D’amico’s Italian Market Cafe

Snapper Almondine with Lump Crab Meat… Delicious! The soup bowl is quite a lot larger than the cup.

Have a craving for Italian and don’t want to empty the wallet, go to D’amico’s. The staff was incredibly friendly and the GM went out of his way to make sure we were happy with everything.
One particular feature I enjoyed was how quiet the restaurant was for how busy it was. 3 stars for the food, 5 stars for the service.

I have always loved this place. I use to eat here a lot when I was in grad school. One of my favorite dishes is the Veal Saltimbocca. I also love the mussels, simple but good. I have always had good service and like the feeling that I am eating in the middle of a small grocery store.

I have only tried dessert and the flavored lemonade (Blood Orange) and I will be going back to try their full menu.

This place has great lunch specials. I love that I can come in here and get a nice portion of pasta and a salad for under $ 10. I leave feeling satisfied but now overly full, which can happen when having pasta for lunch. I commend them for having appropriate portion sizes.
This visit I had the pancetta tortellini with a Caesar salad. The tortellini was so delicious. Served with an Alfredo sauce, it hit the spot and I loved every bite.
The Caesar salad was one of the best I’ve had in a while. The addition of capers was a nice surprise and gave the salad an extra unexpected flavor.
Can’t wait to come back and try more of the pastas!

I don’t know much about foursquare but bf told me they gave this place a bad review for customer service. Hopefully that review was dated long ago cause the service here rocks! Tracy was our waitress and she was so helpful! it was our first visit, so she briefly guided us through the menu and offered suggestions. Throughout the meal, we were check on several times, by Tracy and the manager himself. Staff is very attentive and quick. Bus boys cleaned our table occasionally, and was very courteous.
when we first sat down, bus boy came out with bread immediately and gave us plates for olive oil. Tracy came to introduce herself in the most friendly way.
I ordered the Pappardelle Pesto. which was good. a very light pasta dish, which i liked because i hate heavy pasta that’s drenched in cheese. dish came out a lil cold, even with the sauteed shrimps, not sure if that’s how it’s suppose to be, but that didn’t stop my from enjoying my dish. bf had Chicken Braciolentini, which came with spaghetti. the chicken was delicious, not heavy of cheese but you can definitely taste it. spaghetti was different that the usuals, it has a heavier wine taste rather than tomato. which is also fine since neither of us are fans of tomatoes.
we finished the meal with tiramisu. which was excellent! wasn’t very sweet. that was good since we didn’t want our sugar levels to sky rocket and be in a food coma. lol…
to wrap it up, here comes the funny, yet best way to end the meal. i didn’t finish my pasta so togo it with a portion of bf’s chicken since we wanted to save our stomach for tiramisu. Tracy offered to pack my togo but being neat-​y me, i decided to do it myself. with all things packed up. i placed the box aside behind the sugar/​salt, olive oil and other condiments so i can enjoy my tiramisu without stuff being in the way. after paying, we took off. went into our car, not even realizing. i see the bus boy come running out across the street (we parked across the street since their parking lot was small hence the –1 star, i really hate finding parking here) with my togo that i completely forgot about. i bolted out of the car to meet him in the middle of the road (romantic?). if it was other places, i think they would’ve just said screw it and threw it away. do i need to say more? i think this might be the best service i’ve received at a café.
I would highly recommend this café to all my family and friends and hopefully for my next visit, i would have this exceptional service again!

Food is good, service is good, atmosphere is okay’ish. Does the trick for some close to home Italian food. I am particular about Italian so it is rare for me to give 5-​stars but I do think average is right. Food is hot and fresh if not over the top delicious and the staff are friendly and service is usually quick.

D’amico’s is a nice and rustic café situated within the Rice Village shopping district. The market serves up some hearty and authentic Italian style food. I came in here recently on a weekend night and it was quite busy. Luckily, the service was prompt, and it didnt take too long to get a seat. My sister and I were greeted kindly and were offered thick slices of bread which we doused with some olive oil.
I had a craving for gnocchi, so I went ahead and ordered the potato gnocchi with pesto. My sister ordered the angel hair with eggplant and capers which was served with a hearty tomato sauce. I forgot the exact name of her dish, but it was tasty. I enjoyed my gnocchi as well. It was served with a brilliant green pesto sauce that complimented the dish nicely. I love the feel of the market and how it is packed with goodies and food ingredients from Italy. The environment is stuffed with people and stacked with items all around. Nonetheless, the market is comfortable and warm inside. I’m looking forward in trying out the gelato and various other desserts next time around. Overall, this café offers a variety within their food selection and its definitely a place worth trying.

Everything I have tried here I have loved. Osso Buco is sooo tender and juicy, homemade pasta is DELICIOUS, and the mascarpone berry gelato will blow your mind. Love the atmosphere, food, and location of this place!

If you have been to the Rice Village location, you will be familiar with the menu here. The building is a bit bigger, with a rather large patio. They share a parking lot with the bar next door, and with all the other spots opening up within walking distance is making parking harder and harder.
Anyway a tiny bar, and they actually have beers on tap here. I saw Saint Arnold Amber. The service is the same, the menu is the same (except they no longer have the lunch special here for some reason). Chicken parm sandwich is decent, and basically the same pizzas as Rice Village. For some reason I like the Rice location a bit better. Though, nothing wrong with this one, and surprisingly almost the exact same.

To start off, this place has what my dining companion (a proud Italian, I can tell you) pronounced «true Italian bread!» I think I saw stars in his eyes as soon as he bit into the first rustic, slightly tangy slice.
We came in for dinner, and got the taglierini (served in a fresh, light tomato sauce… heavennnn!) and farfalle puttanesca (olivey deliciousness, especially covered in grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and/​or a mix of the italian herb mix they have in shakers, available upon request)
The real star of the meal, though, was our appetizer: the sliced chicken braciolentini. Imagine chicken breast stuffed with ground meat (and then sliced into quarter to half-​inch coins of savory goodness), served over spinach wilted from the heat of the delicious chicken and drizzled with a savory dark sauce (of unknown ingredients, but whatever it was was great) Even the tomatoes that come with the spinach were robust with flavor– dressed, I assume, in an herby, olive oily vinagrette.
As for ambiance, expect to hear a lot of Italian music playing in the background and see the walls plastered with various artifacts décor shamelessly milking the whole Rome/​Italy thing for all it’s worth – they sure do ham it up here, as if to say, «hey, look at us, we’re Italian! Really! We’re SO Italian!» But I don’t mind.
Prices were totally reasonable for the quality of the food; the taglierini was $ 10, and the puttanesca $ 9.
Definitely worth a visit for an affordably priced date night.

D’amicos is vastly superior to its competition on 19^th st, Collinas. Damicos is the perfect casual Italian restaurant in the heights. We always have fabulous service! A small house salad+Veal picatta always does the trick for me.

This place is a great cheap italian place close to home. Not really a true «date place», but an excellent casual italian dining experience. I’ve been here several times and am never disappointed.
The tables have the picnic checkered print on it, and the walls are covered with pics/​maps/​etc from the old world. When you walk in you can grab some homemade pasta, gelato, etc. Which makes it a true Italian Market.
Holy dry mouth with the sample plate. It’s probably the best $ 10 one can spend in Houston, it’s covered with meats, and peppers, etc. Around 2:30 at night though you wake up with the driest mouth in the world, because of all the prosciutto, etc… but it’s worth it.
The salads are excellent, the pizza is amazing, etc. I highly recommend stopping by this place if you would like to try some good casual italian. On par with Collina’s, but could be a bit better due to their menu selection.
Check this place out pyzan!

Lunch.
She had the Margherita pizza and loved it. Crisp crust, fresh everything and sauce that didn’t try too hard and wasn’t bland either. Just right with plenty of cheese.
I had the asparagus and chicken pasta. It was good.
Service was attentive, prompt and cheerful. Manager checked in and our drinks stayed full.
Clean tidy and pleasant atmosphere — even with 4 tables of children in the place it wasn’t too loud.
Anyway, we walked a mile to get there and we’re more than happy to do it again.
Baked desserts are from Happy Fatz and they’re DELICIOUS.
Dear HeightsEntitleDouches. D’Amico’s is a very nice addition to the neighourhood — let’s not nitpick it to death ‘mkay?

Great lunch specials and nice staff. There are two locations. Good Italian.

A convenient Heights location and friendly service are the reason I find myself at D’amico’s from time to time. Unfortunately I have to warn you that the food here is quite lacking in quality and value. I’ve tried several of their pasta dishes, all of which have given off a «cafeteria» vibe. Meatballs have a mysteriously homogenous & soft interior, marinara is blah, and $ 10 pints of gelato are icy (or was that just mine?).
I appreciate having this casual Italian spot in the neighborhood. If only they could step up their game, they would make a frequent and loyal customer out of me!

From the appetizer, salad, entrée and all the way to desert was good. The
service was great. Parking can be a pain sometimes but the reward was good.

I had heard about D’amico’s and seen it while driving down White Oak before, so I thought I should give it a try. The inside looks very similar to Raia’s– half market, half restaurant. It’s very open with a large outdoor seating area.
The menu is diverse and I had a difficult time deciding what to order because everything sounded great! They have a good selection of pizzas, sandwiches, pasta dishes, and salads. They even have lunch specials for $ 7.95. The waitress came by 2 or 3 times and we still couldn’t make up our minds. I finally decided on Nash’s pizza (thin crust with chicken, artichoke hearts, pesto, marinara, and lemon juice). My boyfriend got the meatball sub and when offered a side of chips, he chose Cheetos. I thought this was a strange side for them to offer, but he seemed excited about it so I guess that’s all that matters.
The pizza was really delicious and I thought that the price ($ 10.95) was well worth it. I easily got 2 meals and was able to take more than half of it home. The crust was extra thin and cripsy (just how I love it) and the lemon juice gave it a nice tangy kick. The sauce was slightly sweet and not too heavy. This is probably one of the best pizzas I’ve had at an Italian restaurant in Houston.
My boyfriend let me try his meatball sub, which I was also impressed with. The bread was perfectly soft and chewy but still held up well to the heavy sauce and meatballs. I’m definitely excited to go back another time and try either a pasta dish or a panini. We were all pleased with our meals– great addition to the Heights!

Wonderful homemade pasta! My husband and I don’t eat out at Italian restaurants much because I like to cook Italian and he makes his own pasta. We didn’t give this place a lot of thought until I decided to take some of my friends there.
We ordered the spaghetti daviolo, a generously portioned seafood dish that has a nice, spicy red sauce, the tortellini Genovese, and the mushroom ravioli. The mushroom ravioli was the show stealer, the tender pasta filled with earthy mushrooms and paired with a perfect a rich cream sauce. Another dish that impressed me was the Caesar salad: their dressing is house-​made and authentic tasting (I would have liked some anchovies on top, however).
The prices were also very reasonable, especially for the quality of the food. Service was great.
The only thing that turns me off about this place is the atmosphere: it strikes me as contrived casual and too much Italian Stereotype. I think they could actually go for a more refined atmosphere to match the food. I also wish this place was BYOB.
Another positive: the have good gelato. The marscapone with dark cherries was a mildly sweet, delicious, and authentically Italian flavor.

This place is GREAT!
I’ve been frequenting D’amico’s about once a week for the last couple months. Funny some have referred to this place as a fancy bistro; it’s not fancy at all! What I like about this restaurant is that it’s casual but has a cute, intimate, and bright atmosphere.
Inside you’ll find a wood fired pizza grill, small bar, display cases (with meats, cheeses, pasta, and gelato), a few grocery shelves, and seating throughout the restaurant and on the patio.
Great bargain on lunch specials — choose 3 items (change daily) for $ 7.45! For dinner there are plenty of entrée options available– price ranges $ 7 – 18 (one entrée is $ 24)
All of the «House Favorite» items come with a salad and are big enough for 2. (Either share with a friend or be ready for leftovers!)
Don’t forget you can order panini & pizzas any time of day (they’re on the back of the menu with the lunch specials)
Bread served with Olive Oil– you’ll have to ask for the red pepper and herbs. Not sure why they don’t just bring them to the table…
Now for items i’ve had or tasted that are worth ordering:
Braciolentini and the Stuffed Poblano Peppers– Both entrees are VERY good, but be prepared; they are rich. You’ll definitely want to share. The Antipasto All’italiano is a huge platter of grilled veggies, meats, and cheese– great bargain for $ 9.95. Wild mushroom & Walnut tortellini– Yum :)
A couple items deserve a little extra attention… first… the *Shrimp Parmesan*!! This one surprised me and my companion in a very good, delicious way and is a MUST TRY! Even if you’re not a chicken/​eggplant/​veal parmesan lover, you will love the shrimp parmesan! Great texture and delicious flavors. Several of my friends have ordered this upon my recommendation and they all were unexpectedly and VERY pleasantly surprised.
Second… *Nash’s Pizza*! This might be my new favorite item at D’amico’s. Ever had lemon juice on pizza? I hadn’t either. Sounds a bit odd, but (trust me) order this pizza and you will not be disappointed!
Have yet to try their gelato. The Tiramisu isn’t traditional or light and fluffy like that at Patrenella’s, but is still a good dessert.
D’Amico’s is a fun little restaurant that is definitely worth a visit!
Hm… i’m getting hungry. May have to go grab a quick lunch!