Delicious food and excellent service! We felt like we were transported to an Italian restaurant in Italy!

***Attention Management*** We truly enjoy the food here and dine in often but also, we order take out now and then... the food was delicious this time (as always) but the only reason I'm giving four stars and not five is because once again the way they packed the meatballs appetizer was a an absolute mess! Please use a more conducive packaging option because the little square styrofoam container once again, leaked all over inside the bag! Every time I get the meatballs to go this happens! It doesn't make sense why you choose to send such a saucy-soupy takeout item in a box that has no seal? A round foil to go pan with the lid that you pinch the sides over would solve this problem easily ‍ I guess I should've mentioned it the last couple times I ordered them to go ‍ my bad... Anyway while I definitely recommend dining here, be mindful should you order takeout, and request your food to be sealed well to avoid leaks. read more

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PORTOLA ITALIAN I have been here twice now . The staff and atmosphere is the best ! Both times we shared the Caprese salad with the house garlic bread which was fantastic !. We had the seafood pasta which good . I ha felt Alfredo pasta which I did not enjoy. The second time we went we had the Italian sandwiches with french frys. The sandwiches were terrible , too much bread to little salty meat and did not like the curries cheese on it . The bread was fantastasic but The meat was salty and sub par at best. The french were awful the oil they were fried in was old with a aweful flavor I will most likely not go here again . read more

Clean restaurant with a great layout. Patio seating with a spectacular view. Our server Mayo was very friendly. Everyone had a smile on their face. The parking at the Seabridge Marina is always busy, so make sure to plan for that. The food was just ok. Overpriced and not something that will make us come back. The spaghetti carbonara was a disappointment. A Carbonara never has cream. This one had so much cream that you can see "liquid" on the plate. I really wanted to like the food, but it was just not it. read more

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My son and I went to Portala expecting a warm Italian comfort-food experience, and honestly, we left disappointed. The ambiance was nice, and the food did have good flavor, but for the price, I expected much more. Paying $32 for a small plate of food with no soup, no salad, and only a tiny piece of bread that was barely bigger than a pencil felt ridiculous. At that price point, the meal should feel complete, not stingy. I don't mind paying for good food, but I do expect value. Unfortunately, this experience felt overpriced for what was served, and because of that, I don't see myself returning. read more

Very good happy hour! The prices not during happy hour are a bit too much. The pizza isn't huge but it tastes really good! The mozzarella sticks were very tasty and the drinks were strong! Nice atmosphere and friendly staff read more

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Had a memorable Mother's Day dinner at Portola Italian Kitchen. The wait staff was attentive, friendly and very helpful. The Rib eye steak dinner was perfection, seasoned well, beautifully charred with creamy potatoes and large asparagus as tender as ever. We had one small issue with the Calamari, but our waitress tried to make it right and in the end graciously offered to take it off our bill. That is what you should expect from fine dining. Our other dish was Short rib ravioli which we enjoyed so much. We look forward to another fabulous dinner. thank you Portola. read more

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Ambience simple and comforting Great service ,our waitress was sweet and helpful. I order the special of the day: short rib fettuccine. The short rib was so soft and tender and well you can't go wrong with any fettuccine. Enjoyed me there Christmas sangria. Wish they offered some sort of soft French bread ,table bread w/butter I did order cheese bread ,all it was like a cheese pizza ,it was good Our friends order the cheese barrel table service pasta ,that was fun to watch and see them make it in front of you. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Sharp rib, fettuccine pasta - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

I recently came to the Portola Italian Kitchen (Oxnard, California) with several of my family members for an early dinner, during their "happy hour." I've never heard of this place before, but it was recommended as an excellent place to eat by my niece. Upon my arrival, I found the landscaping around the premises to be well kept and the entrance was clean and inviting. When we entered, the restaurant was almost empty, which made our visit enjoyable due to the minimal amount of busyness and ambient noise. I soon realized that coming here during happy hour was a smart choice because not only did we have happy hour prices, but our large party, a party of 14, had no problem whatsoever with getting a staff that was attentive to our needs during our visit. Looking through their menu, I noticed that they offer a great selection for their happy hour items, as well as having a good selection of items to order for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Their menu includes great Italian options that one would expect, like a variety of pasta-based dishes and pizza selections, as well as a few other options. I was also very pleased to see that this restaurant offers some meals for folks with celiac disease, or people who are allergic to gluten. A good selection of alcoholic beverages is available as well. While deciding what to order, I enjoyed their garlic/buttered bread, which was quite addicting. For my meal, I ordered the "Meat Lovers Pizza," which is topped with marinara, mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and bacon. To drink, I ordered an ice-cold Dr. Pepper. My drink was enjoyable, and my pizza was ridiculously good. Several of my family members ordered something different, and I found myself thinking "oh, I'd like to try that too!" Our evening was incredibly enjoyable, and I would highly recommend coming here to eat if you're in the area, regardless of the size of your party. If you plan on coming here, I recommend that you make a reservation because I bet they are often very busy. And, if you're looking for a romantic place for a great dinner with someone special, this is a great choice. read more

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Didn't really want to leave a review but there's no "contact us" on the website and they don't answer the phone. I'm gonna preface this by saying the service was great and the food was good but... We went tonight to get takeout and have a drink while we waited. Hostess was rude but whatever that's fine. Bartenders were great, super nice and attentive. We asked when we sat down if the pesto had pine nuts cause my friend has a nut allergy. The bartender went and asked and she said "yeah it does" so we ordered the prosciutto sandwich with the pesto on the side cause we were all gonna kinda share food. Got home and there was pesto on the sandwich. It's okay we ordered carbonara too so she just ate that but it was a bummer for sure. But also like please be careful in the future cause I checked because I didn't see a side of pesto in there and saw it was on there but you could kill someone if they didn't check. read more

Our church recently had dinner at this restaurant, and we can only say great things about the experience. From the service to the food setup to the dishes themselves--everything was done with excellence. Although we didn't rent out the entire venue, they prepared a wonderful buffet-style dinner just for us. We stayed for two hours, and they graciously allowed us to hold a short church program during our time there. Roman, who managed and assisted us, was incredibly helpful and accommodating, and the rest of the staff provided excellent service as well. As for the food--absolutely amazing! This is easily one of the best Italian spots I've been to. The Creamy Pesto and Italian Meatballs were cooked to perfection and full of flavor. I truly can't wait to come back and dine here again! read more

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Portola has excellent food, but the service ruined the experience. Our server, Yanet, acted like she couldn't be bothered -- rushed, rude, and not attentive at all. We had to request the bread basket, and it arrived after the entrées, which makes no sense on a slow night.The kitchen delivered; the service did not. read more

Mondo is my guy!!! He's friendly, and makes the best drinks. I usually go here during happy hour, so I have yet to try their brunch everyone raves about. The hot honey focaccia and whipped ricotta is by far my favorite thing on the menu, and the Seabridge margarita is pretty solid. This seems to be to the spot on this side of town. Definitely stop in and say hi to Mando read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

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2 out of 5. Checked in and was told 30 min wait. Waited in front of the restaurant for almost 40 before noticing new walk-ins were getting seated. Asked front host an update on wait time and they "had an open table". They don't give bread or appetizer. Ordered meat lovers pizza, the special that the waitress talked us into getting (Chicken Caprese), and the cheese wheel pasta. Meat lovers pizza was amazing. Toppings were awesome and the cheese was cheesing. Chicken caprese was mid at best. Lacked flavor and was PRICEY. Trusted our waitress with the recommendation. Cheese wheel pasta was the most disappointing. Expect a minimum of 45 minutes for them to bring it out. Server said she mixed in some brandy or alcohol and she said she killed off all the "fun stuff". I swear it was like taking spoonfuls of brandy shots. It strongly over powered the taste of the sauce and cheese. Overall.... Food did not match the price. Maybeeee would come back again, for the pizza. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Cheese Wheel Pasta - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

The minestrone soup was okay, the spaghetti and 3 meatballs were okay- meatballs needed some flavoring- just tasted like meat, the broccolini was cooked perfectly, mozzarella bruschetta was also yummy and the free garlic bread was very good. The service was excellent and attentive. read more

Delicious! Love their pizza happy hour and fun music on weekends! Good service, cool retro Italian music vibes and good food. Nice patio by the water views too. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Limoncello and pizza happy hour not facing the water - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

True Italian gem! Food was delicious, ambience was GREAT! Although it looked like 1st few tables by the door lacked ambience, glad I wasn't seated there, service was prompt and drinks were well made. They had live music the Friday night we went read more

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I liked the ambience and the drinks. The chicken Alfredo was okay to My tasting. The service was not the best, but then again they were slammed not sure if they were shorthanded. I would definitely go back and try another day. read more

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Our Whale Watching trip ended earlier than expected, but they seated us ahead of our reservation anyway. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, everyone was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and smiling and just seemed genuinely happy to be there. It was our first time there and our server, Jasmine, was very helpful with the menu and all of the choices! Jasmine was great! I hope the bosses see this and give Jasmine her flowers because she definitely made a great experience even better. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. WE. GOT. WAS. SPOT. ON. if I had one note to suggest, I would say maybe offer a fried chicken cutlet option as a protein. Will definitely be back to try more of that menu! read more

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Overall, this place is great! Atmosphere- kinda casual? I will note it is very loud in here. I hope they find a way to control the noise. You can see staff preparing the food through the glass which is always nice Service- our server was not that great. Our server and hostess weren't, bad but wasn't very friendly either. Food- we really enjoyed everything we ate. The hot honey focaccia is soooo addicting!!!!! They really know how to make great focaccia! We ordered the pesto spaghetti with salmon, and the carbonara with shrimp. Both were great and I really like the thick type of spaghetti they use. Both proteins were perfectly cooked and you really get great bang for your buck. My carbonara sauce wasn't the best I've ever had, but it certainly wins in texture - thick and creamy! We also ordered a side of mushrooms which were good. I would definitely return. If they can take their service up a notch, that would make them a 5 for me. read more

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Absolutely, we drove in from Los Angeles. We met up w/ relatives that live in the area. We are so very Happy one of my husband's cousin Alice recommended this place!! It was on a Saturday, for an early dinner!! It was just beginning to get busy. One of the cousins just walked over from his home. Very convenient. Great Service !! The food was perfect!! read more

Some girls name Jennifer and Anna were so rude to myself and my boyfriend when we went in there. They acted like we were inconvenience them. One of the worst experiences in my life. I hope the manager or owner does something about this. read more

Went with my brother to catch up over lunch the restaurant was very nice looking and clean inside but outside a different story. however we sat outside and the tables were dirty and needed to be clean unfortunately we didn't want to wait standing so we sat haha. The service wasn't really great... we saw staff maybe 3x in a restaurant for refills etc that wasn't busy at all for a mid day lunch on a Sunday it was definitely weird. The kitchen/Chefs radio drowned out most of our conversation by the back door which seemed kinda inconsiderate of us dining back there and talking. Food was pleasant however the calamari was cold and served to us and however was a fan of the taste but it was not hot out of the kitchen. The pizza looks very basic yet tasteful but not very authentic wood fire style Italian pizza you'd expect here it was a let down. The price was great for what you order and I believe they are trying to figure it all out maybe? I will attempt again during the week and see if the service and food quality is better... a lot of potential to be had just missed the mark! read more

The sauces have great flavor and they have a fantastic (and huge) house salad. The chicken was not as great, tough and overcooked. Not awful, just not as good as it could be. This has not been an issue on previous visits. read more

Excellent Italian food and drinks. Highly recommend the happy hour. Started with the Calabrian Chili Chicken Wings. They were extra good. The sauce was a little spicy and sweet. Loved it. The Meat Lovers Pizza was just that. Pepperoni, chicken and sausage all on a toasty authentic Italian pizza crust. Going back for more. Service was good and I liked that the restaurant lighting was on the dark side like many high end Italian restaurants. Extra nice by the Channel Islands harbor. Restaurant is on the pricey side. Go to the happy hour especially on Mondays. Half off everything all day. Godere! Italian for Enjoy. read more

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Service was not great and the food was not very good the entire experience was not pleasant. Would not go back.

The cheese calzone was amazing. Met Mike and he is a great guy. Love this place and will keep coming back.

First time here few weeks ago, customer service was great all around, everyone so friendly and welcoming. We loved the live band and entertainment they had, the vibes and the ambiance! Reason for 4 stars- the NY strip was good but didn't feel too much of a strip, it was more flat like flank but it was good but, fries were ok. Unfortunately they ran out of a1 steak sauce and had nothing else to pair it with. The chicken and lemon pesto pasta was good, nothing crazy. We are big foodies so we won't go off first time. Plan to try different items on menu. We definitely plan to come back. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - NY strip with Parmesan fries - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

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Just tried Portola's breakfast due the first time 1/25 and it was excellent. The service was friendly, the food came out quickly, and the location was super clean. The food was delicious and just the right amount to leave full, but not stuffed. I'll return to explore the rest of the menu and recommend you check them out. read more

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The restaurant looks like it's quite nicely designed, waterfront, spacious and has an element of class. Our Server, Myra was excellent and visited us regularly to check on our needs. That being said, 1st up was the Calamari appetizer that was sub-par with 90% breading and the balance, calamari. We didn't eat much and Myra told management about our appetizer dilemma & had the Manager remove from our check. Myra earned them one extra star. My wife had Fettuccini, add sausage($30). She said (after we left) her pasta was under cooked & stuck together, but the sausage was good (she is reserved and more sweet then I am, and kept it in, due to me complaining about the appetizer). My chicken Parmigiana ($32) with steamed veggies had good flavor but unfortunately was a bit dry and parts of the cheese was burnt, while the veggies were pretty good. To finalize, presently Portola cuisine's prices don't match food quality. The spot is attractive, willing and able, they just have to upgrade each dish's quality. At Spago, the Tomato Basil Garlic Pasta is only $24.00. A great chef would never have allowed the calamari, pasta and chicken to leave the kitchen, customer ready (it wasn't), as an example of their best. read more

Overall experience was horrible as soon as we get there our waiter ask for our drinks and we tell her she i asked for a lemonade and my wife asked for a coke she brought a dr pepper instead of lemonade. When we go to order i asked to get the cheese pasta and they say it's unavailable we end up getting the fettuccine alfredo and it's so greasy and oily i also ordered the pork was extremely dry and unflavored. The bill came out to 128$ and the food was TERRIBLE. overpriced for bad food. Would not recommend. Me personally i don't even ever have problems with food but for much it costed and how bad it was definitely A 0 out of 10 for me. even our waiter seemed rude and very unwelcoming to us. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - My Mozzarella Fritti was definitely frozen and re heated - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

Food was delicious!! the garlic bread was insanely soft. Service was good. Nice date spot.

I have been here twice both on a Sunday afternoon when it was not crowded. The food is OK not great, not awful. Just average. They do have a good menu of options for adults and children. Each time I was there they clumped all the patrons together. If you have an empty restaurant, why not spread us out a little so we have a nicer dining experience. The one thing that was consistent both times was the service, it's the worst!! There's nothing good I can say about the service. Extremely slow to come to your table to greet you. Extremely slow to take your order. Garlic bread for the table did not come beforehand. It came two seconds before the meal. Plates were never cleared. Your staff really needs some training. There are too many good options at the collection on Main Street and scattered throughout Oxnard to be eating here again. read more

First time visit. Place is very clean and nice. Ambiance. Food was very good. Had the meat lasagna and house chopped salad. All well presented and delicious. Bread was slight served two strips but very fresh and nicely toasted. Soooo good. Service could have better. Place was not busy, host took awhile to come by our table. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Meat lasagna. Very good. Served really hot - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

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Nice Atmosphere, inviting, comfortable nice music friendly staff, although Our waitress must have been new.She did not know the menu or the wine selection very well. The food was very good, fast friendly service.We will definitely be back. read more

Portola Italian Kitchen - Delicious!! - Italian Near Me - Oxnard, California

I had the cheese wheel pasta and it was delicious! Very very cheesy. If you're there to see them roll out the cheese wheel, make sure you sit inside. They won't bring the cheese wheel outside to the patio. The garlic bread they gave us was so good!!! We also ordered the hot honey focaccia bread was 10/10. read more

Went there just after the opening. Got some history about the very quick name change (the old place didn't last long) but all made sense. Very intrigued in trying this spot just across the street from our house. The service had been really good, our server very accommodating and helpful, loved it. Calamari, pizza margherita couple of drinks and at very decent prices while on happy hour, more expensive the regular menu. Back again for happy hour for sure read more

Quite literally the best eggplant Parmesan I've ever had! It usually comes with a side of spaghetti, but I actually recommend swapping it for vegetables -- the dish is so rich and perfectly done that the veggies balance it beautifully. Absolutely outstanding! read more

Ok, so this spot has had a few different owners in the last couple of years. So let's get into it! Its an Italian restaurant. I started out with the basic, lasagna, and ordered, the Alfredo fettuccine with Italian sausage. YUM! Our server Yanet was top notch! We didn't have to ask for anything. Yaney was on top of everything, from our food, drinks, dessert, and all our needs in-between. We st in the back of the restaurant where there us small bar and booths available with a small view of the harbor. I plan on returning with a few friends for dinner and drinks! Enjoy, I did! read more

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I love this Italian restaurant food is really good lots of choices mortadella pizza too good honey bread penee spaghetti yummy Service is very fast all waitresses are very friendly and welcoming Andrea is very sweet & polite checks on us make sure all is good Keep it up highly recommended read more