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I dined at Impero Italiano for lunch last week after having wanting to come here for some time. Inside it's an attractively decorated restaurant with a strong Italian theme including small vehicles that diners can sit in. Many pictures are on the wall including one of Mussolini. Not sure if that is politically correct.... They had a limited low cost lunch menu but I chose to order from the regular menu instead and picked the Fettuccine Bolognese for $23. While waiting a short while we were delivered a bread basket to nosh on. When the food arrived I thought it was attractive but perhaps a little smaller in size than I hoped for. Taste wise the ragu was very good and flavorful while the pasta was average but good. I enjoyed this meal and will give it a 4 score. However I think the dish was overpriced by a few dollars. I would have liked it much more at $18 or $19 for a simple dish of pasta and ragu bolognese. In fact I was surprised at all of the dinner menu prices being higher than expected. Also, the lunch menu needs more options.
I have to say that I still love Impero. The restaurant is impossibly kitsch - but in the best way possible. It just makes me smile! The staff, from the kitchen to the front of the house, is Italian. To me, that makes a difference. I almost feel that I am on one of my trips to Torino or Tuscany and I have stumbled into a small family run restaurant. The menu is mostly pastas and pizza. Like a small trattoria, you will not see a lot of high end menu items. It is just not the kind of place. The food represents Italian sentiments rather than just the American idea of what Italian food is. The food is uniformly simple and well executed. While there, do try at least one of the appetizers, like the Arancini or the Montanare. All of the pastas are spot on and authentic to Italy. I am sure the desserts a very nice (they have a gelato bar) but I am always too full for desert.
Idk why some folks are hootin n hollerin about the rules page on the menu- everything written there isn't anything out of the ordinary and makes sense. Some of y'all are silly gooses Anyway, my friend and I came by on a Thursday night and it was pretty busy! The inside of the restaurant is decorated with so many Italian knick knacks which gives this place a cozy vibe. Instead of ordering an appetizer and an entree, my friend and I decided to order 3 things from the appetizer menu: Arancini Montanare Impepata Napoletana The arancini was delicious! The exterior/crust wasn't too thick and was fried nicely. As for the filling, it had cheese, beef, and tomato sauce- yum! I really enjoyed the montanare because it came with 3 different toppings. Not to mention, the bread was fantastic! All 3 were great but my favorite was the one with smoked provolone, anchovy, and the red chili on top (I believe that's what the red topping is). The Impepata Napoletana was another solid dish- loved the white wine sauce with garlic and pepper. Although it was a tad bit too salty for me, it paired nicely with the bread. For dessert, my friend got the pistachio gelato and I ordered the Tiramisu. Both were a great way to end dinner. Food was wonderful, our waiter was very friendly/welcoming, and the vibes were lovely. This spot is a gem!
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
I had really been wanting to try this spot, so I was definitely a little disappointed with my experience. We started with the Caesar salad and honestly... it was meh. Nothing terrible, but nothing special either... For my entrée, I had the carbonara. It was decent, but a little on the bland side. It had the creamy texture you expect, but it just needed more flavor to really hit. What really sealed it for me was that they didn't have the cheese wheel available That was one of the main things I came for, so that was a letdown. Overall, it wasn't bad... just not memorable. I might give it another try, but this visit didn't quite live up to the hype.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
1 month ago
2 months ago
I dined at Impero Italiano for lunch last week after having wanting to come here for some time. Inside it's an attractively decorated restaurant with a strong Italian theme including small vehicles that diners can sit in. Many pictures are on the wall including one of Mussolini. Not sure if that is politically correct.... They had a limited low cost lunch menu but I chose to order from the regular menu instead and picked the Fettuccine Bolognese for $23. While waiting a short while we were delivered a bread basket to nosh on. When the food arrived I thought it was attractive but perhaps a little smaller in size than I hoped for. Taste wise the ragu was very good and flavorful while the pasta was average but good. I enjoyed this meal and will give it a 4 score. However I think the dish was overpriced by a few dollars. I would have liked it much more at $18 or $19 for a simple dish of pasta and ragu bolognese. In fact I was surprised at all of the dinner menu prices being higher than expected. Also, the lunch menu needs more options. read more
20 days ago
2 months ago
I have to say that I still love Impero. The restaurant is impossibly kitsch - but in the best way possible. It just makes me smile! The staff, from the kitchen to the front of the house, is Italian. To me, that makes a difference. I almost feel that I am on one of my trips to Torino or Tuscany and I have stumbled into a small family run restaurant. The menu is mostly pastas and pizza. Like a small trattoria, you will not see a lot of high end menu items. It is just not the kind of place. The food represents Italian sentiments rather than just the American idea of what Italian food is. The food is uniformly simple and well executed. While there, do try at least one of the appetizers, like the Arancini or the Montanare. All of the pastas are spot on and authentic to Italy. I am sure the desserts a very nice (they have a gelato bar) but I am always too full for desert. read more
5 months ago
Idk why some folks are hootin n hollerin about the rules page on the menu- everything written there isn't anything out of the ordinary and makes sense. Some of y'all are silly gooses Anyway, my friend and I came by on a Thursday night and it was pretty busy! The inside of the restaurant is decorated with so many Italian knick knacks which gives this place a cozy vibe. Instead of ordering an appetizer and an entree, my friend and I decided to order 3 things from the appetizer menu: Arancini Montanare Impepata Napoletana The arancini was delicious! The exterior/crust wasn't too thick and was fried nicely. As for the filling, it had cheese, beef, and tomato sauce- yum! I really enjoyed the montanare because it came with 3 different toppings. Not to mention, the bread was fantastic! All 3 were great but my favorite was the one with smoked provolone, anchovy, and the red chili on top (I believe that's what the red topping is). The Impepata Napoletana was another solid dish- loved the white wine sauce with garlic and pepper. Although it was a tad bit too salty for me, it paired nicely with the bread. For dessert, my friend got the pistachio gelato and I ordered the Tiramisu. Both were a great way to end dinner. Food was wonderful, our waiter was very friendly/welcoming, and the vibes were lovely. This spot is a gem! read more
5 months ago
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 read more
I had really been wanting to try this spot, so I was definitely a little disappointed with my experience. We started with the Caesar salad and honestly... it was meh. Nothing terrible, but nothing special either... For my entrée, I had the carbonara. It was decent, but a little on the bland side. It had the creamy texture you expect, but it just needed more flavor to really hit. What really sealed it for me was that they didn't have the cheese wheel available That was one of the main things I came for, so that was a letdown. Overall, it wasn't bad... just not memorable. I might give it another try, but this visit didn't quite live up to the hype. read more
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. read more
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! read more
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 read more
11 hours ago
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. read more
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! read more
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! read more
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. read more
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. read more
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! read more
25 days ago
2 months ago
If you want to eat a real Italian food please come to visit this place!! We waiting a lot but it was worth every penny!! read more
1 month ago
9 months ago
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. read more
1 month ago
1 month ago
9 months ago
El Imperio Italiano es un pequeño restaurante con verdadera sazón y sabor italiano . Se nota que es atendido por sus propios dueños, y eso se siente en cada detalle: la atención, el ambiente y, sobre todo, la comida. Me encantó lo icónico de la decoración, con carrocerías del popular auto italiano Fiat y detalles artísticos alrededor de Don Quijote de la Mancha, lo que le da una personalidad única y muy especial . Hoy probé una de sus pizzas insignia y fue una experiencia deliciosa: la salsa, simplemente exquisita el queso búfala, increíblemente rico Todo lleno de sabor y autenticidad. Acompañé la experiencia con un café macchiato, perfecto para recargar energías y seguir la jornada laboral . Mis mejores deseos de éxito. Y, por favor, no se expandan demasiado... que mantengan esa esencia tan especial, ese sabor auténtico y esa sensación tan bonita de estar en un rincón de Europa. El Imperio Italiano is a small restaurant with true Italian flavor and soul . You can tell it's run by its owners, and that care is reflected in every detail -- the service, the atmosphere, and especially the food. I loved the iconic decor, featuring classic Fiat car elements and artistic touches inspired by Don Quixote, giving the place a unique and charming personality . Today I tried one of their signature pizzas, and it was outstanding: the sauce was exquisite the buffalo cheese was incredibly rich and flavorful Every bite felt authentic and full of passion. I paired it with a macchiato coffee, just perfect to recharge and continue the workday . Wishing them continued success. And please, don't grow too much -- keep that special essence, the authentic taste, and that beautiful feeling of being in a small corner of Europe. a lo cabimero que molleja e bueno estaba esto read more
Definitely worth the hype!!! In order to get in you want to make reservations otherwise it'll be a long wait but it's so worth it! We got there a few minutes early and were greeted and advised that our table would be ready at the time we requested. We hung outside where they have plenty of seats to wait and as soon as our seat was available our greeter came to get us with a big smile. Everything inside is vibrant and makes you feel like you're at a restaurant literally in Italy. It's super cute and super busy, granted we went on a Sunday. Even if it was busy, they don't skip a beat. Albino was our waiter and he was very pleasant and had great suggestions. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and came out so quickly! We started with the caprese salad that we almost devoured before taking pics- it was SO GOOD! The cheese was not chewy and basil and tomatoes tasted like they were picked fresh from a garden. The Margarita pizza was divine. The crust was crispy. The cheese and sauce was chef's kiss! The fettuccine had to be homemade because the noodles were so light and oozing with cheese. The birthday song was special on top of the gelato. We were so impressed with everything and totally recommend anyone to try them out. read more
4 months ago
1 year ago
We loved coming here! Lots of options and everything we had was delicious. The service was super nice and helpful as well. We sat in one of the car booths which was fun for kids! The entire restaurant is decorated super cute! Make sure you order dessert!! read more
10 months ago
Came here to see what the hype was about. It's a super cute place and the idea of car tables is neat. They are definitely not comfortable to sit at. They have a sign at the front that says it takes a while to make the food because it's not a fast food joint. That felt weird right off the bat. The hostess was kind but it felt very uncomfortable when she told us that our car seat wouldn't fit. It was a very tight fit but definitely do able. Almost makes you feel like they don't want children there. Once we sat at a table with a half booth half table it was super uncomfortable. The tables are super flimsy and if you sit on the booth side you're still so far from the table even when the table legs are pushed all the way up to the car. Our server was super short and not friendly at all. It felt like you bothered him every time you asked for something. When you asked for something he forgot it or we had to ask 2-3 times to get it. My daughter's cheese pizza came out first. It could have been a really great pizza but it was not cooked all the way through in the center and it wasn't cut all the way through probably because it was still soggy in the center. But the cheese had a great flavor. My husband ordered spaghetti and meatballs I felt the portion size was small for an $18 plate. The sauce was bland and definitely needed salt. The noodles were superrrr al dente. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. I ordered the pecorino cheese wheel pasta. When the server came to deliver a plate he went to serve the dish over my babies head and my husband asked him to be careful. He was also the one to cook my pasta in the cheese wheel. I guess he took the "be careful" comment way too literal because he cooked my pasta ONE WHOLE TABLE AWAY. Literally behind me in the booth he cooked my pasta for the table behind me. I didn't get to experience it and the people in the booth were in such awe about it asking him questions about MY EXPERIENCE. It was definitely not what I expected. He also had terrible customer service. His attitude and response to my husband's comment about serving a dish over my 2 month olds head was not normal. The side of shrimp I ordered for my pasta came out wayyy after my pasta was served and it was nothing to talk about and lacked every bit of seasoning and was served cold. I totally understand it not being a fast food joint. BUT if it's not fast I would absolutely expect it to be HOT I also ordered a pizza cannolo which was pretty good. We did talk about giving this place one more chance but definitely not during peak hours because they were too busy to handle the load. read more
5 months ago
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. read more
Business owner information
Impero I.
You ordered to go. Eating at the restaurant and getting a pizza an…
Extremely Disappointing Experience We went to Imperio Italiano in Houston to celebrate something personal, and this ended up being one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences I've had. They started us off with bread and olive oil, which should be simple, but the bread was stale and the oil tasted bad. That set a bad tone, and unfortunately, it only went downhill from there. We ordered a lasagna bolognese and a pizza to share. Both were well below average. The lasagna, especially, was bland and flavorless. We couldn't even finish them. The biggest surprise was when we asked for lemonade and were given a bottled version from the supermarket. For a sit-down restaurant, that felt careless and honestly insulting. The decoration might look nice, but the food doesn't live up to it at all. What should have been a special night ended up being ruined by bad food and careless choices. I won't be back. read more
Why 4 stars? Because this was an enjoyable lunch. --- --- --- My wife found this place on Yelp a few months ago and every time we go into Houston, she's been tempted to go there, but it's just never worked out until now. When you walk in, it's very apparent that this is a very authentic, family-owned restaurant. There are signs everywhere indicating this, and it seems that every person working here is legitimately from Italy. The signs specifically warn patrons that service might be on the slower side due to the aforementioned small family business aspect. Well, I think they subscribe to the theory of under-promise and over-deliver, because basically every table in the restaurant was full, but our service was not slow at all. And I was starving too, so every minute felt like five, but it seemed like our food came even faster than a normal place, actually. As for what we ordered: Arancini: 3.5-stars. In fairness, this isn't something that I would order if it were up to me - it's one of my wife's favorites. It wasn't bad, but arancini just isn't really my jam. Carbonara: 4-stars. Certainly not bad, but not among the best carbonara I've ever had. Just soundly solid. Pernus Crudus: 4.5-stars. The crust on both pizzas we had was the highlight of the meal. This was the softest crust I've ever had in my life. It was the perfect fold-and-eat pizza. There wasn't a ton of prosciutto, which is really the only reason I say 4.5 stars instead of 5 for this. And this is on me, but I should have ordered it without arugula. A lot of places throw that on their pizza and it basically just gets in the way. Margherita Pizza: 4-stars. I liked the other pizza more, but because the crust was so amazing, I couldn't give it lower than 4-stars. Thanks for a fun lunch, Impero! read more
This is my second review of this place and it remains an easy five-stars. When it comes to authentic Italian food, I can't think of a place in Houston that is better than Impero Italiano. Fresh out of Naples, this place is absolutely fantastic. Let's talk about why. Food - The food is very fresh. There are times when I'm there and something on the menu isn't available because they are still making it or they ran out. But everything I've had there is absolutely divine. We have never tasted more authentic Italian food outside of Italy. This place is amazing. Also, just so you know, the pizzas are all baked in a wood-fired oven. Amazing. One thing worth noting are the portion sizes. They serve portion sizes based upon what we SHOULD be eating; not American-supersized portions. The portion sizes are definitely healthier sized. Keep that in mind if you are used to spitting dishes at other restaurants to cut back or to share. I would suggest each person order their on meal here. Service - The service is impeccable. Most of the staff is Italian and speak English with a noticeable Italian accent. Honestly, it adds to the authenticity. Love it. The only negative is the suggested tip prices are suggested based upon the total bill including sales tax. This is a pet peeve of mine but if you know this going in, you can adjust accordingly if you wish. Bottom line - Truly authentic Italian food served with a Napoli flair. You definitely need to try this place. Bon appétit, y'all. Or, as they say in Italy, Buon appetito. read more
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Impero I.
Dough you are an intelligent man with great taste, great manners and…
Great environment that's super fun. Service was a mixed bag. Nice host but the servers were not great. We had to ask for bread 2/3 of the way through the meal when we noticed everyone got some. Food was the worst. We ordered Caesar Salad, which for some reason was dressed with Italian dressing. Ravioli in sage and butter sauce that had no sage. The Imperio 2 had the seafood but no flavor. The best thing was the meatballs which were not exciting but the sauces was good. After our meal we used our very late bread to eat the best part. I will try this one more time but stick to pizza. read more
6 months ago
The food is amazing! Very authentic and served fast. The staff is friendly and very fluent in Italian, which is amazing. The restaurant is small but the atmosphere is nice. Very well decorated! read more
1 month ago
Me and my group of friends came to this restaurant for an Italian weekend lunch! When we arrived it was the coolest atmosphere- there were cars as tables, very instagrammable!! We sat on one of the car tables. I will say it was a bit uncomfortable because the platform where you rest your feet is kind of raised. Our waiter came over with waters and menus. I noticed he was a bit rude or short. Not sure if it's a culture thing or not but he had a very thick Italian accent. We got an appetizer of the flatbread. The faltbread was delicious- you could tell everything's made really fresh - all ingredients including the sauce. I got what seemed like eggplant parmigiana, the waiter did mention it comes different than what you'd expect but I wanted to try something different. The food did take a while to come but when I got my eggplant it was almost in a basket of bread. What it felt like was an eggplant parm pizza folded into a bowl. The flavor again was really good- sauce was made fresh which I liked! After a while the bread at the bottom does become soggy. Overall I'd recommend this place if you have kids that love cars! It's a bit outside of my area for me to drive that far for this food but everything did seem fresh and the servers not that friendly! read more
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More info about Impero Italiano
14028 Memorial Dr
Houston, TX 77079
Energy Corridor
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(281) 853-9022
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https://www.imperoitaliano.com
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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
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