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    Impero Italiano

    3.9 (441 reviews)
    ModeratePizza, Italian, Desserts
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Impero Italiano Takeout or Delivery

    Impero Italiano Photos

    Business Info

    IMPERO ITALIANO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Impero Italiano

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    Reviews With Photos

    Maradona Fiat
    Adriana A.

    First time visit...beautiful decor! It's like you stepped into a place in Italy Mrs Rossi at the front counter is just the sweetest, we had the Fiat500 (calamari) the marinara sauce was AH-mazing! Then we ordered the meat pizza absolutely delicious! That brick oven brought over from Italy definitely makes a difference! He had the chicken parm and it was also to die for! Definitely must try for an epic date night! The customer service is great they go above & beyond! A definite must try! Such a fun experience ! If you're a soccer fan it doesn't disappoint

    Dessert area
    Vickie P.

    The food was just ok. Nothing that we couldn't get anywhere else. I think the draw is the hype of the decor that they have. We went over the weekend and they were busy. The service was rushed and seems that a lot of the staff monitor the tables. Some of our party felt they were being urged to hurry up. Sorry but it is just the way it came across.

    Gordon L.

    Great place tucked away in a center off Memorial parkway in Houston. The staff speaks English and Italian. Wife and walked in and was greeted with smiles and hello. We were seated promptly. Drink orders followed, while we were looking at the menu and art work inside the restaurant. Wife ordered the Margarita Pizza and Ingot the Carbonara. Both were great. The basil and mozzarella both tasted fresh. The crust was nice and toasty with a nice rise to it. The Carbonara was nicely flavored with a nice amount of Parmesan cheese. The bacon and pancetta was not over powering the flavor in the dish. Wife and I shared a Tiramisu. I think I just found the best Tiramisu in Houston. The Mascarpone was light, fluffy and perfectly blended. The lady fingers were soft and fresh with a nicely flavored espresso. You gotta try this, recommend getting your own though.

    Chicken milanese
    Jacob D.

    You can't help but love this spot when you walk in. There's just a love for Italian kitsch here that's unmatched anywhere else in Houston. We sat in a table made to look like a fiat, unrivaled. The pictures won't do it justice how much the decor is doing for the experience. I thought the strong parts of the menu were the pizzas, great crust, cheese like you expect and topping combinations of all authenticities level and backgrounds. We could have honestly just shared a bunch of them and been happy. We did try the rest of the menu to be spotty in outcome. The gnocchi was another highlight, super flavorful and creamy, excellent texture as well. The Caesar salad was a miss, the dressing was very low quality and not traditional Caesar. Tiramisu was a nice little dessert at the end. However my wife's chicken parm wasn't what she was looking for. Chicken was easy to chew and the Alfredo pasta wasn't up to par as well. It's a fun restaurant and the pizzas are fantastic, 100% worth a visit!

    Woo K.

    If you like Neopolitan style pizza this is a good place. Super thin pizza. Flimsy. But good sauce and mozz ratio. Sauce to the pizza was slightly sweet and flavorful. Good crust. Make sure your partner orders something saucy so you can dip your crust into their sauce. Calamari was good. Light crust. Lightly seasoned. Not too oily. Pasta was good. I would come back for the pizza

    Ye J.

    Family owned Italian restaurant located in a shopping plaza at the corner of Kirkwood and Memorial. While I've had take out from here before, this is the first time we came in with friends for dinner service. The menu was interesting -- included a full page of House Rules. While their gnocchi is excellent, overall the food was hit or miss. Their Neapolitan pizza has good flavors, but the crust is very thin, making them very floppy. The Cesar salad and focaccia were underwhelming. The Cotoletta Milanese and fettuccine Alfredo (very rich but no flavor) looked sadder than Olive Garden's. Service is pretty minimal, and then came the audacity. The waiter looked straight at our party of four* (one baby and one toddler clearly under 6 don't count based on their own house rule) and slapped on a 20% large party fee. I'm not anti-20% tips at all, but forcing it with zero effort put such a bad taste in my mouth. Pricing is definitely on the higher end for a small joint too. We dropped $280 with no alcohol, and honestly got nothing close to the food quality or service you'd expect at this price point. So yeah. Won't be back.

    The telephone booth table.
    Kim R.

    Impero Italiano is a cute little restaurant with consistently good food and a friendly staff. From the moment we walked in, we felt like we were part of the family. The menu isn't huge, which actually makes it easier to decide. I think the menu may be somewhat seasonal, but don't quote me on that because I'm not 100% sure. They've recently gotten social media famous, so they are now taking reservations. **I remember when they used to be just a humble, local, family owned restaurant.** But don't worry, they haven't let the fame go to their heads. I think taking reservations cut down on people standing around and crowding the entrance area. It's not a huge restaurant that has a lot of space for groups to stand up front and wait. Even though I've been a few times, I do like to change up my order each time. Everything that I've tried so far has been good and has tasted homemade. One thing that I do get every time is the meatballs. They are so good. I'm not a fan of "Italian seasoning," whatever that is, and these meatballs don't taste like that Americanized crap. They are meaty, a really good size, and the sauce (gravy) on them tastes like it's begging you to sop it up with some of their fresh bread. YUM!

    Jason Z.

    I used to really like this spot; especially their gnocchi and traditional style pizza pies and would talk about it all the time with friends who live in this area. However, we went to dinner service recently with some good friends and some details about our dinner service rubbed me the wrong way. I never noticed previously until mentioned today but their menu had a full page of restaurant rules ranging from dress code to behavior of children in the restaurant. Fine. Your spot, your rules. They have a detail saying automatic tip will be included for parties of 6 or more excluding children under 6. We literally had 4 adults and 2 children (one of whom is a baby and the other is a three year old) and these guys auto charged and proudly explained the mandatory 20% they slapped on there at the end of our dinner service. Now, there is a difference between giving them a 20% tip on my own volition and being coerced into not confronting them about this in front of a larger party. I really dislike whenever restaurants tack on random add-on fees. I'm fine with the larger party tip limit since it's usually mentioned beforehand. Shame on you Impero for not even being able to follow your own rules that you had printed out proudly on your menu; this is not the way to run a family style restaurant if you can't even follow the rules that you created. It's not a honest mistake either, as counting to 6 is something any child can do, surely? Matthew, you were right! No bueno!

    Exterior
    Linda T.

    The vibe is there with adequate parking spaces in a shared parking lot with many other small businesses. It's in the same lot as Dollar Tree. Friendly service for a weekday lunch. I only got a pepperoni pizza from their lunch menu. It was good but not great. Tasted clean and good, that thin slice that you may get from NY, without it being greasy and giant. One person can easily eat it by themselves, along with the side salad that it comes with during lunch special. We were trying to not have left overs sitting in the car for hours so just shared one to try. I'll probably be back to try other food when I'm not running around. Curious with their extensive pasta menu and Italian desserts. Seems authentic here. For now, it's the vibe that would bring me back and okay food. Again, this review is my first impression. I usually like to try a place a few times before giving an extensive review. Will be back.

    Inside
    Kasey Y.

    From the moment we walked in, everyone at Imperio Italiano was so sweet and welcoming -- truly such a warm atmosphere. We started off with the meatballs for an appetizer and ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp, lasagna, and minestrone soup for our mains. Overall, the food was okay -- not bad by any means, but it didn't quite wow me either. I was honestly a little let down given how great everything else about the restaurant was. That said, the service and overall vibe of the place definitely made the experience enjoyable. You can tell the staff genuinely care about making guests feel comfortable and happy. One thing I couldn't help but notice was how good the pizza looked at other tables -- so I'll definitely be back to try that next time!

    If you enjoy your pizza at a temperature cooler than it is outside, then go here; otherwise avoid and go basically anywhere else.
    Erin S.

    If you enjoy eating pizza at a temperature cooler than it is outside, this is your place. When I got the crust was cold. I first thought that I had ordered a pizza I needed to cook myself. Nope. Ate one cold piece and tossed the rest. Complete waste.

    Ravioli alla Caprese
    Jackie C.

    Had a good lunch here. The ambiance is super cute - each table is a car. Kids would probably love it. The service was a little lackluster - food arrived timely but our waitress seemed to not want to be there. Food overall was pretty good though. My pesto genovese was very satisfying. The portions here aren't huge but aren't small either - other than the ravioli which my friend ordered and it came with only 5 pieces of small ravioli. The desserts were good, not great. The cannolo siciliano was good but the tiramisu was overly bitter. The gelatos were a little icy and weren't as creamy as other gelatos I've had but had good flavor.

    Wesley S.

    You must have a way to call the restaurant and talk to someone. Your online ordering system is terrible. And when you call you can only speak to a recorded system. You're a small resultant and not getting hundreds of calls a day you should be able to answer a call and simple questions. We are not ordering from there and we really want to because it to complicated of a process.

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    Impero I.

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    3 months ago

    What a fun time! Amazing food, amazing service, fairly priced and a super fun atmosphere! We will 100% be back.

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    Impero Italiano Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Impero Italiano

    Do they have a pizza making school or class? Heard it on FB ad. Can't find it on website.

    Yes we do have Pizza making Sxhool. In our website www.imperoitaliano.com upper tabs School you will see all info. Next class starts Jan. 26 2026. If you would like to enroll please send an email. info@imperoitaliano.com

    Are you dog friendly?

    No, but they do encourage you to bring some take out home for your dog

    Tiene la Verdadero spaghetti alfredo el real? Italiano

    Si, el real italiano

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The best dining experience of my trip to Houston!…read more We visited on a Wednesday during happy hour and had an incredible meal from start to finish. The restaurant itself is absolutely charming, with a warm, stylish atmosphere and adorable decor that made the space feel both inviting and memorable. We ordered the carrot hummus, pepperoni pizza, bigoli with crispy guanciale, tomato, and pecorino, and finished with the vanilla ice cream sundae. Every dish was outstanding, and I would gladly recommend any of them. A special shoutout to Fran, our server, who was phenomenal. They guided us through the menu, provided excellent recommendations, and made sure our water glasses were never empty. Their attentive and friendly service elevated an already fantastic experience. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious, the ambiance was wonderful, and the service was just as impressive. If you're visiting Houston, this restaurant is a must-try. It was easily my favorite meal of the entire trip, and I can't wait to come back.

    Oh boyyyy. You know those restaurants that you try for the first time and immediately know you'll…read morebe back soon? That's Tiny Champions. It took me far too long to come here and I'm mourning every past meal I didn't have. Originally had a reservation for 6 and needed to adjust the day before and they kindly accommodated! We sat outside and had one of my favorite meals in Houston. We had a good mix of apps, pasta, and pizza with the salami piccante pie stealing the show. No joke might be my favorite Houston pizza bite. Also our server Jackalynn was awesome. Great conversation and kept up with our chaotic ordering and questions. Tiny Champions you've won my heart!!!

    Photos
    Interior / ig: @joyyeats
    Interior / ig: @joyyeats
    Radiator Pasta - $26
    Radiator Pasta - $26
    Drinks - just okay

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    Drinks - just okay

    Impero Italiano - pizza - Updated June 2026

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