Palazzo's Trattoria

Great specials, great pizza

Pros: best food in town

Posted 10/09/09

I eat at Palazzo's 2-4 times a month. Sometimes the service is great and sometimes they drop the ball, but the food is always great and it's consistent in flavor and quality. I rotate between the Veal Picatta (which is as good as any fancier restaurant's version), the Pasta Palazzo, Insalata Fresca (fun mix of textures and tastes that's surprisingly filling) and the Filet Mignon (the sauce is just right, not overwhelming). The Capellini Crusted Red Snapper is also good for something different. Don't forget to add a side of sauteed spinach and their Caesar salad is really good too. It has a sophisticated atmosphere, but is very low key, so it's great for mid week neighborhood dining. Ask for Al in the dining room and Julio at the bar.

Pros: Good food, comfortable atmosphere

Cons: Service is inconsistent

Posted 10/08/09

This has become my favorite resturant! The food is consistantly great,as is their friendly service. It is a great place to take friends. You will never be disappointed.

Pros: Great frendly service

Cons: none

Posted 10/08/09

We enjoy going to Palazzo's on the west side of town. The staff is friendly and the specials are always tasty. We have had volunteer events at Palazzo's and were able to get in, have a wonderful meal with everyone ordering a unique lunch, and be back at work in just about an hour!

It is also nice to be able to support a local establishment.

Pros: Good specials and great staff

Cons: Pretty busy on Friday nights

Posted 10/08/09

I visit this Palazzo's at least once a week, but it didn't take the manager more than a few visits to know me by name. I never go during a lunch / dinner rush, so I always get excellent attention (I have a feeling it would be this way anyway). The breadsticks will melt in your mouth, and the salad is killer for an appetizer. EVERY single dish I have tried here has been out of this world with flavor and presentation, and I've never had the same thing twice. The chicken/ sausage cacciatore and the veal ragu are some of my favorites. I always get the lemonade- yummy.
Every server / bar tender who has served me has been very friendly and attentive. I work just around the corner and this place is the best break from a stressful day I can imagine.

Pros: Affordable, great service, excellent food & appeatizers.

Cons: NONE

Posted 06/12/09

I love Palazzo's so much, that since moving here 6 years ago, it has become my go-to place for a quick celebratory meal or an easy first date. The old restaurant location was cosy and warm, and the new location is still great, with a bit more sophistication.

I have never been disappointed with a visit here, nor have any of the 50+ new patrons I've brought here during my years in Houston. My suggestion is the Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, which is rich and decadent, satisfying, and there's enough to take home and reheat. Save a little space for their banana carrot cake, which is as fabulous as it is sweet.

I've had attentive and forgetful waiters, but by far, Al is their best. He's been there since I've started going, and he is always on top of things.

Give them a chance! You'll be pleased with the food and even more pleased with the check!

Pros: Delicious, and the price is right

Cons: None!

Posted 05/27/09

This small and friendly restaurant is everything an Italian Restaurant should be. It is small and quaint, but has plenty of seating without you feeling "squeezed" in. There is also outdoor seating that on a nice evening is worth the wait. Their pizza is by far and away the best in town. try the meatball pizza....yummy, and their fish dishes are to die for. Fair sized servings, not to big, not to small, and always plenty of foccacia bread sticks. A generous wine menu, slightly pricey and really good frozen Bellini's. The waitstaff are very friendly and efficient and make you feel as though you are a regular. I love the fact that they are always willing to accommodate a change in the menu if they can. i.e a different sauce, substitute a different veggie etc. Where as many restaurants charge for these special requests, Palazzo's does not. I also have used their catering service and was very pleased at the price as well as the generous portions. Again, willing to accommodate special requests. All in all, a great Houston find.

Posted 09/20/08

The food and service were very good the only problem I had was that there was mandatory valet parking. I dont like anyone to drive my car or leave my guns with some valet parker. I had to park on the street a block away. The pizza is the best in town and the salad was very fresh. I loved the soup and wide selection of the menu.

Pros: Great food, nice staff

Cons: Valet Parking

Posted 09/02/08

My wife and I met another couple at Palazzo's today for a late brunch (2:00pm). We arrived first and order some Bellinis and the Romano Crusted Asparagus with lump crabmeat in lemon butter as an appetizer. The Bellinis were very tasty, not too much alcohol and not too sweet. The asparagus were excellent and the sauce was very nice. Five asparaus were served on the plate with the crab meat in a small pile in the center of the plate resting in ample sauce for the dish. In our group we had the Chicken Cannelloni (from the dinner menu), Sausage Frittata, Spinach and Proscuitto Frittata, and Italian Toast; everyone was extremely satisifed with the quality and portions. The frittatas were nice and light, but could have had a bit more sausage and proscuitto, respectively. My wife raved about the Chicken Cannelloni, and after tasting her's, I agreed. The Italian Toast is on my list for the next visit, our friend that selected was plesantly suprised and didn't offer to share. We all shared a Spumoni Ice Cream Cake, and it was wonderful.

The restaurant was not crowded due to the time of day, so it was nice and quiet. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful when making selections.

We will return, and are dissappointed we waited so long to try Palazzo's for brunch.

Pros: Food Quality, Service, Noise Level

Cons: Parking,

Posted 07/05/08

Okay, I have not actually been in the restaurant, since we just got carry out. So I can't comment on much. But I can say this was, without a doubt, the best pizza I've ever had. We had really high expectations when we ordered Vino's Pizza for carryout, because we knew Palazzo's Trattoria was awarded the "best pizza" position on Citysearch. I almost always feel disappointed when I have super high expectations based on "Best Of" lists and stuff like that. I was not disappointed at all! The toppings were excellent. Thick pepperoni, juicy ham, fresh peppers, the olives weren't all shriveled. I was seriously impressed. The cheese is delicious and gooey, but it doesn't slide off; the crust is crunchy and chewy at the same time. It was an artisan pizza, for sure. Usually pizza is good because it has great crust, or great sauce, etc. This pizza had pretty much everything going for it.
Update: We got the exact same pizza tonight and the toppings took a turn for the worse. No more thick juicy meat. That was disappointing. It wasn't nearly as good as the pizza we had that prompted my first rave review. Still good, though.

Pros: Pizza

Cons: not consistent

Posted 06/03/08

I used to love this restaurant but I think they have lost it. The quality of the food has suffered the most. I hope it makes a comeback but I won't be back.

Pros: Nice New Location

Cons: Chef Must not have made the trip.

Posted 03/05/08

Although it was a dreary Saturday, when we decided to stop in for our first dining experience at Palazzo?s, the refreshing ambiance, delightful service and the decent wine list made for an afternoon well spent. I ordered the shrimp scampi, a tasteful combination of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and capellini. My companion ordered the fish of the day, flounder, a mediocre attempt at the ?special of the day?, but the artichokes that accompanied the dish were fantastic. The portions were hearty and the food light; enjoyable dishes for lunch. Overall, the service was excellent and the food delectable.

Pros: Great Servive

Posted 02/20/08

I have to say I was disappointed by the Palazzo. After reading the fantastic reviews, I took some family that was visiting for dinner today. We each ordered something different, and the reviews were mixed. I had the chicken marsala, which was okay, but certainly nothing to rave about. The spaghetti with meatballs tasted like Chef Boyardee, and the lasagna was okay. The pepperoni and Athena pizzas were total hits, however. The bread sticks are also great, although the waitress neglected to bring out olive oil with it.

I apologized to my guests, and promised them better food next time. I don't understand why this place was voted one of the best Italian restaurants in Houston. I can certainly think of other restaurants that aren't on the list that are way better than the Palazzo Trattoria.

Pros: bread sticks, pizza

Cons: everything else

Posted 10/06/07

I like going out to different restaurants every once in a while, and without any doubt, this is perhaps one of the best italian restaurants in town (River Oaks Location). I mean from A to Z! The valet parking service is absolutely great; even in a rainy day. The hostesses, waiters/waitresses, bartenders, bussers, and food runners have their job descriptions down, including management. I saw every manager touching basis with every single table. It is obviuos that customer service is a priority to them. Over all, I was very impressed with the whole dining experience, and I cannot tell enough about the quality of the food and how affortable it is. It almost sounds to good to be true, but check it out your self. For me, I have found my new italian dining spot.

Pros: From A to Z

Cons: I am still trying to find something wrong!

Posted 07/16/07

If you love wine like i do Palazzos is a great place to go. On monday nights they offer discounts on bottles of wine, bottles that are normally $30 are $15 and if it is more than $30 they will take off $15. i don't know of anyother place that does that.. i try to go every monday to get the wine and the great food.

Pros: ambience- parking vallet - friendly staff

Posted 06/29/07

My first visit to Palazzo's was when a co-worker suggested we go there for lunch a couple years ago and I've been a regular ever since. The food and atmosphere is wonderful - so I was obviously mad at my friend for not telling me about Palazzo's sooner!
As the word spread through our office, it became the favorite lunch spot for our staff and since it's one of the few places that makes everyone happy (even our picky eaters!). Now we're using their catering services for meetings and parties (very affordable).

Another perk if you happen to live close by... they deliver!! Our regular delivery guy even takes care to separate the hot items from the cold items so that our desserts and salads arrive in delicious condition.
When you go, be sure to start with the Romano Crusted Asparagus - amazing! For dinner, I like Chicken Marsala. Hubby always gets the Capellini Al Pomodoro and if you have a hearty appetite, the Southwest Chicken Lasagna. For pizza, their Pollo Pizza is our favorite. Of course tiramisu is the perfect ending to the evening!

Since I'm fortunate to also live nearby, I've gone with my husband for dinner and he really appreciates being able to get good food in a comfortable/relaxing atmosphere. Rather than taking friends to a typical chain restaurant, we like to take them to Palazzo's since their patio is the perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon - especially with a bottle of wine. The new locations had a fabulous patio - definitely worth checking out!

Posted 06/28/07

After going to Palazzos on Briar Ridge for years, decided to try the new River Oaks location - and once again they have a winner! Great place to unwind after work over a glass of wine. I had the Insalata Fresca for the first time and it was delicious topped strawberries and candied pecans! My husband had the Chicken Marsala and he is still raving about it. Make sure you save room for the bread pudding ? it is the best in the city! My husband and I will definitely be regulars here!!

Pros: valet, service

Posted 06/27/07

There has been a dropoff in the level of food and service since the move. As they have become busier, they have had to hire many new and inexperienced staff.

The entrees came out at varying intervals, in a haphazard fashion. When the smoke cleared, it turned out that one in our party had not received her entree. After much effort to locate our waiter, we alerted him to the situation. Clearly harried, he came back and dropped off the wrong order. After a second more difficult attempt to flag our waiter, we finally were able to explain our situation. Fourteen minutes later, a side dish not ordered, was brought out to accompany the wrong entree. A third attempt to rectify the situation was finally met with success. When told of the situation, management explained that it was "human error" which I can understand.

What I cannot understand is the recent uninspired quality of the food. My medium rare filet was cooked unevenly and ran the spectrum from medium to well done. I could go on the FOODTV website, copy a recipe for gilled snapper and produce an equivalent dish.

With the attempt to go more upscale with the upsizing, pretty interior and valet parking, they have not been able to keep up on the service and food end.

Posted 06/07/07

We used to be frequent diners of Palazzo's before it moved. We were pleased to see the food has remained excellent upon moving, however we will very upset to see the change in policy. Palazzo's has become very child unfriendly. We were forced to sit in a small, cramped room in the back of the restaurant because we had a 2 year old child with us. When asked if we could sit elsewhere in the virtually empty restaurant, we were told we could not because it is restaurant policy to seat children in this area. Palazzo's was such a family friendly neighborhood restaurant, it is shame to see it has changed due to the location.

Pros: good food, great pizza

Cons: bad for kids, cram them all into one noisy area even when the rest of restaurant is empty

Posted 04/29/07

Great service and delicous food. The service was was wonderful. Out server was prompt and always made sure we have enough bread and our glasses were always full. The ambiance was great and the dessert heavenly. Wonderful place cant wait to go back!!

Posted 03/02/07

I went there for dinner with some friends a few nights ago. Our food was great, but the server was in her own world. She left our menus on our table after she visited our table twice after taking our orders. On two occassions she failed to notice that we needed refills. While settling the bill, we asked the server to take apply our cash payment first, and then put the rest of the amount on a credit card. She ended up putting the entire amount on the credit card and returning all the cash. I understand that things happen, like leaving behind a menu, or forgetting to ask if somebody needs refills (maybe even twice!), or misunderstanding our directions for paying the bill, but when all of these things happen consecutively, it makes you wonder whether the the server is harrassing you or if he/she is just that dumb. Did I mention the food was delicious?

Pros: Food

Cons: Service

Posted 01/22/07

The food, service and prices were great. Dining was better on the patio. I'll go back, next time I don't want to drive to Corelli's.

Pros: food, service prices

Posted 12/17/06

We faxed a luncheon order with "No Garlic" displayed throughout the order. We also called to confirm receipt of the fax. At no time did the Staff at Palazzo's notify us that they could not accomodate our "No Garlic" request. The order was received and we had started to eat when we realized the entire order was loaded with garlic. It was a terrible situation for us as one Staff member is severely allergic to garlic. A call to the restaurant prompted the following comment, "Lady what do you expect, this is an italian restaurant we put garlic in everything." When asked why when I talked to him earlier did he not tell me they could not accomodate our request, so that we could order from another restaurant. I was met with silence. He claimed he would call to check on our staff member but no call was ever received. No apology was given. They treated the problem with a total lack of understanding and basically was only concerned with keeping the $155 we were charged. Total poor management...they are into themselves and if you look for service and consideration............ dine elsewhere!

Posted 10/23/06

We just tried Palazzo's for the first time and were very pleased with our experience! The food was fabulous, the service great, and the atmosphere pleasant. The food was very reasonably priced, and we will definitely return!

Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere

Cons: It was hot sitting next to the patio door!

Posted 06/29/06

I live down the block from this restaurant, and so we end up here more often than not. Palazzo's really understands the idea of a neighborhood restaurant, and Chuck, the manager is both extremely attentive to the customers, as well as amusingly realisitic, which makes him easy to talk to and thus I recommend getting to know him. Many of the employees here have been involved in Houston's hospitality scene for decades and they truly know what they're doing. The food is very decent, though as it turns out, the best food in this Italian place is the food that is the least obviously Italian. The trout is fabulous, their steak au poivre is wonderful, and then their specials are often comparable to Da Marco's in quality. Of course, nothing beats their classic house salad with extra feta cheese and extra dressing. I don't know what they put in that dressing, but it ought to have a Surgeon General's Warning against addicition. But, as I said, this restaurant is a good habit to get into, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to relax.

Pros: relaxed atmosphere, reliable service

Cons: no smoking at the bar, the patio is loud with traffic

Posted 06/23/06

I have been to this restaurant a number of tmes, but was disappointed with last nights experience. I understand restaurants get busy, but it doesn't mean they should completely ignore you or when you do have a complaint, the manager or whoever he was, should not be rude to you. I will definitely think twice about bringing new people to this place.

Pros: Cheap food prices

Posted 12/18/05

From the other reviews, I thought this place was going to be really good however it was just okay. The crowd was definitely older than I expected and the pasta was good, but not great. We did buy a bottle of the salad dressing on the way out which we loved. It was typical Tex-Italian. Too many items with jalapenos in them.

Pros: Good salad dressing, Decent Service, Bread Service

Cons: Complete Lack of Funk, Average Food

Posted 10/06/05

This place is very unassuming from outside. Cannot say good enough things about this place! Service very attentative even with a big group. Bread is "to die for"! Ensalada Fruitta is suberb, consistent. I have tried everything except the Panini's and must say if you will not be dissappointed. Patio is great for lunch. (Only drawback is a slight smell of mildew as you first walk in--must be remnants of tropical storm allison flooding. Smell goes away after sitting down.) Parking in the rear or on the side street.

Pros: flavorful foos, bread basket, service

Cons: ambience only average

Posted 07/24/05

I love Palazzo's! Just went for brunch and had the grilled rainbow trout- it was amazing! Our waiter was delightful and the bellinis/mimosas are so tasty!

Posted 07/16/05

We had dinner at palazzos and I can just say it was a wonderful experience. It is a small and romantic place, not too noisy like most of the chain italian restaurants. The service staff is kind and helpful. The food is the best one I have tried ever. My husband tried the dinner special and I was surprised when I saw it. It included everything you can imagine in a very different way to prepare it. And the best thing... it is very inexpensive.

Pros: Romantic, Good parking, Inexpensive

Posted 11/22/04

A new/old favorite!! I have grown up in the area of Palazzos and have seen restaurants come and go. I must say that this one is a definate keeper. Although Palazzos is a fairly new restaurant, I have been so many times that it has quickly become an old favorite. Great for dates with your significant other and groups, Palazzos is hands down my "go-to" restaurant.

Pros: Quality, Ambiance, Price

Cons: , Parking, Parking

Posted 02/09/04

Outstanding food, yet inexpensive. The service is excellent, great atmosphere. And the house Chianti is actually pretty good too! We have already eaten here twice in two weeks, and will definitely go back!

Pros: Inexpensive, Great food, Service

Posted 01/02/04

Nice casual Italian restaurant. The veal piccata, chicken marsala, and romano chicken salad were excellent. We also went back for brunch. Great frittatas, crab cakes and eggs and italian toast. It's refreshing to find a neighborhood place serving comfort italian food at affordable prices.

Posted 07/11/03

I was so surprised and excited to find a neighborhood Italian restaurant! We eat out regularly and tried this spot due to the great comments on citysearch. Wonderful fresh food, great service, nice wine list, and SO CHEAP! Try the pasta with the spicy sauce and all the wonderful seafood. Its large enough to split. We have made this a regular place now even as we continue to explore all the great restaurants in Houston.

Pros: Inexpensive, Fresh food, Easy Parking

Posted 08/21/02

Very good food at cheap prices. They use the freshest ingredients. I have been several times and not had a bad meal yet.

Posted 07/22/02