Mare e Monte

The great thing about this place is...no reservations! Went on a double date on a Friday for dinner and the place was lovely and packed to the brim.The owner was there holding the door open for us. He sincerely apologized for the wait but we had much to catch up on with our group.We waited 30-45 for our table but it was worth it.Some couples were dressed nice, others very casual(think hoody with a baseball cap). The food was delicious! Tried the black pasta and had a try of my gf's gnocchi. The waiter tended to us and our every need. He was great even made a great suggestion on the wine bottle we split.There is a TV at the bar if that's more your cup of tea.The blueberry cheesecake is one of the best cheesecakes in town!Come give it a try!

This is a really enjoyable place to have a meal. This is one of those places that blur the line between fine dining and casual dining. However, when you first walk in, you are welcomed like you were coming home for a meal, which is very nice in my opinion. We chose this place because we were in the area and we were taking my wife's Aunt out for her recent birthday. It was a lunch that was well spent spending time talking and catching up, much like a family meal should be. No electronics and such. The decor is very cozy. The moon on the back wall is super cool and the books make it very comfortable for me. Think of it as a cozy place to have a meal. Our server, Jase, while looked super young was a pro. My wife hesitated in asking him to recommend a wine from the list and I immediately felt he could without hesitation. And he did with flying colors! The wine he chose was very tasty for a Cabernet in the early afternoon. A full body aroma, yet light taste. We ordered our different meals. I had the Bronx chicken parm, my wife had the sole with scallops with creamy risotto and our Aunt had the chicken marsala with veggies. Everything was tasty and the temperature of the food was great. In different types of dishes, it's hard to really keep the temp on certain dishes due to cooking times, but it was perfect. The taste of the sole and scallops with risotto was super light and creamy. Very well done with the scallops, which were perfect as a compliment to the dish. Yes it's extra, but worth it. My chicken parm was a surprise. I am a New Yorker and have high expectations on certain dishes and this is one of them. Very few local restaurants make a good chicken parm and this one was a different version that I actually really enjoyed! I mean jalapenos under the parm?? Oh pleasantly surprised by the pop of slight heat. But be warned for people who do not like spicy stuff. But for me it was very well done. The chicken was lightly breaded, cooked and seasoned very well. I personally would have liked a bit more tomato sauce, but I get the combo of the dish, the creamy pasta under the chicken parm made up for it. So much so, that I want to come back to just have pasta. Dessert is also a thing without family where if the food is beyond our initial expectations, a dessert is a required meal. I had the cannolis and my wife had the tiramisu. We took home a slice of cheesecake for our daughter. The cannolis were delish. I wanted a bit more chocolate chips, but that's a minor gripe and personal preference. The tiramisu was the winner in my book. The light creamy texture with the slight coffee taste was great. I really enjoyed tasting that as well. My daughter had the cheesecake and she enjoyed that as well, but she mentioned it was kind of cakey at the outside portions, but that is what you get for homemade desserts. So all in all, a great time and great atmosphere with great food and service. All the pillars of a great place to enjoy a comfortable meal. We will be coming back!

Overall, I won't be returning or recommend it to friends.The space has more charm inside than the pics on here present or as one might predict from outside. Fairly small dining room that wasn't noisy on our weekend lunch visit, which I appreciated.It was a lunch menu, but I did also look at their full menu online. It's the usual traditional Americanized-Italian, which isn't a complaint. Just don't expect any cheffy creations here.Most importantly, let's start with the food.No soup on the menu. Odd. We had the Carciofi al Tartufo, which overall was fairly bland. The artichokes weren't charred at all as "grilled" would imply. Could barely detect the promised white truffle oil.Also had the Insalata Primavera. Just a simple salad and nothing noteworthy.I had the Pasto al Nero for entree. The flavor overall was tasty. However, when first delivered my shrimp sitting on top were half cooked and translucent to the point of inedible and probably a danger. How does a cook and server not see this? And the server acted surprised and repeated back to me, "You think they're undercooked?" (more on the service and communications later) Um.... Are you blind? And the pasta was overcooked and mushy to the point when you attempted to twirl it on the fork it would just break apart into short strands.My tablemate had the Pollo e Monte, which I didn't taste. She liked it but said it arrived barely warm. The service experience was frustrating and definitely put a pallor on the meal. It wasn't from lack of attention, which was fine. First off, the server's accent was very thick and exacerbated by him speaking very low and mumbling his words. I got half of what he said. Communications was very difficult in both directions. I ordered a bottle of rose wine and stated my selection. He didn't understand. So I merely pointed to it on the menu. Fool proof, right? Nah. He came with the bottle and presented to which I said that it wasn't the one I ordered. He points to one word "petit" on the label that matches, and try's to convince me it's the same. But it was from a different winery. Again he tries to convince me but I say no and decide to switch to a Chardonnay. I pick one out and tell the server but again he can't understand what I said. So again I point it out on the menu.While on the topic of wine, their wine selection is lacking. The reason I didn't switch to a different rose in the exchange above is that the only other option is La Vieille Ferme Rosé. It used be be a box-only wine if that gives you an idea. It has recently begun selling in the bottle for $9 at HEB. They wanted $30 for this swill. Given the prices of the dishes, the wine selections are unbalanced. Appetizer: $17, Chicken entree: $26, Pasta al Nero w/ Shrimp: $33. (33!)When ordering the salad, I said that I would have it to "start". To which he immediately asked if I wanted it before the entrees. Um...Yeah. We only had made it through maybe half our salad when the entrees arrived. This restaurant has no clue about pacing based on this and my tablemates cold dish. His table service was awkward. He moved my water to make room and put it at the edge of the table where your elbow spends about 80% of its time ensuring I'm soon to make a mess and felt cramped in. He moved the oil for bread to the farthest edge on the opposite side of the table from us. In general, he was always in the way with table efforts and awkward. But of course at this point with all things combined every little detail is building on negativity.It's rare for me to have such a big gap between a yelp rating so high and low experience.

The food was fantastic, the vibe is amazing, the waiter was efficient, at times though, we were a party of 13, our waiter was on point, I had the seafood risotto, I think the pieces of seafood should be cut a tad bigger, I had to "fish" around for the seafood, great flavor though, the calamari was perfectly crisp, and very delicious, so meatballs appetizers were good too, great texture and flavor, oh and FYI if you pay with cash it's at $10 less, versus using your card

Second visit and it was even yummier than the first. Lots of operational things have improved since their opening and there's a real wine list now (see pic). Ordered the artichoke appetizer, which was so savory. The truffle oil is very light and doesn't overwhelm the marvelous artichoke umami. Beware the addictive complimentary bread and delicious olive oil. It will fill you up.We also ordered an eggplant parmesan for the table. I highly recommend doing this. So good!The sole was tender and moist and luscious. I like mild tender fish. To be fair not everyone at our table likes that type of fish (ie the calamari people) but I loved it.The calamari was well prepared and well seasoned. It could have used more crisp to the exterior though.The chicken Parm was excellent and far more interesting than your typical dish.The service was very attentive. I appreciated our server bringing an ice bucket for the white wine. Not many places still make that effort. Water glasses, ice tea, and wine glasses were kept filled. They make a very nice attempt at fine dining service that is uncommon for a reasonably priced strip mall restaurant. Definitely a dining bang for the buck here. Better service than many restaurants that are twice the price. They make you feel special. Highly recommended.

Two days of visiting.. lunch and then dinner. Yes, it was that good.However, it is an experience. The staff and owner are super nice, very accommodating, and timely. We enjoyed the quaint location decorated for the holidays. The owner is involved and spends time with each table. He was a joy to talk to.The food was over the top amazing. The table ordered lamb chops, Pollo Bronx Parmigiana, Pollo al Marsala, Pasta al Negro and more. Everyone absolutely loved what they ordered.

In SA for dr appts of course. We have been hunting for a good Italian restaurant. Here it is! Very modern and cute place in a strip center near the medical center west. Staff was super nice as was the owner. Food was delicious. We started with calamari appetizer. It was tender and tasty but could have been a bit crisper. I had their special bronx veal parm with really good fettuccine alfredo. The wife had chicken picatta. Very good meals. Dessert was a creamy tiramisu. Their wine list was actually bottles on their bar and you go up and pick one out. Found a wonderful Nebbiolo for a good price. Sorry I didn't take a lot of pictures. We had the best table in the place. Loved sitting by the moon.

Outstanding service and delicious food. Excellent price-to-portions as Mare e Monte strives to satisfy your appetite.I had to try appetizers, main course and dessert. Their Italian cuisine is delicious and gives me a sense of fine dining... but with bigger portions.They' were in the process of getting their ABC certification so bring your wine until then. They'll pair your wine with their menu items.4 stars for my initial experience here. Their 5th star is coming as soon as they offer their wine selection... of course this is after they get the ABC certification. The owner takes pride in his business. I'm sure his wine list will not disappoint.

Love this restaurant off of Floyd Curl near the medical center. Such a friendly and happy place. Food and service were excellent. Would go back next time I'm in the area! Good luck wonderful people! A great evening!

Absolutely incredible. Prince knows what he is doing with the restaurant. I had perhaps the best chicken parm in my life. Love the atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back.