Bollo Woodfired Pizza — Restaurant in Houston

Overall ending my night frustrated. My dinner options were to either get a Costco hotdog or try out Bollo, and I chose wrong.

As advertised they have deep roots in authentic Italian heritage pizza blah blah blah. Everyone says this. They leaned into it hard though so I had some expectations. I ordered the Margherita and the Diavolo along with calamari because I love those little suckers from everywhere.

When I arrived to pick up my food the restaurant was classic Italian diner, right, and packed. Immediately at the door the hostess met me with a blank stare gazing at me through her scowl. Not a word said for a moment before I asked where I could go to pickup and online order. Ok, whatever, I have bad days too. Kind of the same happened at checkout though which was odd, but whatever, they were busy so I guess you don’t come for the staff.

Finally when the food came out I noticed the sizes of the pizzas. Dang… what a ripoff just from first sight. I’ve traveled from Milan to Amalfi stopping off at every town and city along the way trying as many pizzas as I could. 1. They were never this small, and 2. No one on their right mind should charge $17 for either of those pizzas regardless of the size. This is scam. To be fair the calamari portion was very generous. I wish it wasn’t.

The calamari to start was plentiful, served with a tzatziki and lemon on the side. The tzatziki was literally just yogurt with nothing else to it. It was gross. The calamari was greasy and really had no flavor. This is the first time I’ve ever been so bored of eating a food (let alone my favorite food) that I just threw the rest away.

The pizzas, beside their shameful size and insane costs, were actually pretty ok. Cooked really well with the wood fire oven it did have that legit taste to it. They were slapped together with no care, but cooked well. For some reason there were like, 4 fat slices of tomato on the margherita and only half got basil. The diavolo was nice, but god… they upped the spice way too much for it. Still edible, but not good. All you taste is the spice which was a bummer.

Overall, go get a Costco hotdog. You’ll be happier with your purchase. 2/10 would...

When I’m in the mood for pizza, no substitute will do and like most people, I often pick up the phone or logon to my app and place an order with a nearby pizza chain. But other times, I want more flavor- something that the typical chain pizza place cannot satisfy. And one of the places I like to visit for better pizza is Bollo Woodfired Pizza.

At Bollo Woodfired Pizza, restaurant goers are treated to a full- service restaurant that serves more than just pizza. Looking at the menu, one will notice that it is not extensive in its offerings, but it offers more than enough to keep people satisfied. Some may opt for a small plate like the lobster ravioli or shrimp while others might go for a larger pasta dish or even pork chops. But the main attraction at Bollo Woodfired Pizza is the pizza itself. The heat the pizza in a wood fired oven, which imparts a roasted, smoked character to the crust. This, coupled with the quality ingredients used for the pizza, adds up to a satisfying meal.

With the drinks, Bollo Woodfired Pizza serves a good selection of beer and wine and I like the emphasis on locally brewed beer. But there is more- Bollo Woodfired Pizza also has a full service bar. This is perfect for those times when you want something a little stronger or when you’re just not in the mood for a brew or glass of wine.

I’m more than happy with the food quality at Bollo Woodfired Pizza, but one thing I would like to see added/changed is the addition of smaller pizzas on the menu. The smallest you can get at the moment is a medium sized pizza. This could prove too much food for many consumers so don’t be surprised if you end up boxing your leftovers to take home for later consumption.

Pizza is a popular food item for good reason. There is no good substitute when you crave pizza and for those times when your tastes demand something better than average, Bollo Woodfired Pizza is a good option. The wood fired ovens make all the difference and, combined with the high quality ingredients, make for a most...

I started going to Bollo as an alternative to another place I usually go, but which – at the moment – has one waiter whose personality is so annoying that I’d prefer not to step foot in there at all. I had been to Bollo only once or twice before that, and have come to enjoy their thin-crust, wood-fired pizza a lot. If you go, I strongly suggest a one- or two-topping pizza.

My issue with Bollo, though, isn’t the food – it’s the uneven service. Bollo makes no pretensions about presenting itself as an upscale bistro, complete with “Bar Bollo” off to one side of the dining room. The vibe I get from the FOH host and some of the waitstaff makes me think they’re just being snooty or indifferent as part of the general presentation. It’s not rude, it’s just...a bit fake. Maybe it’s the place’s proximity to River Oaks and the Rice U area?

My most recent visit, I was served by a waiter I found oddly chummy. Everyone has a different personality, I realize, but some people seem to have this thing where they have to call everyone by name, or act like they’re best friends to you. I find it disconcerting, if not creepy. I’m not going to identify this particular waiter by name, because my issue is with his style, not his performance. I’m sure others won’t find any annoyance with this particular waiter.

I don’t plan on stopping my visits to Bollo, though. Their pizzas are great, they don’t take too long to receive after ordering, and the décor of the place is nice – suitable for a date (I ran into an old friend who was out on a date, interestingly, and saw another couple clearly on one not long ago). But if you go and you sense there’s something about the people...it’s...