Pizzini&#x27;s

(146 reviews)

11.3 mi

Magdalena's Trattoria was an absolute standout. The food was beautifully prepared, thoughtfully…read moreexecuted, and full of the kind of flavor that makes you slow down and appreciate every bite. Each dish felt intentional--comforting, elevated, and made with genuine care. The ambiance was warm, inviting, and effortlessly elegant--perfect for a relaxed but elevated dining experience with friends or a significant other. The service was equally impressive: warm, polished, attentive, and never overbearing. And Chef Nicolas, was a true delight--almost as sweet as the ice cream, which is saying a lot because that dessert was dangerously good! A wonderful Houston dining experience from start to finish. Magdalena's Trattoria is absolutely worth a visit--and a return visit.

This hidden gem in the West University area is fast becoming the top Italian restaurant in Houston!…read moreThe renowned Chef, Nicholas, who is using his mothers recipes, past down thru generations, hint the name of the restaurant is his Mothers name. Magdalena. Everything is home made down to the olive oil.. The bread, the pizzas, the salads, the pastas. Amazing. Delicious. Extensive wine list, nice quiet inside you can actually hear yourself talk. Great ambiance. 1st class service. Can't wait to go back.

Cheese tortellini in garlic butter sauce was delish! Such a perfect meal.

Center bar area

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Every table at Magdalena's is set with care. Warm booths, candlelight, and fresh flowers perfect for date night or a special dinner.

Mimo

(110 reviews)

5.7 mi

The restaurant has old school New Jersey Italian vibes - low ceiling, a little moody ambiance - but…read morenone of the attitude. The staff is super friendly, and we were welcomed as we were (we had hoped to eat at a sister establishment but they sold out of what we wanted). Mimo's offers a great selection of Italian inspired apps, three well appointed pizzas, a few varied and surprising options for pasta dishes, and some mains. Items we tried: Pane - delicious Roasted Carrot Pizza - AMAZING, A little spicy, but definitely something we would order again. Pastas we ordered initially came out cold - our incredible waiter immediately corrected the issue. But from a flavor profile - Pansotti - sooooo delicious. You'd never guess that it was a vegetarian option - the mushrooms were so meaty. The delicate pouches with the spinach and ricotta were heavenly. Pappardelle - The lamb braised sauce had a depth of flavor that could rival any restaurant in Italy. My only tiny hope was that the pasta would have been served aldente, it was a little overcooked. But to each his own. Overall - really great. Would recommend. This would be great for a weeknight dinner or an off the beaten path date night.

Here's your proofread review:…read more Arrived around 7:30 PM on a Saturday night. It wasn't too packed. We chose patio seating, which was nice because the interior is quite dim -- although I now have 7 mosquito bites. I overall thought the food was good but nothing was stellar. We ordered the house salad and Capicola, which was a mistake because flavor-wise they were nearly identical, the main difference being that the Capicola had meat. Both salads were well done and had a nice balance of flavor and freshness. I really enjoyed the fish -- lightly salted, nutty, and crispy -- but I added the lemon it came with, which made it bitter. The rigatoni was creamy and cheesy. It was a solid pasta, nothing out of the ordinary but still enjoyable. Mimo is the type of place I would visit if I lived nearby.

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Mia Bella Trattoria

Thank you Mia Bella for the amazing food and service. I genuinely felt at home for my birthday…read moredinner here recently. Every dish was amazing from the appetizer sampler, fish, chicken all the protein options. We really enjoyed the burger, calamari, Brussels sprouts and seafood lasagna. The portions are done so beautifully and very generous. Thank you and thank our server Willie for making my birthday so special. The whole team worked very hard. It's so appreciated!

Food: Margherita Pizza (7.5/10) - Thin crust pizza, fresh…read moretasting dough & ingredients. Could have a little more cheese. Came out quick. The fresh red pepper offered at the table really kicked the flavor up a notch. Beet salad (8/10)- nice presentation. Red beets tasted really fresh & clean (not earthy) and the beets were thick enough to actually taste them! Balsamic dressing is very tasty. The fried cheese, tomatoes & candied pecans are a great complement to the beets and greens. Add the fresh cracked black pepper offered by the server. Seafood lasagna (8/10) - the seafood is not lacking! Its very seafood-forward. Salmon, shrimp, clams. You definitely know you are eating seafood. The cheese/seafood/pasta/sauce ratio is spot on, well balanced. It felt more like a seafood dish than a lasagna/pasta dish. My only complaint (and it's not really a negative) is I was in the mood for lasagna & after eating this dish, although it was very good, I still had a hankering for lasagna. Other: - Service in general was good. It was a slow day during my Sunday afternoon visit. - Bathrooms were well kept & had cool big mirrors in the hallway upon exiting the bathroom. - Parking in the attached garage is free. I would return again.

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Il Bracco

This is a fantastic restaurant that offers a wide variety of cuisines in addition to an extensive…read morewine menu. The immense open kitchen is extremely clean. The ambiance offers a comfortable and inviting atmosphere that makes for a fun and relaxing dining experience. Even with a crowd the noise level is not distracting or overbearing. Senia took extremely good care of us by providing an endearing upbeat demeanor. She was extremely attentive while expressing extensive knowledge of the restaurant. Overall I was extremely impressed and look forward to exploring their menu further.

Amazing food. Perfect service Loved everything…read more I want to go back and try all the dishes:)

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Impero Italiano

Amazing pasta and Pizza! Server are friendly. The fettuccine is so fantastic. The place is a little…read moresmall but super original, not for the snobs.

Everything was amazing the food the service and all, idk what yall are on about but the seats and…read moretables were comfortable and the view of how the restaurant looks and everything is so comfortable and warm and the e people were so nice so why don't yall get out of y'all's heads and actually appreciate smth for a change!

Gnocchi salsiccia e funghi

Broken Cannolo

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North Italia

I'm not often wowed by Italian food in restaurants but North Italia is amazing! I find that a lot…read moreof restaurants don't put enough seasoning. Here everything was hot and fresh and flavorful. First off, get the Zucca chips. I could literally eat a whole basketful. I need to figure out what slicer and oil they use because I can never get mine this thin and crispy. We then Arugula and Avocado salad, which was light and refreshing. Then onto the Cacio e Pepe Arancini. Cacio e Pepe is my favorite pasta, so I was a little disappointed they don't have it on the menu as a dish itself, but the arancini was delicious! For mains, my husband had the salmon. We ordered it medium and it came more well done, however, it was perfectly crispy on the outside and still moist in the center. Very tasty. I had the ricotta cavatelli, which might be the best pasta I've ever had. The shrimp were so plump and fresh. There was plenty of crab throughout. And the flavor had the perfect amount of salt and spice. My husband, who isn't a pasta person loved it too. It's a nice open space and service was friendly. We will definitely return to try more things.

Stopped by for the first time and I thought it was okay. With the open concept, it's pretty loud…read more Parking on the weekday wasn't horrible but I could see it being difficult during busier times. As for what I had: Zucca chips: 3/5 what I received was much different from everyone else's pictures. My chips were much smaller and mostly pieces of chips. Maybe I got the bottom of the batch? The flavor was good, but because they were small and folded in on themselves, they held a lot of the oil. The oil did taste fresh though. Eggplant parm (small plate): 3/5 most cheese and very little eggplant. The flavor was good. My waitress told me it came with noodles but then no noodles came out. I know this place is popular and everyone seems to like it. I would try it one more time just to see if maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but overall I didn't think it was worth the money.

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Tiny Champions

pretty good food with somewhat high prices and very long waits. The parking was terrible.read more

Another 10/10 experience at tiny champs!!…read more Service is always excellent. Love the vibe here because it can be a date night or a casual dinner with friends and the food never misses. I don't know what exactly it is about the braised butter beans but I love them so much. The sweet peppers are such a nice surprise with every bite. The oysters are also fantastic, and I don't usually like raw oysters, but the topping makes them addicting. I've never had a bad pasta here. The agnolotti is such a fun filled pasta, the sweet peas were delicious. The bicoli was perfectly al dente and the guanciale bits were so savory. The salami piccante pizza is a classic and the hot honey just sends it over the top. Big fan of all the cocktails too. The desserts are delish- tried the lemon fennel cake and loved the texture from the sugary crust. The whip was also excellent!

Interior / ig: @joyyeats

Radiator Pasta - $26

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Drinks - just okay

Fabio's Artisan Pasta

I really wanted to like this place. I first tried their pasta when a friend cooked it for me, and…read moreit was great, so I went there myself. I bought lobster ravioli, four-cheese ravioli, and pasta sauce. Lobster ravioli is $2.40 each so I paid $24 for the box. When I opened it to cook, I only found 9 ravioli inside. I wouldn't have written this review if it had been just one missing. Then, when I put the cheese ravioli in boiling water, I found a bug floating in it. Will I go back? I'm not sure. It's such a shame because their ravioli and sauce taste so good.

This is more like a store where you can purchase fresh made pasta of your choice and sauce. I love…read morethe idea and being able to make it at home with fresh ingredients without actually having to make my own at home and no preservatives. With that said, I was unfortunate to have encounter mold in the sauce. Luckily I didn't heat it up. There's no preservatives so it doesn't last as long. They need to have a way to date the containers for each items they make. I just bought it last night and was quite upset when I was making late dinner. As soon as I got home, I kept everything refrigerated. Luckily I didn't mix it in with the pasta so I end up using a different sauce I already had on hand. Pasta are delicious and I would come back, if I'm in the area and planning to cook it within the same day or next. I don't think I can try any of their sauce. My tip to you is to inspect all of your items prior to purchasing. Sauce are hard to look through the containers so I hope they change their ways and just date their food items since everything doesn't have preservatives. Limited parking right in front but didn't see any other customers there. The lady at the register was nice but limited English.

Where the magic begins!

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Aperitivo

It was my first time at Aperitivo and I must say I'm still impressed. I've had some time to sit…read morewith my thoughts/experience so here's the review you've all been waiting for. We arrived on a Friday evening during Happy Hour (HH) around 5:30pm. Maurizio stopped by to introduce himself and let us know that he would ensure we were taken care of. As stated above, it was happy hour during our time there but we ordered from allllll the menus haha! Check out the eats below: -Fried Shrimp -Chicken Parm Sliders -Tuna Tartare -Brussels Sprouts -Aperitivo Sliders -Bottle of Wine + Pizza (x2) ~Pepperoni Pizza ~Chicken Alfredo Pizza Bottles of the Sparkling and Rose - these are the bottles we selected based on their Social Hour menu bottle of wine & pizza deal for 35 dollars! Great deal! The experience was great, there were many waiters and waitresses stopping by the table to check in on us. The food was fresh, flavorful, and piping hot! The views are lovely and the ambiance is a combination of chill, chic, and relaxing. Very vibey and spacious place. The restrooms are really nice as well and they were clean and stocked. Aperitivo is definitely on my list of places to return to, especially for happy hour. It's worth it to check this place out!

We had a reservation for 9:00 PM for an indoor table, but ended up waiting until almost 10:00 PM…read morebefore being seated in the lounge area. We were never asked for our drink order and, for the most part, weren't even acknowledged by any server. The manager did stop by and apologized, offering complimentary shots, which was appreciated, but we still weren't asked what we wanted to drink afterward. Meanwhile, we watched several groups who arrived after us get seated, order, and receive both their drinks and food before anyone came to our table. At that point, it felt like we had simply been forgotten. The atmosphere is nice, but the service really took away from the experience. I understand busy nights happen, but basic communication and acknowledging your guests goes a long way.

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Bellissimo

(85 reviews)

8.9 mi

Food was incredible, I would give them a 10 if I could. Pasta was fresh, sauce perfect, seafood…read morefresh and plentiful. Price is very reasonable for quality of food. We went before the theatre so arrived early so not crowded, but service was perfect. Building is old, but maintained well and very clean and comfortable. The part of town in interesting - independence Heights is starting to gentrify but in transition. I really hope more people will venture out there and keep them going until it is booming like the Heights.

The food was very good, and the service was decent overall. We enjoyed our meal, which is why it's…read moredisappointing that our experience ended the way it did. We ordered the tiramisu for dessert, and nowhere on the menu did it mention that it was served with a slice of kiwi hidden underneath the whipped cream. I'm allergic to kiwi, and because it was completely covered, I didn't realize it was there until after I had already taken a bite. I brought this to our server's attention, not because I was looking for a discount or anything free, but simply because I wanted the staff to be aware so this wouldn't happen to another customer with a food allergy. Instead, the first response I received was asking if I had read the menu, which I had. Unfortunately, the menu never mentioned kiwi being part of the dessert. What really bothered me was overhearing the conversation afterward. Our server spoke with another staff member a few booths away, and I heard comments along the lines of, "Well, he should've mentioned his allergy," and "He should've asked." It felt like the responsibility was being placed entirely on me rather than acknowledging that an undisclosed ingredient had been served. I understand that customers with allergies should communicate them whenever possible, but I also think restaurants have a responsibility to disclose ingredients that aren't typically expected, especially when they're hidden in the presentation. I've had tiramisu many times and have never encountered one served with kiwi tucked beneath whipped cream. Again, the food itself was good, and this review isn't about trying to get compensation. I genuinely wanted to help prevent a similar situation for someone else. Unfortunately, the way my concern was handled left me feeling dismissed and caused me to lose confidence in the restaurant's approach to food allergies.

Bellisimo (inside)

Pollo Alla Bellissimo

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Dining area

Pluckers Wing Bar - Shepherd

So delicious! great service and our server was amazing would definitely come back againread more

We visited from Austin and made it to Houston's first location. We like to visit different…read morelocations. Great service.

My usual seat at the bar

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Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose

Omg happy hour was so great and Nemo was so personable! Would highly recommend the hibiscus and…read moreskinny margs

Justin was our server and was amazing! So attentive and nice! Loved the vibe of the restaurant! All…read morethe employees seemed like family and you could tell they all got along! Food was great! Definitely returning anytime I'm back in town!! No notes, 10 out of 10!!!

Mexican Sugar - beautiful lighting

Machete Margarita

Arepas

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1 review that is not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

dan w.

16 years ago

I saw the reviews and thought I would play it safe and try the highly rated pizza. What a mistake! I ordered a pepperoni,sausage, and olive. I ordered it to go, and I was not too impressed with the aroma of the pizza on the way home. There was a strange smell that I couldn't pin down. You can always tell a great pizza by the way it smells in the box on the way home. It looked ok out of the box, except for some excessive cheese browning around the edges. Well the first bite was terrible. I could tell it was readymade crust, the kind that is processed and precooked and just warmed during the cooking process. The cheese tasted fake, and the sausage looked like hamburger and had no taste and was the culprit of the strange smell I noticed. The pepperoni was too smokey and tasted like summer sausage. The sauce was subpar and tasteless. I have had Pizza Hut (yuck) pizza that tasted better! All I can say is if they make this terrible pizza, I would beware of the other menu items. read more

Pizzini's - italian - Updated July 2026

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I went here tonight Jan 16th, 2026 around 7:30-7:45 PM after reading several reviews that made me…read morecurious. Overall, the food was just okay not terrible, but not anything memorable either. I ordered the fried catfish sandwich with fries and shrimp fried rice. I'm about 98% sure the fish in the sandwich was not catfish. We eat catfish regularly in my household, and this didn't taste or look like it. The fries were fine (crinkle), nothing special, they give you a small amount. The shrimp fried rice was exactly that...shrimp, rice and some veggies. Very basic and pretty bland. They do provide soy sauce packets, but the brand they use honestly tastes like nothing and didn't add any flavor at all. That definitely didn't help. Would I come back? Only if there were no other options around and I just needed something quick to eat . Not horrible, just very basic. Hence the 3 stars.

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It was pretty warm inside when we got there and they had fans blowing, we guess it was supposed to…read moretry and keep customers cool. We were both sweating the entire time, my wife had to breakout her folding fan. It actually felt cooler outside when we left. RELIEF!! They have a long list of beers but they only had two type that evening, Bud Light and Corona . I figured a cold beer would be refreshing...nope! The waitress even brought a frosted mug but at best, the beer was cool. Nowhere near what a cold beer should be. I couldn't finish it. Drank iced water instead. The supreme pizza was flooded with vegetables and hardly any meats. The Trio was also a major disappointment. For the money we paid...definitely not worth it. Got home with the leftover pizza and our son bit into a slice and put the rest back. He had a lot of negative things to say about it. Will we return? Not sure after this visit.

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