Porta Pizzeria
911 Kingsley Street
Asbury Park, NJ
Fare: Pizzeria Pizzas are excellent and a refreshing departure from the many Asbury Park area traditional pizzas. A vibrant upbeat setting with non-traditional rustic, picnic table style, communal seating Can get very loud and overrun with kids during dining hours Noise Level: Moderate - High Porta Pizzeria is a a popular place for families with kids, and the 21+ crowd after 10 pm. After 10 pm the place takes on a nightclub vibe. Porta is owned and operated by the Smith Hospitality Group. The interior dining area of Porta --- means door in Italian --- is huge with a casual barn like feel to it, is adorned with old rustic doors. The seating takes place around communal picnic tables They feature a huge bar, and in the warmer months they have outdoor dining with a beer garden atmosphere and a bocce court. It's a great place to hook up with friends for drinks and pizza. The menu at Porta is small and reasonably priced with mostly non-traditional gourmet thin crusted pizza selections, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. The pizzas are creatively prepared using fresh seasonal ingredients They make their own ricotta and mozzarella cheese on the premises. It's creamy and has the flavor sweet milk. The pizza is cooked in 2 large wood burning pizza ovens. Porta's pizza and non-pizza dishes are all well-executed They are open seven days/week for lunch and dinner (updated: September 2024)
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Porta: Restaurant Highlights
Price: Moderate
Recommended For: Diners who enjoy gourmet pizza in a high energy, casual, rustic setting with picnic table communal seating.
Not Recommended For: Diners who enjoy a traditional style pizza restaurant in a quiet setting.
Recommended dishes: When available, Prosciutto Di Parma Sandwich; Italian Stallion Pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, sweet Italian sausage, and long hots; and the Carbonara Pizza with guanciale, parmigiano reggiano, roasted egg, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and black pepper.
Liquor: Large selection of beers by the glass, bottle, and pitcher; wine. Bar scene is vibrant.
The Smith group helped revitalize Asbury Park with a creative twist on dining. They developed a reputation as visionaries, known for flouting conventional wisdom. They also own and manage three other Asbury Park restaurants: Homesick, Lovesick, and Pascal and SabineHow Do We Review (analyze) Restaurants?