Amazing! I've lived near Lucca for years but just tried it out. The service was stellar. Unfortunately I didn't catch the host/waitress's name, hopefully they can triangulate who this person was as I picked up a to-go order around 6:15. There was a wait so I had a drink outside and observed a chill sunset amongst the trees. This lady is awesome, totally made the experience. I'm not a big pasta person but my partner loves it. I literally ate the entire order of Strozzapreti in one sitting it's too good I'm not Italian but I might be after eating here. read more

So yummy!! Great place for a celebration or group/big family dinner! Highly recommend it!

such a great neighborhood spot! the food, service, and atmosphere are all top notch. it's a little pricey for frequent visits but I try to go whenever I can, and recommend it to visiting guests. read more

On the recommendations of other Yelp reviews, we decided to give Lucca's a try. Pleasantly surprised we could get a table fir 4 on a Saturday night. Service was prompt and friendly. Drinks were kept filled. Loved the bread basket and olive oil. Friends ordered salads and shared a pizza. Husband decided on seafood Brodetto and I had the Tagliatelle. I couldn't stop eating the Tagliatelle; so delicious! We were tempted but too full to have dessert. My only criticism would be the noise level. We found ourselves having to lean in and speak with raised voices throughout the meal. The music is fitting; just too loud. read more

Lucca - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I went in alone as I was starving around 7pm on Friday afternoon. Although it appears that kitchen staff was struggling severely, the outstanding service of the wait staff almost made forget about the 35minute wait time for a salad. I completely understand the short handedness of establishments these days, and I'm grateful that they have such good staff to combat and entertain guests! Will be back for the food as well! read more

- really fresh pasta, almost chewy! A+ - pasta is really heavily sauced, especially the cream based ones, barely can taste anything else beside cream - service is almost non exist, spilled water didn't bother to clean up nor apologize, never checked on us until we were already finished and waiting for the check better pasta and service else where read more

Revisited Lucca after a prolonged absence due to not caring for the fare the first time. Pizza was just sad... A homeopathic amt of cheese on a limp crust. Lots of burnt crust to show the fire roasting. Basically, just lots of crust. Had desert which substituted blackberries for raspberries (which are very in season right now) which wasn't appreciated and, again, nothing too impressive. Hardest part of the meal was the price. Way too steep for what we received. I don't believe the third time would be the charm in this case. read more

Amazing service, food, and atmosphere. I ordered what seemed like everything on the menu and I wasn't disappointed. The only bad thing I have to say is I wish there was a Lucca where I live. I'm going to miss the food. Hopefully I can head to Oregon soon. read more

Lucca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We arrived at happy hour. We shared a mussels appetizer and I had a mushroom pizza and W had a salami pizza. The mussels were among the top three best I have ever had. The mushroom pizza was outstanding. My only complaint is that our very nice server disappeared a couple of times and we went some time without drink refills. The place was not at all crowded while we were there. read more

Wow! Try the Lemon Bodin! Dang...that's the best dessert I've had in, like, forever!! The dessert description said it had marionberries and candied lemon, but I didn't really notice anything like chunks of lemon or anything. It was very creamy on top with REAL whipped cream and a generous dollup of Marionberry jam. Underneath was a layer of lemony goodness similar in texture to the most delicate type of cake -- but much lighter. And it was more lIquid. We have eaten here off and on for years (literally) but tonight was one of our best experiences at Lucca. So make your reservation and go! read more

A really strange experience--we were rushed through our dinner. We came here for the first time and were seated a few minutes after our reservation time. We ordered cocktails and olives and bread for starters. Cocktails were outstanding. Bread was not warmed, which we were surprised by since it's a wood fire oven place, but it was very tasty. Both starters came out before cocktails, no big deal. Two seconds after cocktails were served our server asked to take our entree order. We thought that was odd, but figured that maybe things took a lot of time to cook so we placed our orders. Within 5-10 minutes the entree (pizza and gnocchi) came out--mid-cocktail. We did not see our server (someone else delivered the food). So we sort of shoved our starters to the side. The food was excellent. The pizza was super cheesy with a great crust. The gnocchi was super flavorful with an excellent sauce but was lukewarm at best. We wanted to ask for it to be reheated but, again, no server. We ate about half our meal and our server came back with dessert menus. We were still early in our entrees. She came back about three minutes later to get a dessert order. By this time it was about 25 minutes after we had been sat. We decided not to do desserts so she dropped off the check--again, as we were still eating both our starters and entrees. We were out of there 35-40 minutes after we were sat--which was not what we had hoped for for a nice Saturday dinner out. We were so surprised everything was incredibly rushed and that we didn't have the opportunity to order wine, finish our starters, etc. We left saying we'd order takeout pizza there next time but wouldn't come back on a date night. read more

Lucca had been a neighborhood favorite of mine for years (past tense, after tonight). Tonight a family member flew in and was meeting us for dinner at Lucca. We were wanting to visit and have a nice dinner. They sat us in a corner under a vent that blew cold air on us. We were freezing and to make matters worse, the music was head-banging bar music so flippin' LOUD we couldn't have a conversation. I mentioned the draft and the hostess confirmed it and moved us. Then I asked if she could turn down the music, now fearing I was going to sound like a pain in the ass customer, when these two things sucked right off the bat! The hostess said she turned down the music but it didn't feel any different. The bottom line is, all we wanted was to not freeze our butts off and to be able to have a conversation at dinner. They didn't accommodate so we left and went to Acadia for dinner down the street. Great dinner and lovely atmosphere there!!! When I got home I called Lucca to speak to the manager about our unfortunate experience this evening. They gave me the bartender who said he used to be the GM, and all I got from him was his smarmy, hipster, fk you attitude. He basically told me they play the music they (the staff) want and sometimes it's loud. Sorry ya didn't like it. I hated it there tonight, I resent his attitude and I'm kissing Lucca goodbye!!! Why would I pay for a miserable experience? It'll be interesting to see how long they last with this attitude!! Feh!!! read more

Full disclosure, I knew I would open the box and see a failed, yet honest attempt at the definition of pizza. Andra tutti been! I opened the box and flashback of Avellino. This is not hyperbole Publikum..that is what pizza looks like. Bravo read more

Excellent food and service. We love Lucca! Atmosphere is laid back but still beautiful. Local art on the old Portland brick walls add a lot of character. read more

Casual and nice neighborhood eatery. Feels a bit up-scale but wont break the bank. Very good food. Good service.

The food is very tasty! I ordered pumpkin risotto and pumpkin kale soup tis the season! I ordered it to go since it was getting late and they close at 8pm. I got home after being very careful with my bag because I knew I had soup. Once I opened it up I couldn't believe how little they served me for a bowl of soup that I paid $8 read more

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Had an excellent experience here the other night! The pasta is handmade and the ingredients are fresh, you can taste the quality! The wood fired pizza is amazing here as well, I would recommend trying the chantrelle pizza! I love this place, recommend it to all! read more

Mmmm, Lucca's house-made fennel lamb sausage is to die for. Best sausage I've ever had! My first visit to Lucca was for lunch. I entered a very nicely appointed interior. Loved the big windows, warm colors and slatted ceiling panels. The restaurant was fairly busy. The one page lunch menu consisted of salads, sandwiches, pizza and pasta. I ordered the Orecchiette and a cup of the daily soup. As I waited for my order, I noted that the music was at a good level; it could be heard but was not loud. But wait, hold the phone! Somebody on the staff is apparently a big Motown fan. When "Signed Sealed Delivered " by Stevie Wonder came on, the music was cranked way up. WTF? They must not like Miss Diana Ross as much, because "Love Child" was the next song, and when it came on the volume was promptly brought back down. Anyway, Motown sound in an Italian restaurant? A minor oops by my server - my cup of soup ($2) came out with the rest of the meal. However, the tomato-basil minestrone soup redeemed the situation. It was wonderfully seasoned with parmesan cheese and perfectly cooked vegetables. That leads up to the Orecchiette The ($10) Orecchiette was served with a simple arugula and bibb lettuce salad topped with shaved parmesan and seasoned with a nice vinaigrette. And then there was the Orecchiette itself. Served in a casserole dish, the Orechiette was fennel lamb sangiovese sausage with a divine ragu and a robust pecorino cheese, paired with conchiglie (seashell) pasta. Incredibly delicious! I asked my server about the sausage and she indicated they also had sausage meatballs on the dinner menu, but cautioned that it was a "seasonal" dish so it wouldn't be there forever. Maybe they provide bread if you ask for it, but it wasn't on the menu and it wasn't offered. It would have been great to have, especially to get every last drop of the Orecchiette! Noting the stylish full bar, I would love to return for drinks and dinner. read more

We have loved Lucca and been consistent patrons but the last 3 times we've been, it's been a disaster. This last time was the worst. First, another customer at the bar was wayyy over-served and drunkenly started playing music loudly for all to hear. The servers did absolutely nothing to address it so my husband finally had to ask him to stop--on behalf of most of the customers in the restaurant. He actually received applause. The guy was belligerent and there was no manager who bothered to assist. In addition, my very expensive short ribs were just unacceptable -- nothing but fat and pretty much inedible. We are sad because we have loved Lucca since it opened and have brought many friends here. But something has clearly changed and it needs to be addressed. I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 because our server was cordial. Other than that, a very expensive mistake and sad to reach this point. read more

Is this corner cursed? My friend asked that we go here with an out of town friend, so I went...he told me after the dinner that he was surprised that it was sooo bad...a second time....WHAT?!! he knew before and suggested going again. Completely weird menu - lots of odd mixes. LOUD. Service was average. We had a waitress helping us and she was friendly to us three guys for 10 minutes until a girlfriend joined us and our service disappeared the rest of the night... I got a pizza...because I could not imagine paying money to put anything else in my mouth. It was very average. Go to a real place if you want a pizza. A wild mushroom pasta with...wait for it...crimini mushrooms according to the waitress. My friend's pasta came mixed - cooked and completely crunchy uncooked. Waitress did take it off the bill - after we could not get her to come check on us while we were eating. Friend's soup was luke warm and tasted like water. DO NOT GO here....life is too short to eat bad food in Portland. ....countdown to this place closing on this cursed corner. walk in, see nice bar, (celeb siting - blond girl from Mix Magazine)... read more

Lucca - Cursed corner? - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We made a reservation at this restaurant and confirmed the reservation before going. Was not informed of the need for proof of COVID vaccination card. Two of the six in our party were vaccinated but didn't have their cards. We were turned away. Only to find another place to eat. No where was this mentioned at any time or on the website. read more

What a delightful surprise! I haven't been here in ages. We've often passed it up because it for date night without the kids because of the family friendly vibe, but with a little later reservation it was a perfect choice. The food, service and ambiance were amazing. Definitely order the braised short ribs if they have them. read more

Food: solid. Loved the spaghetti noodles. Service: quick, attentive, polite. Ambiance: clean and tasteful. Would recommend.

I have been here once, tried to go there a second time and was turned away with no reservation even though 1/2 the restaurant was open and lastly, I got take out a few weeks back. I think the menu is quite limited and the food is a bit overrated. Pizza was just not satisfying the last time we got take out, I was wanting more. It's an OK place to go for a dinner during the week if you live in the neighborhood but honestly there is much better Italian restaurants around town. read more

Great atmosphere, always very cozy and welcoming. Menu changes regularly to stay interesting. Sometimes it's just nice to grab one of the wood fired pizzas and a cocktail, the mushroom pizza is particularly good. read more

I come here when I want or crave one thing; The Margharita Pizza ! It's truly one of if not the best in Portland. Sauce is perfect, Basil is fresh, crust is thin and has a nice texture. A glass of wine ...I say yes please. If you just came here and ordered said pizza, Glass/Bottle of wine and shared a salad, I promise You will absolutely love it. Perfect date night spot. read more

We used to love this place so much! It is not the same place. The food servings are tiny, the chicken was a salt bomb and worst of all is how rude the staff is. You feel like you are an inconvenience from the moment you step in. Our server literally yelled at us to leave. Go somewhere else that will provide proper serving sizes of dishes, that actually tastes good and from an establishment that wants you to be there. read more

The times I have been to Lucca I've come away feeling very meh, which is basically Yelp's definition of a 2 star rating. The food is decent, but not great. The portions are small and the food is overpriced for what you get. The atmosphere is very family friendly, and each time I have visited there have been tables full of large families and groups. This creates a friendly environment, but isn't perfect for a romantic evening. For my money, there are many better Italian options in the Portland area. read more

Lucca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The bruschetta was good. Loved the cherry tomatoes and chèvre on it. The pizza was a wood fired thin crust. We ordered arrabitta but it wasn't spicy enough. The sauce was meh, something you find at any regular pizza chain. Was really disappointed with it . Service is a little slow. Btw, they don't do pastas for brunch/ lunch; just dinner. read more

Lucca - Arrabitta pizza - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Stopped in for a bite this afternoon. The wood oven pizza cooked perfect pizza. Thin crust just like in Napoli. The sausage had the just right amount of fennel. Plenty of cheese too! We had Formaggio for desert. A coconut crust cheese cake with a coconut coolie and raspberries. The desert is highly recommended. Wait help was friendly and service was quick. read more

Lucca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Lucca is an example of what a fine restaurant should be like. Quality dishes, artistic presentation, impeccable service and interesting decor. Hubby had the sausage pizza and I had the salmon. The salmon was incredible, best I have ever had. We recommend both dishes. The server was very knowledgeable of the menu and had great recommendations. Think we will come back? You bet we will! read more

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Yay! I'm a fan! I Have only been to Lucca for lunch-- and i've actually only had the pesto chicken salad. HA! But it's really, really good and I cant seem to get myself to order anything else! I have even tried making this salad at home...no bueno. =-/ I've seen some of the pizza's come out of that oven and they look amazing, as well as the pasta dishes. The serivce was good, and from what I have noticed it's normally not too busy around 12-1 during the week and I like that. So if you're interested, I posted a picture of the salad becuase im in love with it and I think you should be too. read more

Lucca - Pesto Chicken Salad - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is a neighborhood joint where the customers are mostly regulars, the staff knows people by name and the food and decor make stylish sense. The first thing you notice when you sit down is the wood-fire oven. Even for breakfast, there are a few dishes that get their smokey goodness in this portal of fire. I have only been for brunch and had a great experience both times. The staff was attentive and helpful with suggestions like (grab a cinnamon roll before they are all gone). I did and it was the perfect size, perfect amount of sweet and the greatest texture of flaky and wonderful pastry. I followed that with their pork hash over smashed fingerling potatoes and some mixed seasonal greens over the top - everything worked well together - the pork was rich, the taters buttery and the greens bright and light to balance it all out. Brunch isn't brunch without some sort of breakfast cocktail so they suggested a mimosa...I bumped it up a notch with Solera Blood Orange Liquor - it was very tasty! If you need a place to call home - this is obviously a friendly spot with great food and nice decor. Once comfortable, the staff will learn your name (and may rib you with some friendly banter in the process). You will want to go back. read more

Lucca - Pulled Pork hash with 'taters and greens. Pretty amazing. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food is fine a prices mostly reasonable (except for a few items like $12 for a small simple green salad). However, on recent visit noticed a 3% surcharge was added to the bill to pay for employee health insurance. Perhaps due to recent change in ownership? While it is great the owners want to provide health insurance for their employees there are several reasons that those in our party were not happy with this surcharge. 1) It was a surprise charge that appeared on the charge slip with no mention of it on the menu or otherwise prior to our meal, 2) providing health insurance to employees is a choice the owners make and a cost of their doing business if that is an expenditure they believe is warranted, and 3) taxpayers already indirectly pay for the discounts given to people through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) via higher taxes and higher health insurance premiums that everyone pays to subsidize the ACA. This is a nice neighborhood place that we want to continue to support but diners are getting tired of "hidden" surcharges that should just be reflected in item prices. read more

The best Italian food we have found so far in the PDX/Van area. Finding real quality Italian food seems to be a problem on the west coast. Perhaps its the lack of Italian immigrants who are so prevalent on the east coast, where every zip code has a place that can make a quality gravy. At any rate, My wife and I stopped in for dinner on a Friday night. The atmosphere was great, casual...but not too casual. The service was fast and friendly. The menu while a bit sparse, ended up proving quality over quantity. We did not get any apps and stuck with water for the meal, although the wine list looked decent. I had the Tagliatelle Bolognese, which is a traditional pork and beef bolgnese with fettuccine. The pasta claims to be homemade, and tasted as such. The dish portion was on the small side however it was very flavorful. It was not the rich, been simmering for 3 days concentrated flavor you would get from a traditional Italian restaurant or home. It was a bit on the delicate side, which is nice for a lighter meal. I would give it a solid 7/10 (with a 9/10 based on west coast bell curve for Italian food). Now the dish my wife ordered, was to die for. She ordered the Garganelli, which is a a Garganelli (duh) pasta with fennel sausage, mushrooms, garlic all in a divine marsala cream sauce. Instant 10/10. Flavor was out of this world, the fennel heavy sausage reminded me of that great sausage pizza we used to get on the east coast. Creamy, garlicy and pasta that was not overcooked. Everything just worked together, and my wife claims its one of the top 5 Italian dishes she has ever eaten (I won't argue). I know what I will order next time. We didn't try the pizza but it looked really good as well. Next time we go that will be on the short list. All in all, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants quality Italian style food at a not too expensive price point. read more

Stopped by for the Sunday brunch. This restaurant has a clean and modern look. It was well-attended while we were there, but a table or two was always available. I wanted to sit by the window, and I pointed the hostess if we could sit there, she continued to walk us in the dark room table for two, then before we sat down, I asked again, could we sit where there's more light, I need to 'work'. We got the table I wanted. Our meals included their custom eggs benedict, which was accompanied by salad greens with a zesty dressing - excellent. We also ordered a simple green salad with grated cheeses - wow, was that good! The wood-fired bacon and egg pizza was a little disappointing. For Italian-style pizzas, there is a fine line between crispy and charred - our pizza was too much on the charred side. Making up for that, though, was the panna cotta, which was perfection. It was plated with both blueberry and lemon sauces - yum. With all the plates we had, it would have been crammed, not much room for anything else in a table for two! The next day, leftover pizza was like eating CARDBOARD, I'm giving this a 3 stars only because they know how to fix salad Italian style! read more

Two words: lemon budino. It's dessert, like a lemon mouse souffle thing. It came highly recommended, and I agree with the recommendation. I had the vegetarian pasta: Trofie with squash and mushrooms, topped with a pesto. It was gorgeous, and as an unusual pasta - it worked. I started with the Caesar: I like to think of myself as an aficionado of the Caesar. This one was served as whole leaves, with a decent amount of lemon caesar dressing, homemade croutons, and shaved parmesan. Really didn't suck, in fact, it rivaled one of my favorites (Blue Hour). So, as I read this, I realize I wrote this in the opposite order that I ate it. Just read it upside down and you'll be fine. read more

I'm so disappointed. We used to go here almost once a week, for years. We liked that the servers were friendly and professional and it seemed like the same staff. It used to be fun to get a drink at the bar and a pizza to go. I used to take my parents for lunch sometimes as well. In the last few months there have been new people working, and it's gone downhill. The bartender cheerfully informed us the dough was over-proofed one night. We'd already ordered pizza and it was terrible. Thanks, dude. Most of the entrees have been expensive and not great. I'm NOT cheap with food. But Portland has excellent restaurants and this place isn't cutting it anymore. We had some truly awful service and I tried to excuse it thinking it was someone new and not trained. The last time we sat at the bar we were ignored while the staff gathered around to hear the boring details of an elderly couple's drive to Idaho. A manager shouted in my ear (not talking to me) about her excitement about starting a new business. Yeah, good luck with that. Let me know where it is so I can avoid it. I gave them several chances and I'm done. If you do want a consistent excellent pizza, I suggest Fire and Stone on Fremont. read more

We love dinner at Lucca, 100% when dining in. Tonight during coronavirus we ordered through Caviar for pickup - couldn't wait for our two chop salads!! It was so disappointing at home when we saw the salads. Ingredients were missing. Chop salad - spring mix lettuce, seeds, blue cheese chunks and delish dressing, but not chop salad. It didn't seem much different from a green salad. But, in their defense, we feel fortunate they're open for business and our pizza was still very good. And. It's an awesome local business. read more

Calling a place "a neighborhood joint" can often be a kiss of death, dissuading real foodies from checking it out but I can't help it. Despite it's swanky interior this little pizza place was a comfortable spot for the five of us, two little dudes included. The staff were patient and adept at handling both our needs and the needs of the boys. I had a phantasmagoric roasted beet salad with pistachios, perfectly dressed (on the naked side) and earthy but light. My buddy and I split a pizza which was pure brilliance since the pie was more than enough for both of us. It reminded me of the pies I had in Rome, super thin and crispy, accessorized with truffle oil instead of laden with it, and dimpled with robust, wood-roasted mushrooms. Bellisima! My friends swear by the lunch menu, claiming the sandwiches send them to the moon. Next time I'm in town I'll test out their claims. read more