The first time we went to this restaurant, we were happy with the pizza, Chai Tea and the bread. The service was great too. I voted 5 stars this time. That's why we went back here the second time. The food is fairly good but the service was so terrible. The lady supposed to wait on us didn't actually do her job. She just waited the couple next to us (they ordered some wine while we had our favorite Chai Tea, again) and completely ignored us while we tried to asked her for some napkins. We ended up asking other waitresses for some help. "Our" waitress always came back to take care of the table next to us and turned her back towards us. She let us wait 20 minutes before she came back with food and ignored us for another half hour, before coming back to ask what we needed. But we were done with our dinner already. And then we continued to wait for the bill... We couldn't tip her anything with such attitude. But we did tip the other girl who helped us get some bread and napkins. She was nice even though it was not her responsibility.
(4)
Sara Y.
Porta Via does not have a particularly wow-inducing menu, but what they are good at tends to be extremely good and consistent. Their portobella mushroom salad is wonderful, and many of their pizzas are tasty. Their lasagna is downright flavourless, and on a couple of occasions, my dad has ordered it and found that it is from yesterday or just is dried up and not fresh, which is completely unacceptable. I had shrimp scampi that was so lemony that I could not eat it. God help you if you send anything back, as the replacement takes ages and 9/10 times isn't what you asked for. For the sake of speed, the pizza is not baked long enough for the toppings to fuse to the cheese, so everything falls off when you eat it. I cannot argue with the flavours of said pizzas, however, as they taste amazing when you get everything in one bite. While on the topic of speed, this place is SO hit or miss with their wait staff- it is almost unbearable. There are some impeccable servers, and some that seem like they aren't even worth tipping. My parents used to order to-go from here a lot, but they have been disappointed too many times. We are sad that Porta Via is not our neighbourhood go-to anymore.
(3)
Jessica W.
Not going back. We've tried to give this place a fair shake and it's disappointed every time in one way or another. This time the bread came out cold and a little tough. My pasta was well undercooked and my husband's pesto left a lot to be desired. I will say that the salad was good and has been a no fail every time. For the price, the quality doesn't stack up. I'd head elsewhere unless you're desperate.
(2)
Tracy F.
Porta Via is a go-to spot for a quick lunch or easy supper. The food here is fine - nothing special and nothing especially delicious, but perfectly good when the need to visit arises. I always enjoy the Ensalada Grande, full of fresh greens, marinated tomatoes, seasoned mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. It's the kind of salad that keeps me full all day, which I really appreciate come lunchtime. I also love their fresh flatbread that often comes in the bread basket (I oftentimes request it and the waitstaff is always happy to oblige). My husband ordered a pizza and was disappointed by the soggy crust and greasy toppings. Like I said, the food here is nothing spectacular, but it is a solid choice when the need for a filling lunch arises. I'll definitely be back!
(3)
Todd G.
Their claim to fame is "First Certified Neapolitan Pizza".... well unfortunately it's also the worst Neapolitan pizza in town. Soggy, Soggy, Soggy, Bland... ack! I can only speak fro the pizza as I have not had any other entrees. However, the pizza is what they advertise, so.... If you are in Nashville and hankering for authentic Neapolitan pizza do yourself a favor and visit DeSano Pizza.... hands down the best offering of Authentic Neapolitan in Nashville and fast. If NY style is what you crave then hit Manny's, NY Pie, or 5 Points... To me ( a pizzaholic) Nashville's best pizza offerings.
(1)
Hall W.
Hands down, this place has simply amazing. You know that's really true when you take a friend who just finished a trip to New York and he says that is amazing Italian. You know a place is super amazing when they have gelato bar for you to get exciting deserts. Porta Via has a modern and clean feel instead of this worn pretend to be old world but really not that is all too common among Italian places. Its service is also spectacular, at 7:30PM on a Friday night, the hostess was able to squeeze us a table in less than 8 minutes when a 30 minute wait was expected. The was fresh, very well prepared, and the right balance of flavors. I got lobster ravoli and my friends got variations of pizza. Most impressive was how fast the food came off from order to table. It was probably no more than 7 or 8 minutes. The only reason why this place doesn't get five stars for me is because although the food is good, nothing we ordered super wowed us either due to creativity or special taste. The menu is rather generic.
(4)
L N.
Good service, no complaints. Alfredo & pasta not rich and creamy, lasagna was dry.
(3)
Ed K.
The pizza here is pretty decent. We live very close so it's easy. But I wish they'd get some help that can get away from the TV & their phones long enough to give a ###damn. I'm getting used to it everywhere but I can't believe these dimwits get PAID.
(3)
Elizabeth R.
The capricossia pizza was fabulous. Lasagna was also good. Tables are a little close to each other and it's noisy initially but you get use to it. Service is good
(4)
Jason G.
Each and every time, I get great service, a friendly smile, and a wonderful meal. Get the carbonara and substitute the spaghetti with casarecci. Awesome awesome awesome.
(5)
Jim M.
A solid 3 stars. Food staff a little pushy on the New Years Eve special minus 1 star. Food was delivered hot and the pasta was FRESH! The also have Carbonara, awesome! Gelato was a delight!! Portavia, Mama Mia! We will go back but speed and service will need to improve to get more stars. Even so, some of the best Italian I have had in Nashville.
(3)
John C.
The service has indeed improved since they opened. They're a great addition to the neighborhood as a quality place for Italian food.
(4)
Leslie B.
The cannolini was excellent. The pizza porta via and portobello salad delish. My second time will come back for a third.
(4)
Sheena T.
Porta Via is delicious Italian food for a very reasonable price! Italian isn't my go to crave food, (if I'm hungry I go for the ethnic stuff), but Porta Via fills my Italian craving when I get it! It's in a strip mallish type setting which is weird at first, but it's decorated very nice inside (though small) and you are almost guaranteed a wait, no matter what. However, your meal makes up for it! It's not very expensive, and you get high quality food. The lasagna never disappoints, and I can eat a pound of the bread and olive oil (with pesto!). It's so good. I would highly recommend eating here if you have time to wait for it!
(4)
Diane P.
Someone at Cheekwood recommended Porto Via to us. We were so pleased with the meal. The calamari was excellent and not at all rubbery and overcooked. The special Margarita pizza ($14) was excellent! The fresh sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella was incredible. My husband has chicken parm and really enjoyed the sauce as well as the chicken. The staff was super friendly. If we lived local we would come back again and again.
(5)
Corey W.
This place is pretty good. Good flavors, good price. I recently went with a group of 6 didn't have to much of a problem getting seated. The appetizers were all good and then we ended up getting pizza. The pizza is good not great. It is definately more the native italian style, thin and flat which I am normally a fan but I like mine a little crunchy and firm. Theirs was to soft and limp for me. I wouldn't say it was soggy but it just wasn't the way I like it. I will probably go back. My fiance really liked the pasta dish she had.
(3)
Jerry W.
I know there are a lot of positive reviews out there but I do not concur. We had a less favorable experience. The atmosphere was fine, service was basic delivery, and the food was bland to unsatisfactory. I had the Meatball Bolillo and the meat was basically a big dry hamburger ball with a little tomato sauce. My wife had a portabella Panini that someone apparently and mistakenly used wine vinegar rather than wine to marinate them prior to making the Panini. The whole thing tasted like vinegar! My son had the full on Lasagna that was ok, but couldn't justfy the $12 price tag at lunch time! I know other local Italian restaurants that are way better and only $10.
(1)
Morgan P.
One day my boyfriend and I will come here and order something other than pizza but so far we haven't made it happen. The pizza is just too good! I am a big fan of Neapolitan pizza. I adore a chewy, flavorful crust that is topped with a bubbly mix of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. This is why I can't stop ordering the Margherita DOC. The pizza is large but I can usually finish it on my own. It always comes out pipping hot. The red sauce is dotted with large islands of creamy mozzarella cheese sprinkled with bright green strips of fresh basil. As you cut into the pizza the tomato sauce mixes with the mozzarella to create pink puddles that I sop up with my crust. Pair this with a bottle of red wine and you have created one of my favorite meals. In addition to pizza, my boyfriend and I usually enjoy either the house or the caesar salad. Both are excellent. The greens are fresh and crisp. The dressing is always correctly proportioned and I've regretted not asking for it on the side. We usually share a small because we plan on stuffing ourselves with pizza. They can get busy but they do not offer call head reservations. If you do have to wait, order your wine and sit at the bar. Their seating is limited. This is a good place to go if you are in a small group or with just one other person.
(5)
Allison B.
It was okay. Nice environment, quick service, decent food. I thought it was a bit pricey for what I got, however.
(3)
Nell H.
Have been a fan for many years. Only disappointment is I tried their authentic pizza recently for 1st time & found crust soggy & ingredients so-so. Other than that, LOVE everything on their menu, appreciate the service & ambience & try to get here at least monthly. Lobster Ravioli is the best. Soups are fabulous. Gelato is perfect. Management great!
(4)
Elise T.
Just came from Porta Via with my Mother who is visiting from out of town. I don't know where to start. We ordered the so-called wood-fired dome oven pizza and were quite excited about this order. How VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!! The pizza was cold, the dough was NOT HOMEMADE (more like pre-fab), the toppings were straight out of a can, the cheese was horrible and would not even melt!! You people that run this place have a nerve trying to pawn this crap off as delicious and authentic Italian food. You have no integrity and should be run out of this town!! Please be forewarned...don't go near this place!! You get 0 stars from us!!
(1)
Kathy C.
The restaurant is on the small side - 20 tables at the most and maybe 10 bar stools at the bar. It's located in a strip mall which is a bit odd, but so is J.Alexander's, so I don't judge a place by it's location. We had a party of 5 at Porta Via last night. Four of us were there at 6:30. I told the hostess there would be 5 of us and she led us to a table of 4 with no room for an extra seat. After telling her again there would be 5 of us, she took us to the bar to wait for a table to accommodate us. After about 20 minutes we were seated. Not bad for a Friday night. Our son traveled to Rome this past April and became addicted to buffalo mozzarella cheese. After researching where to get it in Nashville, he discovered PortaVia serves it. We had to try it, so we ordered Caprese salad and calamari for the table. Their mozzarella di bufala ( buffalo mozzarella) is imported from Italy and their ingredients are very fresh. The salad was delicious. The cheese IS worthy of searching for. The calamari was very lightly fried. To me it was too chewy and could have used another minute or two in the fryer but everyone else thought it was good. For my entree' I ordered the Veal Scaloppine. My husband ordered the salmon, while the other 3 in our party ordered custom made pizzas. My veal was okay but a little heavy on the lemon juice - so heavy I asked my daughter to taste it to see if she thought the veal was bad. It was served with a little pasta and steamed vegs on the side which were good. My husband said the salmon didn't taste fresh and was a bit bland. The general census on the pizzas - good. We decided to order good strong Italian coffees after dinner only to be told they were "OUT OF COFFEE"??? What? Seriously? On a Friday night it seems they could have gone and bought some for dinner service. That was a HUGE disappointment. On our way out I was reminded of the gelato assortment staring up at me from the freezer by the entrance. I bought 2 scoops of caramel and 2 scoops of blood orange gelato to take home for later. Around 11:00 last night I got a scoop of each flavor and it took a lot of willpower not to finish off the other 2 scoops ( my husbands ). The blood orange was good - tart and sweet, but the caramel was AMAZING. Will I return to Porta Via for a sit down dinner again? Maybe. Maybe not. Will I return for the caramel gelato to take home? YES...it may be a weekly habit because it is THAT delicious. Our server was very knowledgeable and fast. Dinner was about $200.00 including a 20% tip. For the same amount or less, I'd rather spend my money at Germantown Cafe.
(3)
Matt P.
Went with friends tonight. My wife's ravioli was undercooked. And our friends ordered salmon salad. The salmon was dry and over cooked. We sent back the salmon. The new piece was raw. Our friend only got a rebate for the salmon part of the salad. No manager appeared to be on duty. Very disappointing.
(1)
Marcia T.
Love it! Best place to have lunch near St. Thomas Hospital/Aquinas College. Stick to the lunch menu for good prices. Espresso and gelato too, for special occasions. Always quickly seated and good service...always.
(5)
Carolyn S.
The food, service, and atmosphere was great! I got the pizza, it was awesome! I will totally eat here again! I got an app, pizza, and gelato... Their beer selection did not appear large, although they had a lot of wines! Highly recommended!
(4)
Meagan G.
I'm really disappointed in my long term impression of Porta Via. I first ate there a few years ago, and it was really great all around. However, in the years since, I've been less and less impressed. Our last visit was a holiday during which they had a set menu. I REALLY wish we had just ordered the pizza, but it was a special occasion! After tasting the soup (so good!), our expectations were high. When our entrees arrived, however, we were utterly disappointed. I've had better food in a high school cafeteria. Everything was overcooked or incredibly bland, and I really wish we had just stayed in for the night. A HUGE waste of money. So, if you're going to eat here, stick to the pizza.
(2)
Patti M.
Excellent! Great menu choices and variety of items. Quality, service, cleanliness was top notch! Nice ambiance too.
(5)
David O.
Porta Via is apparently the new trendy place in town. It doesn't look like much from the road, but it actually has some tremendous ambiance! Maybe it was just the night I was there, but I felt like I was the extra in a Romantic Comedy at another table. The food however, struck me as just "decent". Instead of the Pizza (which seems to be one of the things people come for) I had a Bolillo sandwich. The Bolillo is a hollowed out piece of bread with various things stuffed inside. While good, the hardness of the bread made it very flaky, and my plate was covered in breadcrumbs along with my clothes! My girlfriend and I also tried the gelato, which was delicious. The service was good, but I felt the prices a bit high. If I do go back I'll certainly try the Pizza out.
(3)
Mark M.
Great Italian food in the South! Gelato is awesome as well as the pizza. Recommend it for anyone looking for some great Italian food living in Nashville. One thing you can be sure of... people bitch about the dumbest stuff on Yelp. This place is great. Check it out.
(5)
Kat F.
After several visits, I can say with confidence that Porta Via is mediocre. There are better places to spend your time and money. The food varies-- the pizza and soups are typically good, while the pasta and gelato have been rather disappointing. I recently ordered some gnocchi and it was incredibly mushy. The bland sauce didn't help, either. The gelato isn't terrible, but if you're looking for the real thing, you won't find it here. Unfortunately, I also had a poor service experience here recently as well. The waiter who was serving the table next to us bumped into my very full martini glass and sloshed my drink all over our table. He didn't notice and when we pointed it out in a friendly way, he did a poor job cleaning it up and promised to bring me another drink... but never did. Our waitress seemed overextended and it was hard to get her attention at times. When she boxed my pasta at the end, she brought the box back in a bag and the sauce had already leaked out of the box and covered the inside of the bag. Finally, if you arrive after 6pm (any day of the week), expect to wait for a table.
(2)
Vafa H.
Gluten free pizza and pasta....I mean REALLY! I have no idea how they do it. For my diet conscious needs, this is an excellent place to stop for a guilt free pizza. Try their salads as well....amazing.
(5)
Paulius N.
pizza and a beer Just have no expectations It will be ok Good, not earth shattering or anything, but stick with pizza and beer, and you'll be fine I guess. I deviated from this basic rule, threw caution to the wind, and ordered the lasagna. It was ok, if a bit too salty. My salad had a typical balsamic vinegarette, my gf's Ceaser was just not good IMHO, with the dressing having a funky too much anchovyness to it. Props for the pizza though! The dough is spot on. The traditional Italian ovens cook the pizzas using the traditional 90 second rule, but I'd ask for an extra 10 seconds for a crispier pie with a slight char next time. One suggestion for Porta Via: if you take the time to roll your silverware in napkins, take the extra few seconds to wipe the silverware. It was very noticeably spotted. So there you have it. Good pizza, cold beer, good service as well. Carry on....
(2)
Karen M.
Oh, Porta Via! How we wanted the high times to last...mainly because you are in our neighborhood. But alas, no. The quality has disappeared along with the familiar faces and the warm receptions. We did not want to believe it, so we kept trying, hoping that a bad night was a fluke. But tonight was our last. Soggy pizza (supposed to be one of their specialties), warm salad and because they served a raw egg on the soggy pizza, they offered a complimentary gelato. OK, nice consolation prize (if overall inadequate) but again, a serious disappointment: gummy areas on the gelato indicating some age....that is, not edible. And we love gelato. I wonder how long Porta Via will last?
(2)
Peter K.
I pretty much loved everything about the place, except the pizza, and I'll tell you why. While the pizza is most certainly better than chains and non-chains, it's not what I'm accustomed to of a place that hints at the fact that they are a certified pizza joint, of which they are not. At least, not according to VPN. VPN is Vera Pizza Napoletana. verapizzanapoletana.org/… On to the pizza: I ordered the Quattro Stagioni and my wife ordered the Bianca. The problem I had with the pizza was the crust. The edge was entirely too thick and tasted like Indian nan, not that it's a bad thing, but it's not what I want in a pizza. The sauce was almost an after thought, it added color instead of any flavor to the pie. VPN pizza should be simple, yet the pizza here had too many toppings, causing the center of the crust to be soggy and not light and fold-able. The weight of the toppings caused the pizza to fall apart. One suggestion might be to cook it for another minute in the wood burning oven to give it more char on the bottom. Everyone at my table had the same fate, some enjoy it that way, I do not. I'm sure I'll be back again to try a simple Margherita pizza. The best part of our meal was the double chocolate gelato, words can't describe it. If you're a chocoholic, this is your dessert. Lovely service and the prices are decent.
(3)
Daniel R.
Being new to Nashville, and being from an Italian background, I can be a little jaded when it comes to Italian food. I'm used to being able to walk into any old pizza shop and get at least a halfway decent meal. Thus far, everything in town has been a serious miss. Until Porta Via. Everything is delicious and home made - the gelato is to die for. The sauce is superb. The noodles are hand made. It can be a little pricey, but not outrageously so - it's great for a date night. My wife had the pizza, which was also fantastic. We fully intend to go back on a regular basis. My Italian grandmother would have grudgingly approved! I never expected to find New York quality Italian food in the South, but damn. Good stuff.
(5)
Jonathan W.
What the heck was that they served me? I've been to the Cool Springs Porta Via, and was not impressed at all. I had a gift card and decided to go to this location - but my experience was even worse! I've heard people rave about their Pizzas, so we decided to get one. We chose the: Capricciosa: "Pomodoro San Marzano tomato sauce, prosciutto cotto (Italian cooked ham), artichoke hearts, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and fresh mozzarella" Sounds great right? Let me step you through the item that was served on our table... Crust: Typical wood-fire oven, blackened in spots. - Yum! Sauce: Near tasteless sauce, even by itself. - Meh! Fresh Mozzarella: Hard to screw this up, it was cheese after all. - Ok! Kalamata Olives: Whole olives, a bit of a mouthful. - Fine! and here's where it get's odd... Artichoke Hearts: Never saw a single one on the pizza. - Huh!? Mushrooms: Clearly the canned nasty white mushrooms from your local valuemart. - Gross! Prosciutto Cotto: Nothing more than Oscar Meyer ham cut up into small squares. - Are you kidding me!? We literally laughed out loud as we ate the pizza. It was mediocre at taste, and it looked pathetic and cheap. We tried to give it another shot, but I will not be returning to either location again.
(1)
Janet S.
Packed, they stop taking reservations after 6.00pm so be prepared for a wait. We booked a table for 4 for 6.00pm and went straight to table. My veal with lemon and capers was as it should be, Asked for sliced tomatoes to go with it and they kindly came out and asked what type of tomato I would like and how I would like them cooked. Gluten free pasta dishes available and Pablo had a carbonara, not the best carbonara and seemed to be made with bacon not pancetta which made it very salty. Friends pizzas were large and looked OK though a bit chunky at the crust. Lemon drop martini was very good and then we had some gelato and chocolate mousse which was to die for. A nice place but a bit busy and noisy and urban for our taste. Service was better than A-OK, downright pleasant.
(3)
Bridget S.
GREAT gnocch(homemade) with a four cheese sauce with basil...melted in my mouth..ohhhh so yummie..great salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.....great service...CONS...meal took about 30-45 minutes to get to the table..(busy evening).... (worth the wait) will return soon..
(4)
Kristin B.
Food is pretty good. Staff is SUPER. Tried the "Crepe Porta Via" appetizer which was excellent. Had a vegetarian white pizza which was average for Neapolitan style but good enough that I'd go back.
(4)
Sarah P.
I LOVE this place. The pizza is consistently delicious, and they have a fantastic giant salad that 3 people can split. Too bad I live in East Nashville and can't make it over there very often. Oh, also pretty good prices on wine/beer, and their gelato looks great (although I haven't tried it).
(5)
John R.
Good, for Nashville
(4)
Kaitlyn K.
I have an Italian friend whose standards of Italian food are extremely high. He refuses to go to Buca, or Maggianos....anything like that. Food snob? Maybe, but I don't care. I kind of agree with him when comparing "real" Italian, and Italian created by Americans. He is the one who introduced us to Porto (and to Bella Napoli). When you go to Porto, and you don't have a reservation - sometimes even if you do, you will have a wait. There isn't much room to wait either, which can be frustrating. Look past this, and get excited for a delish meal. We begin our dining experience by selecting a bottle of wine to share. Then we get the Piatto Misto - a sampling of Italian style meats, vegetables and cheese (yum), served with focaccia bread. It is delicious every time. If my hubby and I split a pizza, we usually get a salad too. They're all pretty good. I enjoy the Caesar. Regarding pizza, they're all good. I enjoy the MARGHERITA D.O.C. It's $13, which is $4 more then the regular Margherita, but it's worth it. The D.O.C. has real ingredients flown in from Italia: Pomodoro di San Marzano, Mozzarella di Bufala, fresh cherry tomatoes, and Basilico. My only gripe is they occasionally put on too much Olive Oil - so ask for easy oil. And trust me...DO NOT LEAVE without gelato. My fav combo: Dark Chocolate and Pistachio. YUMMY!
(4)
Justin R.
We discovered this place on accident Friday night. And it was a great local find. I don't know if its a good or bad thing that Porta Via is pretty close to our place. We started with a ceasar salad. I thought it was awesome, but my girlfriend thought it had too much dressing. I admit, that it did have a lot of dressing, but I like my ceasar salad with a lot of dressing. So, next time it was probably go on the side. For dinner we were going to order a pizza, but instead we ordered some fresh homemade pasta. We chose the penne with meetballs and red sauce. It was delicious! The pasta was extremely fresh and the meatballs were great. Porta Via is not going to get rid of me. I will be back to try some of that good looking pizza I saw on the table next to us!
(4)
Karen L.
Just tried Porta Via for the first time tonight. We elected to sit at the bar facing the kitchen since it was so busy. While definitely not the best seat in the place once the wine and bread came we didn't care. We both ordered pasta dishes. The portions were good and not crazy big like most places. I liked mine but loved my husband's carbonara the best! We both had a gelato based desert and they were both excellent! The staff was also very nice and genuinely interested in whether or not we liked our wine, our food, and our desert. We were able to watch the kitchen staff from our table and all seemed to pay attention to detail on every order. We live close by and definitely will return. I am looking forward to trying the pizza and fresh salads that we watched them make while eating our dinner.
(4)
Mollie W.
The pasta is so fresh and delicious! Pistachio gelato = amazing!
(5)
Simply S.
Yummy!!! I first heard of this place when I received a media release about their grand opening last year. I didn't pay too much attention until I saw the words Gluten Free! Since I already had a favorite place to eat GF pasta (maggiano's), they really didn't catch my attention until I got another release that they recently expanded their gluten free menu to include pasta, bread AND pizza. I heard that the GF pizza's are amazing, but I was craving pasta and the menu says it is homemade .. so I went for it. I had gf pasta with the creamy tomato sauce and chicken. It was delish!! The chicken was pretty plain and unseasoned so it tasted kind of "funny" to me. Maybe I can request it blackened next time? However I must include that my opinion on the way meat tastes can't be that trusted because I am a recent meat eater (I was vegetarian for years until I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease). My boyfriend who loves meat said it tasted fine, ha! The only "complaint" that I have is they are closed on Sundays. I rarely eat pizza, but when I do it's usually on a lazy Sunday. So I'm not sure how often I'll frequent. They also were a tad pricey for being such a casual place to eat. I understand them having to charge more for GF .. but our meal with tip was around $50 bucks, for lunch. Just a little steep for two small pasta dishes and twp Cesar salads.
(4)
Lisa E.
New to Nashville, a friend suggested we try Porta Via since we were in the area and it was still early enough to possibly avoid a long wait. We ran over there and at 6pm on a Friday night, had a 30 minute. While there is no bar spot to help make a wait less painful, we killed some time in the shops around the area. Note: a lot of people came through to pick up to-go orders. We'll consider that option in the future. We were seated at a small table and immediately felt welcome. Our server Nas was terrific. She helped us select a good bottle of wine and encouraged us to try the pasta special of the night, spinach ravioli in the pink sauce, along with pizza. She was right on and told us what to expect with it (5 large ravioli). The ravioli pockets were hearty and the sauce was really tasty. The margherita DOC pizza tasted really fresh with a chewy crust that could only be improved with a side of red sauce for dipping as someone else suggested. While the gelato was recommended by our friend, we shared the tiramisu. it was pretty good for tiramisu, but that was the only thing we ate/drank that I might not need to get again. If you like cozy places with strong Italian food and can live with a wait (or don't mind doing the to-go approach), this is a winner. I look forward to trying the new Franklin spot to see how it compares.
(4)
Ryan O.
This is my favorite pizza in Nashville so far. If you love wood fired and/or neapolitan pizza you can't go wrong with Porta Via. The place is kind of small. It is fine for lunch but if you come at peak dinner hour on a weekend expect to wait. I have been told they do not take reservations on weekends. The flat bread that they serve prior to your meal is excellent. I've never had anything but the pizza so I can't comment on the other dishes however I can't imagine ordering anything other than the pizza. Keep in mind that this is neopolitan pizza so if you are looking for a soft baked crust covered in lots of cheese you should look elsewhere. The key here is in the subtleties of flavors rather than a gluttony of quantity. Make sure you save from room for gelato after your main meal. They have a wide variety of flavors... my personal favorite is coffee. So good.
(4)
Chris C.
Located in a strip mall the restaurant is very flashy and has a great vibe. Faux-stone oven baked pizza. Slick interior was so promising. However, the crust was actually soggy. The other ingredients were actually top-notch. Very good quality. If this place could solve the crust problem then it would SUBSTANTIALLY improve the rating. The service was very slow as well. Want a better stone oven baked pizza in Nashville? Try City House.
(3)
Brandi H.
Had the spaghetti and meatballs. Great food, but a little pricey. The ambiance was a little too trendy, and a little too clattered. I will be back, if for nothing else but to try the gelato, which I was too full for last time.
(3)
Meg D.
Just finished dining here at Porta Via and what a disappointment. Where should I start? 1. The hostess didn't greet us, in fact we had to ask the girl if she was, indeed, the hostess. 2. We were seated about 6 feet from the front door. It's 50 degrees outside. 'Nuff said. 3. When my boyfriend asked our server about the beer selection she said there were two on tap. One we knew, one we didn't. Upon inquiry she couldn't answer the question "what type of beer is it?" or compare it to any other beer we DID know. 4. When I inquired about a specific wine, she (of course) didn't know the answer and instead just brought me a taste. I asked about a second wine and upon her hesitation I gave up and just ordered something I had enjoyed before. She returns with the bottle already opened (no wine presentation here!!!) and picked up my wine glass to pour it! Bad service etiquette. 5. We ordered the cannelloni appetizer and the person who brought it to us told us it was something different and then changed his story. "oh yes yes this is the cannelloni." It was very tasty. 6. I digress, before we could eat the cannelloni my boyfriend had to go ask someone for silverware. 7. The pizza everyone raves about showed up, uncut, even though we asked for it to be sliced. I got to bus the table while the food runner stood there with the pizza in one hand, waiting for me to do so. She finally put it down once we had made enough space clearing the appetizer plate, b&b's and bread basket. 8. Ahh, the pizza. Soggy, floppy, mess of a thing. Very little sauce and cheese, and so wet it was slimy. I gave up after a 2 pieces. Needless to say a waste of a dinner aside from the cannelloni. Most appalling was the the service. From the daft hostess to our server who has no clue what she is selling, Porta Via is a bust.
(1)
Jessica M.
I should give this restaurant one star, after the attitude I caught from one of the servers today. But I wont, because the food is really good. My boo and I walk in there a little after 2 PM today to grab some lunch. There was a woman standing on the phone at the gelato counter (bartender, i guess) who looked at us. No smile, no nod, and didn't even say anything when she got off the phone. Server #2, who was standing at the server station gave us a look, and went back to what he was doing. Server #3 walks up to server #2 and then looks at us. I give her a half smile, and then she looks back at him. She finally turns around, and asks us from across the restaurant if we've been helped. Annoyed, I said no. We tell her table for two, and as we are following her, she stops by server #2 to ask if it was after 2 PM. She put our menu's down and said there you go, and walked away. I was very much annoyed at this point. Server #3 walked by us a couple of times, one of those times she gave me quite a glare. Through out the time we were there, server #3 greeted every person that came in there in an overly friendly way. I couldn't help but to think that maybe she was being over dramatic. I've been in the service industry for over 10 years, and there have been only a few times where I have been appalled by someones LACK of customer service. Today, was one of those days. I can understand if a restaurant is busy, however, this was NOT the case. Making eye contact with us but not greeting us, making us wait, and then giving us attitude, is the furthest thing from customer service. This was not my first time to Porta Via and my past experiences had been good. This experience was enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth, and make me reconsider ever going back.
(2)
Justin Y.
This is only a temporary rating. I came here with some friends hoping to try some authentic pizza. I ordered the Margherita pizza, which was served just as they do in Napoli - unsliced. The true way to eat pizza is to tear into it a bit, fold over, and continue to tear off until you have a delicious little morsel in your hand. Everyone should definitely try this out! I LOVED our pizza, but the restaurant did fall short in one area..... the pasta. I also ordered whole wheat fettuccine (They were out of angel hair.) and meat balls. The meatballs had almost no taste, and the pasta was reminiscent of that served in school cafeterias across the country - soggy soggy soggy! The only redeeming quality of this dish was the sauce. I was later informed that they are soon revamping their pasta, which is out sourced, and are going to make their own pasta in house and introduce a new lineup soon. I am looking forward to giving it another shot and hopefully change my rating.
(3)
Linda P.
Peter K wrote about the lack of designation from Verapizzanapoletana and possibly at the time of his review that was true but not today. Here's a link to the vpn website and Porta Via is a member! verapizzanapoletana.org/… Their pizzas are fantastic. Quite honestly I haven't had anything at Porta Via that wasn't outstanding. Service is always prompt and friendly as well as helpful in knowing the menu items. I highly recommend it for delicious authentic Italian food.
(5)
John R.
Be willing to eat off the menu. Last nights special was four cheese gnochi. The melt in your mouth gnochi was perfect, a little sweet and no sign of heavy flour like some. The four cheese sauce was rich yet very complimenting. The wine selection was ample and the service was pleasent and timely. A great find. Looking forward to seeing this dish on the regular menu. Stop by and try it then let the chef know you want the four cheese gnochi on the regular menu.
(4)
Chef X.
It's not bad, probably one of the better pizzas in town and they're not expensive. The service is a tad on the amateur side but they don't have a complex menu so that's okay, too. The crust is inconsistent, though. I've had it properly crusty sometimes and soggy others. The less topping the better the pizza for sure. Ask for an egg on top.
(3)
Don W.
We have eaten here approx. 4 times. The food is very good but the restaurant is always excessively noisy. Not a place to go if you want to visit with friends or family while dining. We were there recently on a Tuesday night. It was busy but there were empty tables, and as usual, really noisy. We stood there and waited several minutes for a host/hostess to seat us, but no one ever showed up so we walked out. There are other good restaurants nearby, especially Siam Cafe.
(2)
Mel V.
Yum, yum, and yum! My ladies and I came here and had dinner. There is a reason why there is a wait to eat. Everything we had was DELISH. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation if you plan to visit. :)
(4)
Zach G.
Carbonara is the bomb. Nuff said. Gelato is great too.
(4)
Elliott H.
This was legit Italian food for a reasonable price. The atmosphere was very modern and laid back. Flat screens to enjoy your favorite shows or the fireplace for the simpler pleasure in life. A very good date spot
(4)
Bryan C.
food - food was very good. Loved the flat bread, caesar salad and pizza. service - hostess was friendly, server was friendly and attentive. She did bring our salads out before our drinks and had to ask us if we wanted water (we were drinking wine so of course we wanted water) atmosphere - it was somewhat loud and the place was very small. For some reason, I expected a much more adult atmosphere. The place had that brand new feel to it and seemed to cater to families. Almost no bar area either. I would probably not suggest this place if I was looking to hang out with friends and have some good drinks. drinks - beer selection was very, very limited. No liquor from what I could see and the wine selection was meh. Final thoughts - If you are in the neighborhood and looking for a delicious and quick pie, this place is perfect. If you are looking to relax with your adult friends and the beer/wine is just as important as the pie, look elsewhere.
(3)
Em P.
I've tried to go to Porta Via a couple of times to no avail (closed on Sunday, an outlandishly long wait, and an even more outlandishly long wait). But this Friday we finally sat and waited long enough to vulture a spot at the little bar and then a table for our party, all of which took about an hour. Man, this place is popular! They don't take reservations (only call ahead, which they seemed to not honor anyway) and the hostess seemed to have no idea what she was doing, but at least they post a large poster of the menu outside so you can figure out what you want to eat and drink when you finally get your fanny in a chair. Gelato window was tempting pre-dinner as well. Once we got inside, we were welcomed with heavy pours of wine (NO WONDER why there are so many people in here...) and a basket of fresh focaccia bread and oil (why do no moderate restaurants in this city put bread on the table? maybe it's a southern thing...). Pre-dinner ceasar salads were made a little extra special with homemade croutons and good cheese, pasta dishes looked great (the forkfull of bolognese I swiped tasted good too), and my white pizza came out with a mountain of fresh arugula and a paper thin fresh slice of prosciutto. I should abide by my own rules, but I dug into the pie without letting it set and the resulting first half was on the soggy side. The mootz they use is reallllly fresh and by nature contains a lot of water...my own fault for not waiting. I wish they cut up the prosciutto to make it easier to relegate around the pizza, rather than having to tear it up myself to make sure I get piggy goodness on every chunk. Prices are pretty great too (especially the cheap by-the-glass wine that would be 2 glasses most places...). With so many attempts to dine here, I was afraid of being disappointed in Porta Via, but I'm happy this place is close to my neighborhood.
(3)
Steve D.
A friend recommended Porta and I am glad she did. This is the best Italian place in Nashville. Great authentic dishes. To say Olive Garden is Italian is saying Taco Bell is Mexican. So with that in mind this place is real Italian. Finally! The Gelato is to die for, yum. The pizza is great. It's authentic pizza style so American Pizza lovers may not find it to their liking. But there is more to Italian food besides Pizzas.
(5)
Doug G.
In reading some of the other reviews, I'm wondering if everyone ate at the same restaurant. I'm dropping from 5 starts to 4 just thinking that maybe my pleasure was colored by the fact that I was famished. I had one of their signature pizzas, Anita had a giant salad (and a little slice of my pizza) and our son had a pasta and meatball dish. The bread was also fresh, warm and soft. I didn't want to eat any of it, but then once I started, it was hard to stop. And I knew I had pizza coming. Service was friendly and fast. The waitress knew her stuff and actually seemed to enjoy waiting on us. We each had a glass of wine (nice sized pour, too - probably 8 oz.) Total bill for three with tax was $57. We would definitely return any time.
(4)
Nicole P.
Their food is good, but definitely not worth sitting through the agonizingly slow service and paying their prices ($12 for a rather small bowl of spaghetti and sauce? Really? Crazy talk. And also let me mention that the prices increased between the 2nd and 3rd time I visited). I gave it more than one chance before I made my final decision, but 3 strikes and you're out. I have never made it out of this place in under an hour - and that's at lunch time, when we ordered dishes that can't possibly take more than 10-15 minutes to put together and when it wasn't crowded - and I've never left without reluctantly handing off at least $14.
(2)
Melissa L.
This was my third visit to Porta Via. I was so excited about Porta Via because the chefs had all worked under Mario and I have eaten Ricky's food before and think he's a good Italian chef. My first visit I had the Margherita pizza and thought it just fair with watery canned tomatoes and four leaves of whole basil. Second visit we had the Cappricciosa pizza and it was a little better. My friend Mark thinks very highly of one of the Owner's so I keep giving it a try and hoping for a little more each time. Bistecca alla fiorentino is a simple but incredible dish of Tuscany featuring either a porterhouse or t-bone from their famous Chianina cattle. It is cut very thick and usually serves more than one person. It is salted and cooked rare very quickly over very high heat and served with lemon wedges. So my steak came out and it was a large t-bone. The herbs were not even chopped and were in big hunks, particularly the sprig of rosemary. There was no 'crust', it looked rather drab brownish gray and was definitely lacking salt. And instead of being thick like it should have been, it was rather thin and even though I ordered it medium-rare, it was probably a little towards medium than I would have liked. It was just fair. I didn't come close to satisfying my craving for a nice steak. The vegetable of the day was a mixture of zucchini, yellow squash, onion and mushrooms. They looked nice and caramelized but when I bit into them I could tell the color was coming mainly from a heavy dose of balsamic vinegar. So overall, the meal was disappointing and I think I'm giving up on Porta Via.
(3)
Lauren F.
Started with the insalada mista which was simple but fresh, i loved the balsamic dressing! it was probably big enough to share, which is good for a $5.5 house salad. we had four people to share the CAPRICCIOSA($12) Crushed tomatoes, prosciutto cotto, artichoke hearts, roasted mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and mozzarella PORTAVIA($13) Crushed tomatoes, pancetta, woodoven sausage, roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, and mozarella they were kind small but two were perfect to split for four people. a light hand was used with the cheese and toppings, but there was still enough to get different flavors in each bite. i preferred the portaVia, probably because of the tasty meats!! and the toasted pine nuts added a good texture and flavor. i enjoyed the thin crust that was more reminiscent of a flatbread, it was crispy on the crust but not soggy in the middle. if you like american pizza this is definitely not a huge fat blob with greasy cheese and thick puffy dough, and we all appreciated that. my dad said it was the best pizza he's had on this side of the atlantic!! which is saying a lot coming him, he's been all over the world and had pizza in all the major US cities. he said it reminded him of being in Rome. What's not to love about that?! can't wait to go back since pizza is my favorite food.
(5)
Neal G.
This is one of my go-to places for lunch. The Apollo and the Meatball bolillos are top-notch and the Insalata Mista is always fresh and the balsamic dressing is really tasty. The pizza is OK but it's not my favorite place for it. All in all Porta Via is a great place and it's a good value for your money.
(4)
Bryan L.
The pizza is just like Napoli without the jet lag
(4)
Suz J.
900 degrees for 90 seconds bakes gourmet pizza at Porta Via in west Nashville. The wood-fired oven and some key pizza ingredients are imported from Italy. Pizza is built from handmade dough, extra virgin olive oil and quality toppings. Some pasta selections and Northern Italy inspired meat dishes are also on the menu. Their kitchen includes an Italian gelato machine for that frozen treat. Basic affordable wine list too.
(4)
Mark S.
Excellent. It was fresh, authentic, wood fired pizza. This is the way pizza was meant to be made. The margherita was simple and delicious. The porta via had crushed tomatoes, pancetta, wood oven sausage, roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Service was great and everyone there was friendly. They gave us a sample of their gelato to finish off the meal and that was excellent as well. I will be back many times!
(5)
Matt E.
This a very nice little place, freshly updated and modern. The food was great from start to finish. The squash soup was a perfect starter. I had the veal marsala and my wife had the margherita pizza; both really good. The real treat of this place though is the wide selection of homemade gelato. You get two scops of different flavors. I had the pistachio and Donatella (house specialty which is basically nutella gelato)...really good.
(4)
Sissy D.
Nice place, kinda yuppie'ish? You will see people eating while using their mac lap top, while wearing the latest fashions.(not a big concern of mine).....Food was pretty good quality and not to bad price-wise. Staff was very nice. Gelato was very good, a little pricey, but lots to choose from and it was very refreshing. You get 2 scoops per order so get 2 different kinds! We had vanilla and strawberry....total yummmmm! Saw a pizza at the next table, and damn it looked good! Nice place once a month er so...if your from outa town.
(3)
Suan R.
Horrid!!!!! I didn't last 10 seconds because of some screeching brat producing ear-splitting noises. Nobody, not the so-called parent or anyone involved with the restaurant showed any interest in doing anything about this, or in providing me with a pleasant, even tolerable, dining experience. I appreciate the certification of the pizza chef, and I am well aware I live in the land of the CiCis worshippers. But if a restaurant isn't willing to provide me with a pleasant experience, nothing makes it worth it to me to spend my time and money there. We went from here to Cafe Nonna and enjoyed not only a very nice pizza but a civilized dining atmosphere.
(1)
Aaron C.
Went for dinner, won't be back. Service was uninformed and pretty unattentive. Had the caesar salad which I'm a sucker for, was good. Beer list was limited to crappy domestics like mich ultra and yuengling. Those are great for dive bars and places like Sam's but not for places with 13 dollars pastas. Very over priced for the quality of food. I will pay for rigatoni bolognese but, execute it properly. Don't overbook the pasta and use quality cheese and meat. They shaved fresh Parm on the salad, why not on the pasta? Ground beef with tomato sauce does not make it bolognese. Pizza had the same problem. Pizza dough looked great but, not cooked long enough. I think they are afraid to get some good char on the crust. Every pizza I saw was barely brown. It came out doughy and uncooked in some spots. I really like the way they leave the pizza uncut, it's good to stick to your guns about that kind of thing. If you go through the trouble of making your own dough and making your own pasta please use quality ingredients. Don't use artichokes from a can or use terrible katakana olives. You are already importing real buffalo mozz so make the extra effort for the other toppings and ingredients. I wanted to try the gelato based on other reviews and opinions bit I just couldn't give them any more of my money. Try getting pasta from Lazzaroli pasta if you want to have great pasta. Go to Cityhouse for well executed pizza. Using DOC products,Italian terms and wood burning ovens don't always translate to good food.
(1)
Saul M.
For all of the hype on their website as being a VPN certified pizzeria, you would expect a much higher level of thought and care in the pizza they turn out. The menu hypes a lot of toppings as being 'roasted' or 'wood oven,' though none of these things seem to have ever happened. The sausage is without any brown notes and tastes steamed (Trader Joe's Italian is more flavorful) and even worse, the mushrooms are canned. Even Domino's uses fresh mushrooms now! Furthermore, the crusts are quite uneven from pizza to pizza, with a few displaying a nice puffy outer crust and a pleasant crisp/chew. The others, though, are pinched and are merely crisp, without any joy to the mouthfeel. The toppings, on the whole, are applied without thought to the overall pizza experience and the pizzas seem to be over topped to the point where the crust isn't even part of the flavor experience, save at the rim. The sauce is not as bright as you would expect given the 'Neapolitan' tag, but upon closer inspection, they never claim to use San Marzano Tomatoes or make DOC pizza. The table consensus was that although the pizza was tasty on some level, the gap between self-hype and results yielded a disappointing dinner. Overall, I suppose this is a passable pizza place, at least by the overall standards of Nashville, but given the degree to which they claim to hold themselves, the chances of disappointment are high.
(2)
S G.
This place is great on many levels. It can get crowded and, yes, the style of pizza is not "Americanized" but the pasta is great, the service friendly, and it is an independent in a sea of surrounding chain restaurants. Gelato is also great and their takeout is superb. Try the meatball sub if you are in a hurry. Those who knocked the place for its different pizza have not read the menu closely enough to see how it is supposed to be different. Try it, you will like it.
(4)
Carolyn S.
Fabulous gelato, great pizza and pasta.
(4)
rpdr m.
WOW!!! I was not only blown away by the food but our server Bianca rocked! Went yesterday for the first time, brought friends today and will be back tomorrow. Have flown in the past to my home town in New Jersey for good Italian but now I don't have to.
(5)
Tyler W.
I was a loyal follower of Hot Kabobs which was one of the owners previous ventures. In eating at Hot Kabobs I knew quality was high on his list of importance, so when we tried Porta Via for the first time on a Friday night, I was still surprised at the quality of the food. We had a short wait and the menu is well developed for a small restaurant so that tables can be turned quickly. We started with a sampler platter of sorts, which included salami cotto, capricola, mortadella, asiago, goat cheese, blue cheese, flat bread and foccacia. It was a little pricey at first glance at $13, but after arrival I was impressed with the portion size. My wife got a Margerhita pizza with Kalmata's and I picked up the pasta carbonara. The pizza was very good, the crust was a little soggy towards the middle, but very enjoyable. The carbonara was excellent, incredibly rich, but that goes with the territory. We also got the coffee gelato which was excellent, very strong espresso flavor and very creamy. I ordered the Panna Cotta which was the only disapointment of the meal, it had too much gelatin in the mix causing it to be very rubbery instead of a smooth creamy texture. It was also very bland. The interior is decorated very well, and clearly he has spent some money to bring on the ambiance. It would make an excellent date night for anyone. We didn't have any wines, but it looked like the selection was respectable, and they had a very fair price on their beer list.
(5)
Anne M.
I have no idea why it says this place is kid friendly...it is not. We've eaten here twice with our young children (who are really good in restaurants otherwise we wouldn't even attempt this) and no other single table in the place had kids. There are highchairs, but no kids menu or even smaller portions. Which is fine, but I definitely felt like other patrons were staring at us for even having brought young humans into the place. (it was a Tuesday evening, early. not like a prime date night or anything when I could understand). The food is good though. Really good. They're happy to customize orders for you if you'd like (e.g. I don't eat veal so instead of veal picatta they made chicken picatta, which was fantastic). The pizza is tasty but messy. The gelato? YES please. The wait staff is hit or miss. The people behind the bar/gelato stand couldn't care less if you're standing there or not. No one seems happy to be working there, I guess is the overriding feeling you get. We'll go back, maybe. I always like to give a place a second shot but it's just not a really friendly environment.
(3)
Megan C.
I had a most excellent experience at Porta Via. After their website told me that their Italian style pizzas were 'kissed by a wood fire" I was positively salivating at the thought of trying them out. My group of six had fantastic service. Not only did our waitress check on us frequently, but our pizza was out in a hot second, and the manager came to see us as well! My pizza arrived, toasty and with perfect crust, with an excellent smattering of roasted red peppers and other tasty toppings. Don't get me wrong, the pizza was good, but the GELATO transported me back to a hot summer's day in Florence, Italy and my favorite one Euro gelatoria. I sampled the coffee flavor. They've got a great sampling of flavors, including pistachio, strawberry, and dark chocolate. omg. I probably should go get some right now. Maybe I should wait until this blizzard lets up...
(5)
Rahel K.
Dear Porta Via, I have driven past you for a year now but honestly thought you were a take-out pizza joint. But, thanks to the rude phone conversation with Caffe Nona (your neighborhood competitor), I decided to give you a try based on a friend's recommendation. You were cozy and inviting. You were busy but friendly. Your authentic Italian roots really showed. Your service was impeccable. Your salad was fresh and homemade Caesar anchovy dressing with soft bread was delicious. The Mahi-Mahi was tasty and the pasta's freshness was obvious. Everyone really enjoyed their meal. I appreciate that I could bring my own wine; although your wine list was reasonable for everyday drinking. My entire bill for 3 people with salad, entrees, dessert and a $15 corkage fee was $86.....extremely reasonable. Thanks for a wonderful night, Porta Via. I look forward to our next date together! Love, Rahel
(5)
Jason S.
I would like to give this review more stars, but to start off with, I got a nice serving of broken glass in my pizza. So, moving past that, I suppose it is impressive I give this anything but a one star. Off the bat, we were very impressed with the ambiance, my wife spent a summer in Italy back in college, and she claims this place is exactly like many places she ate at across the countryside, right down to the gelato window. We stopped by there one night for dinner with our little diaper dude. We started off with an excellent salad that we all shared and some super flatbread. My wife ordered a pasta dish, my son got a tiny cheese pizza and I got a pizza with fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, artichokes, and Greek olives. The pizza looked amazing, and was served in authentic style, uncut on an amazing crust. I dug in with wild abandon. About halfway through the pie, I ate an olive and there was a little crunchy along with it, I assumed that this was a little bit of pit that had stuck in. A few bites later, the same crunchy thing happened again, this time with no olives involved. Upon further inspection, I realized that here was a shard of glass in my mouth, meaning I had chewed up and swallowed... The pieces of glass were clearly from a glass jar, I assumed from the olives or artichokes. Our excellent server brought the issue to manager's attention and a gentleman came to our table immediately. They took the piece of glass from us and insisted the glass came not from the kitchen, but from a wine glass that had broken on the other side of the restaurant and had mysteriously landed on my pie (this was crap). They comped my pizza and offered us all free gelato, which was nice, but not worth the stress I experienced for wondering if my insides were getting cut up by glass. Needless to say, we haven't been back.
(2)
Samantha joelle A.
I wanted Porta Via to be the most amazing Italian place in Nashville, because it opened up right by my house. So close, I could walk there. I was pumped for the opening. The place is nice inside. It's small, but trendy and open. When we first tried it, we were NOT impressed. So unfortunate. I first ordered the pesto pasta. And, that's all it was. A bowl of pesto pasta. No side salad or anything came with it. I normally like to have SOMEthing else with my pasta. They did serve some kind of bread with it. However, the bread was more like burnt crusts from a pizza. We were confused why they would bring us something so gross. Then, we noticed that the table next to us was being served nice warm pieces of real bread that looked fresh. When we wanted to ask our waitress why we didn't get that bread, she was no where to be found. Yeah, we weren't very happy. I then came back with a group of friends for a birthday party. I had to give them a second chance since last time they had just opened. So I figured they might have improved since then. This time, I ordered a margherita pizza. The pizza was very good, messy to eat, but very good. They also served warm, pillowy delicious bread with olive oil to dip it in with the dinner. Yes, they have improved. I was slightly more satisfied with my dinner the second time around. Not to mention, the gelato here is awesome. We have come back just for the gelato at times. As for the food, I would chose Coco's Italian Market any day. Even Maggiano's. If neither of those were around me, I might be more satisfied with Porta Via. There's just much better Italian choices out there.
(3)
Exquisite C.
This is a really great restaurant Fabulous food actually totally amazing food and really fun staff By far the best pizza in town but dont forget to try the pasta!
(5)
Lyndi S.
Last week, while furniture shopping, we happened upon this fantastic little number. Porta Via means "Take Away" in Italian, so let me tell you what I took away from Porta Via... A belly full of Caesar salad, freshly made pasta with red sauce and meatballs, and an uncanny amount of bread for someone my size. I probably would've eaten more bread and most likely a giant dessert if I had it my way. (Un)fortunately, my belly and brain stopped me from my gluttony! The only thing I had to complain about was the Caesar salad. It had so much dressing on it, I felt like I was eating lettuce soup! Other than that, I had an incredibly delicious and filling meal, and I can't wait to try more their fresh pastas! If you haven't been, GO! Go be taken away. Just remember, dressing on the side!
(4)
Melissa T.
Authentic Neapolitan pizza - every time I go, I'm blown away by the quality of the food and how fresh the ingredients taste. I have yet to try the pasta because I can never steer away from the pizza, but I have heard it's awesome. And the Gelato and wine selection are a major bonus.
(4)
Andrea F.
Love, love, love Porta Via! For lunch, the Ensalata Grande salad is fantastic or if I'm in need of comfort food the meatball sub is always delicious. Lobster Ravioli for dinner, or any special they feature is usually a treat. You CANNOT leave without trying their gelato! Out of this world!
(5)
Kyla A.
Yay, just came from here and it was the best new restaurant experience I have had in Nashville in a while. The atmosphere was sleek without being uncomfortable or pretentious. My redheaded server (whose name I didn't catch, sorry) had a genuine smile and helpfulness that added an extra air of pleasantness to the whole experience. I started my meal with a double espresso. It had a perfect crema and smooth taste - by far the best I've had in this part of town. For lunch I ordered the Provencal, Greek salad stuffed into French bread. It was enormous and served with both a side salad tossed in a pleasantly garlicky dressing and a small pasta salad which was pretty but unremarkable in flavor. The only detractor from the meal was that the dressing inside the Provencal was too heavy, so I recommend you ask it be tossed lightly if you try the same. All in all, I got two full meals worth of food and a great espresso all for under $10. My only regret is that I came on a day too cold for gelato!
(4)
Aria T.
I had been searching all over town for a traditional pasta carbonara and was pleased to find that Porta Via had it on their menu. I read that they make their pasta and sauces fresh daily, which was also a plus. I decided to order to-go and was audibly excited on the phone. Whoever took my order, on the other hand, was not. He was very short with me and pretty much suggested that my to-go order was really bumming him out. I assumed they were busy, so I wasn't affected. However, when I went to pick up my meal, there were two girls at the bar who were clearly more interested in their conversation about someone's personal life than my order. They yapped on and on to each other until one of them finally came over only to tell me my total, snatch my credit card out of my hand, and slam it back down on the counter in front of me. She then sloppily packed the to-go box into a bag and slung it my way. She never once made eye contact or said anything like "thank you". The pasta was awesome. Little heavy on the pepper, but really good. I've ordered it time and time again, though still I've received the kind of service one would get in prison. So that's why I've given this establishment only two stars. Customer service is very important. Italian food is all about enjoyment, and I didn't get a sense of that from Porta Via's pre-menstrual staff. I'd rather stay home and make my own carbonara sauce.
(2)
Robin L.
Cute little spot in the strip mall across from Target. Like others have mentioned, you'll probably have some degree of a wait because this place is pretty small. We got a sweet spot in a back booth right by the kitchen. We had a starter salad that was tasty, but the pizza was the star! Thin chewy crust and the price is more than reasonable, especially when you compare it to some of the places in Hillsboro/near Vandy. The only thing I wish I had was some dipping sauce for the crust, but I'm a glutton like that. As others have said, the gelato is really good and not to be missed. No complaints with service either. Will def go again!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Neema C.
The first time we went to this restaurant, we were happy with the pizza, Chai Tea and the bread. The service was great too. I voted 5 stars this time. That's why we went back here the second time. The food is fairly good but the service was so terrible. The lady supposed to wait on us didn't actually do her job. She just waited the couple next to us (they ordered some wine while we had our favorite Chai Tea, again) and completely ignored us while we tried to asked her for some napkins. We ended up asking other waitresses for some help. "Our" waitress always came back to take care of the table next to us and turned her back towards us. She let us wait 20 minutes before she came back with food and ignored us for another half hour, before coming back to ask what we needed. But we were done with our dinner already. And then we continued to wait for the bill... We couldn't tip her anything with such attitude. But we did tip the other girl who helped us get some bread and napkins. She was nice even though it was not her responsibility.
(4)Sara Y.
Porta Via does not have a particularly wow-inducing menu, but what they are good at tends to be extremely good and consistent. Their portobella mushroom salad is wonderful, and many of their pizzas are tasty. Their lasagna is downright flavourless, and on a couple of occasions, my dad has ordered it and found that it is from yesterday or just is dried up and not fresh, which is completely unacceptable. I had shrimp scampi that was so lemony that I could not eat it. God help you if you send anything back, as the replacement takes ages and 9/10 times isn't what you asked for. For the sake of speed, the pizza is not baked long enough for the toppings to fuse to the cheese, so everything falls off when you eat it. I cannot argue with the flavours of said pizzas, however, as they taste amazing when you get everything in one bite. While on the topic of speed, this place is SO hit or miss with their wait staff- it is almost unbearable. There are some impeccable servers, and some that seem like they aren't even worth tipping. My parents used to order to-go from here a lot, but they have been disappointed too many times. We are sad that Porta Via is not our neighbourhood go-to anymore.
(3)Jessica W.
Not going back. We've tried to give this place a fair shake and it's disappointed every time in one way or another. This time the bread came out cold and a little tough. My pasta was well undercooked and my husband's pesto left a lot to be desired. I will say that the salad was good and has been a no fail every time. For the price, the quality doesn't stack up. I'd head elsewhere unless you're desperate.
(2)Tracy F.
Porta Via is a go-to spot for a quick lunch or easy supper. The food here is fine - nothing special and nothing especially delicious, but perfectly good when the need to visit arises. I always enjoy the Ensalada Grande, full of fresh greens, marinated tomatoes, seasoned mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. It's the kind of salad that keeps me full all day, which I really appreciate come lunchtime. I also love their fresh flatbread that often comes in the bread basket (I oftentimes request it and the waitstaff is always happy to oblige). My husband ordered a pizza and was disappointed by the soggy crust and greasy toppings. Like I said, the food here is nothing spectacular, but it is a solid choice when the need for a filling lunch arises. I'll definitely be back!
(3)Todd G.
Their claim to fame is "First Certified Neapolitan Pizza".... well unfortunately it's also the worst Neapolitan pizza in town. Soggy, Soggy, Soggy, Bland... ack! I can only speak fro the pizza as I have not had any other entrees. However, the pizza is what they advertise, so.... If you are in Nashville and hankering for authentic Neapolitan pizza do yourself a favor and visit DeSano Pizza.... hands down the best offering of Authentic Neapolitan in Nashville and fast. If NY style is what you crave then hit Manny's, NY Pie, or 5 Points... To me ( a pizzaholic) Nashville's best pizza offerings.
(1)Hall W.
Hands down, this place has simply amazing. You know that's really true when you take a friend who just finished a trip to New York and he says that is amazing Italian. You know a place is super amazing when they have gelato bar for you to get exciting deserts. Porta Via has a modern and clean feel instead of this worn pretend to be old world but really not that is all too common among Italian places. Its service is also spectacular, at 7:30PM on a Friday night, the hostess was able to squeeze us a table in less than 8 minutes when a 30 minute wait was expected. The was fresh, very well prepared, and the right balance of flavors. I got lobster ravoli and my friends got variations of pizza. Most impressive was how fast the food came off from order to table. It was probably no more than 7 or 8 minutes. The only reason why this place doesn't get five stars for me is because although the food is good, nothing we ordered super wowed us either due to creativity or special taste. The menu is rather generic.
(4)L N.
Good service, no complaints. Alfredo & pasta not rich and creamy, lasagna was dry.
(3)Ed K.
The pizza here is pretty decent. We live very close so it's easy. But I wish they'd get some help that can get away from the TV & their phones long enough to give a ###damn. I'm getting used to it everywhere but I can't believe these dimwits get PAID.
(3)Elizabeth R.
The capricossia pizza was fabulous. Lasagna was also good. Tables are a little close to each other and it's noisy initially but you get use to it. Service is good
(4)Jason G.
Each and every time, I get great service, a friendly smile, and a wonderful meal. Get the carbonara and substitute the spaghetti with casarecci. Awesome awesome awesome.
(5)Jim M.
A solid 3 stars. Food staff a little pushy on the New Years Eve special minus 1 star. Food was delivered hot and the pasta was FRESH! The also have Carbonara, awesome! Gelato was a delight!! Portavia, Mama Mia! We will go back but speed and service will need to improve to get more stars. Even so, some of the best Italian I have had in Nashville.
(3)John C.
The service has indeed improved since they opened. They're a great addition to the neighborhood as a quality place for Italian food.
(4)Leslie B.
The cannolini was excellent. The pizza porta via and portobello salad delish. My second time will come back for a third.
(4)Sheena T.
Porta Via is delicious Italian food for a very reasonable price! Italian isn't my go to crave food, (if I'm hungry I go for the ethnic stuff), but Porta Via fills my Italian craving when I get it! It's in a strip mallish type setting which is weird at first, but it's decorated very nice inside (though small) and you are almost guaranteed a wait, no matter what. However, your meal makes up for it! It's not very expensive, and you get high quality food. The lasagna never disappoints, and I can eat a pound of the bread and olive oil (with pesto!). It's so good. I would highly recommend eating here if you have time to wait for it!
(4)Diane P.
Someone at Cheekwood recommended Porto Via to us. We were so pleased with the meal. The calamari was excellent and not at all rubbery and overcooked. The special Margarita pizza ($14) was excellent! The fresh sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella was incredible. My husband has chicken parm and really enjoyed the sauce as well as the chicken. The staff was super friendly. If we lived local we would come back again and again.
(5)Corey W.
This place is pretty good. Good flavors, good price. I recently went with a group of 6 didn't have to much of a problem getting seated. The appetizers were all good and then we ended up getting pizza. The pizza is good not great. It is definately more the native italian style, thin and flat which I am normally a fan but I like mine a little crunchy and firm. Theirs was to soft and limp for me. I wouldn't say it was soggy but it just wasn't the way I like it. I will probably go back. My fiance really liked the pasta dish she had.
(3)Jerry W.
I know there are a lot of positive reviews out there but I do not concur. We had a less favorable experience. The atmosphere was fine, service was basic delivery, and the food was bland to unsatisfactory. I had the Meatball Bolillo and the meat was basically a big dry hamburger ball with a little tomato sauce. My wife had a portabella Panini that someone apparently and mistakenly used wine vinegar rather than wine to marinate them prior to making the Panini. The whole thing tasted like vinegar! My son had the full on Lasagna that was ok, but couldn't justfy the $12 price tag at lunch time! I know other local Italian restaurants that are way better and only $10.
(1)Morgan P.
One day my boyfriend and I will come here and order something other than pizza but so far we haven't made it happen. The pizza is just too good! I am a big fan of Neapolitan pizza. I adore a chewy, flavorful crust that is topped with a bubbly mix of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. This is why I can't stop ordering the Margherita DOC. The pizza is large but I can usually finish it on my own. It always comes out pipping hot. The red sauce is dotted with large islands of creamy mozzarella cheese sprinkled with bright green strips of fresh basil. As you cut into the pizza the tomato sauce mixes with the mozzarella to create pink puddles that I sop up with my crust. Pair this with a bottle of red wine and you have created one of my favorite meals. In addition to pizza, my boyfriend and I usually enjoy either the house or the caesar salad. Both are excellent. The greens are fresh and crisp. The dressing is always correctly proportioned and I've regretted not asking for it on the side. We usually share a small because we plan on stuffing ourselves with pizza. They can get busy but they do not offer call head reservations. If you do have to wait, order your wine and sit at the bar. Their seating is limited. This is a good place to go if you are in a small group or with just one other person.
(5)Allison B.
It was okay. Nice environment, quick service, decent food. I thought it was a bit pricey for what I got, however.
(3)Nell H.
Have been a fan for many years. Only disappointment is I tried their authentic pizza recently for 1st time & found crust soggy & ingredients so-so. Other than that, LOVE everything on their menu, appreciate the service & ambience & try to get here at least monthly. Lobster Ravioli is the best. Soups are fabulous. Gelato is perfect. Management great!
(4)Elise T.
Just came from Porta Via with my Mother who is visiting from out of town. I don't know where to start. We ordered the so-called wood-fired dome oven pizza and were quite excited about this order. How VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!! The pizza was cold, the dough was NOT HOMEMADE (more like pre-fab), the toppings were straight out of a can, the cheese was horrible and would not even melt!! You people that run this place have a nerve trying to pawn this crap off as delicious and authentic Italian food. You have no integrity and should be run out of this town!! Please be forewarned...don't go near this place!! You get 0 stars from us!!
(1)Kathy C.
The restaurant is on the small side - 20 tables at the most and maybe 10 bar stools at the bar. It's located in a strip mall which is a bit odd, but so is J.Alexander's, so I don't judge a place by it's location. We had a party of 5 at Porta Via last night. Four of us were there at 6:30. I told the hostess there would be 5 of us and she led us to a table of 4 with no room for an extra seat. After telling her again there would be 5 of us, she took us to the bar to wait for a table to accommodate us. After about 20 minutes we were seated. Not bad for a Friday night. Our son traveled to Rome this past April and became addicted to buffalo mozzarella cheese. After researching where to get it in Nashville, he discovered PortaVia serves it. We had to try it, so we ordered Caprese salad and calamari for the table. Their mozzarella di bufala ( buffalo mozzarella) is imported from Italy and their ingredients are very fresh. The salad was delicious. The cheese IS worthy of searching for. The calamari was very lightly fried. To me it was too chewy and could have used another minute or two in the fryer but everyone else thought it was good. For my entree' I ordered the Veal Scaloppine. My husband ordered the salmon, while the other 3 in our party ordered custom made pizzas. My veal was okay but a little heavy on the lemon juice - so heavy I asked my daughter to taste it to see if she thought the veal was bad. It was served with a little pasta and steamed vegs on the side which were good. My husband said the salmon didn't taste fresh and was a bit bland. The general census on the pizzas - good. We decided to order good strong Italian coffees after dinner only to be told they were "OUT OF COFFEE"??? What? Seriously? On a Friday night it seems they could have gone and bought some for dinner service. That was a HUGE disappointment. On our way out I was reminded of the gelato assortment staring up at me from the freezer by the entrance. I bought 2 scoops of caramel and 2 scoops of blood orange gelato to take home for later. Around 11:00 last night I got a scoop of each flavor and it took a lot of willpower not to finish off the other 2 scoops ( my husbands ). The blood orange was good - tart and sweet, but the caramel was AMAZING. Will I return to Porta Via for a sit down dinner again? Maybe. Maybe not. Will I return for the caramel gelato to take home? YES...it may be a weekly habit because it is THAT delicious. Our server was very knowledgeable and fast. Dinner was about $200.00 including a 20% tip. For the same amount or less, I'd rather spend my money at Germantown Cafe.
(3)Matt P.
Went with friends tonight. My wife's ravioli was undercooked. And our friends ordered salmon salad. The salmon was dry and over cooked. We sent back the salmon. The new piece was raw. Our friend only got a rebate for the salmon part of the salad. No manager appeared to be on duty. Very disappointing.
(1)Marcia T.
Love it! Best place to have lunch near St. Thomas Hospital/Aquinas College. Stick to the lunch menu for good prices. Espresso and gelato too, for special occasions. Always quickly seated and good service...always.
(5)Carolyn S.
The food, service, and atmosphere was great! I got the pizza, it was awesome! I will totally eat here again! I got an app, pizza, and gelato... Their beer selection did not appear large, although they had a lot of wines! Highly recommended!
(4)Meagan G.
I'm really disappointed in my long term impression of Porta Via. I first ate there a few years ago, and it was really great all around. However, in the years since, I've been less and less impressed. Our last visit was a holiday during which they had a set menu. I REALLY wish we had just ordered the pizza, but it was a special occasion! After tasting the soup (so good!), our expectations were high. When our entrees arrived, however, we were utterly disappointed. I've had better food in a high school cafeteria. Everything was overcooked or incredibly bland, and I really wish we had just stayed in for the night. A HUGE waste of money. So, if you're going to eat here, stick to the pizza.
(2)Patti M.
Excellent! Great menu choices and variety of items. Quality, service, cleanliness was top notch! Nice ambiance too.
(5)David O.
Porta Via is apparently the new trendy place in town. It doesn't look like much from the road, but it actually has some tremendous ambiance! Maybe it was just the night I was there, but I felt like I was the extra in a Romantic Comedy at another table. The food however, struck me as just "decent". Instead of the Pizza (which seems to be one of the things people come for) I had a Bolillo sandwich. The Bolillo is a hollowed out piece of bread with various things stuffed inside. While good, the hardness of the bread made it very flaky, and my plate was covered in breadcrumbs along with my clothes! My girlfriend and I also tried the gelato, which was delicious. The service was good, but I felt the prices a bit high. If I do go back I'll certainly try the Pizza out.
(3)Mark M.
Great Italian food in the South! Gelato is awesome as well as the pizza. Recommend it for anyone looking for some great Italian food living in Nashville. One thing you can be sure of... people bitch about the dumbest stuff on Yelp. This place is great. Check it out.
(5)Kat F.
After several visits, I can say with confidence that Porta Via is mediocre. There are better places to spend your time and money. The food varies-- the pizza and soups are typically good, while the pasta and gelato have been rather disappointing. I recently ordered some gnocchi and it was incredibly mushy. The bland sauce didn't help, either. The gelato isn't terrible, but if you're looking for the real thing, you won't find it here. Unfortunately, I also had a poor service experience here recently as well. The waiter who was serving the table next to us bumped into my very full martini glass and sloshed my drink all over our table. He didn't notice and when we pointed it out in a friendly way, he did a poor job cleaning it up and promised to bring me another drink... but never did. Our waitress seemed overextended and it was hard to get her attention at times. When she boxed my pasta at the end, she brought the box back in a bag and the sauce had already leaked out of the box and covered the inside of the bag. Finally, if you arrive after 6pm (any day of the week), expect to wait for a table.
(2)Vafa H.
Gluten free pizza and pasta....I mean REALLY! I have no idea how they do it. For my diet conscious needs, this is an excellent place to stop for a guilt free pizza. Try their salads as well....amazing.
(5)Paulius N.
pizza and a beer Just have no expectations It will be ok Good, not earth shattering or anything, but stick with pizza and beer, and you'll be fine I guess. I deviated from this basic rule, threw caution to the wind, and ordered the lasagna. It was ok, if a bit too salty. My salad had a typical balsamic vinegarette, my gf's Ceaser was just not good IMHO, with the dressing having a funky too much anchovyness to it. Props for the pizza though! The dough is spot on. The traditional Italian ovens cook the pizzas using the traditional 90 second rule, but I'd ask for an extra 10 seconds for a crispier pie with a slight char next time. One suggestion for Porta Via: if you take the time to roll your silverware in napkins, take the extra few seconds to wipe the silverware. It was very noticeably spotted. So there you have it. Good pizza, cold beer, good service as well. Carry on....
(2)Karen M.
Oh, Porta Via! How we wanted the high times to last...mainly because you are in our neighborhood. But alas, no. The quality has disappeared along with the familiar faces and the warm receptions. We did not want to believe it, so we kept trying, hoping that a bad night was a fluke. But tonight was our last. Soggy pizza (supposed to be one of their specialties), warm salad and because they served a raw egg on the soggy pizza, they offered a complimentary gelato. OK, nice consolation prize (if overall inadequate) but again, a serious disappointment: gummy areas on the gelato indicating some age....that is, not edible. And we love gelato. I wonder how long Porta Via will last?
(2)Peter K.
I pretty much loved everything about the place, except the pizza, and I'll tell you why. While the pizza is most certainly better than chains and non-chains, it's not what I'm accustomed to of a place that hints at the fact that they are a certified pizza joint, of which they are not. At least, not according to VPN. VPN is Vera Pizza Napoletana. verapizzanapoletana.org/… On to the pizza: I ordered the Quattro Stagioni and my wife ordered the Bianca. The problem I had with the pizza was the crust. The edge was entirely too thick and tasted like Indian nan, not that it's a bad thing, but it's not what I want in a pizza. The sauce was almost an after thought, it added color instead of any flavor to the pie. VPN pizza should be simple, yet the pizza here had too many toppings, causing the center of the crust to be soggy and not light and fold-able. The weight of the toppings caused the pizza to fall apart. One suggestion might be to cook it for another minute in the wood burning oven to give it more char on the bottom. Everyone at my table had the same fate, some enjoy it that way, I do not. I'm sure I'll be back again to try a simple Margherita pizza. The best part of our meal was the double chocolate gelato, words can't describe it. If you're a chocoholic, this is your dessert. Lovely service and the prices are decent.
(3)Daniel R.
Being new to Nashville, and being from an Italian background, I can be a little jaded when it comes to Italian food. I'm used to being able to walk into any old pizza shop and get at least a halfway decent meal. Thus far, everything in town has been a serious miss. Until Porta Via. Everything is delicious and home made - the gelato is to die for. The sauce is superb. The noodles are hand made. It can be a little pricey, but not outrageously so - it's great for a date night. My wife had the pizza, which was also fantastic. We fully intend to go back on a regular basis. My Italian grandmother would have grudgingly approved! I never expected to find New York quality Italian food in the South, but damn. Good stuff.
(5)Jonathan W.
What the heck was that they served me? I've been to the Cool Springs Porta Via, and was not impressed at all. I had a gift card and decided to go to this location - but my experience was even worse! I've heard people rave about their Pizzas, so we decided to get one. We chose the: Capricciosa: "Pomodoro San Marzano tomato sauce, prosciutto cotto (Italian cooked ham), artichoke hearts, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and fresh mozzarella" Sounds great right? Let me step you through the item that was served on our table... Crust: Typical wood-fire oven, blackened in spots. - Yum! Sauce: Near tasteless sauce, even by itself. - Meh! Fresh Mozzarella: Hard to screw this up, it was cheese after all. - Ok! Kalamata Olives: Whole olives, a bit of a mouthful. - Fine! and here's where it get's odd... Artichoke Hearts: Never saw a single one on the pizza. - Huh!? Mushrooms: Clearly the canned nasty white mushrooms from your local valuemart. - Gross! Prosciutto Cotto: Nothing more than Oscar Meyer ham cut up into small squares. - Are you kidding me!? We literally laughed out loud as we ate the pizza. It was mediocre at taste, and it looked pathetic and cheap. We tried to give it another shot, but I will not be returning to either location again.
(1)Janet S.
Packed, they stop taking reservations after 6.00pm so be prepared for a wait. We booked a table for 4 for 6.00pm and went straight to table. My veal with lemon and capers was as it should be, Asked for sliced tomatoes to go with it and they kindly came out and asked what type of tomato I would like and how I would like them cooked. Gluten free pasta dishes available and Pablo had a carbonara, not the best carbonara and seemed to be made with bacon not pancetta which made it very salty. Friends pizzas were large and looked OK though a bit chunky at the crust. Lemon drop martini was very good and then we had some gelato and chocolate mousse which was to die for. A nice place but a bit busy and noisy and urban for our taste. Service was better than A-OK, downright pleasant.
(3)Bridget S.
GREAT gnocch(homemade) with a four cheese sauce with basil...melted in my mouth..ohhhh so yummie..great salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.....great service...CONS...meal took about 30-45 minutes to get to the table..(busy evening).... (worth the wait) will return soon..
(4)Kristin B.
Food is pretty good. Staff is SUPER. Tried the "Crepe Porta Via" appetizer which was excellent. Had a vegetarian white pizza which was average for Neapolitan style but good enough that I'd go back.
(4)Sarah P.
I LOVE this place. The pizza is consistently delicious, and they have a fantastic giant salad that 3 people can split. Too bad I live in East Nashville and can't make it over there very often. Oh, also pretty good prices on wine/beer, and their gelato looks great (although I haven't tried it).
(5)John R.
Good, for Nashville
(4)Kaitlyn K.
I have an Italian friend whose standards of Italian food are extremely high. He refuses to go to Buca, or Maggianos....anything like that. Food snob? Maybe, but I don't care. I kind of agree with him when comparing "real" Italian, and Italian created by Americans. He is the one who introduced us to Porto (and to Bella Napoli). When you go to Porto, and you don't have a reservation - sometimes even if you do, you will have a wait. There isn't much room to wait either, which can be frustrating. Look past this, and get excited for a delish meal. We begin our dining experience by selecting a bottle of wine to share. Then we get the Piatto Misto - a sampling of Italian style meats, vegetables and cheese (yum), served with focaccia bread. It is delicious every time. If my hubby and I split a pizza, we usually get a salad too. They're all pretty good. I enjoy the Caesar. Regarding pizza, they're all good. I enjoy the MARGHERITA D.O.C. It's $13, which is $4 more then the regular Margherita, but it's worth it. The D.O.C. has real ingredients flown in from Italia: Pomodoro di San Marzano, Mozzarella di Bufala, fresh cherry tomatoes, and Basilico. My only gripe is they occasionally put on too much Olive Oil - so ask for easy oil. And trust me...DO NOT LEAVE without gelato. My fav combo: Dark Chocolate and Pistachio. YUMMY!
(4)Justin R.
We discovered this place on accident Friday night. And it was a great local find. I don't know if its a good or bad thing that Porta Via is pretty close to our place. We started with a ceasar salad. I thought it was awesome, but my girlfriend thought it had too much dressing. I admit, that it did have a lot of dressing, but I like my ceasar salad with a lot of dressing. So, next time it was probably go on the side. For dinner we were going to order a pizza, but instead we ordered some fresh homemade pasta. We chose the penne with meetballs and red sauce. It was delicious! The pasta was extremely fresh and the meatballs were great. Porta Via is not going to get rid of me. I will be back to try some of that good looking pizza I saw on the table next to us!
(4)Karen L.
Just tried Porta Via for the first time tonight. We elected to sit at the bar facing the kitchen since it was so busy. While definitely not the best seat in the place once the wine and bread came we didn't care. We both ordered pasta dishes. The portions were good and not crazy big like most places. I liked mine but loved my husband's carbonara the best! We both had a gelato based desert and they were both excellent! The staff was also very nice and genuinely interested in whether or not we liked our wine, our food, and our desert. We were able to watch the kitchen staff from our table and all seemed to pay attention to detail on every order. We live close by and definitely will return. I am looking forward to trying the pizza and fresh salads that we watched them make while eating our dinner.
(4)Mollie W.
The pasta is so fresh and delicious! Pistachio gelato = amazing!
(5)Simply S.
Yummy!!! I first heard of this place when I received a media release about their grand opening last year. I didn't pay too much attention until I saw the words Gluten Free! Since I already had a favorite place to eat GF pasta (maggiano's), they really didn't catch my attention until I got another release that they recently expanded their gluten free menu to include pasta, bread AND pizza. I heard that the GF pizza's are amazing, but I was craving pasta and the menu says it is homemade .. so I went for it. I had gf pasta with the creamy tomato sauce and chicken. It was delish!! The chicken was pretty plain and unseasoned so it tasted kind of "funny" to me. Maybe I can request it blackened next time? However I must include that my opinion on the way meat tastes can't be that trusted because I am a recent meat eater (I was vegetarian for years until I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease). My boyfriend who loves meat said it tasted fine, ha! The only "complaint" that I have is they are closed on Sundays. I rarely eat pizza, but when I do it's usually on a lazy Sunday. So I'm not sure how often I'll frequent. They also were a tad pricey for being such a casual place to eat. I understand them having to charge more for GF .. but our meal with tip was around $50 bucks, for lunch. Just a little steep for two small pasta dishes and twp Cesar salads.
(4)Lisa E.
New to Nashville, a friend suggested we try Porta Via since we were in the area and it was still early enough to possibly avoid a long wait. We ran over there and at 6pm on a Friday night, had a 30 minute. While there is no bar spot to help make a wait less painful, we killed some time in the shops around the area. Note: a lot of people came through to pick up to-go orders. We'll consider that option in the future. We were seated at a small table and immediately felt welcome. Our server Nas was terrific. She helped us select a good bottle of wine and encouraged us to try the pasta special of the night, spinach ravioli in the pink sauce, along with pizza. She was right on and told us what to expect with it (5 large ravioli). The ravioli pockets were hearty and the sauce was really tasty. The margherita DOC pizza tasted really fresh with a chewy crust that could only be improved with a side of red sauce for dipping as someone else suggested. While the gelato was recommended by our friend, we shared the tiramisu. it was pretty good for tiramisu, but that was the only thing we ate/drank that I might not need to get again. If you like cozy places with strong Italian food and can live with a wait (or don't mind doing the to-go approach), this is a winner. I look forward to trying the new Franklin spot to see how it compares.
(4)Ryan O.
This is my favorite pizza in Nashville so far. If you love wood fired and/or neapolitan pizza you can't go wrong with Porta Via. The place is kind of small. It is fine for lunch but if you come at peak dinner hour on a weekend expect to wait. I have been told they do not take reservations on weekends. The flat bread that they serve prior to your meal is excellent. I've never had anything but the pizza so I can't comment on the other dishes however I can't imagine ordering anything other than the pizza. Keep in mind that this is neopolitan pizza so if you are looking for a soft baked crust covered in lots of cheese you should look elsewhere. The key here is in the subtleties of flavors rather than a gluttony of quantity. Make sure you save from room for gelato after your main meal. They have a wide variety of flavors... my personal favorite is coffee. So good.
(4)Chris C.
Located in a strip mall the restaurant is very flashy and has a great vibe. Faux-stone oven baked pizza. Slick interior was so promising. However, the crust was actually soggy. The other ingredients were actually top-notch. Very good quality. If this place could solve the crust problem then it would SUBSTANTIALLY improve the rating. The service was very slow as well. Want a better stone oven baked pizza in Nashville? Try City House.
(3)Brandi H.
Had the spaghetti and meatballs. Great food, but a little pricey. The ambiance was a little too trendy, and a little too clattered. I will be back, if for nothing else but to try the gelato, which I was too full for last time.
(3)Meg D.
Just finished dining here at Porta Via and what a disappointment. Where should I start? 1. The hostess didn't greet us, in fact we had to ask the girl if she was, indeed, the hostess. 2. We were seated about 6 feet from the front door. It's 50 degrees outside. 'Nuff said. 3. When my boyfriend asked our server about the beer selection she said there were two on tap. One we knew, one we didn't. Upon inquiry she couldn't answer the question "what type of beer is it?" or compare it to any other beer we DID know. 4. When I inquired about a specific wine, she (of course) didn't know the answer and instead just brought me a taste. I asked about a second wine and upon her hesitation I gave up and just ordered something I had enjoyed before. She returns with the bottle already opened (no wine presentation here!!!) and picked up my wine glass to pour it! Bad service etiquette. 5. We ordered the cannelloni appetizer and the person who brought it to us told us it was something different and then changed his story. "oh yes yes this is the cannelloni." It was very tasty. 6. I digress, before we could eat the cannelloni my boyfriend had to go ask someone for silverware. 7. The pizza everyone raves about showed up, uncut, even though we asked for it to be sliced. I got to bus the table while the food runner stood there with the pizza in one hand, waiting for me to do so. She finally put it down once we had made enough space clearing the appetizer plate, b&b's and bread basket. 8. Ahh, the pizza. Soggy, floppy, mess of a thing. Very little sauce and cheese, and so wet it was slimy. I gave up after a 2 pieces. Needless to say a waste of a dinner aside from the cannelloni. Most appalling was the the service. From the daft hostess to our server who has no clue what she is selling, Porta Via is a bust.
(1)Jessica M.
I should give this restaurant one star, after the attitude I caught from one of the servers today. But I wont, because the food is really good. My boo and I walk in there a little after 2 PM today to grab some lunch. There was a woman standing on the phone at the gelato counter (bartender, i guess) who looked at us. No smile, no nod, and didn't even say anything when she got off the phone. Server #2, who was standing at the server station gave us a look, and went back to what he was doing. Server #3 walks up to server #2 and then looks at us. I give her a half smile, and then she looks back at him. She finally turns around, and asks us from across the restaurant if we've been helped. Annoyed, I said no. We tell her table for two, and as we are following her, she stops by server #2 to ask if it was after 2 PM. She put our menu's down and said there you go, and walked away. I was very much annoyed at this point. Server #3 walked by us a couple of times, one of those times she gave me quite a glare. Through out the time we were there, server #3 greeted every person that came in there in an overly friendly way. I couldn't help but to think that maybe she was being over dramatic. I've been in the service industry for over 10 years, and there have been only a few times where I have been appalled by someones LACK of customer service. Today, was one of those days. I can understand if a restaurant is busy, however, this was NOT the case. Making eye contact with us but not greeting us, making us wait, and then giving us attitude, is the furthest thing from customer service. This was not my first time to Porta Via and my past experiences had been good. This experience was enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth, and make me reconsider ever going back.
(2)Justin Y.
This is only a temporary rating. I came here with some friends hoping to try some authentic pizza. I ordered the Margherita pizza, which was served just as they do in Napoli - unsliced. The true way to eat pizza is to tear into it a bit, fold over, and continue to tear off until you have a delicious little morsel in your hand. Everyone should definitely try this out! I LOVED our pizza, but the restaurant did fall short in one area..... the pasta. I also ordered whole wheat fettuccine (They were out of angel hair.) and meat balls. The meatballs had almost no taste, and the pasta was reminiscent of that served in school cafeterias across the country - soggy soggy soggy! The only redeeming quality of this dish was the sauce. I was later informed that they are soon revamping their pasta, which is out sourced, and are going to make their own pasta in house and introduce a new lineup soon. I am looking forward to giving it another shot and hopefully change my rating.
(3)Linda P.
Peter K wrote about the lack of designation from Verapizzanapoletana and possibly at the time of his review that was true but not today. Here's a link to the vpn website and Porta Via is a member! verapizzanapoletana.org/… Their pizzas are fantastic. Quite honestly I haven't had anything at Porta Via that wasn't outstanding. Service is always prompt and friendly as well as helpful in knowing the menu items. I highly recommend it for delicious authentic Italian food.
(5)John R.
Be willing to eat off the menu. Last nights special was four cheese gnochi. The melt in your mouth gnochi was perfect, a little sweet and no sign of heavy flour like some. The four cheese sauce was rich yet very complimenting. The wine selection was ample and the service was pleasent and timely. A great find. Looking forward to seeing this dish on the regular menu. Stop by and try it then let the chef know you want the four cheese gnochi on the regular menu.
(4)Chef X.
It's not bad, probably one of the better pizzas in town and they're not expensive. The service is a tad on the amateur side but they don't have a complex menu so that's okay, too. The crust is inconsistent, though. I've had it properly crusty sometimes and soggy others. The less topping the better the pizza for sure. Ask for an egg on top.
(3)Don W.
We have eaten here approx. 4 times. The food is very good but the restaurant is always excessively noisy. Not a place to go if you want to visit with friends or family while dining. We were there recently on a Tuesday night. It was busy but there were empty tables, and as usual, really noisy. We stood there and waited several minutes for a host/hostess to seat us, but no one ever showed up so we walked out. There are other good restaurants nearby, especially Siam Cafe.
(2)Mel V.
Yum, yum, and yum! My ladies and I came here and had dinner. There is a reason why there is a wait to eat. Everything we had was DELISH. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation if you plan to visit. :)
(4)Zach G.
Carbonara is the bomb. Nuff said. Gelato is great too.
(4)Elliott H.
This was legit Italian food for a reasonable price. The atmosphere was very modern and laid back. Flat screens to enjoy your favorite shows or the fireplace for the simpler pleasure in life. A very good date spot
(4)Bryan C.
food - food was very good. Loved the flat bread, caesar salad and pizza. service - hostess was friendly, server was friendly and attentive. She did bring our salads out before our drinks and had to ask us if we wanted water (we were drinking wine so of course we wanted water) atmosphere - it was somewhat loud and the place was very small. For some reason, I expected a much more adult atmosphere. The place had that brand new feel to it and seemed to cater to families. Almost no bar area either. I would probably not suggest this place if I was looking to hang out with friends and have some good drinks. drinks - beer selection was very, very limited. No liquor from what I could see and the wine selection was meh. Final thoughts - If you are in the neighborhood and looking for a delicious and quick pie, this place is perfect. If you are looking to relax with your adult friends and the beer/wine is just as important as the pie, look elsewhere.
(3)Em P.
I've tried to go to Porta Via a couple of times to no avail (closed on Sunday, an outlandishly long wait, and an even more outlandishly long wait). But this Friday we finally sat and waited long enough to vulture a spot at the little bar and then a table for our party, all of which took about an hour. Man, this place is popular! They don't take reservations (only call ahead, which they seemed to not honor anyway) and the hostess seemed to have no idea what she was doing, but at least they post a large poster of the menu outside so you can figure out what you want to eat and drink when you finally get your fanny in a chair. Gelato window was tempting pre-dinner as well. Once we got inside, we were welcomed with heavy pours of wine (NO WONDER why there are so many people in here...) and a basket of fresh focaccia bread and oil (why do no moderate restaurants in this city put bread on the table? maybe it's a southern thing...). Pre-dinner ceasar salads were made a little extra special with homemade croutons and good cheese, pasta dishes looked great (the forkfull of bolognese I swiped tasted good too), and my white pizza came out with a mountain of fresh arugula and a paper thin fresh slice of prosciutto. I should abide by my own rules, but I dug into the pie without letting it set and the resulting first half was on the soggy side. The mootz they use is reallllly fresh and by nature contains a lot of water...my own fault for not waiting. I wish they cut up the prosciutto to make it easier to relegate around the pizza, rather than having to tear it up myself to make sure I get piggy goodness on every chunk. Prices are pretty great too (especially the cheap by-the-glass wine that would be 2 glasses most places...). With so many attempts to dine here, I was afraid of being disappointed in Porta Via, but I'm happy this place is close to my neighborhood.
(3)Steve D.
A friend recommended Porta and I am glad she did. This is the best Italian place in Nashville. Great authentic dishes. To say Olive Garden is Italian is saying Taco Bell is Mexican. So with that in mind this place is real Italian. Finally! The Gelato is to die for, yum. The pizza is great. It's authentic pizza style so American Pizza lovers may not find it to their liking. But there is more to Italian food besides Pizzas.
(5)Doug G.
In reading some of the other reviews, I'm wondering if everyone ate at the same restaurant. I'm dropping from 5 starts to 4 just thinking that maybe my pleasure was colored by the fact that I was famished. I had one of their signature pizzas, Anita had a giant salad (and a little slice of my pizza) and our son had a pasta and meatball dish. The bread was also fresh, warm and soft. I didn't want to eat any of it, but then once I started, it was hard to stop. And I knew I had pizza coming. Service was friendly and fast. The waitress knew her stuff and actually seemed to enjoy waiting on us. We each had a glass of wine (nice sized pour, too - probably 8 oz.) Total bill for three with tax was $57. We would definitely return any time.
(4)Nicole P.
Their food is good, but definitely not worth sitting through the agonizingly slow service and paying their prices ($12 for a rather small bowl of spaghetti and sauce? Really? Crazy talk. And also let me mention that the prices increased between the 2nd and 3rd time I visited). I gave it more than one chance before I made my final decision, but 3 strikes and you're out. I have never made it out of this place in under an hour - and that's at lunch time, when we ordered dishes that can't possibly take more than 10-15 minutes to put together and when it wasn't crowded - and I've never left without reluctantly handing off at least $14.
(2)Melissa L.
This was my third visit to Porta Via. I was so excited about Porta Via because the chefs had all worked under Mario and I have eaten Ricky's food before and think he's a good Italian chef. My first visit I had the Margherita pizza and thought it just fair with watery canned tomatoes and four leaves of whole basil. Second visit we had the Cappricciosa pizza and it was a little better. My friend Mark thinks very highly of one of the Owner's so I keep giving it a try and hoping for a little more each time. Bistecca alla fiorentino is a simple but incredible dish of Tuscany featuring either a porterhouse or t-bone from their famous Chianina cattle. It is cut very thick and usually serves more than one person. It is salted and cooked rare very quickly over very high heat and served with lemon wedges. So my steak came out and it was a large t-bone. The herbs were not even chopped and were in big hunks, particularly the sprig of rosemary. There was no 'crust', it looked rather drab brownish gray and was definitely lacking salt. And instead of being thick like it should have been, it was rather thin and even though I ordered it medium-rare, it was probably a little towards medium than I would have liked. It was just fair. I didn't come close to satisfying my craving for a nice steak. The vegetable of the day was a mixture of zucchini, yellow squash, onion and mushrooms. They looked nice and caramelized but when I bit into them I could tell the color was coming mainly from a heavy dose of balsamic vinegar. So overall, the meal was disappointing and I think I'm giving up on Porta Via.
(3)Lauren F.
Started with the insalada mista which was simple but fresh, i loved the balsamic dressing! it was probably big enough to share, which is good for a $5.5 house salad. we had four people to share the CAPRICCIOSA($12) Crushed tomatoes, prosciutto cotto, artichoke hearts, roasted mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and mozzarella PORTAVIA($13) Crushed tomatoes, pancetta, woodoven sausage, roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, and mozarella they were kind small but two were perfect to split for four people. a light hand was used with the cheese and toppings, but there was still enough to get different flavors in each bite. i preferred the portaVia, probably because of the tasty meats!! and the toasted pine nuts added a good texture and flavor. i enjoyed the thin crust that was more reminiscent of a flatbread, it was crispy on the crust but not soggy in the middle. if you like american pizza this is definitely not a huge fat blob with greasy cheese and thick puffy dough, and we all appreciated that. my dad said it was the best pizza he's had on this side of the atlantic!! which is saying a lot coming him, he's been all over the world and had pizza in all the major US cities. he said it reminded him of being in Rome. What's not to love about that?! can't wait to go back since pizza is my favorite food.
(5)Neal G.
This is one of my go-to places for lunch. The Apollo and the Meatball bolillos are top-notch and the Insalata Mista is always fresh and the balsamic dressing is really tasty. The pizza is OK but it's not my favorite place for it. All in all Porta Via is a great place and it's a good value for your money.
(4)Bryan L.
The pizza is just like Napoli without the jet lag
(4)Suz J.
900 degrees for 90 seconds bakes gourmet pizza at Porta Via in west Nashville. The wood-fired oven and some key pizza ingredients are imported from Italy. Pizza is built from handmade dough, extra virgin olive oil and quality toppings. Some pasta selections and Northern Italy inspired meat dishes are also on the menu. Their kitchen includes an Italian gelato machine for that frozen treat. Basic affordable wine list too.
(4)Mark S.
Excellent. It was fresh, authentic, wood fired pizza. This is the way pizza was meant to be made. The margherita was simple and delicious. The porta via had crushed tomatoes, pancetta, wood oven sausage, roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Service was great and everyone there was friendly. They gave us a sample of their gelato to finish off the meal and that was excellent as well. I will be back many times!
(5)Matt E.
This a very nice little place, freshly updated and modern. The food was great from start to finish. The squash soup was a perfect starter. I had the veal marsala and my wife had the margherita pizza; both really good. The real treat of this place though is the wide selection of homemade gelato. You get two scops of different flavors. I had the pistachio and Donatella (house specialty which is basically nutella gelato)...really good.
(4)Sissy D.
Nice place, kinda yuppie'ish? You will see people eating while using their mac lap top, while wearing the latest fashions.(not a big concern of mine).....Food was pretty good quality and not to bad price-wise. Staff was very nice. Gelato was very good, a little pricey, but lots to choose from and it was very refreshing. You get 2 scoops per order so get 2 different kinds! We had vanilla and strawberry....total yummmmm! Saw a pizza at the next table, and damn it looked good! Nice place once a month er so...if your from outa town.
(3)Suan R.
Horrid!!!!! I didn't last 10 seconds because of some screeching brat producing ear-splitting noises. Nobody, not the so-called parent or anyone involved with the restaurant showed any interest in doing anything about this, or in providing me with a pleasant, even tolerable, dining experience. I appreciate the certification of the pizza chef, and I am well aware I live in the land of the CiCis worshippers. But if a restaurant isn't willing to provide me with a pleasant experience, nothing makes it worth it to me to spend my time and money there. We went from here to Cafe Nonna and enjoyed not only a very nice pizza but a civilized dining atmosphere.
(1)Aaron C.
Went for dinner, won't be back. Service was uninformed and pretty unattentive. Had the caesar salad which I'm a sucker for, was good. Beer list was limited to crappy domestics like mich ultra and yuengling. Those are great for dive bars and places like Sam's but not for places with 13 dollars pastas. Very over priced for the quality of food. I will pay for rigatoni bolognese but, execute it properly. Don't overbook the pasta and use quality cheese and meat. They shaved fresh Parm on the salad, why not on the pasta? Ground beef with tomato sauce does not make it bolognese. Pizza had the same problem. Pizza dough looked great but, not cooked long enough. I think they are afraid to get some good char on the crust. Every pizza I saw was barely brown. It came out doughy and uncooked in some spots. I really like the way they leave the pizza uncut, it's good to stick to your guns about that kind of thing. If you go through the trouble of making your own dough and making your own pasta please use quality ingredients. Don't use artichokes from a can or use terrible katakana olives. You are already importing real buffalo mozz so make the extra effort for the other toppings and ingredients. I wanted to try the gelato based on other reviews and opinions bit I just couldn't give them any more of my money. Try getting pasta from Lazzaroli pasta if you want to have great pasta. Go to Cityhouse for well executed pizza. Using DOC products,Italian terms and wood burning ovens don't always translate to good food.
(1)Saul M.
For all of the hype on their website as being a VPN certified pizzeria, you would expect a much higher level of thought and care in the pizza they turn out. The menu hypes a lot of toppings as being 'roasted' or 'wood oven,' though none of these things seem to have ever happened. The sausage is without any brown notes and tastes steamed (Trader Joe's Italian is more flavorful) and even worse, the mushrooms are canned. Even Domino's uses fresh mushrooms now! Furthermore, the crusts are quite uneven from pizza to pizza, with a few displaying a nice puffy outer crust and a pleasant crisp/chew. The others, though, are pinched and are merely crisp, without any joy to the mouthfeel. The toppings, on the whole, are applied without thought to the overall pizza experience and the pizzas seem to be over topped to the point where the crust isn't even part of the flavor experience, save at the rim. The sauce is not as bright as you would expect given the 'Neapolitan' tag, but upon closer inspection, they never claim to use San Marzano Tomatoes or make DOC pizza. The table consensus was that although the pizza was tasty on some level, the gap between self-hype and results yielded a disappointing dinner. Overall, I suppose this is a passable pizza place, at least by the overall standards of Nashville, but given the degree to which they claim to hold themselves, the chances of disappointment are high.
(2)S G.
This place is great on many levels. It can get crowded and, yes, the style of pizza is not "Americanized" but the pasta is great, the service friendly, and it is an independent in a sea of surrounding chain restaurants. Gelato is also great and their takeout is superb. Try the meatball sub if you are in a hurry. Those who knocked the place for its different pizza have not read the menu closely enough to see how it is supposed to be different. Try it, you will like it.
(4)Carolyn S.
Fabulous gelato, great pizza and pasta.
(4)rpdr m.
WOW!!! I was not only blown away by the food but our server Bianca rocked! Went yesterday for the first time, brought friends today and will be back tomorrow. Have flown in the past to my home town in New Jersey for good Italian but now I don't have to.
(5)Tyler W.
I was a loyal follower of Hot Kabobs which was one of the owners previous ventures. In eating at Hot Kabobs I knew quality was high on his list of importance, so when we tried Porta Via for the first time on a Friday night, I was still surprised at the quality of the food. We had a short wait and the menu is well developed for a small restaurant so that tables can be turned quickly. We started with a sampler platter of sorts, which included salami cotto, capricola, mortadella, asiago, goat cheese, blue cheese, flat bread and foccacia. It was a little pricey at first glance at $13, but after arrival I was impressed with the portion size. My wife got a Margerhita pizza with Kalmata's and I picked up the pasta carbonara. The pizza was very good, the crust was a little soggy towards the middle, but very enjoyable. The carbonara was excellent, incredibly rich, but that goes with the territory. We also got the coffee gelato which was excellent, very strong espresso flavor and very creamy. I ordered the Panna Cotta which was the only disapointment of the meal, it had too much gelatin in the mix causing it to be very rubbery instead of a smooth creamy texture. It was also very bland. The interior is decorated very well, and clearly he has spent some money to bring on the ambiance. It would make an excellent date night for anyone. We didn't have any wines, but it looked like the selection was respectable, and they had a very fair price on their beer list.
(5)Anne M.
I have no idea why it says this place is kid friendly...it is not. We've eaten here twice with our young children (who are really good in restaurants otherwise we wouldn't even attempt this) and no other single table in the place had kids. There are highchairs, but no kids menu or even smaller portions. Which is fine, but I definitely felt like other patrons were staring at us for even having brought young humans into the place. (it was a Tuesday evening, early. not like a prime date night or anything when I could understand). The food is good though. Really good. They're happy to customize orders for you if you'd like (e.g. I don't eat veal so instead of veal picatta they made chicken picatta, which was fantastic). The pizza is tasty but messy. The gelato? YES please. The wait staff is hit or miss. The people behind the bar/gelato stand couldn't care less if you're standing there or not. No one seems happy to be working there, I guess is the overriding feeling you get. We'll go back, maybe. I always like to give a place a second shot but it's just not a really friendly environment.
(3)Megan C.
I had a most excellent experience at Porta Via. After their website told me that their Italian style pizzas were 'kissed by a wood fire" I was positively salivating at the thought of trying them out. My group of six had fantastic service. Not only did our waitress check on us frequently, but our pizza was out in a hot second, and the manager came to see us as well! My pizza arrived, toasty and with perfect crust, with an excellent smattering of roasted red peppers and other tasty toppings. Don't get me wrong, the pizza was good, but the GELATO transported me back to a hot summer's day in Florence, Italy and my favorite one Euro gelatoria. I sampled the coffee flavor. They've got a great sampling of flavors, including pistachio, strawberry, and dark chocolate. omg. I probably should go get some right now. Maybe I should wait until this blizzard lets up...
(5)Rahel K.
Dear Porta Via, I have driven past you for a year now but honestly thought you were a take-out pizza joint. But, thanks to the rude phone conversation with Caffe Nona (your neighborhood competitor), I decided to give you a try based on a friend's recommendation. You were cozy and inviting. You were busy but friendly. Your authentic Italian roots really showed. Your service was impeccable. Your salad was fresh and homemade Caesar anchovy dressing with soft bread was delicious. The Mahi-Mahi was tasty and the pasta's freshness was obvious. Everyone really enjoyed their meal. I appreciate that I could bring my own wine; although your wine list was reasonable for everyday drinking. My entire bill for 3 people with salad, entrees, dessert and a $15 corkage fee was $86.....extremely reasonable. Thanks for a wonderful night, Porta Via. I look forward to our next date together! Love, Rahel
(5)Jason S.
I would like to give this review more stars, but to start off with, I got a nice serving of broken glass in my pizza. So, moving past that, I suppose it is impressive I give this anything but a one star. Off the bat, we were very impressed with the ambiance, my wife spent a summer in Italy back in college, and she claims this place is exactly like many places she ate at across the countryside, right down to the gelato window. We stopped by there one night for dinner with our little diaper dude. We started off with an excellent salad that we all shared and some super flatbread. My wife ordered a pasta dish, my son got a tiny cheese pizza and I got a pizza with fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, artichokes, and Greek olives. The pizza looked amazing, and was served in authentic style, uncut on an amazing crust. I dug in with wild abandon. About halfway through the pie, I ate an olive and there was a little crunchy along with it, I assumed that this was a little bit of pit that had stuck in. A few bites later, the same crunchy thing happened again, this time with no olives involved. Upon further inspection, I realized that here was a shard of glass in my mouth, meaning I had chewed up and swallowed... The pieces of glass were clearly from a glass jar, I assumed from the olives or artichokes. Our excellent server brought the issue to manager's attention and a gentleman came to our table immediately. They took the piece of glass from us and insisted the glass came not from the kitchen, but from a wine glass that had broken on the other side of the restaurant and had mysteriously landed on my pie (this was crap). They comped my pizza and offered us all free gelato, which was nice, but not worth the stress I experienced for wondering if my insides were getting cut up by glass. Needless to say, we haven't been back.
(2)Samantha joelle A.
I wanted Porta Via to be the most amazing Italian place in Nashville, because it opened up right by my house. So close, I could walk there. I was pumped for the opening. The place is nice inside. It's small, but trendy and open. When we first tried it, we were NOT impressed. So unfortunate. I first ordered the pesto pasta. And, that's all it was. A bowl of pesto pasta. No side salad or anything came with it. I normally like to have SOMEthing else with my pasta. They did serve some kind of bread with it. However, the bread was more like burnt crusts from a pizza. We were confused why they would bring us something so gross. Then, we noticed that the table next to us was being served nice warm pieces of real bread that looked fresh. When we wanted to ask our waitress why we didn't get that bread, she was no where to be found. Yeah, we weren't very happy. I then came back with a group of friends for a birthday party. I had to give them a second chance since last time they had just opened. So I figured they might have improved since then. This time, I ordered a margherita pizza. The pizza was very good, messy to eat, but very good. They also served warm, pillowy delicious bread with olive oil to dip it in with the dinner. Yes, they have improved. I was slightly more satisfied with my dinner the second time around. Not to mention, the gelato here is awesome. We have come back just for the gelato at times. As for the food, I would chose Coco's Italian Market any day. Even Maggiano's. If neither of those were around me, I might be more satisfied with Porta Via. There's just much better Italian choices out there.
(3)Exquisite C.
This is a really great restaurant Fabulous food actually totally amazing food and really fun staff By far the best pizza in town but dont forget to try the pasta!
(5)Lyndi S.
Last week, while furniture shopping, we happened upon this fantastic little number. Porta Via means "Take Away" in Italian, so let me tell you what I took away from Porta Via... A belly full of Caesar salad, freshly made pasta with red sauce and meatballs, and an uncanny amount of bread for someone my size. I probably would've eaten more bread and most likely a giant dessert if I had it my way. (Un)fortunately, my belly and brain stopped me from my gluttony! The only thing I had to complain about was the Caesar salad. It had so much dressing on it, I felt like I was eating lettuce soup! Other than that, I had an incredibly delicious and filling meal, and I can't wait to try more their fresh pastas! If you haven't been, GO! Go be taken away. Just remember, dressing on the side!
(4)Melissa T.
Authentic Neapolitan pizza - every time I go, I'm blown away by the quality of the food and how fresh the ingredients taste. I have yet to try the pasta because I can never steer away from the pizza, but I have heard it's awesome. And the Gelato and wine selection are a major bonus.
(4)Andrea F.
Love, love, love Porta Via! For lunch, the Ensalata Grande salad is fantastic or if I'm in need of comfort food the meatball sub is always delicious. Lobster Ravioli for dinner, or any special they feature is usually a treat. You CANNOT leave without trying their gelato! Out of this world!
(5)Kyla A.
Yay, just came from here and it was the best new restaurant experience I have had in Nashville in a while. The atmosphere was sleek without being uncomfortable or pretentious. My redheaded server (whose name I didn't catch, sorry) had a genuine smile and helpfulness that added an extra air of pleasantness to the whole experience. I started my meal with a double espresso. It had a perfect crema and smooth taste - by far the best I've had in this part of town. For lunch I ordered the Provencal, Greek salad stuffed into French bread. It was enormous and served with both a side salad tossed in a pleasantly garlicky dressing and a small pasta salad which was pretty but unremarkable in flavor. The only detractor from the meal was that the dressing inside the Provencal was too heavy, so I recommend you ask it be tossed lightly if you try the same. All in all, I got two full meals worth of food and a great espresso all for under $10. My only regret is that I came on a day too cold for gelato!
(4)Aria T.
I had been searching all over town for a traditional pasta carbonara and was pleased to find that Porta Via had it on their menu. I read that they make their pasta and sauces fresh daily, which was also a plus. I decided to order to-go and was audibly excited on the phone. Whoever took my order, on the other hand, was not. He was very short with me and pretty much suggested that my to-go order was really bumming him out. I assumed they were busy, so I wasn't affected. However, when I went to pick up my meal, there were two girls at the bar who were clearly more interested in their conversation about someone's personal life than my order. They yapped on and on to each other until one of them finally came over only to tell me my total, snatch my credit card out of my hand, and slam it back down on the counter in front of me. She then sloppily packed the to-go box into a bag and slung it my way. She never once made eye contact or said anything like "thank you". The pasta was awesome. Little heavy on the pepper, but really good. I've ordered it time and time again, though still I've received the kind of service one would get in prison. So that's why I've given this establishment only two stars. Customer service is very important. Italian food is all about enjoyment, and I didn't get a sense of that from Porta Via's pre-menstrual staff. I'd rather stay home and make my own carbonara sauce.
(2)Robin L.
Cute little spot in the strip mall across from Target. Like others have mentioned, you'll probably have some degree of a wait because this place is pretty small. We got a sweet spot in a back booth right by the kitchen. We had a starter salad that was tasty, but the pizza was the star! Thin chewy crust and the price is more than reasonable, especially when you compare it to some of the places in Hillsboro/near Vandy. The only thing I wish I had was some dipping sauce for the crust, but I'm a glutton like that. As others have said, the gelato is really good and not to be missed. No complaints with service either. Will def go again!
(4)