Wanted to love this place, but everything fell short of my expectations. The best thing here is of course, the actual fresh pasta itself. But unfortunately, there just wasn't a wow factor to any of the dishes. For the portions, the price was a little on the high side as well. The service was okay and they get an extra star for having their own parking lot in the heights, but probably wouldn't be back. read more

One of the best tasting meals I have had in my entire life. 55 years old. Will back on my next visit to the area.

The service is impeccable as they had a very friendly team that was attentive. The long wait for the food was probably the most annoying, and they also do not serve hard liquor at this time because they're still new and are trying to get a liquor license. The biggest complaint for me was that their menu wasn't that filling and I would've like their pasta dishes to have protein added like chicken (it's great if you're vegetarian btw). Their pastas were also consistently very hard, chewy, and too al-dente for my liking. Their drinks were also not that great so just order wine instead (or come back when they have a license to serve hard liquor..). My favorite dish was the pappardelle but if they had cooked the pasta a bit more to make it softer I would've loved it more. I will definitely come back later to see if they've improved. read more

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Very cute place in Heights. Love the seating decor and bathing room wall paper lol. Came here for brunch. The colache with bacon and cream is delicious. The bakery here is quite good too. Feels like homemade everything. read more

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Service was generally pretty good, although for those still sensitive to COVID, I will warn you that the indoors area is pretty cramped and communal, so that may or may not be a factor for you. Nice outdoor seating area if you can get it. Unfortunately, the food was pretty mediocre. Carrots on Carrots - the actual carrots were brutally undercooked - I like my vegetables to have plenty of texture, don't get me wrong, but these were either not good quality vegetables to begin with, or they just didn't have sufficient time. The carrot hummus was overly salty and not as good as chickpea hummus. Not a great concept. Brussel Sprouts - on theme, these were not cooked enough. Some sprouts were virtually raw, which is pretty unacceptable. Flavors good though. Baked Burrata - super disappointing, because buratta should be hard to get wrong if you buy good cheese and put it on a plate, but this was tough, stringy and bland. Very sad. Ragu - worst dish of the night. Watery, bland and microwave-meal like, no Italian restaurant should serve Bolognese this depressing. Steak and Kimchi - steak was fine, in that it's hard to really screw up a steak, but the rice and kimchi combo left a lot to be desired. Again, very disappointing. Dessert - carrot cake was good, chocolate ravioli was okay but very hard to screw up putting a ton of Nutella and ice cream on a plate. Overall, hard to recommend. Maybe just an off night for the kitchen but you would figure Friday night would get the A-team! read more

Nice ambiance and great service. Hostess was great help with a smile. Music was easy listening

Great small bites! My wife and I went there to try it out the other day. We had the TexQueño, Brussels sprouts (always gotta try the Brussels at places), & the H-town chorizo carbonara. Would recommend each one. If your around the area and want to try a new place, try out Mastantos. read more

I can't begin to say how wonderful this place is. Made a reservation here to celebrate my husband, who just finished up his masters degree. The thing is I thought I had made a reservation (I guess I never did click that final button) but the hostess who greeted me didn't miss a beat and seated us quickly. The true pleasure of dining here is the whole experience. This is not a place to simply order, eat, and go. It's meant to be a place to gather, to indulge and to savior good food. Multiple times, the chef came out to talk to us, offer his recommendation, and engaged us in stories of the creation of some of the dishes we had. Even the waitresses had their own stories to share. It truly has the feel of a neighborhood spot. But, all importantly, the food is wonderful! We had the lamb tartare and the nonna's pasta to start. Both were delicious. For our mains, we shared the adobo and the chorizo carbonara. The pork in the adobo is AMAZING---and I'm a Filipina who grew up eating this traditional dish regularly. However, their take on this dish is truly unique. I especially liked the touch of the fried pineapples. For dessert, the waitress recommended the chocolate ravioli. It was a hit as well. We found a new favorite and will definitely be back! read more

Found this place online thought it would be nice to try something new. The restaurant is decorated really beautiful....I would probably change the lights over the booths too bright..takes away from the ambiance of the rest of the place. One thing I appreciated was no tvs..nice to just enjoy without distractions of tvs..the staff were very welcoming. We sat at the bar and the bartender was very social and gave great recommendations. And his drinks were amazing. The food was good..could be more choices but we both had pasta and were quite pleased. The only negative would be the pork belly way too fatty and not cooked quite enough. Overall nice night out.. read more

Homemade pastas and exceptional craft cocktails? Yes please. Chef takes extra care in preparing al dente pasta. Tasty and unique treats. Recommend the salmon with Caesar salad, any pasta dish, and the margaritas. read more

Mastrantos - Margaritas. Best in town. - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Hot and New! Looked for somewhere to eat on Valentine's Day and luckily they had a spot for 8 o'clock! Upon coming in, whoever took down my name and number apparently did not put me on their reservations. "Luckily" someone cancelled their reservation so they were able to fit us in. Super cute little restaurant and perfect for a date! When looking at the menu I was quite unsure because everything seemed like it didn't have much meaty options for me...but boy I was wrong! I enjoyed everything we ordered! --Ball Buster Blend - (4/5) Too bad they didn't sell the pinot noir by the glass. I settled for this, which was the closest to "by the glass" red wine that wasn't too dry. --Baked/Grilled Oysters - (5/5) Different, but good. Creamy sauce and oysters cooked to perfection. This was not on their regular menu, it was on their valentines dinner menu that was set. --Snapper Crudo - (4/5) A little kick to it, garlic, onions, some greens, and super hard dried squid. A tad citrusy with fresh snapper. --Grilled Salmon - (5/5) Tabbouleh...I love tabbouleh topped with grilled salmon that was super flakey and crispy on the edges. I surprisingly thought this dish was sooooooo good! The right flavors and the sauce to it paired well! --Ragu Bolognese - (5/5) Have you had hamburger helper? This was 10 times better, the pasta was fresh and you can definitely tell. It was al-dente, but some of the pastas were still hard. Ground beef topped with some shredded cheese. Tomato sauce was on point! Service was great, everything went great! I would love to come here during the day to try their arepas and stuff. Looks amazing! =P read more

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The pricing was about right for the area, but not for the food. It is more of a small plate kinda place. The service was slow. Didn't expect speedy but it wasn't that busy. We ordered what they are known for and was disappointed. The biscuit was hard as a rock and the pork belly was over cooked. Even the bacon was over done. Others may like some of the different items, but a guy next to us ordered a $20 old fashioned and didn't drink it. That about sums up the visit. read more

My husband broke his usual gluten-free diet specifically to eat the freshly made pasta at Mastrantos.* He got the black coconut curry linguini and I got the salmon, which was cooked flawlessly. I enjoyed the barley tabbouleh on the side. He tried a glass of Argentinian Malbec from the small but thoughtful wine list, and loved it. I think thoughtful is a really great word for Mastrantos - from the carefully selected menu, to the decor and service - you can tell a lot of thought was put into it. I can't wait to come back for brunch! *(Apparently, sometimes freshly made pasta is less detrimental to your digestive system if you're gluten sensitive, but not celiac.) read more

Mastrantos - Perfectly cooked salmon with barley tabbouleh, sauces on the side. Coconut curry black linguini in the background. - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came in for the brunch,...loved the vibe inside when we walked in...the have lovely plants at the entrance, as well as hanging plants above the bar...I loved the touch of green...sat at a table, they are pretty squished together, reminded me of being in NYC, which is fine...I know us Texans like our space lol...we were greeted by our friendly server....we ordered a couple of the egg options, mine came with the house biscuit, and it was so good, probably my favorite...the jam with it was perfection. It has a great brunch, try it soon if you haven't. read more

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What a truly delicious dinner we had at Mastranto's last night! Four of us enjoyed dinner there with good wine, excellent service, and outstanding food. After sharing appetizers, we each ordered a different pasta, and all enjoyed every bite. Highly recommend this excellent restaurant. read more

New chic family style restaurant in Heights. I walked in on a Friday evening around 6pm and got seated immediately. We ordered cabernet for drinks and roasted beets for appetizer. My friend fell in love with the dish! The menu was inventive though short! I went for grilled salmon and my friend got the Tri-tip rub. Both these dishes were excellent. And then comes the best part - desserts. I wanted something light and tropical anmy friend was in the mood for something decadent. So, we got both the passion fruit mousse (looked lovely!) and Pavarotti cake! Both of them were fantastic! The service is super friendly as well. I have only superlatives to describe this spot!! Do stop by!! read more

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Service was not good Bartender never said anything was wait ted by a server We paid but later chased by waiter outside that we hadn't paid which was uncalled for We did pay another wait staff because waiter never came Bartender singing out loud Cook taking chef coat off while cooking What's going on here this place was awesome Food was good but service is lacking and staff not engaged Not returning to this "crazy's running the asylum" As owners no longer watching their establishment Hope it gets better read more

Everything was delicious. Food was, DELICIOUS! We had for dinner Chorizo Carbonara, pesto gnocchi and the Chocolate Ravioli for dessert and it did not disappoint. Service was amazing, super attentive. read more

Mastrantos - Pesto Gnocchi - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

We tried coffee and pastries for breakfast at Mastrantos, and it was fantastic! I really want to go back for dinner because breakfast was just so good--the only bad thing is that they don't take reservations, which makes me way less likely to return... (I couldn't find them on OpenTable, so I called--they won't let you make a reservation but will put you on a "priority list" with no guarantees...) The chocolate-nutella croissant was out-of-this-world. Unlike most Houston breakfast spots, Mastrantos makes its croissants in house, and their croissants were probably the best croissants I've had outside of Paris. They were flaky and soft at the same time and stuffed with tons of chocolate/nutella. And the latte was great as well. read more

My dinner at Mastrantos was average. I would recommend the bureaus appetizer and the mussels-but in all honesty, the pasta- which they are known for was nothing to write home about. We tried the ragú and the veggie pasta but they lacked flavor and depth. I was unimpressed with the main course and expected more. read more

While visiting Houston from Oklahoma City, we had dinner in Mastrantos and was AMAZING!!! Chef Tony had us share multiple dishes and the experience was great. I loved their twist to the cioppino soup and the curry pasta. The wife loved the carrots over carrots and their variation of the tri tip over yucca root. The passion fruit mousse was a REVELATION. We were completely MASTRANTIFIED. Came back for breakfast the following morning, and the arepas and veggie cachitos (kolaches) exceeded our expectations, wish they had more flavors for the arepas. Definitely a must visit while in the heights area. Hope they open one in OKC soon!!! read more

Only got Cachitos. They are wonderfully delicious. All bread is made in house, semi sweet dough pairs well with the saltiness of the ham and cheese. The same goes for the bacon and cream cheese. They are small and not very filling. They are stuffed with meat inside, no skimping there. The cheese isn't noticeable to the eye, the flavor is all there. I waited about 10 minutes for these two tiny snacks, worth the wait, the workers are cool. Not pushy and let's you have personal space and gives you time with menu. I would come back here to try more of the menu. People tend to swing by for quick coffee and a pasty. Nice spot. Nice location. I like the size and feel of this place. They got something food going over here. read more

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A Couldn't tell you about the food. We arrived at noon for our reservation . We waited for over an hour for our food and then left. Service was horrible. We will not return. Would not recommend to anyone. No reason for poor slow service. There are too many choices in the Heights to revisit this place. Fix your service and treat your customers better. read more

We came here Friday evening and were very impressed. Beautiful little restaurant, with well thought out details, knowledgeable staff, and a great menu. Cozy, romantic environment for a date night or catching up with friends. Will definitely be back. read more

Mastrantos - The Chorizo Egg Carbonara - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My partner and I were looking for a place to have dinner after we finished watching a show in the area. We are not familiar to the area, so we look online and we fond this restaurant we good reviews. The reviews fell short in describing how good this place is. Their menu is more than Italian food. It is an modern combination of Italian and Venezuelan flavors. Additionally, the cocktail and wine lists take up three quarters of the menu space. You can't go wrong with the "Texas Summer Fruit" cocktail with rum. Great drink for Houston's summer. "Venezuelan Passion texasqueño" a big cheese stick great starter. We also ordered "3 way brussels with red snapper and an amazing Carrot Cake. The service is excellent, the waitress very cordial and the owner passed by the table serving us too. You have to make a reservation because the place is always busy and the waiting times without a reservation are long. It was a causal discovery that made our Friday night ever better. This place was added to our favorite Houston restaurants. read more

Y'all, this place is legit . You can tell that they put a lot of thought and effort into their menu and dishes. Even though their menu seems to offer fewer dishes than what we're normally used to in Houston restaurants, they surprisingly had enough options that cater to specific diet restrictions/preferences. My family and I had brunch and ordered the Ragu Bolognese, Tijuana Salad, Arepa, Tacos, and Cachitos. They were all very tasty . The bolognese was cooked perfectly al dente just how I like it. Thanks for a great meal Mastrantos! Your staff and service is so kind and welcoming. Will definitely be coming back for dinner. read more

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I really wanted to love this place! It was the cutest little restaurant with easy parking, so our first impressions were great. Unfortunately, though our food and service were good, the food was just "good" and not great. The portions were also pretty small for the expensive pricing. We left feeling kind of "meh" and not necessarily wanting to come back. read more

Been twice so far, once each for dinner and brunch. Great experience both times. Staff was friendly, our entire table was happy both times, and most importantly the food was delish. read more

This place is delicious! Staff was very attentive and educated on the dishes. Everything from appetizers, drinks and entrees were fabulous for brunch. We had an assortment of what our server recommended and were not disappointed. Grab your friends and make a reservation...If you have not been, I would recommend! read more

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Food was delicious, service was amazing 5 stars is not enough to say the least. Emely our server was friendly, thoughtful, and took the time to help us find activities in the area. We were amazed by the welcoming atmosphere. read more

Mastrantos - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food was so bad, my husband even vomited at home right after dinner. He had eaten a bad oyster

I will start off by saying we used to frequent this establishment with friends and ordered pickup for two often, really enjoying the atmosphere and menu. However their recent price adjustments for "inflation" are just absurd. Input costs and logistics have not moved anywhere close to what they are asking, a 140% increase for pasta is a joke (Nov '21 $25 for two bolognese, Mar '22 $60). If this was an actual commodity I would report them for price gauging but since it's not we will be taking our neighborhood social nights elsewhere. To the owners I say you really need to have a think about price elasticity of demand and stop trying to benefit off of "headline inflation". read more

Mastrantos - Online order receipt from a few months ago - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

Really wanted to give this place 5-stats as the food here is fantastic; however the service was very very slow.

Gem in the Heights! I'm fortunate to live walking distance to Mastrantos so I get to enjoy their offerings on the regular. Today was a special Valentine's Day preset menu. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our selections, including the wine pairings and espresso martinis. The atmosphere is chill and the food is great but the hospitality is what brings us back time and time again. The staff is friendly, responsive and prompt and they make you feel at home. The food is unique and a great alternative to the run of the mill entrees at most of the local restaurants. I'm especially fond of the Texquenos and green sauce, the steak and the pork secreto. It's definitely worth a try if you're in the Heights. read more

I don't know how this place is still in business. We came here when it first opened and got cold food at brunch. Knowing that new restaurants have problems we reserved judgment. Came again tonight. Wife's pasta is way underdone and only 5 clams in her dish. My short ribs were served cold. Cold. Their remedy was to reheat! Not replace, not comp, but reheat. Clearly this place will fail. They did comp the cold short ribs. But still. read more

Came by on a Thursday evening to have a few glasses of wine with a friend. Jamila was our server and so sweet and accommodating to our needs! The owner also checked on us throughout to ensure we we were taken care of. It was my first time and I will most definitely be back! Please give them a try if you haven't. Also, order the TexQueños you won't regret it! read more

Mastrantos - Coconut Mojito - Pasta Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

I got the pesto bucatini. It was good but way too salty! Almost inedible. But otherwise I liked the pesto and vegetables in the dish. Ordered through Uber Eats. read more

Service: excellent. Waitstaff are attentive and communicable. Drinks: delicious. Appetizers: refreshing. The pasta entrees... are the reason why this place gets a 3-star rating. Their core business (pasta) was the most disappointing part of the meal. A Houston Chronicle article recommended the H-Town Chorizo Carbonara and you know what, it tasted like something you'd get at Taco Bell, not because it was a Mexican-Italian fusion dish, but it really tasted like a taquito (specifically from Taco Bell, not authentic Mexican food from a mom-and-pop spot) in pasta form. I could not have shoved a plate away from me so fast, I hated it. Mastrantos is pivoting to global flavors, a concept similar to Traveler's Table, and now with the context of their pasta offers, I can see why. It's not... great. read more

Quick service and unique flavors with every dish! Staff was exceptional and the cocktails were perfect every time.

Outstanding service and food, best pastas in town! I will definitely be back with friends/family for brunch. The owners checked on us and asked about our experience - which shows how much they care about their restaurant/product. It's a beautiful and clean place, I felt safe during this crazy time, all employees used masks and were social distancing as well. Check them out, you wont regret it. read more