La Estancia

First time I ever left an Italian restaurant still hungry. A very cozy restaurant with a nice atmosphere, but unfortunately that's where it ends. We entered the restaurant and a lady walked by us three times. She glanced at us once, but never smiled or said welcome or I'll be with you in a minute. After standing there a few minutes a younger guy came up, no smile, no welcome, just asked "two?" We answered yes and he grabbed two menus and started walking. I had to nudge my wife to follow him because she wasn't sure if we were supposed to. They had a board at the front that had their specials, but no prices. The menu is very sparse, not much choice but I guess that's why they had quite a few specials on the chalk board up front. They brought us 4 slices of bread that weren't bad, but they were small pieces so a few more would have been nice. I ordered a tea and my wife just had water. He brought the tea which was unsweetened and there are no condiments on the table like sugar or sweetener so I just drank it unsweetened which was okay. I had to flag down someone to get a refill and they asked me if I wanted sweetened unsweetened and I was like I didn't know you had sweetened so yea, sweetened but she brought unsweetened again. We ordered a salad $8.99 that we shared. It was okay but again, not much for nine bucks. I ordered the lobster ravioli off the specials board and my wife ordered spaghetti carbonara off the menu. The spaghetti came with nothing but spaghetti and sauce. That's it. Again, small portions (my wife is 5'0'and weighs 110lbs) and she finished her plate and was still hungry. She said the meal lacked flavor, and there's no salt or pepper on the tables. The lobster ravioli was okay though, although half of them didn't have lobster that I could tell. They came with grilled shrimp on top but the shrimp was a little too raw for me so I didn't eat them. I did take a few bites out of a couple of them to see if any were cooked but they were all gooey raw. As I said, the ravioli was okay flavor wise, but small portions so I finished my meal but was still hungry. Then I found out the price when they brought the bill. $34.99! In the end the bill came out to $90 something and we were both still hungry. We ended up going home and having captain crunch (the ones with the little colored balls mixed in) so the evening was saved.-FIN-

I had my first meal here on NYE. The good: the atmosphere, decoration of the restaurant, food, and friendliness of the employees. Not great: sitting around for long periods of time without being attended to. We were there in a party of 6. For an appetizer we had fried calamari (which was a little tough), house salads (delicious- that dressing!), and Caesar salads (delicious). For entrees we had shrimp Alfredo (delicious and not too heavy), salmon piccata (delicious), gnocchi special (delicious), and angel hair pasta with pink sauce and shrimp (delicious). For dessert we had cannolis (good) and tiramisu (okay). I would definitely come back!

We spend a lot of money on fine dining to include Michelin star restaurants and some of the best reviewed restaurants in Houston... La Estancia is on point and better than most. Small, hidden, and off the radar of most foodies search, that said, the dishes are off the chart. Reason for the review...food is love, and love is sharing! I like to squirrel away my best eats, but this one must be shared.It's down home Italian cooking with the execution of Theodor Rex, DEGUST, and some of the best James Beard's award restaurants in Houston. The Chef's been cooking Italian food for 34 years and his wife's runs the dining room. Restaurant is hidden away in a Katy neighborhood rustic qualification. A hidden gem or hole in the wall...but the experience is about the food...and it delivers! The Picante Snapper is one of the all time 5 fish dishes ever... and we lived all over the world to include Singapore, Europe. The star dish of the night was the home made lobster ravioli and is one of the best Italian dishes... ever! Home made tiramisu, Italian ice cream and cannoli was on point with tiramisu being one of the best all time. In reading some of the previous reviews, I don't get it. If your idea of Italian food is an excellent meal Olive Garden, this might not be your place. If you're looking for an Italian experience, this little hidden gem delivered. Thanks for reading and good eats!

Run don't walk to this hidden gem in old Katy. Outstanding basic old school Italian. They are not open for lunch, only dinner. It is BYOB wine. Don't let the outside fool you. Looks kinda like a typical Mexican restaurant. Great Italian food in a odd area of Katy. Everyone south of I10 venture into old Katy and have a very pleasant surprise. Family owned and operated . Don't be in a hurry and enjoy some wine while you wait.

Great food service I recommend 100% Good ambianceGood parkingThey should opening frequently

This is a fantastic Italian restaurant deep in the heart of katy!! We went for the first time with some friends and everyone had a great time!!! Food was spectacular and the service was amazing!! We'll definitely be going back!!!

My parents treated us to dinner here- it was our first time and we loved it! Great, relaxing atmosphere. Service was prompt. Food was excellent- tasty and well presented. We had 2 different apps for the table, 2 different salads, everyone ordered a different entree - lobster ravioli, chicken piccata, veal, snapper, chicken parm- it was all great. Nice portions. Desserts were great too! We'll be back!

The food here was amazing. All home made recipes from the owner. He will greet you as soon as you sit and make you feel welcome. The closest thing to a true Italian restaurant in the Katy area. Highly recommend. Bon appetito

Food was very good . Pasta is Al dente, fresh and tasty , red sauce is great . Snapper piccata was very good , dressed with shrimp . Salads have an nice spice Dessert was great . Cannoli was smooth creamy not too sweet Service was great , efficient, polite , on task , quick. The ambiance is good. It's candle light and not everyday chain decor. The music in the tv with Italian opera was actually really neat to watch . It's not cheap , but price is fair for food quality . CannoliCaesar SaladsHidden JewelSnapper PiccataVeal ParmigianaSpaghetti and MeatballsIt's nice , not a chain, tucked away . TortilenniUnique menu items Amore

Good food, quick service despite being a crowded, busy weekday. Unique, good cocktails. Drinks seem a little over-priced, but so is everything everywhere these days....