Earlier this year, in March or April, I was doin’ some local canvassing for my other business, and got hungry. There was a pizza joint on the corner, so I popped in, and learned that an East African family owns it. I placed an order, and liked the food and service enough to resolve to return. The following review is based on my follow-up experience.

Product(s): Large Pepperoni Pizza and 10 Piece Buffalo Wing
Company Name: Portofino Pizza Cafe
Contact Info.: http://portofino-cafe.com/,  510-653-7373
Location: 3936 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
Cost (of this product): Pizza ($16.50)/Wings ($8.99) 

Rating: 17/20= 85%
Basis:
Purchase Process – 5

Customer Service – 4 (I was really hungry, and when 45 minutes turned into 48, I called the restaurant. The wife kindly told me that her husband was on his way. As soon as I hung up, the driver called to let me know he was downstairs. Come to find out, the business doesn’t allow for tip write-ins, and the only cash I had in the house was a bunch of laundry quarters. The driver (the husband) didn’t make me feel bad about this. He was just as kind as the day I walked into the store.)

Product – 3 (The crust is great. It’s light and airy, and there’s an abundance of cheese on the pizza. Unfortunately, the sauce tastes a little bland, and when the pizza is reheated, it tastes all together bland, even with the load of cheese. The wings were fried and a little old, but they were tasty.)

Product Usability – 5 (My food was nicely packaged. Yes, I’ve had some junky-lookin’ pizza come to my door, but this wasn’t one of those times.)

The food may not be perfect, but it’s good and inexpensive. I’m also a sucker for good people and great service, so Portofino Pizza Cafe is surely a place I’ll try, again.