently angered the server because he showed up once to drop off our drinks, then once to drop off our check- they managed to screw up PIZZA...how!? July 2011 - Came back because a local friend insisted we meet there. Chicken Parmesan was over-cooked and HARD... Disgusting. My wife ordered spaghetti and meat sauce and got spaghetti and tomato water. Waitress insisted the meat was "ground up", so there was no more sense in arguing. Beer comes with a warm plastic glass- really?! This place is TERRIBLE. Avoid.
(1)Beth O.
Kind of surprised by all of the negative reviews. Took a chance on this place - despite the reviews - while in Grand Haven because my kiddo wanted spaghetti. Very cheerful and polite (young) server. I like to go by the waitstaff's recommendations,so I had the Tortellini Porto, which is cheese stuffed with an Alfredo sauce and peas. I liked it a lot - good flavor and definitely filling. And, my kiddo (picky, picky, picky) loved her spaghetti. If you're looking for a 5 star, award-winning restaurant, this isn't it. If you're on vaca near Grand Haven and want a casual Italian restaurant, or simply craving pasta, this was reasonable and satisfying.
(4)Kerry F.
Horrible pizza. AS a previous reviewer mentioned all toppings seem direct from Cisco or GFS. Bad crust just awful. Do yourself a favor skip this one.
(1)Emilio G.
Honestly I don't normally do reviews,but this has to happen. This was the worst "Italian" food I have ever eaten. Terrible sauce and GF pizza was right out of a box and into the oven. The only thing that we liked was the salad and the mozzarella sticks. I would say if you are looking for Italian food don't bother with Porto bello. We were very disappointed. Also the service was subpar.
(1)Patrick C.
Average Service and Average Food. Pasta was good. Pizza wasn't good at all. Nice atmosphere and live music but the food was nothing to write home about. The food was very deconstructed and portion sizes were small for the price. Expected much more from this resort town restaurant. The owners need to get a new chef.
(2)Amanda J.
We had the worst service of our entire lives from Allen. Maybe he was having a bad day, but unfortunately all 7 of us left without ordering. Sad.
(1)andrea a.
The service was okay. But for the price of the food do not come here ! We had a deluxe pizza and it honestly tasted like a frozen pizza worst 20 bucks ever spent. Go across the street the pizza there is delicious ! Too bad we wanted to be adventurous and try something new
(1)Kathy B.
Awful! The pizza was straight out of the freezer and absolutely horrible. We ordered deep dish and it was normal thin crust. It was so bad and at a price of $22! I will never be back
(1)Julie S.
Charming Italian restaurant in a lovely location. I had the lobster and crab ravioli. Delicious! Flavorful and sauce had a pleasant kick. The salads were generous and served family style. The cannelloni for dessert was tasty. Live music was a definite bonus. Our server was attentive. Highly recommended.
(4)Greg M.
Pretty good Italian place right by the waterfront in Grand Haven. The location is the main attraction, though we sat inside. Try to get on the deck if you can. The crab ravioli I had was decent, but the cheese & tomato sauce appetizer we got (can't remember name) was awesome. Reasonably good beer and wine selection as well. Way better than Olive Garden, but still only about three stars. It's good for groups and the service was pretty good.
(3)Savannah M.
So delicious. We ordered 7 pizzas all different and were out in less than twenty minutes. Everything tasted wonderful. An amazing place with an amazing location.
(5)Mike C.
Our favorite regular restaurant in Grand Haven. Their specials are always great and we love the lobster and crab ravioli!
(4)Andrea E.
Went out for a meal with my husband and had a very pleasant experience. The Dijon pasta was delicious and, boy, did we eat a lot of their bread! It made for a fun evening on the town.
(4)Amy A.
We've been to Grand Haven many times, but only in the last few years did we decide to try Porto Bello. The outdoor seating is a big perk. You can sit fully outdoors or in a partially enclosed patio, which is nice if the weather is either too hot or a bit chilly. The complimentary salad and rolls are great. All the dishes that have been ordered have been delicious. Portion sizes are quite large, and can easily be split. I recommend the meatballs! Only con is the seating outdoors - the tables are a bit wobbly and when it is windy, the umbrellas can spin/move quite easily. However, this does not deter me from coming back - service has always been great and we will keep dining here!
(4)Eli H.
This place has a nice staff, quick service, great music, and, above all, delicious food. I like the pizza here.
(4)Mj O.
mediocre food. flat service. less than clean. quality & price also not aligned- too expensive for low quality ingredients. not a place i'd choose to go again.
(2)M M.
2.5 stars would be better.This place was just ok, we had no trouble getting in. the food was average, mostly frozen prepared it seemed. The prices seemed high to me. Best part was when we got our bill and we were charged for more bread 4 people 4 pieces, we asked for more, we were charged. The salad that came family style was like it had ben sitting dressed waiting to be served. Skip this place.
(3)Jennifer W.
This is our second trip to GH and we decided to try Porto Bello this time. When we were here last summer, there was a line going out the door of people waiting to get in so we figured it was good. Since we ran out of time last year, we chose to go this time. Since we have kids, we did the "early bird special" and went to dinner between 5 and 5:30. It was a good time to go since it was relatively empty and we were able to sit outside at a great table on the patio. The host was really pleasant and our waitress was also very nice and attentive. We made one huge mistake: we didn't ask how big the portions were. Had we done that we would not have ordered our son a kids meal. My husband had the veal parm and I had the lobster and crab ravioli. The veal parm was huge, probably 3 meals worth. The ravioli was good size too, even the kids ravioli was big. The prices were comparable to what we would spend in Chicago so that wasn't a surprise to us. The veal and ravioli were about $17 a plate so with the kids meal and no alcohol, our bill was $54 with tip, acceptable for a good restaurant with good scenery. Would have liked to try something from the wine list, but maybe when we travel without the kids!
(4)Fritz G.
I used to take dates here when we'd go to the beach and I used to go here with buddies on Saturday nights. They used to have a jazz trio and it was a good time. Well, the weather has been fantastic and the wife wanted to do date night, so we headed out to Grand Haven and froze to death while walking the pier. And then we went to warm up at Porto Bello. I must same that time has either changed this place or my memory of it. Nothing was bad, really, but it wasn't as good as I recall it. Must have been prom night because a large group of dressed up highschoolers was on their way out as we came in. The place was a bit disheveled, but they pretty much got it together right away, other than cleaning my table well. The vinyl table cloth had remnants of the previous occupants meal all over. Fortunately for me, I used the plate. The food was good, and inexpensive, but pretty basic fare. Actually I recalled it being more expensive than it was, so I was pleased. I had manicotti and I think that set me back $11. Bread and a salad are served with the meal, and we had a bruschetta like appetizer that was pretty good. I always recalled the pizza being really good, and as a few went by, I regretted not getting one. Those still looked fantastic. The service was very good, and I really enjoy the atmosphere of the place, the food just isn't what I recalled. There was a band, and they played some jazz numbers, and folks danced, but they also did lots of requests. I heard a few Buffett songs, Dionne Warwick, other stuff. A bit loud for the dining room, but they were good. I enjoyed myself and will go back, just with different expectations. The experience wasn't as high -end as I recalled.
(3)Laura C.
We tried this again with friends who came to visit and I had manicotti, Boyfriend had fettucine alfredo, and our guests had lasagna. The lasagna was the only of the three dishes that had any merit - my manicotti and his alfredo were bland, but a taste of the lasagna got a "meh, that's actually not too bad" from all of us.
(2)Jenna S.
Porto Bello has the BEST bartender ever...the local paper even says so! And I kind of really liked the atmosphere here....its what a place like The Olive Garden wishes it was.
(4)Susan G.
My husband and I had lunch here in conjunction with a day trip to Grand Haven. Arrived around 1:00 and the restaurant was nearly empty which should have been a sign to us, but since it was a rainy day, we thought maybe the weather was keeping people away. No, the food is what would keep you away. We each had a pasta dish, each had a different, but equally bland sauce which could have come right out of a Ragu jar. The salad which was mostly iceberg lettuce, came with dressing already on it and it was okay. The hot bread loaf really wasn't hot and was slightly mushy (underbaked) in the center. I would not go back to this restaurant.
(2)Ashley M.
We ate here last year and the food was alright , so when we couldn't decide where to eat this year we decided to try it again. It took a while to get seated becaus the hostess was MIA, and then about 10 to 15min after being seated for a waiter to even come by. By the time a waiter got to us we knew what we wanted since we had an eternity to decide. We ordered salad, garlic bread, and a pizza. It took way longer than it should have to bring out the salad and bread, the couple sitting next to us ordered at the same time and they got there's 10 min before we did. The salad was awful, not very fresh and mostly big pieces of the core of iceberg lettuce. The garlic cheese bread was average at best , and not to mention cold. After finishing our salad and bread the waiter finally stopped by 20 min later to tell us our pizza should be coming out shortly. Fast forward to 30 min later the waiter stops by again to repeat that the pizza will be up shortly. About 20 min after that we start to get exceptionally pissed when we realize that the guy behind us who had came in 45 min after us was about done with his food. We were contemplating just walking out when the waiter came back to nervously tell us that our food was NOT coming. Apparently the kitchen staff threw out our ticket, I don't know why he didn't tell us that an hour prior, or maybe he was hoping we would just get mad about the wait and walk out so he could avoid that uncomfortable interaction. I wouldn't try it again nor would I recommend it.
(1)Meghan M.
We're looking for a new place for dinner so decided to go to Grand Haven. It took a few minutes before the server came over but was worth the wait. The food was delicious and good size portions. The decor is outdated but overall good experience!
(4)Kim B.
Coming from Chicago, we only make it to Grand Haven twice a year. We decided to give this place another try. We literally had the exact same experience! Everything was about the same right down to the poor service. Our food was great, the atmosphere was great, the service left more to be desired. We had to ask 3 times for bread for our one year old, twice for napkins, and waited about 20 min for the check. I think we even had the same waitress! I wish we had gotten her name. I would return next time and just ask not to be put in her section.
(3)Bob S.
Went to Portobello's last night. Called for a reservation for 15. Had us in a private room. Everything was Perfect. Meals were perfect, drinks were perfect. Wait staff did an excellent job. Thank you Portobello's
(5)Sara R.
4 star prices for 2 star food and service. Food was decent but not for what you pay for. Tourist trap (I'm guilty).
(2)CC J.
I'm giving it a 3 because food is decent and service was great. Food is just ok. Location is great - right by downtown and river front.
(3)Matthew R.
I think that I may have loved this place. Some delicious pasta. Sadly, no Moretti beer. But delicious pasta. Our waitress, Jentry, was awesome! Very sweet and pleasant. Always there when we needed something. Wonderful service. It was also nice and quiet in here as well. Would love to have tried more food here. I'm sure it's all delightful. Not too crowded, which is nice. Think we may have beat the crowd though. Might have been a bit on the pricey side, but perhaps the price evened out with the quality. Who knows? I wasn't buying though so I didn't pay too much attention to it, ha-ha. All in all, this a nice place to come and check out, especially when you're seeking quality Italian food. So GENIUS.
(4)Katie M.
Exactly the rating says , " Meh. I've experienced better" - this is based of 4 visits.
(2)Hollie K.
House salad was delicious!! Pizza was really good too! Waitress was fast and friendly! Prices were reasonable for the quality.
(4)Jessica S.
Eh. We chose this place to eat because we wanted to bike by the water, and thought we'd stop here first for dinner. Also, we have two kids and thought the outside seating would be more kid-friendly. The food was OK... nothing special. I had shrimp scampi and my husband had seared tuna. The kids had spaghetti and macaroni and cheese. Hard to mess those up. However, my son was very disappointed that there was no pizza on the kids' menu- "But it says PIZZA on the sign!" he kept saying. I just wasn't willing to get him an entire pizza for $13. On the upside, the portions were decent. The waitress and the hostesses were very friendly, but I don't think we will be coming back.
(2)Hemlock F.
Our first time at Grand Haven, and Porto Bello was recommended by the Trolley driver. It was crowded and we waited about 15 minutes to get a seat which had been empty and cleaned when we first arrived. There was live jazz, which was kinda cool and the manager was good at remembering names and faces when taking reservations and seating guests. The food itself could have been much better. I tried the jumbo shrimp ravioli, a July 4 special. The portion size was small, about 8 small raviolis. I could hardly taste any shrimp in the filling, just cheese crumbles. The sauce was bland. My husband tried the chicken caviatore. The chicken was cooked dry, yet there was a surplus of marsala sauce on top, and a few strips of pasta at the bottom. Not filling at all and quite insipid. The complimentary bread and butter were the best part of our meal. The bread smelled sweet and tasted good. Will never go back.
(2)M G.
Terrible service, bad food, dirty tables. I dislike all chains but would recommend Olive Garden over this place. Watched several tables seated but did not have menus for them and they were only half full....tables left after waiting 15 min. We never got drink refills and waited 1hr10min for pasta.....terrible place.
(1)Tony H.
Large establishment, great location, real close to the river (no river views though), the service was quick and attentive, The food was okay. Started off with the basic side salad, which was pretty decent. Nice size, not just iceberg and croutons, but some actual veggies. Wife had the pizza, something about it, although certainly edible, just lacked a bit of oompf. To me, the sauce was a little lax in flavor. Wife said it was the crust. Either way, it was ok. I had the steak sandwich which wasn't all that great. Tough and overly fatty in my opinion.
(3)Liz P.
The food here was fine, but it gets a 5 for me from service. THE BAD: -I called ahead to see what time they serve lunch till ... they said "3:30-ish." Due to the trolley taking a while from the beach, we walked in around 3:20-3:25pm, and they had "just put away the lunch menus" and wouldn't give us the lunch prices. Not cool, but I used to go here all the time before I went to Blue Lake, and we still wanted to eat here, so we stayed. (= bad service) THE GOOD: -I ordered a mushroom "extra thin crust" pizza and it was very good. I will say the mushrooms seemed like they were from a can, though. THE EXCELLENT: -Waitservice. We sat outside and they actually had a water refill station outside too, so my water glass was always full. A+. -Waitress actually brought salad plates for all of us even though only 1 of the 3 of us had ordered an entree (which came with the bread/salad). -The bread with (garlic??) butter. DELICIOUS. -The view (the waterfront). Overall this was one of the better meals of the trip, so I'm glad we went even though we had to pay the higher prices (dinner menu). The pizza ended up being huge, too, so I had leftovers for later that night :).
(5)Robert D.
Arrived tonight before the dinner rush on a Sat eve. Not very crowded at all. We were told a high chair would be brought to us in a moment. 15 min later, three other parties seated, and two received drinks it was then we decided to leave. No one approached us after we seated. I do not have the penitence with two hungry kids to run around the restaurant to find wait staff to wait us. Won't be back.
(1)Craig C.
Pretty disappointed. Grew up here and the memories are better than reality. The Staff... The wait staff was pleasant and helpful and my review doesn't adequately reflect their service, but rather the quality of the food. Since my primary purpose in going to a restaurant is for the purpose of eating and not hanging out with the staff I believe this is fair. The food... My wife got a pizza and she was happy with it, but the crust was obviously out of a package, and the sauce from a can. As another reviewer wrote, most likely straight off the Sysco truck and I agree that this is probably the case for the majority of food they serve. My meal was a mistake. It started off with a side salad that was straight out of a bag garnished with one cherry tomato and one slice of a cucumber. The tomato and cucumber were good and left me wanting more of what was the best part of the salad. The Italian dressing was from a bottle and nothing special. I ordered the seared Tuna because I've had it before at other places and loved it. I should have avoided it based on the description of it being covered in balsamic over a bed of linguine. It really was a big chunk of tuna on a bed of linguine in a pool of balsamic. Not sure what the inspiration was, but if you like balsamic you're in luck. For me, pasta and balsamic don't really go together. For that matter, tuna and balsamic should have been the clue for me to steer clear. There was something off with the tuna compared to my previous experiences at other places. Plainly, it tasted of canned tuna which is not usual. For the quality of food, I feel the prices were a bit high. The quality left me feeling that my meal was assembled from bags and jugs rather than prepared by a chef. The Atmosphere... The atmosphere is great there and the views of the waterfront in the distance are quite nice. The immediate view is of the parking lot so don't let me mislead you.
(2)