La Strada - Montrose

Not being from Houston I have never heard of La Strada and had no idea what to expect. We arrived at 11 am and were immedietly seated and pleased with atmosphere and waitstaff . We were never told there was a time limit to our stay upstairs and the only signs we noticed were about a "strict dress code." While celebrating my sister's 27th birthday the hostess came to the table and told her we must leave before finishing our pitcher of drinks we had just ordered and paid for. We refused and 20 min later she came by and demanded that we leave...we refused and asked to speak to the manager. While still finishing the pitcher of bellinis that we had paid almost $40 for, the manager called us "cocky brats" and "he did not want people like us in his establishment." We were horrified that anyone could be so rude and arrogant. Afterall, we were paying customers and were being anything but offensive or "cocky.". To top things off the manager brought "security" to escort us away. I am still shocked by the treatment we received. I have never been treated so rudely and do not understand why a business would want paying cutsomers to leave. The only nice thing about the place was our waiter who tried to allow us to stay and the story we can tell at work today. Afterall,it is not every sunday that a group of doctors and attorneys get kicked out of a restaurant for minding our own business and spending money on overpriced drinks. If you do decide to go and waste your money on drinks you can not finish, I encourage you to stay as long as you want and stand up to the arrogant staff ot this so-so "brunch" The owner of this restaurant should be throroughly embarassed and I hope he/she rethinks how to run this over popular, over rated, and over crowded sunday brunch! more

OK first of all as far as ambiance it was like eating Luby's food at Coyote Ugly. The table next to us was a large group celebrating their implants. Most should have waited a few weeks to go out(brusing) and gone down a couple of cup sizes(for credible size). Our food took forever and the "infamous bellinis" were overpriced and not that great. Then my order was wrong and I gave up trying to get what I actually ordered. It probably did not matter anyway. This place came recommened by a former friend of mine who has the looks of Nell Carter, the charm of Donald Trump, and the good taste of Liberace. There was a weirdo working the sidewalk in front I would have given her a $20. Just to scare off business and save the general public! more

GO TAKE HEALTH DEPT. ALL OVER FOOD.DIRTY KITCHEN.DONT TAKE MY WORD. GO CHECK IT OUT.REALLY PLEASE GO ,STEAL FROM QUEST. WRITE CHECKS WITH NO FUNDS. more

First, don't even bother to valet on Sundays cause you'll be stalled in the middle of the street while only a few guys attend to several cars. I though I was going to have brunch, but when you walk into that restaurant it's like walking into a stripclub/nightclub. Girls are way too scantily dressed, guys are way too drunk. I've heard that people actually v*mit on the tables from being so drunk. I ordered a frozen bellini, it was priced high and came in a little plastic cup. The music was WAY too loud and you can barely walk through the crowds of drunken frat boys and stripper girls. To put it at this....if you want to feel like you are at the worst club at 11am on a Sunday-go, if not...try a more "civilized" restaurant. Pros: Knock-your-socks-off Bellinis Cons: Debaucherous, Crowded, Sleazy, Overpriced more

I have never had a more disappointing dining experience in my entire life and I will NEVER go there again!! After standing at the bar being ignored by some of the rudest bartenders on the planet for over an hour past our reservation time, we were seated only when we approached the pretentious hostess to express our dissatisfaction with the situation and threatened to leave. We were then seated, in the bar of all places, and were told by the manager himself our meal would be comped because they didn't want us to leave unsatisfied. Ok, we thought, maybe this evening can be salvaged. WRONG! Not 2 minutes after being "seated", instead of the opportunity to order our choices from the menu, we were presented with 2 cold, dried out plates of completely mediocre fare. We were actually told that these pathetic specimens were their "best dishes." What an insult!! After choking down enough of this culinary horror to quelch the pangs of starvation, we had to wait yet another half hour for some water and our dessert! The whole experience was so horrific it was (almost) comical. What a pathetic excuse for a restaurant! Pros: none Cons: everything more

The worst dining experience of my life. First time trying out this restaurant, and on Valentine's Day of all nights. Had a reservation, which they drastically overbooked (poor management), and were told it would be an additional hour before seating when we got there! After TWO hours, we were finally seated. And then we had to be seated at a table for 4 with a random couple....wow, how romantic. Next: 45 minutes after ordering our food, which half of the menu was no longer available b/c they did not plan appropriately for the evening crowd (ah, okay, the reservations or the fact that it's Valentine's didn't tip you off?!), the waiter tells us that the restaurant has "run out of food"! Seriously? But he says that they could "throw something together that we could eat". Wow, that sounds appealing (tongue in cheek). The waiter assures us that the meal will be on the house. Yah, no kidding. Can I also get the 3 1/2 hours of my life back and the lost chance at a nice Valentine's Day? After another 30 minutes, the waiter finally shows up again with some food concoctions, which were barely edible. Honestly, the food was gross, and my stomach turned the rest of night. Another interesting tid bit: my date goes into the ladies room to find some girls in a stall smoking stuff on tin foil (figure it out)! No joke. Very classy! To top off the night, the waiter offered us desserts to go, brought them, and then gave us a bill for the desserts! I thought I was on "Candid Camera". I didn't get home from this debacle until close to 1am, and I had to wake-up early for what most of the responsible world does....work! I tried speaking to the manager 3 times, only to have him refuse to come out from the back to speak with dissatisfied customers. The service was absent most of the evening and poor when available. The food was disgusting. The management must be a group of idiots. The decor of La Strada is "Scarface" meets the 5th Ward. I felt sleezy just being in there. Pros: Freedom of choice....don't go. Cons: Ambience, service, management, food.........what else is there? more

We rented the upstair terrace for my husband's 40th birthday and it was fantastic! Considering what other places were charging for room rentals, food, min. amount spent etc. La Strada was workable within our budget. We entertained about 140 people for 3 1/2 hours. The DJ, Senga rocks! While he is a little pricey, he was worth every penny! We chose him because we heard he was the best, and when the compliments started rolling in, we knew we made the right choice. He can definitely liven up a party. We also received excellent service from the two waiters and bartender (Mark? I think) that worked our party. Frank was particulary caring keeping me abreast of the food situation and listened to my pre-party concerns. While setting up they treated me with respect and valued my opinion on the little things (lighting, candles, tables etc). Viril always returned my calls and met my accomodations. Even though I was on a budget, I was treated as a valued customer. I read some of other other posts about poor service and I was shocked. I felt at my private event, everyone worked hard and did their best, making my job a whole lot easier. One other little thing...when we received the bill it WAS NOT PADDED! I have been to many events were I was taken advantage of because I was drinking. I knew upfront what the charges were going to be. I had feared that a after a couple of belinnis, drinks will start magically appearing on my bill. This DID NOT happen. In my opinion, this says a lot about how this restaurant is run! I was pleased. I recommend La Strada (Westheimer) for private parties. Pros: Cool private parties, customer service, neat patio upstairs, private party setup downstairs looked fun Cons: The downstairs in only available for a private party if the upstairs is taken. more

Service was poor but friendly. Loud, terrible choice of music for dining. Ok if you want to drink and pretend you are on MTV or driving around in your spinner equiped SUV. Food small in portions and thus way overpriced. Long wait despite reservations.......and so on. Who would ever come back to this Houston location when you would be better served at the Jack in the Box drive through. The management should be sacked for the treatment of its patrons. I see the other reviewers want to down the liquor, dance at their tables and be too numbed to taste the food......for them, take it away. Pros: Non observed Cons: Too many to list more

very good food!.. I love their bread! In search for a romantic lunch this is the place to go!, Or a Perfect for business lunch! more

My husband and I made an 11:00 reservation for Sunday brunch. When we arrived at 10:55, there were people standing outside dressed in all varieties of shorts, jeans, tube tops, etc. The staff "sat" inside watching many customers stand outside in the humidity and heat. One would think that they would let us in if even to stand in the bar area! They opened the door at 11:05. We saw a sign on the valet stand indicating that management would "enforce a dress code"... I can see why they placed the sign there! We saw everything from unbathed people in dirty, wrinkled shorts and tee shirts to the general grunge look. So, after being seated, the service was painfully slow and the waiters were still "setting up". It took almost an hour to be served, and our coffee cups were never refilled. With this said, I will say that the food was good. The mussels were delicious... possibly the best I've had, and the salad was nice. My husband ordered the eggs benedict and he said that they were good but nothing special. I suppose that I was just expecting something a little more elegant. If I return, it will be because I'm craving the mussels. Pros: Food Cons: Service, atmosphere more

My wife and I went here for the Sunday brunch a few weeks ago at the suggestion of another couple who claimed it was the 'thing to do" in Houston...... Well..... the minute we stepped inside, I could see her disappointment, but the other couple seemed so enthused, we stayed to humor them. Loud, very loud. Bad music, mostly rap. Kids dancing everywhere right at their tables and a long wait for food. "Have a Bellini" said our host, so we did, in a plastic cup. Ugh... frozen sugar water, perfect for kids... The d.j. kept singing over the songs trying to be hip and the people in the chairs behind us kept dancing in their seats bumping into our chairs so we could hardly eat. Actually, the food was good. I felt like and idiot being there since we were old enough to be the parents of every person in the room. There was the look of illicit substance use in the bathrooms and every man wore sunglasses while inside. The food was very good. Strange place, not for us, but maybe fun for my daughter. I'd never allow her to go, though! Pros: fun for kids Cons: not fun for adults more

I had no idea what I was getting into when I met up with some friends for lunch on Sunday. I was expecting a quiet, cute, little brunch spot. La Strada is the farthest thing from that. As soon as you walk in the music is thupping, the environment is very club like, and everyone there seems like they are drinking to get drunk.....at 1pm on a Sunday. After the intial shock, La Strada is a fun joint to hang out and mingle. The people watching is great. The food was ok, lets just say after a couple of frozen bellini's you won't care how it tastes. It's a fun time if you know what to expect. Pros: Bellinis, DJ Cons: Parking, club like dining more

I recently had the pleasure of dining at the montrose location of La Strada. It had been a while since my partner and I had been in, so we figured we would give it a shot. Although a fairly busy evening the service was attentive and pleasant, and the manger very cordial. We also discovered the presence of a new chef, and a pizza menu, something lacking in the past. WOW...the pizzas were awesome! Very cool, thin crust artisan pizzas with amazing ingredients...check this out! Very affordable...at $9 per pizza the best thing in town...we will be back and will also try brunch... Pros: affordable, tasty, and trend forward more

If you want to continue your weekend, go to La Strada on Sunday. The party starts in the morning and doesn't end until the evening. The Bellini's are strong but tasty! The food is ok. But I highly recommend going here! I've had more fun on Sundays at La Strada than on some Friday and Saturday nights. Be ready to party! Oh! And try to make reservations! more

I celebrated last New Years with my wife at La Strada. The service was good. Our waiter was prompt and curteous. However, the food was sub par. We started out with lobster bisque. The problem was they forgot the lobster. There were only like 2 pieces of lobster in it. So we moved on to the main course. My wife ordered ribeye. It was too fatty for our taste. I ordered tuna, which turned out to be quite bland. We can put up with alot when we go out except for lame food. There is better food in town for the price. Pros: Convenient, Trendy Cons: Boring food, Overpriced more

Great place to continue the weekend on a sunday. Beautiful people and great music. more

I finally tried LaStrada after the awful fire and I was sadly disapointed. The atmosphere that made this place a great location for a happy hour was gone. We made reservations for 8. We waited for at least 30 minutes and the restuarant was empty! When we were finally shown to our table the service was very slow. The food was not what it used to be. Pros: location Cons: food , service more

Once upon a time La Strada was THE place to be for brunch and a fine place to eat in general. Now, the wonderful doors that open onto the street are gone. The downstairs interior is something like a Spanish prison. The food, well... save yourself some heartache and go to Chili's. Cold overcooked fish, uninspired menu, pedestrian ingrediants, unpredictable in general. What a shame :o( Pros: Few Cons: , service, dark interior more

Sunday Brunch at La Strada (Montrose) is now a traditional for my group of closest friends. We have an absolutely fabulous time there. Good company, strong bellini's, great music makes for a wonderful sunny afternoon at La Strada. Patio seating is a must. Dress as if you're at Miami Beach. Let loose and have a great time!!! Great alternative for moms like me who prefer not to go out Friday or Saturday nights when downtown/midtown/uptown are packed. Pros: Music, People-Watch, Entertaining more

A perfect Sunday Brunch Ruin by the bad service, wrong order, and non specifics on the menu, with a belinin strong enough to get a person drunk with one sip. a mimosa made with frozen orange juice and bad champain. And last but not least took to long to serve. Cons: must park vallet, no free parking more