Papa Mio Italian Cafe

Very sad they are closed. My first date was here. It was too cheap for the food quality imo. The set up of the restaurant is rustic but surely romantic. Service that we had was very good, I think all the waiter and waitress are members of the family. As of a family own restaurant, I think it should do well for based on what they are providing. Since it is closed now, I think it is a shame and I would hope to see it opened again some day. I would be glad to see news if there is any about the restaurant (since I live far and don’t drive by the restaurant front door every day).

This place for me is really like a 3.5, but I am a fan, so it earns my 4! For an Italian place in Houston, I thought this hit the spot for a good budget-​friendly meal.
My boyfriend and I wanted a cheap dinner, and I found this place and thought I’d give it a try. Warning: the menu they have online has outdated prices. It’s still inexpensive, but it’s a few dollars more expensive than the menu online leads you to believe.
So Unilocalers got me totally stoked for this garlic bread. I was seriously salivating when the bread basket touched the table. Then, I uncovered the bread, and I was confused. It was lightly toasted and buttered garlic bread, but it wasn’t special… Did I get a weird batch? Have you guys not had legit garlic bread or garlic knots? The world (me in this instance) may never know.
Boyfriend and I got the calamari (4 in taste, 3 in portion). For $ 10 they really could’ve thrown a few more in there, especially since we were the only people in the palce (quite literally, it was almost creepy).
For entrees boyfriend got the chicken parm ($ 10.95, 4 in taste, 3.5 in portion) and I got the chicken marsala ($ 11.95, 4 in taste, 4 in portion). The chicken parm piece was a little small and he didn’t get too much pasta. Pasta is so cheap, so even if it’s homemade, they could’ve spared a little more. For my chicken marsala, I got a great sized piece of chicken and the sauce was delicious. I also really enjoyed the gnocci they had with it.
All in all we enjoyed the place, and for Italian at this price point in Houston, we were happy. I don’t think we would go here on any day but a weekday though.

Nice quiet place to get big portions of good italian pasta! You pick whatever pasta type you want (or risotto), sauce, and then you can add on some meat for extra charge. While waiting for you food, get the croquettes. Portions are really big, almost certainly that you are going to have some leftovers for the next day. Street parking or valet on the parking lot a few buildings away.

Wow, stopped here after hanging out with munchkin and her bestie! Must say this was a great find! We had less than an hour before they closed and they were still very welcoming and provided great service. Food was so good! The bread they serve you is simply and delicious. I had their Egglplant Parmesan and wow, really enjoyed the dish… I ate it all! The kids had Spinach Manicott I think, she loved that and even took it home for leftovers and that never happens! Her friend had the stuffed chicken and fell in love! They want to come back and I have no problem with that!

4.5 stars
After a trip to HMNS, I found myself unsure of where to eat and opened up Unilocal.We came across this gem.
We started off with wine and bruschetta. The bruschetta was nice and light and pleasant. Wine always makes me happy, so there’s not a lot to say there.
I had the create-​your-​own risotto. I always consider ordering risotto a risk as it can be really messed up. This was not. This was great. I got artichoke and shrimp with alfredo sauce and loved it. My only complaint would be that the shrimp was seasoned to be spicy, which does not go with risotto. I found myself pulling out the shrimp, scraping off the seasoning, then eating it. Other than that, the risotto was spot on.
My friend had the Tortellini. I enjoyed stealing torts and little pieces of chicken from his plate. Well done.
The prices were very reasonable. I was surprised by this, considering the neighborhood. You can get an entrée for under $ 10. My risotto with the add-​ons came out to 16 $.

We came here for our work holiday party and I was surprised by how empty it was. Granted it was the Tuesday before Christmas, but it was completely empty. We were the only people in there.
When we went it seems as though they seemed to be «out» of a lot of things. It was insanity… they were out of 3 different kinds of wine, dos equis, corona, 1 of the appetizers, and one type of dessert and we got there at 6:15! What is that?!
Anyways, we began with the garlic bread for the table (to die for) and 3 «Papa Salads» all delicious — but mine came without the goat cheese and pears bc they ran out (seriously)
I then ordered the Cannelloni Florentine — excellent
The other vegetarian at the table ordered the vegetable lasagna — also pretty good.
My husband ordered the Involtini di Pollo, which he loved
Another one of my coworkers ordered the Lamb Ossobuco and he rated that about a 3.5 out of 5… he liked the presentation and thought it was good. But he has definitely had better… plus he was a little disappointed that the lamb came out alone.
all in all the meal was probably btwn 4 – 4.5 stars with desserts hovering at around 3 – 4 stars. Not too impressed on that front.
But I will definitely be back to eat — I definitely enjoyed my food. Although I hope they have their full wine list the next time.

Came here on a quiet Tuesday night. Parking was confusing since I was expecting valet based on previous reviews which made me nearly accidentally valet at the Lexington Grill across the street. Instead if you head down Lexington from Shepherd the lot for Papa Mio’s is beyond its neighboring Ambrosia.
There was only two tables occupied that night so I sat at a bar that was showing High School Musical 3. While pondering on how Zac Efron makes an unconvincing teenager compared to Vanessa Hudgens, I noticed that the menu prices were higher than what was quoted on the Papa Mio website. I don’t know if this was a result of a recent price update.
Papa Mio makes their pasta fresh on site and you can tell. I had the Mezzaluna Porcini Mushroom Ravioli in a marsala cream sauce which was delicious. The complimentary garlic bread pairs well in scooping up the sauce. I also thought the lentil soup was perfectly seasoned.

I brought my parents here when they were visiting from out of town. I had never been before, but it was a fantastic choice, thanks to Unilocal!Our waiter was the owners’ daughter, and we got a lot of special attention from the owners, who were very friendly and amicable. The waiter and owner gave great recommendations from the menu and the three of us enjoyed our dinner immensely. Plus, when the check came, my parents were even happier — everything is priced well, especially for the quality.
Great food, friendly staff, locally-​owned restaurant. A perfect choice for dinner!

Looking for a classy dining experience that involves good food without busting your wallet? Papa Mio is your answer! This lovely Italian restaurant is classy enough for you to dine in formal attires without feeling overdressed but casual enough for you to walk in your normal attires without feeling underdressed. The ambiance is perfect for any situation including dates, family dinner, and group hangout!
The food is also as good as the ambiance. Papa Mio offers create-​a-​pasta and create-​a-​pizza in addition to your traditional Italian dishes and more. My personal favorite since my first visit is using the create-​a-​pasta option to make a dish of capellini pasta with pesto cream sauce and prosciutto ($ 11.95). The dish may look small in the photo, but it was filling. Did I mention that it was delicious? I thought that was already implied just from the ingredient combination!
To top it off, you get unlimited homemade garlic bread. Who cares about the stinky breath that comes after? Eat first, worry later!
Anyway, Papa Mio is located on Lexington St. which is the first right turn on Shepherd Ave. after passing Highway 59. The small parking lot is valet only during dinnertime, but the street parking is fair game. No matter what is your purpose, whether to impress your date or to hang out with your friends, don’t miss out an excellent dining experience at Papa Mio!

I don’t know how this place isn’t more popular, but I’m kind of glad it isn’t.
This quaint little restaurant is a hidden gem. It’s exactly what you need for if you’re looking for a cute, intimate Italian dinner night that doesn’t break the budget. The lighting is warm and comfortable, the restaurant is spacious but still homey, and the décor is absolutely fabulous. Great service, too!
As the proud daughter of a carboholic, I take bread quite seriously. The fresh garlic bread they brought was warm, buttery, crispy perfection. I’m glad I resisted the temptation to ask for more, though, because that was just a perfect prelude to a magnificent meal. I ordered the Spinach, Chicken, and Cheese Ravioli ($ 10), and my only qualm was not having quite enough. Because best friends have an open plate policy, I also tried the House Lasagna (and immediately envied her meal for the remainder of the night), as well as the whole wheat tortellini (also superb). All three meals were saucy, cheesy, and hearty masterpieces.
I should have stopped there, but why would I after looking at the dessert menu? I ordered the Bread Pudding, and my friend ordered the Apple Tart. They were baked fresh, which required a 15 minute wait, but they were absolutely worth every minute. Both desserts were absolutely decadent, and they even came with a scoop of gelato!
Needless to say, I’m in love, and I’ll be back.

MY 200TH REVIEW!
Italian cousine and I go way back and we both have the utmost respect for one another. Italian food never disappoints me and I always turn to Italian when I feel my taste buds need an awakening. Since my return to Houston from Nashville, I have neglected Italian cousine for a better part of a year. and I cannot tell you how overjoyed I am to have walked through the front door of Papa Mio’s.
I give the chef MADD props. Fresh baked bread, fresh pasta made in-​house, a full bar, so many menu choices!
The place is super cutsie. Right next door to Ambrosia and across the street from Lexington café, it’s practically on the corner of 59South and Shepherd. Very easy to find!
It was 4:30 in the evening so I was the first one in. I immediately fell in love with the joint. It’s very roomy with lots of window seating and plenty of natural light so it looks even more inviting!
I was on a mission today so I already knew what I wanted. I started with the tomato bruschetta that was amazing. Crispy bread with fresh tomatoes and olives with a very light and fragrant drizzle of garlic and olive oil vinaigrette. Presented with a little arugula salad, it was presented beautifully and tasted heavenly.
For my entrée I chose the involtini Di Pollo, which is chicken stuffed with Italian sausage, spinach, ricotta and cooked in a rich white wine. It comes with your choice of pasta but I’m hoping you get to choose the sauce as well because I ordered the fettuccine but was never offered a choice in sauce. It came with traditional marinara which was a bit too sweet to go with the white wine sauce and clashed unpleasantly.
The pasta itself however had excellent texture and form. It was doughy like I expected fresh pasta to be, but it wasn’t soggy and held up to my fork skills well!
The bread pudding. Okay don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t BANGIN’ like I’d hoped. Idk, maybe I’m used to a different type? Anyway I will try the Tiramisu next time. I bet its straight up gangster!

Best thing here was the wild mushroom pesto on linguini. Tastes like pesto still, but with great mushroom flavor. It’s creamy without being too rich. It paired really well with their crispy garlic rosemary bread. We also tried a large cheese pizza with Alfredo sauce and mushrooms, mushroom pesto ravioli, and the smoked duck ravioli special. The pizza was pretty good. It had good texture and crunch. But I think I would’ve been better with a different sauce — maybe even the wild mushroom pesto sauce again. The latter two dishes weren’t too memorable. But, overall I’d definitely come again to try their other pasta sauces and their deserts.
They have ample parking at lunchtime. They share a parking lot with Ambrosia next door. At dinner time, they even have valet parking as well.

I was so excited to find this place, any place that makes homemade pasta I am in.
My family and I sat down and after we waited 15 min for a server I knew we were in trouble.
I ordered the fried mozzarella to start– It was good but you only get two pieces.
The worst part is the Service!!! AWEFUL AND PAINFULLY SLOW
My waitress had an accent almost Russian, and she was the slowest server I have ever had hands down. It got so bad I had to go to the bar and poor my own water and get my own balsamic for our bread.
Bread-​DAMN GOOD
ATTN SERVERS-​Anytime you see a toddler at one of your tables note, take the order quick and bring the kids food first as requested. Parents are always trying to do whatever it takes to keep their kids happy and not tearing up your establishment, so when I say please bring bread and water for my daughter first don’t take 20 min.
We created our own pasta, I got the Mushroom sauce which was so ugly in color and lacked flavor. I prefer my pasta Al dente but mine was over cooked.
My husband got pasta with a Pesto sauce and that was incredible.
We both added shrimp to our dish and it was $ 13.00 for the Shrimp, which it doesn’t say. Damn this little cheap place just hit us up straight rape style. I don’t mind paying for shrimp but for $ 13.00 it better kiss and sing to me.
The food was decent but I can’t get over how bad the service was and not to mention it was only 3 other tables besides us.
Will not return.

If I were on death row, I would take my last meal here because the entire ordeal felt like an eternity.
I came here one evening for a friend’s birthday dinner. Despite a smattering of scathing reviews, I was looking forward to my visit as I find restaurants with simple dishes and kitschy décor to be charming.
My friend (and many Unilocalers) cite that this place rarely reaches half capacity, but she went ahead and made a reservation far in advance for our party of 20-​odd people anyway. This was not the case on this particular night. We arrived to discover that the restaurant had been triple booked. Triple booked! Is that even a thing? Whoever handled the scheduling didn’t take another birthday dinner and a wedding reception into account.
After speaking with who I assume to be the manager, the birthday girl relayed to our group that a two pizzas and a few bottles of wine would be comped to make up for the (indeterminate) delay. This seemed acceptable to everyone and we made short work of four bottles between more than 20 people. The boys and I situated ourselves in front of the beer taps for the remainder of the wait. Given that it took us two hours to be seated, we spent a pretty penny at the bar, so the restaurant more than covered what it was giving away. Well played, Papa Mio.
We had more than enough time to contemplate the menu several times over, so putting in our orders was the swiftest phase of the evening. Everything was reasonably get-​what-​you-​pay-​for priced and I appreciated the whole wheat pasta option. As Justine H. noted, the create-​your-​own-​pasta feature concerned me a little. With all of the possible combinations of nondescript ingredients listed, I imagine there are plenty of ways to derp your order.
From then, it took about an hour for (most) of our dishes to come out. Given the size our of party, this was understandable. The time passed quickly with quality conversation and nibbling on the pizzas, which were actually pretty good with an oven-​fired taste to them. However, one guest did not receive her plate even though three others had ordered the same dish. Everyone else spent 15 minutes politely waiting for her until the birthday girl gave the executive order to proceed while words were exchanged with staff.
I had ordered the whole wheat cheese tortellini. It came out hot, fresh and ended up being just the right portion after the pizza and beer. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about the pasta’s texture clearly distinguished it from the store-​bought variety. The viscous sauce clung to the tortellini’s crevices and at no point separated into water and tomato paste.
Three-​and-​a-​half hours after our original reservation time, we got to every large party’s favorite part: getting the check. The manager chooses this moment, when everyone’s itching to gtfo and salvage what’s left of our Saturday nights, to inform us that the bottles actually won’t be comped; instead, we’ll receive a «discount» on two of them and pay full price on the others. This would’ve been fine if we originally intended to order the bottles and didn’t accept them only under false pretense. At least our waitress was gracious enough split our checks, presumably due to everything that transpired and also because we were the last party there.
I really wanted to like this place. There were multiple opportunities to recover the fumble, but Papa Mio was ultimately downed in his own end zone. The food itself was on point and I wouldn’t hesitate to order lunch here (to go, of course) if I found myself in the area.

It has been a few months, since we last ate at Papa Mio. Last night we invited another couple to see if they still ‘had it’. We were happily surprised to see the place packed with customers. The energy of the place was friendly and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
Ivan, our typical server, was still providing exceptional service with a smile that just won’t quit. Jose was busy in the kitchen whipping up the best Italian food that I just love. At the end of the meal he came out to check on us and then made sure that we tried some of his new desserts. One was a egg-​free Tiramisu, which was absolutely delicious. The other was a ganache cake that will make you slowly chew to enjoy it fully.
This is an incredible little place off of Lexington — right across from Lexington Grill. It is great for dates, dinner with friends or just a family night out. I also noticed that they are now open for lunch — woohoo!

It makes me very sad to write this review because I wanted so much to like Papa Mio. Don’t get me wrong, the food here is fine (not outstanding, but fine), but our service today was the worst I’ve ever experienced. Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.
I came with a large group of friends around 6 on a Friday night, and when we got here, there were only a couple other tables with people. You’d think their 5 or so servers would be able to take care of us, but no…
–our server only took orders for half our table and then went away… what?
–we had to practically beg them for water, and when it came, there wasn’t enough for everyone, and the servers just went away without doing anything about it… what???
–we didn’t get ANY bread service
–we waited 40 minutes for our food to come out
–when the food finally came, the waiter didn’t know what was whose, and they messed up some orders. They also couldn’t tell the difference between some pastas, like shell vs gnocchi or jalapeño sauce vs pesto sauce. It was so confusing to get what we ordered.
–it literally took 45 minutes for them to split our checks so we could pay, and even then they mixed up credit cards and checks
–they overcharged us for entrees we did not order or receive
–they forced us to give a 20% gratuity
BE AWARE:
–some create your own pasta toppings are now $ 2, instead of $ 1 like on the menu. They didn’t tell us this and just charged us on our bills.
–you can only get the happy hour free pizza if you buy TWO alcoholic beverages, not just one. This was also not clear on the menu/​signs.
As for the food, I got the wild mushroom mezzaluna (ravioli with mushroom and cheese filling) with mushroom pesto sauce and I also sampled some of my friends’ pastas, and my conclusion was that although their pastas and sauces are tasty, they’re also very heavy. After a few yummy bites, it gets a bit overwhelming and becomes a struggle to finish the whole plate. Maybe that’s just me though.
I can usually overlook shoddy service because I’m more interested in the food, but this time the service was just completely unacceptable. I really hope this was a one time thing, but I don’t know if I’ll want to come back.

Came to this place to have lunch with a couple friends. When we arrived at the restaurant at 1115AM on a Thursday, it was literally empty. We were quickly seated and attended to by the servers, and we were able to order food very promptly.
The restaurant is located at a really inconspicuous corner off Shepherd, so it’s really easy to miss. However, once you walk in, you get the feeling that it is a nice place.
My friends and I ordered different meals. I ordered Capillini with meat sauce and mushrooms (for approximately 7.50), which is a dish that could be made with the ‘create-​your-​own-​pasta” option. The food came out really quick, and it tasted really good! The noodles were really tangy and the sauce was not too salty. It wasn’t anything super special, but it wasn’t bad at all. Would def recommend! (of course, you should just create the pasta yourself… but LEARN YO ITALIAN cuz my friend had to translate all the different pasta types to me haha).
Overall great experience.

Papa Mio is tucked away on a small street just off of Shepherd & 59, neighbored by a few other small restaurants (Ambrosia & Lexington Grill). Tempted by the enticing Create-​Your-​Own-​Pasta deal, I dragged a couple friends here for lunch last week. There is a private lot, so we were parked and in the restaurant in no time.
Once we walked inside, I was surprised by two things: 1) the friendly, naturally-​lit interior and 2) the emptiness of the place. We were obviously seated immediately, and the staff was quick and attentive.
Two of us went for the Create-​Your-​Own-​Pasta deal, which gives you your choice of pasta & sauce for about $ 6 (you can add a topping for $ 1). I ordered the gnocchi with Italian sausage & wild mushroom pesto sauce, and my friend ordered capellini with mushrooms & meat sauce. My other friend ordered the Chicken Picatta, which was well-​grilled and came with capers and a delicious butter sauce.
All and all, the food was solid and reasonably-​priced. Nothing about this place was mind-​blowing, but it’s a good place for a casual lunch.

Awesome happy hour deal till 7pm where you order a drink for $ 4 and you get a whole pizza. Apparently it’s chefs choice but he made a pepperoni mushroom pizza for us. The pizza was tasty and had a good thin crust and crispiness. Parking can be quite tricky but it’s also complimentary valet.
Our server was excellent and went out of his way to ensure we had a great dining experience since it was our first time there and two of us were carbo loading for the houston half marathon. The garlic bread is addicting, be careful about not stuffing your face. It’s hard.
I ordered the create your own pasta by getting wheat noodles, chicken and roasted jalapeño sauce. The jalapeño sauce had a good kick of spiciness and is different from your typical pasta flavors. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was moist. I also ordered the papa salad (Mixed Greens with Pears, Goat Cheese & Wal-​nuts in a Sweet Balsamic Vinegar Dressing) which was a good starter and my veggie intake for the evening.
My sisters ordered the lasagna and the ravioli and they thought it was satisfying. The server also helped us celebrate our sister’s birthday since we brought a cake. I guess they don’t do free desserts for birthdays? Anyways great environment and the best happy hour deal for the pizza.

I have no idea why this place isn’t packed for Happy Hour. I really don’t. They open at 4 and should be packed b y 5:15. Go.
House wine, bellinis and huge draft beers $ 4 and they bring a free freakin’ pizza to your table… free whole freakin’ pizza. Granted it’s not Barry’s or Star Pizza but it’s free and filling. You could order a beer for $ 4 and eat free. Remember Happy Hours during college and how essential THOSE were?!
It’s got plenty of parking, easy to get to off 59 and Shepherd, the staff was more than pleasant (seriously seriously SLOW but very sweet) and the food was pretty good.
We got the create your own pasta at a base price of about $ 9. Pick your own pasta noodle (I hear they make them fresh in house and they do have gluten free), your own sauce (the wife had a tomato pesto that rocked and my roasted red pepper sauce popped big flavor) and can add stuff like chicken, mushrooms, Italian sausage etc for a buck each. Both of our entrees were fresh and tasty.
We also had the antipasti salad as an app to share. It took forever to come out and our waiter comped it because it took so long. Good save, young man! It had plenty of fresh greens and a two pieces each of prosciutto, salami, mozzarella and some grilled squash and both Spanish and kalamata olives. It wasn’t what I expected as an antipasti but as a salad it was quite good. The mushrooms were great. I could have eaten a whole bowl of them. I love me some balsamic vinegar and it had plenty!
They have an extensive brunch menu for Sundays. And inexpensive. I’m so tired of paying $ 15 for a waffle and $ 18 for eggs Benedict… ya know? EVERYTHING here including the omelette bar were under $ 10. Italian pancakes, brioche French toast, frittatas, burgers, pizza etc. My only concern at a busy brunch is the slow service. But I have not experienced it yet… so I won’t include this in my review now.
Plenty of bigger tables for groups, a private dining room in the back for parties, a bar area, a few TVS around and an enclosed patio for our three days of fall and Spring. My wife loved that the place was lit with a lot of sky lights. She said bringing in the natural light was one of her favorite things about the place.
I would have gone for 5 stars had the pizza been less greasy — shouldn’t complain about free pizza though huh? — and the service a bit faster. But for the great value for Italian food and the super cute interior, cleanliness and location it’s a solid 4 star review in my world.