Nino's

Delicious! My husband and I ate at Nino's for the first time last night. It was a great experience. The staff was really friendly and professional. The food was wonderful. I got the Mezzaluna and a salad. My husband got the Pollo Angelina and it was delicious as well. If you're looking for a good Italian restaurant, go to Nino's. more

HORRENDOUS service! I can't believe this place is still in business with the way they treat patrons. Went here for a 9-month-pregnant friend's birthday with a group, and the restaurant couldn't handle it. Took an hour to get my first glass of wine, and didn't get my second glass until our check arrived. Service was sloooooow all around, but what really pushed me over the edge was that we were told AFTER the single check was brought that the restaurant ""doesn't do split checks."" I spoke with the manager, asking him to work with us, since our group was not informed of this prior to our meal, but he made no attempt to right the situation. It took us another 45 minutes to go through the bill and figure out who ordered what food and drinks, calculate the tax and 20% (!!!) mandatory group gratuity, and then wait for our server to run all the cards. By this point, our sweet pregnant birthday girl was exhausted, and the manager NEVER came up to apologize. I was so shocked that I sought him out on our way out the door, and explained my frustration. All I got was a shrug and a ""Sorry."" I will never return, and would not recommend this place to my worst enemy. more

We had a reservation for 7 and were told they were running late. I asked 3 times how late and was never given an answer, finally my husband asked and was told 40 min.. We ordered drinks I ordered a glass of wine and the pour was so small (about 2oz) I asked about it an was given an apology and a bigger pour. For $12 I would expect a decent pour. My friend ordered a coke and when it finally arived was told they ran out of clean glasses so she received a coke with ice and a warm glass. There was no special event just complete confusion and disorganization. We have been here befor and were not overwhelmed with the food but thought we would try again. I will never go back. There are too many good restaurants in Houston to waste time and money here. more

Be prepared for food you will need to send back if you like your entree hot, pretentiousness, rude manager (Steven) and a dining experience to be avoided. The prices are so high anything short of perfection is not acceptable. The place claims to be authentic Italian but let's call a spade a spade: Pretending to be Italian with the same Latino work force - front and back of the house - that dominates the Houston restaurant experience. Perhaps NIno's could hire a real Italian? Maybe an American-born Italian for good measure? Void of authenticity and charging out the butt for their ambiance, they can't claim to be something they are not. Wine is about $12 per glass. Homemade pizza takes like it's frozen. My main gripe - I willingly came here - is luke-warm food doused in garlic no matter what you order. more

The food was ok kind of blah, way over price for what you get. Atmosphere great, but our server Salvatore was ""gross"" his general appearance was horrible and had bad breath. Then on top of everything when asking about wine choices ""Sal"" was extremely pushy, it as obvious he had a set agenda to sell a certain wine.\r \r I recommend one of the other family restaurant!\r Pros: location and atmosphere Cons: pressure sale for ""their"" wine more

I am in the food industry and I've heard about this restaurant couple of times and how good it use to be, and how it’s been there for a long time, so I decided to visit and decide for myself.\r The food was good but when you factor in the price it becomes OK. We got 1 Appetizers 2 Entrees @ $74, and when I asked the waiter for wine suggestion it seamed that I had to talk him (auctioneer) down for a $54 bottle of wine. I know I can visit mush nicer Restaurants in the immediate surrounding area and get mush better food, better service, and better wine suggestions for the same price.\r One manager was the rudest person I’ve ever seen, cursing some employees after having a brief conversation with a gentleman that has a white beard.\r I should have listened to some people that told me afterwards I TOLD YOU.\r Ladies and Gentlemen there are a LOT of BETTER Places in Houston TRUST ME a LOT BETTER. Pros: Worst service in town Cons: Dont care attitude more

They didn't have the 1st 2 bottles of wine we wanted. My out of town guest from Rome told the waiter she ordered linguini but was given spaghetti. The waiter disputed her and told her it WAS linguini. Another guest received his food 10 minutes later that ours, cold, with no apology. We had to repeatedly ask for bread. We sent the bill back twice as it was $125, then $75 too much on the bill. Again, no apology was given. Food was mediocre, prices exorbitant and the waitstaff ignorant and unfriendly. $200 later we were just glad to leave the place. Cons: nice room decor more

My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine's Day. He made reservations for 6:30 and we got there a little early and were seated right away. I was expecting things to be really hectic because it was Valentine's Day and I had read the reviews on this website. Our experience was anything but. The waitress was very attentive and quick. I ordered the scampi fettucine and my boyfriend ordered the chicken marsala. He loved his dish and said the chicken was very tender and the sauce was great. Mine was pretty good as well. We both had a glass of their California Riesling wine which was outstanding. For dessert I ordered the creme brulee. It had more of a mashed potato texture to it (very whipped and smooth) than I am used to but it was still very good. It had raspeberries inside of it as well. My boyfriend ordered the flourless chocolate cake which was basically like a mousse. It was very rich and had a coffee taste to it. \r \r The whole setting of the restaurants is really neat and very Italian countryside. All and all, we had a nice experience there. Pros: Great ambiance, service, food and wine more

After going to Nino's at lunchtime a couple of weeks ago (and having received great food and service on that occasion), I decided to take my family back for a post Thanksgiving carbfest on Saturday evening.\r \r The restaurant was clearly busy - and it took them 20 minutes to seat us (we had an 8.00pm reservation). However, once at the table, and after waiting another 25 minutes or so, we ended up having to go find a wait person to actually order any food and wine - as no-one had come by or acknowledged our being at the table.\r \r Once we had that sorted out, the food arrived in good time, and was super - lasagna and chicken marsala particularly notable. Reasonable portions - everything very fresh tasting. Oh - and lovely bread.\r \r We also had desserts - with the creme brulee being a particular favorite - like eating clotted cream with a hint of raspberry - delicious!\r \r \r Pros: Great food, great location (you can park behind the restaurant), good ambience Cons: Service (at least at the busy times) more

Nice little area of 3 restaurants, wood burning ovens, rustic hardwood floors, great Italian food........this is odd for Houston to have such charm, but you can get it at Nino's/Vincent's/Grappito's. My husband and I were looking forward to a cozy dinner with wine but lots of ppl around at the same time. When we got there, it was perfect....just what we wanted. HOWEVER, the service ruined it for us.\r \r I cannot remember the last time I've received service this poor. The hostess was only ok. Once seated, the waiter first seemed very good and friendly. However, he walked off with our wine list. We asked for it back as we were ordering entrees......only he never came back to take our wine order. WE received our entrees and had never had the opportunity to order our wine. We ordered wine from the waiter who delivered our food. The wine never came. Eventually, I went to the bar to get a water refill and ask for our wine myself. Our waiter never returned to check on us or realized that I got our wine myself. He seemed to be running around serving hte entire bar area. But i realized that he was visiting all tables but ours. So we decided not to order dessert.\r \r The table had an advertisement on it to go to Grappito's for dessert. So we decided to do that. We told the host that we just wanted coffee adn dessert. He said that they do not have dessert menus, but he'd get the dessert tray for us. A waiter then came to get our coffee order. The host never came back with the dessert tray. I ordered coffee, whcih they had none so I had to get a specialty coffee drink. We finished our coffees before our waiter ever came back for us to tell him that we never saw the dessert tray. Needless to say, we didn't stay for dessert here either.\r \r Usualy service is rushed or slow. In this case, it was disorganized. Food with no wine. no coffee, no dessert. Very friendly waiter, then no sign of him. Pros: Parking, ambience, food Cons: Service more

Ninos atmosphere is dark and rustic. Be sure to watch your step going to the bathrooms, they are located in a dark corner and you cannot always see the step to get up on the platform where they are located. Also there is only one toilet so you have to wait out in the hall. Wait staff is decent, I had the salmon with risotto. The Salmon was good but I didn't like the flavor of the risotto. This restaurant is located among a complex of three and behind the buildings is an outdoor area for dinning. They have a live band on Saturday nights. This is a good place to take your date for a casual or moderately nice dressed evening. Its not on the scale of Marks. Pros: Unique Arrangement of Buildings Cons: Only one bathroom toilet, not lighted very well, difficult for older people more

Overall we had a good experience at Nino's. The grouping of restaurants has a unique feel, and that alone makes it worth checking out. The food was good, but the atmosphere is what really makes the place. My only complaint is that the manager was rude and was unwilling to resolve a problem. I would expect a higher level of customer service from a restaurant of this quality. Pros: Plenty of parking, good atmosphere, authentic food Cons: No split checks, alright customer service more

Someone suggested Nino's, I searched the place, looked at their minue and decided it would be a good day to take my friends who are visiting from out of town there for dinner. We didn't have reservations but called inan hour before we got there. They were able to get us a nice table. At first, the waiter wasn't very friendly but as the night went by he got better. There are not many choices in the menue but hey all nice places are like this. \r \r I loved the atmosphere. It was crowded with nice music and good looking people. The crowd were mostly in the older range of age. We had fun. Food was great and worth the money. One thing we didn't like is that you can't split the check which can be a hassel if a large group of friends are going there together.\r \r Overall it was nice and I am sure going there again. Pros: Good atmosphere, music, and yummy food Cons: parking was a hassel, can't do split checks more

Our favorite Southern Italian restaurant in the city for years. Usually perfect, sometimes not perfect but that sounds like my wife! Could only be better if I ran it. (Sound like you?) Get the antipasta misto for a sampling of all their appetizers including the candied fig stuffed with what I would call walnut praline filling. Go early and avoid the crowds. Regardless of what they say over the phone you can always get a seat if you go early. Tell me if you find a better restaurant with this track record. Pros: Pefect bread, antipasta and marinara. Best Southern Italian in Houston. Cons: Not a pefect restaurant. Can you tell me where I can find one please? more

Went to Ninos just recently. The food was absolutely fabulous. We were seated right on time of our reservation (a Saturday night prime time). The waitstaff and managers were very attentative. The Veal Vincent is still my favorite! Pros: Parking, Grappino Bar, Ambience more

I love Vincent and Nino's, they have the best rotissed chicken in town....however, Grappino? Uh, the service....all I can say is that my bf and I had the worst waiter. It could have been because he had the entire bar and 1/2 patio to cover. Needless, he was not on top of the game. Portions of food, great for the eat before going somewhere else--perfect size. Drinks/Bar: questionable to nothing special. I'm willing to give it another try after work on a Friday. Pros: ambiance, people, portions of meal Cons: , poor management more

I don't understand the negative reviews, all my visits to Nino's and Vincent's have been top-notch. The food is spectacular...the best lasagne and pasta around. Everytime we go, the service is outstanding from the hosts, barstaff, waiters and owners. This Italian Village in the heart of Houston is our favorite stop and we love it! Pros: Attentive Service, Outstanding Food, Cozy Atmosphere Cons: Recommend Reservation more

WHERE TO BEGIN. 7PM RESERVATIONS, SEATED AT 9:45PM. WAITERS WERE RUDE,MANAGEMENT WAS UNAVALABLE. FOOD WAS COLD AND UNDERCOOKED. TAKE MY ADVICE, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!! Cons: BAD FOOD, BAD WAITERS, BAD RESTURANT more

The WAITERS here MUST be on COMMISSION. We were seated, while looking at the wine list the waiter ask what kind of wine we were interested in, of the two types, he suggested the two most expensive bottles and looked down on us when we did not choose the most expensive bottle. While ordering the waiter of course suggested the most expensive item on the menu, one of the drinks we ordered was incorrect and had to be sent back, the wine was barely chilled, the water we ordered when we first arrived finally made it to the table during the meal. Two meals arrived at the table over cooked and no one had silverware. It seemed the waiter was more interested in the ten top table than ours. Overall the meal that I was really looking forward to was mediocre at best and the service was terrible. more

Nino's offers great value and Italian comfort food. I love the cozy atmosphere as much as the reliable menu. I have never had a bad meal here. Service can be a tad slow, but I've never found it bad. Parking is easy; waits for tables are usually short; and the desserts are fantastic. Nino's is solid all round. Pros: Cozy, comfortable, Excellent food, Great desserts more