After a business meeting, a group of us went to Perbacco on a whim. What an amazing choice for dinner that evening. Our server, Russell, was gracious, thoroughly engaging, and a real testament to the quality of service and the food that we eat that evening he recommended an amazing red wine that went perfectly with the mushroom ravioli. Everything about that meal was memorable and can't wait to go back. read more

Had a team lunch at Perbacco and my biggest piece of advice is: get there early. We arrived right around 11:30/11:40 and the wait for food was still stupid long. Our party size might have been a factor, it was about 6 of us. The restaurant is small as hell, but the large windows keep it feeling bright and open instead of cramped. Lunch came with what felt like a toy side salad, which gave me a little chuckle. Our table ordered a variety of dishes, and nobody walked away feeling like it was the best. The food was fine just standard Italian. Nothing that made me want to write home about it, but I also wouldn't say it's a place to avoid. Overall, it was a decent lunch spot, but I probably wouldn't return unless my company is paying again lol. read more

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I was determined to try this place. Walking by, everyone seems to be enjoying their lunch. I talked some people from the office into joining me for lunch here, party of 6 on Wednesday at noon. We waited about 5 mins for the staff to prepare our table. The restaurant was more intimate than how it appears from outside so plan ahead for bigger parties. It was packed a few minutes after we got seated. I ordered one of their specials of the day after the server explain that it was a creamy risotto with shrimp, peas and carrots. We received a side salad and basket of hot bread prior to our main entree. The bread (baguette) was so soft. Took about 10 mins for our entrees to arrive after ordering. The risotto arrived with a bunch of veggies cooked into it. Not wanting to cause further delay with getting through lunch, I started picking out the veggies - non veggie lover here. The server noticed, came by and apologized, offered to make me another one fast. He took away my plate even though I kept indicating it was ok. 6 minutes later, I got completely different risotto with a tomato cream base and it was delicious! Service here was great, our iced teas were constantly refilled. Staff was quick with removing used plates and offering to go boxes. I can't wait to come back and try some other items on the menu. read more

Perbacco - Today's specials - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I pass this often when walking downtown and had never tried it. Went there for lunch with a coworker and enjoyed it. It is a small intimate space situated on the corner so if you're lucky to get a window seat, great people watching. They have a small lunch specials menu and then the regular menu that has smaller portions. I ordered one of the specials of the day capellini piccata with shrimp. It was seasoned perfectly and just the right portion size. It came with a small side salad and you get bread for the table. I will add this to my lunchtime rotation. read more

Perbacco - Shrimp piccata - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Busy and a little loud at the weekday lunchtime hour, but the food makes up for everything. I tried the lasagna and it was the most fabulous lasagna I've ever tasted. My friend had the chicken fettuccine alfredo and raved about it as well. The complementary bread was warm and delicious. The service was quick and friendly. You absolutely must try this place! read more

Good convenient lunch spot. The Cesar salad dressing is delicious and so is the tiramisu..

Such a fun little spot for some delicious Italian food. They're super friendly and attentive. Everyone at the table loved their meals. read more

Perbacco - Sign - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Italian owned Italian restaurant in downtown. The seafood dishes we had all exceeded expectations, the pasta was al dente as it should be, and both the special of the day and the ravioli ai frutti di mare were great. Ambiance is casual, especially at lunchtime when we went. The only reason I thought of giving 4 starts rather than 5 was because the service was a bit hit or miss. I asked for some vinegar and it took very long for them to come back and tell me they didn't have any regular white wine vinegar, which is odd since it's a staple in any Italian kitchen (I'm Italian) but other than that one instance the service was pretty good and attentive. If possible it would be a 4.5 Value is great, with a lunch for two totaling under $80 read more

Had made reservations here for dinner before going to Jones Hall. Table was ready upon our arrival, even though we were a few minutes late. Though the restaurant is comparatively small it was not loud at all, which is a blessing in Houston. Food was excellent. Staff were very dedicated and sincere about wanting to ensure our dining experience was satisfactory. read more

Nice working lunch. Ambiance: small loud space, people having work lunches or downtown lunches with friends or lunch meeting. Service: quick, exact, nothing fancy but take care of you and get whatever you need. Food: very good. One of the best lasagna's in town. The bread is quite tasty too. Recommend for a downtown lunch anytime, but get in early or you're waiting for a hot minute read more

Okay Ambiance is on point - very local, hole in the wall feeling. My salad was adorned with a marinated carrot salad. The salad was prepared into bite sized pieces and was a perfect lunch portion. I ordered the lasagna and was not disappointed. My friend and I were in/out in 45 minutes including extra at end to chat. Almost too fast of service for a sit down meal. Nearly took the same amount of time to walk there from where I parked. I parked at walker@main garage - $20 fee included easy access to everything subterranean in the tunnels. Really, a great day. read more

Perbacco - Finger is where parking is. Star is the restaurant. Map is of the tunnels and how to find restaurant. - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great selection with everything I've ordered being very good. Service was excellent with very caring servers Walking distance from the Hobby theatre which is very convenient Cute seating with views of downtown read more

First time coming here after walking by it multiple times seeing it packed. It's a small hole on the wall place, but it's definitely worth a stop if you have time and can get there a little early as it gets filled fast. I got the lasagna, and it was good. It was a little more spicy than I expected, but it was pleasant and had interesting flavors. Overall, decent food and will hopefully come back for more to try different dishes there. read more

Perbacco - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I really enjoy visiting place for lunch. I work downtown, and this is one of the few places I don't mind walking several blocks to get to, weather permitting. I was shocked to learn that Perbacco has been around at least 30 years and I just happened to find it on Yelp recently. Once a week, I walk downtown and find a nice place for lunch. I enjoy the exercise, I don't always like driving somewhere, and I love to explore. I was searching for Italian, lo and behold Perbacco popped up. Decided to give it a try. I've been a regular ever since. Well..unless it's sweltering hot. I really miss Perbacco during the summer but I'm right back over there soon as the weather cools down. This diminutive spot is downtown and near the Bank of America building that houses Understory. Signage is no fuss, as you can see in the picture. I almost missed the building on my first visit. But man, the inside is awesome. I try to arrive between 11am and 1130am because the place fills up quickly. I have seen folks arrive at 12 noon, only to be disappointed to see all the tables were occupied. Anyway, on to the food. My usual is the Linguine Alle Vongole, which is just linguine and clams. Simple dish with great flavor. On my most recent visit, I decided to try out something different...Penne Alla Bacco with shrimp. Awesomeness! I love that they took care not to drench the plate in red sauce, I was able to enjoy all the diverse flavors of the dish. The shrimp were obviously fresh and they had a nice flavor. Based on my visits, I can tell this place is authentic Italian. Pasta dishes are great and I don't feel weighed down afterwards, sometimes pasta has that affect on me, but not the case here. Authentic Italian with great customer service...looking forward to my next visit! read more

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The place itself is small, intimate and cute. The food, however, was basic, bland and underwhelming unfortunately. We went on a Friday night, before a show in downtown, and everything we ordered-from apps to main course-was overcooked and under seasoned. The wine was good, but other than that, I have no desire to go back again. read more

A hidden gem downtown near the theater district ! Don't let construction around the building steer you away, THIS is real Italian cooking from a family owned business. Everything was fresh, scrumptious, and priced right. First - you're greeted at the door by the host... often the Owner himself. (Make a reservation for dinner because it's a small restaurant and it gets busy). He will take you to your table and make sure you're all set with menus and drink orders. The food- OMG the food! Classic family recipes made from fresh ingredients are apparent. We shared a great bottle of wine followed by melt in your mouth lasagna and ended with a smooth cappuccino. Highly recommend this hidden gem for your downtown lunch or dinner. read more

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Great restaurant in theater district with wonderful food and attentive staff! It has a warm and welcoming ambiance and highly recommend!

My husband and I went to Perbacco for dinner before the theater. We both loved our meals. Truly delicious. Great service.

Stopped by this place and grabbed spaghetti and meatballs for my 3 year old. The meal came with side of Parmesan cheese. Got back to the car, gave the kid her meal, She poured most of the cheese on her meal and started eating. I looked down at her after a few minutes later and noticed mold all over in the container with cheese. Went back to the store to complain. The front staff employee apologized. The manger offered to give refund which I did not accept. They remade the meal which we did not touch. I told the manager my 3 year old ate the meal and that I will most likely call inspection on them. His daughter or someone maybe related said super casually your going to hurt us for small mistake. Zero concerns. Full of attitude and disrespect. As part of the "new meal" they did go over what they had in the front but did not pick the already pre packaged Parmesan cheese.I don't even want to start imagining how the back room food is handled. read more

Perbacco - Mold all over the cheese - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

First time trying Perbacco, as friends made reservations before we all went to Hobby Center. I found the bread so plain not the kind of bread I typically get in a good Italian restaurant. The dinner salad that came with the meal was meh and that's saying a lot...not the freshest looking and nothing special. My chicken entree was ample but basically flavorless. No one at my table raved or commented on their meal...clearly we all did not experience a delicious meal like you would in most Italian restaurants. While I appreciate the family owned business, I don't care for bland unexciting food. Even the tiramisu slice we shared was just okay. I personally prefer the tiramisu at Whole Foods in their bakery department. read more

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Excellent experience. Delicious food, great service. Our daughter has been here a couple times before the ballet and asked us to go here for her birthday. It was wonderful! It's a nice atmosphere with a relaxed vibe. People tended to dress up but others were in jeans and nice shirts/shoes. The servers were very nice and the owner made sure to address every table. We had 7 at our table and everyone was very happy with everything. read more

Perbacco - Tortolona special - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Had a great time at Perbacco! The staff was so friendly and welcoming, and the prices were very affordable for the portions. The ambiance was lovely and clean! read more

We must have had good karma this past few days to come across Perbacco in Houston. Totally accidental - my wife and I were looking for a restaurant for dinner - no plans and no reservation. Perbacco caught our eye because it's one of our favorite restaurant in SF. So we decided to do something familiar by choosing Perbacco. As it turn out - Perbacco in Houston is not connected at all to the SF namesake. Nevertheless, I can say they are both top notch and I would highly recommend. Perbacco Houston is however super special - it's not a franchise, family owned and the owners (husband/wife team) are one of the nicest people around - they were so accommodating (they let us dine in despite the fact they were booked solid) and genuinely care about the food they serve and their customers! They even prepared special dish for us that is not even in the menu. For me food taste even better than they already are become of the people and the service. This is when you have an a truly memorable dining experience! To the owners of Perbacco - thank you for making our first dinner in Houston - epic! read more

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It is pretty crowded during lunch hours. It took about 10 minutes to get a table. Linguini Frutti Di Mare tastes good. Like the glass windows which can see the street read more

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I've been coming here for more than 20 years and it's been consistently outstanding. I usually get the salmon with vegetables. It's always fresh and perfect perfectly prepared. Occasionally I'll get the pastas which are also wonderful. Italian food this authentic in Houston is really hard to find. So this place is special. read more

Found this place online when researching Italian food in houston. All the dishes come with a salad and they bring out fresh bread. Only complaint about the bread was wish it was warmer. I got the angel hair with tomatoes, olive oil and spinach. It was very tasty and delightful. I barely had time to take a pic before finishing. The person with me got the gnocchi the gnocchi part was good but the sauce had a funny taste too it. Not one of their good dishes. We also got the tiramsu for dessert which was made in house. That was also good as well. I would recommend making a reservation as it's a small place. read more

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This was just an OK place to grab a meal. The salad didn't thrill me it wasn't anything special and honestly bag of salad from the grocery store I would've probably been better. The pasta dish I got it was pretty good but it was still just average - with all these five star reviews I was expecting it to be amazing and blow me out of the water which it just didn't. My waitress also acted like she had much better things to do than her job. Overall it was just meh. read more

Perbacco - Canelloni - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Came here a couple of weeks ago before a show at The Alley. Wonderful place, delicious food and wine. Owner stopped by and we had a pleasant conversation. We will be back. read more

Delicious food, great service and awesome prices. The food is not heavy and the restaurant is very welcoming. read more

Wow what a great experience. Normally when you go out for dinner the experience is pretty impersonal, but not here. Russell made the experience such a wonderful night, and the food is top notch. Russell you rock! we are definitely coming back read more

Absolutely an awesome meal. Everything was delicious with great service and atmosphere. Easy walk to Jones Hall! read more

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I am so torn about this review, so I've gone with 3-stars. The truth is this restaurant is a solid 4.5 star on the food and ambiance side. However, our experience with our hostess was 1 star - and that's being generous. I know that everyone has a bad evening. And I understand special event weekends can make for bad evenings. However, if you open at 5 and have a full restaurant booking for 6 pm, either DON'T open at 5 or willingly open and tell everyone tables must be clear by 6. Don't open at 5, grouse at individuals who come in at 5 - without a reservation but that shouldn't matter since all tables are open - then complain loudly about patrons "lying" about overstaying their tables. For the record, we sat, ordered, ate and were out by 5:40. Well within the "table must be free at 6" as promised. Our friends who arrived 2 minutes after us, who we had seats for, were turned away at the door by the hostess. Strangely, a table of 4 - without a reservation - were seated at 5:35 and invited to order. It was bizarre. And I say all of this very mournfully because truly the food was delicious. Hot crispy bread, a garlic infused olive oil dipping sauce, perfectly cooked penne with fresh tomato sauce - it was everything you could hope for in an Italian meal. I didn't even feel horribly rushed eating, because we just wanted a simple meal and knew what we were ordering when we walked in. Unfortunately for many in the restaurant that evening, the primarily impression (and source of low-voiced table talk) was the attitude of the hostess. I hope this can be addressed because for out-of-towners, it set a perception that won't be easily overcome. read more

Perbacco - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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First time here was with a group of 5. We all loved our meals and the customer service was great. This is our new hidden gym. I recommend!

Perbacco and all their staff are absolutely wonderful. The pandemic and derecho were tough on them and they got through it with style. We go for dinner frequently during the arts season. The wine selection is lovely and affordable. The menu is varied, and there are always specials, plus they'll cook just about anything you'd like with product on hand. Portions are generous but not excessive. Owners and staff are accessible and very hospitable. All our experience is very good and 99% of the time it's absolutely excellent. Perbacco is our go-to stop at 5 o'clock before Friday and Saturday arts events at Jones Hall and Wortham Theater. read more

Excellent food and top notch service in the heart of downtown Houston. The Italian selections in food and wine are the best. Warning - get a reservation for dinner if you are counting on going here prior to a show or concert. read more

Best dessert!! The server (owner?) Forgot my wine and he was so apologetic. The clam pasta was SO good. Parking in downtown always sucks but I would definitely come here again! read more

Perbacco - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Located in the heart of downtown, Perbacco is a quaint corner restaurant next to our offices serving Italian cuisine. Only ever been here for lunch and it's within walking distance. If you're driving, be prepared for parking garages or surface lots here as street parking is tricky. The food here is honestly pretty average; we've tried a few dishes here and the quality and execution falls a little bit short of some of the better known/ higher end Italian spots in Houston. It's still comparable to the fast casual spots opening up with full service. read more

The real deal - amazing pasta. Great find in downtown Houston. Good for dinner on a show night in the theater district. Great for a nicer lunch for the working crowd downtown. read more

If you are wanting to try this place, don't- it was absolutely disgusting! My fiancé and I were visiting Houston and decided to give it a try which was a terrible decision. Not only were we the only black people, but we were treated as such. No greeting, no selling of the specials/wine- just what do we want? Then when asking about items on the menu, they kept mentioning prices. Seriously?! Who does that?! On to the nasty food- we ordered lasagna and it came out looking like soup and was bland beyond belief. When I complained they took the dishes away and offered us chicken Alfredo. I'm still confused by this when my fiancé was originally inquiring about fish. Besides that why would I trust you to properly cook chicken if you can't make pasta? Anyway I decided to try it without chicken as I'm pregnant and starving at this point- and it literally had no taste at all. A jar of Alfredo sauce from the store has more flavor. Will never go back! read more

I love this place. It's super fast and super delicious. It's perfect for a quick lunch but you can also get a spot near the window for a more relaxing longer stay because it is a bustling spot. read more

Perbacco - Vongole + Peene Della Casa - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas