La Portena Restaurant

Order the entraña with chimichurri and you won’t be disappointed. Great flavors, perfectly medium well done. The portions are smaller than last year though. The desserts were a bit too sweet and not special enough. They should just offer a bowl of dulce de leche since that is where their true talents shine. Service was great! 4 solid stars! Will be back next month!

January 2014
Dinner with the GF.
Food– hands down best skirt steak in NY (though portions got smaller)
Service– very attentive.
Ambiance– nice family restaurant

Have come here a handful of times over the years, and there’s a reason we come back. Grilled meats cooked to perfection (for American tastes), good empanadas, decent sides.

Amazing skirt steak, awesome sangria. Best restaurant in Jackson Heights.

This place has been a Christmas and New Years tradition for our family for MANY years. Now, the only reason I give this place 4 stars is because I know how good this place can be, but lately it seems that something is not the same.
The mixed grill is the MUST order menu item. Skirt steak, beef short ribs, sweetbreads, italian sausage, tripe, and blood sausage.
In the past, this item was excellent. Cooked exactly to your liking, and the meat having great flavor. Side dishes also very good.
We just went here yesterday and the Mixed Grill we got was charred (we ordered medium) and also under-​seasoned. They usually use just a little bit of salt, but everything tasted like not even a pinch of salt was used.
The sangria was good as always.
However, we did not receive the service we’ve grown accustomed to receiving over the past 20 years. First of all, the waiters we know, were not there. Secondly, the ones that were there, were not particularly friendly. They should know we ALWAYS tip EXTRA well during the holidays, and the guys who usually work there remember us and provide us with excellent service. They pretty much fight over who gets our table. We even speak perfect Spanish, but they (the new guys) would only respond in English despite hearing them speak Spanish to each other. It felt as though we were being judged for some reason.
The service is typically slow, as it takes a bit if time for them to grill all the meat, but we’re used to this as we only come during family gatherings and we plan to spend a lot of time there.
I hope that the new staff will grow to be nicer. We’ve been going here for too long to stop going now. La Portena is tradition for us. Here’s hoping our next visit won’t be our last.

I had a craving for skirt steak and no one does it better than an Argentinian steak house. We arrived on a Friday night, no reservations and didn’t even have to wait. The atmosphere is warm and intimate with lots of countryside memorabilia. The waitstaff was friendly but maybe a little bit aloof at times.
Now onto the food, oh the food!!! We got really excited and ordered way too much, like always. I practically finished the chimichurri on the bread basket because it was so good. Next came the empanadas, and the grilled provolone, both very tasty and filling. For our main dishes I ordered the skirt steak with french fries and the other people ordered a parillada, which consists of various cuts of meat. The amount of food was HUGE but well worth it because it was all very good. The skirt steak was excellent but the french fries were soggy and would have tasted better if they were crispy.
Didn’t try the sangria but we shared a nice bottle of red wine.
All in all we had an excellent dinner and it was so much food that we had enough to take home. The prices and portions I felt were reasonable.

This place is ideal for a couple or for a family. It’s cozy and intimate. The décor is quite pleasant and the minute we walked in we were escorted to a table with wine glasses and wine colored cloth napkins.
I recommend the sangria pitcher if you like sangria. And the warm bread when you order an entrée… Holy moly. The bread comes with 2 sauces I think one is a «Argentinian chimichurri sauce» don’t quote me on that. Lol but it’s really good.
Food wise: the chicken with some kind of cream sauce soo good! And the skirt steak mmm. Well in all honesty all the meat must be tasty. It’s like their specialty. If it’s more than one person and you all like varieties of meats try the churrasco.
Service gets 5 stars in my part. They are very attentive and professional. The only reason I didn’t give the 5^th star is because it was a very long wait for the food and I was starving lol. Which could also be a good thing because it means that they might have been preparing it fresh.
Once again recommended if you want to impress your intimate other. Oh and it’s a bit on the pricey side. So make sure u take enough to avoid embarrassment. Lol

I’ve been to La Portena a handful of times, though I went there this past weekend for the first time in 4+ years. In 2011, La Portena was a NY Magazine «critic’s pick.» They preached the deliciousness of the Mixed Grill for one. If you asked me on Friday night, I would have whole heartedly agreed.
My wife and I went with some friends on Saturday night and it was, overall, pretty underwhelming.
We ordered fried Yuca as an app along with a dish I can’t recall, but it was basically cheese covering ham and olives. Meh. Nothing terrible, but nothing to rave about.
Mains:
Salmon — This has to go down as one of the least appetizing meals I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Everything on the plate looked overcooked. According to my friend’s wife it was as bad as it looked.
Skirt steak w/​chimichurri sauce — My wife and friend both ordered. Basic report — meat was good (though one steak was not cooked to order), but South Americans don’t know the first thing about cooking vegetables. Side of steamed potatoes were balls of mush and completely flavorless.
Pork Chop Riojana — Fried pork chop topped with ham, a fried egg & roasted red peppers served over potatoes and peas. It sounds more interesting than it actually was. It was fairly bland. I kept pouring chimichurri sauce over my meal though it wasn’t intended for my meal.
Overall, I wouldn’t say it was terrible, but I’ve certainly had better.

I was pleasantly surprised by this place and I don’t know why. Nevertheless, if this Jersey girl lived nearby, this would definitely be my go-​to place. I guess I’ll be visiting my sister more often.
First, I loved the décor. What with the row of various restaurants I saw while we we’re walking here, this had the nicest ambiance. Lots of Argentinian paraphernalia and wall décor. How cultured I felt when I recognized Messi’s picture on the wall. Who’s Messi, you ask? Have you been living in a cave, my friend? I kid… let’s get to the food.
Perusing the menu, I really wanted to have a dish that was uniquely Argentinian. I was looking at the omelettes but I felt odd having eggs for an early dinner meal. So I settled for the grilled pork chops with yellow rice. My sister shared the various meat dish with her hubby, and my mom had the same dish I had but with fried yuca. My dad had the beef parmigiana. My pork chops were pleasantly and, I don’t know why, surprisingly juicy. And flavorful! And I was given two thick pieces! I had to take home the second chop because when you find a good pork chop, you don’t let that baby go. I’m already looking forward to lunch at work tomorrow.
Next time, I’m ordering (and hopefully sharing) the meat dish my sis shared with her hubby. The blood sausage was perfect. I took my time eating the piece I took. And the tripe was WOW. I don’t like tripe but that was damn good grilled tripe. And the ‘sweetbread’ aka chicken… what was that all about? I’m salivating right now as I type this. That was so good!
As we were all full and could barely finish our meals, we skipped dessert. Not next time though, buddy!
The service was hospitable and pleasant and attentive. We didn’t have to intensely stare at the waiter to refill our water glasses.
Yeah, I’m coming back.

I enjoyed my stay here. I ordered the thin filet mignon special. It included a steamed potato and onion rings. I really like my steak. I wanted it medium, and it was cooked to my liking. I have to say that before I ate my meal, that I thought I had room for dessert, but after the potato and the bread, I soon realized the impossibility. The waitstaff is bilingual and helpful. They are attentively refilling water and bringing new plates. It is a great place to bring a large group of people. The people at the table next to me were like 7 seniors. I would come back when I want to be completely satisfied with steaky goodness.

I can’t express how much I love this restaurant, from the beautiful ambience to the great staff to the menu with so many choices. I started coming here back in 2006 and I have gone back so many times since then and made so many great memories there.
What’s so great about this place? Two words, steak and sangria. The steak is always cooked exactly how you want it. Not too many places cook Medium Rare properly, they end up being medium with no blood or rare that’s basically eating a freshly pounced on gazelle. You can go from a skirt steak all the way up to a mixed grill with sweetbreads and blood sausage. I’ve tried them all, small, medium, and large, and I love it all.
Portena offers a full bar, which is great when you need a drink with your meal. When you walk in, you’ll notice the full bar on the left and a wine fridge that towers over you, on the right. Order a Sangria and you’ll be pleasantly sipping on a mix of sweet red wine and fresh cut fruits.
The atmosphere is Argentinian cowboyish. You feel like you’re on a ranch, with all the stained wood covering you on all sides. It’s dimly lit, perfect for dates or just to get away from the sun.
I definitely recommend this restaurant for serious steak aficiandos.

The prices have definitely gone up since I started going to this local Argentinean joint. I’ve eaten out and eaten in, and every experience has been incredible. I started going to this restaurant after visiting Argentina in 2009 and craving pastel de papas. Unfortunately, La Porteña didn’t have it, but they had an incredible entraña with mashed potatoes. I definitely recommend this to anyone seeking Argentinean food. I’m not Argentinean myself, but sometimes I go just to get my local taste of Buenos Aires.

The cuts of steaks they have are excellent. the sides are not so much. They have a potato salad that is mediocre and they serve some sort of rice that reminds me of uncle ben’s. if the owners would get a little more creative with the sides i would give this place 5 stars.
I love love Chilean and Argentinian wines so this place delivers that earthy robust flavor. i think they need to revamp a little on their menu, then la portena will get a huger buzz going.
But overall the ambiance is nice. you feel like you are in a Argentinean place from the 30’s with the Carlos Gardel pictures and music playing. You feel kind of classy to be there. This place has a huge potential to take it to the next level in dining experience. This is a good place to go on a date.

I really wanted to give this place a better review. It came so well recommended and yet it fell under par.
Someone once told me that if you go to a steak house and they do not cook the steak to the temperature that you ordered it, you have the right to return it. This place luckily could get that right, although they did overcook my chicken. In retrospect, ordering chicken at a steakhouse was probably a mistake.
The service was horrible with our portly waiter leaning over us and rubbing his belly on us as our plates were served. He was a bit clumsy and spilled sangria as he poured. He plays the part with manners coming out of his mouth, but being charged for a coffee we were never served, charged to cut a birthday cake $ 2 per person, when we supplied the cake and even the serving utensils and were willing to cut the cake ourselves was a bit out of line.
Back to the food, the fries and potato salad are nothing to write home about. The cooked red meats are the way to go at this place. the short ribs and flank steak our table ordered were cooked perfectly.
I just wish the service and the rest of our meal matched the rest steak and ribs.

La Porteña is a beautiful Argentine Restaurant. Delightful food, fast/​polite staff & great ambience. The food was delectable & deliciously fresh. We had crab cakes for appetizers & then for the main course we had the entraña with yuca frita & pollo empanisado with fries. Only complaint was the flan with dulce de leche & the whip cream. My favorite time of the whole dining experience is the dessert… Don’t play with my desserts! Personally, I thought the flan was tasteless & bland. Overall it was a nice romantic saturday night experience… except for the flan
:-/​should have gotten the crepes with dulce de leche.

The service has improved dramatically since I went to La Portena 1 year ago. There was only 1 hiccup where one of my fellow foodies ordered a medium-​rare steak and received it raw. However, the obliged to cook it some more and it came back perfectly cooked.
This time I tried the skirt steak (medium-​rare) and the calamari. The skirt steak was good, but seemed to be a little tough. The calamari was excellent, crispy with a good sauce.
Note: Once again our drinks arrived a little on the warm side once again.

Simply an Argentinian steakhouse.
Started with a glass of «house» Malbec (whatever was open at that time) and it was delicious and rich. The complimentary bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and accompanied with a green chimichurri sauce and a red onion/​tomato sauce. Shared the La Portena salad for two (shrimp, avocado, white beans, watercress, onions, and hearts of palm) which was tasty and definitely large enough for a group of three or four. As an entrée, shared the skirt steak (medium) and it was cooked very well. The meat was very tender and well seasoned. The steak can definitely be shared because it is a LARGE portion (as most argentinian restaurants).
Our waiter gave off an old school vibe and made sure to constantly check in on us. He also was very good in suggesting what we should try. Speaking Spanish is a plus here. Definitely one of the more fancier/​pricier restaurants in the neighborhood but overall a very warm ambiance.

I have been here a lot since my mother has stopped wanting to goto Armondos. After reading all the reviews I almost want to be Asian for a day just to see what these Unilocalers are talking about.
The food is good and I usually order what I cant finish (which is mostly everything in there unless your starving) The service can take a while depending on how crowded the place is. The waitors wear really nice attire and the décor and atmosphere is top notch for making me feel like I stepped into Argentina for a little while.

One word.
CHIMICHURRI.

I came here just for dessert. Props for being one of the few places open past 9pm!
I got the flan and crepes, both with dulce de leche. My friend, whose family is from Argentina, noted that the dulce de leche here was some of the most authentic she’s had outside of Argentina itself.
The décor is cute. There are musical instruments and other random elements scatted sparsely on wooden paneling.
The service was a bit curt. As soon as we sat down, a waiter came and removed, loudly, all our silverware, plates, and prop bottles. It was a little strange.
I personally didn’t love the desserts. They were heavy. But they were meant to be. Just don’t come here if you’re already full!