Enio’s Eatery

Disappointing. We’ve dined in most of the restaurants in this price range in the Portland area, and this one gave the most pretentiousness per dollar so far.
Making the reservation felt like I was making a nuisance of myself, so put out they seemed on the phone. We haven’t complained about a dish in years, but we did here, and it seemed we were completely inconveniencing the waiter, the poor dear.
If you want good food at a fun neighborhood spot, go someplace else. If you want to look up every third word on the menu on your phone to understand what you’re getting and be treated like an unfortunate accident, maybe this is your place.

My husband and I decided to try Enios for our anniversary. We arrived to an empty restaurant and were told that the restaurant was booked but we could sit at the bar.
We ordered a bottle of wine and the owner stuck his entire nose in it and sniffed. As we dined, we saw him do this to 3 other unsuspecting customers’ bottles of wine.
We also discovered, as we sat at the bar, and other people entered the restaurant, that the owner seats his guests based on their appearance, and apparent wealth.
Arriving guests were asked if they had reservations. In the two hours we were there, no one did. It became clear that, if the owner liked the looks of them, they were given one of the «reserved» tables. If not, they were told only the bar was available.
Considering what we spent on our wine and dinner, I’d say he’s a poor judge.
My husband’s seafood dish was rather fussy and overworked. My vegetarian dish was inedible. The dessert was good.
We will not be returning.

Cruising through Cape Elizabeth, which is the ‘hood of some friends from Columbus, we decided to eat here for an early dinner. The place is, from the outside, typically New England kitsch, with an unremarkable exterior. The interior, on the other hand is cozy and welcoming. The have a long row of «Papaya King» style reverse counters which are set up to look out on the road and are positioned for couples in a row. I thought this was kind of strange, but I think the owner was making the best of the limited space in the place. There is a nice bar, albeit small, and the tables were comfy.
On to the food. We had two appetizers. One was like a pot au feu and they had several of them. We tried the trout and it was great. Really «trouty» meaning not fishy, but the taste of the trout was forward and friendly. Served with thick cut toast points. Very good. There was also a mini pizza thing that had a grand name which I don’t recall. But it had prosciutto and something like Crème Fraiche. It was also quite good. Honestly, they had a ton of tasty starters and if I ever go back, I’m just gonna eat them and skip the main all together.
I had the spaghetti con Vongole and it was mediocre. Almost a soup. I think the chef just forgot what he was doing. Only a few clams and absolutely bland (nod towards the rather unadventurous palates of most Mainers). Pass on that special oh Friends of Larry. But, my companions had a rockin’ ragout dish of both beef and pork served over «hard» polenta. Now THAT was excellent. The meat was chunky, not ground, and the seasoning and presentation was surprisingly good. No sweet stuff after, we were too full.
Oh, the owner was a hoot! Real Italian from Italy and funny and attentive. Would have gotten another star, but the pasta entrée was simply not up to par.

Enio’s is a solid little restaurant. Located on Cottage Road near David’s 388, it’s easy to miss while driving by. We had a 6 pm reservation during a Valentine’s Day snowstorm. The restaurant is on the smaller side and was half full when we arrived. I thought the atmosphere was fine. It won’t blow you away, but it didn’t detract from the experience. Many tables are hugging their neighbor but we were placed with enough space in a corner.
Food:
The food was pretty delicious. The menu is separated into jars of spread (with bread), appetizers, a handful of pasta bowls and a handful of entrees. Two specials were on the board. An appetizer of carrots and kale was very tasty and I was ready to down the leftover broth with a spoon. That is, until the bread arrived to dip it in. It’s some of the best restaurant bread I’ve ever had. My salmon over shrimp risotto was an enormous portion. The salmon was slightly dry but combined with the rich risotto was very satisfying. The massive gnocchi bowl with pesto and asparagus was even better, and close to perfect. Dessert of white chocolate panna cotta with chocolate covered strawberries couldn’t have been better. We ate well past the point of being full.
Drinks:
With the snowstorm raging, I skipped the drink menu. The wine list looked comprehensive with many reasonably priced ($ 8) glasses. The beer list had more thoughtful choices than standard.
Service:
The restaurant quickly became full and only two employees (including who I assume is the owner) were on shift. Maybe someone called out because of the snow, but if not, they need to review their staffing. Service was slow and harried. They did a good job considering there were only two of them, but it felt like poor planning for a holiday that primarily consists of eating out. The owner also came across as a little cold.
The price points rival the Old Port with the average entrée being $ 25. The total bill including an app, two entrees, dessert and coffee after tip was $ 90. The food lived up to Old Port style prices, but the atmosphere and location would suggest it be a little less. Overall though I think this is a great addition to South Portland and I plan on coming back.

Nice little neighborhood Italian restaurant. I had a great pasta and pork dish with a little Pinot noir. Very tasty and a nice out for Kristen and I.

I am not prone to writing wordy reviews. That said, the meal my wife and I had (lobster ravioli with scallops and the orecchiette) were excellent along with our arugula salad. Best of all was the very thoughtful and fun wine list. All European (and we are from California) with wines from very differential regions. A lot of fun to select from.
Robert, the owner, was VERY attentive and personnall. We will definitely come back when we return to Portland!

Exceptional quaint spot that is a true favorite among the locals. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and presented well. Reservations an absolute must. I had scallops with lobster stuffed ravioli. EXTRAORDINARY! Perfect. For a romantic evening, get a seat looking outside.

A great neighborhood restaurant with fantastic food. Always a delight. As good or better than anything across the bridge and no parking to deal with. The menu is wonderful. We have never been disappointed. Friendly laid back service.

This place is fabulous! Love the atmosphere and what they have done with the space. Food is excellent as well; the best risotto I have ever tasted! Definitely worth the price you pay for both portions and quality of the food. Happy to have a place ‘this side of the bridge’ serving high quality food. Can’t wait to go back

We arrived in S. Portland today with every intention of eating at home but on our way after a day of everything we passed Enio’s and thought we would give it a try. We are so glad we did!
We had a lovely meal sitting at a beautiful bar listening to great jazz. Not live but it is a very small place. The food was wonderful and fresh and obviously created with passion by the chef. We had the liver pâté which we both loved and then we both got very creative and tasty bowls of food. I had a grilled shrimp dish with pasta which was terrific and my husband ate the whole bowl of Portuguese Seafood Stew with glee.
The other dishes coming out of the kitchen also looked tempting and beautiful. We hear the desserts are also good but plan to go back again to try them out. Portions were on the generous side.
Don’t miss this little gem.

I’m a regular at Enios. The food is very good. There is no ambiance. It is a very expensive night out. It’s not possible for 4 people to enjoy 2 courses each and have a total of 8 glasses of wine (that would be 2 glasses per person) without spending $ 225. The service is fast. The portion size is decent. The tendency is to rush you into ordering. The owner seems to want you to make a decision within 2 minutes of being seated. You dine off plywood tables that have been scorched to have that «burned look».
The plus — good food. The bad — expensive, uncomfortable and hurried.

Hands down, the most delicious Caesar Salad ever. Easily the best restaurant in South Portland and — without question — one of the best restaurants in the Portland area.

Very happy I ended up here for dinner last Saturday. I have to give credit to my wife since she didn’t feel like going into Portland and suggested we try Enio’s. After working around the house all day and missing lunch we both came hungry and left happy.
The space is small, so big groups will likely be tough. We walked in without a reservation and were pumped to find plenty of seats open at the bar. First thing you should know is that everything is made fresh in house including the breads and deserts. Between us we had sautéed spinach with beans, shrimp in garlic butter, an eggplant spread with goat cheese, beef ravioli topped with beef tenderloin, mushrooms and a scrumptious cheese sauce, blackberry pie and a chocolate cookie with rich chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Note some of these dishes have names that I can’t recall verbatim. All you need to know is it was all awesome.
Service was attentive and prompt. Very solid beer and wine selection. Do yourself a favor and stop in for a meal sometime.

Excellent arugula salad. All entrees were good.. Service was excellent. Seating is bar style so make a reservation if you want a real table as there are only a few

Enio’s is the best Italian I’ve ever had. The handmade pasta is to die for. The interior is simple yet elegant with rough white washed boards and a long bar backed by an impressive assortment of wine. My wife had the seafood stew which was excellent and reminiscent of paella. For dessert we had affogato and a citrus cake topped with ice cream. Both were delicious. It is a small space so make a reservation.

Arrived with my wife Saturday around 7:30 for dinner. We were greated by a waitress who told us she would be right with us. 15 minutes later, we were seated at a table. They were obviously shorthanded. There were 2 people doing everything including the owner. Besides that, there is virtually nowhere to stand while waiting. The space is much wider than deep so you loiter near the front door. That was definitely awkward but let’s move on.
6 different beers on tap that were different styles was nice. Something for everyone. And while not a big wine drinker, there was a decent selection from which to choose. The menu was imaginative with about a half a dozen appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts. I had the chicken liver pâté with grilled bread. The pâté came in an oversized shot glass on a wooden cutting board with about 8 pieces of wonderful bread. The liver had a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I loved it. It was smooth, rich and creamy. The balsamic added a sweet and tangy note to the rich and smooth pâté. I give it a big thumb’s up. My wife had bruschetta. She asked the waitress about a questionable ingredient and was told it was an aoli. It wasn’t. The bruschetta had a huge pile of caramelized onions. My wife does not like onions. No where in the description did it say a monster scoop of caramelized onions. My wife was a trooper so she ate around them but they were a major component of the dish. Pretty strange. For entrées, I had the grilled salmon on a potato pancake with paper thin zucchini and lightly pickled red peppers. The salmon was perfectly done and hot off the grill… delicious! My wife had chicken over ravioli with a sauce that was luscious; a cross between a sauce and gravy. She ate every bite. Another thumb’s up. We split a dessert that was not too memorable. My wife’s decaf coffee was strong and a good finish.
I would recommend this eatery in the space formerly known as The Buttered Biscuit. I found the menu inventive, the dishes well executed and the ambience ok. My only complaints were the obvious understaffing during the dinner rush and the waitress’s lack of knowledge about a dish. The lack of a waiting area was awkward but the space has it’s limitations. Some outside seating as the weather gets nicer would make the wait easier to deal with or just come early and avoid the wait completely..

If I could give more than five stars, I would.
NOTE: This review is from a few months ago and was originally a post on my Tumblr page.
Enio’s, South Portland, ME.
Had one of the best meals in recent memory at Enio’s in South Portland, ME tonight. Linguine in white wine, garlic, and parsley broth with a mountain of in-​shell clams. A couple glasses of excellent wine, homemade pumpkin & chocolate chip whoopie pie with cranberry chutney, and a big mug of hot coffee. Daughter had pasta pomodoro with sausage; wife had pasta del erbe with grilled chicken with an incredible chocolate pudding and snicker doodle dessert. Great service in a cozy, intimate, local spot. Very friendly husband & wife team own & run the place. No reservations, but worth any wait you may have. We will definitely be back.

Moved to neighborhood several months ago. Great place. Warm, welcoming, food on all trips in the last five months delicious. Order whatever you feel like cause you won’t be disappointed.

My husband & I dined at Enio’s last evening & were very happy. We split a tomato cucumber salad with goat cheese — excellent. We each ordered the special entrée of halibut with marinated mushrooms, kale, potatoes. Halibut was a nice size portion. Husband loved it. I did as well, but my personal taste would have liked just a tad more sauce & a tad more seasoning on fish. Wine list was fine & desserts were fantastic without being overly sweet. I had the lemon pudding cake with berries & husband had blackberry pie. For Unilocal,however, I believe 3 dollar signs would be more accurate for this ala carte menu. We will definitely return!

We love this place. We have been following Bob and Laura throughout their careers. They use to own Rachels wood fired grill on Exchange street which we loved. The last place was Rachels on Woodfords street. They decided to take some time away from Maine and head to Florida. What a bummer that was for us. When I heard they were back from Florida and ready to open a new restaurant I could not contain myself. The new place is very casual and laid back with an amazing wine selection. Laura continues to out do herself in the kitchen. The BEST Caesar salad on the planet. The calamari is amazing and lamb is to die for. The menu changes regularly which I like. I cant say enough good about this place and about them. Very nice people.