Lucca Reviews

I have been here twice and both times were delicious, comfortable and very friendly service. Their pizza has the perfect crust (I am picky), crunchy and thin, and the sides are interesting and yummy. Nice friendly atmosphere.

Pasta was perfectly done. Bread tray gives you 2 types of fresh bread. Pizza fast and delicious with little or no tomatoes. Beat salad and charcuterie boosts nicely done. Not pretentious and priced reasonably so makes it easy to take someone to. Pork chop was exceptional in floor and nice portion.

I had Lucca food delivered last night and it was the first time I have had their food despite living nearby. I ordered a margherita pizza, pesto zucchini, and a side of green beans. I loved it all! I really can't say which item was my favorite though I'm definitely going to be adding pesto zucchini to my repertoire. The green beans were perfectly cooked...not over cooked and with some crunch. They came with almonds as well. The pizza was a nice thin crust with fresh mozerella and basil (but no tomatoes like I've had on other margherita pizza.) The food was delivered quickly (via amazon prime) and it was a great experience.

This a a very cool neighborhood Italian place. We loved the atmosphere. The wait staff was very friendly. Food was really good but a bit pricey. $7 for a salad, $13 for 3 large ravioli. It was definitely quality over quantity, which is fine by me.

We had a tasty Caesar salad and yummy pizza. The bread with olive oil was scrumptious! The only reason I gave it a 4 was due to limited wine and they ran out of IPA so the beer choices were also limited. Otherwise, a great meal!

Five of us for early family Christmas dinner. Everybody ordered different entrees. All were very good, and the service was good, too. Only negative was the olive oil provided with the bread. Two of us thought it tasted rancid, none of us thought it tasted fruity or good.

Took our adult daughter and son-in-law to dinner here in early December. Nice atmosphere and we were seated immediately. Drink order taken…..then we waited… Server said something about letting our Cabernet Franc breathe for a bit. Then, 10 minutes later he brought the unopened bottle to our table. Our dinner order was taken, then we waited again. On 2 occasions a different server tried to deliver someone else's appetizer. Then another server but entrees down on the table then snatched them back. Wrong table again. Once we received our correct entrees, we enjoyed them, but were slightly underwhelmed. Once we received the check, there was an added 3% fee for employee health insurance. Bill for 4 adults was $172 before tip.

Wonderful neighborhood restaurant. Great vibe, service and food. Had the gazpacho and gnocchi which were fresh and flavorful. Outstanding experience.

I just had pizza and I really don't understand why more people haven't heard about this place. Portland does have excellent pizza opportunities, but all the others seem to have long lines and most feature difficult street parking. Not here. The next time I plan to explore other menu options---but only if I can resist another outstanding pizza.

We have been wanting to try Lucca for quite some time. We finally decided to spend a family anniversary there last night. I'm not sure that was a good choice. It was a Friday night and the first thing that hits you upon entering is how loud it is inside Lucca. I have been in plenty of restaurants that had a higher than expected noise level, but Lucca is LOUD!! We could barely hear each other talking when standing waiting for our table. I must compliment the host staff. We had a reservation for 7:00 pm and did not get seated until 7:30 pm. It was not for lack of trying to get us a table, the guests currently seated were just camping out. When we finally did get seated, they immediately brought us a complimentary antipasti. The dining room support staff was also very welcoming and attentive. This is where Lucca earned only three stars instead of the five it could have earned. Our server was the worst! We were celebrating an anniversary, which everyone else in the restaurant congratulated us on, but her. In fact, she made no attempt to engage us in any way. She was taking care of a larger party behind us and as I sat and watched her interact, laugh, and cater to them, we sat there generally ignored. We had to actually ask a bus person to go get her so we could order. Once we ordered, that was about the last we saw of her for quite some time. All of our food was delivered by the support staff. They even checked up on us. She popped in once to fit waters, which she did very sloppily, even getting water in my martini as she sloshed it into my water glass. She never offered to refill drinks, had a total lack of concern when asking us near the end of our meal "how was everything?" Had I been the owner of this restaurant, she would be out the door. Don't get me wrong, the food at Lucca is very, very good. Three of us had pastas, and they were fantastic. The portions were a bit small. I guess they want you to save room for dessert (which we skipped because we just had had enough of our servers lack of attention). I don't think I would go back to Lucca. The biggest reason is the noise. and secondarily would be that if Lucca allows a server like the one we had represent them, then I do not feel comfortable giving them my business. I've said this before when I try a restaurant that I did not particularly care for, there is a lot of competition in Portland among restaurants, especially at the level Lucca strives to fit in. Lucia is not up to par with it's competition and remain a neighborhood eatery, not a destination restaurant.

Always nice to unexpectedly pop into a place and have a perfect experience. we were across the street waiting endlessly to be served at a wine bar i won't mention when we just got up and walked out; looked across the street and saw Lucca and walked right over. It was a great decision. Lucca was a bit crowded on a friday night, we didn't have a reservation and the place was hopping-- so we instantly grabbed two seats at the bar. Our whole evening was delivered by the bartender (Nicholas?) who was friendly, efficient and hard working all at the same time. menu and drink orders were given and taken, wine recommendations were spot on and he even mentioned prices and value when talking about their offerings-- a good practice when a glass of wine can be way overpriced. menu is italian all the way. given we were in a hurry, we skipped the wonderful looking main dishes and went for the Funghi Pizza, Polenta and a kale salad. and another round of drinks. we didn't mention we were in a hurry to catch a show at the Fremont Theatre across the street and didn't have to. The pizza was delivered seconds after being taken out of their wood fired oven and was hot, crisp and bubbling. top notch. many mushrooms. Polenta was creamy and was so tasty that i could envision it as breakfast and dinner. Bowl was about as much as one person could eat... Kale salad with pears was typical but like other dishes was large enough to share. we ate every bit of food and didn't have to rush out to make our event due to their good service and eye on the customer. The crowd never let up, line was still forming as we left and we clearly understand why- the experience would have been worth a wait. parking is easy too.

So Lucca's is our favorite neighborhood restaurant and we have always had great meals here. A month or so ago, after delicious appetisers, we were surprized that our two entres, which were two different pasta dishes were both too salty. We told our waitress, who immediately took our meals back to the kitchen and returned to tell us somehow the pasta water had been over salted. They cooked new pasta, were very apologetic and told us to order desserts as the whole evening was on the house! We felt they went above and beyond and made what could have been a disappointing experience into one where we felt very taken care of. In this day and age, where " the customer is right " often does not happen, we felt this service was extraordinary.

We came with a party of six at 7:00 p.m. with no reservations on a busy December 21 evening. Not surprisingly we had to wait over an hour for a table, but as seldom occurs, the wait was worth it for the quality of the food. We shared the Grilled Radicchio and Beet salads, both very flavorful. Three of our party had pizzas of various varieties, The Arrabbiata was excellent and quite spicy from chili flakes. The Salsicce was also a tomato base, very good, and not as spicy. The Prosciutto e Funghi pizza was equally delicious, and not with a red sauce or at all spicy. The other three of us had the Garganelli pasta, probably the best restaurant pasta I've ever had in Portland. I'm eager to return just for that. The service was excellent once we finally got seated, and we were able to order from the bar while waiting. And prices are very reasonable, in the upper teens unless you order meat or seafood. We will definitely be back!

We've eaten at Lucca before but this was one of our best experiences. Staff friendly and relaxed even tho it was Friday before Valentine's Day. Our waiter, Derek, was attentive, informative and fun. The food was particularly good - Wood Fired Brussel Sprouts - YUM!, Soppressata Pizza and a delicious fig crostata for dessert. We shared the meal and it was plenty for us "older" folks - even brought some of the pizza home. It's probably a good idea to have reservations for Lucca - we didn't but arrived around 5:30. There were lots of people waiting when we left. It's definitely a nice place to have in the neighborhood.

The service is absolutely wonderful. Waiters like Sean make you feel at home. Evan the bartender is creative and remembers everyone. This is a neighborhood restaurant so it does not get a lot of press in Portland. But, you cannot go wrong, the chef is one of the best, the food is wonderful, the service exceptional. It is a family place. And, recently at 5PM when it opened there were four parties already in line. There might be a wait but it is clearly worth it.

Not only is the food authentic Italian but the service is fantastic. Wine selection is great. I will visit here every time I visit Portland

My partner and I tried this place on a whim and WOW to The Brown Cow! This place is superb. Food was some of the best Italian in PDX, and the service was off the charts awesome. We loved the gnocchi with pesto and the lamb ragu.... The only complaint we felt was the acoustics were subpar. Very loud. The owners could do two things that would help: 1) put some table clothes on those aged surfaces! Red would look great! 2) put a partial divide between the bar and rest of seating! We will be back!

wonderful food, great customer service. I especially enjoy that the menu has several items that are favorites, and then seasonal changes to look forward to throughout the year.

This is a buzzing and friendly Italian situated in North East Portland. It has a wood-fired oven situated if full view of dinng area which means pizzas are a specialty. A recommended appetizer to share is Salame e Formaggio, which comprises a collection cheeses and salamis. The Pan Seared Halibut itself was excellent. However the accompaniment of snap peas turned out to be under cooked green beans which somewhat spoiled the dish. For dessert the Affogato, ice cream with espresso coffee was delicious. Service was very good - shame about the under cooked vegetables.

We shared a family dinner here and were all happy with the meal. Italian wines, brussel sprout appetizer and creative ingredient combinations lightly served on thin crust oven roasted pizza make for a "pleased palate " experience. Put that all in a warm and relaxing environment and you have a terrific dining experience!

we met a friend for dinner, as we hadn't been to lucca for a year. we began with a birra moretti, and the other 2 shared a bottle of barbera red wine. all were wonderful. next they shared the Antipasti del Giorno, a little of this, a little of that,selections changedaily at our whim. i had the Salmon Crudo, Coho salmon tartar, a crunchy green bean fennel salad,dill, pickled shallot vinaigrette, and peaches & Cream & Crostini. they had the Pork Chop alla Griglia, grilled pork loin chop,flageolet beans, wood fired tomatoes, tomato sage pancetta condimento, and the other diner had Pappardelle, chanterelle & lobster mushrooms, sweet yellow corn,melted leeks,taleggio, parmesan. they wanted dessert, so they ordered the panna cotta, peaches, huckleberries, vanilla honey, lemon madeleines...plus the semifreddo, frozen plum custard, caramel, huckleberry. our server was most friendly, informative, and funny. his name is sean patrick martin. he was fantastic, and it's apparent how much he loves working at lucca. thx... -

I have been to lucca a few times before and it's never disappointed. It isn't terribly fancy I would wear something nice but don't stress about being all fancy. I got bolognese and it was very good and they gave me the perfect size portion. I also had some of my brothers pizza which was fantastic. I personally would recommend the pizza, but unless you will eat a lot I would split the pizza with someone.

Hi foodies, Another impeccable, insane, mouthwatering "drip at the bit" menu and fine wine restaurant. Identified as a ZAGAT rated and Michelin reviewed. In my book. The best Gnocchi I have ever had! The Ceasar salad was an nice interlude to the basil pesto dripping gnocchi drenched in rich pesto and dollup of olive oil, shaved fresh parmigiano cheese. With an seductive amount of Montepulciano Abruzzo (2010) wine. To put the icing on the cake, we had the most adorable and knowledgeable waiter, Drew. So delightful! Would love to come back here again!

We chose this restaurant based on reviews, and it did not disappoint! It was a busy Saturday evening, but we easily got reservations for 2 during prime time. Our server offered fabulous suggestions..We split: arugula and snap pea salad, lamb ragu pasta, and halibut with risotto. All were very well presented, super fresh, and perfectly cooked. Our server checked in often, wait staff were very prompt in clearing the table. Other dishes that seemed popular were pizzas and small dessert crostatas. We wil definitely return on our next trip to Portland!

Lucca was the perfect location for our summer evening meal. We chose to dine outside and the waitstaff were attentive and friendly. I recommend the refreshing and sophisticated Lovejoy cocktail. The green salad with beets, hazelnuts and creamy herbed goat cheese was perfectly plated and featured plump and flavorful blackberries. The Chicken al Mattone was excellent, especially paired with the generous helping of grilled seasonal veggies and pesto. My husband had the flat iron steak with Chanterelle mushrooms and Yukon potatoes and was equally impressed and delighted with his meal. Lucca makes the most of the season's bounty and we were the lucky recipients! We'll be back for sure.

We were celebrating our 13th anniversary, this place was suggested by a friend. We walked in and it was a little noisy (lots of families), we were about to leave since we wanted something more "romantic" lol. Glad we decided to stay!! We had the beet salad, gemelli with duck sauce(to die for) and the braised steak with a lovely red wine recommended by our server!! I would go back tonight if I could!!

As a neighborhood resident who likes to support local restaurants and businesses, I was appalled at the customer service we, and numerous other patrons, received at Lucca last Friday afternoon. We arrived at 2 p.m. and the male server was very curt and rude to us, saying that it would be at least a 10 minute wait as he rushed past us. The restaurant was about 20% full when we arrived so a 10 minute wait seemed absurd. During what turned out to be a 25 minute wait, not one server apologized for the wait, explained the reason for the wait during what was clearly a slow time, or even smiled/acknowledged us. Also seated in the waiting area, an older gentleman who referred to himself as Bob told us he’d been waiting for almost 30 minutes for a take-out order of soup. While we waited 25 minutes to be seated, the following occurred: a pregnant woman and her mom who had been waiting to be seated before we even arrived were finally seated and they said it took them 30 minutes to be seated, a table of three women told their female server that they had been waiting 15 minutes for a take-out box for their leftovers and for their check to which the server replied “I’m sorry but you’ll just have to continue to wait,” a woman with her toddler and mother took their check to the bar to pay saying they’d been waiting for 20 minutes to pay their check, and Bob, the neighborhood resident waiting for soup asked the male server “how much longer for my simple bowl of soup? I’ve been waiting for a half an hour.” To that, the male server loudly snapped, “Man, I don’t know! It’ll be up when it’s up!” We were truly horrified as were the other patrons in the restaurant who all heard that conversation. Then, about five minutes later, the female server brought him two to-go containers of soup and a bag with a roll in it, plopped them all down separately on the bench where Bob was waiting and said “that’ll be $10!!” She was so rude to him and she didn’t bring his to-go order in a bag – she brought it in three separate containers. Bob had to ask for a carry-out bag. Bob then told me that he’s lived in this neighborhood for almost 40 years and he’s seen this location change from one entity to the next and he has always strived to support the neighborhood, but with this type of customer service, he’s not sure he can return to Lucca. I then overheard the female server snap at another customer saying “We’re understaffed today. You’ll just have to wait!” Being understaffed certainly presents a challenge but it’s never an excuse to treat customers terribly. In the past, my girlfriends and I have regularly chosen Lucca as the venue for our monthly GNO’s (girls’ night out) but after last week’s experience, I will strongly reconsider ever suggesting we host GNO at Lucca again. If the customer service doesn’t match and/or exceed the quality of the food, Lucca is not a restaurant I’d like to support any further. And, we didn’t…we left and drove to Cha Cha Cha on Fremont where we received tremendous customer service, delicious food and yummy cocktails. And as a result, we promptly posted photos and details of our lovely experience on numerous social media sites.

Everything about this restaurant is fine. We are lucky to have it in the neighborhood. When it is packed it is noisy, but worth it. Creative and well done. And modestly priced. Excellent hand made pizzas- plus.

Went here with my daughter, we ate pizza which was ok, not the best one i have had. I liked the place, the mood and waitresses were very nice. There is a kids menu. I missed the high chair for the kids as many other restaurants have, instead I just got a booster.

Loved the friendliness of the staff and the decor was gorgeous artistic minimal if you care about that kind of thing Server Drew did an awesome job with our party Fresh pasta local ingredients warm atmosphere Everything and we had a lot of variety from the appetizers to the dessert was excellent!

We went for an early dinner on Sunday and the restaurant quickly filled up. Excellent food, wonderful service. Andre and Derek were both great waiters and have a great support team. we ordered the Tomato and mozzarella appetizer to share. Best tomatoes that I have tasted in years. The mozzarella was soft and tasty. For the entree two of us shared the Tuna Nicoise and the Tagliatelle and they are unique delicious dishes. We splurged on the chocolate pudding for dessert and it was worth it. the wait staff has an intimate knowledge of the wine list and made some great recommendations.

This review is not based on the quality of the restaurant which I have heard is good. Instead, this rating is due to the disreputable business practices of an establishment that tries to slip the wrong amount onto a charge card. Was it the server, or the management? Who knows? Either could have done the deed. I went to Lucca and was charged $30, to which I added $6 for a tip. I have the receipt for $36. When I got my bill later in the month, Lucca had tried to process $60!! Repeated phone calls and messages to Lucca to try to correct this went UNRETURNED, leading me to wonder just what is going on. If I had not checked my bill, they would have gotten away with this scam. I don't trust this establishment!

We got to Lucca around 12:30 and were seated. It was packed with what looked like two big tables with groups. Staff were pleasant but seemed stressed, better when the groups left. Still a bit noisy but tolerable. Food was excellent, prices par for Portland. On street parking available. Garden Fever is next door, a fabulous nursery and garden store, much fun for gardeners to walk through, so this turns a visit to this restaurant into an outing.

A group of friends and I decided to have dinner here the other night. We are all laid back Californians who love great food. At first, when we walked in, we felt a bit out of place (being the youngest people in the restaurant, and the only minorities other than the staff). We were seated immediately by a very nice hostess, and had a wonderful experience thanks to our fantastic server, Andre. He was very helpful, friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. He gave us great food and drink recommendations and even paired our dishes with some great wine. A few friends of mine had the pizza with italian sausage and the egg on top (as suggested by Andre). My boyfriend had the steak and the rest of us tested out all the different pasta dishes. Everything was great, but what we appreciated most was the awesome staff! Thanks Lucca for giving us such a memorable experience.

The prosciutto and mushroom pizza with egg was delicious and provided leftovers for the next day's lunch. My husband and I split a wonderful beet salad but didn't have room for the nummy-sounding desserts. Attentive server who was willing to split our check into 4 different ones as this was a business dinner. Charming, friendly neighborhood ambience (bordering on a bit loud--would not recommend a Friday evening if hearing is an issue). We had one vegan, dairy-free person among us--she was very happy with her meal as was almost everyone Only one person thought his linguine was "okay." One fun side-note: there's a lovely garden/plant shop next door, open until 6. It's a mini-gift shop as well. Plan your time there along with a reservation at Lucca!

Girlfriend & I met some friends here for dinner on a Saturday night soon after opening at 5 pm. We got seated right away. Food was very tasty, but portions were pretty small. One friend had pizza, on had the linguine with clams & mussels, both said they were very good. I had the grilled chicken with farro & butternut squash. it was pretty tasty. My gf ordered the ravioli & it tasted great, but really about an appetizer sized portion.

We love to escape for a lunch or dinner to Lucca----the waitstaff is delightful and professional, knowledgeable, and interesting, and their food is excellent. Nice salads, sandwiches (not typical but utilizing fresh ingredients with Italian flair), and their pizzas are wonderful! Drinks are great too. Great quality with lovely service.

My wife and I went to dinner on New Year's Eve with a few close friends. Upon entering, the restaurant is a traditional white table cloth setting with many four-tops & a few larger tables for big parties in the back. Well-lit and a very authentic Italian menu with a range of primeri (appetizers), pastas, and secondi (meat dishes). Claire, our server, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable with our questions around the menu. There were a few special menu items for NYE, and one in particular was spot on. A crab ravioli with marscapone cheese sauce, trout roe, and chives. Tasty desserts, great wine selection, and all-in-all a place we will go again.\ Why 4 stars? My wife's meal didn't hit home for her, however, she did say that she may have ordered something that wasn't "her cup of tea" so to speak. We'll be back and we look forward to it!

What a great neighborhood restaurant! I truly wish I lived within walking distance because I would be a regular, both at the bar and in the dining room. The food is delicious – we tried the pork loin and the tagliatelle pasta. The fennel sausage in the pasta sauce was full of flavor; the best I have had in a long time. The wine list was interesting, with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar bottles. The desserts were outrageous! We tried the cheesecake and the chocolate pudding with olive oil. Do not leave Lucca without having dessert!! The service was friendly and efficient. The ambiance was casual yet we felt comfortable slightly dressed up for an event later in the evening. The biggest surprise was how many children were having dinner with us. Lots and lots of elementary-aged kids, all mostly well-behaved but it definitely was noticeable and changed the vibe a bit. But it wasn’t enough to keep me from going again. And I will!

We has 7 people in our group eating a variety of their specialty dinners. Everyone was pleased with their order. I've eaten here twice and each time I felt that the staff was eager to get us out once we were getting close to finishing. (picking up the plates immediately, asking if we were ready for dessert too soon, moving into the table areas to grab dishes, quickly bring the check while ironically saying "no rush", etc.). In summary; popular place, great food, overanxious-to-get-the-next-people-in-service.

The food is excellent , wait staff wonderful and helpful. The menu is varied, excellent sandwiches, soup, salads, pizzas. Great wine list. A great neighborhood eatery

We were in town visiting our kids for Mother's Day weekend. Lucca is a local neighborhood restaurant, walking distance from their home. They had never been here but we drove past on our way in and were drawn to the curbside appeal of the restaurant. We are so thankful we gave it a try. There were four adults and 2 kids and we were all delighted with the service, atmosphere and meal. We will definitely go back.

Lucca is a wonderful neighborhood restaurant in inner NE Portland. It's quaint and adorable; the waitstaff is attentive and well-informed of their menu; the food is delicious; and the prices are reasonable. We went to Lucca upon the recommendation of a co-worker, and we were very pleased. The menu is small, but all of the choices were delectable (we checked out their facebook page before our visit and everything looked amazing -- they tasted equally amazing) and there was a little something for everyone. I had the Classic Caesar salad and the Pork Chop alla Griglia. The salad was fresh and the dressing was extremely flavorful. The pork chop -- wow -- out of this world amazing. It was tender and so flavorful. I usually don't order pork when I go to restaurants, but the waiter was so convincing (he had the pork chop every day for the preceding 5 days and was planning on indulging in it again that night). It was a great choice! The polenta was tasty and so were the apples, turnips and greens that accompanied it. My boyfriend had the Cauliflower soup and the Chicken al Mattone. There was SO much flavor in the cauliflower soup. Usually cauliflower can be pretty bland, but this soup was wonderful (I think it was partly due to the roasted pepper). The chicken was huge -- it was half a chicken on a bed of butternut squash and kale. That was wonderful, too! We finished the night off with a Cioccolata. It was rich, but so good. It was basically a large chocolate truffle cake with an amazing caramel drizzle and cocoa nib cookies. The fleur de sel really tied it together with the sweetness of the caramel and the richness of the chocolate. It was perfection! Overall, it was amazing. We can't wait to go back and look forward to trying everything else on the menu (although, from what I hear, it's pretty seasonal, so we should probably head back sooner, rather than later, so we can try everything on the current menu that we didn't get a chance to try this time around!). Our waiter was great. The restaurant was beautiful. We'll be back ... and that's for sure!

We were wanting to try a new place and came across this one. We had the Salami e formaggi, Cherry Pizza w/sausage, Prosciutto e Funghi Pizza and Garganelli. The Cherry Pizza sounded interesting so we tried it and weren't disappointed. Nice, clean Restaurant. Friendly Service.

My friends invited me for dinner to Lucca the other night. Its a neighborhood restaurant in Portland, Oregon at 3449 NE 24th Street that serves Italian Food. Our waiter Drew was extremely friendly and attentive. We ordered a plate of Antipasto to share followed by Pizza and Pasta with clams. The Pasta was delicious, the pizza was good, but the dough was still a little too thick for me. The place is loud, so be prepared for that. We ordered a bottle of Gavi (nice variation of wines) and had a good time at Lucca. I will go back on my next visit to Portland, Oregon.

Lucca makes me coming back for more all the time. It's a must try.

Great Pizza. Good entreestoo. cocktails and surprisingly broad wine selection both domestic and Italian.

We go here periodically when we visit Portland and are Never disappointed. The wood over assures wonderful flavor and authentic cooking. Always a treat and a small and friendly atmosphere. Great food and reasonable prices. Mille Grazie!

Our recent dinner at Lucca was a pleasure from start to finish! Our table was ready, our waiter prompt, knowledgable and helpful in making selections for our wine and dishes. Most importantly, he acknowledged the two young children in our party and quietly checked if he should rush anything for them to eat. He quickly returned with water and chocolate milk for each. Later in the evening, he checked and brought them very small (just right for the girls) caramel sundaes. But, the food and wine for the adults? Great! We are big fans for roast beet salad to start. This salad added huge, succulent black berries! The grilled zucchini with pesto was fabulous! I'm not a big fan of zucchini or pesto ... This starter perfectly grilled the al dente zucchini and the hint of smokiness was perfect when paired with the light touch of pesto. We had four perfect pasta dishes and a lovely bottle of Italian wine. Every bite was perfection on a plate. My only regret was that we were too sated to even consider dessert or coffee! Well, the girls needed to get to bed anyway!

This is a neighborhood gem. It has a very cozy ambiance, which comes in part from its wood pizza brick oven. In our visit, our waitress was flawless. She was very attentive, kind and knowledgeable. Food is solid here. We started out with focaccia bread (made in house) , one of the best I've tried, served with a beautiful olive oil. Menu is short but complete. We tried the bolognese pasta, which was excellent, and the bisteca, which was very good. We also tried their tiramizzu and their panna cotta, both were excellent. I would definitely recommend this place, and will be coming back for sure.

Last summer, my husband and I were traveling and randomly picked a place to eat, Lucca. We keep going back there every so often in our hearts. It is a little slice of heaven. The architecture is linear, and clean; the colors are muted, the textures are soft, and calming, the lighting is sophiscated -- and you relax in this atmosphere. We were waiting to be seated, and noticed that everyone seemed to know each other, and the staff knew every customer by name, even the children who were treated with respect. When adults came and went, there were exchanges about their and the staff's lives, and genuine hugs. We over heard the bartender and a boy about eight talking about his latest ballgame, and it was a dynamic conversation -- he knew all of the boys' stats -- who cares enough to remember stuff like that with a kid whose a customer? We ordered dinner, and the waiter knew the menu, listened attentively, made great recommendations, and was like an old, dear friend, down to earth, and concerned about our evening. He hit the mark on each thing that makes dining a pleasure. Everything was so full of flavor. It seemed like they had chosen the butteriest cheese to grate on the salad, the lettuce just came out of the garden, the meats perfectly seasoned. It was not dinner, every bite was a culinary experience. We told our waiter that we noticed was a rare and exceptional place Lucca is. And he told us how the neighborhood walks to Lucca, and that our observations were accurate, they are like a family. Ahh!! It shows. After we paid our bill, a waitress brings this amazing blackberry sundae with a dollop of mascarpone on top, and a macaroon with blackberry filling on the side. Our waiter returned, we thanked him, and he said "It's from the familgia." No wonder we return to Lucca in our dreams. And the next time we drive from California we'll go out of our way to eat there again. Thank you so much for the most memorable dining experience of our two week trip. You Portland People, do you know what you have?

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland, mostly because I live across the street. The pizza is amazing though! Great service, great atmosphere, good cocktails - can't go wrong!

My daughter took us to Lucca for lunch last week. What a lovely time we had! The menu was full of choices that tempted us. I definitely will be back to try a few more items. Don't miss the wood oven thin crust pizzas. Creative and delicious combinations. I had the chicken pesto salad which was full of chicken and a well flavored pesto. My sister had the portobello mushroom sandwich with goat cheese and a lemon olive oil aioli. We also tried the smoked trout and the soup of the day a white bean minestrone. We will come back again for lunch or dinner even though it is across town from where we live.

This neighborhood restaurant is elegant and welcoming. We happened to be there at Happy Hour, which is much earlier than most. We ordered off the lunch menu but had the cocktail specials. Best Italian food I've had in Portland plus a strong wine list, and attentive service.

Great value, in my book. Pork shoulder is awesome and a great value at $18. Pizza is very good in the brick oven, and I love the variety of toppings. Good salads. But the wine list really stands out. They know their stuff. We go there a lot and get great service -- wine samples, visits from our fav servers.

This is one of our go-to neighborhood places. Always great service even with our twin one year olds. Their happy hour menu is excellent and they always have terrific fish and meat options. Wood fired pizza and an Italian red always fit the bill.

We had a great dinner with wonderful service! Manila clams and Caesar salad were excellent. The grilled pork chop with grilled peaches was terrific.

Good food and even better service. What a nice surprise along Fremont Street in NE Portland. I had the Caesar salad along with a light pasta dish whose name I can't remember exactly anymore. The red wine suggested by my server was to die for. Good family atmosphere. You owe this to yourself.

Family night out and many different dishes tried. Service was excellent. Appetizers were good but salads were very small. Fresh bread was excellent and plentiful. Mains were smallish and average, nothing really great.

We were a group of 5 adults. Nice selection of beers on tap; EXCELLENT margaritas, other good adult beverages. This is a smallish restaurant that has outside seating (as well as a parking lot, but easily available on-street parking). Entrees included a pasta dish, tuna, lamb, pizza -- all enjoyed immensely. Two people had the strawberry shortcake-type dessert and said it was delicious. My only concern was that the drinks were consistently delivered after a long wait-- and the restaurant was not full.

It had been a while since we visited because of various travel and other engagements. We sat at the bar and the attention that Steve gave us was perfect. The salad to start was simple but wonderful. As usual, the dressing was an excellent topping to the salad. We ordered a pizza as we feel it is one of Lucca's specialties. We were not disappointed! Just enough "heat" to make it interesting.Lastly, Steve makes one of the best lemon drops one could ever order - or even order twice!

Lucca is a beautiful little town in Tuscany, not far from the famed Pisa. The owner shared that they bought the wood fire oven in Lucca and with it came the recipe for the Funghi pizza. This was what I ordered for lunch last week--complete with over easy egg on top (traditional according to the owner)--it was amazing! The crust is thin as I like it and the flavors of the wood-fired mushrooms and just the right hint of richness from the egg were delicious. Charming neighborhood, informal but elegant white cloth tables in an open space, understated but attentive service--all was perfect--I'll be back!

Full disclosure is that my cousin works here, so for years I've heard about how great this 2nd family is to him and how the freshness of the food is a key element. However, if my words were not true, I just wouldn't review the place. Within minutes, the 15 yr old with us was texting his Mom about the place so they could return. We had the appetizer special filled with the best baked garlic, breads, salami, olives, etc. So wonderful. The table bread was so good we went through far too many bowls. Everyone enjoyed their food which ranged from pizza to pasta to chicken. Incredible. Then we had a desert sampler tray that was to die for. We all left with sugar highs from desert and wine. A wonderful night. All of the staff were wonderful and very knowledgeable of the food and drinks. The crowd on this Friday night included kids of varying ages and the staff worked with them quite well. There were also several large parties and the staff hid any flustered feeling from the customers. We made reservations for 3 and showed up with 6 (we had tried calling but got the voicemail) and they were able to accommodate our sudden growth without the attitude many places give customers. Yes, they needed to figure it all out and it took a bit, but they got it all taken care of. I do agree with some of the other reviews in that it was a bit loud, but nothing out of the ordinary in today's restaurant culture. Absolutely worth the trip, time and money. Considering the quality of the food and service, the prices are very fair. I had expected the bill to be much higher.

This is a terrific and unassuming neighbourhood restaurant that we went to on a hot Sunday evening. There were eight of us, so they put us in an adjacent room, which we had all to ourselves. The food was wonderful, locally sourced and well prepared, and the staff were discreet but helpful, and great at recommending wines to go with our individual orders. Really, don't miss this restaurant, but probably best to make a reservation.

Four of us had dinner outside on this hot Portland night. We were tired and, apparently, so was our server. No guidance through the menu and several mistakes on our food order. Partner had pasta which he loved; two of us had pizza and they were both only ok. Child's chicken meal was good but they first brought the adult portion, which was weird. Server hardly checked on us or the food. Desserts were yummy!

A pleasant surprise as the ambiance, service and food in this restaurant were excellent. I had the dinosaur kale salad to start followed by an oven fired pizza. What a great meal. Would love to go back again.

Little corner restaurant specializing in salads, pizza and pasta. Quality is good and the prices were fair. Appeared to be a great place for kids too...

Fabulous service, fabulous food...scrumpcious creamy polenta, delicious wine! Nadra M., Northern California, CA

My husband and I happened on Lucca while visiting the garden shop next door. What a great surprise! I had the smoked trout hash with yukon gold potatoes. Not done in a typical hash style, but with a large piece of smoked trout lying atop the potatoes and vegetables. Sauce was very good and portion was ample. My husband had a pizza from their wood-fired oven and it was delicious (he shared!) Probably the best pizza we have had since our trip to Italy. We look forward to more trips to sample other dishes.

We had the margerita pizza since our little baby was in a fussy mood. Place was quite busy by 6:30 pm . Service was good and quick. The pizza was really tasty. Definitely recommend

Very few restaurant are run as efficiently as this one. We were seated promptly and a server immediately brought water and took drink orders. The waiter was next and was friendly and knowledgeable. I ate light with crostini topped with chicken liver pate and roasted garlic. This I followed with a ceaser salad. With the crostini, a whole head of roasted garlic was served so I could smear to my hearts content. Fabulous! The ceaser was done the traditional way as the romaine leaves were left whole and had beautiful shaved Parmesan topping it off. My gf had the margarita pizza and added the crispy prosciutto that was offered. Absolutely great. All done quickly even though it was a full house. Treat yourself.

We split a salad and a pizza and had plenty good tasting food. Even took a couple slices home, for $30. Fine service even though we ate outdoors.

The service and the food was outstanding. When we received our bill there was an additional charge ($5.12) for using a credit card. This was off putting. It seems that the owner is trying to sneak in an additional charge.

I'm always impressed with the food, service, wine selection and atmosphere. The menu is fresh, locally sourced and offers a good variety.

If you go to Lucca, don't bother to look beyond the pizza. Get the pizza. You'll be so glad you did - it's simply amazing. The waiters at Lucca are also very good and can recommend the perfect wine to go with your choice... And then do not pass up dessert. Because dessert at Lucca is a religious experience. Soooo good! If you don't like sharing dining space with families who have kids, go late. 8pm should do it.

My first time and loved it! I easily got a reservation for 4. We all had wonderful meals. Everything was delicious and of the highest quality. If I had one negative it would be that the drinks took too long to arrive and the service was a bit slow. That said, I will give it 5 stars for the food, quality, attitude of all the staff, and cleanliness. I'll return!

5 of us, fortunately we are a loud speaking group as this is a loud room. Can't imagine how loud this place gets in the evening. The staff attended to us efficiently, not the friendliest but efficient. Clams, beets, polenta and mushrooms, sausage fagioli, steak tip sandwich, tagliatelle and albacore tuna salad sandwich all tasty. I never learn - the arugula just doesn't work well with a fork and what's with the 2 to 3 inch long stems left on??? Reminds me of "Dracula Dead and Lovin It" when Renfield eats an insect.

Lucca is an upscale family restaurant in inner NE Portland neighborhood. Whether for dinner or Sunday brunch, the food is always very good with a slightly Italian yet distinction flair without going too far. The service is often excellent. The atmosphere is casual but very nice making for a convivial setting though it can get loud when crowded. It's a great place for a meal and is an integral part of the Portland scene. Best to make a reservation, especially for dinner on the weekend.

We visited last Saturday night and enjoy delicious stake and deserts, wine was a plus. Strongly recommend this cozy place.

The food was authentic and tastey. The price is good compared to other Italian restaurants in the area. We had the Agnolotti and it was very good, we just wished it had some creamy sauce. We also tried their steak and it was very good.

Attention all you foodies and travelers alike, This is the best place to eat early dinner and a fabulous happy hour meal with family and friends both times! Eclectic modern flare throughout the dining rooms. Modernized full bar, and beautifully decorated dining room, and seating by large windows. Italian style decor. Totally family friendly. Reservations are available ahead of time by open table. Service was above and beyond both times. My personally favorite days were with my cousin, Crystal, then the next day after with our lifelong friends of my moms we did the same restaurants happy hour. The Mccall's. Our server Guillermo, made our first happy hour in Portland so fun, entertaining and amazing! Loved how he knew who I was first name basis...because I was there at the same place the night before. Also, he drove our happy hour meal and we ended up with tons of food! This is my happy place! Excellent service, food and wine, especially for the fact they have my two favorite wines. The montepulciano steth and Pertucco Sauvignon. Both at the top of this wine lady's list. Did I need to say more? Homely and beautiful!

Had yet another perfect dining experience at Lucca. As locals, it's our favorite go to place for wonderful food that never disappoints. And the wine selection is amazing, we love to let the staff pick for us..never fails. The place is very nice yet still quite cozy/comfortable and the staff always makes it feel like home.

we were meeting friends for dinner, and began with a moretti beer. they had sangria, and an italian red wine. my partner and i had the trout, steamed mussels, simple salad, and spaghetti. they brought bread out quickly. our friends had the squash soup and beef entree, and his partner had the chicken and antipasti...the server was friendly and efficient. he was very informative...we had such delicious food...

Lucca is a fantastic neighborhood restaurant. My wife and I like to go here when we have time for a quick beer and tasty appetizer. But, more often, our family will come for a nice night out. it is very family friendly. food is upscale, always fantastic tasting and with interesting combinations. waitstaff is knowledgeable. Prices are not cheap, which is why we come here only on special occasions. also, I really like how they have relationships with local farmers to get their food. And, the owners often go to Italy (yearly?), bringing waitstaff with them, and have relationships with winemakers there. I don't drink wine, but I find this just another sign of the owner's intent on finding a good product, and also investing their staff into the restaurant.

Lucca's a fancy twist on Italian food. The restaurant is lovely, low lighting and lots of candle light. Great date night location. The food was good, a little different, but different in a good way. I had the Pork Shoulder Stracotto; braised pork shoulder, creamy polenta, roasted cabbage, parsnips, apples, sauerkraut-pancetta condimento...dang yummy! Lucca is right in the middle of the Irvington neighborhood in NE Portland, so it is very convenient to get to. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone!!!

A rather limited menu, but also a relatively small restaurant. Check out the menu first and be sure they're serving what you want to eat. A bit pricey for the food, compared to other options nearby, although there is more of an upscale vibe. Some nice outdoor seating, although we endured an entire dinnertime fight between a couple who appeared to be regulars. Not the restaurant's fault, but that also lets you know the closeness of the outdoor tables.

OK, I am a born and raised in NE Portland girl - And always in search of great italian food. This is a yummy one! The Ricotta Gnocchi was beautiful & fluffy - the way I like it! My mom had the Pappardelle's Pasta - also delicious, they had squash sautéed in sage butter (YUMM), My sister Polenta w/mushrooms, Kale salad, the kids had mini pizza's that they seemed to enjoy. Truly a delightful spot! Very family oriented, not a romantic atmosphere at all… It's noisy & busy & the staff likes to make you happy. Apparently most of the staff has been there since the beginning (6ish years) We had Sean, who was a delight! Atmosphere is OK - but it's the food & the service that is really special.

Lucca's is pleasant and usually crowded with locals. The pastas are nice - sometimes too much oil but with good flavor. Pizzas aren't as good - fine for the kids, but adults should stick to pasta and entrees.

I like a casual place where you can casually dine with friends and be relaxed. This fit the bill. Menu is on the smaller side, but we all found good meals and everyone enjoyed. Good location. Service was friendly and competent. Drinks were on mark. Will recommend.

Lucca seems underrated; I now regret passing by so many times without stopping. I've visited once for happy hour at a really dead time and again at dinner when it was really busy. The food and service were excellent both times. In my experience in Portland, for whatever reason, it's a minor miracle not to have awkward pauses in service--no problems here. The cocktails took a few minutes longer than optimal, but the delay was proactively explained, which I appreciated. Menu details apparently change often, but some highlights from my meals were spaghetti with basil pesto, tomatoes, etc., the margherita pizza, and various desserts. My one quibble is that the pizza crust was a little soggy in the middle, though it didn't change my overall verdict.

Lucca has FABULOUS food, as you can see from other reviews. And now, during the pandemic, it still has a fabulous take out menu. Problem is that many restaurants are overwhelmed with their take out process and forget the needs of some like me, a celiac, with an ACUTE allergy to gluten. ** I phoned, takes to ELISE!!!, and she took care of everything. Had their fabulous beet salad and a delicious braised pork where extra veggies substituted for the farro. The food was delicious and now, one day later, I still feel great. Absolutely no symptoms at all. THANK YOU, ELISE!!

We arrived very late Sunday afternoon without reservations. Front was quite noisy (families), so we ate on the sidewalk. The food was absolutely wonderful, as was my wine. Our server was very personable and well informed. Being new to the Portland area, we had not heard of Lucca, so that made our "find" all the better. We returned last night--only to find that Monday is the one night they are not open. We will return again. Portland has so many great restaurants, and this is one of them. If you are there early, check out the fantastic garden center nest door.

We had to wait about an hour or more on a rainy Friday night, but when we finally got seated the food was great. We shared wonderful salads and pasta, and my nephew had pizza from a wood-fired oven. The pizza looked just right for the real thing. I had bucatini all'amatriciana which could have been cooked in Umbria where the dish was originated. Nice prosecco and primitivo too. Abbiamo mangiato bene!

We visited friends in Portland, and we walked to Lucca from their house one fine evening. There was a table outside on the sidewalk, so we took that in order to watch the people/locals walking by. I had the Padron pizza which was very good. Others in our party also enjoyed their meals...and the people-watching. Clearly, Lucca is a favorite with the locals!

Calling all foodies, This is the only place where I keep coming back to again and again! Usually get salad or pasta, but the sauvignon blanc went rather nicely with the Italian minestrone soup and bucatini pasta dish. My uncle had the primitivo and a ceasar salad with anchovies as well as clams. My mom had a ceasar salad and grilled peaches (shown below). Service was great! Food was delicious as always! Family friendly and ADA compliant, seating areas were all over the restaurant. Wine was fantastic! Would go back again and again for any occasion! Bon appetit!

We stopped in to have a drink and a snack before dinner. Drew was our waiter and did a great job. The wine list was great and the restaurant had a warm and upbeat vibe to it. I can't wait to go back and try some of the food.

My sister and I were staying just a few blocks away from Lucca's, and happily went there the first night of our visit. Everything was wonderful, but their crab and asparagus appetizer was both generous and delicious. The servers were friendly & attentive, and sitting outside in a charming, quiet neighborhood was the final ingredient for a perfect dining experience. We enjoyed it so much that we returned for a second dinner at the end of our visit.

I have visited this restaurant a number of times and again tonight. The menu is exciting and interesting, the food delicious, and the wait staff more than accommodating. Many have been at the restaurant since its opening about 7 years ago which says a lot for the management and the customers. Evan, the bartender, is very knowledgeable about wines and has a number of excellent selections.

A lovely, sophisticated restaurant- perfect for adults. Service is friendly and helpful. The front dining room tends to be a bit noisy. Opting for a booth in the rear dining area allows for relaxing conversations. The food selections are fresh, delicious and imaginative without being over-the-top. We haven't found anything we wouldn't recommend!

Great restaurant located in the Alameda neighborhood. Visiting my brother we enjoyed a comfortable family style meal. While we were some of the first to be seated at 5:30, the place quickly filled up with couples and a few other families. Tasty Italian fare fills the menu with a nice selection of antipasti, pasta, sides, pizza and entrees. There is a kids menu too, but there are plenty of options on the main menu. The wine list is brief, but well stocked. Our selection for antipasti included 'del Giorno', fire-roasted Brussel sprouts and a classic Caesar salad, all tasty and right sized to share with one other person. Entrees included Neapolitan style wood fired pizza, Stopzzapreti, and Tagliatelle, with the last one stealing the show! In all a little pricey to make a weekly stop but definitely worthy of repeat visits! Seven people, (2 kids) one round of drinks, appetizers and entrees; total bill without tip $165.

Went to Lucca's for dinner. I ordered the Tagliatelle($16.00), others ordered Prosciutto & funghi pizza($16.00), Padron & Soppressata Pizza($15.00), Clams($14.00), and a side salad($9.00). All the food tasted very good. The pizza's are made in a brick oven and crispy bottoms. The service was good

After the sun sets and it starts to cool off, sitting outside was just what we enjoy the best such as this place offers. Their menu is limited due to the new chief using in season fresh produce. The Caesar salad we got was super fresh, crispy and made from the heart of the romaine vs all the dark parts. We also enjoyed the rare (no red sauce) pizza that came with green veggies and light cheese to please us. The only goof was the crab salad which seemed bitter and had too many green beans. Super nice staff !

We stopped going here a few years ago because the food was too salty. They must have gotten a new chef because last night, our food was fantastic! I ordered the lamb. It was lovely, with kale and polenta. Perfectly seasoned. My husband had the veggie spaghetti and he loved it. Delicious bread. Fabulous tiramisu! May be one of the best we've ever had and we order it just about every where it's offered. Great service and lots of staff which was nice. Lovely ambiance. We will add Lucca to our top favorites list!

Went here for Dining month 4 with a group of friends. We had a great table in the back seating area, a bit quieter than the front of house. We started with olives and chicken liver mousse. Great mousse. Served with crostini. Next, we had the short ribs. Wow, they were fall off the bone good. Served on polenta with veggies. Dessert was an olive oil tortina. Also very good. Service was great. Attentive and super helpful as we had one vegan. They were able to adapt the food so she could enjoy the same meal as everyone else. The corkage fee was also reasonable.

Our first visit to this restaurant and an excellent choice for dinner. Not sure I would classify as Italian, but more Pacific Northwest cuisine with touch of Italian flair. I had the Pork for main course and it was fabulous. Seasoning was perfect. My husband had the steak and loved it. We'll definitely be back! The pizza menu looked great, so we may try that next time.

First up, the service is great. The food is based on classic Italian dishes and the comparisons stand up pretty well. We had a shared antipasto of octopus and white beans. I followed that with spaghetti all'amatriciana then the grilled pork. All good and washed down with a Primitivo from Lecce. Well worth a visit and oh, you have to book even midweek.

A superb upscale dining experience in a kid friendly neighborhood environment. Service by Waiter Drew was exemplary and very kid friendly for my almost 3 year old granddaughter. The "Two Gazpachos" soup was the best Gazpacho I have had in years! It is hard to find a good gazpacho. The salmon entree was delicious. Our party of six all enjoyed their varied dinner choices from pizza to upscale seafood and pasta choices. Very highly recommended especially for their neighborhood and kid-friendly atmosphere.

Portland has a lot of good Italian restaurants; Lucca is one of my favorites, and I have dined here many times. I was happy to return in the first week of August 2018 and enjoy another excellent meal here. The place was quite busy, so I had to wait a few minutes for seating at the bar (it would have been a longer wait for seating at a table), but that's not too bad considering I was there on Saturday evening without a reservation. I had the Tagliatelle pasta and my date had a largely vegetarian pasta (I can't recall the name of the latter dish). I tried both and both were good, but I preferred the Tagliatelle. The portions were adequate, but not large, so we also ordered a fennel sausage pizza. They make the pizza in front of you and bake it in a wood-fired oven, so the process is fun to see, and the pizza is excellent -- closer to authentic Italian pizza than most pizza made in the US. The wait staff were friendly and helpful. The whole experience of dining here was casual and enjoyable. This is great food without putting on airs, which is something I appreciate.

Lucca’s was very busy so I would recommend reservations. Our reservations were for 7 pm and we got to our table by 7:15. Staff was very friendly and made good selection recommendations. Our food was delicious and came very quickly. The best part was the portions we received were wonderful. Not huge bowls of pasta but real size portions that should be at every restaurant! We will be back!

This is a neighborhood restaurant that delivers so much more. It is an attractive, vibrant space. The owners and servers are top notch, attentive, helpful and friendly. It is great for families, as well as date nights. Excellent bar, excellent food...from pizzas to skirt steak. The appetizers and desserts help to begin and end a tasty meal every time. We go often (lunch and dinner) and have never been disappointed. Stop in when you are in the neighborhood; but more, make it a point to eat at Lucca.

I had the amazing beet salad for lunch at Lucca's. The service was great too. The menu had a great selection and very reasonable prices.

Amazing food! We love the wood fired pizza and the seasonal desserts in particular! The menu is updated periodically to highlight some seasonal specialties. Staff is great as well.

Tried this restaurant on a recomendation from a friend. This is my new favorite restaurant in Portland. Great cocktails, good atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff, wonderful food that is moderately priced and portioned perfectly. Awesome salads (husband had the chop salad I had the beet and apple), tasty pizza and perfect risotto. Wash that all down with an enjoyable $30 bottle of red and what else could you ask for?? I'm surprised this restaurant has not had better exposure. Try it...you'll like it!!

We were visiting portland. A friend who lives nearby suggested Lucca, which turned out to be superb, if a bit noisy. The staff was attentive and knowledgable, the serve professional without being fawning, and the food was very good. Small gripe: the "Caesar" salad was good, I have yet to find a place where they mix the dressing at the table with crushed anchovies. Prices are moderate for Portland (we live in Eugene where everything is more expensive). I had a spaghetti with clams, bits of sausage and bread crumbs which brought me back to my grandmother's version. Pasta was cooked al dente, and the seasonings were understated which allowed for flavors to develop nicely. My wife enjoyed the mushroom ravioli with ricotta stuffing. The others in our group had pizzas; I didn't taste them but our friends seem well satisfied. A side note: While we were there EMT's responded to a diner who appeared to have had some attack. No panic among the other diners, the staff thoughtfully closed off that portion of the dining room, and when he was taken out to the ambulance he seemed to respond to their CPR efforts and was speaking. Good news!

Lucca is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere. The kids menu is a winner. The regular menu is truly working with what's local and fresh. The staff are great. They hung in through COVID and we're so happy they did. We have to exercise restraint around the fall when tomatoes and peaches are both in season to not go every weekend. Don't miss the peach pizza when it's available (always with an egg).

The pork loin was perfectly cooked. The cherry, pistachio, baby kale and whatever else was in the salsa was exceptional. The noise level was a bit intense inside, but with lots of tables al fresco... we were good. Our server Cassie was spot on attentive and friendly. The dessert was.... well, that might take its own review. Let's just say the brownie with blackberry ice cream .... OMG.

Looking for a good place to eat in NE Portland? Try Lucca. Excellent food. Unique menu. Local ingredients. This place is #1 on my list.

My husband and I have a tradition of trying a new restaurant for our birthdays. We heard some rave reviews about Lucca and decided we had to give it a try. Our first impression at the waitstand was a touch rocky - what *was* so fascinating on that monitor? (I've honestly never seen a person examine a computer screen so thoroughly and for so long outside of experiences with large spreadsheets using tiny font.) Those 5 moments passed, though, and the rest of our visit was just what we were hoping for...well, mostly. My husband looked at the menu prior to arrival using the Open Table app and had his heart set on one of the many lamb options on the menu. This restaurant offers a seasonal rotation, though, so the lamb options were not as plentiful on the day. This is by no means the fault of Lucca, so far as I know, however, wanted to provide a heads up to others that they should go to the restaurant's website instead of relying on what they see at third party sites. Now on to the good stuff: the cocktails were tasty (almost dangerously so), the food was terrific and arrived in good time, and the gelato was the perfect way to end the meal. I tried the Pollo Arosto with fingerling potatoes and heirloom roasted carrots. It was a perfect cold-weather meal. The chicken was moist and flavorful, the potatoes perfectly cooked, and the carrots added a slightly sweet note to all of the savory goodness. My husband tried the New York steak and said that while it tasted good, it was a bit gristly. He quite enjoyed his vegetable sides, though. Lucca is a nice family restaurant that has a lot more polish than a diner or burger shack, yet isn't so upscale that one feels uncomfortable or starched up while enjoying a meal. There was more than one table boasting young children which lends a little more comfortable, family-friendly feeling to the atmosphere (plus of course the mysterious and random high-pitched screeches kids send up every once in awhile to keep all of the adults in their orbit fully awake in the moment help remind you that the patrons here are all ages). One final note regarding the wine menu: I was in the mood for a cocktail so didn't examine it thoroughly, but I did get the impression that the wines were sourced from European/largely Italian vintners. Just another heads up for people who are focused on Oregon, Washington or California wines that you will need to expand beyond the Pacific Northwest when it comes to the wine selection.

I was invited to a special birthday dinner of a friend at Lucca, and it was a lovely, friendly place, with exceptional food and the setting is comfortable and casual, not too noisy (which I seek out and we also had a baby in our party). There were a couple of gluten free folks in our group, and while we knew it was an Italian restaurant, were disappointed to discover that we had only one or two options (unlike many other Italian restaurants in town). I would recommend this place, though!!

Our favorite restaurant just happens to be within walking distance. As a regular I assure you the quality is consistent; fresh ingredients the main fare so the menu changes according to what's blooming and what's in the market. Adventurous chefs try stinging nettle, ferns, Nardello peppers, gazpacho and kale. Hand-made pizza and salads with soups and special veggie-plates each evening, in addition to core entrees ranging from fish to beef. Staff eager to accommodate elders, youngsters, families, lovers and business-folk. Regulars bring their pooch so they can sit outside on sunny evenings. Happy hour menu on weekdays. And very, very affordable. Polished and professional staff--Conrad, Drew, Sean, Garrett--every single employee.

We have been to Lucca a few times and it never disappoints. We choose to celebrate our 13th anniversary sitting at the bar and enjoy amazing food, great wine, and really fun conversation with the bar tender. The bar tender was also our server, he anticipated our every need, suggested wine to pair with our meals and gave us an anniversary treat, a taste of their homemade limoncello. We will certainly return to celebrate something special or just to enjoy the food, wine and atmosphere.

Unfortunately our waiter was one of the most condescending and in attentive staff person I've encountered in a while.Young lady to bussed the table was excellent Salad with fennel and mixed greens was excellent. Homemade pasta was light and cooked perfectly but the portion was small for the price. Pizza from wood fired grill was very good, dessert was mediocre.

A typical Portland neighborhood place with great pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches. It's wonderful for lunch because the noise level is low and you can have a conversation. Lots of kids and families for dinner. The food is well-prepared and a bargain.

I had a funghi pizza that was very tasty and some roasted vegetables. Nice atmosphere and good drinks. If I lived nearby, I would probably go here on a regular basis. Not sure that it's worth traveling across town for though, since there are so many other choices.

We had a group of eight on a Friday night. We had good seating against a wall and it was easy to talk with everyone. The halibut special was delicious; As were the vegetables that came with it. Two people had pasta dishes and raved. Another had the wild mushroom pizza and said he loved it. I had a piece and can agree. A nice selection of wine and alcoholic drinks. Luccarita was phenomenal. We were able to park on the street very close to the restaurant. In addition they have a offstreet parking area on the west side of the restaurant. Staff were gracious and very helpful with recommendations.

My parents were visiting from the East Coast to celebrate Mom's birthday. She said 'Italian, please!' and my co-workers suggested Lucca. Now, I lived overseas for a few years and have eaten my fair share of pizza in my travels, which is why I am a somewhat picky pizza eater. I make a great pizza from scratch, as well. Lucca is now in my top 5 of favorite pizzas ever! The menu tends toward foodies, but even my picky-eater Dad found one that suited him. And while the rest of their menu (which changes regularly for the seasons and is local) looked great as well, we just happened to order mostly pizza. (We did get an awesome side of garlic-and-something-else encrusted brocolinis, and that was fantastic as well!) I felt like the selection of Chianti was limited, but I have a feeling if I asked, they would have had a good reason. My Barbera was good, nonetheless, and Mom's local pint (from Occidental) was a good choice for her meal. Service was great and knowledgeable. Trust their ability to help you with the choices, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Two of us added salami to our pizzas, which were good options.

It was very nice! Good service a friendly wait staff! Delicious Cocktails and be free eggs Benedict was delicious!

Granted, I'm biased about Lucca. I live in the neighborhood and have been eating here since it opened. There were at least three restaurants that tried to make a go of it at this location and all went under. Lucca has not only survived, but is a centerpiece of this Northeast neighborhood. This is the kind of local eating establishment you would find in Europe. There are other restaurants in Portland that are more renowned, but this is where the locals go. You'll get a consistently quality meal, good wine, great drinks and the best service in town. No attitude here, unlike other PDX establishments. It's a comfortable place to have a meal, to hang with friends and family. It's my favorite place to eat in Portland.

I was visiting some local friends and they brought me to this lovely place. The Spinach & Arugula was light and flavorful and i especially liked the crispy prosciutto. Highly recommend the Margherita pizza. Very simple and done very well. Also had the trout, which i loved, and I am not a big trout person. We mixed a few things on the menu paring the Ricotta Gnocchi with the traditional Bolognese ragu and they were happy to accommodate.

We have dined at Lucca, whenever we're in Portland, over the last several years. IT hasn't lost anything in that time. Some of the wait staff have changed but the core have been there. It is a friendly atmosphere with very good food. We were eleven for dinner, seven adults and four children. The children are foodies. Two of the party had the special salmon dinner and both said it was the best salmon they ever had. My wife had the salmon crudo as an appetizer and also, swore by it. One picky person had pasta and also, had kudos for it. The rest of us had pizza in varying combinations. I asked to eliminate the mozzarella cheese and only use parmesan cheese. The kitchen had no problem dealing with this and it came out to perfection. We have always been very happy with this restaurant; hence our return when we're in town, which is not frequent. Our previous visit was around Christmas 2010. We look forward to returning. It's not large and I recommend making reservations. This is Portland and almost every place is casual as is Lucca.

My wife and I have been to Lucca several times and have always had great food at their great restaurant. The service is amazing as well. Prices are moderate to slightly above and their alcohol prices are reasonable. Bottle of wine for about $30, I am good with that.

We made reservations at Lucca from a friend who used to live in the area. It is in a mostly residential section of Freemont. We were greeted and seated right away. The restaurant isn't super fancy looking, but has a nice bar area with and a bustling dining room area. We sat near the bar, which is always good for people watching. Our server was very helpful with choices and was quick to find a good replacement when the bottle of wine I ordered was out. We ordered a fish special and tagliatelle. Both dishes were excellent. They also have pizza, which will be tested on a future visit. We very much enjoyed Lucca. It is more loud, group/family style place rather than a quiet, romantic place...It was a great experience.

Good, locally sourced, fresh food; there's always an interesting specials list, the wine selections are good and the service is quick. It tends to get noisy, so either early or late is best if you're over 50!! They need more space to cope with the lines at weekends - but it IS worth the wait. This is not foodie nirvana, but it IS a great neighborhood staple.

Met friends for a quick lunch here and enjoyed a fine salad, their specialty Wood Fired Beet Salad. Friends had other salads and the Italian Sub sandwich. We were all happy, and bistro prices are very reasonable, always appreciated by seniors, especially. Portions were perfect, as was the wait staff. This is a nice place for lunch! :-)

We've continued to return to Lucca, every time it's been as good as the first. Great wine list, I end up taking a pic every time of the wine bottle so I can buy more later. The food is outstanding, the servers are great also. Do yourself a favor and try it!

We LOVE Lucca! It's consistently an A+! We prefer to sit at the bar where Aaron works his magic with the Luccarita, Gin & Juice or knowledge of terrific wine parings from small batch vineyards. The staff is terrific-- our favorites include; Andre, Andrea and Drew, but everyone is so nice, they remember your name-- they love working there and it shows. Oh and the food-- amazing. I almost always get the Arrabbiata with arugula or Chicken al Mattone (brick chicken). Plus they have wonderful seasonal dishes. Our only small gripe: Olive juice for our dirty martinis. We are dirty martini snobs and their olive juice is funky so we don't order them there, but with such great drink choices, it's not a downer. We always bring out-of-town guests there and while Portland has so many amazing and innovative restaurants, we tend to pick our favorites such as Lucca, Cabezon, Andina, Clark Lewis and Fire on the Mountain, to name a few!

we have been to lucca for the brunch, and we're invited to a birthday gathering dinner this time, that included several kids. there were around 15 of us, and we began with a moretti beer and a cosmo. some of our party had wine. the beverages were tasty, and hit the spot. next, i ordered the caesar salad with a side of delicata squash with chestnuts, while my partner had the pasta dish, pappardelle with braised rabbit cacciatorre and mushrooms. both were very delicious, plus the sourdough and buttered bread satisfied our appetites. 2 people in our party ordered a huge assortment of desserts that everyone tried. all were delectable, and culminated a fine meal. the staff were very friendly, and entertained the kids with ease. the ambiance is very relaxing. we will return again.

Looking after grandchildren who assured us that Lucca was a good place to go out for an evening meal and they were right. We went early evening and managed to get a spot in the very small car-park before letting the kids loose on unsuspecting staff and fellow diners [actually for 3 and 5 they aren't too bad]. In fact there was no need for anxiety; Lucca is geared up for early evening, kid-friendly, dining. The staff were brilliant and charming younger twins with their amiable parents on the next table deflected their attention in a pretty positive way. I add that apparently superfluous detail merely to indicate how child orientated the early evening ambience is. I gather later in the evening sees the balance shift towards adults. What about the food? Well the kids [who go quite frequently with ma and pa] certainly enjoyed it but so did we. The menu is quite short and relatively authentic Italian. A plate of mixed anti-pasti was a nice collection of meats and vegetables. Mains included pizzas, pasta and a handful of meat and fish dishes. I had tagliatelle with a ragu and it was good although I would have preferred slightly more tomato and a little less cream in the sauce. There were decent standard wines on the wine list. I always find wine in US restaurants a bit expensive but as here you can normally buy by the glass which has the double virtue of cutting down consumption and the total bill. Overall I thought it a good neighbourhood restaurant with first rate service, a lively and pleasant ambience and relatively sophisticated and authentic Italian food. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.