Collina's Italian Cafe — Restaurant in Houston

Allow me to share an incredible dining experience that I recently had at a fast-casual restaurant located near me. If you are searching for an affordable yet exceptional meal, look no further - this place has it all. With their impeccable dishes, friendly staff, and inviting ambiance, this establishment has quickly become one of my favorite go-to spots.

Let me begin by raving about their fried calamari. Words cannot adequately capture the culinary delight that awaits you. Picture this: a plate of calamari with an irresistibly crisp and golden exterior, giving way to tender and succulent morsels inside. The seasoning is just right, imparting a delightful burst of flavor with every bite. It truly is a masterpiece that elevates fried calamari to a whole new level of excellence.

Moving on to their selection of Italian classics, the spaghetti and meatballs are an absolute must-try. Each strand of pasta is cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of bite. The rich and savory tomato sauce envelopes the pasta, harmonizing effortlessly with the flavorful meatballs. Every forkful feels like a nostalgic journey to an Italian grandmother's kitchen, evoking feelings of comfort and satisfaction.

But wait, it gets even better. Their pizzas are nothing short of extraordinary. The "Mono Lisa La Lisa" pizza, in particular, is a work of art that deserves recognition. With a tantalizing thin and crispy crust, adorned with an array of mouthwatering toppings, each slice is a symphony of flavors. The cheese melts in perfectly, creating a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that will leave you mesmerized.

Let us not forget about their salads, which offer a fresh and vibrant alternative. The house dressing is a true masterpiece - a delightful fusion of tangy and subtly sweet notes that will have your taste buds dancing with joy. It complements the crisp greens and other ingredients perfectly, elevating even the simplest salad to a whole new level of deliciousness.

One aspect that cannot be overlooked is the warm and friendly demeanor of the staff. From the moment you step foot inside, you are greeted with genuine smiles and attentive service. The staff's dedication and efficiency ensure that your entire dining experience is a seamless and enjoyable one. It is evident that they take pride in creating a welcoming and memorable atmosphere for their guests.

While I must acknowledge a minor setback I encountered during one visit, namely with the chicken Marsala, let me emphasize that this is an exception to the exceptional dining experiences I have had at this establishment. The Marsala sauce, which should showcase a balanced blend of flavors, had a slightly more pronounced boozy note than anticipated. However, I am confident that this was a one-time occurrence, as everything else I have tried has been outstanding.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend this fast casual dining establishment to all food enthusiasts seeking a remarkable culinary adventure that won't break the bank. With their astounding dishes, including the divine fried calamari, comforting spaghetti and meatballs, and mouthwatering pizzas, your taste buds are in for a treat. Not to mention the remarkable salads and their unforgettable house dressing.

The friendly and efficient staff further elevate the dining experience, creating a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. Despite the minor hiccup encountered with the chicken Marsala, I firmly believe that this place offers an exceptional dining experience that is not to be missed.

So, without hesitation, embrace this opportunity to indulge in a culinary journey that will leave you with a satisfied heart and a longing to return. Prepare to be captivated by the sensational flavors and delightful ambiance that await you at this hidden gem of a restaurant. Your taste buds will...

Warning long but informative review: I did not have a pleasant experience at this establishment. My date took me here for my birthday dinner. We had previously eaten at other restaurants in the same shopping center and both mentioned we wanted to try Collinas. We ordered the calamari to start and that was really good, very fresh and tasty. As we reviewed the menu we were both interested in several dishes and commented that we could go back to try different things. I ordered the chicken masala but when the food came out it was the wrong dish. I politely told the server I ordered the chicken masala and he apologized. He informed me it would be a few minutes for them to prepare the food and I told him that was fine. He even offered to take back my dates food to keep it warm and bring both dishes back out together. No complaints on him, his customer service skills were great. My date and I continued our conversation, laughing and enjoying our time together. In the middle of our conversation and eating our salads, the waitress that took our order interrupts us and says “I always repeat my orders. When I repeated chicken Parmesan you didn’t tell me the order was wrong” something along those lines. I was completely caught off guard, confused and unable to process and comprehend what was happening. I’m sure I gave a very confused and dumbfounded look. Afterwards, she goes back to the counter and proceeds to have a loud conversation with the other staff about “customers that order the wrong food and blame it on them”, she was obviously upset that I informed them I got the wrong dish and was trying to blame me for it. My date and I were shocked that she is having that conversation where we can clearly hear what she is saying. I asked my date if she repeated the order because I started questioning myself at that point. He said no, she just said your dish comes with penne and sautéed spinach and asked if that was okay. That is exactly what I thought happened as well. After she came over to practically blame me for the wrong order, we noticed that she never came back to check on us and was being attentive and nice to other tables. The male server was attending us the rest of the night. Once my food came out it was not edible. It was so salty, I was only able to take a few bites and just ate some of the pasta and spinach. I didn’t even want to say anything about it to the server because I was already not having a good experience and didn’t want to come off as a difficult customer since I told them I got the wrong dish. I really contemplated asking to speak to a manager but I didn’t want to ruin my birthday dinner even more. I just wanted to get out of there and never go back. This goes to show you that one person can really impact your business and your customers experiences. The waitresses behavior was super unprofessional and uncalled for. I never write reviews but today’s experience was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant. My date kept apologizing for the experience because he didn’t want my birthday dinner to be ruined. I told him it was not his fault and to stop apologizing. He said he wished he had chosen a different place to take me. Our negative experience with the waitress overshadowed any of the positives.I didn’t even mention the AC leak that made one of the chairs at our table wet (I almost sat there). On the way home I asked my date if he thought the waitress was so upset that she dumped a bunch of salt on my food. We joked that I was going to end up with high blood pressure from that meal. Terrible experience! Don’t waste your time going to this place. Go to Mia Bella down the...

Went to this establishment with my boys for a late lunch during off hours, the other two occupied tables that were there prior cleared out within 10 minutes of us seating so for a majority of the time we were the only table.

Me and the boys all ordered the chicken parm dish. When ordering, I requested that my youngest son get fettuccini alfredo as a substitute for the standard penne and marinara pasta side. The server asked/said "sub alfredo sauce" and I again clarified "please substitute fettuccini alfredo for the penne marinara" and I could tell he wasn't either getting the request... even maybe purposely so.

Our chicken parm dishes came, with of course my youngest son having a side of penne pasta with alfredo sauce, but again no big deal. The chicken breast portion sizes were generous and larger than I expected, and the breasts were cooked right. The covering cheese was melted good and tasty and the the marina sauce was surprisingly good! But the BREADING was a huge miss. It was unbelievably soft and soggy, even the areas that had no sauce. The breading would literally peel off the chicken when cutting into it with a knife and need to be scooped up with each bite and was mushy and soggy with no taste. A huge bummer. If anyone from this establishment reads this: YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BREADING!

Now on to some issues I had with the service. I finished my meal well before my sons, and my empty plate sat right in front of me for quite some time. BUSS YOUR TABLES. When my boys finished, my youngest son had a good chunk of chicken parm still left. The server comes by "Is there anything else I can get you?". I look at him, and then my son's plate, and back at him. Nothing. So I say "Yeah, we'd like to get the rest of his chicken to go". The server goes off and brings back a box and hands it to me. Because apparently removing my empty plate wasn't his deal, and because of the empty plate with sauce on it I had no room to put the box down to wrap up my son's leftovers, I had to grab the plate with one hand and actually put it on the table next to us so I could put the box down, all while the server stood there in front of me. That actually pissed me off.

Now, this other issue is on the establishment and not the server. At this place they use those wireless handheld remote things to put in the orders and also process payments. I can understand the upsides of using those things but I am not a fan because: Instead of presenting the customer with a receipt that the customer can review if he'd like to, the server is literally standing over you holding a small computer screen up to you leaving you little or no time or privacy to review it because the server has to stand there holding it. After the payment is processed, again right in front of you, your card is handed back and the again the little remote computer is again presented right in front of you asking for your tip selection (which of course started at 18%) all while the server stands over you while you make your tip selection right in front of him. This is unacceptable business practice to me. A customer should have some time and privacy to determine their tip value without the server standing over and in front of you until you...