Impero Italiano

Reviews

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  Gordon 2 months ago

  5.0

  Great place tucked away in a center off Memorial parkway in Houston. The staff speaks English and Italian. Wife and walked in and was greeted with smiles and hello. We were seated promptly. Drink orders followed, while we were looking at the menu and art work inside the restaurant. Wife ordered the Margarita Pizza and Ingot the Carbonara. Both were great. The basil and mozzarella both tasted fresh. The crust was nice and toasty with a nice rise to it. The Carbonara was nicely flavored with a nice amount of Parmesan cheese. The bacon and pancetta was not over powering the flavor in the dish. Wife and I shared a Tiramisu. I think I just found the best Tiramisu in Houston. The Mascarpone was light, fluffy and perfectly blended. The lady fingers were soft and fresh with a nicely flavored espresso. You gotta try this, recommend getting your own though.

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  Shelly Sieger 4 months ago

  4.0

  What a fun and entertaining atmosphere. So vibrant and colorful. The car/ tables are awesome. The food is fantastic and delectable. Authentic Italian at its best. It was a bit disappointing that the cheese wheel was not available during our visit but our other food was fantastic. From fettuccine alfredo to chicken picatta and the order of baby octopus did not disappoint. My only disconnect was the service doesn't seem to be very accommodating. While the bread is complimentary, the dipping oil and spices was quite bland and certainly not enough offered. The menu stresses no substitutions of any kind and there is a page of restaurant policy and rules for families with little children. It just seemed stark and rigid. Somewhat uninviting. That being said, the food is something to be very proud of and the restaurant worth the visit for the atmosphere.

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  Ross Castillo 2 months ago

  4.0

  Good home made Italian food. Great atmosphere, it's like stepping into another world so many cool things to look at. Food is delicioso and I can say the pasta is light different from so many other typical Italian food places, you can tell it's home made same with the bread. Didn't appreciate them running out of some dishes a few hours after opening but I will be back to see if thats a trend.

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  Miguel 5 months ago

  5.0

  This restaurant is delicious!!! I friend recommended and let me tell you, it was like being back in Italy. We order a pizza and a spaghetti with pork. Both were amazing. We definitely adding this place to our favorite restaurants in Houston. The service was also great. Andrea, was very cordial and attended to my wife and I promptly and always with a smile. As I said: Delicious!!

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  Tiziana 6 months ago

  5.0

  I had a wonderful experience at Impero Italiano. The place is small and cozy, with a warm, family atmosphere and a touch of tradition. Since I love gnocchi, I decided to order it on my first visit, and it was the right choice; I enjoyed every bite. I also ordered their homemade limoncello, which was good. My godson really relished every piece of his pizza. The service is special, they give you time to order and enjoy the food. I recommend visiting and giving it a try. I'll definitely be coming back soon. There are still many dishes on the menu I'm eager to sample. Grazie

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  volcanogirl last year

  5.0

  We came for an early dinner and enjoyed the Impero II Pasta that was full of fresh seafood - clams, mussels, and large shrimp in a white wine olive oil sauce topped with ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh Italian parsley. It's a good choice if you're in the mood for something lighter than their hearty lasagna or pizza. Also enjoyed the Caesar salad and shared some tasty homemade gelato for dessert. Service was very good. The interior of the restaurant is colorful and festive - over the top with Italian sports cars scattered throughout and lots of signed sports memorabilia. Very happy to have this family-owned authentically Italian spot in the neighborhood; it's becoming part of our regular rotation, and we look forward to coming back.

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  volcanogirl last year

  5.0

  We brought a friend here for her birthday and had a great experience. My husband and I shared the lasagna; it was delicious and big enough for two to share. Loved the rich, meaty bolognese sauce. We also shared a Caesar salad; the dressing was lighter than a typical Caesar dressing but very good; the salad came topped with homemade croutons and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. Would definitely get both of those again. The staff made a big fuss for my friend's birthday - sang to her in Italian, brought her a cute balloon and a delicious complimentary gelato. All very thoughtful and made her feel special. The only thing we missed was having garlic bread. As an authentic Italian restaurant, they don't serve it, but they will bring you bread with an olive oil dipping sauce if you request it. Highly recommend this spot for lasagna lovers or for people wanting to celebrate a birthday in a fun family atmosphere.

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  volcanogirl last year

  4.0

  We enjoyed dining at Impero. The interior of the restaurant is fun and whimsical with Italian cars and some over the top decor taking up just about every inch of space inside. I ordered the chicken piccata, and it was pretty good. Given the price point of $23, I would have liked for it to come with a side of pasta. My husband had the Italian sausage ravioli which he liked, but the serving of only 5 ravioli seemed small given the price. The item we both loved was the focaccina bread that we ordered as an appetizer; it was delicious - a homemade crust topped with roasted garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, and Italian seasoning. The portion was really generous, and we had enough to bring home leftovers. I also had an Aperol spritz that was excellent and made me feel like I was on a little Roman vacation. We saw a lot of other diners enjoying pizzas, and they looked amazing. Will definitely try those the next time we come back. The owners have a list of posted house rules saying things like once you give your name to the hostess, wait outside. If you stay too long, you may be asked to leave. We aren't fast, so you have to be patient. Just know that going in. This is a small family-owned business that puts a lot of effort into things, and your food probably isn't going to come out quickly. We'll be back again to try one of those amazing pizzas.

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  Lrod2347 last year

  1.0

  If you want to spend money for a subpar meal and service this is the place for you, while the whimsy "Italian " decor and trendy influencer videos depict a true authentic and wholesome experience be prepared to be greet not by the staff but by the page long "house rules", that should've been an red flag alone but alas I was committed to giving it the benefit of the doubt after our wait my stomach was grumbling and pleading for some substance, we were sat and as we searched for those mouth watering dishes we had been waiting to enjoy we were disappointed to see that not only were those items not on the menu, our server was not helpful or welcoming really as if our presence was disturbing his otherwise perfect Saturday afternoon, after some debate we finally settle on starting our meal w the mozzarella en carrozza for the price of 14 dollars we were treated to an whooping 3 pieces of overly greasy and bland mozzarella slices. Not to be detered by this poor execution we anxiously awaited the main course bc it will only go up from here we said, arrive our chicken piccata that was listed for a measly 23 dollars, chump change really in this economy, behold our eyes was a thin sliced of chicken accompanied with 4-5 pieces of artichoke and all you care to eat parsley, puzzled as we were expecting a filling entree and for the price more than a 1in thin piece of chicken breast, imagine our surprise when my wife inquired if this was how the chicken piccata was made with one thin slice of chicken the server shrug and said yes, my stomach grumble in protest as my previously generous appetizer was just a bit of a tease, still yet we said we still have a pizza coming surely you can't go wrong w pizza, finally our pizza was delivered all 12inches of the wrong pizza, not only was it underwhelming and soggy it was the wrong toppings and as soon as it was delivered it was as if the earth had swallowed the staff from the premises not a soul to be found, and my stomach continued to protest, my wife attempt to get the attention of the staff to be ignored, being 90.00 invested in this situation we were left with a choice eat and learn from this or leave. We choose to finish our meal, in silence and disappointment but grateful to have the privilege to have food. If I could give this place no stars that's what I would do. I've microwaved pizza better than this, my wife an Italian no longer will allow me to suggest a nice Italian meal with her when we travel and that is the real loss here the loss of trust and shame I now carry.

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  TXmom2001 last year

  5.0

  Loved the atmosphere and friendly staff and food. Recently returned from Rome and was happy to compare the two. Great Chianti and pizza. Husband’s chicken piccata was good but didn’t come with pasta. Wish we had added it. Cannoli and gelato were not as good as Rome but still good. Would return if ever back in Houston.

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