The food I tasted was probably from a frozen food drop off so I don't think anything is freshly made. Perhaps the red sauce might be. I could get better food at Olive Garden. I had spaghetti with red sauce and Italian sausage. The sausage was a whole piece about 5 inches long laying on top. I expected more than that. They could have sliced it and placed on the side or on top but at least slice it. The appetizer was from a frozen pre made bag. First time I went there and the last time. read more

So the service is quick but you can definitely tell why with the quality of the food. I ordered a chicken Cesar salad and there wasn't even a half of a diced chicken breast on there. The chicken was cold, flat and chewy. The quality of food is not homemade Italian, it's store bought and frozen. We will not be going back. read more

I'm actually angry at myself for not knowing about this place sooner! How have I lived near this place for so long and not known about it?! Nonetheless, I was happy to come here for a recent going-away luncheon and found it absolutely delightful! Incredibly decorated, it welcomes its guests as an "old school" Italian restaurant, with plenty of autographed endorsements on the walls from previous (famous) guests. You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. I chose the Chicken Caesar Salad and devoured it. Along the way, I took special note of all my friends' dishes and what they were ordering. I cannot wait to go back and try other options! Don't be a fool and wait to find out about this place! read more

We luv the food. So much to choose from, I older Shrimp scampi Pasta, Pepperoni pizza, shrimp fettuccine Alfredo pasta, Chicken Alfredo, and cheese lasagna.. I can't forget about the yummy garlic bread.. and to go I Order Philly cheese sandwich and spaghetti and Beef lasagna. read more

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Great food and the owners are very welcoming.[[HIGHLIGHT]]the decor is amazing![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The event center (Bella) is so beautiful[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] . read more

Food is always good and large portions. We've never been disappointed. Carry-out is a simple phone call and food is ready in a short amount of time. They also make sure you have everything you need before you leave. read more

Papa Dante's has all the good Italian-American dishes like pizza, spaghett, and il lasagne. Bene bene!!

The cauliflower crust pizza was amazing!! The manicotti looked like enchiladas lol but was told they were really good as well!!

We ordered from DoorDash, I got the 12" pepperoni pizza with jalapeños and my husband got the chicken parm with angel hair subbed. THE FOOD IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. You just earned yourself a lifetime customer! DELICIOUS!!!! read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - 12" pepperoni pizza with jalapeños - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

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food was really good and the place looked super cool inside!! The service was great all of the workers were very nice. read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - Italian War Hero and chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

This is by far one of the top 5 pizza places in all of Texas. I live about 3 hrs from this place and yes I'm from Texas 10/10 recommend to all my friends going towards the converse area, I didn't find any issues with the service they attended us swiftly and accordingly to our entry. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You can really appreciate the theme of the restaurant if you are a sports fan for sure.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] You can hate on the place but not on the food it speaks for itself. read more

Really great quality food - especially for the price. We did the order to go and went to the store to grab some stuff. When we got back, they had the food kept in a heating box. So thoughtful - not over heated or anything. Portions were generous, staff was very kind. read more

This rating is based upon the pizza only, I have not tried anything else off the menu. The good, the sauce and cheese were great. Then the bad. Let's start with a "16 inch" pizza isn't even 14. For 25 bucks, that's $3.12 per slice, and they aren't that big for the price. I was told that they used fresh mushrooms, no way, those were out of a can or jar. The crust was dense and the flavor was like a whole wheat, and the bone around the edge was excessive. Wife said it was the worst crust since we've lived here. Guess I'm still searching for a pizza joint. read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

Off the beaten path... make this one a must try destination for Italian food. This restaurant is a place for gathering and an excellent date spot. Our server was on the spot as soon as we sat down and had our drinks to us, our order taken, and appetizers to us in the first 10 minutes of us sitting down. She also shared that a Caesar side salad with an entree would be enough to share after I wasn't sure about it. The portions here are excellent for the price and quality. The variety and combination of food is great as well. All the ingredients were fresh and cooked expertly. Rich sauces, not overly cheesy or greasy. Delicious pasta. The calamari was so tasty! We had the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and baked ziti with chicken parm. Could have been family portion for as much food was presented! To that effect I'm sure you could have asked the kitchen for a family portion for an additional charge. I also wanted to ask if they could make chicken Marsala or piccata but didn't because I wanted to try their menu items. Next time I will. The garlic bread was great! Just perfect. Didn't have room for dessert but it all looked sooooo good Overall great experience, excellent food, service, quality, and price. A real go-to spot for Italian food. read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - Chicken Alfredo! - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

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My sister and I came here for a sister-date and we were wowed! The atmosphere was quaint and the food was PHENOMENAL! It's an order at the counter spot, and they bring your food out to your table. When I say quaint and quiet... QUAINT & QUIET! We had Calamari, Fried Zucchini Sticks, Shrimp Alfredo, and a Lasagna + Chicken Parmesan Combo. The portions were good sizes and we couldn't finish it all, but we tried! We'll definitely be back for another go! Our servers were kind and attentive. We were highly pleased. Highly recommend Papa Dante's to anyone in the San Antonio area. read more

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Really wanted to eat there yesterday and showed up at 5 and they were closed. They need to post it on here

If I had to describe this place with one word it would be "yummy". I ordered the shrimp alfredo (small size) and it was probably the best I have ever eaten. The garlic bread made my food that much better. Everything came out hot and fresh. The cashier was very friendly and helpful. I'm unsure if this is a family-owned restaurant but definitely worth trying. read more

Clean, delicious food, professional, great service. Good price. Servers are very attentive

I have been a patron of this establishment since 1990 and always raved about the quality and value of the food. We would take out of towners there for a nice local meal. That has all changed. I will no longer take my family or anyone else. This was by far the worst experience we have had and we were incredibly disappointed. First, their hours should be a sign. They are not open for the busiest meal of the day. They close at 6. They have also adopted a "order here and sit down" process. This was not expected, but should have been a sign. We were unexpectedly asked if we would like to pay up front or leave the tab open. Based on all the previous experiences, we opted to leave it open. They gave us a number and we sat down. The staff was friendly and I recognized at least one familiar face behind the counter. The meal arrived and we kept to our standard fare. We ordered fettuccini with chicken, manicotti, and lasagna. The best part of the meal was the garlic bread and there was even something different about it. The alfredo sauce was not flavorful and chicken tasted like when frozen chicken is not thawed completely before cooking. The manicotti was bland along with the red sauce. The lasagna was so much cheese, it overpowered the bland sausage and the ample amount of flavorless red sauce. We discussed our disappointment at the table and were fairly settled that something had changed. On our way to pay, the dessert cooler looked stocked with nice looking, but clearly pre-made desserts. After adding a couple of desserts(2) to the bill, I was literally shocked to be presented with $80 for the tab. I was in complete disbelief. If I was on the fence about going back, that sealed the deal. The tab was for (2) desserts, (3) sodas, (1) lasagna, (1) manicotti, and (1) fettuccini carbonara with chicken. As a place I took my family and customers multiple times weekly in the past and thoroughly enjoyed, I can say those days are gone. For that money, we could have had substantially better Italian food with better ambiance. The draw for Dante's was the food. Value and a relaxed nostalgic dining room made it unique. Without the food, it's just an overpriced photo album. read more

I drove 45 minutes specifically to go there last night, arrived at 7:47 pm and wasn't allowed in because they closed at 8. As a frequent customer, They lost my business for good. read more

My husband and I Visited papa Dante's for the last time today after enjoying the food and the restaurant atmosphere, for 8 years. Papa Dantes new operation style has changed remarkably and not for the better. Hours of operations The new hours are not convenient for those of us who work, they close at 6:00pm Monday thru Friday we enjoyed going there on Fridays after a long trying week, with the new hours this not possible any longer. Customer service Now the customer is required to stand in line to order food prior to seating, which leads you to believe your food would arrive in a timely manner. We waited 30 minutes for a salad and another 30 minutes for our entre to arrive. My husband ordered the chicken parm. He noted. The chicken breast was notably smaller and tough compared to being tender delicious and a normal serving of chicken I ordered my favorite shrimp fettuccine, which had been my favorite for the 8 years we have been customers the noodles had always been tender and comforting and perfectly cooked. Now? The noodles have the appearance of sitting under a heat lamp, they were dry under cooked chewy, as well, the shrimp is much smaller in size, also chewy and lacking flavor Finally the sauce was cold and was not enough to cover even half the noodles. It saddens me, I truly loved papa Dante's food and service. Sadly this is no longer true and I can no longer in good conscious recommend to anyone. read more

I Loved the shrimp fettuccini Alfredo and husband loved the meatballs. The garlic bread was also very good. Good food and good service. Looking forward to eating here again. read more

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Papa Dante's is a Converse icon. Growing up in the area, this was a place we went to ALOT! It was THE beat Italian food ever. While on a visit to SA after being gone for almost 10 years, we decided to go there for lunch. Upon entering, it is the same Papa Dante's we remember! Celebrity pictures on the wall-some of them signed and that overall Italian ambience! Everything was exactly the same as we remembered. However, we were very surprised to see it is no longer the quaint sit down restaurant it once was. Maybe after COVID, things changed. Now, you order at the counter and take a number and your food is brought to you. Not a big deal. There's lots of places that do that. One thing I noticed was the desserts in the case. Instead of the flat slices of cake served on a rectangle styrofoam plate (2 slices mix and match), they now just had a wedge slice on a plate you could pick up. No big deal. We sat down. The servers were great and very attentive! Now, to the food. That is the thing that changed the most. We got the lasagna/spaghetti combo with a side of meatballs. The sauce was advertised as a meat sauce. We got a marinara. It was tasty, but not what we were expecting and it had changed from prior years. They must have changed the recipe for the meatballs because they tasted different and were much smaller. They almost looked as if they were taken out of a bag of frozen meatballs. The pasta was not done. It was not al dente at all as it was still on the hard side. The lasagna was good, but there was no meat in it. It was layers of noodles and ricotta cheese mixture. The garlic bread was yummy as always. The food is the reason for my 3/5. I know how things change over the years, but I had been going there for over 20 years and it was the best Italian food ever. It is a shame it changed so much. read more

I'm sorry but the food just isn't that good. They have great desert though. I've been twice and both times the food didn't seem fresh and it was quite bland. read more

Food was Great and tasted like we were in a garden in Italy!! Service was impeccable! And Ambiance was Superb! Photos on the Walls of almost every famous person from television, movies and Music!! Definitely will be back many times and bring friends with us!! read more

I am so confused why this place has rave reviews. The food is over priced for mediocre "Italian" food and the pizza was just horrible! A pre-made crust?! It taste like a pizza Lunchables. I truly wanted to love this place because of the location being so close to home. The two stars is for the good service and decor, without it I wouldn't bother giving any stars with this review. read more

I wasn't much of a fan in the past, but I am now: + the garlic bread. especially the cheesy garlic bread. there's not just a flirt with garlic; there's GARLIC, and the outside is nice and crisp. people in our party would say All The Bread: the sandwich-eaters loved their sandwiches in part cos of The Bread. + divey, local establishment that can accommodate groups upwards of 10 (if not terribly quickly, still fairly efficiently). often at lunch there are multiple such groups. + variety: pastas, plates, sandwiches: options to please said crowds. + a gazillion tempting dessert options, including So Many Cheesecakes ! group luncheons are when I find myself returning to Papa Dante's. in the past, I wasn't thrilled. my recent visit left me pleasantly satisfied: don't know if the kitchen is more on its game or I was in a happier place, but I left thinking I need to remember to come to this spot off the main lunch thoroughfares more often. read more

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Good variety of desserts and foods to try. We've tried it all from sandwiches to salads. Pasta to pizza. All has been really good. Their desserts are equally as good. read more

FOOD WAS UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS absolutely will be ordering here more often. Satisfied my pregnancy cravings.

An instant classic for lunch. The team eats here at least once a month but talks about it all others days. Make sure you leave room because the cakes you see first thing you walk through the doors will be screaming your name. If you leave without one, trust me, you will regret it when it crosses your next thought. The sandwiches are awesome. The Frank Sinatra and Italian War Hero are my go it's. Enjoy! read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - The Italian War Hero. This is truly a bomb sandwich that is guaranteed to destroy the competition. Enjoy! - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

Been wanting to try this place for a while now but now I regret coming. First we arrived and the dining room was half empty and we we told to sign in and would be seated soon however we waited 20 minutes. The restaurant itself a pretty neat with the interesting decor, posters and photos covering every inch of the wall and ceiling. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and this is where everything went wrong. The eggplant was completely saturated with oil. It was mush, inedible and the white bottom of the plate was covered with oil. It was so much oil that it was also in my spaghetti. I would have ate the spaghetti because the sauce was decent but just way too much oil. They took the meal off my bill but charged me $5 for a salad that is not fresh and once again was almost inedible due to being covered in oil. Will not come back! read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - Spicy eggplant parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

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It's crazy to think this place has so many good ratings. Was excited to try it and was sorely disappointed. We had alfredo and spaghetti. The food had no flavor, and those meatballs? Awful mushy mess. The environment inside was really cool, but that's the only good thing I can really say. The mozzarella sticks are SO SMALL for $8. Save your money. I would rather eat chef boyardee. read more

Im scratching my dome...hmmm...4 stars...how? We arrived early after work in april. The restaurant was empty which is always a bonus. I was preggo at the time so was craving some calamari BAD. ...and eggplant parm. So my hubby and me shared the calamari and I had the eggplant parmigiana and he had the chicken parmigiana. Im not one to candy coat things so here we go. The calamari was a huge disappointment. We read reviews that it was good, but it was truly below average. I was waiting for the SYSCO truck to roll up and drop off their bag of pre breaded calamari rings. The marinara sauce was good but not delicious. My eggplant parmigiana was the same meh, but better bc at least i knew i was less likely to get sick from it. My hubby had the same feeling about the chicken. Everything was super salty, and overall less than meh. The food was 2 stars, but the inside cool enough to get another star. read more

Had the chicken Parmesan and bread and it was really good! The bacon cheese burger and fries were also really good! OMG the French fries! Clean atmosphere and good service read more

Staff is friendly and their pasta is delicious! We got the lasagna and chicken parmesan. Very roomy and great for meeting friends and family especially since you order at the counter. Will be visiting again. read more

This place serves excellent food, no matter what you order. We have tried several dishes and have never been disappointed! My wife's fave is the fettuccini chicken Alfredo. Their pizzas are DEELISH. They do offer pick up and delivery, but we enjoy driving there for take out. Their diner is also open, limited capacity due to COVID, but one can also eat there in person. They also offer great desserts, and all fresh!! Highly recommend them. read more

Always love the atmosphere here....lots of sports and entertainment plastered on the wall. Came for zucchini fries ... awesome. Eggplant parmesan could use a little work....needs to be a thicker cut. As always the service was great!! read more

You want to love little local joints but this one is just not lovable. We ordered a lot of food, looking forward to trying a variety of items on the menu. ~manicotti ~chicken fettuccine Alfredo ~crab cakes over fettuccine ~chicken parm ~cheesy garlic bread appetizer Desserts to go: ~chocolate dipped cannoli ~tiramisu The garlic bread was good and was devoured quickly. Everyone took only a few bites of their entrees. Then my oldest daughter described it perfectly: "Mom, that tasted like Marie Callender's." I proceeded to give her the side eye and said, "First of all...who's feeding you nasty Marie Callender's? And second, you're right! It did taste average (if not below)." Price points were way to high for the food presented. $14ish per plate...not with those noodles! Service and desserts were sweet but not good enough for me to return. read more

Papa Dante's Restaurant - Chicken Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Converse, Texas

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This restaurant has so much character. The food is delicious and the service is great, coupled with an unassuming atmosphere that comes with being around for nearly 40 years. If you're passing through San Antonio and you'd like something off the beaten path, stop into Papa Dante's. read more

I ordered the fettuccini w/Alfredo sauce. There wasn't enough sauce to match the noodles and when I asked for more sauce I got charged extra. The sauce tasted like some thick jar sauce. Poor flavor. I've heard that since the parents have passed the quality has gone down significantly. I hope whoever is in charge will take the time to consider improving the quality of their food. The garlic bread was very tasty, that's why it got more than one star. Plus the waitress was super friendly and accommodating. read more