Val's Italian Restaurant & Pizza - Canton — Restaurant in Canton

Val’s Italian Restaurant – A Pizza My Heart, But Not My Whole Stomach

Stopped by Val’s in Canton, Texas, hoping for a pasta-tively amazing Italian meal. The place has a cozy, small-town charm, and the menu is stacked with all the classics you “knead” in your life—pizza, pasta, and everything in between. But was it mangia-worthy? Let’s break it down.

The Good: • Garlic Knots: These little carb-filled delights were knot bad at all—soft, garlicky, and downright addictive. I could’ve made a meal out of just these, but, you know, society says I need variety. • Service: The staff was friendly and attentive, checking in just enough to make sure I was happy but not enough to make me feel like I was being watched by the Fettuccine FBI. • Pizza: The crust had a nice chew, the cheese was melty perfection, and the toppings were generous. Not quite a “holy pepperoni, this is life-changing” experience, but definitely a solid slice of happiness.

The Not-So-Good: • Pasta: I tried the spaghetti, and while the sauce had a nice flavor, it was a little on the watery side—more of a “soup-rise” than a saucy delight. The noodles were cooked fine, but the dish just needed a little more love (or maybe less water). • Ambience: It’s definitely more “small-town diner” than “romantic Italian escape.” If you’re looking for candlelit tables and soft violin music, you’re better off putting on some Pavarotti in your car and eating takeout. • The Bread Basket: Now, I love free bread as much as the next person, but it was a little hit or miss. Some slices were fresh and fluffy, while others felt like they’d been on a low-carb diet for too long.

Final Verdict:

Val’s is a good spot for a casual Italian fix—the pizza and garlic knots are solid, the service is friendly, and the prices are fair. The pasta could use a little improvement, but hey, not every meal can be...

The atmosphere is nice, not too bring not too dark and not a lot of really loud music. The waitress was nice, not the best I've had but did a decent job (although she didn't click all the correct things for our tickets and if I hadn't caught it it would have cost me another $15.) The end of meal tickets are confusing....menu says Chicken Parm is 16.95 but you get a ticket that says "Parmigan Dish 15.95 + Chicken 1.00" the childerens order is worse...order a spaghetti with Marinara sauce for 8.95 get a ticket with "child's spaghetti...1/2 spaghetti (However it's listed) 7.95 meat sauce +1.00) when I asked about them taking the meat sauce off since it isn't what we got...everything is considered a topping so if you didn't get plain noodles it's 1.00 more. Why not just be more simple so your ticket doesn't look like you are trying to overcharge someone. Usually the food is pretty good, pretty much tastes the same as most "family" italian restaurants: same bread, same sauce, same chicken...leads me to believe it is not a home made place. This time though, the sauce had no flavor and seemed like "un seasoned can sauce". Definitely not what we are used to there but it seems like quality was not a thought...

My daughter and her one year old son went there last night for the first time to meet her father-in-law for dinner. She parked on the side of the restaurant and walked around the back looking for an entrance. She did not see one, so she begin to walk around towards the front, but a kind worker, seeing that she was carrying a young child let her in thru the back entrance. After she entered, the owners son jumped all over her and told her that she better never do that again in front off all the customers. Then he yelled at the worker for letting her in. My daughter was totally humiliated. Her father-in-law had words with the owner and they left and went to another restaurant in the area where they were treated very kindly. My daughter called and told me what happened and she was still very upset. I called to speak to the owner and he showed no remorse what so over and talked to me like I was a dog. He tried to claim he was a police detective, but a detective would not have talked to me like he did and then he slammed the phone down on me. It is really sad that people as cruel as this are allowed to run a business. As long as I live, I will let everyone that I meet what a sorry place this...