Fratelli’s Ristorante

We like to go here because of the piano bar. The bartender is great, she makes great drinks and is friendly. The food in not consistant which is why we don’t go more often. Still a great piano bar but small.

The family came here (two adults, two 7 year olds) and we had a very nice dinner. Italian food is challenging for me to grade as I tend to gravitate towards hearty comfort food options like lasagna or meatballs — — and those are really hard to mess up.
What is the most strikingly appealing aspect of Fratelli’s is their execution of your entire dining experience. The restaurant is a good size with a divided dining room. On the night we went, we were directed towards the back, which was perfect as we had the kids with us. The front of the dining room (dining room #1) boasts a live music area and a more romantic vibe. The back section was more lit-​up and seemed more family-​friendly. So – that was cool.
The service was just fine. Nothing really good or bad to say here.
The food was very reliable. We toured tourist Italy with our order: lasagna, cheese ravioli, fettuccine alfredo, and a basil and tomato pizza. Thought this was a good way to try it out — and we were right. The pizza was the highlight. Really fantastic crust, great ingredients … the kind of pizza where you just want to huddle up in a corner alone with it and eat the whole thing without sharing. Everything else (lasagna, alfredo and ravioli) were just fine. Nice and hearty.
The prices are nice too.
It’s located in a shopping center along with Eurasian sushi. I love this little elbow of shops now: it’s my go-​to neighborhood strip where I can be assured that I can choose between a sushi dinner or an Italian feast and walk out feeling happy.

I was so disappointed. It really is the small things that make for an enjoyable evening out. Good –main dish trout almondine. Poor service, ran out of bread 6 pieces for 10 people, no lights in bathroom area, only Earl gray or chai in the tea box. Sides were overcooked spinach and unrecognizable rissoto slopped on the plate. The waiter tried but he was covering the whole restaurant. The final slam was after requesting separate tickets in advance the waiter gave us one ticket which resulted in a lengthy, boring process of trying to figure it all out when he refused to change it. Disappointed.

After many bad meals from Italian restaurants around the greater Houston area, I didn’t think it was possible to find a good Italian restaurant in Houston but so glad we found Fratelli’s. The restaurant is in a strip mall but inside it’s lovely with a pianist by the bar, murals on the wall and a cozy, warm atmosphere with the dining room. As soon as we were seated someone came over right away and gave us water. Shortly thereafter, we were given warm bread from the oven with dipping oil — olive oil with what tasted like lemon thyme. We didn’t love the dipping sauce with that seasoning but liked the bread.
I ordered the butternut squash soup as my appetizer and my spouse got the calamari. Both of us loved our appetizers. The butternut squash soup was extremely fresh, slightly creamy and very tasty. It was the best soup I’ve had. My spouse didn’t think he could eat all of the calamari since it’s a big portion but he ate the entire thing.
Because I could see that the portions of pasta were very large (on other people’s plates at nearby tables) I decided to have he mushroom crêpe appetizer as my entrée. This was a great decision. The crêpe was perfectly cooked (just like in Paris) and the filling was just that, filling — even as an appetizer. I even had leftovers because the portion size was large.
My spouse had the chicken Verona and he enjoyed his meal so much (despite filling up on Calamari and bread) that he ate it all except the vegetables; those I took home and ate with my leftovers. We didn’t have room for dessert but I’m sure it would have been great had we not been so full.
The prices are reasonably, the service was great and the food was fantastic. We will definitely be back and I highly recommend Fratelli’s.

Good neighborhood place. The décor is fresh and up to date. We were a party of 10 in their private room. After some initial shuffling due to a change in the number of our party, the service was friendly and professional. All were happy with their dishes with the exception of me. The spinach salad was too wet with water, so the dressing was diluted. If I go back, I would choose some other dish, maybe the cannoli which I was told was delicious. The bread with dipping oil kept everyone busy until the entrees arrived. Everyone got a separate ticket which is nice. I too noticed the strong cleaning odor especially in and near the restroom.

Great neighborhood spot! Osso Bucco was insane! Everything is homemade and their risotto was delicious! Salmon was wild caught/​fresh and cooked to perfection! Loved all our meals. And the service is wonderful. Yummy. We will definitely go back!

Because of recent reviews we decided to give it another try and they were happy to disappoint again! We were left waiting up front as waiter after waiter passed by. What a shame we had money to spend. Went to our fav steakhouse where we r treated great since u walk in the door. Hire a hostess on the weekends dont be cheap.

Mothers Day brunch was tragic. Too many people; only choice was buffet; they couldn’t keep enough (clean) plates or food available for the crowd. Seriously damaged their reputation.

As we entered, all I could hear is a woman singing at the piano, problem was she couldn’t sing. Luckly they directed us towards the other end of the restaurant. I asked for a Belini to drink and the bartender came around and told me they don’t make them. Then asked for a drink with coconut rum and they don’t have that. Finally got a chocolate martini and it was $ 12! The food was good, but not outstanding. Doubt we will return. Just wasn’t impressed for the price.

This place is a nice change of pace from the chain Italian around. I wasn’t wowed by anything, but the food was good, and the service was super friendly. I will agree with others that there is a chemical/​cleaner smell that permeates the place. I smelled it when I walked in and expected it to clear as I entered the dining room. But it was just as strong in there. So strong you didn’t get the aroma of any of the plates being served. I expect garlic, tomato, basil smells, and there was nothing.
The bread with dipping oil was okay. The house salad was super! Lots of fresh mushrooms. We had requested our entrée not be served until we were done with our salads, but that didn’t happen. They even tried to take our salad plates away, and we had to tell them more than once we were still working them. For an entrée we split the Tagliatelle con Ragu Bolognese which was good — especially with some crushed red pepper added. But again, it was ok.
There are some interesting appetizers I look forward to going back and trying, but unfortunately, there was no wow factor.
Another tip: happy hour is at the bar. You can discounted wine — not sure about other drinks.

I guess I just only go to 4 star restaurants. Or I am just very lucky.
We went to Fratelli’s because we had a coupon, but we were pleasantly surprised. We got there a little late there was NO one in the dining room, but there was a good size group in the bar area. They had someone playing piano and a bunch of drunk older people (40s-​50s) singing songs… pretty funny.
Our server was very friendly and helpful since we had never been there. We started with the Gnocci, which were awesome. The bottle of wine that we got was good and not very expensive either. Entrees were all good and the tiramisu was very fresh/​homemade (and the slice was huge)
Food: 4
Drinks: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4.5
Price: 4
We’ll be back, BUT its tough to pass up Eurasia Sushi RIGHT next door… that place is awesome!

Several colleagues from out of town were celebrating a birthday, and someone local made a reservation for 10 at Fratelli’s. In hindsight, that someone local should have let me handle the dinner plans…
First off: the food is actually pretty good. I had the speidini di gamberi: grilled shrimp over risotto with a pesto sauce. It was everything you expect Italian food to be — rich, hearty, stick-​to-​your-​bones. Plus, the shrimp were cooked well, and the portion size was quite generous.
Now, why is my rating subpar? I think the size of our party didn’t mesh with the restaurant — Fratelli’s is a pretty intimate, more upscale Italian restaurant. The only table that seats a large party (6+) is in a small room that has a door, so flagging down servers was pretty much nonexistent.
When we got the chance, we asked for extra bread (they only brought 2 baskets initially for the 10 of us) and waited. We asked for refills on water and waited. We played the waiting game a lot with our servers.
Additionally, 3 people had issues with their dishes — someone didn’t get risotto, someone didn’t get chicken with their alfredo, and someone didn’t even get the right order. What’s worse, our server offered a free drink or dessert to someone, so he got a cannoli — then she went back on her word and charged him for it!
With that said, we did end up having great conversation (especially when we waited for so long…), and the owners thanked us for dining with them when we were leaving the restaurant. At least they were cordial.
I would have enjoyed Fratelli’s a lot more if the party was a lot smaller. As I said, the food is good (on food alone, this would easily be 4*). But if you allow someone to make a reservation on OpenTable for 10, I expect a whole lot more than as a last-​minute walk-​in who needs to seat a large party.

Being a fan of Italian cuisine I get to experience a lot of different restaurants and dishes along with it. This place has a great cook and the waiters were very nice. Place itself is very clean but for some reason the waiting time for our order was too long. Other than that I would totally recommend coming here!

This is an update. Fratelli’s has metamorphed in the last six months. What a Huge Improvement for the restaurant since Anna (bartender) was made Manager! She is smart, great memory, really stays on top of things & no doubt, gives the owner, Barbara, a break to concentrate on growing business, which she certainly has.
There is now a piano in the bar that welcomes accompaniment in song by some of the customers, the bar is full of friendly people, the main restaurant is packed, even recently on a Tuesday afternoon, the food is better than ever and there has even been an extremely positive change in some of the staff.
Frequently, the ballroom/​banquet room is full with group meetings. Barbara has made some beautiful updates also to the restaurant lighting, window coverings & all around general appearance.
It is a pleasure and culinary delight to eat here, stop in for the bargain Happy Hours & a pleasure to interact with the staff. One of my favorite restaurants in Houston is Fratelli’s Restorante!

Me and my date were seated very quickly and food came out within 10 minutes. Great tasting food. Waiter checked up on us every time he passed by. I will definitely be coming back to Fratelli’s in the future.

Amazing Sunday brunch… cream of zucchini soup, eggs made to order, ham, homemade meatloaf, portobella crepes, ravioli, Kathy Ruiz pasta, & desserts oh plenty! Wow… The best coconut cream pie, cannoli, the best chocolate cake, and Italian cream cake. All for a great price!!! Thank you Barbara

If you’re on a date or you’re with a group of friends looking for a place that can serve up some serious Italian dishes, you have hit the jackpot! I happened upon this restaurant when my friends invited my boyfriend and I out for a middle of the week dinner. The ambiance of the restaurant made me feel right at home, starting from the moment you enter the restaurant. The lights are dimmed just right and you are welcomed by really friendly hostess and wait staff. We sat down and right away, we were given our menus, water, and bread. This is the pivotal moment when dining out, that will tell you if the rest of the night will ensue with food comas or with sad empty stomachs: how will the bread taste? Everyone LOVED the bread… it disappeared within minutes! We started off by ordering a bottle of red wine and two appetizers: Calamari Fritti and Portabella Crepes. To precursor, I do not enjoy mushrooms at all, I will always try a bite and will 9.9÷10 times pick them all out before eating the rest of the dish. But wow, the crepes which were filled completely with portabella mushrooms were so delicious! They top it off with gorgonzola sauce that I just could not get enough of, I scooped it from the plate to my crêpe for each bite. Because I love sausage, chicken, jalapenos, and penne, I ordered Kathy Ruiz’s Pasta — it had everything I wanted and more. The dish was so flavorful, the spice level wasn’t overwhelming as it just felt like a kick in your mouth for every bite you take. We all tried a bit of each other’s dishes 1) Pollo Verona: it was pretty good and the presentation of the chicken was very pretty 2) Pizza Margherita: it felt so light and the toppings were really refreshing 3) Linguini al Frutti di Mare: it was good and the plate was filled with seafood! We ended the night with Italian Cream Cake — yum yum yum, they put some pecans on there which is the perfect touch.
To sum it up:
— The food was DELICIOUS
— The portion size is awesome because I was able to bring home some for lunch the next day, still tasty
— They do not skimp on ingredients
— The wait staff were very friendly and constantly came by to check on us
— The pricing was very fair for what was offered
A must go! And a must return.
One last thing, on the way out, we went over to the bar area of the restaurant which was very pretty. The décor included low lying chandeliers, a piano in the far back, and a large variety of alcohols — I’d like to try next time we go to Fratelli’s!

I enjoyed the food at Fratelli’s. I had the Pollo Verona which cost about $ 16 bucks. It had plenty of sauce, but I only had two little slivers of sun dried tomatoes. The menu doesn’t say, but it comes with a small helping of spaghetti noodles coated in olive oil and herbs and a side of mixed veggies. Although the food was tasty, the plate made me feel like I was eating at a diner. My experience would have been much better if the food was served on a better plate that fit the food more snuggly, and if I had not seen a dead roach at the entry door.
The service was good, except that there was no one to greet me when I initially arrived and I had to wait about a minute for a hostess to come out from behind a wall to seat me. Although the whole experience was fine, there really just wasn’t any wow factor. Well… maybe the bread. The fresh bread and olive oil herb mixture were very good.

Perfectly fine. Price was affordable and flavours were closer to real Italian. Family atmosphere was conducive to children. There was one screaming baby but it seemed to fit with the family style and didn’t bother us. The cioppino is good, a bit fishy even for a fish soup but good flavour.
Pollo Fratelli was tasty and just the right portion size.

I found this restaurant by passing by the area. And it becomes one of my favorite spot for Italian food.
Although this one is only rated 3 star on Unilocal but I still like this restaurant. I might not know how the authentic Italian food suppose taste like. But I kinda like the food, interior and service there.
I always ordered my favorite pasta-​linguini al Frutti di Mare. It will never go wrong to me. The tiramisu is also my favorite.
I would love to go back here anytime since I really think this is a nice restaurant.