La Buca

09/19/09

Simply La Best!

by ACJ

This is my favorite eaterie in Portland - the food is always really good, the service warm and friendly, and I appreciate the fact that you can get a decent bottle of wine without seeing your total double. It's the perfect place to relax and unwind at the end of the day. The fish is always staggeringly good value, too. Thank you!

• Pros: great food, service, wine, ambience
• Cons: absolutely none

08/07/09

the price is right

by mark0101

good food and fast service

well be back .

wild salmon for less than $11

• Pros: price

05/13/09

Great and consistent

by calcite

great food.

consistently great food.

great prices.

great bartender. good drinks.

consistently rude waitress. too bad.

• Pros: food
• Cons: waitress

03/20/09

Excellent food, Great prices

by eirenua

I was impressed with the fresh ingredients and tastes. The bruschetta was incredible, very fresh mozzarella with a sweet balsamic drizzled over it, just perfect. The portions were generous, the entrees and appetizers could easily be shared between two people. Which brings me to the other great pro: the prices. The mashed potatoes with pesto and olive oil are enough for two and costs $4. The entree I ordered (baked penne with mascarpone and parmesan with roast chicken) was one of the more expensive at $9 and I was able to share it. It is family friendly, with numerous tables having several kids, and the service was attentive even during a big dinner rush. I recommend getting there just as they open for dinner, they fill up fast, but nobody waited very long. I didn't notice parking, but I take the bus, which stops at their door. I highly recommend this place for great atmosphere, perfect portions, excellent flavors and wallet-friendly prices.

• Pros: Food, price, service
• Cons: None

03/10/09

Wonderful!

by CSMobileUser

I go to La Buca at least twice a month. Great food and service and the price is right! With a half order of pasta and salad less than $10! Amazing! Cooked to perfection and a great atmosphere you won't be sorry to try la buca!

09/26/08

Great food, service, prices! We'll be back!

by pearlie1

We ate there tonite (Sept. 26th. ) The menu is varied enough but not too many entrees. We had bruschetta, tomatoes with basil , buffalo style mozzerella , a delicious balsamic reduction and olive oil for an appetizer at $3.75, a great value! Then my wife had the slow cooked pork on pasta and I had the baked penne on a red sauce with sausage. Both were tasty, good sized portions and reasonably priced. With a bottle of French Chardonnay, dinner was under $40 (tip extra). We can't wait to return. Service was fast, polite and they were genuinely concerned about the quality of the meal.

Places like this are hard to find!

• Pros: Friendly atmosphere, European Cafe ambiance, Great food value
• Cons: Paper Napkins, Hard chairs (Easy to overlook once the food arrives)

09/05/08

Service is stupidly slow

by tappuhn

We went for a "quick bite" on a weeknight, and as we were walking in we said to ourselves "wasn't this the place that was really slow before? Not sure. Maybe...." While we were seated promptly, it took about 15 minutes to even place our order, and we finally walked out after waiting another 40 minutes without getting our food. In the meantime, we watched someone sitting outside, who was seated immediately after us, order, eat and get his check. Their excuse? "The special takes longer than regular pasta". Uh, 30 minutes longer?

Serves us right for giving it another chance.

02/05/08

Our love affair with La Buca

by earthbeing12

Love this place. Fits exactly our preferred criteria for a great restaurant, namely a balanced price-quantity-quality ratio reflected in the menu, no pretentious kowtowing to the urban hip, authentic service absent of ass-kissing, a satisfying house pour (Chianti in this example), all topped by a good, simple desert (here, it?s the bread pudding) that satisfies the soul. We visit the 28th Av. Location monthly, if not more often, and have not yet tired of their putanesca, baslico, and vegetariana. Every visitor we host is treated to La Buca, and every single one of them has had a positively memorable meal. The proof: My father, never one to rave about a dinner out (so expensive, we could have eaten just as well at home, etc. etc., etc.) still talks about the slow cooked pork something-or-other he?s had there many times, and when ever they visit this is where we eat at his urging. To waddle out of La Buca is a joyful experience we have repeated again and again for several years, and will continue to do so until either they close, or we can?t get the fork to the pie-hole any longer.

• Pros: Great, reasonably priced food, wine and desserts all served with a smile
• Cons: There is not a La Buca within waddling range of my front door

01/12/08

Delicious!

by therestaurantsearchers

Delicious food, wonderful staff, family friendly, Should-Be-Expensive-But-Not. For every time Iv'e been here, Iv'e never had a bad experience!

12/01/07

Love it!

by kinnetic

La buca is great. I went there on a whim and have been a regular since! This place is good for lunch and dinner, we've always had decent and timely service. One time we came in on a lunch break, and even though most of the tables in the restaurant were full the girl who was serving us was always there, brought everything out in a timely manner (we weren't late!), and was an impressive server to watch serve their whole little restaurant. She had a smile on the whole time! That is definitely appreciated, as are the good portion sizes and DELICIOUS pasta. I've tried quite a few different dishes now, and none have disappointed me. If you're into seafood, go for the salmon pasta dish. Classics like pomodoro and fettucine alfredo done just right (not too overbearing but still with flavor) are good to start with. Will keep returning, great job!