Disclaimer: I am not Italian.
I feel like I have to get that out of the way because Italians are some of the most opinionated foodies I've ever met in my entire life and HEAVEN FORBID I say something ignorant about their cuisine. So here is a review from a born and raised southern gal with an appreciation for all things that come in marinara sauce:
I really like Portofino's. I had the luck of working in the same shopping center as this particular location and it quickly became my go-to for my lunch (great specials) and dinner options. I can tell that this is much closer to an authentic style of food than a lot of other mainstream Italian places and it has definitely helped me to refine my expectations.
All of their pasta dishes are phenomenal (OH- and as an added bonus- a New Yorker Italian friend of mine said that this was the best pasta he's had in Charlotte- so take his word if you have to). I also really enjoy their pizzas (the white pizza with spinach is perfect). The only thing I wasn't crazy about were their sandwich options- but I didn't spend my time trying to familiarize myself with this portion of their menu like I did everything else.
Good food. Super quick with orders to go. I would give 4.5 stars but apparently that's not an option.