Espo’s Trattoria
1335 Congress St, Portland, ME, 04102
Espo’s Trattoria Menu
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Address :
1335 Congress St
Portland, ME, 04102 - Phone (207) 774-7923
- Website https://www.espostrat.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
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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Daniel K.
Small restaurant. Food comes out in a reasonable time. Food tastes pretty good. Service is usually good as well.
(3)Kevin Y.
Good food and huge portions. Prices are reasonable. Our waitress was excellent. Definitely a family owned place. If you're in the area and hungry, stop by!
(4)Jennifer L.
My husband and I went here for dinner last night. We wanted to try it because on the sign it says Homemade Pasta. We always love the chance to try fresh pastas and restaurants that make their own. Just a warning: When I asked if all the pastas were homemade the server informed us, "No just the sauces are homemade." So the sign and the menu are VERY misleading. However with that said the food was really good. The foccaccia bread was so good and tasted really fresh. My husband ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. It was very good and the 2 meatballs you get are the size of a baby's head!!! They were huge! I got the stuffed shells. They were the best I have had. The service started out rough as we were sat and then ignored. However, when someone came over she said we weren't supposed to be her table but she would help since the other girl "seemed busy." I appreciated her taking the initiative to come over. Nice meal...Decently priced...decent service...very misleading signage and menu.
(3)Carolyn P.
favoloso- This place doesn't look like much from the outside. Even when you walk in they have old benches stored in the entrance hallway. Don't be fooled by the shabby appearance, the food in outstanding. This place is a true definition of hole in the wall. I came here for lunch and was so pleasantly surprised. I only wish I lived closer. We started off with the stuffed mushrooms. They were huge, filling, great pieces of shrimp in there. A wonderful portion of stuffing and seafood. For our entrees with had shrimp scampi and chicken marsala both served over spinach. I love they have the option of spinach instead of pasta. We could have easily licked out plates clean. This place is worth the drive. A+++
(5)Johnny G.
Hands-down the best Italian American food in Maine. OK I said Italian-American. Not traditional Italian, not high-end Italian, not authentically local grown organic Italian. This is a casual dining restaurant. No high-class micro portions. Large portions, flavorful food done in a traditional Italian American manner. If you want I am, handmade authentic Italian food I would stick to Trattoria Athena. If you're looking for meatballs the size of a softball then this is the place for you.
(4)Shari R.
My family and I went to this restaurant for my birthday and the food was absolutely delicious. I have a few dietary restrictions (gluten free and milk allergy), which I explained to the waitress. Not only did the chef modify his recipe but the waitress, Debbie, went out of her way to make sure that my meal was perfect. I ordered the steak Marsala, which came with gluten free pasta. The marinara sauce was savory, thick, with fresh tomatoes, clinging to the pasta without becoming watery. The steak was pink, soft, juicy, and tender- melting like butter in my mouth. The Marsala sauce beautifully complemented the steak. Both of my parents ordered fish and enjoyed their meals immensely. I cannot recommend this place enough. We will be back!
(5)Sarah W.
I was always a fan. This used to be my "go to" Italian restaurant outside of the Old Port. It had good pizza, pasta, bread, gigantic meatballs, salads...you can't go wrong. I was a big fan of their pizza... My only wish is that they'd bring back the spicy blue cheese buffalo chicken pizza, which was so good. Wherever did it go?! Parking outside of restaurant or on one of Portland's many side streets. I only give this restaurant 3 stars, because it seems it may not be the quality it once was....I'm not sure if they switched ownership or are just being negligent..It's upsetting because it used to be a really good casual restaurant in a covenient location to that area.
(3)Peter I.
Ate here for the first time after passing the location for years. It's a classic red sauce place. Good Italian dressing on the salad, nicely done chicken parmigiana with spaghetti. Nothing fancy. Not hittin it out of the ballpark but I'd happily eat here again.
(4)Dana M.
Went here with a group of 6 before the Portland Marathon. My friend had called and made reservations. We arrived on time and they claimed to NOT have gotten a reservation... After a short wait we were sat at a table with no lighting in front of a strange wall air conditioner with a sign on it that said do not touch. We asked our server to turn it off as it was FREEZING which he did. After getting served 4 flat sodas we were starting to wonder what was going on. Dirty plates were left on a ledge near our table. We ordered and got some salads first. We sat around and waited for the server to come back so we could ask for silverware. He didn't and someone got up and asked for some. Terrible... We were all really regretting our decision before the food came out. I wish I had left at that point. The chicken parm I ordered was hands down the worst I've ever had. Tasted like deep fried chicken with jar sauce. Horribly dry and the pasta was watery. I used the water to re-hydrate the chicken. Had I not been starving I would have sent it back. I ate half and let them throw the rest out. Same with the rest of my party. Nobody liked their meal. My GFs salmon was horrible. Suddenly the AC went back on again. With our server nowhere in sight we shut it off since having AC blow on you while you are freezing trying to eat bad food is inexcusable. A manager quickly ran over and very unprofessionally yelled at my friend's wife who was too dumbfounded at the berating to even object. Wow... We left feeling like we got robbed. On the way out the Open sign was pieced together with duct tape... Pretty much summed this place up. I am not sure how this place has eeked out a positive review from anyone. All around an epic failure, I saw a bartender put a rack of glassware right in front of an eating patron... Espos, I hereby proclaim, you are the all time worst restaurant I have ever been to in my 33 years of life. I wish you a swift and painless bankruptcy. There is no need for businesses this bad to exist.
(1)Anthony D.
The best and the last of the small family operated Italian resturants in Portland. The ceasar salad can't be beat. And i love that eggplant parm. Paul the bartender makes the best margs in town. Good service great atmosphere.
(5)John G.
I took a chance and revisited in November for a business lunch. I must say that both the service and the food has greatly improved. I will definitely go back. I do hope the kitchen and waitstaff know how important it is to have satisfied diners. I'll go back for dinner soon.
(4)Tess G.
Espo's was a very good classic Italian restaurant. We came here to "carbo-load" before a friend's road race, and did not leave disappointed (or hungry!) The servers were lovely, the meatballs were as gigantic as my head. The only reason I don't give another star is because the waitress made my entree into a "double" when she overheard that I was going to share it with my husband, tacking on an extra $8 to the plate. Other than that, everything was lovely with the meal.
(3)Shane L.
Reading all of the reviews on here I was a little skeptical but I have to tell you, I was absolutely pleasantly surprised by this italian family style restaurant. We showed up for a team outing here and ordered a few bottles of wine and some delicious food. Service - Waitstaff was very attentive and super friendly having fun with all of the people in our party of 8. She was attentive to refill our glasses of Merlot and glasses of water. Food - First of all, there is a reason why the kitchen staff wear t-shirts that say the largest meatballs around. We ordered some fried calamari that was both tender and light, some steamed mussels to pick from in a savory and delicious broth and also a meatball. You ask, A meatball? I can literally say that this meatball we had was one that was the size of a softball packed tight with flavor and punch. It was so tasty dipped in a tasty marinara sauce. I ordered a portobello mushroom ravioli dish that was rich and flavorful and probably one of the best mushroom style raviolis I have every had (and I have eaten a few). The cream sauce really complimented the pasta and also went really well with the red wine that we were partaking in. I tried some of my fellow patrons dishes in the lasagna and the spaghetti carbonara. These dishes just tasted like they really care about what they are putting on the plates. Now, i know that there are many italian style restaurants in the great foodie town of Portland, ME but this one is away from downtown and I think is under the radar. Give this place a try if you like an authentic italian meal and it is ok to bring your family here without worrying about being bombarded with hipsters and beatniks.
(5)Kimberly H.
Boyfriend and I went to Espo's last night....we were looking for Italian, but did not want to go to downtown nor pay downtown prices. The yelpers have it right with this hidden jewel on Congress Street, away from downtown. We first walked in and could smell good cooking! The service was great, I asked for a recommendation and we placed our order for Vodka Penne w/ shrimp and Chix Parm - but I had the sauce fra diavolo style. Not only were the entrees delicious and good portions for the price, but the tossed salad and the homemade dressing needs to mentioned as well. I didn't give 5 stars b/c I wasn't impressed w/ the bread that was served and the level of cleanliness could use some attention - but make no mistake, I am looking forward to coming back! Next time I will give that caesar salad (with homemade dressing) a try! Ciao! I would still love to give this place 5 stars.... But the bread is lacking.... Cmon Espos, fix the bread offering! Everything else is on point!
(4)Paul C.
Large sized portions & good food at reasonable prices. I like the oil + cheese + herbs they provide to dip bread in, and I really like the pepper mill on each table. I like pepper: so many other places provide pre ground pepper in shakers that are so overfilled they don't shake. How nice it is to be able to gring your own and not have to summon a server or unscrew a shaker top. I frequently get either the meatball or the eggplant parmigiana. Most of the times they are very good. Unfortunately, Espo's is sometimes inconsistent. There have been times when the bread is either stale or has just been taken from the refrigerator. Twice I've opted to just eat the entree and leave the pasta due to once being cooked into mush and once having a funky flavor that I couldn't identify. Overall it is good. I keep going back.
(4)Ryan C.
I have to admit...I wasn't expecting much. I am pleased to announce that I was thoroughly satisfied with my meal. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and they were fantastic (even though I was served angle hair and not spaghetti). I very much enjoyed the bread (rosemary focaccia?) and the cheese+herb+oil that came with it for dipping. The peppermill on each table was a very classy touch and accentuated my meal nicely. The prices at Espo's are a little high...which makes sense considering the massive portion sizes. No one at my table was able to finish their meal. It makes me wonder....why not make the portions 2/3 what they currently are and cut the prices by 1/3. I feel like I would go much more often if prices were a little bit more reasonable. Either way, I'm sure I will be back. The food was super tasty and the atmosphere quaint.
(4)Aimee F.
My husband was craving Italian But we didn't want to go to the fancy and pricey places in the old port. We've lives in Portland for several years but never tried Espos. It was great, I had the Marsala and it was our of this world. Portions are huge, prices are reasonable and the service was excellent. My only complaint is the bread, it was hard and cold. We will definitely be back!
(4)HighStandard S.
The Excellent: Veal: Order the veal, and you will hear pounding coming from the kitchen. That's the chef tenderizing your meat. The coating is unlike anything I've ever had, so light, so tasty, I could eat a bowl of it on its own. The sauce and cheese do not overwhelm. This was an extraordinary dish. I was happy to be able to select a baked potato instead of pasta. Since this dish emphasized the meat rather than the sauce, the combination worked well. Marsala Sirloin: The sauce had such complex, rich flavor. The steak was cooked perfectly. Delicious! Eggplant Appetizer: The eggplant was light and fluffy. While there is nothing subtle about a Parmigiana dish, this was delicate. Complimentary bread and cheese dip: As other yelper's have said, the gorgonzola, fresh herbs, and olive oil are wonderful, as is the hearty bread. The service? Not excellent, but this is Maine, People! In other places, one would expect a table cloth and linen napkins to accompany this level of food, but the lack of pretension here is part of the charm. The staff does have tremendous pride and they create an atmosphere of conviviality. Miss Fussy-Pants is in love!
(5)John D.
Advertised as having a brick oven. Saw the oven, ate the pizza. Not a brick oven. Next time will try a classic dish and avoid the pizza which was very much average. Also fried mozzarella was certainly not fresh made and looked like the generic frozen sticks that litter most chain restaurants.
(3)Jessica W.
I have never been disappointed by this tiny little restaurant. Pasta, pizza, drinks and dessert... we've tried it all. We were regulars at their old Sanford location and we're glad to still have access to their fantastic menu. Shrimp Fra Diavolo is a favorite.
(5)Katrina S.
The decor is nothing special, but the food makes up for it! Wonderful lunch, quickly served and huge portions. I ordered the Chicken Marsala and was highly impressed. I will be back.
(4)Brett F.
I don't get the poor reviews. The service can be a little spotty, but is normally decent (I go on week nights, so maybe weekends are more hectic). I find the food to be pretty good as a whole. First, while on the pricier side ($15-$23 for most entrees), the portion sizes mean that you automatically have two meals. I've only had a couple misses out of many times here. The baked stuff haddock is some of my favorite in Portland. The spinach is frozen, but so what, it tastes good. This is a solid local Italian spot away from the Old Port craziness and with plenty of parking. It's not the best Italian restaurant in all of Portland (I'd give that honor to Paciarino, which has no parking and a much smaller, purely Italian menu), but it's better than many and I wouldn't be scared off by the other reviews.
(4)Ange B.
Arrive hungry! Portland maybe known for lobstah rolls but this Italian joint is great competition! Food fantastic-- homemade sausage and meatballs and sauce made fresh DAILY! Or just come in for the Boston Cream Cake!
(5)Justine J.
Visited here with friends -- liked it, didn't love it. It is pretty cramped in there, not much fun. Definitely reasonable prices, and we all enjoyed our food (and wine).
(3)Jillian D.
We went to hotel conicierge for advice on a Italian restaurant in Portland. He had many suggestions but did not mention espo, even when we specifically asked for traditional Italian. Rather, he stated assertively, no such place in Portland. Well he is wrong and if it wasn't for yelp, we would have never found this local off the beaten path establishmebt. Had a great meal with my mother and kids. We are Italian and thus are very picky when it comes to Italian food. Calamari apt was perfect..some of the best we ever had. Marsala was traditional REAL marsala. Portions too big to even think about finishing. Service friendly, professional and attentive. Great consistent food. A great place to satisfy your craving for Italian.
(4)Hank T.
Went to espo's after hearing good things. It ended up being one of the worst meals I've ever had . We started with stuffed mushrooms and the mushrooms where not cooked. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast and got a chicken breast the might have been cook the day before ? With a slice of tomato and a slice of American cheese onto of that . Heated just enough to melt the cheese just a bit and that would be all the heat that dish saw ... Stone cold inside. Will not being back.
(1)Claudia M.
Pretty solid place. Just ate there on a quieter Monday night. Waitress was nice and attentive. Prices were a bit on the pricey side, but food was pretty good. Had the chicken fra diavolo--very tasty fra diavolo sauce. The chicken was a bit charred giving it a burnt taste in some spots. Same was true of the steak someone in our party ordered. The Portofino mussels and shrimp were very good. Haddock not so bad. Overall, a pretty good experience. I liked the mom/pop classic Italian feel to the place.
(3)Debbi C.
The food is great, the meatballs are huge! The service is good. Last night we were there and we were sat next to a party of 7 they were very loud. We could not hear each other speak. It was an unpleasant dining experience.
(2)Amanda K.
Gloppy homemade pasta. Gigantic, non-flavorful meatballs. Disappointing.
(1)peter c.
Here's the deal: Espos started in this location and was fantastic. Then they added 3 other locations (I think between 2006-2010 roughly) and when they did, the food became horrible....seriously not good. Consequently, I stopped going as did many people I know who were fans. At the suggestion of a friend, I returned in April 2012 after about 3 years of taking it off my list. Well guess what? The 3 added locations closed over the last few years, familiar faces are back in the kitchen on Congress Street, and the food is again A+++! Definitely try the chicken marsala over spinach...sooo good! If you are nervous about trying it again, go at lunch when everything is $7 or $8 bucks...you will be so glad you did. Welcome back Espos!
(4)Vanessa D.
Wonderful meal and great prices. Huge portions, got three meals out of the peas and penne with chicken. Haddock was great too. No complaints here ;)
(5)James C.
The food is reasonably good and the portions will feed an army. Take out is a better option since it is a little place and often crowded.
(3)Kim O.
I have been coming here since I was a kid...the last few times the place has been less-than clean and the food poor. Service varies from the very attentive to care-less which is unacceptable, especially with the cost of a dinner plate. The slam-dunk for me was getting a bowl if penne that made chewing gum look easy TO CHEW! Our server, bless her, recognized this and returned both plates to be redone with another pasta. She affirmed our label of chewy by taking our plates and actually tasting it for herself. The linguine arrived & was similar in texture to a degree but slightly palatable. Ended up taking it to go and discarded before it made it to the house. Sad day for me, I won't be back. Guess it is the end of an era...
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