This was my second time visiting Il Porto, and I'm really glad I decided to give it another try. The first time I came, I honestly wasn't impressed and didn't think I'd return. But after hearing good things, I figured it deserved a second chance -- and this time it delivered. I ordered an apple martini, which was really tasty, and the fettuccine Alfredo with added chicken and shrimp. The dish initially came out with just shrimp, but when I mentioned the missing chicken, they handled it kindly and quickly. They let me keep my pasta and brought out a nicely grilled piece of chicken topped with Alfredo sauce. It ended up being very flavorful and satisfying. My friend ordered a sausage pasta dish and thoroughly enjoyed it -- he said it was very tasty. He also had two smoked old fashioneds and really liked them. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but it still had a cozy atmosphere. The only downside was that staff members were having a very loud conversation in the dining area, playing music, and even watching something on a phone at one point. Since there weren't many customers yet, it stood out more. I'd suggest maybe keeping that to a back area or lowering the volume while guests are dining. Overall though, this visit changed my mind. I would absolutely go back. read more

See all

My girlfriend and I stopped in on a Saturday night before going to sample the many beverages of downtown Frederick. The service wasn't bad and we were one of 3 tables at the time. A majority of the stuff was huddled at the bar on their cell phones watching videos and showing each other while the bartender was eating olives out of the jar. The bread was ice cold with packs of individual butter, which left a lot to be desired. The food was very average at best. The bolognese was really just ground beef and sauce and not a traditional bolognese. The spaghetti and meatballs wasn't bad but was just covered in too much sauce. The tiramisu was good but it doesn't taste like a traditional one. It has a lot of cinnamon and was covered in a lot of cocoa powder. Overall, the experience wasn't anything great. read more

See all

I'm embarrassed it took us this long to get here. Don't do make the same mistake. Eccelente !!! Table in the front window. Started with Calamari, Barrata, & Cream of Crab Bisque (the Bisque was the only thing that was meh. Just ok) Everything else absolutely delish. She got the Veal Roast & I got the Cioppino Topped it off with Canoli and lemoncello on the house. Oh yea and a nice bottle of Chianti. Someone call an Uber 8) read more

See all

Il Porto has really gone downhill. I came here on a Saturday with a party of 5. We did not have a reservation, but the manager told us no problem that he would get us a table in a few minutes. So we waited outside. The restaurant was busy so I was a little skeptical about how long we would have to wait. My party was debating if we should go somewhere else. I went back inside after 15 minutes and asked if our table was ready. The manager gave me an annoyed look and said "I told you it would only be a few minutes". Well, about a total of 30 minutes later, we were seating at a small circular table in the corner that was clearly meant for a party of max 4 people. We were cramped in this tight spot. I noticed that another party was finishing up and asked the manager if we can get their table instead to which he agreed. Upon being seated, our server was a young woman, whose name I unfortunately did not get. She handed us our menus and served us their complimentary bread. The bread was cold and so was the butter. This is a huge pet peeve of mine when food establishments provide cold bread with cold butter, making it almost impossible to spread to hard butter. Every time I dine at Il Porto, I usually get their linguine with white clam sauce ($21.99), so I ordered the same dish I am familiar with. When I got it the sauce was very runny and salty. I normally do not like sending dishes back, but the pasta was so salty to the point where I could not eat it. I kindly asked our server if she could just give me the red sauce instead and she agreed. The manager then came up to me and instead of simply apologizing, he asked me "What do you want to do about it?? We put no salt in the dish at all - only garlic, lemon and wine." I politely told him that not only did I think it was salty, but so did some of the people at my table who I had try the dish. I am annoyed with the manager's attitude and disrespect. When they sent me my replacement dish, my group had already finished eating so they had to wait for me to be done while I ate alone. No apology nor any sort of compensation was offered. I am disappointed by not only the quality of food, but how poorly things were handled at Il Porto. read more

See all

The ambiance is very relaxing and the staff were very inviting. This would be the perfect place for a date night. The food was really good as well. The pizza was beyond amazing and the sizing was very fair read more

Food and service here are outstanding! Our female server was so attentive and kind and made wonderful suggestions for our entrees. I am beyond words with the kindness that the Owner and staff provided us when we couldn't find our vehicle. We were sure it had been towed or stolen and it turned out there was a large truck parked in front of us at the end of the street and this is why we couldn't find it! The Owner and a male employee personally came outside and walked up and down the streets with my son and I to find our vehicle. The Owner didn't stop helping us until we found it! I was so blown away with the genuine kindness and hospitality that he and his staff provided us...bringing my handicap mother back into the restaurant where she could be comfortable while we searched. They gave her a tea on the house as well. We will surely be back to visit knowing we are well taken care of here! I highly recommend this restaurant for both the delicious food, service, kindness and hospitality. read more

Nice Italian place. Food was good, dessert was great. I got a seafood pasta very good. Device was fine. It can be a bit crowded on weekend evenings. read more

Il Porto - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Unfortunately, really disappointing experience. To start, the free bread came out cold and wasn't served with any olive oil to dip it in, just prepackaged cold butter--which is surprising for an Italian restaurant. For our entre we ordered a pizza which was soggy and lacked any real flavor, and a carbonara- nowhere close to what a carbonara should be, lacking flavor and authentic taste. Overall, everything tasted off and felt rushed. Definitely not worth the visit. read more

I love this restaurant! I have never had a bad meal here! They have a lovely menu with lots of choices. One of my favorites is their meat lasagne. read more

The service here is top notch, along with their food and martinis. I highly recommend the burrata appetizer and the clams casino. For your main dish you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu! read more

Very nice traditional Italian restaurant. We had spaghetti and meatballs (which was good), flounder piccata (very good), and chicken Marsala (just OK; overly sweet). Service was attentive and fast, lots of inexpensive wines (Monday is half-priced wine night!), and a selection of interesting deserts. We'll be back. read more

While out of town, my friend and I decided to stop in this restaurant for dinner. When we arrived we parked on the street nearby. We walked in, and the restaurant gave me a homely vibe! Krystal was our server, and she was new, but she did well. My friend started with a mango martini, which was tasty! For dinner, I got the mussels linguini, and my friend got the gnocchi. The food came out after about 15 minutes, and it looked good! My pasta looked more like spaghetti instead of linguini, and the sauce was a little watery, but it was good. My friend's gnocchi was tasty! The bill was super affordable as well. We had a good experience! read more

See all

$19.99 plus tax for two medium sized meatballs in marinara sauce and bread? The food is fine - what there is of it - but the menu should specify the number of meatballs. read more

Delicious food. Great service. The pasta is yummy. The pizza was fantastic. Great atmosphere.

My aunt and uncle have been coming to this establishment for decades. We flew into town and went straight there for dinner. The ambience,, the aroma, the service were incredible . I got chicken Parmesan with my mom and I couldn't have been more delighted by the flavors and lightness. We went back again for dinner a second time. read more

I was dissatisfied with my experience at Il Porto. It was my first time here. He waiter had to be flagged down to order because after giving us the menu, he didn't return for an extended period. This behavior of having to wave him down was constant throughout the meal. The Maryland bisque soup was exceptionally bland - something I might expect in West Virginia or Pennsylvania, but in Maryland? It was shocking and a slap in the face of the culinary excellence of the state. The dish I ordered was sub par, and came with a side of the most dry, bland noodles I could imagine. The ambiance was ok, but the door let in pretty extreme cold that made the experience overall uncomfortable. On the positive side, the employee refilling water was very attentive and could teach the waiter some pointers in that aspect. I also ordered a soda after flagging the waiter down and he came back maybe 20 minutes later. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Decent food but nothing amazing. Really more like a 3.5. Pizza crust was a bit soggy and wasn't the best tasting crust. Marinara sauce was slightly too salty. Salmon was decent, but didn't taste super fresh. The caramel flan dessert was quite good. Service was good; wait staff was friendly and attentive. read more

Small italian restaurant with authentic food and homemade pasta. Everything was good. If in the area try it.

A busy dining room, excellent service, an excellent bar, and the food is wonderful. The veal chop is terrific. Excellent Italian food in a warm, friendly, neighborhood, family setting. More Italian than Italian! read more

I'll bet that this place provides an amazing dinner experience on an average Friday night, or most other nights. We visited on the day after Christmas, planning to celebrate with a party of ten. The place was noisy and very crowded. We had asked weeks ahead for a table in a corner but when we arrived, there was a party still sitting at the table we were supposed to be at. They were able to accommodate us in another space quickly, but we ended up in the middle of the room at tables that were too small for our big group. There was no elbow room and not enough space on the table for drinks, plates, a pizza tray and appetizers. Even after removing candles, condiments and any other table clutter. These table can hold four, if everyone sits on a side. Two tables together should hold no more than eight. On the other hand, while the ambiance was not ideal, the food was fabulous! Portions were generous, the wine list was very comprehensive. I ordered Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. It was a risk as I am an Alfredo snob. I have had way too many sauces that are slightly broken or taste like they came out of a jar. This risk was well worth it. The sauce was plentiful, creamy and delicious. The shrimp were large and tender, even on a very busy night. Even my leftovers were saucy, unbroken and delicious. The pizza was apparently yummy too. My boy ate more than his usual one slice. I would suggest that the small pizza be routinely cut into 8 pieces if ordered by a child. We had trouble getting our 4 pc pizza taken back to the kitchen to be cut further. Leftovers were also fought over the next day. Others in our group ordered multiple pasta dishes. The pasta is obviously freshly made on site and cooked perfectly. Staff werevery friendly, although obviously stretched a bit thin. A few times we had to flag down someone for service, but their response was always very friendly and prompt. Our water and wine glasses were kept full, our requests were handled quickly and with a smile. (Except for the pizza, I think the server misunderstood what we needed.) We traveled an hour to reach this restaurant. If it were closer, I would definitely visit again for a nice dinner with my spouse or small family on a weeknight or weekend. I would not try again to plan a big family dinner there on a weekend or around a holiday. read more

Solid "old school" Italian food on a busy corner in downtown Frederick. My daughter, granddaughter and I visited Il Porto for lunch the day before Thanksgiving. The atmosphere screams Italian, from the background music selection to the crisp white tablecloths. The restaurant was not busy, and service was friendly if a bit on the slow side. Along with our drinks, the waiter brought a basked of bread and salted butter. The bread was fresh and soft with a nice yeasty flavor. For our entrees we had ravioli in marinara sauce, rainbow trout in lemon butter sauce, and pasta bolognese. The ravioli were generously stuffed with cheese, cooked al dente, and smothered in a chunky marinara sauce. My granddaughter loved them, although I thought they were served with too much sauce. I had the rainbow trout lunch special with a side of pasta. The trout was fresh, with a pleasing lemon-butter sauce. I was hoping the accompanying side of pasta would have the same lemon-butter sauce to go with the fish, but it was served with marinara. The marina sauce was fresh and lightly spiced; very pleasant. My daughter had the pasta bolognese. Actually, what she was served was pasta with tomato sauce and ground meat. It was tasty, but definitely not bolognese. Bolognese is much thicker, creamier (milk is one of the ingredients) and has just a touch of tomato. Prices are reasonable, and the menu has all the classics. Not a bad deal. read more

This restaurant is always amazing. We met friends there and it their first visit. They ensured us that they will be back.

I'm not sure if we just went on an off day but. Was hoping for more for this restaurant. All the dishes were just ok and nothing really stood out. I got the Rockfish with the Lump Crab Meat and honestly for the price it was kind underwhelming. My husband got the one of the pastas with seafood and it was ok. The service was good though! They were accommodating to our large party and were all very nice. read more

See all

Craved pasta, so I stopped by here on my last trip to Frederick. Lovely experience, despite the pandemic. The service was attentive and friendly, the food was good, and the outdoor seating was quaint and romantic. Il Porto has some old school, authentic Italian vibes with the opera music playing softly amidst the red and white checkered tablecloths. I ordered the shrimp and scallop panna as per the waiter's recommendation. And my boyfriend tried the seafood platter on top of linguine. The pasta itself was cooked really well. Just past al dente. The sauce in my dish was so yummy! Umami flavors from the mushroom with a zesty kick to it as well. The scallop tasted fresh, but the shrimp seemed like it was previously frozen. Not gonna hate on restaurants for using previously frozen food during this pandemic though. The overall meal was satisfying and our waiters were very accommodating throughout the night! We were far away from any other guests dining outdoors and when I went to use the restroom before leaving, it was pretty clean which is a wonderful feature in my book. read more

Il Porto - Shrimp and scallop panna - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

The service was excellent. The food was really good, but I look forward to trying other different dishes. Really enjoyed the eggplant Parmesan. The owner/maître D was very accommodating and pleasant. The seating is a little crowded and therefore it is a little noisy when it's busy, but still quite enjoyable. read more

Came into Il Porto after a day hike and it was the perfect stop! I had the antipasto salad and split the meat lasagna with my boyfriend. It was a decent portion and definitely tasted home cooked The staff was accommodating since we came in fairly late. No complaints read more

We arrived for a special occasion, an engagement. Both families were invited to the dinner. Our meals came as expected and as far as I could tell, everyone enjoyed their meal very much. We were a group of 11, and most of the food arrived within moments of each other, no easy task. The ambiance was nice for a special occasion, and the wait staff was efficient without being bothersome. I didn't see the bill, but the entrees were reasonably priced and the decor was what you would expect for a small Italian restaurant. I think they maybe have 20 tables? Not huge,but just right. read more

Il Porto - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Overall, extremely disappointed. We were a party of 5 that arrived at 9 (they close at 10, so should have been plenty of time for us to eat and leave before closing). They brought us bread with the prepackaged butter, no oils or spices. Our waitress seemed either new or timid or had a slight language barrier. One of our group ordered a sweet tea and got unsweetened so had to change to Sprite. We had two orders of crab bisque for appetizers and the oyster crackers in the bag were stale. Out of our 5 entrees, they completely gave us 2 that were wrong. A shrimp fettuccine came out as gnocchi with pesto (also came out late, because it was messed up), a gnocchi with pesto became a fettuccine with pesto. Both were extremely bland and the table salt and pepper had to be restored to in order to add something.. The chicken alfredo has to be remade completely because there was a long hair in it (after this mess, a manager started attending to our table). He gave a salad while the chicken alfredo was remade, and the gesture was sweet, but not something my friend wanted so the rest of us nibbled at it so not as to be unthankful or rude. The other two orders that were wrong didn't want to wait for their order to be redone so picked at it. The gnocchi and chicken alfredo did get comped by the manager. The two orders that were right are pictured here. The veal was fall off the bone tender and well flavored. The Cioppino came out delicious, though one of the lobster tails was a little tough. The problem with those two orders was that they were $42 and $40. I expected them to be more expensive than their normal menu items, but not 2-3 times as much (they're next highest price is $19.99 and most are in the $10-$16 range). So while absolutely delicious, it was a bit of sticker shock. They were also listed as today's specials, but it was obvious it was a more permanent part of the menu (pictures from a year ago show the same menu and specials). The manager did everything he could to help change the experience into a better one, and if I am in town again, I may give them another chance, but I'll definitely stick to something reliable. It has the atmosphere of a nice Italian place, but we were awkwardly sat right by the line and it felt like we couldn't talk freely because all the staff that were done after the other couple of guests left just hung around up there. It could be a really nice restaurant, but there are definitely some issues that need to be fixed. read more

Il Porto - Roast veal with roast potatoes - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Rude staff and extremely slow service, the only food we tried was the free bread, it was average served with hard butter. After being sat and greeted and served bread and water, we were left to sit for about 20 minutes before we flagged a staff member down. There was only one other table when we sat down, and only a two top and a 8 top came in after, with 3 servers visible, a bus person and a bartender. The 8 top was served as soon as the first 2 guest sat down. Our server came over acting very confused, "is there something I can help you with?" we said "yes, we would like to order some drinks". he then said with a bit of indignation, "sorry we are a little busy right now". We were watching the staff all congregate near the bar and not doing anything. Then the waiter came back and asked for my partners ID and took it to the bar where the bartender and two other staff members examined it and began laughing and joking to each other about something. She felt very violated and uncomfortable to say the least. We waited another 10 minutes to get our drinks and then asked for the check. Again, our server seemed very confused about everything. We will not be back and Il Porto should be ashamed of how they treated 3 freezing weary travelers in search of hospitality and a warm meal. read more

Eleven of us dined here for my birthday (20 July 2021). The last time DH and I were here was over a month ago and we hadn't been here in ages. Our last meal was excellent, so I decided to celebrate my birthday here. All of the tables were filled. Busy night. Service was very slow due to the lack of adequate staff. I get it. Many restaurants are understaffed these days. We sat patiently. It took a while to get our drinks and even longer for the waiter to take our food order. Turns out he also made our drinks, so he was working double duty. Tuesday night is $5.99 martini night, so several of us had some tasty drinks. Others ordered wine. I ordered the linguini with clams. Everyone ordered a variety of food. My linguini was extremely salty (too bad, as the dish looked so appetizing) that I could not eat it, so I asked for another entree. One of my friends said the chicken picatta was very good, so I ordered it. It was definitely very good. No one else had complaints about their food. I was treated to tiramisu for my birthday, which I appreciated. Overall a good experience despite a couple of hiccups. read more

See all

Just two short blocks from Carrol Creek, Il Porto feels like a warm comfortable neighborhood restaurant. It serves all the old school Italian favorites. All the food is nicely prepared and presented. Service is excellent. read more

It's usually a good experience at Il Porto. Our recent visit was a disappointment. This restaurant is crowded with tables very close together. It is also very noisy, making it difficult to hear your fellow diners. We ordered gluten free pasta and eggplant parm. My daughter said it was okay. Husband felt the same about his eggplant. I ordered pork chops with roasted potatoes instead of pasta. The potatoes were very good, but the pork shops were thin, dry and overcooked. A glass of wine was too expensive, didn't have any. read more

A lovely little restaurant. Had a nice ambiance, very attentive servers and the food was delicious. Very affordable prices. We will definitely return. read more

This restaurant on Market St is comfortable and cozy. The atmosphere is welcoming as are the proprietors. The waiter was friendly and efficient.!the menu had good Italian dishes. Prices were very fair. We enjoyed the pasta very much! read more

Very bland food. Could have microwaved the stuff and it tasted the same from the store. Even the gelato was freezer burnt. Don't waste your time or money, trust me Check out manalu Italian instead! read more

I can say for sure, this was a homerun. This place was bookmarked and after, probably, the worst day ever...it seemed that a higher power had intentions for us to visit. And if that's the case, then thank you. We parked and walked over. That's probably the only down side. Luckily, it wasn't winter or I'd have shivered. We were sat right away on a Saturday night at 5:30pm without reservations. That's very impressive. The area which we sat was kind of odd because I felt like we were in the middle of the room. Our server was EXTREMELY prompt. We had our drinks, water and bread right away and it didn't take long to choose our dinners. The server explained the two choices I had narrowed down to and it was pretty easy to select off of his description. I didn't need an appetizer because of the fresh warm bread with olive oil and real parmeSEAN. (LOL) Our dinners came to the table very quick and every bite was so good. It's nice that I can eat veal and not be judged. It's so good. I also was chowing down on a homemade white sangria, secret house recipe. Very potent. Very good. We ended with the 'word I cant remember' dessert. It's the ice cream that's white, brown and green. It was reallllly good and you only needed a little bit to top off the night. As I'm writing, I'm reading reviews to the right and there's one review that gave this place a one star. Let me say, I'm really shocked at that. Ive had plenty of Italian food and the noodles were cooked correctly. The sauce was tasty and the traditional plates we ordered were really good. I hope that this place doesn't always have such negative comments or reviews because I really enjoyed my time. read more

See all

Very good meal. Service was slow. Food took a long. Time To come out. I was looking for quick bite by myself. Service was great. Food was awesome. Everything is slow tho. Tad pricey. I'd definitely go Again. read more

Went on a Saturday night with friends at 5 15. Empty when we were seated. Quickly filled up and then there was a line waiting as well. Food delicious..I had lasagna. As though a Nonna was in kitchen. Friends had beautifully plated chicken Frances. Attentive service although packed. Appreciated they did not rush us out until we asked for check at 6 45. Will keep going back. read more

Good food and a nice quaint place. I would have given Il Porto a higher rating but the wait staff seemed more interested in having customers leave. They hover around like hungry vultures waiting and pestering you. They tried to take food and drinks away before you were finished. I'm sorry they do not have more tables, but this isn't a reason to push customers out the door. The owner needs to talk to the staff about not taking food, bread and drinks away before people are finished. This happened not only at our table but several others. read more

About a month ago, I was driving down Market Street in Frederick on a business trip and noticed this spot coming through. I am possibly the LARGEST Italian food fan you know of. Period. So I bookmarked it and went on a Saturday night This place was very classy- but also was casual in terms of the dress code. Very intimate atmosphere- small bar but the staff was very attentive to us even if they weren't our waiter. Waiter was very good - gave recommendations. The menu was incredible - homemade and traditional dishes from spaghetti and chicken parmesan to veal scallopini and zuppe de mussels. Any time I am at a real Italian restaurant I have to get the chicken parmesan. Which i did. The gravy was very tangy and was thick. It did have a funny quality to it but was very tasty. Chicken was large and came equipped with cheese and noodles. The table also came with bread and oil mixture for dipping. Dessert was kind of a letdown if I'm honest. Went with the traditional spumoni ice cream and added a coffee. The spumoni piece was TINY. Very underwhelming especially when we got it as a table. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

See all