We visited Mastrantos for Valentines Day and really enjoyed our dinner! They had a selection of 3 pre-fixed menus: one for meat eaters, one for the pescatarians, and one for the vegetarians (menu attached). My husband did the red menu and I did the blue menu. We both greatly enjoyed our respective menus. I loved my beet carpaccio and burrata salad. The beets were cooked perfectly and were so fresh. I enjoyed my pan-seared branzino. The tamarind, lime, & habanero sauce that went with it was delicious. I was initially worried about the habanero because I'm not a huge fan of spicy food, but pairing it with the fish toned down the spice. The merengue dessert was so yummy. The service was great - our waitress was kind and attentive. The ambiance was cozy. They did a great job with the lighting and setting a romantic valentines day dinner vibe. We will be back! read more

Mastrantos - Valentine's Day Pre-Fixed Menu - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Came here on a weekday for dinner. Located on Studewood in the Heights. There's plenty of parking right next to the restaurant. The interior is pretty casual with a full bar in the middle. Our server was friendly and made couple solid recommendations on appetizers. Two dishes stood out for me: Watermelon and tomato salad - this is my favorite thing from the dinner, the sweetness from the watermelon worked surprisingly well with the balsamic glaze and pesto, very refreshing. TexQueno - nice cheese stick made with Venezuelan cheese, paired well with the cilantro sauce. We also tried the shrimp ceviche, which was solid, but nothing too special. For the main, we went with pastas, which were let downs. For the Cioppino Linguini, the seafood was overcooked, the pasta texture wasn't great, and the dish tasted pretty bland and lack the garlicky tomato flavor you'd expect from a traditional Cioppino Linguini. The wild mushroom pasta had a bit heavy sauce, also not the best pastas, but the mushrooms were cooked well. read more

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Casual Italian spot in the Heights located on Studewood. There is parking right next to the building, which is nice to have. The interior is a fairly casual bistro vibe. We got a few apps and mains to share and to try out their menu. Watermelon and tomato salad - 4/5. Surprisingly refreshing and the flavors worked well together TexQueno - 4/5. Solid cheese stick wrapped in dough Shrimp ceviche- 3/5 it tastes as you expected. It's seasoned well Mushroom pasta - 3.5/5. It's alright but lacks the higher level pasta texture and cook. The sauce was a bit thick and heavy but the mushrooms are nicely cooked Seafood pasta - 2.5/5. Not a big a fan of this one. The pasta was close to the off the shelf pasta in terms of texture and taste read more

Mastrantos - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Stopped in for Father's Day with the family. Good table service and a nice place. Most dishes were solid. Bread and watermelon salad was very good. Entrees that were tasty lasagna, lamb however the angel hair with bacon was surprisingly dull. For being half empty the food timing was surprisingly slow. Overall a good experience we will come back eventually but we won't rush back since there are a lot of good places in Houston. read more

We went here for our anniversary on a Friday night and the food was just phenomenal. We didn't have a reservation and they were able to fit us in, and it was everything we wanted- a romantic, intimate environment, attentive, personable service that wasn't intrusive, and delicious, fresh pasta. They also brought out a complimentary carrot cake dessert which was AMAZING. This is such a wonderful spot for a date night, we'll definitely be back. read more

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i came here for a fever eating blindfold event. this was a great experience. i had a dietary restriction of dairy free and picked the seafood meal option. the service was attentive. the ambiance was upscale. the food took a bit longer than my companion next to me to come out at times but that was because they had to handle the adjustments of my restrictions. the food tasted really good and the three course meal was very satisfying. overall i enjoyed my time here. read more

Mastrantos - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Okay, I can't give half point stars on here, but if I had to truly rate Mastrantos, it's a 4.5! First, parking was easy! We went on a Friday night and were easily able to make a reservation and find parking. We were welcomed and seated immediately. I wish I remembered our servers name.. but he was great and friendly. Food is delicious! We got so many things to start, like the sourdough bread, sweet & sour pork belly and Arepitas. ALL small plates were 10/10. I particularly loved the arepitas... so freaking good. We ordered a variety of pastas and I got the NY Steak which was cooked perfectly.. medium rare! I give it a 5/5 for sure. The gnocci was creamy and seasoned so well.. it was a fan favorite at the table. My husband got the Tortelloni & Lamb Ragu, which I would give a 4/5. It was good, but we wouldn't get it again. The classic Bolognese was also very good (5/5). We didn't get dessert, because we were super full, but during our dinner, we had drinks, and the black smoke margarita was something my husband really liked! Only complaint I have.. was service took forever. It took a long time to get our main dishes.. and that was disappointing. I appreciated our waiter keeping us informed throughout dinner.. and he was very kind. Definitely check them out :) read more

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Went 6/13/2026 at 6pm. Wonderful place with great fun wine finds. The pasta was amazing and the atmosphere great for date night. Service as great too. Definitely will be back a bunch. read more

Came during opening hours, 1st and only customer. Server was nice and knowledgeable. Manger/ bartender took a while to even start on my cocktail. Drink was exceptional. I ordered 2 entrees and an app being my first time. I ordered the Steak and gnocchi, don't recommend. It's not a true NY strip, has too many tendons and the grill cooked charred and over cooked the steak. Couldn't even cut into it. After telling my server I didn't like the steak, thinking the manger would take it off because I left hungry still as I write this, they only removed $10 from my $100 bill for 1 person. I just wanted to have a nice treat before a long night. I ended up walking over to RIVAS, brand new establishment. Instantly greeted with high energy and big smiles. Night and day difference. Don't plan on coming back, was really let down. read more

Good ambience and all house made pasta which is 10/10 Scallop crudo- eh flavors were good but idk maybe a different seafood option would have been better for the crudo Artichokes- served them in 3 different forms (grilled, baked, and fried) and all were perfect and came with a creamy sauce Lamb ragu- my favorite pasta, I liked the sprinkle of pesto in this dish to make it fun and fresh Beef tagliatelle- 2nd favorite pasta, wasn't super heavy and loveeedd the flavors Elote pasta- super unique esp since I've never had corn in pasta, i did wish there was a little more kick in it bc felt like there was something slightly missing Chorizo spaghetti pasta- skip Cocktails are STRONG and none that we tried are really that sweet so skip if that's important to you read more

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We came in today (a Friday night the week before Christmas) and had reserved a few hours ahead of eating. We were able to get a good seat in the corner so I could hear a bit better; it did get a bit loud later, but because of where we sat it wasn't bad at all. We ordered a bunch of small plates and an entrée along with dessert. We got the 3-Way Brussels, Carrots over Carrots, and the Grilled Artichokes. The carrots were pretty charred to the point that some were a bit difficult to eat, but they were very, very tasty regardless with the hummus. The Brussels sprouts were delectable, but honestly we could have done without the raw ones - the grilled and fried ones were the best. The grilled artichokes were the star of the show and were AMAZING. Juicy, tender, and delicious. We also got the Whole Roasted Branzino, which was really good - we just wished we had more of that salsa! It added a much-needed kick to the fish. There were a lot of bones, but that is to be expected with a whole fish! Finally, we got the Chocolate Ravioli, which was nice, hot and, as promised, very nutella-ey. IMO, the vanilla ice cream saved it from being too overwhelming in terms of richness. Overall, we had a wonderful time and a really good meal. The portions were perfect for sharing and we both felt that everything we ordered was delicious. read more

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Our server didn't come to the table until about 10 minutes after we were seated. She took our initial order for drinks and appetizers, but after we finished those, we had to flag her down just to place our main food order. The food itself was average at best. We ordered fries with parmesan and truffle, but they came out plain. When I pointed it out, she took the plate back, added a small amount of parmesan, and returned it--still missing the truffle and lacking flavor. The fries were hot but tasted old and had a chewy texture. For a total of $245 for four people--with just one drink each and no desserts--the experience felt overpriced for both the level of service and the quality of the food. read more

We haven't been Mastrantos in several years until tonight. It was very good and I'm happy they have made it through the waves of restaurant closures. Every bite was delicious and the vibe is relaxing. The aguachile and paella were our favorites. Keep doing your thing. We will be back! read more

Started with the Tropical Sour Mocktail. It was bright, refreshing, and perfectly balanced with a subtle citrus tang. A great opener. The Scallops Crudo was delicate and fresh, paired with cucumber, radish, microgreens, and crispy corn kernels in a light, citrusy broth. The Arugula & Parm Salad was simple but well-executed with generous shaved parmesan and a light vinaigrette. The Braised Beef Tagliatelle was rich, savory, and comforting. The pasta was tender, and the beef was fall-apart soft, all brought together by a buttery sauce and parmesan. The Carrot Cake was moist, well-spiced, and topped with a luscious frosting and a slice of candied fig for a nice finishing touch. The Chocolate Ravioli with Nutella and Ice Cream was surprisingly great! Crispy on the outside, warm and gooey inside with rich Nutella around to add-on, perfectly paired with creamy vanilla ice cream. It was unique, indulgent, and hands down one of the best dessert bites I've had in a while. Service was warm and the vibe was upscale but relaxed, towards later the night they also dimmed the lights as well. read more

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What a gem! We have passed by a bunch and finally had time to stop in for dinner last weekend. We had a nice welcome when we walked in and we loved our bottle of wine. The server helped us pick a delicious appetizer, the pork belly and wow it was so flavorful. Then we were both trying to figure out what to eat and he told us we had to try the lamb ragu pasta and the bolognese. Both were SO GOOD we will be back for more!! The dessert options were slim but the chocolate raviolis were amazing! read more

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The water tastes soapy ? I asked for a new glass thinking it was just the cup but it was 100% the water itself. I squeezed a lemon in to mask the taste but when she refilled my cup it came right back. Maybe it's instead a flavoring they're adding ?? I don't know but it wasn't good Pasta was underwhelming for price. The appetizer was good though, sweet dough with a lot of cheese ! read more

Mastrantos - TexQueo ($15) & Bolognese ($25) - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food was great. Staff is very sweet and accommodating to specific requests. I will definitely be back

I feel like Mastrantos is good but has the potential to be great. They have a really good and unique menu but somehow I've never heard of this place and it seems like it is flying under everyone else's radar too (we were the only ones in the entire restaurant on a Tuesday evening). The vibe inside was very nice and the service was friendly. We got the carrots over carrots, the goat cheese tortellini, and the h town chorizo carbonara. The carrots were good. Both pastas were good, I preferred the carbonara, was a really unique and fun twist. The goat cheese tortellini was good and had a lot of fun flavors combined but ultimately it ended up being a bit too salty and almost sour at times. Overall I was intrigued and would return to try some other pastas and drinks. read more

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My husband and I have been here a total of three times and we are always reminded of how great the food and drinks and wonder why we don't come more often. On our last visit, we came with a group of 6 to for dinner on Friday and per usual the food and drinks are great, but the service is just too slow. It took a long time for our food to arrive and some of us were on round 3 of drinks. The waiter comped one of our drinks since he saw that my friend didn't really like it, which was nice of him to offer to take it back and get us a new drink. Our favorite dish of the night was the NY strip steak with gnocchi, which was cooked to perfection. For apps we ordered the bread, sweet and sour pork belly and the arepitos, which were all delicious. For entrees we had the Cioppino Linguini, branzino, tortellini lamb ragu and the Bolognese. Everyone really enjoyed the dinner, just felt like it took longer than needed, but will still come back because the food and drinks are good. read more

Six of us celebrated a birthday there, and all of us enjoyed the service, food, and drinks. There was a parking lot with open spaces at 6 pm on this Friday, so that is a huge plus for me. I would leave one suggestion and that is to turn the music down a tad. read more

We came to this quaint restaurant after happy hour without reservations to see if we could get a table. It was a Friday night so we weren't too sure if we would be able to be seated, especially because there is very limited seating inside. We sat at the bar for about 15 minutes and were able to get a table. The host and servers were great and made sure that we were kept up to date on the status of our table and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the night. Our server was also very honest about portion sizes and flavors which was incredibly helpful as we made our choice on what to order. The drinks were pretty decent but the pasta was the star of the show. They had some really great pasta options that we absolutely loved. We ordered the Taleggio filled Scarpinocc pasta (my personal favorite), the potato gnocchi, and the beef ragu bolognese and we were all very pleased with our dishes. We also ordered the Grilled butcher's cut which was slightly overcooked and I'm not a huge fan of yucca, but was decent overall. read more

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Always drive by but finally decided to plan a dinner with friends. The inside of this place was very cute and low lit, perfect for a date night or chill dinner. We all enjoyed the appetizer of TexQueños and some delicious cocktails from the bar. Then for the main meal I enjoyed the Chroizo Carbonara, it had a really delicious sauce and the meat packed some good flavor. Will be back for that dish alone. read more

Mastrantos - H-Town Chorizo Carbonara - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food is wonderful!! Our service however was slow which sadly delayed the rest of our evening and it wasn't even a busy night.

First time dining and will absolutely be back! Jamila took amazing care of our table, offering details about the food, drinks, and restaurant. Everything we had was delicious. Excited to visit again! 10/10 read more

Incredible little restaurant. We came here for Houston Restaurant Weeks and it was such a treat! Everything we got was so delicious and special. The wait staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We could tell they really care about food here. Everything felt very intentional. Stand outs were the Paloma, the Texquenos, Porte de Catalunya, and for dessert: the chocolate ravioli. The cortados we ordered were impressive as well. We'll be back! read more

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The best meal i have had at a restaurant in years! The service was on point with suggestions and attention. The place is very inviting and easy to talk to your dinner companions while enjoying your meal. I would definitely go back to try out the prefix meal one evening. read more

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Came here with a few friends last night for HRW. Service was great, and we had found a parking spot on site, however, the food was disappointing. Kind of confusing as to if they were more Italian or Mexican. Probably a fusion. Texas country fruit - Flavors were delicious, but there were more tomatoes than watermelon. Only 2 small cubes. The cucumber slices were small and paper thin. Brussel sprouts - Good flavor with the mix of fried and raw brussel sprouts, fried chickpeas, and lemon/citrus sauce Crudo negro - My friend ordered this and our other friend tried it.. they both didn't like the flavor combo. I don't really eat much seafood, and this had shrimp, so I passed on trying. Nona something lol - Their menu had a different name than on the HRW website, but it was still the filled scarpinocc pasta with sage and brown butter. Pasta ends were too thick, so not al dente. Basically ate the middle part with the cheese. Cheese is very sharp tasting. Ragu bolognese- Better flavor with the tomato sauce and meat, but the pasta was not al dente. I ate it with the grilled snapper my friend ordered as a protein with her mushroom pasta. Trufa and setas papardelle - the truffle oil is strong. Ribbons of papardelle was not al dente, as well. Lacked sauce. Could've been better. We didn't even order drinks and just had water. They were still working on their signature cocktails. We left feeling like we spent so much on lackluster food. Went for ice cream after at milk + sugar, since the HRW menu didn't include dessert. read more

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We got to Mastrantos and were greeted after several minutes on a Tuesday night. There was a Lady at the bar and a table of 3 when we arrived and it took 3 minutes to greet us. We were sat by Jordan who came back a few minutes later to get our drinks. We ordered drinks and pork belly. Pork belly was excellent. We ordered Papardelle Truffle and paeSotto and a bottle of Titus. We asked for th Titus to be put in the freezer upon arrival as we like it super-chilled. Our food came out lukewarm at best the Parmesan wasn't even melted on the papardelle and it never melted. The paeSotto was ok not great. Had two bites Of the papardelle but they took it and never asked what was wrong or to do anything to help. The wine was never chilled and was hot the whole time. We had to add ice cubes all night. It was apparent they never chilled the bottle. I'm pretty sure no manager was there and they haven't been properly trained. Not a great reflection on the group of restaurants. read more

I would have loved to give this place 5 stars, but service was pretty slow when we were there. It's very possible they were short staffed due to Covid, so I'd like to give them benefit of the doubt. The food itself was easily 5-star on Yelp. Started with the Brussel sprout appetizer which was crisp and flavorful. My friend had the mussels which were in an Indian curry which looked and smelled delicious. For mains, I split the goat cheese tortellini which was decent (not my fave) and the secreto pork dish which sat on roasted potatoes. Highly recommend the pork dish... is was demolished. I didn't have it, but the chorizo carbonara and the steak looked solid. For drinks they have a large wine list. If you are sitting on a bottle at home (that is a sunk cost), they also offer a $25 uncorking fee if you wanted to bring it! read more

Mastrantos - Brussel Sprouts - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Run, don't walk. Best meal I had in 2022. Flavor everywhere. All sauces: fire. Fish- flaky af. read more

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I apparently never reviewed my post since the first time I came here within weeks of their opening. As of my most recent visit, I've now been here 3 times. The only con of this place back then was that portion sizes are small. That remains true, and the strong service also remains true. Everyone's attentive and friendly. I thought it was odd that we were asked three times what we'd like to drink after we said water, but let's chalk that up to talkativeness. Our water glasses remained full. The crudo negro aguachile with raw Argentine shrimp, powder-blasted smoked pepper, and salt crystals was delicious. The waitstaff gentleman who brought it out was also very well-versed and knowledgeable about it. Solid 5/5. I came in because I was craving hard the Bolognese. Unfortunately, this was a disappointment - I'm all for simmering ragu for hours on low heat, but the ragu this time around had overcaramelized - I assume it had been simmering at a higher temp. I also wish it had been heavier on the meat and not as heavily salted. 3/5. I asked for a croissant and a flat white after the meal, and Jamilah came back to say that someone had called in to buy all the available croissant. To my surprise, she brought me a carrot cake on the house alongside my coffee. That was a sweet gesture :) All in all, Mastrantos remains a nice restaurant. I appreciate the management's decision to keep Houstonians healthy but still wish the portion sizes would increase a tad ;) We'll be back! ==== Instantly became a favorite and made it into my Houston's Best collection. My friend suggested the place and for a second I laughed at hearing the name - Houston has had our very own Masraff's, recently adopted a Mastro's from SoCal, and now we have a Mastranto. Maybe it's fate that I fall in love with restaurants whose names start with Mas. And I'm okay with that. Edison-y bulbs light up the walls and the dried lavender on table adds to the warm glow of the whole place. The menu has just 3-4 items on each section - exactly how I like it. And it's good news when 6 items vie for my attention and silently yell, Pick me! Pick me! My friend and I are omnivores who have more than enough love to go around for all sorts of food. She and I considered: - cioppino: seafood stew - snapper crudo - Caserecce Bolognese - thick pasta - sweet potato agnolotti in Gorgonzola cream sauce - Cacio e Pepe - tri-tip with yucca We went with the cioppino, agnolotti, and caserecce. Amazing choices, esp the cioppino. It's new places like this that make me say things like, I really think the Houston food scene is getting more competitive with some of the more globally-known cities'. There have been plenty of restaurants that are good - just fine - but places like this that stand against something like LA's are what excite me. My friend and I walked in at 7pm on Saturday and were able to get a table. I assume that no longer will be the case soon. And I'm okay with that - places like this deserve the wait. read more

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I found this restaurant on the Houston Chronicle's Top 100 and decided to check it out for dinner. It has a cozy and friendly vibe to it. Wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. I love tequenos, so obviously I had to try their TEXqueno. The cilantro sauce and micro greens elevated this appetizer from its 10/10 score to a 12/10. I ordered the grilled butchers cut for my entree. It was a perfect portion. The meat was perfectly seasoned and the grilled yuca was a great match. I also ordered the Taleggio filled Scarpinocc pasta along with their house sangria. read more

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Mastranto's was an overall great experience. The good (and they were GREAT, definitely made up for any cons)-- The ambiance, drinks, arepitas, and braised beef pasta. Areas for improvement are speed of being greeted by waiter and speed to get drink service, even if the food takes longer to be prepared, those two things would have filled the void. It felt like we were waiting a long time the whole dinner. The wild mushroom gnocchi left a lot to be desired, we both felt it was bland. However, the braised beef pasta and arepitas were incredibly delicious!! We will definitely be back. read more

Overall an underwhelming experience. Went on a Saturday night, party of 4. They did not have multiple items listed on the menu. Ordered a Sangiovese - didn't have it. Ordered a Caesar salad - didn't have it. Ordered the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Burrata- not as described. Not heirloom tomatoes and came with sliced mozzarella, not burrata. When brought to the server's attention, he insisted it was burrata. Very strange. Someone ordered a strawberry martini - they didn't have it. She specifically stated she doesn't like frangelico or coffee liqueur and wanted a fruity drink... server comes back with a "special" coffee martini. I appreciated some of the small plates like the grilled artichokes but the pasta sauces were watery and lacked flavor. Attentive wait staff. Decent ambience. read more

Dining in the dark was fun but we wished it was truly jet black inside the blind folds deduct from the experience & we were unable to hear to waiter & announcer give the descriptions. read more

Small, odd Venezuelan+Italian place in the heights. Make their own pastas, however no one was blown away with their selection. Did I mention small? Small tables. Close chairs. They smash you in there, was actually almost uncomfortable to be with 4 people. We had a Venezuelan in our group who was a little puzzled as the the Italian/Venezuelan fusion they had going on. It wasn't traditional Venezuelan and it wasn't traditional Italian, it's their own attempt at trying to blend the two. With lack-luster confusing taste results unfortunately. Starter: TexQueno, 3 pieces of lukewarm cheese with a thin puff pastry outside, with a nothing-special-about-it sauce that detracted from the enjoyment, more than it added. Might have been better if it was piping hot, but was not noteworthy. Skip. Entrees: No one outright complained, but was definitely lack-luster in taste/enjoyment. Pappadelle pasta- the noodle quality was not bad, made in-house they say, al dente, firm, dense, but the sauce just non-existent, not bad just..not worth it. Maybe the one time truffle oil didn't help an entree. I passed it on to my hungry boyfriend, as he will eat anything. His Bolognese, very small portion and it was looked at in disappointment when placed on the table, but gobbled up out of sheer hunger. He said "it's just alright" which is he way of saying, wouldn't order it again. Scarpinocc pasta, also small portion, this was more politely described as "interesting" by the Venezuelan. Waitress was nice, she got our margarita orders wrong, gave everyone the same smoked spicy drink which could have been a bartender fault. All in all, it was an interesting but not-worth it attempt, too small for comfort, not for over 3+ group. Give it 2.5 stars, but round up to 3 since it's not an option. Would not go again, not the place to go if you're hunting for either Italian or Venezuelan food. read more

This was our first visit to Mastrantos, and it definitely won't be our last. The food and service were absolutely fantastic--this place is truly a hidden gem in the Heights. I had the Lamb Ragu and the Croquettes, and both were incredibly delicious. The atmosphere was cozy and pleasantly quiet, making it perfect for a relaxed meal. The staff were super friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Can't wait to go back! read more

The Tagiatelle Birra was delicious - a sharp cheese filled inside a light pasta ravioli. However it was a tiny portion.. barely enough for one person. I would order two next time because it really was not enough food. Would support raising the price point and adding more to the portion. read more

Mastrantos - Tagliatelle Birria - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Do not do it! This place has the most awful service and any half decent food doesn't make up for it. It was a Tuesday at 6 when we arrived and there was one other table. It took 10 minutes before we had someone take a drink order or bring water. We decided to order a couple of drinks and apps and find another place due to this slow service. After we ordered bread and a simple appetizer app with two glasses of wine...we never saw our waiter again. They were too busy hanging out with two "regulars" at the bar to pour wine for the other table or even get us another drink.,.this was for 15 minutes until my wife shouted "hey, can we get our tab". You had three tables get a grip! read more

Always great food and service!! The chefs are always so kind and will typically come around to talk with the guests. Very personable.