On a Saturday night, this place was packed! The line all the way to the gate when you enter, and…read moresomeone was greeting you to direct you to wherever you aimed to be in The Vortex. The person greeting us, even shared some insights for some upcoming shows. They'd be having that seem great to attend. It's fun to have that sense of community being welcomed into the restaurant as soon as you get there!
We split up, and I went to grab seats while the other member of my party stood in line. Seating wasn't difficult, and it was well ventilated, which was highly favorable and much appreciated in the heat with missing fans, running constantly, cute ambience, lighting with the small bulb lights, and even bug spray available they make sure that this dining experience was covered on all bases so that you would have a great one. The menus are easily accessible, with multiple copies, being passed down the line, and sitting in the stand as soon as you walk up. However, after hearing about the restaurant online, and taking some time to read the menu prior to arrival, I knew what was on my mind - carbonara. From arrival to ordering with maybe about a 30 to 40 minute wait however, it was worthwhile. The dishes are made to order, with fresh pasta being used, making it even better. We opted for two half orders to share, and that was definitely enough food because we ended up even taking leftovers. We also got an order of the garlic bread with tons of roasted garlic, parmesan, and green onions.
While the carbonara was flavorful and what my mind was initially set on, the other pasta actually ended up stealing the show and was what we finished immediately the Leopold had a pesto base and a nice hint of spice even without the peppers (which were taken off in our order).
Overall, the most difficult part of this meal was parking, and the fight was completely forgotten after my first taste. They have a small lot, however, if you circled the nearby neighborhood a couple times you're sure to find a place to put your car.