Donatos in Port Charlotte - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great little hidden gem! Everything was amazing. Best Fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had.

Authentic old world Italian food

Cool atmosphere. Red sauce gave me heartburn.

Do not order the salmon as it was undercooked & the risotto was cold.

Such a fun place for dinner! We had the summer special. Great food and service.

First time at Donatos (looking for authentic Italian food) and I was not disappointed at all! Food was phenomenal & service was amazing. Dana provided the best service and experience ever. We will definitely be back soon!!!

UPDATE: was contacted by management offering to remedy the experience. Revolting papardalle. Chunk of noodles, sprinkled ground beef mixed with some cheese sauce. Evidently this is their new recipe per our server.

The atmosphere is so unique, you will really find nothing like it in Port Charlotte. My favorite is when the chef sings! The food is always delightful. dinner service is great but lunch time service is slow.

If you’re from NY this place is a must, and I’m not lying, you’ll thank me. The atmosphere should be a 10, ok it’s Stacey’s birthday dinner and we picked the right place, Italian who doesn’t love it, the food was good but they messed up Stacey’s dinner, she wanted the eggplant parm and got the chicken like I had very good, our server made the meal by singing Happy Birthday to Stacey in Italian, so it was ok she made a couple mistakes. ENJOY THE PICTURES

Went for my first time (birthday) with family. Good food, great waitstaff, nice ambience. The patisserie chef sang me a birthday song… what a voice!! Excellent night out. Thanks!

Great food great menu. There is is usually an extra special menu presented with house menu, these specials could end up as permanent depending how well they are received. Don't for great staff and full bar. If u arrive thirsty.

The whole experience was great. Food was delicious the waitress was attentive. Feeding a family of 4 cost 180 before tip.

Matthew makes the BEST 🍋 drop martini anywhere!!!

Food was fantastic service Was great.

My family and I had our family dinner at Donatos. We waited over an hour because the hostess said up to 7 people need to have a reservation even though when my aunt called the place, they said we didn’t need a reservation. We got our table, everything was alright till our food came. My uncles food was cold, my brother’s chicken on the Alfredo pasta was dry. And we were treated horribly by the staff. When the manager came, she was drunk, drinking on the job is not a good idea. And how did we know?, her words were slurring and her movement was not right. The most important aspect of all, my aunt has celiac disease. The restaurant said they serve gluten free on separate cookers, but last night, she was throwing up all night. Her food was cross contaminated. Never ever come here. 😡

A year ago the pesto sauce over fresh pasta was the best I'd ever tasted, anywhere. Last night, the opposite, washed out color without flavor, at all. As if they had a tablespoon of sauce left in the kitchen and just diluted it in order to have enough to cover the meal. I'd have been way better off staying home using a jar of pesto purchased at the dollar store! The lasagna my wife ordered was fabulous, she said. So, go figure. Hit or miss. Service was great. Seating in a booth a bit cramped for more than two.

My husband and I were in for dinner with my two sisters on 7/27 Saturday evening. We ordered an appetizer. Also put our dinner in at the same time. The waitress asked if we wanted a salad because some people won’t eat the salad if the have an app. I definitely wouldn’t have said it that way. Then we waited an hour for our dinner. We asked for it to go because we were already sitting there an hour and a half. My husband asked for rigatoni with meat sauce. The waitress said they couldn’t offer meat sauce but said they would put their Sunday gravy on it. I believe it was supposed to be Bolanaise (forgive the spelling). See the picture of what it looked like. This was not a good experience. We’ve had the same waitress before. Still not good. I will never sit in that section again. It was so dry when we got home and had no taste.

The food here is delicious and you can’t beat homemade pasta. It is like you walked into an Italian restaurant up in the Northeast where we are from. We had the chicken parmigiana, chicken Alfredo and the chicken marsala. The staff there are great! We will definitely be back.

Donato's is one of my favorite restaurants. I have eaten at the restaurant before the separate bar was built. The food is always delicious. I usually get the mussels in white sauce. I do love the penne in vodka sauce, which, by the way, is one of the entrees at boca lupo next door. The wait staff is always very friendly and attentive. The prices are very reasonable. Highly recommended.

This place is amazing. The decor is top notch. Food is outstanding from start to finish. Our waitress was super sweet and fabulous. I highly recommend.

Home made gravy rigatoni and meatball lunch for $10.00 ! I'll be back ! 😀

Liked the atmosphere. Our waitress Wes excellent. Everyone liked their food. I was okay with my chicken fettuccine alfredo. The pasta and the chicken were good, but the alfredo sauce was not very good. I would go back, but would not order that again.

Another great restaurant will be back

Always love going here! I’ve been going here since high school and it’s absolutely my favorite place.

This restaurant takes you down little Italy New York memory lane. They also had someone performing. Tasty and freshly made food. When ordering your entrée lasagna, you also receive fresh hot bread and a ceasar or house salad. Everyone was friendly. I totally recommend this place.

Best food, wonderful service. Every single time

This was by far the worst service ever. We watched other tables being taken care of by their servers fast and efficiently. Ours was in her own world and hygiene was poor. The pork osobucco was very tender but had so much salt I could not eat it. We’ve heard such good reviews I will give it a try again but very disappointed with my first experience

We always enjoy a meal and a drink here....

3 of us...ordered lasagna, linguini with white sauce and clams, and chicken marsala. Best Italian we've had since moving to SW FL in 2016. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed your restaurant last night for the first time. If someone in our neighborhood hadn't posted about you, we never would have known. The food was delicious, our server was delightful, couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable evening.As native NYers born & raised in Queens and worked in Manhattan it was so much fun looking at your decor. Subway signs being so familiar & my husband being a Letter Carrier for the Post Office for 41yrs. We noticed the familiar mailbox. We will be back now that we found you. You definitely need a larger, brighter sign. We drove around for quite a bit, almost missed Happy Hour.😂

A romantic atmosphere, it’s like a subway when you walk in. Update, last couple times food and now service was bad. Hope they get better cause I like this place. Had issues and left message. No call back.

Highly reccomend! The cesaer salad was amazing, I'd go just for that flavor combo. It's creamy, salty, and acidic! I also got the breaded chicken with substitution of oil, garlic, and wine sauce, absolutely delicious! 😋 The atmosphere was simply lovely. Felt like we were in Italy. Will definitely be back once I'm back in town!

What an enchanting experience to eat here!! The food was superb, yet our waiter is the one who made our day with his wonderful, charming personality!!! I’m speaking of Nathan! He was the most amazing person, very attentive and exemplary in his duties! He deserves a review and appreciation of his work ethic!!

Amazing food, and great atmosphere.

Food was bland, waited a long time for food. Booth was uncomfortable for 4 people

Excellent food a must in port charlotte!

As always, wonderful food! Bring your appetite!

Had ossi bucco. Cooked perfectly. Waiter Nathan is top shelf. House salad terrific. Ceasars did not taste like ceaser should. Lobster ravioli perfect. Bread circus was warm and tasty..Will be be back for sure.

Great NY style Italian restaurant. Fantastic Gravy or Sauce. Best Meatballs around. A little Frank Santra singing in the background.

My favorite local Italian restaurant. The fettuccine Alfredo is amazing!

Absolutely amazing, authentic and romantic.

Everything was amazing! I want to go back and try everything. I cook for a living and am a tough critic when it comes to restaurants, and I couldn't find anything bad with anything. We got the stuffed zucchini blossoms...I never had them before and I loved it! Next I had the pistachio encrusted salmon and the flavor was good (not over cooked either). It came with a side and I tried the homemade pasta in Alfredo sauce and cleaned my plates. I was lucky enough to try my father's Rib eye steak...I recommend you go all the way and get that steak, you won't be disappointed at all. Thank you for a great birthday meal for my mother Donato's!

I've had better fish but it wasn't bad, the rest of my party loved their meals tho, service was great and the atmosphere was old Italian

The atmosphere is designed to be like old Little Italy in New York, with nods to the movie The Godfather. We went at lunch and had Pappardelle Bolognese and Cheese Ravioli, which were authentic and amazing. The complimentary bread and garlic oil were spot on, and the traditional cannoli was great. I highly recommend this place!

The tira misu ? Authentic and made with soaked Lady fingers in their own kitchen. If my Grandma Cogliandro, (twice removed from the Fortunato Tripods), was still alive, she would hit me over the head for even suggesting Donato's is the best I have ever had!

Beautiful place to have excellent Italian home made pasta

Excellent Italian food. Very reasonable priced. Will be back again.

The best ribeye steak I've ever had. I caught hell for ordering steak at an Italian restaurant but it was extremely well seasoned and perfectly cooked. My wife got the lobsters ravioli for the second time and it is really special. The atmosphere is wonderful with an authentic New York design, it feels like your dinning outside on a 1960's New York block.

We are never disappointed when we come here. The food is always delicious. My husband and I came in for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Hunter was wonderful. Very attentive and personable. He made sure we had everything we needed. We started with 2 glasses of their sangria. It was not very heavy and had good flavor. For our app, we went with the Arancini Balls. Cripsy balls filled with cheese, rice and sausage. For dinner we decided on the Sunday gravy and wedding pasta. My husband said the Sunday gravy was just like his mom used to make. We also received a cannoli for dessert, which would had to get to go due to us being so full. The portions are large, so you will not leave hungry.

Great place, service was on point. Food was great. Decor was interesting and a pleasure to see. Will be back.

Food was amazing. Scott did a great job with service too. Update. Another great evening. This time with Cameron in the bar. Excellent service. Great food

Superb fresh pasta - had the Lobster Ravioli. Fun atmosphere & very good service

I love Donatos food, but I would never get food to go! I ordered food the other day and the food packaging was terrible. Nothing was wrapped and everything was put in a plastic or styrofoam container and then in a paper bag. The food leaked and broke the bottom of the paper bag, and sauce got all over my brand new car. I’m furious! I called the manager and I was told a district manager would get in touch with me. It happened on Monday and two days later I’m still waiting on a call. I’m very disappointed in their customer service and packaging.

Special thanks to the STAFF, made my wife’s Birthday special!!!

Excellent food. Excellent service.

Great food, hard to believe from the outside what the inside looks like.

Fabulous Italian food ..Been there a few times ..NEVER DISAPPOINTED!

Our first time at Donato's in Port Charlotte, FL. We loved it! It had a very NYC feel with a wonderful ambiance. All 4 of us ordered different entrees. This was some of the BEST Italian (all fresh homemade pastas) food we have ever had. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Fun place to eat with great food. Atmosphere is best around il(if not looking for water view, of course). Decor is to make you feel dining on outside streets of NYC in three 50-60's. Well done.

Excellent restaurant with amazing food and atmosphere!! Service is always top notch and our waitress Teresa exceeded expectations. Go and have dinner, you won't regret it!!!

The atmosphere of this place is incredible. It’s very well themed. The food is also very good- traditional Italian food with unique spins. I got the Sunday Gravy (Caesar salad) and wife got the bolognese (soup) Hard to beat the quality of food and the value. We don’t live in the area (visiting family) but we will definitely request when we come to visit!

This place is going down hill bring your food out and it is raw

Great food. Huge portions. Very helpful server.

I can’t thank Donato’s enough for the great meal and great service they provided this evening for my family and friends. Stephanie was absolutely amazing and treated us above and beyond the standard of service. We come from a small town in New York and know good Italian food; when I saw zucchini flowers as an app, I knew it was going to be good. Dinner was absolutely amazing but we can’t stop raving on the service that was provided. To top it off, it was made known initially that they were short handed and almost had to turn us away, but thankfully accommodated us and provided one of the best meals we’ve had in florida. I will forever be a customer of Donatos and highly suggest anyone to stop in there for a good meal! Thank you again Stephanie, you are a rockstar and did a phenomenal job tonight!

Really good restaurant. Food was very tasty. Surroundings relaxing. Service a bit slow and server was new and a little confused. I'm sure that will improve.

Friendly staff. Loved the decor. The food was delicious. We already were plotting our return after our appetizers. Can't wait to go back.

Awesome service, phenomenal food. The homemade pasta? Like you read about...out of this world...

Great lunch specials! We love eating here!

I had the Lobster Ravioli. Delicious! Hubby wasn't thrilled with his steak but it's not a steakhouse. All else was very good! Ooooh I love warm bread and seasoned dipping oil and the mussels appetizer and fresh mozzarella! Of course I took quite a bit of my dinner home.

Haven’t been to donatos in about a year and a half. I’m sad to see where the quality of food is now :( This used to be our go to spot for great Italian food. Would not Recommend anymore. Restaurant front looked closed :( sad to write this review tbh.

I never thought we would find an italian restaurant as great as this. My husband and I felt as if we were back in NY. Service was outstanding the meal was delicious and decor so very special. We are hooked.

We've been loyal Donato's customers for well over fifteen years and it's sad for us to see how much the service and quality of the food has declined. My wife and I had dinner there on Saturday March 9th and we're completely disappointed with both. First our server, Maddie, had a horrible attitude. She acted as of she would rather be anywhere else but there and it was reflected by her behavior. My wife loves the chicken soup but doesn't care for the tortellini pasta in it. She normally asks for the pasta to be substituted with garganelli. We are aware of the upcharge for this, though don't completely understand the rationale. On this visit when my wife ordered the soup Maddie told her that the soup had already been made and the pasta had already been put in it. We knew this was not the case, as I said, we've been here many times. She went back to the kitchen, came out and told us ''the kitchen said they couldn't do it because the restaurant was too busy.'' She brought us a loaf of cold bread and when I asked for a warm one she rolled her eyes and brought us another cold loaf. When the Vodka Rigatoni we ordered arrived it was bland and tasteless, the pasta was extremely aldente but at least it was hot. She barely came by the table to check on us and when I ordered a refill of my Coke she brought me diet. I brought that to her attention and again she rolled her eyes and said sorry. If this had been an isolated incident we would have shrugged it off, but as I stated previously, we've been coming here for a long time and have noticed the food and service is simply not the same as it used to be. This will be, however, our last time. There are plenty of Italian restaurants in town, including Carmelo's in Punta Gorda, which I believe will be our new go to when we want good Italian because we just can't get that here. Would definitely recommend you go somewhere else if you want an enjoyable memorable dinner.

Our first time there, and we've lived here 4 years! Heard so many of our friends rave about it that we decided to try it for Pete's 60th. Very good food, large portions, fun atmosphere. Get the tiramisu martini for dessert! Yum!

The captivating NYC-inspired decor adds a special charm to the ambiance, creating an immersive dining atmosphere. Teresa's friendly and attentive service undoubtedly enhanced your meal, ensuring a memorable experience. Moreover, the delicious food and diverse wine selection made our night complete.

Excellent food, good service, comfortable place.

Love Donatos. Hostess and waitstaff are pleasant and efficient. We had the lasagna and it was wonderful. The hot bread is very good. Always enjoy visiting Donatos.

Great Italian food. Not to be confused with Donatos pizza chain. Huge portions of pasta. Pappardelle was cooked perfectly and came out nice and hot!

Great atmosphere. I felt like I was back in Little Italy in NewYork. Service was also great and the food was very good.

First time here a little Leary of a chain, but good surprise. Enjoyed the apps (fresh Mozza, Mom's meatballs) homemade pasta paparadelle was cooked perfectly with a nice meat sauce. Osso Bucco was a surprise on the menu and was good sitting on bed of risotto very tender. They had a Sunday sauce which my Italian friend would make for us which they would put chicken,sausage and ribs and get all those flavours cooked into the sauce yum yum. Great job Donato, go and enjoy Oh and very reasonably priced to top it off.

My husband and I were treated to lunch as a gift to congratulate us on getting married. We were so pleased they chose this restaurant. The service was excellent the food was scrumptious and the prices were so reasonable!!! We are newer to this area and to top it off it’s within 5 miles of our home! Cant wait to go again Awesome Restaurant Feels like family

Great food . The waiter was outstanding.

Busy Valentines Day for dinner, well handled. Reservations not accepted so cocktail in bar was called for. Reasonably priced and excellent!

Our server Theresa was excellent and so was our food and drinks!

This place has changed a great deal in the last 5 years. Used to be my favorite place to go when traveling 900 miles from the north. Greatly disappointed with food and service the last two times visiting. Not writing it off yet, but will explore other options for a while.

The food is plain. I’ve never tasted a more bland Alfredo sauce.

My wife and I went to Donato’s in Port Charlotte tonight. We wanted to have dinner before attending a concert in Punta Gorda. We called first for reservations and the message said they do not take reservations and it’s first come first serve basis. We walked in before 5 and they gave us a pager and said it would be 10 minutes or so. While we were waiting 3 parties of 4 came in and were seated, 1 party if 5, and 1 party of 6. 23 people were seated who all came in after us. I asked the 2 totally inept hostesses, why all the other people were seated first when the have a first come first serve policy. They said my pager number was not in the system, therefore we got dropped. At this point our evening was ruined, too much time had been taken to get seated. I handed them the worthless pager back and left. I am figuring, besides the hostesses being incompetent, they may have been told to seat the bigger parties first and don’t bother with just two people. We will never go back to Donatos again. I hope others will not either. Donatos obviously has a huge problem with respecting their customers. There are plenty of other better restaurants around, so no need to get upset with them. I will continue to spread the word of how Donatos handles the seating and inappropriately treats customers. I also will not patronize their other restaurants, Boca Luca’s, and Prime Steakhouse either for fear we will get mistreated again.

Had a great experience at Donato's last night. With it being Valentine's Day I thought for sure things would be chaotic and I couldn't have been more wrong. Everything was flawless. Service, food, quality, cost and atmosphere wouldn't have been better. I have dinned in Donato's about 10 times over the last 3-4 years and have not had a single poor experience. Family operated and it shows!

Really great Italian food. They make all of their pasta from scratch. The chicken parmigiana is amazing and huge. It’s located in a strip mall but once inside it feels like a stand alone restaurant. We’ve had no problem with service anytime we’ve been there.

I believe the chef was off when I visited. The calamari was body rings only, no tentacles, the best part. The dinner was absolutely forgettable. How does one mess up on veal?

Had a little valentines date night a few days early as we both work in the service industry. Matthew was our server and he was absolutely amazing! Very attentive and made our night great. The vodka pasta was to die for & the cannolis really topped off a great meal. Definitely will be back to see Matthew ! 🥰

My favorite Italian Restaurant in the area. Great food and service. Godfather motif. Very enjoyable time…every time.

Great Experience all around the food was delicious I highly recommend the lobster Ravioli

Not bad for run of the mill affordable Italian food.

I love this restaurant. I've been to the restaurant several times now and the food is fantastic. We've had the Veal Parm, Chicken Parm, Salmon, Bolognese, Pastas, Tuscan Steak and Caesar Salad and we were not disappointed by any of the dishes. Last night we did a family reunion here and closed the restaurant! The service is wonderful and the decorations/design of the restaurant is amazing. We can tell they put a lot of thought into the design of the restaurant. It's the perfect location for us to meet family halfway, so I will suggest this every time! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Awesome place, the pasta is top of the line.

4 star menu, 3 star presentation, 2 star food

I had the Fruti Di Marie, which the photo shows, homemade pasta, plenty of seafood ! available with red sauce or not, it comes with a Caesar or house salad and homemade bread. Other dishes that I did not get photos of, but we're equally tasty, Bolognese and Chicken Parmesan. I definitely recommend this place and I will go there again.

I Love this place. Servers great and the food delicious 😋

Good italian food. Well prepared, large portions. I think the pricing is average. Our bill have something on it we never ordered, when I asked our server about it, he said " oh ya, I noticed that, I thought it was a bit high" brought the bill to me anyway.

The food was outstanding. We had the veal osso bucco, the" Sunday gravy" and a side of meat balls. Everything was delicious