I was surprised to have an older woman take my order. She was totally proficient in making the best fresh Italian sandwich. My wish would be for her to train new employees and especially in customer service. Lucky for us we have several Amatos near to us but from now on we'll be going only to the Northgate store. read more

There is plenty of parking. It's a great place to grab lunch. There are a lot of options from pizza to Italian sandwiches. I had the Italian sandwich, the bread was fresh and the counter folks made the sandwich to order, no pickles and light on the oil. Interesting car in the parking lot. See photos read more

Amato's - Menu - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Maine

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My peeps said I had to try Amato's Italian Grinder. I like Italians and I like Grinder so why not? The overall experience dampened by enthusiasm. The store is more of a convenience store atmosphere so expect zero ambiance. The cashier was pretty hot on the outside but rather empty on the inside bordering on New England rude. Brewed tea? - no way grab a canned drink. Quality chips offered- not really. The grinder looked delicious on the outside but had standard processed meat. The olives were nice as were the peppers. I am usually critical of bread, but is was soft and very fresh. The crowd was more the food stamps crowd than the hipster foodies Portland is known for so I give it an average rating overall. read more

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Forgot to post my yummy lobster roll! This location is the best when it comes to their lobster roll. Not that much mayo like the other locations. read more

Amato's - Don't forget the Humpty Dumpty chips! - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Maine

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genuinely the worst customer service and the slowest process I have ever experienced. I ordered 1 cold sandwich and it took over an hour to be completed. wasn't aware that sandwich making was also rocket science. I know this is Maine and people have nothing to do but you need to have some urgency when it comes to food. read more

Fantastic food. Highly recommend a calzone. Staff is friendly! Has a small grocery as well

Hello fellow Mainers! I was so excited to be back visiting so I had my mom pick up Amatos sandwiches (Maine italian). We picked up our sandwiches (we ordered 5 and a pazzo bread). The employees managed to ruin 3 sandwiches and forgot the pazzo bread. This left two people without food- and the rest of us just coped. Unfortunately we will not be going back :/ read more

Location - GREAT! Parking - GREAT! Staff - GREAT! Accuracy - GREAT! Quality - GREAT! This is my new favorite Amato's location. If you live in this area or are driving through this area, this is the place for you! It is on a corner at a 4 corner light controlled intersection. SOO easy to get in an out of. It's also convenient to other stores in the event you are running errands - stop in and bring dinner home. Parking, it wraps around the building - even with snow, I was able to easy find parking at this location - plenty of parking for everyone - even big pick up trucks Staff - quick, friendly and task oriented. They give people clear directions when you order at the counter. I overheard them serving customers over the phone and they were very professional. Accuracy - we tend to customize our items - because yeah, we are picky. They got everything correct! I will say, I was nervous so I ordered in person and waited. But she was very good as I gave her the specifics, she was writing everything down carefully and repeated what I was saying. Quality of the food - Great - excellent! We love their sandwiches and pasta and they made it exactly as we like. A nice full and balanced "regular" - a taste of home. :) The chips and beverage selection was quite vast - something for everyone's taste. Local beer options always work for us and there were a few great one's to pick from. I highly recommend this location! read more

Amato's - Great beer selection!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Great family-owned sandwich shop. Amato's Italian sandwiches are a classic Maine treat that you can only get around here and will miss when you are away. Little stuffers and Pazzo bread are great too! read more

Amato's - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Maine

Love this Amato's because of the ample parking and location to my work. So easy to place a "pick up" order over the phone. I call and give them my phone number and they know my name. The person on the phone can easily take my order with all of my specifications (light on the tomatoes, oil on the side etc.) and it's always correct when I come to pick up. Some of my favorite orders they make very well are the: Calzones (cheese, pepperoni, and sausage is my favorite and is enough for two meals). Steak and Cheese Sandwiches: Always opt. for extra cheese! Cheese Pazzo: everyones fave vegetarian option and this is like $5 and is a meal all by itself! There is so much to offer in the store itself- bottles of wine and beer, large bags of chips, pre-made salads and Ben and Jerrys ice cream. Grab something for dinner when you pop in to grab lunch! read more

This location has never once gotten a sandwich order right. We live nearby and order pretty frequently. Every Italian WILL have a jar of olives and drip with oil.... no matter how emphatic you are when you order. I finally gave up on Italians. Every Hot sandwich WILL come with mayonnaise no matter what. Three stars because The staff is usually friendly when we go in and it's clean. Pizza and pasta are consistently good. If you like olives, oil, and Mayo this is the sandwich place for you! read more

An above average local chain that caters to all of your pizza, pasta, hot sandwiches, and best of all eye-taal-en (Italian) sandwich. Are there better local places scattered about Maine that make a better sandwich. Duh! But in a pinch this place provides you with the basics quickly. They are also part convenience store selling beer, liquor, and wine. If you are in the in Southern Maine there is a good chance that you might bump into one of these places scattered about. Amato's Italian is a good baseline to judge others Italian's throughout. And if you have not had one of them you missing out on a Maine staple! read more

Always busy, good for them so its best to call ahead. I was in Sunday afternoon with 3 people in front of me and waited 20 minutes for a single Italian. There were no large orders ahead of me and several folks that ordered after me went out the door as I stood there trying to entertain 2 kids as they had already eaten. I was walking up to the counter to cancel my order when they finally slid it over to be wrapped. I would say this happens more often than not. Also, stay away from the pre made chicken parm sandwiches. I travel a lot for work and do pop in to Amato's as they are everywhere and better than any standard drive through fast food chain. The last 2 chicken parm subs were like eating a sneaker and didn't taste much better either. Given the choice, I'd hit a Sam's or a no name local sandwich shop as the experience and service will always be better. Once in a while you can have a good experience here and my kids do love the pazzo. read more

Still prefer Eddies but updating my review to increase proper respect for my local Amatos.

I usually love amatos, but there was no one in here and they still messed up my order entirely. I ordered forty minutes ahead paid when I got here just to find out they had my macaroni and cheese on the list but not prepared, then they started another then gave it to somebody else. The woman tried to make me pay for my food TWICE, after she switched shots with a man whom I originally ordered with over the phone. I'm just so irritated because it should have been ready when I got there but I had to wait almost an entire half hour for their screw ups tonight. read more

I've been coming here my whole life and always will. Always quick and easy. Always fresh. Always the right price. Great sandwiches, especially real Italians, good salads and pizza and pasta. I love the smells in here. Lots of places around town try their hand at Italian sandwiches, but these are the best in my opinion. The sandwiches are always awesome because the bread is always fresh. read more

This Amatos services a lot of customers, and does so without a lot of wait time or mix ups. They have very good workflow for those ordering or waiting. Lots of sub choices beyond their signature Italian. Several new choices have 8 oz of meat at a decent price. I'm a fan of the pasta and meatball buckets. A great value and decent quality. All in all, there is not much to complain about this store location. Solid...4 Stars read more

Joined this app just to save you $$$. Ordered 2 lasagna dinners & meatballs, $31.00. Sauce was very salty. Meatballs had the taste of can dog food. I could return 1 untouched meal but store will not even return half of order. Found out all there stuff is corporate made & there is nothing they can do. read more

I have eaten at the one in Washington five or six times now and never disappointed. There sandwiches are the best around and the Alfredo has a really creamy texture and garlicky and as good as you can get. read more

I am a Mainer and my family has lived in Greater Portland for at least 5 generations. Amato's has always been our "go to" for Italian sandwiches. That is saying something because there are so many amazing old Italian families with the some of the best cooks in New England passing down their secrets. Amato's Italian sandwiches always have the freshest and most plentiful ingredients and the same or lower price ($5.99) than scimpy competitors. The best sour pickles and amazing local tomatoes! The next time I get one (2-3x a week in summer), I will try to remember to post pictures, before I devour it. read more

I've been on the search for the best mac n cheese ... and BAM, right when I least expected it, decided to put in a last minute order of baked mac n cheese that was fully loaded with cheese and fettuccine... BEST DECISION EVER. I can't even describe the sadness that come over me when I had finished all of it. PS so sorry, couldn't even take a picture because I was too busy devouring it. read more

There is something about planning a trip to Amato's that gets me pumped. I think it's knowing the fact that I will consistently get a fresh and tasty meal. There is so much variety to their menu (pastas, salads, Italian dishes, calzones, sandwiches etc), but I never stray from my usual veggie cold sandwich. It's really just veggies, cheese and bread, but damn their bread is so moist and their veggies are so crisp! I also sometimes get the pazo bread and that just brings me pure joy. It's a carb lover's BFF. Man, I'm a fatty! Only negative is that if you want double of any topping, they charge too much (in my opinion). read more

So, I can't say I understand what it is that people like about this place. I just tried it for the first time and I walked away thinking, "really, this passes for a good sandwich?" It wasn't BAD, just... uninspired. I tried the Italian sandwich since that's what most people seem to recommend. What I got was: a small amount of ham, a smaller amount of cheese, tomatoes, pickles, diced onions and peppers. Why this sandwich is called Italian is beyond me. I call it a typical ham and cheese sandwich. Boring. However, they do carry pepsi products so they've at least got that going for them. read more

THERES ANTS IN MY SUB oops sorry caps broken extra protein i guess... ANyWAY, Do YOU GuYS dO CatERiNg? ;D read more

HOW IN THE WORLD HAS NO ONE REVIEWED AMATO'S!?!? It's gotta be because if you're from Maine, you just know Amato's is delicious... you don't need to read some dumb review about it. I was born and raised in Maine... then got transported out to California. Now I live in San Francisco and only get back to Maine 1-2x/year. My family knows what I want for lunch (and sometimes breakfast and dinner). I want an Amato's Italian Sandwich and a Moxie. If you haven't been to Amato's, I don't know what you're waiting for. An invitation? Well you're not going to get one. JUST GO! This one is on the corner of Allen Ave and Washington Ave... across the street from Dunkin Donuts... Next to Rite Aide... you know where it is. Get there. Now. read more

I always get a Real Double Italian, Salt Pepper, Oil. My wife loves the meat stuffers but they tend to take a while. It is better to order ahead for those. read more

This is another ok place to go. With decent things and bad things. Good food and bad food. This is an ok place to be for food. Before you enter the area. You see a nice LCD board with all the announcements! It's attractive! But the exterior is a bit unappealing. With the same brick walls on all sides. The inside is a bit minimalist. But that's kind of a good thing! Making for easy systems for all. And the staff is a bit nice. Being very supportive. But the food is kind of off. With not exactly good salads. Overall. This is an ok place for Italian food. If you want a solid experience. Go here! read more

ITALIAN? WHERE? This place is a glorified Subway, at best. Perhaps it's because I'm not a true Mainer, only a recent transplant from the NY/CT area, but Amato's is a far cry from Italian-inspired sandwiches. I think people here have been drinking too much Moxie, or perhaps it's just because they don't know to go anywhere else. I've had better sandwiches at convenience stores. The classic "Italian" that everyone raves about is nothing more than a ham and cheese (American!!) sandwich, on enriched, white bread (basically a large hotdog bun). This place is a JOKE. I really can't understand why people think this is a good place for a sandwich, other than the price. Don't waste your time! read more

I have one purpose of this review on this specific Amato's location at the bottom. But to those looking for feedback in order to make a decision on trying Amato's, DO IT! First off - Amato's Italians & pazzo are amazing. Quit being boujé and snobby and just ENJOY IT. Don't try to compare it. It's a legacy, quite literally, of its own. I've been eating Amato's my whole life and will until I die. Second - the veggies are fresh sliced off the vegetables onto the sandwich as they make it! Crisp and delicious. I get salt, pepper, mayo and oil on the side. However, all issues you will ever experience are in fact human error. I've been to every Amato's in Cumberland County more times than I can count and my only issue is the humans. It's truly hit or miss. It's a sandwich shop. You either get super helpful, friendly, family like interactions or jerks and people who forget where they are while engaging with each other and you -- and probably just messed up your order. Today we rolled up to the Washington Ave Amato's - which is not our usual one - greeted by a gentleman searching the parking lot to find the owner of some keys left behind. So sweet. Then, the kid who rang us up was so nice and enthusiastic about taking our order that I felt like our normal Italians & pazzo were the best, new, hip choice and we had just made the right one! Man from the parking lot finalized our order and check out. Still super cool. Italians were actually ON POINT. Some times they get soggy from the essence of fresh cut veggies. HOWEVER, the kid at the oven/cut table was painful to watch and oh can you see everything. I'm sure he's a fantastic dude, but watching him cut cinnamon dessert bread and other items whilst letting all the remnants collect on the rocker blade and subsequently transfer to other items was awful knowing I had ordered something that needed to be cut. Watching him stack multiple things on top of each other, mass cutting and then grabbing it (cool blue surgical gloves and all) with his hands and try to recreate it into a box was insane. He looked like he was trying to have order but ended up slinging, literally, boxes full of food randomly around. I actually felt bad for him which is no fun either. And then... I got home and opened my box o' pazzo that was more of a tear cut than clean cut and started to pig out knowing it's taste would bring me to heaven only to hate pazzo for the first time ever. EVER. Eventually after eating the first slice, I almost didn't eat anymore, I realized that I was tasting something sweet. The combo of the cinnamon from the rocker blade and the pazzo was so disgusting. I just hope it doesn't ruin it for me for life. Since Amato's rarely takes feedback kindly or at all.... I thought this would be the best way to remind y'all about basic training for your employees. Because seriously... sometimes y'all just don't try. Or hire humans who know that they shouldn't cross-contaminate things. Don't ruin pazzo for me, Amato's. I never did anything but love and nurture you. read more

Like another reviewer, I too am not originally from Maine; I moved here 6 months ago from Philadelphia. It occurs to me that Amato's has been around for many decades and that it is something that many locals were brought up eating. The sandwiches at Amato's are surprising good and moderately priced. There is a considerable amount of variety on their food menu, in addition to the alcohol and sides that they have for sale. I do however want to note that their famed "Real Italian" is by no means an Italian Sandwich.....processed, boiled ham and American cheeses are not Italian deli items. You need to put Prosciutto, capicola, pepperoni and provolone on your "Real Italian" The other day someone told me that Subway had stolen the idea for their Italian BMT from Amato's....I find this notion laughable. That is like saying that Papa John's stole the pizza invention from Domino's.....WTF? Who cares if you were the first person in this region to dupe an entire state into thinking that your sandwiches are the "real" kind that Italians eat. If you want really Italian food, go down to Micucci's right next to the Old Port area, they actually have Italian ingredients....and use them to make Italian food. (Though the teenagers working there can't even pronounce the name of the store...it's Me-chew-cheese.....not Me-coochies - sounds slang for lady parts). Gosh! As far as American subs on over sized hot dog rolls go....Amato's makes a darn good one. They give you plenty of veggies to top your sub and the olives are actually pretty darn good. I would suggest them anytime if you wanted a quick and moderately priced sandwich, I however would send you elsewhere for Italian fare. read more

Amato's is brilliant. They provide good food made with quality ingredients but with the same business model and pricing as a fast-food / late night restaurant. In fact it's still pretty much the only place you can get real food in the Portland area up until midnight. Not only that, the portions are large, so you're getting a lot of high quality food at a low price. It's almost suspicious. Take a look at their locations on the map and you start to get the feeling there's something scientific going on. They sell beer too! My only complaint would be that one time a tipsy Mr. Reali tried to convert me and my friends to Catholicism when we walked by the newly restored church on Middle Street during the Italian Festival. read more

Let me preface this review with the fact that I don't live in Portland, ME. I'm actually just a day trip from Portland, OR, so this is coming from a non-local who was in town to visit family. This place is an institution. My Dad grew up eating Amato's Italian sandwiches and now when we go to Portland (which isn't often), we HAVE to swing by at least once for lunch. My husband, a native Coloradan and adopted Northwesterner was an Italian sandwich virgin--he loved them so much we went back three times in the course of six days. I think that's called an obsession. The pickles are amazing--like no other pickle I've ever had (and I love all types of pickles). My grandmother's husband is an Italian from Boston and he prefers Amato's sandwiches over what he can get in Boston. Thanks for never changing Amato's and giving me all of the nostalgia of a little girl eating Italian sandwiches with her native "Maine-iac" Dad. read more

I've stopped in a couple of times this summer to have an Italian Sandwich with a Moxie soft drink. The staff is pleasant, but seem to not pay attention to my order details at all, and continue to make the sandwich how it normally comes, not how I ask for it to be. I ask for no oil, no salt, and for provolone cheese not american cheese, but I ALWAYS have oil, salt, and american cheese on it when I get the sandwich. I don't complain cause the sandwich is still great ;) *shrugs* read more

Amato's is a quick, tasty and inexpensive place for take-out. When you step inside, it feels like a gas station with the snack food items and drink fridges, but they have large commercial grade ovens cranking out pizzas, calzones and hot sandwiches. The food certainly doesn't taste like gas station quality, which is great. The staff is friendly and they have specials everyday, which are basically items on the menu that are cheaper by like $3-$4. This will definitely be a go to place when I can't think of anything to eat as they are fast and good. read more

My Italian tasted good, but the idiot who made it just placed everything on top of a flat piece of bread. There was no way to even attempt to close it, and therefore no halfway decent way to eat it. You had one job guy. Way to go. read more

Amato's - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Maine

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3-1/2 stars would be perfect... better than average, but not the best. They are known as THE go to spot for Italians, but there are lots of better choices like Corsettis on Route 302 and Severino's in Westbrook. I'm sure there are many more but I haven't lived in Maine for a few years. I go back to visit family a few times a year and usually pop into an Amato's once a visit. They've grown for a reason. Good prices on good Italian food. Was shocked to see they are in the mall food court now. read more

The food was great the serves was fast and slow the table was shaky but it was a nice place.

The best argument for renouncing my vegetarianism is (perhaps somewhat sadly) Amato's' turkey Italian. There are few things in life I enjoy that much. Turns out, though, that taking the turkey out doesn't ruin it. Best subs I've ever encountered (with a close second being Al's State Street/South Street Café in Boston). The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that there is about a one in two chance that if you order from this place something will be wrong. The food makes up for most of that, but come on now - just because "olive" and "onion" start with the same letter is no excuse for replacing my onions with a ton of olives. Anyway, the pazzo bread is also incredibly delicious. Get that. And eat it. read more

The food is ok, but if you want to buy beer with your food - Go some please else if you don't have a Maine ID. I have a drives license but its from out of state, and I was told to go down the street to a gas station - Not very nice to make me do extra stops. read more

I really want to like Amato's, but unfortunately every time I go to any establishment I've been to, whether it be windham Westbrook Portland south portland, I always end up being disappointed. My sandwiches never end up coming out right, I've even checked sandwiches before I leave, had it remade, and gotten home to find out once again the sandwich was still not made correctly. I'm not asking for any crazy sandwich either, simply sub pickle no tomatoes. Or no mayo. I've tried to give the place tries again and again hoping it was a fluke, but whether busy or slow, I will not EVER be returning and wasting my money here again. read more