Portabla
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
14 Reviews for Portabla
I had one of the best conversations in my life with a friend here at Portabla. It also happened to be the place where I had the most amazing portobello panini ever.
We got there around 8pm and everything in the counter looked fresh and delicious still- even though it was one hour before they close. The chef/ cashier/ server was pretty nice and suggested meatloaf panini for my friend. And apparently he really really liked it because I didn't get even one bite my friend promised me. :(
The atmosphere was comfortably classy and nice. I haven't seen what it's like during lunch hours... probably really packed I supposed. But from my experience, I think it can be a great place for a casual date.
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If you eat turkey and bacon, you must try the Santa Fe panini - it is soooooo good. I don't eat bacon very often, but it was worth it.
The panini bread was thin and perfectly crisp - just on the outside. It was nice and soft in the inside. It had a good crunch but didn't fall apart. It had chipotle sauce and avocados inside, I had attended an opening at Russell Collection across the street and had a wine ....or two. Then I saw people at Wally Workman Gallery across the street and went in - enjoyed the many rooms of art and had another drink. Love those gallery openings! I was going to get food at Portabla to take home, but thought better of it in my winey state, so I sat and ate there. It was delish and I was fine to drive home by the end of the meal.. Good thing that it took them a while to get my sandwich. I think maybe they forgot me for a while. But hey, that's OK.
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I stop here for take out once or twice a month when I am too pooped to think about cooking. Portabla is located on 6TH street via my exit route from downtown.
I like and appreciate the idea of a diverse menu of upscale items as well as comfort foods to go. They do have a few tables; but, I am always in a hurry to get home and let the Pup out so I always get food to go. I usually stop in here around 5 PM and am always pleasantly surprised that more people leaving downtown do not stop here. I am usually in and out in less than 10 minutes.
I am always impressed that their veggie dishes stay crisp after warmed in the microwave. The Roasted Vegetables (potatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, carrots and tomatoes) are cooked to perfection in every way and when they are reheated in the microwave they taste like they are strait out of the oven. The Broccoli Rice Casserole is one of the best I have tasted with crisp not soggy broccoli.
As long as I pass this place on the way home and as long as they continue to serve good take out I will continue to stop here.
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I've driven by Portabla for years and never stopped in, so today a co-worker and I went for lunch. I thought for sure I'd be able to find something that wouldn't kill my first day of the Biggest Loser challenge.
Oops. There wasn't a whole lot to choose from unless I wanted to pay $6 for some greens with onion and carrot...to which I say, no thank you.
I opted for a roast beef on sourdough with no horseradish mayo. It had banana peppers and red peppers on it and some cheese too (which I didn't notice on the menu...not sure if that was selective seeing on my part though :)
Anyway, it was good enough, I had it with a side of cucumber, garlic and tomato salad which was tasty, but WAY overdressed. Luckily the dressing mostly fell to the bottom of the bowl.
All-in-all, it was fine, but I don't think I'd hurry to go back. But...if someone was really craving it or something, I'd tag a long.
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I picked up lunch from Portabla today...decent Veggie Sandwich with Goat Cheese and roasted Veggies. I also had the Asian Red Cabbage Slaw (at least I think that's what it was)...also good.
Service....not so hot. The gentleman at the counter didn't seem to want to help any of us. I placed my sandwich order and he turned, without acknowledging me, and asked the couple next to me what they wanted. They said they weren't ready... I asked if he heard my order....he did, but I guess he didn't want to take my salad order, ring me up or ask if I was eating here or taking it with me (it was to go).
While I was waiting for my sandwich, a gentleman came in and stood for several minutes at the counter without anyone acknowledging him....the guy was too busy writing the soup of the day on the chalk board.
It was probably just one of those days...which I understand, but it does make me pause before spending my $11 (!) for lunch at Portabla again. Next time I will call the order in.
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I like this place - it's just the right size and despite their tiny number of tables it never feels too packed. They may seem pricey for sandwiches but that's par for the course in this rapidly gentrifying area. $6 or $7 sandwiches are now the norm, sorry.
I love the veggie sandwich with goat cheese - you can't go wrong with goat cheese. Waits can be long-ish so try to go during "off" times.
Wine-lover tip: Buy some wine at Wiggy's on the corner for your meal - there's no cork fee!
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Chase, where'd you go? The atmosphere and service just haven't been the same since Portabla came under new ownership about a month ago. Was once a favorite for lunch, but not so much as of late.
It's not uncommon to go in knowing exactly what you'd like (e.g. a takeout salad) and have to wait 3-5 minutes to order and another 3-5 to pay.
What to get: soups; 3 sides; Santa Fe; Pine nut and blueberry cookie
Watchout for: slow service, long waits, high cost for grab and go food.
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I'm a big fan of this place. IT is a great lunch spot because it is fast. Everyone that works there is so nice and the food is so good. They have really good panini sandwiches and the veggies of the day are always really good as well. Try the tuna too.
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So, my friend Benny and I were actually on our way to see our friend, Charles, chef and owner of Cafe Josie. And yet, we somehow veered into Portabla. Seriously, I'm not sure how that happened but I'm going to blame it on the growing baby belly and my need to sit down before I walked up the steps.
Yum. That's all I have to say. Well, not really. Try the Hawaiian panini. Oh my gosh. And while you're there, try the carrot cake, which is cut in such big delicious pieces I actually had to take some home to my boyfriend. Benny doesn't even like carrot cake and she loved this stuff.
I like to be waited on. Most of the time, when people ask me where I want to go, my only requirement is "somewhere where I can be waited on." Although Portabla doesn't have wait staff per se, we were treated like royalty from the moment we walked in and it felt like special "table side" treatment without the table side.
The guy behind the counter asked us if we had been there before, told us about the place, gave us details about the food and generally sold us on Portabla before we even took a bite of anything. Once we ordered, we sat down and had a short wait for a panini with some of the freshest ingredients I've tasted in a while. They delivered it to us cut in half, on separate plates although we only ordered one panini.
We walked out of there very happy and I made it up the steps, only to find Charles wasn't at Cafe Josie and wouldn't be for another couple of hours. It's okay though. I was full and ready for a nap.
Yum.
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The catering is unreal. So fantastic, and presented beautifully.
I know the owners, but I sadly must agree about the service in the shop. . . I've had my share of cold sandwiches that used to be hot. And things do take a long time. And yes on the daily soup running out. And mistakes on my order.
Overall, the food is quite good, with the meatloaf, roasted chicken, and gazpacho standing out as exceptional gems in my book. And seriously, I ate here for years fairly regularly since I lived in the neighborhood and always liked it. But a few months back I had Portabla cater a party, and I WAS BLOWN AWAY. It was THAT good, and each guest commented on the quality and tastiness.
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I've been to Portabla a few times over the seven years that it has been open, and have always been happy with my food. It's probably been a couple of years since I'd been, so I stopped in today to reacquaint myself. I think the owners have changed since I was here last, because I was TOTALLY blown away. So much so that after I left, I was alternately dancing because my stomach and mouth were so happy, and despondent because I hadn't been making regular stops at this wonderful place so close to my daily stomping grounds.
First of all, from the moment my friend and I set foot in the place, we were truly given red carpet treatment - even though both of us were dressed about as grungy as can be since we had just worked out. The guy behind the counter (whom we later learned was the owner, Mark), greeted us warmly and told us all about the specials and several of the items in the ready-made case. I was in a tuna mood and was considering the tuna salad sandwich, but was reluctant because tuna salad can sometimes be so very fishy. I asked him what it was like, and he went and got me a sample - it was absolutely wonderful, without a hint of fishiness and filled with ultra-fresh, crunchy veggies that gave it a great texture. I had to have it, and it was terrific. My friend ordered the turkey meatloaf, and it was out of this world. My god, I didn't know meatloaf could be that good. We also split a side of a garbanzo bean salad which was similarly fantastic, dressed in a light vinaigrette that complimented the chickpeas perfectly without overwhelming them.
For dessert, we split a peanut scotchmallow cookie. Again: whoa. Still warm from the oven, somehow magically both soft/chewy AND perfectly crumbly, and just wonderfully, wonderfully delicious. I was in heaven.
Total bill for my sandwich, the meatloaf, the cookie, and our single side (more than enough to share) was $16.
Afterwards, we visited a little bit with Mark, who told us all about how the cookies were his mom's recipes and how he got so many requests for pieces of the cookies she packed in his lunches while in elementary school that he ended up making batches himself and selling them at school. He's come a long way since then, having worked at the Driskill Grill before buying into Portabla.
Portabla is mainly designed for takeout and also does a brisk catering business, but they do have a few small tables inside for eat-in customers. And although the eat-in setup is sort of a side bar to their main business, no detail was left unattended; the floral arrangements on the tables were simple, yet gorgeously elegant (orchid sprigs mixed with eucalyptus and some other simple greens), and there was art on the walls courtesy of Wally Workman Gallery, one of my favorite galleries in Austin.
I've been away from Portabla too long, but I won't make that mistake twice. I feel sure this is now going to be a regular stop on my dining rounds.
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EXCELLENT! The food is always fresh--everything I've tried has been perfectly prepared for a reasonable price! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PORTABLA'S!
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My friend loves this place, so I arrived with open arms, so to speak. And I have to admit, the food is pretty good. However, it seems like no matter what time of day I go, they are ALWAYS out of the daily soup. And it seems like the only soups that are ever left aren't vegetarian.
They have an eclectic spin on a lot of standard deli cuisine, though some items like the wasabi mashed potatoes mix it up a bit. I sort of take issue with the fact that almost the entire menu is cold... I generally like to eat something hot for dinner, so I ordered a vegetable panini of some sort (it was very, very good).
And then, even though I know pasta salad is traditionally supposed to be served chilled (thank you, all-knowing order-taker boy for reminding me of that), I asked for it to be warmed up. And it was significantly better for that.
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The modern design of this minty green and white painted cafe is very alluring, so when you walk in you totally think the place is rad - but the service is horrible. I waited forever for a COLD bean and cheese taco. I was the only one there and it was COLD. Maybe the catering side of this establishment is better. That's all I'm going to say....
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