Burrasca

Were it not for Enzzo’s this might have been my go-​to for Italian for the foreseeable future. An attractive, low-​key décor is inviting and not at all stuffy– I and my table mate found it just about perfect for Lunch.
Although I liked the octopus stew, and the eggplant sandwich which was the daily special, my table mate really hit the bull’s eye (or more properly, the boar’s head) with the Pappardelle– a simply superb wide ribbon pasta concoction with the wild boar ragu. Good lord I could easily have gone all in, oink oinks aplenty, and clobbered about 4 more big bowls of that (hmmm– out-​oinking a dish whose signature ingredient is swine… not ironic, not satire… just friggin’ odd and somehow unexpected. Ok then. Moving along). Dignity is so very over-​rated, after all…
Molto Grazie!

Had dinner here with a friend this week. I liked the food a lot. The service was friendly and the food arrives reasonably fast. I got the black cod in parchment paper. Awesome Mediterranean flavors. The Brussels sprouts side was good though a tad mushy. The polenta had an amazing mushroom topping. My companion enjoyed his pasta and salad very much. We did not order dessert. One star off for a weak bar (though good wine and. european microbrews) and a slightly sterile atmosphere. Would definitely come here again.

Dropped in for lunch today. We enjoyed our food and the atmosphere (we were early and the only ones in the restaurant). I’ve been to the cart twice and now the restaurant once. What I like about this place is the flavors seem unique to me and it feels to me, who is not exactly the world traveler so take this with a grain of salt, that I stopped into a restaurant in Italy. I’m tempted to give 4.5 stars if I could but that’s only because the portions seemed, well, medium size. I’m not looking for an all you can eat olive garden experience but I was hungry again a few hours later.

Both my wife and I gave Burrasca a 7 out of 10 after our recent dinner there. Unfortunately I can’t simply divide that in half to fit the 5 star restriction. So they get the benefit of an extra half star.
Because I feel like for many people scanning reviews, the details aren’t as important, I am simply going to list the pros and cons of Burrasca. Thereby ridding the viewer of the need to wade through my glorious prose to get to the meat. Also, I’m feeling lazy.
Why Go: Cozy atmosphere — Great Kale Crostoni — Reasonably priced — Very tasty Gin and Tonic — (Looked like) A fairly extensive wine list — interesting apéritif offerings
Lost Points For: Somewhat inattentive service — no drink/​apéritif menu except on front wall — limited cocktail selection — Pork Loin and Boar Ragu lacked depth (could taste the tomato in the ragu, but not the meat; could taste the herbs on the loin, but not the pork itself)
We didn’t sample their desserts or espresso, both important factors when considering good Italian food in my mind. So the review is a bit limited. I would certainly go again (and not just because we have money left on the gift card!), but with a little more knowledge going in.

Willamette Week’s Restaurant Guide gave a lot of coverage to Burrasca in their recent publication, so we went with high expectations. Our hopes weren’t completely dashed last night, but it wasn’t quite the high dining experience.
A couple of things went well and a couple of them didn’t. First of all, our main dishes were very good. We got the papparadelle with boar ragu and the herb crusted pork loin and were pleased with both. For starters we got the crostini with kale, which was okay though a little flavorless, and the brussels sprouts which again were okay but a little flavorless.
Things that didn’t go so well — It’s a small place and we were seated at the communal table so it was kind of noisy, but the music was so loud that we had a hard time hearing each other. However the thing that bothered us the most, and I know it’s a small thing but it’s the small things that differentiate a good place from a great place, was that we ordered bread and they brought us a basket with 3 slices of bread. That would have been great if there were 2 or 3 of us at the table, but there were 4 of us. And when we asked for another slice and maybe some olive oil for dipping it was like we had requested something unheard of. They did bring us one more slice in its own little basket, but olive oil was going to cost us a dollar, so we passed on that. Service overall was just so-​so.
It has the potential to be a really good place. Since it’s fairly new I’m sure it is still having some growing pains that hopefully they’ll get past.

Food very authentic Tuscan but loud music which we repeatedly asked to be lowered was so distracting we didn’t enjoy our lunch.

Great, nicer place, to have an Italian dinner. The décor is really nice. It reminded me of a small Chicago or NY Italian ristorante. Lots of seats available at 5:30 on a Thursday but it was packed by 6:30. Really high ceilings which helped a lot with the noise because the tables are very close but it was easy to have a conversation. Service was some of the best I have had in a long time. They were fast, polite, and knowledgable.
We had eaten at their food cart before this restaurant and it was 5 stars on every dish. So we had high expectations.
We had the pork loin dish and the wild boar ragu. Both were very good… but not the great that we had hoped for. The bread they served was also not great. We have been in Tuscany where the bread is odd to American taste as there is no salt in it but the texture of the bread was good. Here the bread at the restaurant was just ok. Authentic Italian food would not include olive oil and butter. But with this bread it could have used it.
Average all of that out and you have a 4 star experience. We will be back!

Tonight was a first, the food was not good there was nothing I would come back for, but when the waiter came to pick up our food after the meal and asked how it was our reply was simple, just that the kale was overdone and hard to eat he sent out the chef. The chef came out and aggressively confronted us. Instead of seeing what he could do to make our experience better he wanted us to justify our answer. I watched across the table as my friends eyes widened and as he left we sat shocked. We paid our bill and vowed never to return. The waiter came to get the ticket and had no remorse for unleashing his owner on us. This is not an experience I would recommend.

We have been to Burrasca 4 – 5 times in the last couple of months and we absolutely love the food. The tagliata was a very tender piece and very savory. The tagliatelle was sooooo good mostly because of the homemade sauce. The salads were all tasty and the warm fried bread was delicious. We are always on the search for Italian restaurants since we are from Rome. The only ding I have is that my tagliata arrived cool instead of warm. I think some more training of the servers would be a good idea. Thank you for opening up this wonderful delicious restaurant where we can take our family too on our weekly dinner night out.

I really want to love this place. First, because I love supporting local businesses, and the fact that this place started as a food cart! Second, I love having a local Italian restaurant in my neighborhood. I’m giving them a solid 3 stars for now in terms of excellent customer service, and the specific dish that I ordered was divine and lastly my cappuccino was so good, it literally brought me back to Florence! I feel like they are still trying to build up and get a feel of what this restaurant is all about. Spending a good 3 weeks in Italy this summer and being immersed with all that flavorful Italian dish, I have to say I’m a bit more critical when it comes to «authentic Italian dishes». Don’t get me wrong, the gnudi (spinach & ricotta gnocchi with butter & safe) was right on point! It had the right texture and boastful of flavored. It wasn’t over powering but wasn’t bland either. My friend ordered the palombo (shark dish) and I had a bite, it wasn’t for me. Lacking in better terms to explain it, but well it was too fishy tasting for me?!! Someone mentioned it being like mahi mahi, and I have to heartedly disagree, not even close. I’m not sure if that’s just the fish itself or how it was cooked. I just done each shark dishes enough to give a solid comparison. My friend ordered the pappardelle and I thought the sauce was he star of that dish. I would definitely be coming back to give this palace a second try, maybe in a few more months or so, once they have a solid foundation down. The restaurant itself is beautiful, it’s very open and hip. I believe their menu also changes with the season, so maybe a spring return would be best. I have high hopes for this place and can not wait until I can come back and give them that 5 star raining that I know they have in them!

Lunch was excellent. I had the shark covered in some wonderful tomato sauce/​compote. Others at the table had the pork roast with white beans and another had the squid. We all found that portions were very generous and prices were more than reasonable. Squid was a little on the salty side but everything else was delicious!
Can’t wait to return for dinner, great start for this new restaurant!

The gnocchi was good… And by good I mean textbook perfect spinach ricotta gnocchi… Everything else we tried (7or8 things) was sub par at best. Bland and unauthentic seems to be the theme of the place. Also, my prosecco came in a stemless wine glass full of ice… After reminding the server who forgot about it In The first place, it was pretty disappointing… My husband is from northern Italy, and also a chef, so you can trust me when I say that if you want REAL Italian food, you’ll have to look elsewhere…
It really isn’t that we have unreasonable high expectations for food. We just want food from the earth that tastes good and leaves us satisfied… Especially when we spend 100 $ for 2 people… We didn’t find that here… Perhaps they should’ve stayed in their truck…

Lunch at Burrasca was terrific. The service is friendly, the atmosphere is airy, clean, and comfortable, and the dog-​friendly outdoor patio is a nice bonus.
The big pluses here are the well vetted wine list with good variety and some great picks, all at reasonable prices, and the small but thoughtfully composed menu. The portions are well-​sized for the price, and the dishes we had were authentic and delicious, rustic in style and presentation, but by no means rough or careless. Everything we ordered felt as if it had been lovingly handmade and presented as it would be if we were at a family restaurant in Florence.
My only complaint about this place is that a couple of dishes we had were a little salty. The insalata dei Medici was dressed nicely, but served with salt packed capers that could have used a little more rinsing. The wild boar ragu on the tagliatelle was also a little salty, though the ragu was tasty and beautifully textured, and the house made pasta was perfectly made.
My favorite dish was the herb crusted pork loin roast with cannellini beans. The beans were cooked perfectly, not at all mushy and very well seasoned. The pork was juicy and major delicious. The portion was surprisingly generous (I could have shared the dish and been satisfied with the serving size) and the herb crust on the pork was a super tasty reminder that fennel pollen is food of the gods with the right dishes, and too often absent on Italian menus.
If there was one thing I would change, it would be to add some acidity to the dish to balance out the richness of the pork and the creaminess of the beans. Other than that, it terrific, soul satisfying, and a great bargain. Highly recommended for a simple, uncomplicated, fast, super delicious and satisfying meal.

Wow! I can’t believe people think this food is bland… Because holy crap, I thought it was amazing! Stopped in here for lunch today, had the $ 14 tagliatelle. Yes the portions are medium… (This isn’t Olive Garden folks)… But the craft and care that goes into the made from scratch meat ragu and the handmade noodles is devine! I could eat that dish all day long. The Burrasca team really hit a home run with this place :)

8:30 on a Saturday night. Not busy. Sat on the back patio on a beautiful night. Waiters recommendation on the wine was spot on. Crostini was nice, Bread soup was bland, Tagliatelle was great, round flavors but delicate. Unfortunately the Shark was chewy and had a strong fishy smell even though covered in too much red sauce. We each took one bite of the two huge pieces and pushed it away. Great service up to not asking why only one bite after finishing everything else. Also, No questions about after dinner options even though we had commented on the Vin santo options while picking the bottle for dinner. Several people have said over priced.…where do you people eat? Pricing is fine but truly with the food options in this city, not even close to a reason to go back. Too bad. Wanted to like it!

Tiny portions, expensive, pretty average fare. Solid D rating. Won’t return unless and until they wise up…

Definitely one of my favorite new restaurants in Portland. Incredible Italian food and friendly customer service! Great interior design as well. I’m so happy to see this food cart succeed and grow. I know I’ll be coming back as soon as possible. Jim is one of the most hilarious and expert servers I’ve had in a while. TRY THE GNUDI!!! Also the tagliatelle and weird bread.

I agree with Connie M.
Food was relatively bland, very small portions, and 30% overpriced. Nine balls of gnocchi were served on a plate without any garnish and otherwise unadorned. $ 13. The pasta in the tagliatelle tasted like the store-​bought stuff you can make at home. The bread had a similar off-​the-​grocery-​shelf quality.
I want to like this place, and the space is wonderful. But the food does not come close to justifying the price. Try Grassa, Luce, or Cibo first.

Spectacular, specialized focus on Tuscan cuisine. This is not a place that stamps out generic mass-​produced «Italian». Forget spaghetti and ravioli — instead, think a perfect Tagliatelle or Inzimino (squid simmered with spinach in a garlicy red wine sauce).
The food and vibe has found a perfect home in Portland. It is quirky, unpretentious, modestly-​priced and delicious. If, like me, you are still in a state of grieving over the closing of the much-​loved Assaggio (original owner incarnation), then take cheer because you now have a new go-​to Italian destination…

I had never tried the food cart, but Italian food has always been one of my favorites. My wife and I had the Gnudi, Tagliatelle, tuscan bread and some wine. The Tagliatelle ragu was excellent; it wasn’t overly pungent. I do wish it had more meatyness to it – but that’s just me. The Tagliatelle noodles were cooked to perfection – al dente. They had an excellent bit to them, and the perfect textrue for a meat sauce type of dish. The Gnudi was very impressive. It was cheesy, buttery and soft, and it had a nice kick from the sage. I could’ve eaten about a hundred of those. This place is the real deal; it tastes very homemade – especially the tuscan bread we had.
The service was perfect. We were there on their first day open. They definitely know what they’re doing. We had to wait a little bit longer than usual, but that’s normal; this isn’t burgerking. The prices are very fair. We spend $ 46 and we got two pasta dishes, some bread and two wines. I will definitely come back