Vincent's

My friends and I have had a traditin of going to Vincent's for years, especially around the holiday season. Last new years eve- a bunch of us went- I ordered the lobster and it was like eating a rubber tire. So I figured that because it was new years and busy, I couldn't blame vincents for this slip up. Until my most recent visit- when I realized that this restaurant has tanked and is no longer worth the money at all. I just took my father and his girlfriend to Vincent's after we saw a play downtown. This was the must disturbing visit I have ever had here and possibly of houston restaurants in general. Something has happened to the quality of the food. My father and I both ordered red snapper dishes, which I have ordered many times before and loved. What was once served in a large bowl covered in large amounts of mushrooms and crab and garlic butter suace- was now served on a plate- a very very small piece of fish, breaded and overly dried out- with 3 or 4 mushrooms on top and maybe 1/8th cup of crab meat if even? Then there is the tsp of garlic butter sauce on top- not even enough to cover up the horrible bland, overly dry fish. If you have to use your knife to cut fish- you've done something wrong. I got a half cup of cooked spinach on the side. My father's dish was sauted and was still dry- his looked just as disspointing and he didn't care for it either. It was so bad, I almost sent it back- because of the 25 dollar charge for it. But my father was on a date, and I didn't want to embarass him. but I can assure you that after the three of us spent 150.00 for pretty bad food, we will not be returning here again. Please take my advice and eat elsewhere, and I would ask this restaurant to seriously change the way their menu is prepared- do not cut corners with small sizes, and hire a solid and reliable cooking staff to make great food again. more

Dined at Vincent's Feb. 13, 2010. Our reservations were given away to 2 other parties. We waited for 45 minutes before we were actually seated. We ordered our food and the waiter was very reluctant to write down our orders. He was running around panicking with no one to assist him in his area (back room of restaurant). We finally received our food 1 hr later and some entrees were cold. We had to send the cold entrees back to the kitchen. That took another 20 minutes. The surrounding tables were very frustrated with the waiter and the lack of service also. While exiting, the manager stopped one of our friends and asked in a rude and condescending manner, ""WELL... ARE YOU HAPPY NOW"". \r \r We have been going to this restaurant for the past five years and have never encountered such rude service. I will certainly never come back. Cons: Manager was very rude and obnoxious. more

I've dined at Vincents for many years and have grown disappointed by the poor service as of late and lack of customer focus. The ambiance used to be great, now it seems blindly focused on making money with disregard to customer value and patronage. Most recently the restaurant required a credit card simply to make a reservation and indicated a $50/person cancellation fee if the reservation wasn't canceled w/in 8 hours of the reservation. If your restaurant isn't booked the day before, I doubt such a policy is going to help fill it up. I'm sad to see the prices increase, service stagnate, and poorly thought out business policies such as the reservation policy. This place used to be great, and fortunately there are many others that still care about their customers and offer great value. Pros: ambiance Cons: price, service more

Over the years I have always loved Vincen'ts- the atmosphere, service, and food have always been great. The pricing always seemed reasonable until today. My parents were in town for a trip to the museum district so I picked them up and took them to Vincent's for a quick lunch. I was quite disappointed when I realized that they didn't have a lunch menu so I sucked it up and my mom and I ordered the misto salad with chicken (for $15.99). The waiter asked if we would like white meat with our salad and we said ""yes"". Imagine my surprise when the bill came and we were charged an extra $4 for the ""white"" chicken. We each had no more than three ounces of (dry) chicken, with dressing-drenched salad for a whopping $20.00 each. I don't know the last time I paid $20.00 for a salad! All told I spent $70.00 treating my parents to a very mediocre lunch. Vincen'ts is very proud of their chicken but honestly, the roasted whole chickens at Costco are every bit as good. I will never eat there again. What a shame! Pros: decor Cons: $20 mediocre salad. more

I recently ate dinner on a Saturday night with my wife and another couple, I made reservations 3 weeks ahead. Once we arrived 10 minutes prior to our reservation we then had to wait over an hour for our table. I later found out that Vincents will over book their reservations so if they have 50 tables they could very easily have 75 reservations for 7pm to 8pm, even though they know they won't have enough room for the booked reservations, so guess what a bunch of people will be waiting. I don't understand why they would over book their reservations and take the chance of losing customers. more

Vincent's & Nino's (I really don't know what the difference is) are amazing. No matter which one I go to, the service is fantastic and the food is delicious! I've been a fan for years and will probably continue to be for many more to come. The waiters are always so nice, I've never had a bad experience, and almost always - if one restaurant is full, they can seat you at the other. My favorite things to order are the crab claws for an appetizer, and either the Penne alla Vodka Sauce or Veal Vincent for an entree. SCRUMPTIOUS! I don't see how anyone could disagree. Pros: Delicious food, great service Cons: Parking can be a pain even though there's a HUGE parking lot more

I have been going to Vincents for several years now and was quite surprised to read some negative reviews as I have always gotten superb service with amazing Italian food. The quality of ingredients is obvious. I only go once or twice a year b/c its a complete indulgence and I don't hold back! The foccacia bread and roasted garlic are amazing! I get this appetizer every time. Once my sister and I came in with NO reservations and I told the hostess we were going to the ballet afterwards-well they sat us down right away even though there was a wait b/c of our rush to get to the theatre on time. Fabulous always, everytime. Cons: Parking can be difficult more

My boyfriend made reservations for us for Valentines day this past year. As soon as we walked in they seated us and our waiter was there immediately offering wine samples and get us started with appetizers. The service was really great and that was before we even got the food. The meal was WONDERFUL!! We had salads to start (excellent) then I got the cannellonis and my boyfriend got the prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes, which were heavenly. The whole experience was great and the scenery outside was perfect for marking our 4th Valentines day together by taking pictures. I would suggest it to anyone, its our new fave! more

My brother had his birthday dinner at Vincent's, he had reservation for 20 months in advance, and confirmed them that afternoon. We waited 2.5 hours to be seated, and were told we would have the table in 15 minutes 4 times during the two plus hours after our reservation, It finally came to a shouting match with the manager, who was frankly rude and uncaring about having 20 people wait 2.5 hours to be seated.\r \r Once we were seated, it went from bad to worse, there was not enough room at the table for everyone and our waiter had an attitude, he never refilled the drinks, brought us the wrong food, and took forever to respond to the mixup, the food was served warm/cold, not hot, etc, etc. \r \r AVOID VINCENTS at all cost, don't waste your time or money there!! more

I went to Vincent's for a recruiting lunch and found both the food and service to be excellent. We made reservations, so even though we arrived with a large crowd at noon we were seated promptly. I had the ""Snapper Nino"" and had to hold back from licking the last of the butter sauce from the plate. My favorite places appear on the cheap eats list, but I will make room in my dining out budget for an occasional trip to Vincent's. Plus, there are many more affordable choices on the menu I plan to try. Pros: Varied Menu, Ambience Cons: Can be crowded, Pricey more

I have dined here for lunch with coworkers on several occassions and been delighted with the menu. However, I recently spur-of-the-moment suggested this place to my boyfriend (a very enthusiastic diner and chef) and we went for early dinner (about 4:30pm). We were wearing shirts and jeans and leather flipflops, so I was a bit concerned we didn't meet dress code, but looking around, there were patrons there in shorts and t-shirts, so when the hostess greeted us warmly and seated us, I figured it was no problem. We sat for 30 minutes waiting, and a waiter NEVER came to the table, even though we were in plain view, and there were only about 4 other tables occupied, with plenty of waitstaff looming about. We tried to get the attention of a couple waiters, all of which was ignored, so we got up and left. I regret not having said something to the hostess or manager before leaving. I will, very disappointingly, never go back or suggest this place again. Pros: food, location Cons: rude waitstaff, unclear dress code more

Worst service. Waiter had attitude like he was doing us a favor. Never refilled drinks without having to flag waiters from neighboring tables. Didn't bring adequate silverware. Brought wine at the last course after two reminders. Waiter dropped dirty silverware on guest. Insincere and only sycophantic when he was about to bring us the check. The place is loud and lit too brightly to feel cozy or intimate, and the food is not good enough to make up for any of it. Cons: service, service, loud more

This is and has been one of my favorite places for dinner in Houston. Either outside enjoying the patios or inside trying one of the fabulos meals, the Vincents, Ninos, & Grappinos combination is a WINNER! Where else can you sip wine and listen to live music then walk just a few feet and indulge your tastes at one of two amazing Italian restuarants? Hands Down my favorite Dinning Spot in Houston! Pros: Multiple Venues, Best Pizza, Fine wine selection more

My husband made reservations at 8:30 on Friday morning, surprised someone answered the phone, for Friday night. Walked right in and sat down. The waiter was very accommodating and attentive, a very nice guy. We ordered the specials, a bit pricey but good. Pros: service, parking, food more

I have dined at a lot of fine restaurants, but never been treated with such disrespect than at Vincent's. I made reservations for Valentine's Day a week in advance. Our party arrived an hour ahead of time and enjoyed drinks at the wine bar next door. When we went to be seated we were informed our reservation had been canceled because we hadn't confirmed it. They claimed they had called our home and cell phones ""several"" times that day - we never received any messages - even after showing them our cell phone records, they denied liability. Even the manager said that without a confirmation, all reservations were cancelled, despite us having given them a credit card number to confirm with. Completely rude and unyielding even in the face of proof they were wrong. With 100 other great Italian restaurants in Houston, I wouldn't give Vincent's another thought. Cons: , Horrible service more

I had a very unpleasant experience at Vincent's. The food is overpriced for the portions. A shrimp pasta only has 3 shrimp. Not worth the value. Pros: friendly staff more

The owner of Vincent's treats his waitstaff like dirt. He overcharges for every additional side. (a side of pesto sause is $1.50, one meatball is $3) If you're looking to get ripped off, this is the place! But personally, I wouldn't set foot in a restaurant owned by a disrespectful individual who takes advantage of his customers and disrespects his staff. Why would anyone support a guy like Vincent Mandola? Cons: expensive, bad parking, bad owner more

Even with reservations, we stood an hour (longer than the walk-ins) at the overcrowded bar, being bumped by waiters and patrons stuffed into the tables. At 9pm, we sat in a newly-constructed area, which wasn't quite completed. There was no bread. Finally, it was served cold; ""That's how it is."" I modified my plate which came out barely indicative of what I actually ordered - but still good. We spoke with the manager about the wait and he actually said ""Yeah, that's tough"" at least 3 times. He gave us all free dessert. A mediocre attempt, I thought. The Raspberry Creme Brulee: How delicious was that?!?! The cheesecake was unappeallingly eggy. Banana Split dessert: semi-flavorless The Fresh Fruit Cup speaks for itself, but for future reference, is listed at like $8. Overall OK. Maybe I'd go back, but wouldn't count on reservations. I might try next door at Nino's instead. Pros: delicious food, italian beer, nicely poured drinks Cons: crowded, LONG wait, new construction more

Every time we, my husband and I, would go to Vincent's we get the best Service EVER!. The Food is amazing, their Service is Wonderful and their staffs are as friendly and helpful and they come. I haven't tried anything there that i did not like, and i never entered there without being served with the utmost efficiency. more

An Excellent place!! Service was excellent, and Roasted Chicken is out of this world! Pros: great choices on menu, good atmosphere Cons: , need more parking, seating are to close more