There's an art and magic to capturing a small town feel--especially if you're going for an authentic Italian bistro. Even within the gamut of Italian haunts, the stakes are high because they lend themselves to mediocrity: if you've been to one, good luck picking it out of a lineup. Paulie's does have a friendly neighborhood feel, but lacks the key ingredient to rise above the other Italian bramble out there. The staff are amazing: friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about the menu. The menu is robust and can satisfy any classic Italian yearning. I had the CANESTRI ALLA FUNGHI. I wish the portion size matched the flavor and quality of pasta. It was--and forgive me--good. But only just. Not memorable. Not the kind of dish that would transport you...it was only good. read more

I was not expecting this restaurant to be as good as it was. Great prices and clean restaurant. Probably one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had!! read more

Paulie's - the best pasta i've ever had - rigatoni bolognese!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

Paulie's is one of my favorite restaurants! I highly recommend the mushroom soup and the chicken piccata. They also have amazing cappuccinos and sugar cookies! If you're ever looking for a great lunch spot or even dinner, Paulie's is an amazing spot to try. read more

Paulie's - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

Counter service with open seating; we got the bucatini amatriciana, rigatoni bolognese and the chicken piccata. Chicken and bucatini were very delicious! Bottle of Chianti paired nicely. Finished off with double chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookie. First time for us but not our last. Highly recommend for a weeknight dinner. read more

If you want authentic house-made pasta, this is the place in Houston to go. They have very good prices compared to other Italian restaurants and the pasta is fresh! I only know of a couple of other restaurants in town that make pasta in-house. I asked someone that worked at Paulies which pasta is made in-house and I was told all of them besides the fettuccine and one other that's not listed on the menu. If you're going to eat with someone and you both want the same dish, get the large portion and split it. It's the same portion size as regular entrées. The mushroom pasta and the rigatoni are the two that I would recommend. It can be busy and difficult to find seating on Friday and Saturday nights so I would recommend dining early or on a weekday. read more

Paulie's - Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Large portions of reasonable priced okay pasta. Get: bucatini amatriciana, panzanella salad, summer salad Avoid: canestri all funghi, rigatoni bolognese This place was been around a long time and it pretty much never changes. The prices are reasonable and the portions are large. The bucatini is delicious and although it's a different take on amatriciana, it has nice flavor and spice. Tbt canestri and rigatoni both have almost no flavor. The salads are nice and don't have too much dresssing, very refreshing. The parking is limited behind the building. You order then sit at a table. When your food is ready, your buzzer goes off and you can pick up your food. I come by occasionally because the bucatini does hit the spot sometimes but it certainly is not the best or top 5 of best pastas in Houston. read more

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Delicious. Laid back. Clean. Great customer service. Would come back time and time again. Hoagie sandwich and mixed vegetables. Could use a little seasoning but still absolutely love. read more

If Paulie wants a cracker, then this might be a place to come and look for one. Or perhaps not. This is a super cute little Italian Cafe that is not cheap but also not expensive and makes really good Northeast style Italian-American dishes that are very pleasing. I'm surprised more people haven't heard about it or raved about it yet. read more

Paulie's - Wants a cracker - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

We arrived at Paulie's on Westheimer around 11:30 on Saturday just before the noon rush. Immediately we were greeted by the cashier and he explained the menu to us and told us about the wonderful special sandwich. We order the shrimp and bacon sandwich that comes with potato salad and the special with fries. The sandwiches were delicious. The restaurant it bright and clean with complimentary cucumber water. You order your food and pick it up on a tray. By the time we left most of tables were taken. They have parking on the side which is also complimentary. We go there again and check out the pasta read more

This was such fantastic meal with great service. It's an order at the counter and seat yourself establishment. The servings were insane. I ordered half servings for two of the entrees and they were giant. Everything came out piping hot and full of flavor. It was super busy on a Thursday night around 8 or 9, but we were able to get a table. I'd definitely come back especially if I'm craving some pasta! read more

Man, I wanted to love this place!! The Yelp reviews were glowing and the presentation of the food and the portion sizes for this hangry pregnant lady were perfect! My family and I ordered 4 different entrees, the Italian Family Salad and shortbread cookies for dessert-- all for pick up. I had the regular sized Canestri alla Funghi with chicken. The weight of my entree was at least 2lbs; it was piping hot and looked amazing! The chicken was perfect-- tender and well-seasoned. There was plenty of mushroom sauce to perfectly coat the massive amount of pasta, but unfortunately, it was severely under-salted; I tried, but couldn't push through it-- but hey, left overs for days! The shortbread cookies were very good and so was the salad; I didn't care too much for the bread. Overall, this place is a good spot! And I likely wouldn't have minded the lack of salt if we were dining in, or even dining at home because that's what salt shakers are for. Unfortunately, we were out of town and in a hotel room, so we didn't have any salt on hand, but I would absolutely visit this restaurant again and order other items. Everything tasted like it was made in-house; they seem like the real deal! read more

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Been coming to Pauline's for a while- and it's a fav among our younger generations in the family. Good, consistent, fresh food that's a fairly good value is how I describe a meal here. It's not-by any means-the best in the city but the combination of service, flavor and consistency (AND VIBE) makes this a good choice pretty much any time. read more

My wife and I started a habit of visiting a new restaurant every week. This week was Paulie's and we couldn't be happier with them. Wifey had pasta marinara w shrimp and i had the chicken piccata. Both were delicious however my piccata came with black olives rather than capers. It was delicious anyway however would prefer the traditional capers. We will definitely be back. Also, prices were reasonable. read more

I love Paulie's! I go here often & it never disappoints. The cashiers are always friendly and upbeat. The Pesto pasta noodle was a slightly overcooked than usual. The chicken Alfredo is basic but my all time favorite at Paulie's. It comes with 2 toasts on the side. They have lemon water as well which is self serve. It's always clean here including their restrooms. There's a bar next door that is super cozy. I always enjoy my visits at Paulie's! read more

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Foos is amazing. food, relaxing, service amazing! definitely go back again. Have to have a dessert!!

Came here with a friend. Authentic Italian where pastas and meat entrees are ordered separately. A friend and I shared the puttanesca. Noodles tasted homemade, the sauce and olives were incredible. Great price and we had some left over. The bakery looked lovely as well. read more

Paulie's - puttanesca - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food at Paulie's is consistently great. Love the specials and the shortbread cookies read more

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Pkasters! On a "cold" Houston night, there is nothing like Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo from this intimate spot called Paulie's. Saturday night is busy and parking is touch, but the friendly staff and delicious food is worth it. Ambiance is great for lively engaging conversation too. Check them out and tell them Pk sent you. read more

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Portions was huge! It was pretty tasty! We were craving lasagna but they didn't have any unfortunately. However, the pasta we got, tasted like lasagna and noodle form. read more

Paulie's - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

**COVID Review** I have not been back to Paulie in years. Not because the food was bad or anything, I just live to damn far. My best friend let me try her leftover Cacio e Pepe from Paulie and since then, my mind cannot stop thinking about it. I was ranting to my best friend on how I was craving it, she told it was perfect timing because they only serve it on Fridays. I drove into town and head to Paulie. Since it was during the pandemic, there was no line. I order the Cacio e Pepe w/ a Caesar salad and the Canestri alla Funghi. My goodness, the large canestri alla funghi dish could feed an army! It literally took me days for my family and I to finish it! The Cacio e Pepe was just how I remembered it, creamy + peppery. Do not forget to try their bread, you won't regret it! read more

Paulie's - Cacio e Pepe - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

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First time there. Went on a Saturday morning when they opened. Was empty then but full when we left around noon. Daily night specials - looks like no meatloaf. I love meatloaf. The vinnie pizza was pretty good. Crust was crunchy. Decent amount of sausage. The bucatini was spicy. Pasta had just the right amount of chew. The fettuccine Alfredo was surprisingly tasty. I looked at it and it looked so cheesy. But it tasted good. The bread they give free with the past and it's just toasted buttered bread. No flavor really. Chocolate chip cookie has walnuts and is $3. It's very crunchy all around. I like Tinys better where it's soft in the inside and crispy on the edges. But it was good nonetheless. Parking lot is decent size but was full when we left at noon. read more

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Does Paulie's even need an updated review? It is such a landmark spot. I have been here a number of times for their mushroom pasta, flat white, and raspberry sandwich cookie. All were delicious, with generous portions, and mainly my go to items. On my most recent visit here to satisfy my cookie and coffee fix, the cookie was delicious. But, the flat white that I ordered as takeout was disappointing. It wasn't the potency or smoothness of the espresso that was the problem. The problem was the amount of the coffee drink they gave me. The to go cup was the size of a Starbucks tall hot drink. But, the amount of the flat white drink that I got was a quarter of that small cup. I felt like I almost got an empty cup leaving this establishment. My sister and I noticed that we could only get in 3-4 sips of coffee, and we were already done with our drinks. That's not ok. As constructive feedback, please give us more than just a few sips worth of our espresso drink. As takeout, we definitely noticed and didn't appreciate this. Otherwise, we still think their mushroom pasta is the bomb and could feed 2 people per serving, along with their buttery, toasted bread. Their raspberry cookie is a winner too. It has a good amount of raspberry jam to shortbread cookie. We don't get any other cookie except this one when we do visit. I need to try their panini sandwiches some time. They do look delicious. read more

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Super good portions for the price especially if you go for lunch! It was very yummy , highly rec!

10/10 food was amazing!! had the bolognese pasta super yummy. loved the atmosphere of this place as well!! read more

Paulie's - half plate of bolognese pasta! - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this little, quaint Italian resto!! Love how you can choose between both half or full plate. The full plate is a LOT of food. Tbh my bf and I should've gotten thag and just split. Extra $$ for the proteins btw. I got the pesto pasta and WOW I have not had pesto like that before. It was VERY earthy and the herbs blended in the pasta very well. Sauce was thick but the right amount of thick sauce. I was so obsessed. The pine nuts in it breaks up the delicious earthiness and obviously adds more of a nutty, neutral flavor throughout the sauce. The noodles paired with pesto was wonderful. Vibe is so clean, modern, and the most comfortable version of classy!!! Would return without a doubt read more

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Loved their mushroom and pesto pasta!! SO FRESHHH!! The noodles are cooked to perfection ( could add some more salt in the pasta water) BUT luckily there was salt on the table for usage! I absolutely love that you get a bang for your buck here!! read more

Paulie's - Pasta!!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

This spot is such a good place to go for pasta. The prices are really reasonable and if you get a large and split it, it's about 25$ for a meal for two. The service is pretty normal, considering each pasta is made to order. I wish this place had more indoor seating, as it gets pretty crowded bc of how good this place is. Too many people flocking here. read more

So yummy! The portions here are huge. I got the mushroom pasta with cream and the half portion fed me for 3 meals. The caprese salad is fresh and delicious. Very reasonably priced $11-$20 or so per half to full portion. They also have great cookies and pastries. So crusty. read more

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Excellent food, atmosphere and staff. Always deliver the best and never disappointed. Great menu, pizza, pastas and best sandwiches. Best latte in Houston. Love this place. read more

Paulie's - Excellent burger. Wouldn't expect that here. - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Paulie's isnt the place you go if you want tableside parmesean, or fancy over the top service. Its the mom and pop shop you go when you want consistent good food, service and ambiance. I always get the mushroom pasta. When I stray it's always good but the mushroom pasta is like a drug, gotta keep coming back. The portions are very generous. Its a solid place for lunch or dinner. read more

Great food and ambience, I loved their pastas and their wine recommendation :) must try their summer salad too read more

Paulie's - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

My friend and co worker suggested this place for lunch yesterday and I'm so glad she did. This is now an instant fave. The gentleman who took my order told me I had to try the pasta since it's scratch made. My friend Lauren always gets the canestri with Broccoli so I tried it and added Salmon. We sat and ate and talked with smiles on our faces. Paulie's felt like a hidden gem because I've never seen in but drive past it all the time. I now have it saved as a favorite and can't wait to go back. Get the pasta! read more

Paulie's - Dining area - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This is some of the best pizza I've ever had. The crust actually had flavor and it wasn't soggy at all. The pasta was good but I preferred the pizza. I will definitely be going back as I'd love to try the other pizzas and the mushroom pasta. The service was great. The prices were comparable to that area but I have to say it was worth it. read more

Paulie's - Della pizza - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

Paulie's was one of the best restaurants in Houston 10 years ago. Unfortunately, Paul Petronella's greed has gotten the better of him. What was once delicious, AND affordable Italian comfort food, has now become an exorbitantly priced, miserly portioned, mediocre offering. I truly used to eat here once a week. I've slowly spaced that out to every six months hoping that it will return to former glory. Sadly, that has not yet come to pass. Example: a large portion of chicken piccata costs $25. The large portion used to be enough food for 3 meals. Now, it's a single chicken breast filet and a palm-full of spaghetti Caesar. Needless to say, spending $50 on food should at least mean me and my spouse are full. Paulie's these days can't meet that simple ask. read more

Paulie's is the only restaurant that I've seen where the son took over and it's better than when the parents ran it. Their food starts with high-quality product which makes for excellent dishes. The service is always consistent, friendly helpful, etc.. The place itself is just very comfortable. read more

I've been going to Paulie's for a while but I never actually got around to writing a review for here. I actually came here the evening before my half marathon this past weekend to carb load and honestly, it was the best idea! It wasn't too heavy to where I felt greasy or disgusting afterwards, but I was definitely full and barely finished everything. I get the Canestri Alla Funghi every time I come here. A couple of friends introduced this dish to me and ever since I got it, I couldn't get myself to really get any other dish. The sauce is so creamy but light. The grilled bread on the side that comes with it also has a good kind of crispy texture that I like that complimented the pasta really well. I get grilled chicken on top also since this dish doesn't come with meat (it's an extra $4). I got the half portion, and I felt like that was just the perfect amount for me. The pasta itself is also not too soggy or too hard - it's just right! The wait was a bit long when I came in, but honestly, I think it was well-worth the wait. It has a very casual atmosphere, and I think it's a great place to catch up with friends. read more

Paulie's - Canestri alla Funghi! This is ALL I get every time I come here. - Sandwiches Near Me - Houston, Texas

Just get the pasta! Skip the pizza. Canestri alla Funghi - $12 small or $19 regular [Crimini & Shiitake Mushroom, Garlic, Sage & Marsala Cream] add chicken breast for $4 (4oz) or $6 (8oz). This was so worth all the carbs! Very creamy and tasty. The pasta is huge and on steroids so it picks up the sauce well. Even a small was large enough for the both of us. Chicken was cooked well, but the pasta is yummy enough by itself. I'd totally get this again. Della Pizza - $11 [Black Olives, Mushrooms, Red Bells & Cheese] - friend recommended this but we honestly thought it was eh. Reminded me of a Totino's frozen pizza, crunchy yet bready crust that didn't have much flavor. Crust is very thin so not too filling. Very cheesy though. My date and I finished the pasta, ate 5 out of 8 slices, and we were so full! Next time I think we would just share a pasta lol. The latte was good, not too sweet. The raspberry sandwich cookie and the peanut butter cookie dipped in chocolate (our favorite one) were good and pretty big ($3 each). I'd like to try the Key lime pie, canestri & broccoli, or Creste di Gallo. Although it will be hard not to get the Funghi pasta again... Came at 11:15am on a Thursday. it was pretty empty but definitely got full around noon. small parking lot or street parking available. read more

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Clearly this place doesn't need any more people to tell you to order the Canestri Al Funghi but I'll do it anyway. The real reason I wanted to give another 5 star review, though, is because of the incredible, attentive, thorough customer service provided by Thomas! It was a super busy night when we visited with a line wrapped all around the bar but Thomas still took time to sincerely welcome us, answer all of our questions, help us pick a wine, and on and on. This was our first visit to Paulie's and the food alone would certainly bring us back but our experience was made that much better by Thomas! Thank you! read more

In town and wanted to grab a quick lunch to take home with me. Yelp let me know Paulie's was nearby and I decided to give its takeout a try. I ordered a large Canestri alla funghi and it was huge. Enough for four people. Should've gone with the small. The dish was rich with a creamy Marsala sauce and tons of mushrooms. I would have liked a little salt to cut through the heavy sauce but that's purely preference. The pasta had a good chew and the meal was still hot after a 40 minute ride. read more

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Excellent service! My girls loved the turkey panini. The house made pasta and chicken piccata were stupid good! Very cool inside...love the brick walls and window views. Chicken Piccata! Great lunch experience! read more