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Buon Appetito Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
2231 W Holcombe BlvdHouston, TX 77030
Neighborhoods: Braeswood Place, West University
(713) 665-4601
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Buon Appetito Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The older gentleman playing guitar helped set a nice..." In 3 reviews -
"...guy from Spain who plays the guitar and sings while you eat..." In 7 reviews -
"Best Italian food in Houston, and it's the only Sicillian..." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Kyle P.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2012
Very quaint nice place where the owner even sings and plays guitar... it feels like you are staying in his house cooking you authentic Italian food... very good
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Review from Amanda M.
Houston, TX
Pasta alla Norma: delicious.
Lasagna: ok.
Stuffed mushrooms: good.
Garlic bread: ok.
Tiramisu: very small, great coffee soaked lady fingers, cheesy cream.
Guy playing guitar in the corner: a little creepy cuz he kept staring at me. Songs were in Spanish, not Italian, can be slightly annoying if you are sitting closeby as it can be rather loud. He plays for tips.
Overall restaurant: old house that smells like an old house. Open kitchen appeared to be mostly clean. Needs new decor and renovation. Super hot inside, had a small air conditioning unit on top of the window which we asked them to turn on.
Parking: meager, but the restaurant isn't that busy anyways. Don't bring an oversized SUV - it would be difficult to navigate in their lot.
Would I eat here again? Sure, why not. But I honestly could find better italian food in a more comfortable place for less money. -
Review from Drew S.
Houston, TX
3/11/2012
Overpriced food. Cool atmosphere. Shoddy service. Will not be returning.
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Review from Lisa O.
8/17/2011
VEGETARIAN REVIEW:
This is the adorable blue and white house just to the left of the carwashing place near Montclair on Holcomb. I have lived 1 block down from it for 3 years and finally in the month or so before moving out, my bf and I decided to walk over there for such a wonderful treat.
We went in the evening, I believe on a Friday and were serenaded by a lovely older gentleman on a classical guitar. It was PERFECT because he plays so beautifully, but not in an up-in-your-business kind of way, which always gets awkward. He says he's there all nights but Sunday and has been since they opened 30 some odd years ago. They get a 10 for ambience-- from the Spanish guitarist to the creaky rugged floors, the cozy warmth, the candlelit tables, the intoxicating smells from the adjacent kitchen, and the attentive service this place is what a romantic Italian spot should be.
Regarding the food from a veggie perspective, not too many veggie options-- which in all fairness, I'm pretty hard to impress in an Italian restaurant. I had the "healthy" option of pasta and veggies with a pink sauce. BF had the pasta special with sausage and peppers and he enjoyed it. Prices were definitely reasonable for such a fancy place - I think my dish was $12.95 and his was $16.95.
All in all, the food was good but I'd return mainly for the atmosphere next time we need a special night out : ) -
Review from Larae M.
4/27/2010 6 photos
I think I've found my number two spot for what I consider down-home Italian cooking (number one would be Patrenella's). I have an affinity toward restaurants in cozy houses like Buon Appetito & Patrenella's. The ambiance instantly transforms my mood & attitude toward the food, as if I'm expecting a cozy family sit-down dinner like that of Diane Lane's in Under The Tuscan Sun.
Upon entering the blue and white house on busy Holcombe Street, two gentlemen sitting in the first room immediately greeted us. I'm presuming they were the owners, and soon, we were met with old waiters clad in black vests and bow-ties who seated us in one of the other two back rooms. Picture frames adorned the walls, along with other kitschy home items.
The menu boasted of authentic Silician cooking. Not really being well informed in the differences between northern or southern Italian delicacies, I can't confirm whether the flavors were in fact true to its region. However, I can attest to the fact that everything I ordered came out delicious.
I started out with the crab stuffed squid as appetizer, which was a great alternative to the usual fried squid/calamari. A tomato based sauce accompanied it, and was a perfect pairing to the buttery garlic bread. Had I not been on my perpetual summer diet, I would've finished the entire bread basket myself! If you're a fan of oily, super butter infused garlic bread, then this is your heaven (or hell, I suppose).
For my main dish, I opted for the salmon in a lemon butter/wine sauce topped with capers, which also came with a side spaghetti with meat sauce. I absolutely adored my dish! Though a little heavy on the sauce, I thought the salmon was cooked perfectly for me(slightly flakey, but not overcooked). The lemon butter sauce w/ the capers coated the salmon well and was consistent in flavor w/ each bite.
The service here was polite and swift. The waiters worked in tandem, and our water & wine glasses were kept filled; tables/utensils cleared, and refills offered for bread when dwindling dangerously low. Best of all, during the night I dined there, I had the pleasure of having an old gentleman playing acoustic guitar for us guests. And his most played tune? Why the Godfather theme song, of course! =) -
Review from JIMMY N.
Houston, TX
5/23/2009
Houston doesn't have that many great Italian restaurants, and this place unfortunately was no exception. After reading the 5-star reviews this place received, I had high hopes. Especially being that it's a hole-in-a-wall, family owned type of establishment... I figured I was going to have a great dining experience. Well I guess I'm entitled to be wrong every once in awhile.
It was last Tuesday for a friend's birthday dinner. Dinner was approximately at 8pm. I was there 10 minutes early, found out no one was there yet. That would have been fine, but it turned out there was no cars in the itty bitty parking behind the restaurant. For a moment I thought I was at the wrong place till I walked inside. Not a single soul except for the host and his team of waiters greeting me. Ummmm not a good sign when there's no customers, but oh well. Like their parking space, inside is a bit cramped. Being that we have 16 people in our party, I'm kinda glad it's not crowded. After arranging their tables around, the rest of my group had arrived.
Once we all got situated, our restaurant was also our waiter?! Maybe he's the owner? Who knows but I don't really care... he recommended a Chilean Cabernet for the table. Being that it was only $22, we got two. He poured a tasting for the birthday boy to try, since he never drinks wine, he nodded his head in approval. Bad choice, it was warm (above room temp -type of warm) and really hard to drink (harsh raspy finish). So the remainder of that night, I drank their finest house water.
For starters we had fried calamari and crabbed stuffed calamari. Both are fairly good but nothing spectacular. The stuffed calamari was a bit rubbery, like it was cooked beforehand and reheated. For my entree, I had the linguine pescatore. (shrimp, squid, clams) Also I had a side of spicy sausage (chorizo) as well. The pescatore was also decent, despite the lack of clam meat (cooked too long, they shrunk and became rubbery)... look dwarfed when nestled inside the shell. Despite the large amount of pasta on my plate, $17 bucks was high for mediocre food. I can get the same at a nicer establishment like Grottos. Sure to some, the ambiance here is quaint and romantic. I think otherwise, like Michelangelos... it smells like an old house and is dated (that's because Buon Appetito is also an old house converted into a restaurant).
What made this place get two-stars instead of three was because of the cake cutting charge. My friend had reserved this place the night before and asked if there was a charge for bringing in cake. Whomever she spoke to said no. Imagine our surprise when we were charged $16. Asked if we could have that waived, our server said "no". His pitiful excuse... we have desserts here and have to charge if cake was brought in. Cmon, other establishments rarely do this, and after dropping over $500... one would think you'll waive it as a sign of appreciation. I know if my establishment was slow; and of all places to eat on a Tuesday... what's a mere $16. Maybe they're petty like that. Okay, I know it's only $16 bucks... but it's the principle. A couple of people in my party have eaten here before... but after that kind gesture from our gracious host, they'll never be back. I know I won't! -
Review from Jacob S.
Houston, TX
12/29/2008
Yelp led me astray.
First, the good part. Buon Appetito has a few nice qualities. The older gentleman playing guitar helped set a nice atmosphere. Plus, the building itself gave it a hole-in-the-wall feel that can sometimes make a restaurant fun. However, these two things were not sufficient to overcome what I believe was the worst meal I've ever eaten.
I set out for Boun Appetito after reading the rave reviews other Yelpers wrote. This is what I found:
Location: The restaurant is in an old house. It looks a bit run down, but the smell of food cooking and the friendly wait staff made it feel comfortable. The decor is a dated but fit with the general feel of the place. When you walk in you'll notice an open kitchen. There was a single cook working alone. There were no signs of freshly made pasta or homemade ingredients being created.
Food: Awful. As in staggeringly bad. Unbelievably horrendous. When someone throws out a claim like "best Italian food in Houston" I expect food on par with a restaurant like Mark's. Not only was the food not in the same league as Mark's, it wasn't in the same league as a Lean Cuisine microwavable dinner. Here's what I had:
Bread: The bread served was the frozen garlic bread you buy at any grocery store. A bit disappointing, but not a deal breaker.
Salad: The Sicilian salad for two was good. Iceberg lettuce and all.
Appetizer: Stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms I was served had a putrid rotten flavor to them. It was the first time in my life I spit my food into my napkin. My girlfriend ate a small piece, but agreed that they were inedible. When the waiter took the obviously uneaten plate of food, he didn't bother to ask why we hadn't finished the food. It felt as though he was a man used to hearing people complain about the food.
Entré: I had the Italian sausage with penne pasta and peppers. The pasta was the standard store-purchased kind. I'm pretty sure the sausage was too. Although the waiter said the sausage was made in the kitchen.
Desert: We didn't order any. In fact, we didn't even finish our entrés. The food was so bad, we just left with half-empty stomachs. When the waiter took our plates, he again didn't bother asking why we hadn't finished our food.
For anyone who reads this review, I hope you'll approach Buon Appetito with skepticism. You may go and have a wonderful meal. However, the only positive thing I've experienced about this restaurant were the reviews on Yelp. Maybe I just had a freak experience. Maybe the people who reviewed this restaurant before me live in a parallel universe. Either way, don't go here expecting "the best italian food in Houston". If this is the best there is, this is a sad cruel world and I'm ashamed to be a Houstonian. -
Review from Gilberto V.
Houston, TX
12/23/2008
Goodness, thy name is Buon Appetito. To say I was blown away is an understatement. The tip of the proverbial iceberg. I was not only blown away, but so far blown away that I ended up in squarely in Sicily after the explosion of my taste buds when they were wholly overwhelmed by the delicious flavors bestowed upon me.
The food - every aspect from bread to salad to entree to dessert, was crafted with painstaking love and an appreciation for Italian cuisine that rivals the best of the best in Houston and sent my memories to Europe. In fact, had it not been for the skyline of the Med Center when we left or the clearly Texas drawl of the folks seated to my right, I would have sworn I was in the old country.
The old Spaniard playing the guitar knew the classics - and by classics, I mean old Spanish ballads and Mexican canciones that I had not heard in some time - many with original lyrics that had not been altered or redacted by time. Granted, Spanish music in the Italian restaurant is odd, but certainly a welcome and beloved gesture and only enhanced the ambiance and created a truly world feeling befitting our multicultural city.
The salad was crisp, their dressing a testament to freshness with every bite exploding veggie goodness and creating a circus of flavor that made you remember why you loved greens. The pasta was perfect in consistency and the portions at Buon Appetito are themselves in correct proportion - not too much, not too little and do leave you room for dessert.
The wine list is robust enough for what it needs to be - complimenting your meal and not overwhelming to the point where only a wine snob can navigate. Buon Appetito understands that wine is there for your food, and not the other way around, and thus simplicity in selection meets greatness in flavor you can savor.
Parking is a bit awkward, but such is a small price to pay for one of the city's most pleasant and fun experiences. This is a place where you can converse with the table next to you, strike up a chorus in song, or just whittle away a pleasant romantic evening. Do yourself a favor and stop in to this gem-da-le-gem of restaurants inside the loop. -
Review from Josh W.
Las Vegas, NV
6/18/2008
This place is a trip (to New Jersey). The complete Italian-American family restaurant experience. Slick back your hair, go white on white and grab the girl who works at the cosmetics counter. (She can wear as much f!cking eye make-up as she wants! ) Just go. If you don't appreciate it, remember my grandfather's sage advice about things that just are what they are: "there's nothing wrong with [Buon Appettito], but there's something wrong with you."
They also have some of the best sports memorabilia around, including an autographed portrait of Diego Armando. Oh, and they have the best red sauce in town...
Parking can be a b!tch. -
Review from Kresimir J.
Houston, TX
7/26/2011
I have to agree with Jacob S. I was expecting a lot after reading all the
glowing reviews. However, this was probably the worst dining experience
I have had so far in Houston. The food was simply terrible. The vegetable
that were used were clearly of the frozen kind, just as an example. I
could go on, but if this does not persuade you to skip this place, nothing
I say will. -
Review from Maegan d.
Houston, TX
2/10/2011
I have been here a couple of times with my boyfriend and we consider this our prime date night spot! The food is superb, they have a great wine selection and the atmosphere is wonderfully homey. They have great service and a classical guitarist that goes from room to room. It is the best spot for a date with that special someone!
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Review from Ken G.
Canyon Country, CA
2/3/2011
I stumbled on this place after doing business at Texas Medical Center and absolutely loved it. It's quaint home turned into a restaurant with charming Italian-type rooms and ambiance. My wife and I just returned from Italy, and this felt like Italy in so many ways. An older gentleman strummed his guitar in the background and occasionally sang old-world songs that made me think if Italy. The food (calamari mostly) was excellent. I left feeling like I had been to Italy!
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Review from TJ D.
Houston, TX
6/8/2011
This place was great. I would have never stumbled on this unless it were for my out of town boss who heard about it through the grapevine. The food was excellent, from appetizers to the desert. This was a full circle restaurant. Highly reccommended!!
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Review from AmieSue B.
Houston, TX
9/18/2007
Houston's best kept secret! The most amazing food I have ever tasted! Wonderful atmosphere and great service. Perfect for a special occasion with someone you love (or at least like)! The house is adorable and there is so much inside to keep your eyes busy! Tastes like grandma is in the kitchen making your favorite food! That is if your grandma is Italian!
Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Jon G.
Houston, TX
8/21/2008
Great little Italian restaurant set in what used to be a house. All the food is amazing, the wine is great and you might even get a few songs from the guitar player. The owners will welcome you and you really feel like your at home with the Italian family.
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Review from Morgan N.
6/26/2008
It truly is a best kept secret. I feel so at home when my family and I go here. The food is quite authentic but the cute old man that plays the accordion just adds a great feel to the place. We always get a bottle of red wine and chicken picatta. So delicious.
Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Derek R.
Stillwater, OK
10/4/2008
Best Italian food in Houston, and it's the only Sicillian restaraunt in Houston. The complex flavours constantly entertain your mouth. The atmosphere is great. It's in an old house just like all the best Italian places in America. There's an elderly guy from Spain who plays the guitar and sings while you eat, and he is a wealth of knowledge. If you start a conversation with him, there are all kinds of interresting things you will learn.
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Review from Brian H.
Austin, TX
8/12/2007
A bit expensive, but great food, and an even better atmosphere. The restaurant is actually a house with the seating broken up into different rooms. Maybe 3 tables per room.
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Review from Jose N.
Houston, TX
3/18/2010
I just went to this place with a friend and we were blown away. I was a little hesitant when we made it to the restaurant because I had not read any good or bad reviews about it (forgot to check here before going) but my friend and I had been talking about trying it for months so we did. We would always end up across the street in a different Italian restaurant but this place was excellent. The food was fantastic! I had their beef cannelloni and my friend had their salmon in lemon sauce. The only thing I was a little disappointed was that they didn't have a Pino Noir wine in their wine list. Their Chianti was good substitute so I have nothing to complain. It was on the pricey side but worth our money.
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Review from Van N.
Houston, TX
3/8/2011
Be aware that the servings are huge... two regular plates could serve five. The food is okay, though... I come back because the service is amazing. The waiters are on top of their game.
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Review from T-Money M.
San Diego, CA
11/16/2009
This place is great...love the ambience!! The owner is a crazy Sicilian that makes some beautiful food. Only been to Sicily once and it was some of the best food in my life...thanks for taking me back to enjoy Mr. Finazzo!! AND, do not leave until you've had a piece of the rum cake...out of this world!!
