We had lunch at Portobello and for our party it was hit and miss. We started by sharing the meatball sliders. I had the spicy pork meatball slider and enjoyed it. The others in my group enjoyed their sliders (veal and chicken) as well. They were flavorful, the bread was nice and soft and buttery tasting and the temperature was perfect. We also split the misti which ended up being my favorite part of the meal by far. I could have eaten the whole platter on my own as a meal and been very happy! I had the Italian beef sandwich for my lunch and enjoyed it. I haven't had Italian beef before so I can't compare it but the giarinierra was just perfect with the tender brisket. The biggest let down with the dish was that it was served with just plain old frozen french fries, not much better than MCDonald's. I would have much rather have had a nice herbed roast potato wedge or spring green side salad or maybe even just a little big of parmesan, garlic and oregano on the boring fries. Just something to elevate them above what you'd get in a fast food restaurant. Our friend had a pasta dish and wasn't at all happy with it. The sauce was watery and the pasta was overcooked. We didn't order dessert because we found the menu to be unispiring. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Portobello but wasn't blow away by it. If we do return I think we'll stick to ordering multiple appetizers and splitting them with the table.
I ate here for lunch in early September 2012, my first visit to this restaurant. I started with the meatball sliders. The plate served 3 meatballs on a bun - spicy pork, beef and veal, and a chicken. We split this three ways. As an individual appetizer, it would have been a lot of food. Complimentary bread was also served, but was nothing special. Next up we shared the Misti - the 2 person portion was enough to split 3 ways. It was well presented and offered a good variety of cheeses, meats, and vegetables. For my entree I went with the brisket sandwich. The meat was well prepared, tender, and good tasting. The bread was perfect for the sandwich. I was disappointed that it was served with bland, generic fries. The dish would have been much better with something more exciting served with the sandwich. It is Italian, so how about some seasoning on them? Being lunch, the restaurant was not at all busy. The inside of the restaurant was pleasant and well maintained. Outdoor seating is also available. I did find the seats slightly uncomfortable however - not a good first impression, and not a place that I would want to spend a long time in. The restrooms were not good either. I used my Annual Pass for a 20 percent discount, which made the pricing good value. I would eat here again with the discount, but there are certainly better options in Downtown Disney.
We ate here recently for the first time. The restaurant is very pleasant inside but was very quiet although it was just after 2pm. We ordered the anti-pasti 'Misti' to begin and the meatballs both were excellent. I ordered the Rigatoni Calabrese and was very disappointed with this dish. The dish consisted of a Sausage, tomato and spinach cooked with pasta. There was no sauce to speak of and a huge amount of liquid in the bottom of the dish. The pasta seemed very over cooked and the taste was very bland. I'm not one to really complain but I felt compelled to with this dish as it really wasn't what I had imagined. The server was very helpful and asked for a new dish to be prepared. She didn't seem very optimistic of it being any different and sure enough it wasn't. I think maybe this was a dish that should be avoided and maybe there are better ones on the menu. It had been removed from our bill which I was not expecting. Overall the experience of our group was a good one let down by this problem. I probably wouldn't order any other pasta dishes a portobello again.
Background: my wife and I are passholders. We go to WDW about every 6 months, and tend to frequent "Signiture Dining" restaurants. Portabello is not on this list. It SHOULD be. Their refocuss to Italian Cuisine in 2008 not only worked - it worked BRILLIANTLY. They are a worthy successor to Alfredo's. Go there... try the Shrimp and Black Linguine :) My old Italian Aunt would have been FURIOUS tasting this - because it was far better than what she could produce :) If ther were an 11 rating? I would give it to them.