Oh Piola, how I love thee! I don't know why it took me so long to check this place out, I have heard great things from friends about how delicious the food is here. They weren't kidding! I hate myself just a little for not coming here sooner. Located in Midtown, this is the only Piola in all of Texas. The design of the restaurant is pretty fun. I love how colorful the restaurant is, very cheery, you can't be mad inside here. As soon as you walk in, the bar is on your right. If you sit at the bar during happy hour, they offer complimentary appetizers/finger foods while you sip that yummy cocktail. They do have an outdoor patio, the lighting outside is not as bright as the inside but that will do just fine for me. The past few times I have order the same dish, which was the Brooklyn pizza. The Brooklyn consists of: -Shredded Chicken breast topping (fresh) -Gorgonzola Cheese -Broccoli I like to add the Spicy Sausage (Pepperoni) as an extra also. I think most of their pizzas are thin crust, I wasn't really given an option. But one thing that is an option which I think is SUPER COOL is the fact that you can choose to have a whole wheat crust instead -- just to let you know it's $1.50 extra if you want the whole wheat. I'm trying to be a little healthier, so I went with the whole wheat. I didn't regret it. It was yummy! The food is great, the drinks were good, the service was awesome. I'm a regular here now! My only complain is the space, it's not the biggest restaurant, expect to get to know your neighbors elbows -- because they will be touching. LOL Oh, wait! Almost forgot! Good little tip to know about this place -- On the 29th of every month it is Gnocchi night! On Gnocchi night, you get unlimited amounts of Gnocchi for only $14.95 per person. So come hungry!! :) read more

Piola - Brooklyn Pizza with added Spicy Sausage and Whole Wheat Crust - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been to Piola four times over the last 2 months if that says anything about how much I like this place. It has an airy, friendly vibe and extremely colorful decor as my photos show. However, the main reason I keep coming back is the food. Piola's "Miami Beach Pizza" (topped with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and arugula) is the star attraction for my husband and me. All of their pizzas are handmade and cooked in a wood fired oven. There is not the slightest bit of oiliness or grease on the bottom of the pizza which makes for a crispy, papery crust that I happen to like. I also love their pastas. My current favorite is Piola's Meat Stuffed Ravioli which is slathered in an alfredo-type sauce that is seriously delicious and worth every single calorie. We ended up speaking with one of the owners, Michel, during a recent dinner and he said that their ravioli sheets are handmade by a local Italian lady. Given the perfect taste and texture, I am not surprised. I'm also partial to Piola's gnocchi in cheese sauce as well as their hot polenta appetizer which is served in a ramekin with 2 circles of polenta sandwiching a layer of mouthwateringly good homemade bolognese sauce. As if this wasn't plenty of food, we've also tried their tiramisu and hot fudge brownie with ice cream. I'm not a huge tiramisu fan but Piola's was pretty tasty. However, I can unequivocally say that Piola's hot fudge brownie dish was excellent in every way. It was interestingly served in a fortune cookie shell and drizzled with a semi-sweet chocolate sauce. read more

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It is so colorful. It looks like a box of Crayons (the big boy 128 crayon box, not the little kid box) was set on the floor and zapped with Avada Kedavra, splattering "cherry pie" (Cf. 3000 Miles to Graceland) all over the walls. This place basically takes the gangster flashiness of Guadalajara del Centro's colorful design touches and kicks it up a notch - BOOM! So it is a nice place/fun place; not too serious/formal; and not too adult. See the photos so you know what you are getting into. Think Candyland meets Pee Wee's Playhouse - in the good way, not the demented sex offender way profiled on that episode of Law&Order: SVU. Thin crust for me is hit or miss. I like to eat a lot, so I generally prefer the really big bready crust. That means if I am going to like a thin crust pizza they are going to need to BRING IT with something above and beyond. And at Piola, it has already been BROUGHTEN. During the happy hour: free appetizers at the bar. Okay, meow I am listening. They have alcohol. And it's not socially inappropriate to be drinking, unlike that one time at Chuck E Cheese. The pizza does not leave behind a bucket of oil after you have eaten. That is one of my favorite parts of the pizza. Some pizza places, not all, think that if it doesn't leave a bucket of oil and grease behind on your plate then you have not done your job as a pizza maker. I am glad Piola is with me on this one - oil and grease, and buckets of it at that, are bad. Considering Damian's is over there *points* and Brennan's is over there *points* I do not really have an issue with the pricing, although you should be warned if you were expecting cheap food like an infamous Taco Bell date night, then you are not going to clock in at a "cheap" price. But you are paying for the atmosphere, the zip code, and the nice environment. They actually clean the restaurant - an important part. I am on a mission to try everything on the menu. Will I succeed? We shall see. This is a very welcome, tasty, and colorful addition to the Midtown/Downtown-ish stop-here-on-the-way-home area. read more

extremely upset with my order today i frequently order from piola and always get the Pappardelle Bolognese. I am a college student and this dish is typically a comfort dish during stressful times and i have ordered it over 10 times. I'm currently tutoring, doing medical research, taking classes, and studying for entry exams and cannot afford the time to dine in. when receiving my order today my pasta had 1 tablespoon amount of Bolognese sauce and came with zero bread which i know is always included. their disservice to door dashers just because they do not have to please an inface costumers and face repercussion for bad service is unacceptable. Especially when the order cost me 23 dollars if a tablespoon of ground beef is 1/16 of a pound i paid 368$ a pound for ground beef. This place use to be worth whatever ridiculous 33$ dollars on door dash but after this i will never be taking my business here again these words lack to communicate how disappointed I am with this restaurant. read more

Did a doordash order. My dasher had to wait about 5-10mins. Food arrived cold like sat in the fridge all night cold and this what my margarita pizza with pepperoni. Basil not even on the pizza. read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

A solid 4 starts for its pizzas and garlic bread for dinner. The house wine was on. The serving lady was great.

Randomly saw this place while eating at Jinya and decided to finally try it out. The restaurant has a fun and unique ambiance. The service was okay, my table and I had to flag the waitress every time we needed a water refill and she didn't really check on our table. The pizza was good. Everything is made to order. The margherita pizza was the absolute best out of all the pizzas we ordered. The carbonara was good but wasn't a fan of the type of bacon they used. The Salvador was good too but it was a little dry. I know it says no tomato sauce but I was hoping they would've put a white sauce on it. It was all cheese so it got tiring quick. Overall everything was good. I would come back to try other pizzas. read more

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Great salads... I have a confession. Im addicted to the Roka Cabana Salad (with modifications of course)... I love this salad, but substitute the mozzarella for Grana Padano cheese and get the red wine vingerette (which is green by the way). The medley of ingredients makes for an awesome vegan salad!!! Whether I call in in to go or eat it there. The quality is the same. Yhe salad is very filling. These aren't your ordinary Salata-like salads, in that this salad is like gold.... It's twice the price, but worth every bite (and some after that). When you order to go, your order comes with hot bread, which would be great if there were butter or olive oil and spices. Maybe that is available upon request. read more

After hearing so much buzz about this place, we finally had our dinner club grace the premises of Piola. Immediately, we dive right into an assortment of pizzas and the gnocchi. Environment: Very casual yet lounge-like, very trendy with lights and very contemporary decor. Food: The pizzas were a mixed bag. The favorite was definitely the carbonara... bacon... egg... cheese... different... yellow... meaty... DELICIOUS. It was like a hearty breakfast on a pizza. The Pompeii and the Margarita were okay. The Firenze was pretty good if nothing spectacular. The gnocchi lived up to the billing as those pillowy soft potato dumplings melted in my mouth. The dessert of cream puffs with ice cream topped with chocolate syrup came with high expectations, but we found the puff to be decent, but the most underwhelming element. Bottom Line: We liked it overall, but there were some elements that were stars and some that were somewhat disappointing. read more

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Just left the gym and oh my the smell of the food around is just luring you in!! Well I was looking for a quick dinner after a great workout so I finally gave Piola a try since it seems to be busy when I go for ramen. I know it defeats the purpose of the workout, but hey at least your metabolism is kickin' HAHA Well I ordered a plain simple pepperoni pizza cause I wasn't feeling fancy and the gf ordered a Miami pizza with added pepperoni. By the way, it cost like 3 or 3.5 for the additional pepperoni. I guess it's not so bad but the pizza comes out to be like 17 anyways. The pizza was yummy, and the I love the thin crust. Delicious and fresh. I mean I love pizza, usually with lots of marinara sauce and less cheese but these pizza were good. I haven't found my most favorite pizza place on earth yet but Piola is good. The outdoor patio was packed so we sat inside. The service was good and the food came out in timely manner. No complaints there. In the Midtown area and want pizza, give this place a try! Also, it's walking distance from bars in the Midtown area. read more

Piola - Miami - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My oh myyyy. I saw all the gnocchi options and new I had to try it! Turns out, when you get there, the whole menu begins to look appealing so we actually ended up getting the verde salad, beef ravioli in pink sauce and the Odessa pizza (goat cheese, onions, and shredded chicken instead of prosciutto all over an Alfredo sauce). The food was EXQUISITE!! Between the fresh, tangy salad to the creamy pasta and flavorful pizza, we couldn't stop eating!! I can't believe I've walked past this place a million times and never gone in. I can't wait to go back for all you can eat gnocchi read more

Piola - The 265. Odessa and Beef Ravioli mamma Rosa - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

LOVE piola. My favorite pizza place in the city. Make sure to go for gnocchi night on the 29th of each month and ask for half scoops so you don't fill up before trying all the flavor options. They don't allow to-go boxes for gnocchi night so careful your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach! read more

Great food, clean ambiance, awesome customer service, cozy place to go with friends, family, and date. It is worth it to try :) read more

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I went during happy hour and got a $5 wine! We also got the meat balls to go along with that . The meatballs were a 10 out of 10! They are not only big and juicy but the flavor is there. I added extra pepper flakes because I like my food spicy but it honestly could've done without it. I can't wait to go back here and try the pizza. read more

Piola - a pizza and drink bar with a tv in the background - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This pizza is delicious, reminiscent of the best pies in Philadelphia. If you haven't been to Philly, let me explain...Thin crust, such that if too many ingredients are piled on - the weight is to great for the dough, good sauce, not overly cheesy. The price is rather high for what it is - pizza and salad plus tip have cost me nearly $40. The staff is friendly, though, which helps you forget the sting of sticker shock. read more

Our second time here. The service at Piola is always excellent. The waiters/waitresses are courteous and knowledgeable. They definitely deserve good gratuity. I like the restaurant decor. It's a warm and inviting dining atmosphere that will set the mood, especially in the winter. Piola also has a full bar inside the restaurant. They recently changed the menu layout here. I believe they reduced the number of items. We got Polpettine Piola (Meatballs in tomato sauce) for starter and Honolulu pizza. Both were excellent. The meatballs are chewy and blend with the tomato sauce just right. But the bread that comes with the dish is a bit hard. Honolulu comes with 5 big pieces of pineapple and hams. They cut the pizza in four slices. The pizza is made with fantastic dough and you can't go wrong with thin crust either. It has minimal amount of grease. Top off with crushed dry peppers to compliment the flavor. Very good experience. Will definitely come back. read more

Piola - Honolulu pizza - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Ladies Night is every Tuesday from 7PM-11PM. All wines by the glass are $3! (HH is $5 by the glass!) I arrived here about 8:30 with a friend of mine. We both get seated pretty quickly, and our waitress informs us about the ladies night. The restaurant was not packed. They even have outdoor seating, which is always a plus in my book. My friend ordered a Mango Sangria, which isn't part of the $3 deal. I ordered the Chardonnay. Their Mango Sangria looked more sprite like - didn't try it though. Pizzas: Mantova (4/5): Brie cheese topped with fresh arugula, diced tomatoes and carpaccio, thinly sliced raw fillet of beef. The waitress recommended this to me. At first, I thought I would regret ordering something raw. I wasn't disappointed. This is a messy pizza due to the raw beef, so I would recommend eating this down with a fork and knife. Everything balanced, nothing overpowering the other. If you want to try something different, I suggest the Mantova. Copenhagen (3/5): Brie cheese topped with smoked salmon and a dash of parsley. I tasted more cheese than salmon. The slices and amount of salmon given didn't do it for me. My friend enjoyed it though because she is an avid cheese lover. This pizza was easy to eat, no mess. You can request whole wheat pizza for an additional $1.50 by the way! The only downside is that you cannot do half/half of different pizzas. To finish everything, I recommend profiteroles. It's a cute place - very colorful. It isn't too loud, average. Staff was attentive and great. I would come back to try the other pizzas. (They have other options besides pizza too!) read more

Piola - Mantova - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Pros: Italian style pizza. Good non alcoholic drinks. Pillow soft, fluffy gnocchi. Cons: parking is a pain even with the attached parking garage. Service is not exactly bad, but not very friendly either. Imagine attractive, sour faced waitresses. read more

Piola - Sister eating lucky gnocchi. I'm eating Miami Beach pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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

Daughter One moved into a new apartment in midtown yesterday so Daughter Two and I were there helping out while One and Mom were out running errands. Decided to take a break for lunch and ordered pizza delivery from Piola as it was nearby and we had heard good things. The pizza was great! We had a Carbonara with added sausage. Loved the wood fired crust. It reminded me of the pizzas we would get when we lived in France. Very authentic crust and delicious toppings. I look forward to trying them for dine in soon. read more

I ordered the cauliflower crust sausage pizza and it's cost $23 This has to be worst piece of crap pizza I have ever eaten . This is my once a week indulgence and now I want to throw up. Threw half of it away . If you want a cauliflower crust pizza, I recommend mod pizza ( way better at half the price) read more

Update: 11/21/17 Thought it's been awhile and decided to give Piola another try. Well.. rating is definitely still the same. We came on a Saturday evening and I forgot how small this restaurant is! So few tables and there was definitely a wait, though they were able to seat us earlier than anticipated. We were starving so we ordered the Roka salad with the pistachios - pretty bland if you ask me. The mozzarella was bland, the dressing wasn't enough, lots of arugula and tomatoes and pistachios on top. We had to ask for balsamic vinegar on the side cause it definitely needed more flavor, but the salad was definitely on the larger side. We also ordered two pizzas - the como (porcini mushrooms and prosciutto) and the one with the spicy salami and mozzarella. I liked the spicy sausage one - though the crust was slightly underdone and would've tasted a lot better if it was left in to brown a little longer. Very flavorful and a bit on the greasy side - but a good thin crust pizza overall. The como was a bit too salty for me - probably cause of the prosciutto - but the crust on this one was done better. A little inconsistency with cook time it seems. My boyfriend also ordered the mama's lasagna - again we both thought it was on the bland side and lacked that tangy tomato sauce flavor. We both didn't particularly enjoy this dish. Overall, service was a bit slow. We had to flag our waitress and another waiter had to remind them to refill our drinks. A little overpriced for the serving size. Pizza reminded me of Italy - except for the fact that it was a tad over seasoned and salty. The salad and lasagna a bit bland. Ok experience - nothing to rave about and nothing I would crave to come back for. -------------- This is a nice colorful restaurant but the food is mediocre. There's nothing spectacular about the pizza here. Was under impressed for over priced food. read more

It hurts me to give Piola just 2 stars instead of 5. Their gnocci is amazing, and the there's tons of value during lunch hour when choosing their salad + pizza/pasta combo. Food and price has always delivered 5 stars every time I've been there. It's the little details where Piola falls flat on their face and unfortunately why they will keep losing customers to the other incredible restaurants that are right next door. Little details like serving stone cold bread only when asked for, or the bartenders not having a clue how to make even the most basic of drinks (e.g. Bloody Mary's? Go to Jinya next door if you want to have something that's not just tomato juice and vodka). Service is OK, although sometimes I feel like the waiting staff is just bored all day and I feel like a nuisance more than a customer when I come in to eat. It's a shame really. The food is so, SO good, but it's being dragged down by lack of basics that could make Piola GREAT and have a line outside its doors at prime hours, just like its neighbors. Hope someone in the management team takes 5 minutes to read this review and implement some changes at the restaurant soon, otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised if this location ends up closing and another place opens up in its place. read more

Piola is fairly close to our house and yet I have never tried it until tonight. And after trying it I feel like my Houston pizza life has been missing out!!! I could have been eating Piola for years and I really wish I had been! We ordered a 12 inch pepperoni pizza and a side order of bruschetta. The pizza was amazing!! The sauce is sweet and a little tangy and the CHEESE is very tasty! Pepperonis have a nice spice to them, I wish they were just a bit crispier though. We came in late on a Friday night, it wasn't too busy and our pizza was out within minutes and still perfectly cooked!! read more

Piola - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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

The pizza here is simple. Amazing and has so much flavor and interesting combinations. I really loved the ambiance, service, food, and wine. Everything was really good. Very Italian. 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 really liked the ambiance of this place. We sat at the bar and it was empty due to the time so the service was on point. The pizza was great! read more

If you're looking for a quick bite, this place is reliable. Inside is clean and colorful- sort of hip with a modern edge, and the staff are friendly and extremely nice- making for an easy hangout. We ordered two pizzas (Carne & Compagnia and the Ortomisto) and two other dishes (Gnocchi Legnano and Pollo Piola). Overall, the food is decent. I wouldn't say great, but it's alright. Despite being eaten quickly, the pizza easily becomes soggy, and the toppings sometimes taste dry. Not my favorite pizza place, but definitely not the worst. The pasta isn't too bad either, however since the menu claimed 30 years of perfecting pizza, I was definitely expecting a lot more. Personally, I wouldn't go here again, because there are a lot more options out there that are better. Was a bit surprised by the four star average. read more

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This is my absolute go to for pizza in Houston. Owner is excellent and friendly ..... Will and Kristina never forget a face and always greet you with a hug and a huge smile . Patio is nice when it is not hot . I recommend the Spaghetti .... different and magnificent ! I am a pasta snob. Also , happy hour cannot be beat ! 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

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

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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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

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

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

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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