Birraporetti's

My partner and I came by to celebrate her birthday. Paco was our server and he was swell and very efficient with his services. We highly recommend the lobster ravioli and the lasaña is to die for. I enjoyed eating here last night.

Had lunch at this iconic restaurant. There’s a reason it’s been around for decades. The food is delicious, service is on point and the ambiance is lovely. I enjoyed the lunch special of Chicken Milanes which was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Parking was a little expensive in the garage next door but street parking is nearby. I didn’t see valet.

The best part of the meal was the my style cheese cake and coffee. That’s all I would come back for. Both were fabulous. Had ravioli and added meatballs. The ravioli were bland, sauce from a jar and meatballs were just ok. Service was lacking. But it’s close to the alley theater and while we didn’t get the pizza, it looked pretty decent. Would come back and try

Had a quick meal before a performance. Appetizers and salad. All very fresh. Great wines and desserts. Our server, Paco, was very friendly and provided excellent service. We definitely plan to return.

We went there before our show. It was very crowded, and I politely asked our server, to rush if possible (it was not a demand but a request) and bring our appetizer with our main course together, since we were in a time crunch. His response was that everyone is going for a show. Fair enough, he wanted to share that thought. Then he said that he cannot promise how it will come out (I don't exactly know what he meant by that -- did he mean that the food will not be satisfactory).Then while deciding on the appetizer, we were looking at the asparagus with crab or escargot. I clearly told him that we wanted the escargot ....when our food came, it was the asparagus. I pointed that out to the person who had served the food. The manager was there, he was very gracious and he took the plate away to replace it with escargot. My daughter wanted them to leave the asparagus behind, but we are paying enough money and it is reasonable to expect the food we ordered. If it was a mom and pop place, then I would have let it go. The server later came by to tell me that I had ordered the asparagus. I know I was very clear about escargot and my daughter had heard me too. Mistakes can happen, it is restaurant everyone was rushed. The fact that the server thought it was okay for him to argue, was not right. An establishment like this, should do better. The food is alright. I liked the creme brulee....

I always enjoy their great foods and good glasses of wine in an authentic atmosphere. A little downside is that their service would be slow with lots of customers especially on major event days downtown.

Everything was excellent. Great service. I would love to go back. It was decorated for Christmas. It was magical. It is a fun place. We started with an appetizer pizza, a beer and a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was wonderful! We had the lasagna and the Pasta Poretti. Delicious!!! This Birra Poretti's is located conveniently in the Theater District of Houston. Jones Hall, The Alley Theater and Lancaster Hotel are all within walking distance. We sat at the mid bar, but I highly recommend that you get reservations as soon as you know that you are going. I can't wait to go back! Stupendo!

This is a perfect place to get a really good dinner before going to the theater. The food is delicious, our waitress was very accommodating and attentive and our server seemed to genuine care if we liked our food. Speaking of the food, it was all great, from the calamari to the steak to shrimp and right down to the garlic bread.

Great spot for dinner and drinks before and after a show at The Alley Theater. For an Italian place, they have a shockingly great burger. Wine selection is good and well-priced. Liquor options are plentiful. Servers are nice and bartenders are friendly. Definitely worth a visit next time you see a play.

A Houston Classic That Still Delivers This place has been around for donkey's years--and it's still one of Houston's hidden gems. We've usually gone before shows or theatre nights, but after our latest visit, we've decided it's worth coming to just for the food. The menu has a great variety, the food is consistently delicious, and the wine list offers solid value. Big shoutout to Jay, one of the managers--he's incredibly friendly and genuinely helpful. Honestly, visiting Jay alone is reason enough to come back. And the desserts? All made fresh in-house, and you can taste the difference. So good. Do yourself a favor and save room for dessert--you won't regret it.

The Trio Del Mar was horrible tastes frozen premade. The mushroom was horrible. Caesar salad ok. Drink was good nice and strong. Service good.

My expectations were low coming because the pictures of the fettucine Alfredo didn't look great to me and because I'm a snob. But right off the bat the marinara that came with the calamari was delicious, the calamari was decently cooked. I ordered the salmon with asparagus and linguini. Pasta needed a little salt but otherwise it was lightly olive oiled and the fish was seasoned well. The chocolate mousse was luscious and a big portion. Thr cappuccino was cold but it did come with a nice chocolate chip biscotti. The paloma was all tequila.

Good service. Singer was very good. Seemed like it was music playing but was actually a live singer. She was excellent singing holiday songs. Very handily located next door to the theatre. We only had drinks. Prosecco good, Irish coffee was just ok.

Went to Birraporetti's before going to see the Lion King and had a great time. The atmosphere was very upscale and I wasn't mad about it. I felt very important sitting in this restaurant. Our server was great (can't think of his name) but he made sure we were taken care of the entire time. I ordered the grilled salmon with a Cesar salad. This is usually my norm for every place I go but it was decent nothing to stood out but I was a tasty meal. Now the Bruschetta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could eat that for days. Overall loved my experience here and will be back

This place needs some more positive reviews! My family and I had a lovely time here before going to the Houston Symphony. The staff was kind, food came out in a timely manner, and the chicken piccata was the best one I've had in a long time. One con is that it has three entrances but only one entrance has the hostess stand, which is pretty confusing. Otherwise it's a fabulous restaurant for dinner before a show!

Left a tunnel and found myself in this area. There's a small lunch menu that ends @2pm. Bar and restaurant seating

Birraporetti's has been around for a while and is a good Downtown restaurant. I prefer a bit more flavor in my food so my review might be skewed due to my tastes. A bit of history, the restaurant still has an elevator to send food to the lower floor and the downstairs area serves as a private area to host group parties and wedding dinners.

I love this beautiful place. Had some delicious pasta, escargot, and pizza. So romantic and the service is always great. All the staff is very welcoming and kind. Tonight we sat downstairs.... Didn't even know they had it. I always recommend this place to friends and family.

The Meatballs with Italian Sausage is honestly what i would come back here for! Great sauce! Delicious flavors altogether with the bread on the side. I could eat that sauce by itself with bread all day! I had a a grilled chicken salad here! Made to my liking! Great servers , I was able to fix my salad the way i wanted. Amazing service! Very attentive to me and my girlfriend. The ambience was very nice. Great spot to grab some good Italian food and hit the streets again! Back to buffalo bayou trail haha! :) Thank you Birraporetti's!!! For a Wonderful Meal and Great Experience. I sincerely appreciate it. The effort. I always notice. -PS. i see yall working hard in the kicthen back there!! Gotta give the chef and the staff some credit! -Santangelo Balli Gonzales

Decided to dine at Birraporetti's as it was conveniently next door to the Alley Theatre. We entered through the back entrance, and was greeted half way by a hostess, and was seated right away. Our server was friendly, as well as the servers that delivered our food. We order stuffed mushrooms caps as an appetizer. It wasn't heavily stuffed, but it was heavy on the cheese. Really enjoyed it. For entree, I tried the Marco Polo, which was linguine, shrimp and chicken in a Thai sweet chili sauce. Not something you'd expect in an Italian restaurant, but it was pretty good. My friend had the pasta primavera, which were also really good. We didn't have time or room in our belly for dessert, but all the options looked great. The restaurant itself has ample seating and reminded me of an Italian restaurant in NYC. I recommend this restaurant and will definitely go back. There is 3 hour max street parking, or parking in the Alley Theatre parking garage.

The decor was a combination of theatre and Valentine's Day, the music was 1970's but not obnoxiously loud. Our server found out what time our show started so our meal could be paced properly. The food was delicious- the best garlic bread I've ever eaten, light and crispy without being greasy- and my lobster ravioli with aurora sauce was light but filling. We opted for coffee instead of dessert and it was very good- almost espresso level roast. If you're looking for dinner before a show, I highly recommend.

We visited Birraporetti's before going to the Wortham Center for a show. I had heard about it for years and finally had the opportunity to try it out! The atmosphere was nice and had a vibe that was open to business and casual dress. The food came out great and our waitress was very friendly and attentive. I wish we had more time to stay and enjoy the bar scene but will definitely make more time in the future!

October 19, 2023 Came in for a bite after a musical at Jones Hall. Sat at bar...by 10p it was packed. I had a lemon drop martini and calamari...yum!

Food was pretty good. I was the only person in the restaurant and the food took a while to come out. I would go again in the future.

Solid good food. Caesar salad was great and the Manicotti w/italian sausage was good. We also like the Chicken Piccata. Just not exciting. Easy going yet professional service Old fashioned city restaurant feel. Think steak house vibe with bigger windows. The biggest draw is that it is close to the theater, which we did not go to and it is affordable. We may be back but it's lower on the list.

Honestly, the meatballs themselves are enough reason for me to come back. This place is a Houston staple, been coming here since I was little and have always ordered the same thing and its worked well for me. I've always sat at the bar, and have never had a service issue because of it. On top of that the restaurant is beautiful and is a great place for date night: The pizzas are fantastic as well.

This restaurant has really gone down hill over the years. I don't think we'll be coming back the next time we go to the theater. Slow service, server who obviously didn't want to wait on us, cooked-from-frozen dry chicken complete with fake griddle marks, linguine that tasted like it had been microwaved. Even the decor is showing signs of wear, with peeling wall paper and signs with missing letters.

Overall good experience, live singer was there! Make a reservation for night time as it gets crowded and we had to sit at the bar. Waiters are very nice with good suggestions and hype up the food haha. The food was good but some dishes had dry chicken. The restrooms and restaurant were clean and it wasn't super loud. Would recommend for a casual night out.

Busy old school Italian restaurant. It was so worth the wait. One of the best pasta dishes I have ever had in my life. We loved it so much !

My family and I love this restaurant! We always go before seeing shows at the Hobby Center. Good drinks, food, & atmosphere. The service is great, they are super fast and friendly. Would highly recommend!

After leaving a show at the Cullen Theater, we walked here to grab a late night dinner. It was close and opened late, plus we were starving lol. I like Italian so it seemed like a good choice. This place was weird. It was dim inside which seemed to imply fine dining but the decor was chaotic and the fake candles on the tables were tacky. There was a musician performing love music but he was singing country music in this Italian restaurant. The food also left much to be desired. The Caesar salad was decent but overly dressed. The spinach and artichoke dip was soooo thick with improperly melted cheese that I was concerned I might choke trying to swallow it. The chicken piccata wasn't that great either. It was a large boiled chicken breast with sauce poured over it that just slid right off the chicken. The broccoli was unseasoned but the mashed potatoes were the best thing on my plate. My friend ordered a dish that came with spinach pasta noodles, red sauce, and salmon topped with a cream sauce. It was such an odd dish and she had a difficult time trying to keep the sauces separate so sure could enjoy her food. The entire experience was weird and I won't be returning.

I wanted to rate this place higher, I really did. I liked the 1950s vibe of the place, old elegance you don't see much anymore. But the service and food only justify a 3. Marco Polo is a mistake. The garlic bread came for dessert.

I had a very fun time with friends at Birraporetti's and don't understand why everyone is so harsh to this place. In the background, a one-woman show sang jazz hits. The overall vibe was posh but attendees were in business casual. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, Tuscan bean soup, rigatoni with sausage, Cesar salad and strawberry cheesecake. I loved my Tuscan bean soup. The rigatoni was super cheesy and tasted good but not my thing (my husband liked it). I did not like the Cesar salad. The shrimp was actually really great and big but overpriced so skip it. The strawberry cheesecake may have been my favorite ever? Cheeseforward and wasn't disgustingly sweet - it was great. I also just want to note that the dessert tray our waitress brought around to display our options to us were the real desserts instead of plastic. That made me really happy. Very basic wine menu. The cocktail menu looked pretty good but we didn't order. So do I recommend? Probably not. We paid a lot for what ended up being relatively American fast casual feeling instead of super post, fine dining. $22 Shrimp Cocktail, $8 for a small bowl of soup, etc. This is a step above Buca and a leap below Damian's. The server was friendly and she tried her best and was accurate. But, coming the prices to recent meals like Sunday Press, maybe food is just more expensive now and this is a good deal for the area. These prices are fair for the location, and the quality of the experience/food is almost an afterthought. Regardless, my husband and I will be back to eat here after our annual Nutcracker performance or a future opera. But, I will not recommend my friends to come here again to dine for a special occasion or for no further downtown excursion.

Bought tickets for the Nutcracker Show for the holidays and I must say that it was a great show. After the show we decided to have a late dinner. Walked in and must say ambience was nice, we had seats at the bar and I must say that even though we waited for a good 10 minutes the bartender was very nice and made great drinks. Ordered an old fashioned and a xtra dirty martini, again great drinks. As for food started off with the calamari, a lil over cooked but great portion and overall good starter. Had this 3 course meal they were offering. As a starter a classic ceaser salad, can't go wrong with that. Love the crispy fresh romaine lettuce with the shaved Parmesan. 2nd course a 10oz Filet with 2 jumbo grilled shrimp ( which were grilled perfectly) and a side of fettuccine pasta, so delicious. For dessert a crème brûlée... perfection. Overall a great place to try if you have a play to catch. Meant to take pictures of the steak and shrimp but when it came I couldn't help myself.

Creepy female taking to-go orders. Threatening undertones. Can't explain it but won't be ordering from Birras anymore. It's a shame, because it's the best pizza in town. Still a little freaked out by whomever was on the other end of the phone.

Had our waiter was a bit faster this would have 5 Stars!!! The food and drinks were fabulous! We shared the small stuff mushrooms, bruschetta and the lasagna. The bread is amazing. Our issues were that we had to ask another server for napkins and silverware after our food came out. We asked our waiter twice, but he got easily distracted. Then our drinks didn't show up until after the appetizers. I'm sure is was just an off day, because the atmosphere is wonderful and we will definitely eat here again!

When Birraporetti's is adamant the only seats available, without a reservation, are at the high top bar tables despite the restaurant being 90% empty on a Thursday evening, you take your business to Space City Tacos for buy one get one free and enjoy some of the best people watching on the streets of Houston. Thank you to the host at Birraporettis for an evening we won't ever forget. Sadly, I don't think we will be back.

We loved this place! Had a late dinner here with my husband and kids after A Christmas Carol at the Alley Theatre. Decorated for Christmas. Felt like we had wandered into an old NY Italian eatery. Great pizza! No really, it was fantastic! Key, our server, was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The staff kept our glasses full while we listened to a singer in the corner sing Christmas classics. So glad we wandered in. A hidden gem in downtown Houston!

Birraporetti's is such a cool place, but beware of parking! Usually when I come here I've parked in a garage downtown somewhere. I recommend walking from where you parked, the parking garage for the restaurant can be a little bit tricky. The food on the other hand is wonderful, I typically would visit for lunch time so they had some pretty decent pricing for lunch. I had a frozen coke & Hennessy and let me tell you that drink was so delicious and it was only $5! I'll usually enjoy an appetizer or a small meal when I visit and sit at the bar. The bartender assisted me with recommendations on the menu. This has an upscale feel to it, a nice place for a date. Just remember the parking before visiting this cool Italian spot. And be sure to have a cocktail because they are amazing!

I was downtown for play and thought I'd make a quick food stop into Birraporetti's. I love that this restaurant is right in the heart of it all, and many parts of the theatre district are walkable. The food was priced fairly and commensurate to the quality. I had the pasta primervera and subbed Alfredo sauce. The service here could have improved immensely. I'm not sure if they were understaffed or the staff were new.

Good price Great Food friendly staff. Enjoy Mondays with a band Free parking downtown in the evenings

My husband and I came here for dinner for our 7th year anniversary and was blown away. The ambiance was so elegant and romantic feeling. The waitress was great, very sweet and pleasant. She answered all questions and explained everything clearly, and always made sure we were ok. The food was so good, everything just nelt my mouth. This Italian restaurant is a must return. I could not find one thing wrong. I'm glad we chose this restaurant for our special night.

Where can you go and sit under a decorative chandelier covered in decades of dust, at a table that spins more than a DJ, while listening to Aerosmith and the Buggles, and eat pasta filled with lobster that was allegedly imported from Italy, and listen to your waiter tell you stories of his dreams to have a YouTube channel and a back tattoo of the Hawaiian islands? If you said anything other than Birraporetti's, you'd be wrong. The food was decent, but won't blow your mind.

Stopped by for Sunday Brunch and probably won't be back. Food was lack lustered, drinks were made from some manufactured mixes. Environment was great, but I think they cater to an older crowd for brunch. Which is totally fine, so I will be back in about 2.5 decades. More importantly, the staff and ambiance was awesome. Everyone was nice, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The brunch menu had; Pizza Salad Fruit Fish Chicken Grits Eggs Bacon Pasta I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I'm my defense "it wasn't that memorable." Enjoy or Not ?

We come here pretty much every time we go see a show downtown. The restaurant is set up to have quick service that will get you in and out before your show starts. The food is excellent. I recommend the Marco Polo if you like a little spice but everything I have had had been great. Also, they don't put too much sauce on their food, like some Italian places do. Drinks are good if you like alcohol and sometimes they even have drinks based on the shows that are playing. Service is great and they have live music some evenings which is always a plus.

I made dinner reservations for 5:30 for the Saturday night before Christmas. Since it's such a busy time, I made the reservations months in advance. (We have a family Christmas tradition to have dinner at Birraporetti's-which we love-and then attend " A Christmas Carol" at the Alley Theatre next door afterwards. We have done this for 26 years). We arrived at exactly 5:32 and the host said that they gave up our table since we were late. At first I thought that he was joking, but he was ABSOLUTELY not. He sternly said that he was sorry, but we were late and that there was nothing that he could do. We asked to speak to the manager, and he said that he would try to seat us, but the restaurant was very busy and didn't know if he could or not. We did eventually got a table, but it caused a lot of undue stress and anxiety, almost ruined our night (and tradition) and left us with a lingering bad taste in our mouths to this day. Being 2 minutes late for a reservation should not mean losing your reservation made months in advance. I hope that this is NOT the ongoing policy with this restaurant.

I honestly did not like my food that I ordered. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, I thought it would be more authentic and to me it was not. My spaghetti is much better than what I had at this place. I will not order from here again.

I had the Chicken Piccata, sauteed with white wine butter sauce, with pasta. I expected sautéed, but it was more like a thin fried chicken fried steak - I did not order it that way. Unfortunately, the sauce could not save this. At least the Creme Brulee was good.

Vintage feel, cozy restaurant with wonderful Italian food Excellent service, we were fortunate to have Antonio as our terrific server I love eggplant Parmesan and was not disappointed...the side of Cappelli was covered in butter, so delish! The escargot was good and garlicky If you like lasagne and meat, be sure to order the Lulu, yum!! Very clean Reasonable prices Relaxing atmosphere Full bar, nice wine list

Chicken breast was delicious, service was patient & helpful taking pictures w/ our cell phones, & ambiance was beautiful.

Birra Poretti's did not disappoint tonight. There were 12 ladies in my group. Our reservation was for 5:30 because we were attending a performance at Jones Hall at 7:30! We all had beverages before ordering dinner! The service was great as was all of the food. Kudos to all the employees and chef's that made the evening a success!

Food & drinks were delicious. Only complaint is the several up-charges. Our server would ask if we wanted something, as if it was complimentary or came with the dish, but in fact was an extra charge. We also decided to split a meal (bc we didn't want to have leftovers) but then were charged $5 extra for a split plate.

This place is a Houston Theater District institution, which is why I wanted to take my niece here before our show at the Hobby Center. Decades ago, we used to come here before or after every show! Being back brought back some amazing memories. It could definitely use some aesthetic updates! Its competition feels FRESH and inviting, while it remains dark and seemingly in need of a deep clean. The food was not bad. The escargot was delicious, but the lasagna texture felt a little dry. My niece said her chicken piccata was good, but "my version is better," she said. She did say that the cocktail she ordered (bottom of the menu made with coffee bourbon, Kahlua, and espresso) was the best coffee cocktail she's ever had. Service was phenomenal... extremely friendly servers, although the host was a bit cold and standoffish.

This is the second time trying this restaurant. Based on the adds by michael Berry, I chose this restaurant to start off an evening going to the Symphony. First time, I ordered a coctail and got the totally wrong one. After mentioning this, the waitress did nothing to correct it. I let it slide. Tonight I went back and sat at the bar. The bartender served us wine as asked but then left us unattended for 45 minutes. We would have ordered but he never came back. It took 10 minutes after telling him to close the check and was very rude. This is perhaps the first time I left a 0 tip. I will NEVER return to this establishment.

Dinner with friends after attending the Houston Symphony. Wait staff was great and the ambiance was nice. Live music just loud enough to hear during conversation lulls. The food was delicious. We enjoyed our time.

Conveniently located downtown it's the perfect spot for a delicious dinner before catching a show.

We had a horrible experience at Birraporetti's this time around. The last time was great. But, oh how things have changed... We arrived at 1:00pm for brunch and they had already run out of a few breakfast items. Not sure what they were because those items weren't labeled nor were the replenished. There was a carving station that had ham and what we were told was prime rib. The manager later told us it was brisket. Anyway, they ran out and I didn't get to try it. I asked the guy at the carving station if he would be bringing out more and he said probably not but he would go check. He came back and said, "It's not happening". I asked our waitress why they wouldn't replenish it when brunch didn't end until 3:00pm. She told us it was expensive and they only make two. Once it's gone it gone. Well, needless to say we informed her that wasn't right. Normally brunch is replenished until the end of the time period and if it's too expensive then don't offer it on the menu. I asked to speak to the manager. The manager was "busy" and sent the waitress back to tell us she would comp our carafe of mimosa. I told the waitress that was fine. If the manager didn't want to come talk to us we would definitely not be returning. A few minutes later the manager comes over and talks to us about how we should have told her sooner if breakfast items were out. They would replenish those but not the meat. I told her we informed the waitress and that they should not run out of food an hour to two hours before brunch is over. You can't charge us the same $32.99 as everyone else when we aren't being offered the same items AND if you run out 2 hours before brunch ends. She kept asking us what we wanted. I said, "There's not much you can do for today unless you are bringing out more brisket. Just offer everything on the menu for the full duration of your advertised brunch hours." She laughed and said, "Just tip your waitress. I'll comp your whole meal. Enjoy your champagne". We were completely shocked. I mean thanks for the comped meals, but she missed the entire point we were trying to make. We left our waitress a hefty tip and got out of there. The ambiance and decor is beautiful this time of year and our waitress was amazing. The manager... well, her attitude sucks. We, also, found out that if you order off the menu they will season your food. However, the brunch items have very little to no seasoning at all. Go figure! No more Birraporetti's for us! There are far too many great restaurants in Houston to deal with subpar food and horrible managers.