Piola is right next to Jinya, yet somehow I'd never noticed! It's got a completely different vibe from its neighbor. The lighting is better, crowd quieter (9pm on a Sunday night..), no line. We were promptly seated. Wanting something on the lighter side, we tried 2 salad plates (Aristotle + Toscanini) and an appetizer that had eggplant in it.. Everything was delicious and good, and it's just that. The portion size was huge - would recommend sharing (yes I know I just recommended sharing a salad..) if you don't eat that much. I do want to come back and try the other more "traditionally Italian" dishes though, like the pizza and the pasta etc etc. Our waiter told me that they will be removing all items containing seafood off the menu for this upcoming season, as their menu changes seasonally. So a heads up for my fellow seafood lovers ]: read more

With my work schedule I am always looking for places open late, so that I can still grab a nice dinner without having to piss the waitstaff off by forcing them to serve me right before closing time. Well I've been seeing the signs for the opening of this place all the times I've been to the 24 hr fitness in midtown. I was meaning to check it out and then I saw more buzz on yelp about this place and decided I must check it out. My first impression is this place is much smaller than I thought. I had read comparisons to RA sushi meets italian, so I was expecting more space to have a lounge/club atmosphere. Also, with Sushi Raku being next door I was expecting a place comparable in size. Lucky enough I came on a random week night so we were able to be seated. The table arrangements are really tight, you're literally right up on the table next to you. The service was fast since it seems they are actually overstaffed. Had a lot of people just kind of standing around. We tried the salmon pizza and the pollo piola. The salmon pizza was good, a unique twist that I had never seen before and the pollo piola was stuffed chicken with a plate full of mushrooms. Both dishes were good, so why only 3 stars? The price. I expected it since it was midtown and the rent here must be crazy but just because that's the correct pricing doesn't mean I have to accept it. I would imagine if you came on a busier night the wait for a table could be quite ridiculous. Conclusion: has some unique pizzas but expect to pay midtown prices. read more

After reading a fellow Yelpers review on Piola, I immiedately made a reservation for a Friday evening. I was seriously looking forward to trying their pizza's...almost starving myself all week just so I could order more than 1 12" pizza. I took my wife and a buddy and drove out to Midtown. The parking was plentiful for a Friday evening...all I had to do was cross over one street and pizza galore awaited. Only one problem, they lost our reservation. Okay, no problem. We'll just sit outside since there was no wait for an outside table. No harm, no foul. The waiter outside was great...giving us a few recommendations, which we took. We ordered the Moderna pizza and the Firenze...both were great!!! The Firenze was a classic savory pizza while the Moderna was more of a light pizza. The reviews at our table on the Moderna were mixed...I loved it, while the other two wish we had more of the Firenze. We also ordered a salad, the Roka Cabana. Awesome salad! However, you must love arugola. My wife, who does not, did not like the salad. No worries, more for my buddy and I! We also ordered a non-traditional dessert, the Crema Di Papaya, which arrived in a martini glass, shake style. The dessert was good...although not appreciated as much since we were all stuffed. Piola was everything I expected!!! I will definitely be visiting again...and trying everything on the menu!!! read more

Piola - Moderna pizza on a Friday night - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The fact that i've been here 3 times in less than a month, should be a good indication of how AMAZING Piola is. The food here is top notch and points for them never having a wait.. seems like a bit of a low key gem. Interesting art scattered along the walls and the waiters here are all really friendly. Food: So far I've really only tried one pizza, since I loved it the first time I got it, I keep on ordering it. The Como pizza is DELICOUS! Proscuitto with Porcini mushrooms on a lightly sauced, thin crusted pizza. They're baked in a stone oven and are "individual" sized 12" pizzas. I definitely would recommend ordering a few if you're with a group to sample all the yumminess. The Bella Napoli is their baked breaded eggplant with tomato sauce and mozzarella appetizer. HUGE portion, piping hot and also tasty. The Penne Cividale pasta is creamy, decadent and everything I could've ever hoped for in a pasta. Substituted spaghetti noodles for the Penne since I'm not a huge fan and at the suggestion of the waiter, way better. I think the only downside here is the price of the drinks. Their specialty cocktails are WAY overpriced for what you're getting. It's about 4oz. per drink for ~$7.00+ Not worth it in my opinion. read more

Piola - Como pizza - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Piola's happy hour is the best way to kick-off your experience. Monday through Thursday, dine in only: 3-4 pm all pizzas $6.00. 4-5 pm all pizzas $7.00. 5-6 pm all pizzas $8.00. They also have complimentary food if you sit at the bar.. but we opted for a table in the dining area. (They have outdoor seating, as well.) What I liked about Piola's pizza is the crust. It's just how I like it.. thin with a crispy bite. Let's just put it this way, I'll choose New York pizza over Chicago pizza in a heartbeat. Fold and bite. I ordered the Firenze in my best Italian accent: feh-ren-se'. It was definitely savory but I was over it in 2 slices. The Caipirinhas on happy hour were worth a try for only $5. Rambunctious mint and lime flavor and enough rum to get you a little warmth. The happy hour pizza is worth coming back for and the drinks are added bonus. read more

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My sister wanted to try this place and since the place I wanted to eat at had a really long line, I decided to follow her on a whim. As we entered, the hostess greeted us right away and seated us immediately. Score! No wait. We looked over the menu and waited for our waiter. He was nowhere in sight. It took awhile for him to get our order and he kept disappearing. LIPARI- homemade bread sliced and topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and oregano I was expecting a crispy crust, but the bread was too soft. Not only that, but some parts of the bread were burnt! The mozzarella melted on top of the bread, but it wasn't hot..more like luke warm. The flavors were nothing special. It was a flat note in taste. LASAGNA RINA- meat "pasticcio" with bechamel The lasagna was very simple.. No bold flavors present and very cheesy. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth the price. SPAGHETTI ALL'ANTONIA- Rina's meatballs and tomato sauce It was a basic spaghetti and meatball dish. The spaghetti was undercooked and was a bit hard and the meatballs weren't even hot. This dish wasn't seasoned very well because it was bland. Overall, everything tasted very simple, but pricey because of the area. It definitely wasn't worth the try. I wasn't expecting much, but this was below my expectations. If you're looking for bold flavors then this is not the place to go. I noticed other yelpers giving high reviews, but they mostly ordered pizzas. After trying their pasta dishes, I'm even more reluctant to come back to try pizza. For future reference, my sister has lost all her rights to choosing where we eat in the future for all eternity. read more

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Food was so delicious, but the experience was horrible. I placed a order online and I went to pick it up and the host gave me attitude when I walked in and gave me one bag and I asked her if that was it and she said yes, but when I got home there was only half of my order. I came back to get my order and they acted like it was my fault for only getting one bag. Ngl it probably was my fault but it could have been avoided if they just gave me my order correctly. So, overall good food bad experience. read more

Piola is not easy to find for an out of towner. But make the effort. I just had time for a beer and a pizza so I sat at the bar and talked with Paul. Draft beer was cold and refreshing but the pizza was freaking amazing! I ordered the Pompei ... Mozzarella fiore de latte, oregano and spicy salami. I cannot say more than this was absolute perfection. The Neopolitan pizzas are the only way to go. It took only 5 minutes before I was served and I did not leave a crumb. Pizza is a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. This was exceptional. read more

Piola - Cool vibe and even better pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

I always pass by Piola when meeting up my friends at Jinya for ramen. But, I finally decided to stop by to check this place out. We came on a Friday night, and it was surprisingly not that busy. Our waiter was pretty good about telling us the dinner specials of the night and with keeping our water glasses filled. We ordered the Firenze pizza and Penne Cividale. The pizza was nice and crispy. The earthiness of the mushrooms with each bite of our pizza was the best part. As for the penne, the aromatic punches of rosemary and prosciutto were the highlights of this dish. And what's dinner without dessert? So, we ordered the best affogato I've tasted in a while. The last time I said this was probably for the affogato at Cocohodo. At Piola, though, the Lavazza coffee served over the vanilla ice cream was so smooth and aromatic. The combination made for a creamy java symphony. It was so good! Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of our affogato since the presentation was underwhelming. I will have to say that the prices here are quite steep compared to other restaurants that serve the same food. However, the quality of their food partly speaks for their higher price point. Parking is easy in the back garage they share with other businesses, including Jinya. Overall, I will return to try their other dishes. read more

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We had a very good experience at Piola this past weekend. The pizza is Neapolitan style and there are lots of choices to choose from. The four of us got different individual pizzas and each one was excellent. The pizza is cut into 4 slices but is very thin crust so it's not too much food. The reason why I took one star away was due to the drinks. I personally thought they were a little on the small side and tasted a little watered down. We will definitely return the next time we're in Houston. read more

Man we ate next door but decided to have drinks here and may I say. I'm so happy I did! I love the ceviche here it was the best I have ever tried! The flavor was a there and I wanted more after I finished! People here was friendly. I didn't know what kind of place it was at first but it's Italian. And I will come again. No regrets here. Well worth it. read more

Piola - Fancy - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Service was good but food was definitely not worth the price. Everything was pricey and food quality was decent. read more

Piola - Sausage pizza with added pineapple - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Made a reservation here at 6:30 on a Friday and was promptly seated. Highly recommend as place fills up quickly! Papparedelle with Bolognese 5/5 - this pasta was delicious! Very light and cooked perfectly al dente. Profiteroles 4/5 - ice cream inside cream puffs drizzled with chocolate; pastry puff is a bit dry Pizza 4/5 - got the ham and mushroom; nice chewy thin crust but just got a bit soggy Good service! Parking can be a bit tricky. There's valet parking available at the garage entrances on both Stuart and Elgin. There's also parking on levels above but it fills up easily as 24 hr fitness patrons park there also. read more

Piola - Profiteroles - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Gnocchi, Gnocchi and more Gnocchi!!! Be sure to stop by for Gnocchi Day on the 29th of each and every month for all you can eat gnocchi is a variety of different sauces. And if you're there during happy hour... who doesn't love $5 glasses on wine, even a super tuscan. They can be fairly busy some nights, but you can get in and out pretty quickly during lunch time. Great food, great service! read more

They don't sell pizza by the slice so you are committed to a 12' which is the only size offered. The crust is supper thin but not crisp so this is pizza you can fold. Good, quality ingredients. Service was good but there was no one there for lunch on a Friday. read more

Piola - San Daniele w/Basil and goat cheese. Next time I will ask for chopped basil. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

The place is the bomb! Great food, pizza, salad and beer! We will definitely be back...Great job Piola! read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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So the interior is a bit clubby - why do restaurants paint interiors RED? Why does red paint even exist? But the pizza is DELICIOUS. Most of their pizzas are thin crust (and amazing) but they also have thicker Napoletana type crusts if you prefer a slightly thicker crust! And they have TONS of pizza options - including tons of vegetarian choices: Margherita, Moderna, Italia, Quattro Formaggi, Barccio di Ferro, Parma, Piola, Prato, Funghi Misti, Osaka, Houston, Sparta, and Regina Margherita are all vegetarian options! Pizzas are made to order and cooked in a pizza oven - how pizza should be made!!! If you're not into pizza, they have a whole page of non-pizza options on their menu, including appetizers, salads, pastas, and meat entrees. Then they also have desserts, beer, wine, and cocktails! read more

Cute, quiet, and modern little pizza place in the downtown area. If the weather is good, definitely sit outside and enjoy the view! Love the lights and all the decor inside. * Parking garage available in the same perimeter - if you've been to Jinya Ramen Bar, you know there's a free parking garage conveniently next to it. However, I did struggle to find a spot at 6pm since a lot of people where trying to park for 24 Hour Fitness so have a little patience. *Staff/Service I was nicely greeted by a male host and the lady which turned out to be our waitress. She let us take our time and warmly took our order. Definitely exceptional service. *Food I appreciated the originality and the fresh taste of our pizza!! Ask for Parmesan after it is served and it'll taste even better. Super thin crust, a bit hard to grab because it feels like it's gonna bend and break, yet the taste is exquisite. *Drink A bit dissapointed on my drink. I like my drinks to be proportionately fruity/strong. I ordered the Red Fruits Caipiruska. It looked delicious, yet I felt I took a sip of rubbing alcohol with floating pieces of strawberry. I probably took 3 sips and just drank water because I felt like someone was putting rubbing alcohol through my nostrils/esophagus. Seriously. Regardless, check their pizza out. read more

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I love this place...all of their pizzas are amazing and taste like that actual pizza you get in italy....Also, if you are looking for a low carb meal they have amazing ceviche and carpaccio that is kick ass and zero carbs....The place has an awesome euro vibe... read more

Piola - Their Carpaccio is serious and 0 carbs... Yummy - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

I stumbled upon this restaurant when searching Yelp for an italian restaurant in the Houston area. After seeing that this is was an actually restaurant from Italy, I started dreaming about all of the great italian food I had eaten in Rome, Venice, and Florence! What I would give to eat there the flavorful Italian food again. Then I forced myself to remember that I am in Houston and not Italy, and as good as Italian food can be here, it won't be the same. WRONG! I actually loved this place! First, this place is very contemporary designed. Nice lights, clean area, and perfect for a hangout or date night! Staff was amazing and polite. I think we probably told our waiter to come back like 10 times, because we couldn't decide from all the choices. He also suggested his own ideas. Extremely polite and helpful. Now the best part... the food!!!! !!! !! We ordered a shredded chicken and mushroom pizza. It was great, and flavorful. Now it is thin style pizza, so if that's not your style, you might not think it's good enough. I absolutely loved it, and similar to how pizzas were served in Italy. Secondly, we had the Gnocchi Pompei. Tasty, juicy and took my straight back to Italy! The gnocchi is great here. All in all, it might to be the best Italian restaurant for the price in Houston. It's not expensive and they do have lunch specials. Definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

Piola - Pizza with shredded chicken and mushrooms! Gnocchi Pompei in the background - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Sadly, I was a little disappointed with my experience at Piola last night. I use to visit often when they first opened in 2013. I lived across the street, so walking over was a breeze! Last night, a girlfriend and I were in the area and up for some good pizza. Halfway through our meal, we find a bug in her salad. And he wasn't small. That wasn't the worse part - management never came to check on us or apologize. As Iv'e said before, customer service is key! Next time Piola, check on your customers and give a face-to-face apology. read more

They should have a "no meat" option and lower the price. I love this place but I usually always get the pene rosate without the salmon... it's still the same price... $17? For a pasta with no MEAT??? That's just ridiculous. Give us a no meat option and reduce the price a bit... geez. read more

Hands DOWN for the pizza! Recommended by my lovely Italian friend and she said this is the place where she comes when she misses home. It was busy at Sat night but we didn't wait for a long time. The service is good but we didn't ask for the bread though. Had appetizer and two different pizza plus tiramisu. BEST EVER!!!!! read more

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The Margherita pizza was ice cold, raw, and so thin the slices flopped over. Called the restaurant, the man I spoke to didn't even apologize, and he said there was nothing he could do. Horrible experience. read more

Piola - 1. Margherita Pizza: ice cold, raw, & completely falling apart. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

El best carbonara pizza that I've tested... excelente food, very good attention and excellent place. It is not expensive and a good. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We tried their Piola pizza for lunch. It was amazing, the perfect thin-crust, sauce was delicious, and it tasted fresh. The ambience is laid-back. It seems like the perfect spot for pizza and drinks. read more

Probably one of the most European dining experiences I've had in Houston (as close as you can get here...). The interior has a fun, colorful vibe. Outdoor seating faces the fairly busy Louisiana St, but you should definitely brave the traffic noises if it's nice weather outside! Our server was friendly and helpful, especially when we asked for recommendations. Our food came out surprisingly quickly. The gnocchi, as mentioned in other reviews, is indeed cheesy, pillowy perfection. My sister's Rio de Janeiro pizza did not disappoint, either! Tl;dr delicious food, enthusiastic but not overbearing service, and outdoor seating with a view of colorful apartments across the street! Definitely visiting again. read more

Piola - Cheesy gnocchi, Rio de Janeiro pizza, and Caipiroska! - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not a fan. I've wanted to try this place for a long time and I was disappointed. Pros -location -service Cons Food I was looking for the brick oven pizza and this place did not hit the spot. I ordered pepperoni pizza and a Cesar salad. Salad as overpriced and super basic. Pizza was blah. I will not recommend or return to this place. read more

Piola - So disappointed. ....not worth the time and money - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

We did takeout with UberEats. Pizza was perfect. Italian style so don't expect a 5 lb American pizza loaded with cheese. Nice thin crust, fresh ingredients, and good presentation. Lollo salad was fresh and tasty as well. read more

Great pizza, fun decor, DELICIOUS gnocchi! The 29th of every month is gnocchi day: all you can eat gnocchi + a basket of bread for $14.95 in TEN different sauces--the waiters will come around with bowls of freshly cooked gnocchi and drop off spoonfuls on your plate--which is all you need if you're going to eat all ten varieties. I'm a vegetarian and passed on the sauces that included chicken, pancetta, etc. and still left completely stuffed. Heaven in my mouth. There's a large selection of thin crust pizzas and a smaller selection of thick crust. Although I love both, the thick crust has a slight edge for me. I just adore the thick, puffy crust on the Regina Margherita. The thin crust Napoli (anchovies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil) and Parma (eggplant and parmesan) were on the salty side, but still delicious! The Toscanini salad is also worth mentioning--it comes heaped with smoked salmon, hard-boiled egg, brie, tuna, arugula, olives, walnuts, and shrimp! The dressing was eh but everything else pretty much made for the best salad ever. I keep meaning to take advantage of their Ladies Night on Tuesdays ($3 wine) but haven't yet. Seems like they have some good happy hour specials. Only better pizza I've found in Houston is at Pizaro's, and the atmosphere here is way nicer. It's a cute place for a date or dinner with friends. Will be back soon! read more

Every time I'be come here, I've had the gnocchi. Once with red cream sauce, once with the four cheese sauce, and once on gnocchi night. This isn't my favorite gnocchi I've had, because, in my opinion, gnocchi that is pan-toasted so it is crispy on the outside and fluffy/chewy on the inside is the BEST. However, Piola's is also pretty good. What I like about it is that it's pretty bland (similarly to how tofu is bland and takes on the flavor of whatever it is in) in a good way so it really makes the sauces shine. I wouldn't get the four cheese sauce again because it wasn't that unique/exciting to me but I would definitely return for gnocchi night (this event is pretty packed, btw). From my pictures, you'll see that the sauces I had were: chicken and broccoli cream sauce, tomato cream sauce, tomato sauce, cream sauce with pancetta and mushroom, creamy pesto sauce, cream sauce with bacon and tomato, and four cheese sauce. I passed on the spicy tomato sauce and the tomato meat sauce because they seemed too similar to the plain tomato sauce. My favorite was the cream sauce with bacon and tomato (very similar to carbonara sauce), so next time I go to Piola's I will ask for that one even if it's not on gnocchi night. The service was good too...nothing exceptional but the staff was nice and respectful and not overbearing. I can't think of anything I wish they would've done better. read more

Piola - Gnocchi with tomato cream sauce - not on the menu but made if requested - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place was gross. My boyfriend & I went here on a date & we both hated it. The pizza was so bland.. I got a vegetable pizza & the veggies were uncooked and super crunchy I had to pour salt on the pizza to get some better flavor. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

I love this place! I've been coming here for the past two years and their food is ALWAYS good! Typically I order the same pizza (The Honolulu) and I've never been disappointed. Recently I've branched out and started trying their pastas which are just as delicious as their pizzas. To be honest, I thought Paulie's was good but I must say Piola is definitely giving them a run for their money. I highly recommend this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. As an FYI, here's what I've had so far and would recommend: - The Honolulu - Spaghetti All'Antonia - Fusilli Bianco Verde And to add a little on the atmosphere - if you're looking for a chill, clean, (some places aren't) laid back place with the option to sit outside then this may be your place. read more

Best pizza in town, bar none. Then again, I'm biased because I love calzones and quite frankly very few places know how to make these property. Ham, mushroom and mozarella with sweet tomato sauce in top. As you bite in your get a salty hit of the cheese, mixed in with juices from the ham and mushroom that make my tastebuds sing. I start and the edges and save the 'filet' in the middle for the end. I must have visited piola dozens of time and ever get tired of this feast. read more

Absolutely my favorite Pizza Napoletana in town! Beautiful, thin crispy crust. Mind you, it's traditional Napoletana so not a American large. Order a few to share. ;). Pasta Bolognese is awesome. Salads are nothing to write home about but what do you expect?! read more

I love this place. I have been going there forever and I don't know why I never took the time to let everybody know! The 29th are great days to eat gnocchi until you cannot breath anymore... The pizza is amazing. I love the decor. It is open late, so it is a great option for those who go to sleep late... read more

Just like many other Yelpers, I'm a pizza advocate and I take pizza very seriously. I really do have an appreciation for all of the smaller pizza places in Houston so writing this review kind of makes me feel like a sell out. I LOVE PIOLA. Always have and always will. Neapolitan style pizza is always a go to for me because I love the cracker thin crust and the non overwhelming but perfect balance of flavors. I came with a friend the other day and ordered the Quattro Formaggi. My friend had a classic pepperoni and we each had a glass of wine. We were not disappointed at all and will definitely continue coming back. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

It's an okay Italian place -- if you're looking for something unique and hip, with good Italian food then this is the place to go! But if you're looking for something truly authentic and something mindblowing, maybe this isn't the place to go so much. I've only been here twice, and I've gotten the pasta and pizza both times I've been here. OVerall, the food and the service were both good, but nothing spectacular. It's in midtown right next to Jinya. There is plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors with some interesting bright color choices. I think there is so much on the menu that it can overwhelm you, so I just always stick with simple and classic whenever I come by here. Overall, it's not my first choice in Italian palce, but it will satisfy an Italian craving for a decent price! read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

We came in on a busy Saturday night, but the staff was exceptionally helpful and put together a few tables for us to be seated immediately outside even if our group of 8 had to squeeze into a space meant for 6. The best part about the experience was the service. The food came out so quickly, and everything was delicious. For starters, we got the Caprese and Aristotele salad. Both of these were fresh and tasty. For the pizzas, we got the Margherita, Funghi Misti, Houston, and Ortomisto. Every single one of these pizzas was flavorful and the thin crust had a perfect crisp when bitten into. As a mushroom lover, my favorite would have to be the Funghi with the Ortomisto coming in as a close second. I cannot express how pleased my family and I were with the number and quality of the vegetarian options. Although the food was pricey for the quantity and size, I would like to come back and try some of the pastas as well! read more

Delicious pizza and dessert pizza, my goodness. They even have mango Bellinis, which I didn't even know existed, and now I love them. The food and service are so good here. I am definitely going back. read more

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