We always make it a point to stop by here 2x a year if not more for the past 5 yrs. We live 2.5 hrs away, but when we come to the mountain house this is always a favorite of ours! My husband is not into healthy choices, but when he had your eggplant fries... he wouldn't stop eating them!! Raved about them!! Well this past Tuesday we were with an elementary field trip to Tweetsie RR, and decided we wanted to eat dinner at the Cafe P. The guests riding with us were impressed with the food, atmosphere and service! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think our waitress was Hailey... and she was a pleasure to have!!
Thank you for always providing a great eatery and womderful food!!
The eggplant fries were yummy! We had the sweetest server. The wings were delicious. They had a nice selection of draft beers. We all enjoyed the game room after dinner. We will definitely return again.
Thank you!
Jan, Adecio, Christian and Brian.
Great variety and good lunch specials. The fried green tomato BLT was delicious. Wings were great too. I also thought the Monday special $2 drafts (all) was a great deal. We will go back. Atmosphere is casual and inviting.
Just had a phenomenal dinner here. From the time we got in the door the staff was friendly and engaging. Ella, our waitress was a Rock Star! She suggested the Grown Up Mac and cheese, which was one of the best Italian dishes. The Shrimp Napoli was also excellent. And the Italian Wontons were the best appetizer...ever. Finally, the atmosphere is great...very warm and the open kitchen adds something special. I would highly recommend this place.
This is one of my favorite places to go when I’m in the mountains, it has some of the best staff and the food is always superb!
I had my husbands birthday dinner here which included about 35 people. Cafe portofino handled our group beautifully and were so easy to work with- and the food is delicious. Highly recommend! Thanks Olga!
Aways great! Today I had the chimichanga special and it was amazing. If you haven’t been, you need to come check this place out!
The food was amazing!! We had a very sweet waitress! Very nice experience!
Had a great time and then went and listened to the bar and enjoyed some great music from Matt Bizzell.
My favorite casual food place in Boone, hands down. Excellent menu, good prices, dog friendly, and always a laid-back, friendly staff. Always a positive atmosphere. My dog loves it, too!
This restaurant is one of my favorite spots in Boone. My hubby and I held our rehearsal dinner here back in 2011. Great food and a cool place to hang out.
wow you wanna have some nice coffee,some Italian food,you wanna meet beautiful people you wanna shake your body after a long week portofinos its the place to go with a very nice and lovely customer care....
Never a disappointment, one of our all time favorite places. Food and drinks are awesome, family friendly, staff is amazing ;)
Excellent service and great food. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Great service and the food was incredible. This restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat in Boone!
Fiction Faith & Foodies
+4
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a century old building that was once the maintenance station of Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, NC, and now houses Café Portofino. This casual restaurant offers a wide variety of sandwiches, pastas, and steaks. Parking in front, but also a bigger lot on the side with FREE parking!
Last night we tried Portofino and we had Kelsey for our server. She was awesome, with her suggestions and quick service. We had to have the garlic knots and boy did we love them. Where else can you get garlic knots in Boone that are this good? I hadn't read the reviews prior to going but I had the chicken park and I enjoyed it. I think their spaghetti and marina are outstanding. Those old reviews of checkout are no longer valid. She brings the check and takes care of you. Very enjoyable experience.
Great Italian Food!. Wonderful, romantic, homey restaurant in Boone to go for date night. Ask to sit in the loft if you can!! The best dishes by far are the garlic knots (appetizer), and the Rose. Try substituting shrimp or steak for a different experience. I had the Chicken Parmesan and the breading was nice and crispy. Portions are a little small here for the price, considering the restaurant is smack dab in the middle of a college town, but it's a great place for a night out. Try the lemon cream cake as well!
I have lived in Blowing Rock for a long time and have been going to Cafe Portofino for a long time. This restaurant just keeps getting better & better! Everything I have tried on the menu is delicious. The food specials are incredible. The beer and wine list are great too! You have a choice to sit inside or on the patio. The service has always been great. I don't usually write reviews but this restaurant really deserves it! If you haven't tried it yet you are missing out.
Best Place in Boone!. Tried Cafe Portofino for the first time and I could not believe that I had not tried this restaurant before. I live in Blowing Rock and thought that it was just a college hangout. Decided to go with my family and what a surprise! The restaurant is completely separate from the bar and has a warm cozy atmosphere. The food was exceptional and the service was great! I highly recommend the house specialty pasta called The Spiced Sirloin! This is a regular stop for me and my family from now on.
Not that amazing but not awful either.... This place does not look very impressive, inside or out. The food was alright but nothing out of the ordinary. I liked the chips they served in place of french fries though. I was there in a large group and they handled our service very well, although the rest of the restaurant was empty. I would probably try other places before coming back here.
What a fantastic place to come hang out, great environment, even better service, and absolutely delicious drinks!! Was disappointed that they ran out of pizza dough on the night that it was half off, but the drinks made up for it! Staff was friendly and hung out some too, a great place for anyone to come hang out. The moscow muel was a phenomenal drink also, would recommend that.
Absolutely delicious!!!! The Rasta Pasta is a must and the shrimp crostini special was amazing. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was good as well. Definitely will be back!
Great casual Italian restaurant in the heart of Boone. They do an excellent job combing a country mountain town feel with an Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is amazing and the separate area for the bar keeps it quieter in the dining area so it isn't impossible to hear when busy. The service is very attentive and quick, and the garlic knots are my favorite appetizer!
Great food with very diverse choices, really great setup with unique atmospheres, and wonderful service. My server, Claire, was very atentive, engaging, and just awesome. Had a great time!
Service was fantastic and food was good. This is the grownup Mac and cheese. The pasta sauce was a bit bland but the chicken on it was outstanding.
Food was good. Great menu with lots of options but consistent in style, flavor etc - not a random assortment. They took my reservation for 14 people just two days ahead of time, really appreciate that! We really only had 1 server for all of us but she did a fantastic job keeping up. Everything was great, definitely recommend.
The waitress Kathryn was very sweet and helped us pick out our meals. We came into town for a concert and we had no idea what to do during our stay here and she gave us many recommendations as to where to go and activities in the area. The food was also alright but she made the experience 100x better. I recommend having her as a waitress! ❤️
The food was great and the staff was very friendly!
Came across this place in search of good food and welcoming of families as we were travelling as a party of 7 that included a 5 and 7 year old. This place was excellent. Service was great, food was fantastic, and very accommodating to our party and the kids. Great service all around and loved the personal touch offered by our waiter. Food prices were affordable and draft beer selection was great. Would recommend if visiting the area!
It looks like a bar. And it has a good one. In addition it has amazing food! You can go have a great bar experience or a great restaurant experience. Same place. We had sit down dinner with wine. Great choices for both. Had a nice bottle of Chianti and delicious Spiced Sirloin. Long time Boone place for many good reasons. Go get some!
Super cute restaurant and nice outdoor seating. Delicious chicken & waffles.
Great service and great prices. The portions are huge so you have left overs for lunch the next day which is great! I had the Cuban sandwich and it was fabulous. The only one in town on real Cuban bread. My girlfriend had the Chicken and Waffles and she said it was the best she has ever had. Our server was great! We had a friend that was gluten free and she took care of all her needs. This place is one of the best in Boone. Great for friends or family.
I always love a good visit to this place! Their gluten free spaghetti is so freaking good! It's always nice to find a place that has good gluten free options. The drinks also never disappoint, the mules are always a good choice! A nice atmosphere, really good food, really awesome service, and wonderful drinks. It's a perfect place to go with family for a family dinner or on a cute date night!
Absolutely love the atmosphere here. Great porch, great pool room, and even a nice sit down dinner area. Always good drink specials and the best Italian and bar food in town. Music on the porch several times a week makes it even better.
One of the best meals I’ve had in Boone. I have lived in Blowing Rock for years but have never made it to Cafe Portofino . I have always thought it was a college bar. My friends and I decided to try the restaurant for the first time as our holiday gathering and yes it is a restaurant and a wonderful one! Service was great from the moment we walked in. The food was delicious. Everyone loved everything. The Angel hair caprese was fabulous. The soup was delicious and the portions were great. This is definitely not just a college bar. There is a bar attached but the restaurant is separate and very family friendly. Great Christmas decorations and very cozy! We all highly recommend it and will be back!
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