I'd like to start this review off by saying we almost didn't come because of the crappy reviews I read here on Yelp. Music too loud, crowded, pizza is too thin....... Listen, those people have never been to Europe (small restaurants with close seating and loud music!), have probably never had real Italian food and don't appreciate the Italian culture. I'm married to a man who is 100% Italian (first generation to be born in America). This place is ITALIAN!!!!! Don't come here if that's not your vibe. Don't give bad reviews due to your lack of understanding- they are AS ADVERTISED. I also read it's not a good place for kids- yes if you think they are going to go run around. But we had two of ours with us and they also loved it! Not a good place for big groups. Alrighty, I feel better now that I've shared that! Let's talk food! Porterhouse Steak, isn't on the menu, a MUST HAVE!!!!!! It's $135 and worth every penny. Could feed 2-3 adults. Probably the best steak I've ever eaten. Ordered medium rare and that's echos it came. Absolute perfection! *This was the only really pricey item on the menu- everything else was decently priced. Margarita Pizza- perfect! Great flavor! Thin crust and delicious! It's the size of a medium pizza. Ravioli- nice portion size and great flavor! Service was great and we LOVED the loud Italian music and celebrations for a birthday and the fire cheese dish. From an Italian family- it's worth a visit. read more

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Stella has been on my radar for quite some time but for whatever reason I have never pulled the trigger on a visit. This past week, I think it was on Fort Worth Foodies on FB , a post read "Where can I find octopus carpaccio?" "Hahaha", I thought. Cat's trolling us. "Octopus carpaccio". Hilarious. Before calling him or her out it occurred to me as I don't get out much I better make sure, so I Googled octopus carpaccio. Au contraire. Mea culpa. It's a thing! A thing I knew I had to try as soon as I could find it. I Yelped Italian restaurants in FTW and found two that serve it. Only one of the two at lunch, which is when we eat, Stella in Southlake. So we went today. Stella is a very attractive, very welcoming trattoria. Very cool open kitchen bar along one side. Prompt, attentive service and lovely cloth napkins at lunch. As for the octopus carpaccio? Wowzer! Buonissimo! Stella's rendering of the dish is beautiful and delicious. It is topped with savory, mild pink peppercorns; peppery arugula and EVOO. This super thinly sliced, tender, melt in your mouth polipo is just so good. We followed that with the beet salad. The organic red and gold beets are a feast for the eyes. They are likewise super thinly sliced, topped with dollops of creamy goat cheese, finely minced pistachios and EVOO. A show-stopper presentation and again absolutely delicious. These shared dishes were accompanied by a bottle of crisp Italian Pinot Grigio making for a perfect light Friday luncheon. I'm seeing frequent lunch visits to Stella in our future. read more

Stella Ristorante - Octopus carpaccio - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

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Ambiance 10/10 Service 10/10 Food 4/10 Dessert was pretty but not so tasty, they should have done a better cream than canned whipping cream. I ordered pappardelle and the sauce overpowered the entire meal. The pizza was burned on the edges and soggy in the middle, great location. Seating outside was so disgusting dirty I had to seat on the napkin. Won't be back. read more

Stella Ristorante - Pavlova - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

authentic, delicious Italian food. patio is lovely. Great date night. The Quattro (four) pizza is TASTY! Just know that the four toppings are in separate sections. read more

brunch at Stella. one guest ordered a medium cooked Stella burger and it came out well done and heavily salted. It was in edible. second guest ordered an omelet with prosciutto and vegetable. the prosciutto was served as a lump of meat. not chopped up. it was difficult to eat the omelet and what few vegetables were included were chopped so finely it was hardly worth the effort. the manager credited back 1/2 of the burger. maybe they have a pet to give the other half to. not returning for sure. read more

Stella is STELLAR! I am visiting from out of town (never been to TX) before, and I was looking forward to enjoying some Texas BBQ. But, we opted for Italian this time around. I am not kidding... so happy we came here. If you have the chance, please come in and order the penne vodka. It was amazing!!!! Also - Detrick's service made our lunch experience even better. read more

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We had a reservation for four, yet the hostess tried to seat us at two tiny round tables right in front of the entrance. I requested the corner round table with the half‑booth near the wine cellar. The hostess first claimed it was reserved for a 7 pm party. I pointed out that we also had a reservation--an hour earlier than the other reservation. She then changed the reason, saying the table was "only for five people." We ended up stuck by the doorway in an extremely crowded spot where our chairs were pressed against the chairs of another table. There was barely any room for anyone to pass. The most frustrating part was seeing that the corner table we originally asked for was eventually given to a couple--just two people, not five. We were completely dumbfounded. Would a skilled and friendly hostess try to improve traffic flow by seating guests in the corner rather than placing them directly in front of the doorway? The food tasted good and flavorful, but the portions were definitely on the smaller side. read more

We dropped in here during March 2025 for a drink or two, just having had lunch elsewhere. The bar service was great - efficient and friendly. We looked at their quite hefty list of Happy Hour specials and knew we would have to be back for that. The food coming out of the kitchen looked great - we saw pizza, pasta, salads, and some beautiful charcuterie boards as well as a beautiful veal chop. We will definitely come back for HH and some food next time. I see there are some bad reviews about this place because of its size and cramped feeling. Well, if you have ever been to Italy, then you would think that the layout makes it even more authentic. Impressive. read more

Stella Ristorante - Cheers! - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

I'd say our experience here is okay. My daughter has celiac disease so she has to eat completely gluten free so I will say that I really appreciated that they were not only able to accommodate but our server was very knowledgeable on what was safe for her and anything she was unsure of she went and asked. First off, do NOT bring children here. We came here to celebrate my daughter's 8th bday and the music is so loud and with inappropriate language. And every time someone orders the pasta in the Parmesan wheel or is celebrating a bday they turn up the music so loud and you cannot hear anything. This really ruined the entire experience. We started with the charcuterie board which was good but all the cheeses were very sharp, it could've used something milder. We also got the caprese salad which was good, I loved the addition of the avocado (both apps were gluten free). For entrees we got the gluten free vodka pasta with chicken which was very good. We also got a gluten free margarita pizza which was disappointing as the crust was dry and thick. And then we got a special which was the steak florentine. We ordered it medium rare but it definitely came out more on the rare side and half of it was way over salted. We didn't send it back since it was such a huge dish it felt like that would've been an inconvenience. But wish we had because when we got the bill we saw that it was $135. For dessert we got the pavlova (gluten free) which was very good and the chocolate cake (gluten free) which was good but very rich and really should've been accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. All in all, we definitely wouldn't come back with kids, but even if it was just adults I don't think we'd be back. read more

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LOOOOOOOVE . Best pizza ever- the owner is from Positano . She is a delight and we speak about the Coast !!!! The singing beyond amazing .

Wow! The Parmesan cheese wheel experience was unbelievable! And the pasta dish with light cream sauce, parmigiana, and fresh cracked pepper was exceptional! We added grilled chicken to get some protein. Our grand nephews are 2 1/2 and love the music. It was a little loud, but it's a celebration of food! The Caesar chicken scaloppine sandwich was great too with a side of fries! It has an outdoor small patio too. Try it you'll like it! read more

Stella Ristorante - Chicken scaloppine Italian Chicken Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

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Excellent Italian food! First time for lunch and was very impressed! Octopus carpaccio was Excellent! Tagliatelle with Bolognese was Excellent! Highly recommended and I will be back. read more

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I have been several times and throughly enjoyed everything about Stella's until today. My ears are still ringing from being blasted by very loud music 3 times in order to prepare a celebrated food item. My ears physically hurt. Then where we were seated. Upon entering the restaurant I informed the hostess that we had a mobility challenged person. She decided to sit us at the back of the empty restaurant surrounded by obstacles....food carts....stored heaters....server station AND no room for our legs. Now on to the food. Always delicious except today. Why offer a four item pizza where each item it on a different section of the pizza? Burned chewy skinned eggplant parmigiana never good. Thanks for the memories Stella we won't be back. read more

Exquisite, delicious, and such a fun vibe, this Italian restaurant is a wonderful experience . The ambiance is lively yet elegant, perfect for celebrating any special occasion (I'm officially having all my birthdays here ). The food is incredible fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. And the staff? Truly top notch. Along with the amazing owner, Paola, they make you feel welcomed and celebrated from the moment you walk in. A must-try. You'll already be planning your next visit before you leave. read more

Can't say enough about this little gem! The owner, is so attentive and makes the whole experience special! The staff is friendly and accommodating. The food is just as good as the scene and vibe. Great place to have a special celebration with a group or an intimate meal for two. read more

2 stars for the bartender and her bubbly personality! The rest was downhill... Food, ambiance and service all need serious help. Had a reservation for dinner at 6:30, didn't get seated until 7pm. We were squeezed into a corner booth that was split into 2, two seater tables. My husband spent our anniversary dinner basically on someone's else's first date. Waitress seemed rushed - she never told us the specials or offered us bread. I had to ask about them because I heard her rattle them off to the next table. I saw bread on other tables and asked about it. Then she brought us some - after we finished our dinner. Dinner was less than awful. The rigatoni was served with ice cold meatballs. Told our server and she apologized. Brought another entree TOO quickly which was concerning. My seafood spaghetti was not good at all. I could have made the same entree for a lot less. Hell, I should have just ate at home. Spent $160 for mediocre food, awful service and a loud, obnoxious atmosphere. Go for the wine... then leave. read more

Stella Ristorante - Seafood was not fresh - shrimp definitely tasted frozen. - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

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What a great find. Someone from the hotel I was staying at recommended Stella to me, so I gave it a try. The bonus was that I hit it during Happy Hour! I sat at the bar since I was by myself. Israel and Jessie were the bartenders and took good care of me. Everyone that works there seemed very happy to be there which you don't always see at a restaurant. The food was good and the drinks were equally yummy. I recommend going there. It is a great place to hang out. read more

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This review is based on food alone. I ordered the cacio e Pepe and I got spaghetti with cream. Let's be clear cacio e Pepe should NEVER be made with cream. Also it had hardly any pepper. Literally no other definitive flavors other than cream. No garlic no parm nothing. And it cost $36. Not sure how there other dishes are but unfortunately after this experience I'll never know because I don't intend on going back. If you like bland Alfredo you may enjoy this dish otherwise, I'd skip it. read more

Stella Ristorante - Cacio e Pepe I added red pepper flakes - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Found this gem in southlake. From the outside you can't tell but as soon as you walk in from the hostess to the servers and especially the owner. You truly feel the Italian family sprite. You can see everyone love being there and everyone love to celebrate their occasions there. My husband and I usually sat at the bar. Roberto and Jessie are amazing. Foods are always excellent. Owner always came and say hello to us. This is definitely our go to Italian Restaurant and our happy place and walk out with a smile after dinner. read more

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Had dinner with a friend at Stella and while the food was ok , it does not worth the price . The overall experience could have been better - the acoustic is terrible , you can't hear the person seated right next to you . They also had all sorts of little flies all over the place . Not great As for the food - 1) we started w a Caprese salad which was pretty good and fresh , but for 19$ you expect a bigger portion . 3.5/5 2) I then got the fig and percschuto pizza - generous toppings and the sauce was great . The dough however , was mediocre at best . That could have been a great pizza otherwise . 3.5/5 3) we needed w a tiramisu which was just meh. This version was more whipped cream and less of the biscotti with coffee which is my favorite part . 3/5 I also did an Aperol spritz cocktail which was nice and we got a focaccia w olive oil which was ok. Not sure I'll go back to this place read more

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This is a tiny but beautiful restaurant. The bathrooms were not clearly marked so that created some confusion. The service was amazing. They made sure we were taken care of all the time. Waters refilled, new bread was brought shortly after ours ran out. My coworker and I each got a dish to share and it was a great idea. She got the 10 oz rib eye with veggies. We split all of it and both enjoyed each dish. The rib eye was seasoned wonderfully and was cooked as requested and very juicy. I got the bow tie pasta with chicken and peas. The pasta was also dente and there was a perfect pea, chicken to pasta ratio. I would absolutely love to come back here if I'm ever in the area again. It was pretty busy so I would recommend a reservation, especially on the weekends. read more

Food's delicious. Service aight. Music's a little loud tbh. It's a fun spot for a birthday but I wouldn't recommend if you get overstimulated easily lol read more

Everything about this place is AMAZING! Carlos was beyond exceptional!!! Paula was phenomenal! Food was beyond delish!! Definitely a must do when visiting the Southlake area read more

Stella is a smaller Italian restaurant with an extensive wine list. My burrata arugala salad was delicious! The wine ranges from reasonably priced to pricey. While my friends and I were here, we saw them celebrating someone's birthday, so something to keep in mind if you like when restaurants do that. read more

Stella Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

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Fun, high energy spot! Great food! Fun for birthdays...but get a reservation...it's a small restaurant! read more

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Great fun! Delicious food! Wonderful vibe! Service was fun family-like celebration feel. Lots of meal choices on and off menu. The cheese pasta presentation at another table was great to watch. Their specialty Limoncello was a treat. We are so glad our group of eight chose Stella to celebrate a big birthday. read more

Cute little Italian place in Southlake. Excellent wine list. Service was impeccable. Friendly and professional. Sit at the bar and watch the chefs- they are pretty incredible! Food was awesome. Penne vodka probably the best I've had. Meatball appetizer is a must. Excellent pizza. read more

Went here for valentine's dinner. Cute place inside. They did a condensed menu with the choices of an appetizer, main and dessert for $69. They were definitely creative and packed as many tables as possible into the dining area. Even though we had a table for 2 we were right next to another couple. We had fun with it. If you want a more secluded experience book earlier at a place that can allow that. The service was excellent. For appetizers we had the arancini and salad. The arancini was pretty good and the marinara was very good. For the mains we had pizza and mushroom & truffle ravioli. The ravioli was definitely the better of the 2. The ravioli had good flavor. The pizza was good but the crust could have had some more crunch. The desserts were ok, the tiramisu was more pudding like over a cookie and lava cake was a little on the dry side. Overall we had a good time and the service was very good, read more

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Oh my... can't believe we've lived here and didn't realize what a fun, delicious restaurant we were missing. The Osso Bucco is to die for, the Parmesan wheel parties make for fun entertainment, and the environment is cozy... feels like you are in Europe, not the burbs. Alexandra was a super warm and over the top friendly server. We will be back... and bring friends! read more

Stella Ristorante - They celebrate big!!! - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Stella Ristorante continues to deliver outstanding food and service. All of their dishes are of true Italian recipes and is there a difference you ask? If you have spent time in the various regions of Italy then you have tasted their foods, real Italian food and there is a difference. Stella Ristorante is Italian. The owner, a true Italian herself, promotes a festive, fun, environment inside the restaurant. The foods are exceptional, hand crafted with excellent ingredients, pastas are made in house, sauces are truly from scratch, pizzas are actually Italian style. All of this is produced in an open kitchen by an exceptional culinary staff. Portions are perfect, no short change. So in closing, Stella is not your normal go-to spaghetti and meatballs establishment, I enjoy those establishments, there are several in the Southlake area and I visit them for a good meal. But I go to Stella when I want a great true Italian meal, enjoy! read more

Experienced most of the menu and love it all. Be sure to call ahead for availability because sometimes they close down for private parties which can be a major inconvenience. read more

Stella is our "go to" restaurant for Pizza. I'm not kidding--this is the closest thing to Italian pizza you're going to find in the Metroplex. Thin, crispy crust, few toppings, great sauce. Their wine list is extensive and the hospitality of the host and her crew are outstanding. Gotta go if you're in the mood for great pizza. read more

We got the Limone Shrimp spaghetti and it so good, only think it's need to be eat fast if not the olive oil will condensed And the Pistachio with burata pizza, super good read more

The food is AMAZING. I remembered the first time 2yrs ago that we went there and I recently was in town and took a colleague and got the same dish and it was as good as I remembered. The atmosphere has great energy especially when it's a celebratory meal and they bring out the big sparkler and crank the tunes. I've had great service at the bar and at the tables. read more

Absolutely stellar experience. I visited on a Sunday afternoon after church and the atmosphere was very pleasant, peaceful and serene. read more

Stella Ristorante - Rigatoni and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

The whole experience was excellent. The meatballs were delicious and I really liked the Tagliatelle Bolognese di Mamma. But, you need to order the Carbonara for the experience (not on the menu.) The dish was incredible and Israel put on a great show. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Stella Ristorante - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

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Amazing food, drinks, service, environment, and gelato. Waiters are very very very friendly and nice including the owner! Everyone is very welcoming! Highly recommend!!! read more

Stella Ristorante - gelato - Italian Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Great birthday dinner at Stella! Our family of 5 had the corner booth. Food was fantastic. Our teenage kids loved the music & the mini shows they do for the cacio e pepe presentation and birthday sparklers. We'll definitely be back! read more

My favorite Italian restaurant in the area. Service is solid but unremarkable. Pizza is good but Mister 01 is better. Having tried a few things, cacio e pepe (which I don't think is on the menu) is my strong recommendation. Wine list is somewhat limited. Prices are high, but you're in Southlake. The small patio area is great when the weather is nice. On weekend nights, full of people and vibes that makes it feel like you're not in a Dallas suburb. read more

The bartender Luke was amazing! The service and vibe were great, I'll be back to see him! Btw- he looks like he is Reno 911