When I first stepped into the restaurant, it smelled so strongly of parmesan cheese and I didnt have too good of a first impression. We happened to come in during dinner special so we got two dollars off each appetizers and ended up only ordering appetizers. We bought margherita pizza, fried lasagna rolls, and mozzarella sticks. Because it was two dollars off they cost about 6 to 9 each. When they bought it out, each appetizer was huge and was basically a meal sized portion. We ate family style which I think is better, and they all tasted really good. Even though everything was fried, the food didnt get too greasy or heavy because of the marinara sauce. The lasagna rolls were DEF my favorite. The shell was crunchy and the lasagna was seasoned well so that it didnt taste too salty nor too cheesy. read more

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Delicious Italian comfort food. Nothing fancy, but it's always good! Very clean. They have wine and beer. Highly recommend the lasagna.

Ok, I'm updating my review since I've been here a bunch of times since I wrote the original one. I still like this place, but have since sampled other veggie friendly options. I'm sad to say that none of them were particularly good. I still occasionally go eat here, but will only order the eggplant parm and the wop salad. All my other choices have proved to be disappointing. The eggplant parm. is seriously delicious though. I still wholeheartedly recommend it! read more

My husband and I live in the neighborhood and unfortunately have passed this place several times over the past few years. Our neighbors tipped us off, and I'm so glad they did! The atmosphere is your typical old-school deli. No fuss. It's family owned for forty years, and all the staff is very friendly. The owner made a point to commit our names to memory and made great recommendations based on our tastes. The first time we visited, I wasn't feeling well so I ordered the white bean soup. It's very good! You can tell they use a Parmesan based broth, similar to minestrone. Hearty and not at all salty like many similar soups. I also loved the spaghetti and meatballs. Delicious marinara with just the right hint of spice! We've also enjoyed the chopped salad, pizzas, and Italian green beans. Looking forward to working our way through the rest of the menu, but it looks like you can't go wrong! read more

Love this italian deli right by UH. This place is always bopping but service is fast, so dont be Intimidated by the line. Friendly staff and hearty food. Now that I am gluten free I am limited to the salads, but they are tasty and I added the chicken which was seasoned really well. I also got a side of fries, gigantic! read more

This restaurant boasts 35 years of experience, and it shows! This is a perfect casual Italian lunch joint that I would definitely consider for dinner if I lived in the area. The owner, Frank, is extremely charismatic and kind, and right in the middle of my order, suggested something more cost-effective and tastier. I had the eggplant parm dinner with the wob salad, and I ate every single tasty bite. I'll definitely be back again... and next time for a glass (or a few glasses) from their wine selection. read more

It's just over rated. The prices are high and the food is mediocre. I rather go to another restaurant for those prices

I picked Mandola's after looking at Yelp suggestions for an Italian restaurant near U of H Hilton. Friendly staff--- classic deli setting...very good food-- I had the lasagne with a salad-- great meal-- low key atmosphere--- that got busier after 6pm-- This is a winner! read more

Went here for a quick weekday lunch in between meetings in the area and have stumbled across one of my new favorite restaurants. You smell the amazingness when you walk in the door--I was planning on getting a sandwich (what with the name "Mandola's Deli" and all) but one whiff when you walk in the door and you know you're in for a traditional Italian treat if you're in it to win it. And I was in it to win it. I ordered the spinach lasagna and oh em gee--this was easily the best lasagna I've had in Houston. Perfectly al dente pasta, cooked-but-still-alive spinach (i.e. no wilted spinach here, folks), generous helpings of ricotta cheese, and glorious tomato sauce. Real tomato sauce. My partner ordered the chicken Parmesan sandwich on toasted garlic bread and they were very happy with their selection, too. The *only* reason I give Mandola's Deli 4 stars instead of 5 was the lighting and lack of windows. It's a kind of warehouse-y building so there are very few windows and the dining area is somewhat cave-like, so it's not scoring high on ambiance. But man oh man, their food is incredible. read more

Great service! Exceptional food and the owners took time to introduce me to some amazing food! read more

Mandola's Deli - Fish bread with an amazing Italian sausage! - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great little place, very relaxed atmosphere, you go through the line and order off the menu board and pay, then they bring your food to you, great service, didn't take long to get our food but we were one of only three tables in the place at 6:00PM on a Thursday evening. Food was excellent, especially the fried lasagna bites. Also tried the chicken parm po boy and the meatball sub, both equally tasty. The french fries seemed as if they had seen better grease but at least they were hot and crispy. Beer on tap and in bottles, wine as well. Staff was exceptionally friendly and attentive, made you feel at home. We will try and return, it's just a little out of the way for us, especially with Houston traffic :( read more

From the early days of the family restaurant empire. Brings me back home to New York. My youngest boy grew up on their spaghetti. It's always a solid go to for Italian fare and a must for the experience if you've never been. Definitely recommend the meatballs and the eggplant parmigiana. read more

If I were in a TV show and was going to pick the restaurant that people would always see me and my buddies at, I would pick this one! The entire store is covered with Houston's history, from UH to the Rockets, Astros, and Texans. Not to mention the great food, service and an awesome BEER selection makes this place the ultimate hang out spot for your fellow Houstonians.The Chicken Parmesan Po-Boy is one of the best I have ever had, and everything is true Italian (unlike what they feed you at Olive Garden). I'm not even sure what to say about the owners, I could just write the lyrics from the theme from Cheers and that would be perfect (But I wont). The moment you open the door you feel like a part of the family and you cant wait to go back. They love to chat with you and talk about whatever you got going on. If you go to UH or live in the area this place this place will be an instant favorite. read more

This place just feels like home. Nicest people in the world. The food is ridiculously good. I got the pasta mandola (amazing) and I've had a meatball sub before (also amazing). Kinda pointless reading reviews on this place. Great place to come watch sports, eat great Italian food, and meet some nice ass people. read more

Mandola's Deli - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was a great restaurant years ago, but they obviously gave up on quality of dishes and service. I took a sister of mine for dinner tonight thinking that we would get what I had with friends years back. NO. Now it's strictly counter service that the manager made us be very aware of by yelling "are u waiting for someone?" This is counter service!" The place was invaded with Knats that he joked about when my sister complained about it. The foo wasn't anything better than Marie Calendar's. Sad! Good luck!. Too make things even worse, I got diarrhea when I got back home. That alone should tell you they are using expired product. read more

I have waited years to come here. Now that I found out they have extended their hours. This is soooooo amazing!! The stuffed artichoke was out of this world. Finally found a chicken Marsala that is not sweet. I am thoroughly amazed how delicious. I will be back. I am in ! read more

Mandola's Deli - Stuffed artichoke. Delicious - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

I really like this place, but the prices are ridiculous. For two pasta meals with two extra sides, it was over $50. WTF? I love these guys and the food is great, but they need to figure out reasonable prices for their food. I mean, it's pasta... Why are they charging such premium prices? read more

The Italian sausage is particularly noteworthy. A good place for UH fans to gather as well.

I have eaten here twice. A salad and a sandwich. Both were mediocre. Price a bit high for what you get. Maybe their traditional Italian food is better. read more

I ordered a meatball po boy with a side of potato salad and a drink, cost me about $14. The place was a bit dirty, staff were a bit rude, the potato salad was awfully bland and the meatball po boy was decent but not worth $8. This is way over priced for what it is. I'll take my money elsewhere. read more

Best Italian lunch east of downtown! Service is quick and very friendly. its cafeteria style ordering. Most of the time when you order you can see the ingredients in the display case. Sausage or meatball subs are great. the Veal parm is awesome. Side items are a la carte. read more

We had fried lasagna bites, eggplant poboy, Italian beef and cheese poboy. I had a side of potato salad. I'm from Brooklyn (many years ago) and the only eggplant worth eating is Mandolas. Portion sizes were good. The lasagna bites would be great by themselves with a salad. The staff is friendly and attentive. Worth the drive for us.... we live in Atascocita. Thanks for being a comfort food go to! read more

I was shocked at how close this place was to my job. I figured I had hit every Italian spot within my job's radius. Well this place is definitely one that packs up quickly. Especially during lunch time but they know how to move people in and out. I was very impressed with their menu and their UH decor. I ordered the pasta broscato and it was yummy. I probably should have ordered pasta with marinara because sometimes pesto sauce is a hit or miss with me. You definitely get a good portion of food. Parking is super tight so get there early. read more

An old standard down the road from U of H, and one of the best Italian deli's in Houston, not to mention a great variety of great food. This is one of the best places to go before a dynamo game or even an astros game. Order the meatball sub with a side of pasta salad and you will not be disappointed! read more

Mandola's Deli - Yum - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great food and great staff. Came here for good Italian food and got exactly that. Mom and pop shop so I definitely recommend it

Love love love this place. The deluxe sub is absolutely delicious and so is the meatball sub. Whatever you do don't skip the salad with the house Italian dressing. This dressing is life changing!! This place has been around for ages which it makes sense because it is a true gem and the owners are very nice. Nice patio as well. read more

Mandola's Deli - Delicious deluxe po'boy - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food is good, service is horrible. First time I walked in the layout was confusing and no one helped. Took forever for the food to come out and it was highly overpriced for the size and quality read more

I was skeptical at first, but pleasantly surprised. Nice, clean building. Parking lot. Friendly staff. Too much on the menu to choose from... I had the meatball sub. Great bread, great sauce, great meatball. I enjoyed thoroughly. Looks deceivingly small but very filling. The pasta with white cream sauce was blah though. If this was closer to me, I might be back more often. read more

I stumbled upon Mandola's Deli via Yelp! While I was looking for a lunch spot between classes. I had a couple of hours in between classes and wasn't wanting to eat Fast food. And boy oh boy am I glad I chose this place! This was my first time at Mandola's, and I was going to get a Po-Boy, the woman behind the counter suggested that I not order the Fried Shrimp po-boy not bc it wasn't delicious but because it wasn't Italian and on my first Visit I should get something Italian. I went with the Deluxe Poboy which was Ham, salami provolone pickles lettuce tomato and mayo on the freshest French bread you've ever eaten! It was so delicious! I did a side order of pasta salad which I didn't particularly care for but the bread alone is worth a visit! The staff is extremely friendly, felt like I was a regular and it was my first visit. I will definitely be going back, but next time I want to try the pasta! read more

I fell in love with this place! I love supporting local businesses, and when it comes to Italian, I definitely appreciate family restaurants! First off, the staff made us feel at home. We came for dinner services and it was near closing time too, but there were still people here. She gave us recommendations and man, those pasta dishes sound divine. When we went to pay, the owner was extremely nice and carried personal conversations with us. Might I also mention that he is an UH alumnus? GO COOGS! That is also a plus because they are a huggeee UH supporter and there are jerseys and the uni's memorabilia in the back. I had the Pasta Thomas, and oh man it was sensational. I love the fact that the sauce has that creamy tomato color without the heaviness. It was the perfect splash of cream. They make their own italian sausage, and you can taste that fennel seed and freshness. C'est magnifique! Bell peppers held its crunch and gotta love those zuchinni in there. I enjoyed the sauce, veggies, and sausage together, but there was one little complaint. The penne was a bit too soft and I prefer mine al dente with that bite. If the penne was al dente, the dish would be perfect! Still, it doesn't take me away from coming back because I have my eyes on those sandwiches and poboys. read more

I went there a couple of days ago with my husband. We were hungry and in the area so we decided to stop by to grab a bite to eat. It's located pretty close to U of H so from what I have noticed it does tend to get a bit busy. The food: I ended up ordering the chicken Parmesan and my husband got the spaghetti with Italian sausage. We both enjoyed our meals immensely. Though there were a couple things that I didn't like since I'm a bit nit picky when it comes to food. My meal was a bit watery probably from the noodles as it wasn't drained well enough before being served, however despite that it still retained it's flavor which is just a tad heavy on the saltiness. The chicken was amazing. Most places I go to there tends to be more breading than there is chicken. In this case I got two slices of fairly thick chicken that was well covered in breading that wasn't too thick and still retained it's juiciness. It was however quite big and it was very difficult for me to finish by myself. It's probably big enough for two people to share. Service: After we paid we were unsure how we were going to get our food seeing as it was our first time there and we didn't exactly get a number for them to call us to come get it. So we just chose to sit close to the register. It ended up being that there was a waitress that brought our food out. Despite the drinks being self serve with the cutlery next to the straws she was very attentive to what we needed and got them for us seeing as we had not yet grabbed some. She also came back to ask us if we needed anything, which was super nice because I don't think she really needed to do so. The person taking our order was also informative for my picky husband and answered a few of his questions about the items on the menu without getting annoyed. It was quick and efficient without any loss of friendliness on their part. Why 4 Stars? The only things I didn't really like was the layout., which is a bit awkward as you have to walk through the dining room with people already at their tables eating in order to get to the end of the line to order your food to dine in. The layout makes it feel a little utilitarian despite the many knickknacks around the place to make it more homey or Italian-y. They may not do too well with presentation and a little bit off on preparation, but the food is pretty good and it's a good place for a casual lunch or dinner. read more

This place was great! Not only was the chicken parm a great portion size and full of sauce (full of wonderful sauce needing napkins and maybe a fork if you like neatness), the service was excellent. EVERYONE was kind and the two guys who took my order were hilarious. For example, after I paid "1,481 cents" for my meal, the order was brought hot and fresh to my table. And the love for UH is appreciated. (Go COOGS!) I will certainly come back to sample the desserts and try a few more dishes. Thanks y'all. read more

My husband and I needed a good local casual restaurant for a dinner event. I recently got a "huge promotion" and we decided to celebrate by inviting 50 of our friends (and some kids) for dinner. We made contact with Joseph at Mandolas Deli, and they were incredibly accommodating. They were easy to work with and just a dream. Please consider them for any catering or private events. read more

I've been going here since I started school at UH. It's a family owned restaurant that treats you like you're family. I usually get the spaghetti with Italian sausage or the tomato soup. Both of which are the best I've ever had. It's not expensive food and they give student discounts to UH students if you show your ID! read more

Mom and pop spot you have to try! Ive passed this place about a hundred times and didn't even notice. It's a real laid back spot with some great memorabilia covering the walls. The service was excellent we went in when it was pretty slow but the waitress was attentive and friendly. I ordered the fried lasagna that she recommended which was delicious, moist, and creamy, it came with fresh breadsticks! My 7 year old twins were able to split a meatball sandwich with a bag of chips each and were satisfied. The portions are generous!!! The prices are average, my lasagna was about $12.50 the meatball sub about $8. I will definitely be back when I get a taste for dine out Italian!!!! read more

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Authentic and DELICIOUS Italian food. The owner of 43 years, Frank Mandola is a really good dude. We've been wanting to try this place for a while since it's the only Italian place in the area and we were not disappointed. A houston staple, for sure. We will definitely be back! read more

Great place. Very convenient for the Eastwood and Eado area. Super nice staff. Great food.

Mandola's was a sweet find! My husband spotted this place while we were running an errand in the area. The space may be old, but it's very clean! The vibe is interesting, and it seems like it would appeal to both families as well as college students looking for a place to watch a game and throw back a few drinks. They offer a discount to UH students which is great since UH is so close. I had the spinach lasagna (made in-house, not prepackaged frozen food) and a chocolate mousse cake with a walnut crust and whipped cream cheese topping. DEEEEELICIOUS! More than that, the staff was great. The owner took our order, and the younger guys seemed to be his sons or close family friends. They were hospitable and just downright nice. Service like that instantly adds points for me. Clean, friendly service, delicious food, casual = good Saturday afternoon lunch! I'll need to try a few more dishes before I can give it five stars.We'll be going back, for sure. read more

One of my favorite places. I am working my way through the entire menu, but have yet to find something I do not like. The staff are very friendly and if you come a few times, they will know you by name. They have a good wine selection, but I stick with the Saint Arnold's on draft. I really like the Pasta Thomas, Eggplant Parm and Spaghetti with Meatballs... but it is all good! If you go, try the fried lasagne appetizer. read more

The staff was very nice. It was pretty empty when my and my gf got there. We got the fried lasagna to share. Really big portion for an appetizer. I ordered the chicken Marsala as an entree. She ordered a meaty French dip sand which with cheese forgot the name of it lol. The food was really good and the staff is as most people advertise as being quite friendly and accommodating. The owner was there and he even turned the tv to a basketball game for me to watch while we waited. Overall we really enjoyed our experience here and will def return and inform our friends and relatives of this place. read more