So the interior is a bit clubby - why do restaurants paint interiors RED? Why does red paint even exist? But the pizza is DELICIOUS. Most of their pizzas are thin crust (and amazing) but they also have thicker Napoletana type crusts if you prefer a slightly thicker crust! And they have TONS of pizza options - including tons of vegetarian choices: Margherita, Moderna, Italia, Quattro Formaggi, Barccio di Ferro, Parma, Piola, Prato, Funghi Misti, Osaka, Houston, Sparta, and Regina Margherita are all vegetarian options! Pizzas are made to order and cooked in a pizza oven - how pizza should be made!!! If you're not into pizza, they have a whole page of non-pizza options on their menu, including appetizers, salads, pastas, and meat entrees. Then they also have desserts, beer, wine, and cocktails! read more

This guys are committed to customer satisfaction, as well as the great products (pizzas) they cook. I arrived 15 minutes before they close and regardless the lateness they took care of my family. Great service, a recommended place to go. read more

I love this place...all of their pizzas are amazing and taste like that actual pizza you get in italy....Also, if you are looking for a low carb meal they have amazing ceviche and carpaccio that is kick ass and zero carbs....The place has an awesome euro vibe... read more

Piola - Their Carpaccio is serious and 0 carbs... Yummy - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Get restaurant with amazing atmosphere. I been going to Piola for over 7 years now and not ones have I had bad service. Their food is consistent on how delicious it is.. I would recommend 5+ stars from my prospective. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

I stumbled upon this restaurant when searching Yelp for an italian restaurant in the Houston area. After seeing that this is was an actually restaurant from Italy, I started dreaming about all of the great italian food I had eaten in Rome, Venice, and Florence! What I would give to eat there the flavorful Italian food again. Then I forced myself to remember that I am in Houston and not Italy, and as good as Italian food can be here, it won't be the same. WRONG! I actually loved this place! First, this place is very contemporary designed. Nice lights, clean area, and perfect for a hangout or date night! Staff was amazing and polite. I think we probably told our waiter to come back like 10 times, because we couldn't decide from all the choices. He also suggested his own ideas. Extremely polite and helpful. Now the best part... the food!!!! !!! !! We ordered a shredded chicken and mushroom pizza. It was great, and flavorful. Now it is thin style pizza, so if that's not your style, you might not think it's good enough. I absolutely loved it, and similar to how pizzas were served in Italy. Secondly, we had the Gnocchi Pompei. Tasty, juicy and took my straight back to Italy! The gnocchi is great here. All in all, it might to be the best Italian restaurant for the price in Houston. It's not expensive and they do have lunch specials. Definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

Piola - Pizza with shredded chicken and mushrooms! Gnocchi Pompei in the background - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Sadly, I was a little disappointed with my experience at Piola last night. I use to visit often when they first opened in 2013. I lived across the street, so walking over was a breeze! Last night, a girlfriend and I were in the area and up for some good pizza. Halfway through our meal, we find a bug in her salad. And he wasn't small. That wasn't the worse part - management never came to check on us or apologize. As Iv'e said before, customer service is key! Next time Piola, check on your customers and give a face-to-face apology. read more

The ambiance was very comforting when we walked in. Our waitress came to our table shortly after we sat down. Our food was wonderful. The four of us each ordered something different. We all loved what we ordered! I got the lasagna and it was one of the best I've ever had. read more

Hands DOWN for the pizza! Recommended by my lovely Italian friend and she said this is the place where she comes when she misses home. It was busy at Sat night but we didn't wait for a long time. The service is good but we didn't ask for the bread though. Had appetizer and two different pizza plus tiramisu. BEST EVER!!!!! read more

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They have a variety of veggies pizza. Not that good of quality I felt like it was a frozen pizza.

This place really reminded me of our time in Italy...great food and wonderful service in a relaxed atmosphere. My husband and I had lunch here on a weekday so it wasn't busy at all. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather while it lasted. We ordered from the new lunch menu (1/2 salad and 1/2 pizza or pasta as well as a pineapple drink (don't remember the name but it had alcohol), a double shot cappuccino and Tiramisu for dessert. Everything was on point, from the salad to dessert!! We'll definitely be coming back as other Italian restaurants in town just doesn't come close. read more

Piola - Tiramisu ("original" recipe) - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Really love this place! The restaurant is clean and had a fun and stylish ambience. The food is always excellent. The pizza (#97) and the pollo Piola were perfect last night. I've been coming here many times over the last years and it never disappoints. The staff is always very friendly and fast. A must try if you haven't gone already! read more

Piola - Pollo piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Probably one of the most European dining experiences I've had in Houston (as close as you can get here...). The interior has a fun, colorful vibe. Outdoor seating faces the fairly busy Louisiana St, but you should definitely brave the traffic noises if it's nice weather outside! Our server was friendly and helpful, especially when we asked for recommendations. Our food came out surprisingly quickly. The gnocchi, as mentioned in other reviews, is indeed cheesy, pillowy perfection. My sister's Rio de Janeiro pizza did not disappoint, either! Tl;dr delicious food, enthusiastic but not overbearing service, and outdoor seating with a view of colorful apartments across the street! Definitely visiting again. read more

Piola - Cheesy gnocchi, Rio de Janeiro pizza, and Caipiroska! - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not a fan. I've wanted to try this place for a long time and I was disappointed. Pros -location -service Cons Food I was looking for the brick oven pizza and this place did not hit the spot. I ordered pepperoni pizza and a Cesar salad. Salad as overpriced and super basic. Pizza was blah. I will not recommend or return to this place. read more

Piola - So disappointed. ....not worth the time and money - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great pizza, fun decor, DELICIOUS gnocchi! The 29th of every month is gnocchi day: all you can eat gnocchi + a basket of bread for $14.95 in TEN different sauces--the waiters will come around with bowls of freshly cooked gnocchi and drop off spoonfuls on your plate--which is all you need if you're going to eat all ten varieties. I'm a vegetarian and passed on the sauces that included chicken, pancetta, etc. and still left completely stuffed. Heaven in my mouth. There's a large selection of thin crust pizzas and a smaller selection of thick crust. Although I love both, the thick crust has a slight edge for me. I just adore the thick, puffy crust on the Regina Margherita. The thin crust Napoli (anchovies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil) and Parma (eggplant and parmesan) were on the salty side, but still delicious! The Toscanini salad is also worth mentioning--it comes heaped with smoked salmon, hard-boiled egg, brie, tuna, arugula, olives, walnuts, and shrimp! The dressing was eh but everything else pretty much made for the best salad ever. I keep meaning to take advantage of their Ladies Night on Tuesdays ($3 wine) but haven't yet. Seems like they have some good happy hour specials. Only better pizza I've found in Houston is at Pizaro's, and the atmosphere here is way nicer. It's a cute place for a date or dinner with friends. Will be back soon! read more

I've been looking for a good pizza restaurant and I went on Yelp and found this place. Very close to my apartment which is nice. Parking was a little hard to find even though it is located directly next to a parking deck (which is free btw). I got the 1/2 bottle of Pinot Grigio (I went on a Thursday) which was okay, didn't have very high expectations. I started with a half Caesar salad ($7) which was very good. I got the bolognese against my better judgment and I was disappointed. The sauce was too sweet. The meat wasn't chopped finely enough and the sauce is tasted like it came out of a jar. And I personally like a thicker pasta with my bolognese. I wouldn't get that again. I also got the margherita pizza which was good. Their service was good. The atmosphere was nice. I'll be back for a causal night of some nice pizza. Caesar Salad read more

Piola - Bolognese - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Every time I'be come here, I've had the gnocchi. Once with red cream sauce, once with the four cheese sauce, and once on gnocchi night. This isn't my favorite gnocchi I've had, because, in my opinion, gnocchi that is pan-toasted so it is crispy on the outside and fluffy/chewy on the inside is the BEST. However, Piola's is also pretty good. What I like about it is that it's pretty bland (similarly to how tofu is bland and takes on the flavor of whatever it is in) in a good way so it really makes the sauces shine. I wouldn't get the four cheese sauce again because it wasn't that unique/exciting to me but I would definitely return for gnocchi night (this event is pretty packed, btw). From my pictures, you'll see that the sauces I had were: chicken and broccoli cream sauce, tomato cream sauce, tomato sauce, cream sauce with pancetta and mushroom, creamy pesto sauce, cream sauce with bacon and tomato, and four cheese sauce. I passed on the spicy tomato sauce and the tomato meat sauce because they seemed too similar to the plain tomato sauce. My favorite was the cream sauce with bacon and tomato (very similar to carbonara sauce), so next time I go to Piola's I will ask for that one even if it's not on gnocchi night. The service was good too...nothing exceptional but the staff was nice and respectful and not overbearing. I can't think of anything I wish they would've done better. read more

Piola - Gnocchi with tomato cream sauce - not on the menu but made if requested - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Favorite Pizza! Spicy Salami I think number 9! This pizza is the tastiest pizza I've ever had! The tuna is great too! I've tried multiples but these were the only good ones I liked!! Super cool vibe! Artistic layout, 1 pizza per person cut into 4 slices will Probably take one slice home unless your fat! read more

Piola is right next to Jinya, yet somehow I'd never noticed! It's got a completely different vibe from its neighbor. The lighting is better, crowd quieter (9pm on a Sunday night..), no line. We were promptly seated. Wanting something on the lighter side, we tried 2 salad plates (Aristotle + Toscanini) and an appetizer that had eggplant in it.. Everything was delicious and good, and it's just that. The portion size was huge - would recommend sharing (yes I know I just recommended sharing a salad..) if you don't eat that much. I do want to come back and try the other more "traditionally Italian" dishes though, like the pizza and the pasta etc etc. Our waiter told me that they will be removing all items containing seafood off the menu for this upcoming season, as their menu changes seasonally. So a heads up for my fellow seafood lovers ]: read more

The pizza options are great. Crust very fresh. Fun to sit outside when weather allows.

Food was so delicious, but the experience was horrible. I placed a order online and I went to pick it up and the host gave me attitude when I walked in and gave me one bag and I asked her if that was it and she said yes, but when I got home there was only half of my order. I came back to get my order and they acted like it was my fault for only getting one bag. Ngl it probably was my fault but it could have been avoided if they just gave me my order correctly. So, overall good food bad experience. read more

The pizza was just...bland. Not bad, but not great either. The Caesar salad was mid also, and it was $7 for a draft Peroni.

I love this place! I've been coming here for the past two years and their food is ALWAYS good! Typically I order the same pizza (The Honolulu) and I've never been disappointed. Recently I've branched out and started trying their pastas which are just as delicious as their pizzas. To be honest, I thought Paulie's was good but I must say Piola is definitely giving them a run for their money. I highly recommend this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. As an FYI, here's what I've had so far and would recommend: - The Honolulu - Spaghetti All'Antonia - Fusilli Bianco Verde And to add a little on the atmosphere - if you're looking for a chill, clean, (some places aren't) laid back place with the option to sit outside then this may be your place. read more

I always pass by Piola when meeting up my friends at Jinya for ramen. But, I finally decided to stop by to check this place out. We came on a Friday night, and it was surprisingly not that busy. Our waiter was pretty good about telling us the dinner specials of the night and with keeping our water glasses filled. We ordered the Firenze pizza and Penne Cividale. The pizza was nice and crispy. The earthiness of the mushrooms with each bite of our pizza was the best part. As for the penne, the aromatic punches of rosemary and prosciutto were the highlights of this dish. And what's dinner without dessert? So, we ordered the best affogato I've tasted in a while. The last time I said this was probably for the affogato at Cocohodo. At Piola, though, the Lavazza coffee served over the vanilla ice cream was so smooth and aromatic. The combination made for a creamy java symphony. It was so good! Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of our affogato since the presentation was underwhelming. I will have to say that the prices here are quite steep compared to other restaurants that serve the same food. However, the quality of their food partly speaks for their higher price point. Parking is easy in the back garage they share with other businesses, including Jinya. Overall, I will return to try their other dishes. read more

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We had a very good experience at Piola this past weekend. The pizza is Neapolitan style and there are lots of choices to choose from. The four of us got different individual pizzas and each one was excellent. The pizza is cut into 4 slices but is very thin crust so it's not too much food. The reason why I took one star away was due to the drinks. I personally thought they were a little on the small side and tasted a little watered down. We will definitely return the next time we're in Houston. read more

It's an okay Italian place -- if you're looking for something unique and hip, with good Italian food then this is the place to go! But if you're looking for something truly authentic and something mindblowing, maybe this isn't the place to go so much. I've only been here twice, and I've gotten the pasta and pizza both times I've been here. OVerall, the food and the service were both good, but nothing spectacular. It's in midtown right next to Jinya. There is plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors with some interesting bright color choices. I think there is so much on the menu that it can overwhelm you, so I just always stick with simple and classic whenever I come by here. Overall, it's not my first choice in Italian palce, but it will satisfy an Italian craving for a decent price! read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Service was good but food was definitely not worth the price. Everything was pricey and food quality was decent. read more

Piola - Sausage pizza with added pineapple - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

They don't sell pizza by the slice so you are committed to a 12' which is the only size offered. The crust is supper thin but not crisp so this is pizza you can fold. Good, quality ingredients. Service was good but there was no one there for lunch on a Friday. read more

Piola - San Daniele w/Basil and goat cheese. Next time I will ask for chopped basil. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Gnocchi, Gnocchi and more Gnocchi!!! Be sure to stop by for Gnocchi Day on the 29th of each and every month for all you can eat gnocchi is a variety of different sauces. And if you're there during happy hour... who doesn't love $5 glasses on wine, even a super tuscan. They can be fairly busy some nights, but you can get in and out pretty quickly during lunch time. Great food, great service! read more

The place is the bomb! Great food, pizza, salad and beer! We will definitely be back...Great job Piola! read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Cute, quiet, and modern little pizza place in the downtown area. If the weather is good, definitely sit outside and enjoy the view! Love the lights and all the decor inside. * Parking garage available in the same perimeter - if you've been to Jinya Ramen Bar, you know there's a free parking garage conveniently next to it. However, I did struggle to find a spot at 6pm since a lot of people where trying to park for 24 Hour Fitness so have a little patience. *Staff/Service I was nicely greeted by a male host and the lady which turned out to be our waitress. She let us take our time and warmly took our order. Definitely exceptional service. *Food I appreciated the originality and the fresh taste of our pizza!! Ask for Parmesan after it is served and it'll taste even better. Super thin crust, a bit hard to grab because it feels like it's gonna bend and break, yet the taste is exquisite. *Drink A bit dissapointed on my drink. I like my drinks to be proportionately fruity/strong. I ordered the Red Fruits Caipiruska. It looked delicious, yet I felt I took a sip of rubbing alcohol with floating pieces of strawberry. I probably took 3 sips and just drank water because I felt like someone was putting rubbing alcohol through my nostrils/esophagus. Seriously. Regardless, check their pizza out. read more

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They should have a "no meat" option and lower the price. I love this place but I usually always get the pene rosate without the salmon... it's still the same price... $17? For a pasta with no MEAT??? That's just ridiculous. Give us a no meat option and reduce the price a bit... geez. read more

The Margherita pizza was ice cold, raw, and so thin the slices flopped over. Called the restaurant, the man I spoke to didn't even apologize, and he said there was nothing he could do. Horrible experience. read more

Piola - 1. Margherita Pizza: ice cold, raw, & completely falling apart. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

El best carbonara pizza that I've tested... excelente food, very good attention and excellent place. It is not expensive and a good. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We tried their Piola pizza for lunch. It was amazing, the perfect thin-crust, sauce was delicious, and it tasted fresh. The ambience is laid-back. It seems like the perfect spot for pizza and drinks. read more

Went to Piola's for lunch today. They have a great lunch menu, but I went for the Gnocchi Pompei and a cappuccino! Yum!! Will be back soon :) So awesome :) read more

4.5 stars. Once again, I have discovered another amazing place thanks to Yelp! I made reservations for a party of 8 on a Thursday night and we had no problems getting seated. The table was already set up for us even with a few of us showing up 15 minutes prior to our time. Unlike some restaurants I've been to, you can also sit at the table and wait for the rest of your party even if the majority or not all of them have arrived yet. The pizza with Catupiry cheese, artichoke hearts, and hearts of palm was phenomenal. None of us with the exception of one had ever heard of or tried that kind of cheese. It's a very smooth cheese that is a cross between mascarpone and cream cheese. My friends loved it so much that they ordered that cheese on the side and mixed it with their own dishes! I don't normally like pizza crust (or pizza for that matter), but Piola's was the perfect combination of chewiness and flavor. For $14.50, the pizza was on the pricey side but I still had two large slices remaining and happily gobbled that up for breakfast the next morning. Pizza, the breakfast of champions! I also sampled my friend's rich gnocchi dish that consisted of a sauce of brie, mozzarella, gorgonzola, cream, and grana padano. The gnocchi is freshly-made in house but was a tad too heavy for my tastes. He killed his entire meal but will probably order the lighter option of tomato sauce with fresh basil next time. The experience here was excellent with some minor snafus - 1) My friend wanted the beef carpaccio but got a beef salad with overcooked beef. The waiter quickly fixed that problem and let us keep the salad. 2) The bartender was really off that night and made everything incredibly strong. Even my friend who showed up to dinner drunk thought his drink was too strong! We were all glad that we tried Piola instead of trying our favorite Italian pizza place of Dolce Vita. Now we have some choices to make the next time we're in the mood for Italian. read more

Piola - Catupiry cheese pizza with artichoke and hearts of palm - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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After 2 visits in 2 weeks, I'm in luuuuuuurve with this little place. Visit numero uno: Happy Hour with the girls Arrived on a weekday around 6 on a rainy afternoon. The place was fairly empty. We sat at the bar for the 'free food' happy hour. (highly recommend) ... sampled the brushetta, pizzas, various dips & gnocchi. HOLYOMGHELL ...the gnocchi. We ordered off the happy hour menu ... which I found out later changes daily because when I went back for the champagne cocktail I had, it had changed. The cocktails were girly - numerous flavours of bellinis, etc. We ended with wine. Very decent wine selection. Visit numero dos: dinner with friends The pizza menu is not for those with trouble making decisions. Goat cheese, salmon ... various fruit, cheese and meat variations seperated into traditional and non-traditional. The pizzas are somewhere between personal size or split with someone depending on your appetite [and if you're on Weight Watchers or not]. Now for the HOLYOMGHELL moment #2: the dessert cream puffs filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate. AND the lemon ice cream and vodka concoction. Let me be clear: YOU MUST HAVE THE VODKA & LEMON ICE CREAM thinger. As in, stop what you are doing right now and go have it. And then maybe have a 2nd. Other awesomeness: fast service, pizza's are out in less 10-15 min, reasonably priced, adorable decor. read more

Piola - Cream puffs! - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place was gross. My boyfriend & I went here on a date & we both hated it. The pizza was so bland.. I got a vegetable pizza & the veggies were uncooked and super crunchy I had to pour salt on the pizza to get some better flavor. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

About-average Italian food that benefits from being in a cool part of town, Piola is not nearly as good as Giacomo's, or Damien's, etc. Piola is the kind of place that makes you start to do the back-of-the-envelope math on how much of each dollar is spent on atmosphere and ambience and how much is spent on cooking and ingredients. There's enough vegetarian pizza, pasta, and salad: Piola covers those bases well enough. I was catching up with a friend who is leaving Houston soon, and he suggested Piola. I ordered the caprese and the vegetarian lasagna (actual menu name is much harder to pronounce). I believe the vegetarian lasagna was #527 or something: Yes, this is the kind of Italian restaurant with more options than your hole-in-the-wall Chinese sweet spot, or at least lists its menu in teh same way. I appreciate that they look out for my inability to read Italian (sound all the vowels out, and use an accent has been the median advice). No, there are not #527 options, but there are many. The free bread was okay. The tomatoes in the caprese were not very good. They weren't rotten or anything, but they just tasted very plain. The basil wasn't very incorporated. The cheese was wonderful, but I think I'm partial to cheese. The vegetarian lasagna reminded me of an Asian restaurant yet again: it tried to do to much. I think there were like 6 or 7 vegetables slammed in there, making each bite taste very "Happy Family"-esque (those quintessential Chinese dishes that manage to utilize every ingredient in the restaurant... like five meats, eight vegetables, stir fried and served with a side of fried rice) or burrito-ish. I should note that I spent a bit of the meal fighting off small flies (about the size of fruit flies) that were buzzing around inside near my bread. While doing so, I took a look around at the other diners enjoying their evening: mostly people laughing over drinks, or groups of girls getting dinner together. That's got to be worth at least half a star on someone's rubric, just not mine. read more

Piola - Caprese - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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holy pizza, Batman! wow wow wow! BEST pizza I've had in Houston- hands down. EAT IT. Put it in your mouth! NOW just do it! Burrata cheese is my guilty pleasure. Get that pizza for SURE. Simple, understated ingredients that work extremely well together. Very pleasant and knowledgeable wait staff. All around great place. Now if only they weren't located right below my gym......hahaha, I predict I will stop in after working out way more than I should. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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