The Yummiest Italian in Houston

Tony's Italian Delicatessen

★★★★★ 4.9 (836) • $$

"I have had Tony's bookmarked for years now after it won best restaurant in the US from Yelp several years ago. I rarely get up this way and when I did had other plans but last Saturday I finally made it for lunch.I found the restaurant in an old and small strip center with limited parking. Inside it's a counter service eatery with attractive decor and two dining areas. One area is as you enter that is brightly lit and decorative and the other room dimly lit which is where the self serve soft drink and tea area is located.I decided to go against the norm here and not order a traditional meat sandwich but instead ask for the DiCaprio (all of the sando's here have Italian celebrity names) for $12. I added a bag of Zapp's chips for another $2 and a soft drink. With tax the entire meal was $16 and change. The DiCaprio is Tony's chicken salad sandwich with spring mix, bacon, American cheese, marinated Roma tomatoes mayo and sub oil on crunchy Italian bread. Mine was ready in 5 minutes after ordering and it was huge. Like big enough for 2 people to eat and be satisfied. Its size was impressive and absolutely delicious taste wise. I love a good chicken salad sandwich and this was one of them. The chicken salad was creamy and flavorful with grapes, nuts and a very smooth taste. With the other additives every bite was a pleasure to eat. While the oh so important bread is called crunchy Italian it's actually very fresh and soft. It was quality as was everything in that sandwich. Leonardo would be proud to have this named after him. During the meal, I sat in the dimly lit area and also enjoyed the good Italian music being played. The sandwich was excellent in taste and its size and cost represented very good value. I would very much like to return but this location is difficult for me. Going all of the way to Conroe and then it's a full 10 minute drive off of I-45 but for those that live closer they are the lucky ones. I'm not sure about this deserving to be the #1 restaurant in the US but it is an excellent Italian sandwich shop."

Bollo Woodfired Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.2 (992) • $$

"Hmm.... a great place for special lunch sandwiches. Woodfired pizza is one of fav's and this place was really close to Jeni ice cream where we had the Yelp event going on. Its a really well maintained restaurant cum bar. Anyone would love to watch their favorite team on Tv while gulping down bottles of bear and cheering them together. We ordered the Pesto Polo and the garlic fries.The Pesto Pollo was customized to include jalapeños and spinach which excluding the meat part. I would think since they removed the meat, they should not have charged additionally for atleast for 1 topping but well...its okThe garlic fries, mmm ... it came with truffle aiolli and ketchup and it was super yummy...Service was pretty fast and the guy was very courteous. The idea was to lunch here and go to Jeni's for the dessert. Worked almost perfectly except that when I saw the dessert menu at bollo I was half regretting the decision.. ha ha Don't fall for the $5 mimosa special, its only available on the menu, ideally it should not even be on the table but one side of the menu is still valid so they have continued using that menu card. Their outdoor seating is so tastefully done, all ur missing is a lake beside it!Food is good, staff friendly, great variety to choose from, I would come here again..."

Da Vinci Ristorante Italiano

★★★★☆ 4.4 (620) • $$$

Lomonte's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

★★★★★ 4.5 (559) • $$

"Great experience at the Richmond location! I was very wary of going there after a very mediocre experience at the Houston location but was so pleasantly surprised. Our experience was night and day from the Houston location. The richmond location was clean, food was great, service was wonderful! I would happily go back there! We celebrated my friend's birthday at this location and the staff was so nice! They made sure we had a chair for gifts, didn't rush our group, got us separate checks which made things so much easier! Thank you!!"

Mia Bella Trattoria

★★★★☆ 4 (684) • $$

"Wonderful food here today! Wow, it's worth coming back if not just for the best focaccia I've ever tasted. We both loved it. Mr. Picky ate it as served, but I used the seasoned Olive oil dip. I usually beg for butter or run away quickly from any olive oil dip served in restaurants and this is one of the first in years that I've actually enjoyed. It was absolutely incredibly delicious. I can't wait to have more next time I'm here.I am not a person who generally gets excited about a house side salad, but I have to tell you that their dinner salad was so good that it was a shock. A slightly sweet vinaigrette with goat cheese and greens and sweet, ripe pear, a little bit of onion, it just came together as an amazing mouthful. Our entrees were another wonderful surprise. Mr. Picky absolutely mowed through his Mezzaluna ravioli, making enjoyment noises with every bite. I stole a bite with sauce and understood his love of the Marsala sauce and mushrooms. Then I dug into my chicken parm stuffed with mushrooms and other wonderful things, and added a little extra grated Parmesan. All I can say is that it was so delicious, was packed with rich flavors, and I could have kissed the chef for using plenty of garlic to create that dining experience.We finished by trying the Tiramisu and pecan pie with ice-cream. Both were good. Bottom line, we had an amazing meal and will be back again."

Romano's Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.2 (571)

"I wasn't entirely sure this place would be good bc the online pics make everything look sloppy. I decided to go anyway bc my sister convinced me. We ordered a large pepperoni pizza & didn't have to wait much. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised! The pizza reminded me so much of NY. I must say that it was better than most pizzas I've tried. This should be a top 3 place in Houston. The dough is crispy but doughy at the same time but the true ingredient that makes it really good is the sauce. If you are wanting to try this place, do so!"

Coppa Osteria

★★★★☆ 3.7 (719) • $$

La Griglia

★★★★☆ 3.9 (555) • $$$

Grotto Downtown

★★★★☆ 3.9 (552) • $$

"Very good small bites pasta and tenderloin skewers. Plenty of food in the small plates for the two of us who don't eat much. Service was a bit slow not because it was busy, but our server was not efficient in coming to table for refills or checking on us. Took a long time to get through service."

Frenchies Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (436) • $$

"I dined here for lunch a couple of weeks ago while in the area after having Frenchie's bookmarked. It's located in a small strip center with parking in front. Inside it is decorated with many pictures of NASA astronauts and space missions as it's located close to NASA and appears to be a popular dining spot with their employees.From their lunch menu I decided on spaghetti with meat sauce for $14 and added a side salad for another $2.50. At lunch this is counter service and dinner is table service. I picked up my salad and a bread basket at the counter and proceeded to a table. The mixed greens had tomatoes and carrot slices. It was good tasting and worth its price. About 10 minutes later the bowl of 'ghetti was brought to me. It was a large bowl of food with plenty of meat sauce on top of the pasta and enough for two people. This was a filling meal for sure.I like to judge Italian restaurants by their marinara. To me it's the foundation of most Italian meals. This red sauce was ok but more of a 3 than a 4 in taste. Others may differ but I thought it was a little flat. I give a 3 overall for only that reason. This little restaurant has charm and the employees are friendly. It has a real neighborhood feel to it like it's popular with the locals. I would be happy to return for dinner and try some of their non marinara dishes or a pizza."

Via Emilia

★★★★☆ 4.4 (400) • $$$

"We have been going to their restaurants for maybe 20 years and today's lunch was no exception to our past experiences! Ours server, Chad, was amazing! He was so polite, helpful and an awesome server! The food was beautifully plated, served promptly, piping hot and never forget DELICIOUS! They had an artichoke special stuffed with Crab and OMG it was delicious! The sea bass is always a favorite as well as the pear salad! And NEVER pass up desserts! All their desserts are made in house and are FABULOUS! And even took one home to enjoy later I also love that they have a more casual side and a more evening dining room with another decor that is more evening. And cannot wait to see that they are opening up a new concept! i can't remember the name but we are definitely going to try it out!! And love that Carlo, the owner, is still in the restaurant and we got to say hello and also meet his Mother! The only thing missing is the fish tank with the kissing fish inside lol!"

Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (457) • $$

"Tomball location does not take reservations so we showed up early on Friday 11/11 at 5:50 pm with a party of 13. We were sat at 6:30.Our waitress was awesome handling our table. (I wish I could remember her name but I do remember she was from Croatia)The bread was freshly baked and we had plenty of it coming. We ordered 2 orders of the Sliced Italian sausage and fried mozzarella. Both were delicious. The fried mozzarella was lightly breaded and served with a warm fresh tomato sauce. It was a thicker cut but fried to perfection. The sliced Italian sausage was sautéed in a garlic, basil, white wine marinara sauce.. delicious with the bread for dipping.Everyone ordered different plates and commented on how good the food was. The only disappointment was the kid's pizza (but hey I'm ok with that)The Salmon Livornese was a seafood perfection! Sautéed with three jumbo shrimp, tomatoes, onions, black olives & capers in a light tomatoes sauce served with a side of vegetables. That sauce was everything!Restrooms are clean, staff was on point and food was appetizing."

Eden Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (412) • $$

RC'S NYC Pizza & Pasta - The Woodlands

★★★★☆ 3.9 (500) • $$

"Best pizza around great atmosphere 100 % awesome service garlic knots the Best . Thanks"

Fellini Caffè

★★★★☆ 3.9 (477) • $

"A very cute Italian cafe in the heart of Rice Village and as can be expected kinda expensive. We were hungry after all the morning walk in Hermann Park and made a big order of Latte with extra shot, Caprese avocado toast, pistachio biscotti, and a fruit tart. Afterall, I had to make up for the 200 calories I burned just now .... LolWe took the little private looking booth inside the cafe, but they do have plenty seating area outside as well. Loved the toast, it's literally avocado on toast, but with the cheese and balsamic vinegar on top, it really came together as a light tasty healthy breakfast The biscotti was ok. Coffee was nice, but I should mention extra hot next time.The tart , hmmm, was Not good. The crust was really hard, there was too much custard that had lost its moisture and was unsavory. Service was fast and they brought out the food to the table. The staff put on a professional behavior which is perfectly acceptable by me.What I loved even more free parking (but limited) in an area which had plenty shade for my precious new car, maybe that time of the day..... whatever, but that felt welcoming."

Grotto Ristorante

★★★★☆ 3.8 (488) • $$

The Pizza Shack

★★★★☆ 4.3 (377) • $$

"I had wings, salad and garlic knotsThe wings were good, buffalo sauce was tasty, the garlic knots were DELISH... the garlic/parm wings were cooked well but needed more seasoningThe salad was standard...but the winner of the show were the ranch, spicy marinara and ranch and blue cheeseTasted made in house!Would I go back all the way to Montgomery just for the aforementioned? NoBut for this cupcake?? A hard maybe.It's brilliant. Check vids"

Cavatore Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (468) • $$

"We decided to choose this place for italian. It's an interesting location. I've passed by here many times without knowing that there was a restaurant here. The service was good, they were attentive and polite. There was also live music, a piano player was playing which was a nice touch. We ordered the cesar salad. I had expected for them to make it table side, so we can watch but it was made in the hallway outside of the room where we were eating. The salad itself was good, there was abundance of parmesan cheese but still tasty. I ordered the pasta with scallops and shrimp with angel hair pasta. The scallops were seared, just through. They kinda had a fishier taste than what I've experienced before. There were lots seafood but I think could've been executed better. There was also a discrepancy with our bill. There was another dish inadvertently added, thankfully we had reviewed the items we ordered. I don't believe I would return."

Mandola's Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (337)

"I have been wanting to try this place for years and I finally ordered take out and got the fried lasagna because I had to eat it in the car. It is SOOO good! Crunchy on the outside and soft ooey gooey on the inside. The marinara dipping sauce is so good that I wish I could buy it in bulk. I will be back to try more for sure."

Lomonte's Italian Restaurant and Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (326) • $$

"Came to this gem for lunch and upon walking in, I knew I was in the right place. The aroma from the food smelled absolutely amazing!We started off with an appetizer of which included the risotto bites, fried ravioli and bruschetta and it was all just so amazing! The sauces were hot and fresh, the fried ravioli had some amazing textures to it and the bruschetta was delicious!!! The options on the menu were so hard to choose from, everything sounded amazing! I ended up with the chicken piccata and it was so light and fresh and the sauce was just, drool! I wanted a whole bowl of just the sauce!The staff were so great and attentive, Miguel was our server and took care of us, refilling drinks promptly, clearing dishes as we finished so not to leave the table dirty! Cory, the MOD, came out to check on us and see how everything was. I just wish I had room for dessert, so next time dessert first! There's also a cute little bar right outside that plays live music on the weekends, so I will definitely be back for that!"

Marvino's

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (604) • $$

Angelo's Pizza and Pasta

★★★★☆ 4.1 (350) • $$

"I ordered one of my go-to dishes here, Lobster Ravioli. It was rich and very delicious with a soft, creamy texture containing big, succulent pieces of mini lobster. Each one of those was a little crispy, nicely moist and not too fishy or too mild. The red sauce is really tasty in this entree and my favorite part of its flavor profile. It's terrific tomato base and creaminess go a long way balancing out the seafood vibes in the dish. The ravioli are really fresh and doughy with a great lobster filling in each. Nothing is skimped, underdone or overdone. Imo, the best lobster ravioli around. Some places just smother it with white cream and it doesn't have all the aromas this one has. Great, friendly service again."

Da Marco

★★★★☆ 4 (364) • $$$$

"Another spectacular experience at what is becoming my favorite restaurant in town.Here's the deal: my foodie friend and I had a reservation at a different restaurant and started the evening there. We had been looking forward to Uni (sea urchin) pasta, which is normally on their menu, but that night they were not making it. So, while we were eating our dinner, we knew we HAD to have sea urchin pasta, and I called Da Marco right then and there from the other restaurant.After confirming they were serving it, I made a reservation and, when we finished our meal at the other restaurant, we headed 10 mins down the road, straight to Da Marco for our "third course." We're so glad we did!Service, again, was so gracious from arrival to departure, and we were lucky to have Eric as our server again. The sea urchin pasta really hit the spot! It was every bit as wonderfully delicious as we'd hoped. We had drinks and dessert, and I decided I had to return soon with my mom and sister... so I'll be coming back. Again and again :)"

Ciro's Italian Grill

★★★★☆ 3.6 (445) • $$

"I'm surprised that I didn't discover this Italian restaurant sooner. I discovered Ciro's while looking for a place to grab dinner with friends. You can't set up a reservation before 6 pm, but they were able to get our party of 7 seated fairly quickly. The staff was friendly and checked on us often. Our food arrived pretty quickly, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their choices. I didn't get a chance to try dessert, but I plan on returning to this location as there were plenty of items on the menu I want to try."

Auntie Pasto's

★★★★☆ 4.1 (327) • $$

Lasagna House III - 1960

★★★★☆ 4.3 (294) • $$

""ITALIANLICIOUSNESS for LUNCH - again"While we were in the Spring Texas area we planned, and did, eat Lunch at "Lasagna House-1960". We Love Lasagna House. We met Matt Vernon when they catered a Luncheon at our Church several years back and have been going to Lasagna House-1960 ever since. They do have the Best Lasagna and Garlic Bread around - and everything else on their large menu is just as good. They also feature Specials that Matt or the Crew creates - and it's only available for a limited time - check them out and get ya some.We also met some of our Covenant Group there for a lunch get together. There are six of us for Lunch and my Wife and I arrived a little early. Spoke with Matt for a short time and then were shown to our table - in the far corner - my Favorite Spot. Mimi is our server but we waited to order anything until the rest of them arrive - and it didn't take long. Here they are and it's Great to see them again. Tom & Linda and David & Betty - they were all at Casa for the Birthday Celebration but getting together here is a Big Plus in talking about what we all are up too - and doing.After we chatted for a while and enjoying those Two Baskets of Garlic Breads (and they are Garliclicious) that were provided, we looked over the Menu. My Wife decided to order their "Soup & Salad", Tomato Basil Soup and a Salad. I went with something similar; ""Half Sandwich & Soup"; Tomato Basil Soup and a 'Meatball Sandwich'; Two-Jumbo Meatballs topped with Pomodoro Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese on French Bread. Mimi took our order and while we waited we talked and enjoyed those baskets of Garlic Bread and ohhhhhhh are they ever Garlicky creating that Garlic Crunch that only Garlic can do. Soon the early part of our Lunch arrived and all the Lunch Salads look Delicious - and they said they were. In a few minutes my Wife's 'Salad' arrived and this thing is big enough for a complete meal. She said it was Fresh, Cold and Tastylicious. Our Soups arrived and they look Scrumptious. This is a different type of Tomato Basil Soup - it's "ThicklyFluffylicious" with Really Nice Flavors - Ya Just Gotta Try It. My Half 'Meatball Sandwich' arrived and this thing is not small at all. If this is 'Half', just think how BIG the entire Meatball Sandwich is. It's also loaded with Pomodoro sauce and Mozzarella Cheese with Two-Large-Thick-Meatballs that are Very Tasty. I have always LOVED Lasagna House Meatball Sandwiches - and I Love This One also. The French Bread is Fresh & Tastylicious. I was trying to be good and eat light, but that didn't happen - I ate it all and a lot of Garlic Bread.Lunch is over but they have Gelato at Lasagna House and there is always room for Gelato. We all went over to the Gelato Display case and picked out what we want. My Wife went with 'Vanilla' and I chose 'Mocha'. Not sure what the others chose but I do know they ate it all and loved it. My Wife said that the Vanilla is Very Vanillaish and Delicious. My Mocha was also Loaded with Flavor - that's why we Love Gelato and Lasagna House-1960 has many flavors to choose from.We spoke with Matt a little bit when we arrived but he left on a catering job and we were unable to continue our conversation. One-Busy-Guy and Lasagna House shows it - They ROCK. Mimi earned the "Dollar-Bow-Tie" Award for doing what she does - Great Customer Service. While we were there we also spoke with Henry, one of the Best Servers Ever Anywhere. It's always great to see him. Check out Lasagna House-1960 on Facebook and On-Line - Everything they offer is made with LOVE Because they care that much about you.Will have to catch up with Matt the next time around. When we left it was, once again, a Beautiful Texas Day - even as hot as it is it's Lovely out. Back to the Hotel room and get ready for our next outing. Thank You Matt and the Staff at Lasagna House-1960 for another Italianlicious Outing. Love You All, and Love You Baby - Bunches & ItalianMunches."

Pane e Vino Ristorante Italiano

★★★★☆ 4.1 (321) • $$

"Lighting of a facility is a little muted. I assume to make the mood a bit more intimate. Not a large establishment. I would guess 60-70 guests including the bar area. Prices are okay. Pretty average for the quantity of the food. Service was okay. But then again there was very little in attendance. A small deduction which is not represented in the 3 star review was of the staff members had on tooooooo much cologne. It was very off putting when you taste cologne over the entree. I try the steak risotto. It was okay. Nothing that screams I have to come back. Vodka sauce was okay on flavor but very stingy on the sauce. Rigatoni and meatballs was okay again. The sauce was limited. The meatballs were surprisingly tender but under seasoned. Nevertheless this place is better than any other big chain like OG or Macaroni Grill."

Taglia

★★★★☆ 4.3 (291) • $$

"I ordered a takeout of Capellini Bolognese earlier and truly enjoyed it. It was very delicious, fresh, hearty, contained enough sauce, meat n pasta and seasoned very nicely. It was aromatic, herby and savory without being too salty, too greasy or bland at all. I would rank it as one of the best bolognese pastas I have had down here along with the ones from Tony's and Roma both many miles away in Houston. The sauce, meat and cheese were so flavorful and fresh in quality. The noodles tasted homemade, very fresh and were very soft. I have tasted some menu items from here just some years back when my dad picked some togo orders a few times. They were good I remember, but this bolognese was simply awesome and my favorite of the things I have had from Taglia. The service was very efficient and friendly as well."

Crust Pizza - Rayford

★★★★☆ 4.4 (276) • $$

"Yuuuuup! It's. About. The. Crust. Perfection if you ask me! It is thin, but doughy and crispy. I can't explain it. The toppings were plenty and evenly spaced and they also cut into squares. We made ourselves sick. We ordered the Buffalo wings, 1/2 big don and Carls king, and a BYOP. They were all good and I will definitely return. Hope they bring one to Dallas."

Prego

★★★★☆ 3.8 (370) • $$

"We were in the area and decided to go to Prego on a whim. We came as a walk-in for dinner and were able to be seated immediately. The waiter was amiable, knowledgeable about the menu, and patient with our table who was indecisive about ordering and needed to hear the specials described multiple times (so many delicious options, including a Parmesan-crusted flounder and duck ravioli).To start the meal, we ordered their calamari and crab fingers as appetizers. The calamari was nicely cooked, well seasoned, and I enjoyed the lightly crisp batter. It was also served with a tasty marinara dipping sauce. We ordered the 1/2-lb. serving of their crab fingers (also has a 1/4-lb. option), which was served in a luxurious lemon garlic sauce. Their lemon garlic sauce is money - if they just made a pasta dish served with their lemon garlic sauce, I would be a happy camper. The 1/2-lb. of crab fingers allowed our party of six to have about 2-3 claws per person (though some were baby fingers), and it comes with two crostinis to sop up even more of the lemon garlic sauce. We also ate more bread than we planned - their olive oil is something special and demands to be eaten!Prego started off strong with the appetizers, but my entree was not as impressive. I ended up ordering off the regular menu and opted for the Gamberi e Granchino (shrimp scampi, crabmeat, rapini, and spaghetti aglio e olio). Aglio e olio is my favorite pasta preparation, but this just lacked flavor. For an Italian place, I was expecting more for their pasta cookery. The spaghetti was overcooked and under-seasoned (not al dente). Aside from the full cloves of roasted garlic mixed with the dish, the aglio e olio was too plain for my tastes. I ended up dumping the rest of the bread's olive oil onto my dish to up the olive oil flavor. While the waiter did make it rain freshly grated Parmesan cheese (much appreciated), this dish could've benefited from some salt and fresh cracked black pepper. I did like that the lumps of crabmeat were present and the gulf shrimp were giant (everything really is bigger in Texas). I also liked that the entree was a fully composed dish- protein, pasta, and veg- but this dish felt uninspired.Located near Rice University, it does have a college town feel and quality to it (not quite upscale). But overall, we enjoyed our dinner. It's more of a 3.5, but I'll round up since the appetizers were stellar, the dishes had good presentation, and service was warm and inviting."

Spaghetti Western Italian Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (383) • $$

"Gluten-free and low carb losers like me DO have options at Spaghetti Western! There's a low carb chicken dinner plate that consists of a massive juicy chicken breast (it's like 8oz), a boat load of sauteed spinach made with fresh garlic and seasoning... I honestly only ate about 1/4 of it"

Amalfi Ristorante Italiano & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (283) • $$$

Locatelli's

★★★★☆ 4 (311) • $$

"Love this pizza. Hubs surprised me and drove me for a treat!!! This pizza is delicious and salads so fresh.. Service outstanding and people are so friendly, including customers...Cute retro decorations. Great beer selections."

Prima Pasta Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (343) • $$

"Our son told us we needed to try this place so we did. He recommended the Prima Pasta, their most popular dish, so I did. It was very tasty. Angel hair pasta tossed in olive oil with sauteed garlic, basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, fresh tomatoes along with sundried ones, I asked for chicken instead of shrimp.....it was really good. They brought some freshly baked garlic bread. My wife enjoyed a side of meatballs and a cup of shrimp and vegetable soup, both dishes were a hit with both of us. Great service by Marissa. We'll be back for more goodies."

Antonio's italian Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (275)

"I went here for the first time tonight with a bud I known since high school that told me about it n even paid for us both. We both loved our meals. I ordered the Lasagna and it was very delicious, fresh in all ways, juicy and proportioned well in pasta, sauce, cheese and meat. The cheese was rich. The meat was savory. The red sauce was slightly tart n sweet. The pasta was tender n soft. This lasagna was also huge as it was very satisfying n flavorful. Our server was super attentive, friendly, kind and efficient. He couldn't have been better n more awesome. This place is pretty far from where I live, but I want to also order their Bolognese on my next visit here."