Tuscany Italian Grill — Restaurant in Brenham

Today I stopped in to see how accurate the rave reviews from several Brenhamites on social media were. I’m an Italian food connoisseur. I really wanted to have a great Italian dining experience today and we had high expectations due to the aforementioned social media reviews. I always try to dine at local eateries and keep their business open. Most of the time I’m very pleased. Today it fell flat. I know my expectations were high. I had dined at similar eateries in the past and been very pleased. Unfortunately, I knew there would be trouble when the fried cheese came out. For a $10 appetizer 6 tiny little fried cheese sticks is meager at best. Not to mention, the breading had no flavor. It’s sad to say that an Italian restaurant is beat out by Sonic and Olive Garden (which is in about the same class as Tuscany. It’s not authentic, but it’ll do for when you’re in a pinch) for the same dish!

Then the salad came. I ordered a house salad with the house Italian dressing. I was immediately concerned when I saw a red dressing come out. It looked the color of marinara and tasted like vinegar and a mix of Italian seasoning. I was perplexed by the texture and overall taste which was nothing like any Italian dressing I have ever had. The salad was the bottom of the barrel iceberg with one chunk of tomato, a single onion ring, and cheese. Nothing to write home about. It more resembled what I pack on the last day of the week scrounging around in my empty refrigerator.

The main dishes looked very appealing. The presentation was beautiful and the portions were more than adequate. I ordered a supreme pizza that was loaded with toppings. There was no lacking in that department. The portion for a medium pizza to split with my daughters was perfect. The issue that I didn’t like about the pizza was the bland cardboard tasting crust and the sauce. The crust, presumably frozen and not fresh, needed olive oil, Italian seasoning, and the sauce, which is probably of the canned variety judging by the size of the menu overall, was seasoned improperly. It was spicy instead of garlic and basil accented as marinara sauce should be.

My husband had a classic, spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce was the same as what was on the pizza and served with the friend cheese. The meatballs were a good size! That of a golf ball and there were several there. Once again, they were bland and unseasoned in the ways of traditional Italian or even Italian American cuisine.

As I always say, it’s the little things that make the big things happen and that too is true for Tuscany Italian Grille. A little garlic goes a long way, complimentary garlic bread is always a bonus, and leave the spice to the Mexican restaurants. Italian good should be a blend of garlic, basil, and general Italian seasonings. No Cayenne or red pepper need go into your marinara.

I’m not saying I won’t try again, but I will definitely try a dish without the marinara. It missed the mark for me on every dish we had.

In a pinch if I’m not cooking Nona’s recipes at home, yeah, maybe, but it definitely wasn’t a win...

Edited Review (7/12/25): Oh NO! What happened?? You all finally had an amazing restaurant with absolutely delicious food! When we went this past Saturday (7/12/25), it was terrible. Service is still good (many of the same wonderful employees), but the food... what happened? Did you all get a new cook or something? Also, the decor is different, so I assume another new owner has taken over or something... just a complete shamble. -Rolls: gross compared to how they were just a couple months ago. Dried up in my mouth with way too much salt or baking soda. How can you screw up the rolls? These used to be soooo good! -House Salad: Grapes in my salad? What in the world? Again, gross to how it used to be. -Fettuccini Alfredo: Y'all used to have the BEST Fettuccini Alfredo. Just look at how it used to be in my picture from this past April / May. What happened?? It was flavorless and made completely different than how you had it just a few short months ago. -The pizza was like cardboard and awful. And again, look at my picture... it was wonderful back just a few months ago. On top of all these food changes, you also lessened your portions compared to what you had just a few short months ago. PLEASE hire back any cooks you let leave your place. Seriously, over the past year or two this place has been OUTSTANDING.... it was my families favorite restaurant in town. Now, after this recent visit, we won't be back. Which is sad, because we loved this place.

Original Review (April / May 2025): When this place first opened in Brenham, I was not a fan. Went a time or two and the food was bland, rolls were hard, and just wasn't a good experience. However, they have completely overhauled the customer experience with amazing service and even better food. The complimentary rolls are the best!! I.M.O they are better than the breadsticks at Olive Garden. My kids get their fettuccine alfredo and pizza (both delicious!). I always get their adult size fettuccine alfredo and it's sooooo delicious! If you want great Italian food in Brenham, you must go to Tuscany...

I hate to say it, but we were really disappointed. I've heard really good things about this restaurant, so maybe it was just an off day? We had a group of 10, and made a point to call ahead and let them know when we would be there. The table was not ready when we got there. We chose to dine a little later in the afternoon, to miss the lunch rush, since we were getting together to celebrate a birthday. I know larger groups can be harder to deal with, but as a whole, we are not a demanding group, and we always enjoy engaging with our servers, as well as normally tipping over and above ... especially for outstanding service. Our waitress was apparently going off duty shortly after we arrived, but nothing was said about this. As soon as our food was delivered, we never saw her again, and nothing more was said to our table. No one came to refill drinks or see if we needed anything else. Eventually, one in our party had to go to the front counter to ask for drink refills and our bills. We had been waiting for quite a while, and none of the employees would make eye contact with anyone in our group. Three servers were sitting at the counter, absorbed in their own conversations. They were polite enough when approached, but were obviously not pleased with having to handle a table other than their own. There were very few other diners in the restaurant. As far as the food was concerned ... the bread is delicious ... everything else was just so so. For the price, we expected better. Again, maybe it was just an off day. As I mentioned, we chose a later lunchtime. The salads were past their prime, very faded/yellowish. The Eggplant Parmesan tasted OK, but it was rubbery/overcooked, same for the Calamari. The Chicken Parmesan and spaghetti were, again, OK, but very bland. And just FYI, kids' drinks are not included with their meal and cost the same as an adult drink. The Chicken Marsala was very good, as well as the Chicken Madomia. I won't say I will never return, as I know every restaurant has off days ... but it will be a while before I'm willing...