DeNicola's Italian Restaurant

My Sicilian grandmother would approve of this place if she was still with us. Their service, portions, flavor was outstanding. Their special of the day was cheese and spinach ravioli with Italian sausage and the best sauce I’ve had in a very long time. Felt like home, just what this Italian boy needed while missing his gran. Thank you so much!

This spot delivered a classic, comforting Italian-American dining experience. The meal began with warm, buttery garlic bread and a hearty vegetable soup full of rustic flavor. The fettuccine Alfredo was creamy, rich, and generously portioned—simple but satisfying. For dessert, both the tiramisu and cannoli were delightful finishes, with the tiramisu offering a balanced coffee and cocoa profile, and the cannoli adding a fun crunch with a pistachio-dusted shell and sweet ricotta filling. The whole experience felt like a cozy trip to a vintage Italian kitchen.

I first came here about 15 years ago and remember the food being quite good. This is a friend of mine’s favorite Italian restaurant in Portland and since we’ve been talking about it lately, and craving Italian food, it was time to go back and try it again. This time I brought my wife and she decided to order the fettuccine with creamy basil pesto sauce and add meatballs. It was delicious! The meatballs were deliciously tender and tasty, and the sauce on the linguine was rich, creamy, delightful… Oh, we were going to be full after this meal. I got the cheese ravioli with a marinara and creamy pesto sauce blend (by request). It was very filling and delicious and I had to bring some home - as did my wife with her meal. Every pasta dinner comes with antipasto and bread and butter. You will be very full when you leave here. I noticed a number of to-go boxes. The folks working in the kitchen and the servers are all family and friends from Cuba. They were very friendly and really added a big smile to the atmosphere and were very welcoming to the entire restaurant. *** On our second visit here we really didn’t enjoy it as much. The meat in the cannelloni was really gamey and my wife took a few bites and gave it up. Luckily, they didn’t make us pay for it. The mahgerita pizza was bland and too crunchy. My son was bummed and we were all let down. the first visit here was a much better experience. So I’m a little concerned about the consistency here.

First time here. Food very good and service person was very good 👍. Was about 70.00. Got real busy at 5pm it got packed with a lot of people.

Good and authentic Italian food experience for the Portland area. Great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend and it is not overly priced.

We ordered take out. When the food arrived it was still warm which was nice. We ordered two lasagnas that came with bread. The lasagna was pretty oily, had larger pieces of sausage throughout the inside but all in all it tasted good to me. My spouse thought the lasagna was a too spicy and didn't end up eating it due to the spice level and how much oil there was. The to go container was leaking oil outside so the bag was oily and they didn't provide utensils or napkins but we were at home so that was okay. The bread was fresh and soft which we did like. I won't cross DeNicola's off the list yet - while we wouldn't order the lasagna again we do want to give them a fair shot at the restaurant to see if better! I will update my review once we do so.

First time here and I promise we will be back! It was like walking into my nonnas kitchen! Authentic Italian food! Everything was delicious and had so much flavor! We got the meatball sandwich, spaghetti, and the fettuccine! The service was amazing! Queer friendly. And again delicious!

Perfect cheese fest if you’re craving solid east coast Italian. Decor is fantastic and food is hard to beat if that is what you’re craving. I loved the manicotti and bread

Updates for East Side long running restaurants - 1 of 2 I'm glad that this restaurant, DeNicola's, is a constant. It truly anchors the generous, tasty, and filling Italian restaurant niche when so many newer Italian locales are going trendy, expensive, and skimpy. (I'm looking at all you pissy, self-regarding bistros that pop up where the cool people who think they are discerning tend to live.) In fact, their sandwich board outside mentions that, if you like 'East Coast Italian food,' you're a shoo-in for DeNicola's. The interior continues unchanged and they keep it in nice shape. Take note that the restaurant has been handed down a generation and you will see a portrait of the proprietress in addition to photos of the founding generation. Here, the clientele is down to earth and so are the employees. I ordered one of the things I often get - the tortellini filled with meat in a white sauce. The portion size was to my liking since I can almost inhale filled pastas. With it came a dinner salad, some antipasto items, and a bread basket. They are sticking to their good things and one of them is the delicious pesto salad dressing. I'm going from 4 to 5 stars because, on the last visit, the young lady who was the server for my table did an outstanding job and was very amicable and enthusiastic. Since I've been here a number of times, I still look back at the one-off time that there was this really friendly hostess who reminded me of Judith Light. You remember her, right? She was the female lead in "Who's the Boss?" That celebrity lookalike was the hostess, hence she got you seated and such, but she didn't take your order ... but she had this great vibe. So, both that hostess and now this energetic young lady really ratcheted up the quality of the visit and I'm going with 5 stars. So, in closing, I'm coming full circle. It's this 'East Coast Italian food' characterized by good taste, good portions, and good value where DeNicola's delivers and I'm very glad I dropped in to have dinner.

Saturday evening about 6 pm. Craving Italian. I always passed DeNicola's never gave it much thought too busy looking for the top end. But today, could they have a good red sauce. I enter someone held the door. Several people in line to be seated the person behind me that held the door was there to pick up a to go order. The menu is old school. Meatballs are marked as a special item. I had to try... with some chianti. The meat sauce sweet a little spicy maybe creamy and smooth. The meatballs are are moist but dry enough to be breakable. Perfect texture and the flavors...I found myself savoring the bites. Sipping on the wine wanting it to last. There is a nice collection of chianti, sangiovese and abruzzo. The decor, yes, I caught a couple of pictures. The wait staff that greeted me upon entering and taking care of me to the numerous pleasant attendants stopping by to make sure I had what I needed. I admit one of the better old school Italian places in Portland, a classic.

We ordered take out. When the food arrived it was still warm which was nice. We ordered two lasagnas that came with bread. The lasagna was pretty oily, had larger pieces of sausage throughout the inside but all in all it tasted good to me. My spouse thought the lasagna was a too spicy and didn't end up eating it due to the spice level and how much oil there was. The to go container was leaking oil outside so the bag was oily and they didn't provide utensils or napkins but we were at home so that was okay. The bread was fresh and soft which we did like. I won't cross DeNicola's off the list yet - while we wouldn't order the lasagna again we do want to give them a fair shot at the restaurant to see if better!

Frank Sinatra music, wine bottles lining shelves, wood lattice, strings of lights, candles on the tables, red checkered tablecloths and the old Italia placemats. This place screams the old East Coast Italian restaurants I grew up eating at in New Jersey. DeNicola's is a piece of old Portland that's been around since 1978 and they don't need to change anything about it. I was with the kiddo and wanted old school Italian food. Yes, there are plenty of the fancier places across PDX and I do enjoy many of them but, it's not what we were looking for. Spaghetti, gnocchi, fettuccine, manicotti, shells, lasagna. The menu wasn't large, but they had the essentials. I was surprised that there wasn't any fried calamari on the menu, but there was garlic cheese bread and a really good salad for two. We probably could have done well with just that and the Italian cream soda my daughter has, but pasta was up next. Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken for her and lasagna with meat sauce for me. Both were really good and nostalgic because no one does just simple items like this. The portions were big and the kiddo was stuffed. No room for tiramisu this visit. I've known about DeNicola's for a long time and I'm glad we finally got to go to enjoy some good old school Italian cuisine. Enjoy and support local!

If you love cheese stuffed anything, get the cheese tortellini. I recommend the mezza mezza sauce with it!

What a cute restaurant. The food was authentic. The sauce was made with so much love. They gave us just enough food to feel full and satisfied. The customer service was top notch. It felt like home. We definitely will come back here again when we come back to Portland.

Arrived very early, 4:30 Friday afternoon. Place looked like Grants Tomb on Lees birthday, and by the time we left there was one other couple being seated. I'm not sure why patronage was so low, but maybe good weather and people were staying home, or maybe good weather and everyone was eating at food carts. Any way the three of us shared the Duet Salad, which consisted of 3 kinds of lettuce,mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and onions with a great Italian dressing. There was plenty for the three of us to have 2 helpings each. We decided to order the meat lovers small pizza, thick perfectly cooked crust, with great cheese. There was more than enough for the 3 of us. Val had a small glass of red wine which she said was perfect. We've had other dishes here and they've always been good. I'm sure whatever you're looking for it will be excellent! Service was good, but why wouldn't it be, the restaurant was empty. Hopefully things picked up after we left!

We went here with family who used to dine here back in the day. It was my first experience. The ambience is charming and definitely old school. The service was great. The food was disappointing. The garlic cheese bead didn't have any garlic flavor and the bread was barely toasted. The minestrone soup was very watery and the vegetable chunks were huge like too big to bite without cutting. All of our meals were drowning is red sauce that tasted like it was from a jar. The veal was very thin over cooked and heavily breaded. Don't think I'd repeat the experience.

Best, most authentic Sicilian, family style restaurant. The menu is exactly what you want it to be and the execution is perfect. The service makes you feel like the owners daughters and sons are running the place and have made you a part of their family. I wish I could give this 10 Stars! Support them!

This is a sweet, family-style, old-fashioned Italian restaurant. The portions are huge and the wait staff are so kind. I went here for my birthday and it was awesome. A nice, low-key, great time. My only wish is they didn't serve veal. Five stars.

If you're from New York or New Jersey you'll feel right at home. This is exactly like one of those solid mom and pop Italian restaurants from my youth. Solid lasagna and managut. The cannoli too. Portland does everything just right. Service was excellent.

Ever had a REAL pizza? Good as it gets. Combination, small (What do you mean small!) I could barely finish three slices. The crust is fresh bread texture and their sauce is marvelous with many great toppings! This is killer pizza the way it should be!

We arrived Sunday about 4:30 pm shortly after they'd opened. Service was excellent, friendly and efficient. Everyone enjoyed what the ordered and all brought home leftovers.

This is a family favorite for my family. Authentic, yummy, generous portions of Italian food and the family that owns the business are always there welcoming, serving, and checking on customers. You'll see family photos and a full Italian decor. They also offer catering and do an amazing job. We eat here frequently and have used them to cater events. You will love every bite every time you eat their food and be grateful for amazing customer service

Doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside looks nice. The restrooms look great too! Some of the portions are large while others are not; it depends what you order. The food tastes good and is presented well, but it's expensive. I appreciated that the cheesy bread was soft. But because we ordered that, the waitress didn't give us the bread that was supposed to come with our entrees. Olive Garden is still better than this place, because Olive Garden gives you unlimited soup or salad with your meal. This place was lacking in salad options. If you want a small salad with your meal, you have to pay extra.

Bad customer service , rude cooks . Poor packaging and flavorless pasta . Not only was my delivery messy but they make ordering what you want difficult . I would not recommend this place .

Website is chaotic. It makes no sense. There are two sections for pizza toppings but each section allows you to select multiple so the 2nd section is not needed. When calling the restaurant asking how to navigate the person that answers has no idea how to and leaves you on hold forever. It's frustrating! I can only hope I ordered a basic pepperoni pizza correctly. The experience in restaurant is way less stressful. All you say is what size and kind of pizza THATS IT!

DiNicola's is an old fashioned spaghetti and pizza place. The food is traditional and excellent. We ordered a calzone to-go. It takes 20-30 minutes to prepare. It was ready and wrapped in foil when I arrived. The DiNicola calzone feeds a family so be prepared to have leftovers if there are just two of you. Oh, and the calzone was great!

Old-school red sauce Italian. The food here ordered by DoorDash so am not familiar with in-store service. The food reminds me of New England which is my favorite style. Haved ordered several times and food is delicious. Seriously delicious.

First time at this restaurant with my family! Great service big portion food. Everything was very tasty. Really enjoyed the two different types of bread served. It was like a French bread and the other one was like a garlic bread really enjoyed the side of salami, meat and cheese with carrots and Peppers. Would definitely come back again.!

We've been huge DeNicolas fans since they first opened in 1978. Fast forward 46 years, we have celebrated many happy occasions at DeNicola's! Too many birthday parties to count, anniversaries, grooms dinners, family get togethers, graduations, and many more of life's milestones. The delicious food and warm family atmosphere keep drawing us back. We highly recommend DeNicolas for your family celebrations, pizza to go, or a quiet evening for two

The service was amazing. Our server knew Paw Patrol kids show so we connected with our grandkids immediately. Food was amazing. Best Italian I have had since moving to Oregon 1.5 years ago. We are from Dallas so can't go as often as we would like. Beautiful inside decor. Went on a Thursday night and plenty of seating.

I ordered online for delivery and got a great deal on some pasta. I wonder if maybe that great deal is why the two pastas were only decent and not at the level that i have had at this place in person before. Not nearly enough sauce on the traditional spaghetti and the spaghetti aglio oglio is mostly tasteless. i can taste parm when i put it on pasta, i don't taste it see any on here just large chunks of very lightly roasted garlic with not much flavour. it's still kinda good i'll just put my own parm so 4 stars. They also gave us free bread and who doesn't love free bread. It is just plain bread tho not garlic or buttered.

They have downsized their portions and increased the price. Also discontinued their all you can eat spaghetti promotion. Used to love this place but won't go anymore.

Great service by Nels who made us delicious Manhattans, an antipasto platter big enough for our group of 5 with a salami rose, and even celebrated my bday with spumoni in a martini glass. Pizza was stellar as usual. Love this place and super excited they have cocktails now!

If you are looking for a solid nostalgic Italian dining experience, look no further. This place takes me back to a simpler time, when restaurants took pride in the simpler dishes - focusing on quality and service. Well, DeNicolas delivered. Clearly a family owned business where you can sense that these folks actually care. Service was top notch and everyone was very kind. They even brought out a awesome bread basket with foccacia slices with sauce and tomato. Delicious. Every dish, from the eggplant parmesan to the stuffed manicotti - so good. Sauce was solid. Absolute comfort food. We were all stuffed and still had enough leftovers for another meal. Will be going back for sure!

Sorry excuse for Itialian food. Absolutely disgusting. I will never go back. Please learn how to cook any decent food.

Loved all the good we tried ! Definitely will go back . Went with friends for the first time this week . Garlic aioli is waaaay too garlicky for me but everything else was excellent

I ordered a takeout, lasagna, garlic bread, and a salad. The lasagna was BAD. The meat was unidentifiable, mushy and grayish looking. The bread was ok. The salad was good but very expensive. Dinner for one was $36! I won't go back, but I imagine their pizza is better than their entrees.

It has been over 40 years since I moved away, up here for some medical stuff and wanted Italian and all my old places are gone with the wind. Found this little family place snd do very happy I did. Just to watch the other customers, was plain to see why this is a favorite. Service beyond, food, value, atmosphere without question excellent. Mollie was our server and along with the staff made this a most enjoyable evening. Thank you.

Food was great as always I love the Meatballs! They are delicious Service was friendly and we never felt like we were forgotten the Antipasto was tasty as well this place is Family run and has been operating for decades This place is a Portland institution don't waste your time with Italian food from a cold and heartless chain of Italian wannabes After eating at Denice's you won't want to ever waste your time or money on anything else Try out the Panzerotti or another dish, you won't be leaving hungry or disappointed

Reminds me of the Italian I get when I visit family on the East Coast. We've always complained that Italian on the west coast never even came close to the east, and DeNicola's was the first to change my mind. Immediately upon walking into the restaurant, I knew that free bread would be delivered to our table, and a number of classic Italian dishes would be on the menu. The wait staff is fantastic, and we felt super welcome. Portions are large (as they should be), and this spot will definitely be on our regulars list. Wish I could've tried the dessert.

Precisely what you expect. I stick with the spaghetti with meatballs. I always fill up on bread and antipasti and superb minestrone that is classically the scraps of veggies used in other dishes. Then I get second dinner at home with most of my pasta. Great service too.

Do not recommend. French bread ala supermarket. Takeout cold, stingy on sauce. I apologized to my guest for the meal.

Ordered here a few weeks ago. The gnocchi and fettucine were both catastrophically overcooked. The gnocchi was unrecognizable - complete sticky mush. The fettucine wasn't as bad, but it wasn't good. The sauces were fine, nothing to write home about but not terrible. The pasta was unforgiveable. I'm sorry, I'm Italian - that is the one thing an Italian restaurant can't be allowed to mess up and get away with. One extra star for the cannoli, which was genuinely great.

When my husband and I moved to Portland about 2.5 years ago, we began looking for a "red sauce" Italian place. We soon found DeNicola's and have been there at least a half dozen times including attending two friends' wedding reception. We have yet to be disappointed. My go to's are the Lasagna and the Chicken Parm. Both are pure comfort food. The meal comes with fresh bread and for an extra $2.99, you can add on soup or salad and that also includes a little mini antipasto plate. It is well worth the upgrade. We have also had the combination plates and the manicotti. Both were filly and tasty. On occasion, they will have Spaghetti Carbonara as a special. Just get it. It is a hit and they don't skimp on the bacon (thank goodness!). The atmosphere is right out of the Sopranos with red checked tablecloths, candles (although they should get the drippy candle and pair them with used Chianti bottles), and lots of Sinatra and friends crooning over the loudspeakers. There are booths and tables and a back room for large groups. The decorations are what you would expect from a red sauce place: plastic grapes and vines, plenty of Italian kitsch, and the founding couple overlooking the place. Service has always been on target with glasses filled and bread replenished without the server being overbearing. In fact, service all around is grand. We had a mistake made on our billing to my debit card and Donna, the owner, was quick to rectify the situation and made sure we were invited back. Of course, we will be. We really enjoy DeNicola's. Good food. Great service. Kind people. Red sauce all the way!

Nom Nom ma pa restaurant to die for, easily packed before opening! Check its menu. Original spaghetti dish does it, I hardly do it at home.

SUPER disappointed. We were really looking forward to THICK crust and since the menu says "ALL PIZZAS are THICK CRUST" we didn't think we needed to specify. We ordered pizza margarita and were extremely disappointed when it arrived and it was thin crust. PLEASE update your menu to reflect that that is the only pizza NOT made with thick crust. The sauce was very good and the service was good too. Would have liked more non-dairy choices for spaghetti rather than just alio olio and marinara. Perhaps adding a dairy free pesto or mushroom ravioli?? Most likely will not return.

Really good family owned Italian food from the 'old school days." Don't look for fusion here. This is your awesome standard, straight up spaghetti and meatballs kinda place (mom had that - wonderful!). They start you out with tasty bread (2 types) and antipasto plates. YUM! I went with the lasagna. Nice meat and mozzarella but I prefer a bit more sauce and ricotta. The flavors were smack on though! Sauce was GREAT! Which is why I needed more. Hubby got his favorite Eggplant Parm and was super happy since he hasn't found one as good as this since moving to Portland last May. Definitely will be returning and trying out other items on the menu!

They forgot to put crab on Crab Fettuccine for takeout. When my wife called and told them, they became indignant. We asked if we could get it replaced and they said it was her fault. Rude treatment upon arrival and charged her extra. Now I have the food and am afraid to eat it after the way they acted. You just lost a weekly customer. My family will not return.

Pizza Week Review: 1 of 10 consecutive pizza slices Now I am super glad to see people stepping up and letting their normal restaurant turn into a slice shop, and this one is a nice looking place. The staff was nice, and the pizza came quick, maybe a bit too quick as the pizza was just barely warm. Letting that set aside, the slice was quite good... I think it would have been better if it were on point temp wise... The balsamic reduction was sweet and tasty, and the cheese was better than many this day. They made a traditional slice, which I appreciate. Nothing over the top, but it was done well, and appreciated. I would say this is a stop for sure on the pizza week path, I will have to review photos and their menu for future visits. Thank you for being a part of the community.

We were craving a classic Italian meal and prefer to eat local. The food was very good and service was excellent. The added bonus is being kid friendly. We will definitely return!

Great food but watch your credit card. Mine was charged addl 30% tip by our server. Called and left a message to have manager address it, waited a week and never received a call back.

If you use delivery apps and are in the mood for Fetticini Alfredo or a classic pasta, this place is the best bang for your buck in quality and portion size.

If you're looking for traditional East Coast Italian fare, DeNicola's will take care of you. It's not modern, it's not fancy, but it's comfort food with wonderful service. We went with 2 toddlers and the waitresses were so accommodating. The portions are sizable and the price fair. DeNicola has been around for over 50 years and one of the last hold outs on an ever changing Powell street.

Absolutely made our day a week ago when we were down and out and a friend said "let me send you some food from DeNicola's." It was a. mah. zing. So yummy and brought right to our door. Smooth delivery, excellent food, still hot and tasty after transport. We've been in there a time or two before for specials, but this was the first time we'd gone all out. Lasagne, Raviola, Manicotti.... even dessert. The chocolate cake is STUNNING. It's a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. We'll be back. More than once. If you're looking for authentic Italian right here in Portland proper, this is your spot.

Wonderful restaurant experience for any occasion whether a last minute decision to go out to eat, place for a large party - especially with family, simple casual occasions or romantic private date nights. The booths provide lots of privacy. The food is AMAZING, especially lasagna, spaghetti, seafood dishes and warm garlic bread (everything we tried). Very fair and reasonable pricing for Fantastic food and Excellent service (Tia was so sweet and genuinely lovely!). Even the owner came to ask how everything was tasting and if we needed anything. Just overall a WONDERFUL local spot to dine in SE Portland - we will definitely be going again!!

We had ordered a variety of pastas and all were below average to average. Tasted what pasta would be like from a pizzeria.

Ordered chicken fettuccine and ravioli. While the ravioli was good the fettuccine amd chicken was bland, nothing special and very few pieces of chicken. When i looked at my bill once i was home i waa charged additional 1.00 for for fettuccine Sauce and 20% take out tip. I was livid. Watch your bill. Very disappointed.