Grotto Downtown

We were in town for a concert and decided to grab a bite to eat before the concert. Grotto downtown was recommended to us, so we headed on over. We used the valet parking. I think it was $13, maybe $11. The staff was very welcoming. The menu had a nice selection to choose from. The dessert menu...oh my. I would visit the Grotto Downtown again!

Just had the best meal that I have ever had at any restaurant ever, and I have been to so many!!! My Pompelmo Martini was delicious, as was the tomato bruschetta. But the star was the snapper with lump crab, green beans, almonds and brown butter. Absolutely the most delicious dish I have ever had. We decided to go back later that night for dessert since the place was that good. Had a mini tiramisu for dessert which was the perfect size and yummy, and also tried a bite of my coworker’s crème brûlée. I’ve never liked crème brûlée, but this was absolutely delicious and I absolutely would order it in the future.

Perfect downtown location across from parking area and connected to George R Brown convention center and a block from Daiken (baseball) stadium and Discovery Green Park! The restaurant is chic industrial design with indoor table/ booth seating! Outdoor patio area offers tables and booth as well! Staff is very nice and all areas helpful! Our server, Nick, was very nice! He was nice to take our photo! Food is very delicious! The pizza was made to perfection how i ordered it, extra crisp! The pasta was rich and creamy taste and very good! This location is ideal for lunch, dinner and especially date nights!!! Try the pasta and pizza for sure! Delicious and so happy Nick was our server! 😁💯👍

We wanted to try this place and it was good experience to visit this Italian restaurant in downtown Houston. The atmosphere and food were excellent. Very romantic luxury kind of vibe. A very nice place to take your loved one for a special dinner or a date night. We had a wonderful dinner together. For appetizer we tried the rosemary honey focaccia. For dinner my husband has chicken Marsala and I had the Margherita pizza. Food was extremely good. We decided to try desserts and my husband had the Dark chocolate cake and I had the Homemade Bundt cake. I loved both of them. The orange rinds on top of my cake were yummy and cut through the sweetness. We would definitely recommend and definitely be back next time for a visit.

Place wasn’t packed when we were seated but then an Astros game let out and the place filled up quick. That didn’t stop them from putting out great quality food and providing great customer service. Portions were larger than I expected. Overall 5/5 stars! Definitely coming back asap!!

A few of us went to The Grotto Downtown in Houston—amazing food, stellar service, and a chic, inviting atmosphere. The Chicken Marsala was rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Definitely a spot to revisit!

In town a few day for a competition . Enjoyed our first meal so we came back the next day. One of the managers was even recognize me from the previous visit. I would definitely recommend eating here. Food was great and so was the service, Thanks Carlos and Mario.

Very nice atmosphere for a lovely date. The food was very tasty and seasoned well. Tomato basil soup was amazing. Must try the strawberry cheesecake. Its big enough to share. Enjoyed spending my valentines date with my lady here.

The Bruchetta (chef's choice) was very good, the pepperoni pizza was outstanding, the bolognese was very good, and the capra was outstanding. The one thing that was better than the food was the service. Tori was phenomenal. There when we needed something, gone when we had what we needed. Almost as if she was reading our minds! Yes, she was seriously THAT good!

The food was great we had the gnocchi, margarita pizza and crème brûlée. The pizza was good but the others were AMAZING! Service was great. We were seated right away and our server was prompt in taking care of us. She also made great recommendations on the food! Ambiance was trendy and nice. Great place for date night.

As a downtown resident I've tried 4 times at this place. More than I should have. The food is mediocre. We sat outside and it took forever and a day to get a water while it's 100 degrees outside. Their "meatballs" came out burnt... not sure how that happened there. Basic food. Basic service.

We had a nice meal at Grotto. Our food and drinks were solid but not next level especially compared to other options at a similar price range. The focaccia bread was a great appetizer and we enjoyed chopped salad and lobster bisque soup. The drinks we got were the gin and tonic and Italian Manhattan. Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Grotto but feel there are better options in the respective price category. Note- Grotto has valet parking for a fee.

I visited this little Italian shop twice during my to Houston. The first visit was phenomenal. I had the pescatore which was amazing. Expensive? Yes, but deliciously full of seafood. We also tried the fried mozzarella. Definitely a small plate. I can only describe it as very fancy mozzarella balls (instead of sticks). The second visit was kinda iffy. I joined my party late and apparently what transpired before my arrival may have led to the crappy service. From what I heard, we moved to a larger table but not without some drama. Anyhow, two of us late arrivals each ended up ordering the pepperoni pizza. It came out much later than the other meals. In fact, I received my bill before my food. I think the server was in a rush to leave because it came up later that his shift was ending. Then before food actually came out, the server asked if we wanted to eat there or have our meals to go. While the pizza was very good. The hospitality was lacking hard. Didn't even get water until after I was half way through my meal. If wasn't for this second experience, easy 5 star.

Had dinner at Grotto in downtown Houston. The Caesar salad was fresh and tasty, and the Bolognese pasta was solid -- a little sweet, but the traditional meatball helped balance it out. Unfortunately, the service was disappointing. Sat at the bar (my usual solo dining spot) and aside from taking my order, the bartenders barely acknowledged me. Ordered a bottle of sparkling water that never even showed up. Good food, but the lackluster service definitely took away from the experience

Stopped here for a drink after checking in for a conference being held at the attached convention center. The location of this restaurant is convenient, you can access it without leaving the convention center. I had drinks here with a friend but it was a great pit stop to recharge ourselves and our phones. We sat at the bar which had outlets conveniently located. They were busy but the service was ok. It's a bit noisy but not overbearing, just background chatter.

Fine dining pasta. Every time I come here is better and better. I absolutely loved my salmon & pea risotto. Actually everything we ordered was delicious. The only downside about this place is that the parking is a little difficult. If you're at the George r brown for a meeting this is an easy walking distance place to have a nice meal.

I pleasantly surprised with Grotto. It's an easy casual walk in place, good for small groups. The food was really good. The skewers and short rib gnocchi had me sold instantly. There are TVs and a bar to watch sports. Servers were friendly and available as needed. I will be back.

10/10! Definitely a new staple when craving Italian food in Houston. Service was quick and the food is so fresh. A great spot to hang out inside or outside for delicious drinks and nice scenery.

Pricey, but that's to be expected since you're downtown and right across from the baseball stadium. Food was good and the Italian margaritas was tasty.

Bar Review! Ventured into Grotto's Downtown location for a late lunch quick snack. The inside is beautifully designed! Their menu features pastas, pizzas, salads, and entrees all with Italian flare. We decided to sit at the bar as we weren't going to stay long. We loved seeing staff work on making pizzas to serve as we waited for our food. We ended up ordering the Arancini which came with 5 balls within the dish. The flavor was alright: balls were fried a bit too long, should be served with a spoon for the bottom sauce, and I didn't get much of the truffle flavor. The bar service when we visited was very slow. At times, no one was back there to check in on us or refill waters. I will say, other dishes served to guests around us looked great! The pizzas seem to be the highlight/specialty of this spot! Lastly, the pricing felt a bit high for portions. I understand its Downtown Houston but quality or portions needed to be a bit better to have it make sense.

Food was great...we shared apps and small plates. Each one was done well and carefully. Nice roomy interior with rustic deco. Friendly and attentive service. Fine Pilsner draft and delicious desserts.

Went to Grottos for an friends birthday and I have zero complaints. That's it that's the post. lol Service was excellent, food was excellent, everything was great. I don't say that much about restaurants but I literally have nothing to say. When we arrived, we were immediately seated. We also beat the lunch rush so that helped. Our waiters were efficient, attentive and knowledgeable about their menu. As a shareable item we had the bruschetta trio which were 3 different types of bruschetta. Loved it. I probably would come back just for that. I could go on and on but this is a place I would come back to over and over and highly recommend!

Love the ambiance, beautiful setting. $30 for two small Caesar salads like this seemed excessive. Skewers and pizza were excellent. Waiter seemed preoccupied and didn't check on us much.

Just WOW!!!! Again, another restaurant where I would eat every single day. The meatballs were some of the best meatballs I've ever had, small, crispy with a fantastic tomato sauce. The focaccia was perfectly leavened, light, crispy and soft. The short rib gnocchi were great, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the lemon hint in it. The pasta dish was absolutely perfect, it came originally with just shrimp, but I asked to add angel hair pasta to it and the crème brûlée absolute perfection

Great place to dine before an Astros game! The restaurant is walking distance from the stadium, food and atmosphere were great as well!

Wonderful spot for great food and amazing staff! My group dined at the Grotto Downtown recently and I have to rave to everyone I know about this place. The food was delicious and the service was awesome. We had the Bucatini, Ravioli, Rigatoni, skewers and a chicken dish and they were all totally tasty. The Meatzza pizza was a highlight. The lobster bisque was delightful and the Caesar salad was perfectly dressed (with anchovies, too). Rigo and his colleagues were quite welcoming and attentive and everyone in my group overwhelmingly praised my choice of restaurants. And it has a nice ambiance and is in a great location, just a short walk from the Astros' ballpark and it's part of the George R. Brown Convention Center. Next time I'm downtown Houston I'm definitely returning to this awesome restaurant.

My wife and I came here for dinner before going to see Sebastian Maniscalco perform. It's a good location downtown. We had a reservation, we were greeted and seated immediately. The dining room and bar were pretty busy but the staff and kitchen seemed to have a good flow. The manager was friendly and helpful, my wife asked her if the bar could make her a Pink Lady, and while she was familiar with the drink, apparently the bartender didn't know how. We ordered the Rosemary Foccacia and Lobster Bisque to start and I ordered an Italian Manhattan cocktail. For dinner, my wife ordered the Bolognese and I ordered the Pepperoni Pizza. For a corporate chain the food was better than average. It was very expensive for OK food. The ingredients were good, the dishes could have been seasoned better. My cocktail was delicious. If we are in the area for an event we would probably go again.

Honestly, I'm back and forth on how to rate this place. The ambiance is super cool, industrial is my vibe, and the whole ordeal was pretty dope. I came here on a date with my husband on a Monday or Tuesday, and this place was packed as heck! I was hoping because it was earlier in the week it would be not as busy but that was my misconception. We sat in an intimate corner in the back where it wasn't super loud. I enjoyed that. The waitress was chill and nice. We ordered cheese balls, margherita pizza, and lobster bisque. The lobster bisque was phenomenal. As far as bisques go lobster bisque is definitely on the top of my list. And so I came in with low expectations, but it superseded my expectations. The margherita pizza was really good too, I added goat cheese because I love goat cheese. It was good, I was hoping for less bread and more toppings but it came out the other way around. Flavors wise it was pretty good. The cheese ball things were good too. But all in all, for the price we paid, I don't thing it was worth it. It was good good, really good for the bisque, but each of these things you can get elsewhere at a fairer price. I know it's inflated probably due to it being literally connected to George R Brown. Essentially, I saw the bill and thought to myself, " I could have gotten more food at a cheaper price." It's cool to visit but my wallet hurt a little bit too much after that, without a full stomach.

Food was mid at best. Portions are small for what is charged. Service was great and the ambiance was good. Needless to say, we won't be back.

We walked in on a Saturday night with no reservations and although they were busy, we were still able to get a table right away. The restaurant is very pretty and they have a nice outdoor area with fire pits, but it was still a little too cold outside for that. To start I ordered the meatballs. While the presentation was nice, I was a little disappointed by how small they were. My boyfriend got the tomato basil soup and it was deliciousss. For my entree I had the eggplant parmigiana with a the black pepper pasta (I forget the name of the dish). Everything was tasty and the service was good.

This place was great and easy to get to! I had the cauliflower pizza and it was amazing!!!! I absolutely loved it. The appetizers were great, the service was great and the food was great.

I love this place We have been many times, stopping by in the late afternoon after jury duty We both had Shrimp Piazza...oh my, delicious! And of course, tomatoe Bisque! Wonderful place to go before or after game or concert Comfy ambiance Excellent service Love, Love, Love!

Excellent service and delicious entries. Alos, great prices. The place is very cozy and very cafe stiletto.

I stopped at Grotto Downtown while visiting Houston for a conference with two colleagues and had an enjoyable meal. I ordered salmon with grappa pea risotto. The salmon was delightful. Cooked properly, and seasoned well (I asked for medium, highly recommended). The risotto was cooked perfectly and had some amazing sauce with it. I had a cappuccino too- while it was Lavazza, it was decent enough and came with a cookie, so that was a win. My co-workers ordered pizzas, which were large enough that they both had leftovers. A pizza could definitely be split by two people, especially with an app or two. Service was pleasant and professional, and the atmosphere was fine, if a bit generically corporate. If you're staying at a downtown Houston hotel and are in walking distance, this is a solid place to stop for dinner.

Eggplant parm was good. However, the restaurant was packed with convention attendees ordering drinks and place had ONE bartender and no bar back for hundreds of people. Looks like manager came by to refill a few simple syrup dispensers and then walked away. Bartender did a great job but it took 30 minutes to get my check at the bar due to bartender needing to make a zillion drinks. Poor staffing! Management needs to step up!!

In town for a volleyball tournament. Big crowd went to Rustic. Ugh big mistake. We ended up at Grotto Downtown and the Pizzas caught our eye from the patio patrons. We had about a 20 minute wait for our 3 top. Let me tell you we eat out a lot, but the service from Rigo was fantastic. He helped us with some great apps. The garlic knots were a big winner. We had a Margarita pizza (crispy, light, and the fresh made dough was money) Caesar salads and the Chicken Marsala. My daughter stole my garlic butter noodles. Perfect Al dente noodles. We thought we were done but Rigo recommended the strawberry cascada dessert and we added a key lime pie. We are coffee drinkers so yes we added that too. The desserts were great and Rigo generously made us coffee cups Togo. Best Service ever. Rigo, thank you. Grotto, nice job! We are fans. Stop here for some quality food and get Rigo for the best service. Cheers!

Very good small bites pasta and tenderloin skewers. Plenty of food in the small plates for the two of us who don't eat much. Service was a bit slow not because it was busy, but our server was not efficient in coming to table for refills or checking on us. Took a long time to get through service.

Food was good and reasonably priced. Our server was very attentive to our table. More of a casual vibe inside. Right downtown so of course there is metered street parking and parking garages. For our appetizer we ordered the focaccia that comes with honey ricotta and it was so delicious!

Mixed review. The mussels were awful and not very fresh. However, I loved my gluten free pizza. Good service and ambience.

Everything was delicious and great service. A wonderful restaurant and fresh pizza. Great Italian gelato and delicious entrees.

The service was so slow. My entire came 40 minutes after we ordered. Multiple entrees had clearly been sitting under the heat lamp for a long while. Every dish had a lot of spice and garlic and was dried out from heat lamps. Very expensive for such low quality.

Very good, would definitely come back. Waiter was very nice as well. Came for Christmas and had a good experience

Mario serviced us and he was HORRIBLE he wasn't abrupt in. he didn't have any interest in us. ! He was rude and didn't give a crap about us. I would say the food was good and The music wasn't bad and the bathroom wasn't horrible. It's a bathroom where you share sinks.

I've been here twice now. The ambiance is a perfect mix between casual and upscale. The place is spread out beautifully. Service both times was good. They have a great Happy Hour, so bring your girlfriends. The apps and food are probably 3-4 stars. I come here more for the HH and ambiance.

Ordered to go on a Saturday night. Food was prepped quickly and ready when promised. This restaurant is a quick walk from the convention center which is a convenient location. The bartender was not as friendly as I'd expect for the price point of this restaurant, but average in her service. The portion size is a bit underwhelming. I didn't have any leftovers from my to-go dish. Not sure if this is the same when served in house. The taste was above average. I liked the pasta dish, but it wasn't memorable for me. I probably would not order the meatballs again. I would return since the food is definitely above average in taste and maybe try a few other dishes.

We were in town for a volleyball tournament at the convention center attached to the Grotto so it was super easy yo get to. The Astros were also playing that weekend so it was super busy; I suggest getting a reservation if you can or the wait could be long. The food us decedent and will not disappoint. We ordered so much stuff from meatballs, and fried cheese, to mango Gelato and strawberry almond cake. The portions are not "Texas" size but are just enough to fill you without that uncomfortable feeling.

Great location, convenient parking, and a great promo with lsc led us here for a late week lunch date. Your best option is to park in the Avenida north garage, Grotto will validate your parking for up to 3 hours. We conveniently parked by the elevators and went down to the first floor and out the door toward GRB. Grotto is right there. Secured a reservation with open table and was able to enter my lsc # on the reservation for points. The interior is a narrow dining room that is very intimate. The promo for Feb is any specialty pizza and a bottle of wine for $25. The wine is a house selection, and we chose the Cabernet Sauvignon. I also managed to sneak in their signature Peach Bellini with this along with our appetizer of Calamari. The dipping sauce for it was a black pepper aoli, and I must say it was delicious, so good my wife requested some to go! Our entree of the Meatzza was wood fired and it was the perfect portioning for the two of us. Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves here and will definitely be back to experience a full dinner!

1stsr for the atrocious service. Noisy as heck. No sooner were we seated a stern looking waitress commanded what we would like to drink , without even giving us a moment to look at the menu. I asked her for water until we can look at the menu , she just wouldn't understand d and seemed angry that we didn't order any drinks . After she couldn't hear me for like 3 times I had to lean to tell her we needed some time to look at the menu . She hailed one of the water guys and banged 2 glasses in front of us but no water and then got lost for like 10 mins , no water until she comes back . We ordered the arancini balls and the roasted cauliflower , white beans salad to share as appetizers , telling her we will start with that , she couldn't hear or not understand . Had to point the item in the menu. She scribbled something f down without confirming the order so u had to confirm the order. Just pathetic service . Food did arrive arancini balls were salty and barely like warm , roasted Cauliflower salad was good . As soon as we started eating she coming to our table and asks if she can clear the menu when clearly we had stated we will start with appetizers . I asked her for a spoon , she looked at me as if she has seen a freaking ufo and asked me in an angry voice what kind of spoon ? Patiently I told her serving spoon , she grabbed one from a table next to our s and asks if this was ok. We just decided we will not order anything else Appalling . Really horrible service . First and last visit . Spare yourself this bs and spend your money somewhere else, where they have basic decency and manners . The restaurant has nothing to write about! .

Had the Tuna Bruschetta and the Grouper. Food was FANTASTIC! A little over priced for what it is, but that matches the convention center district it's placed in.

Really enjoy this restaurant. It's got a cool, modern rustic vibe with windows perfect for people watching. You also can't beat the convenient location if you're going to Toyota Center or Discovery Green. Plus, the overall price point for downtown offers a lot of value (excluding the $35 bruschetta trio, haha) - this is especially true of the drinks. What a deal! Note, the food is extremely rich, and that goes for pretty much everything on the menu. But there's sooooo much flavor. Tip - use your Landry's card to earn and redeem points!

Decent service, and cool environment. Pizza is good. Good place for date or hangout with friends.

Service was horrible. Food was way too salty. There was maybe three customers when we got there and we got served it appetizer cold. A atrocious experience.

I met my family here for happy hour. Located right next to the convention center. There's a parking garage right across the street, but they do have $11 valet parking as well We started off with their Bellinis. I thought they were too sweet, so I gave mine to my mom and ordered a glass of Cabarnet. The wine was way better, but my mom did like the Bellinis. We ordered a few dishes and shared them. tomato bruschetta.:This was deceiving. We expected a savory dish, but it was sweet. We all agreed that we would have preferred a savory style of bruschetta. Roasted cauliflower salad: great flavor. Everyone loved it. Chicken Marsala: good portion size. Came with delicious pasta. It had a little kick to it from the red pepper. Wild mushroom pizza: yum! Who doesn't love pizza. This was great. Thin. Good amount of toppings. Big enough to share for two, but can shade with more people if you share different dishes. They have inside and outside seating. Make reservations as they do get busy. Happy hour is M-F 3-7

At a conference this week and myself and three colleagues decided to check out Grotto for dinner. Made a reservation and we were seated right away. The service was a bit slow. We had reservations at 7 and didn't leave until 9. No one had drinks and we just ordered entrees. With that said, the food was absolutely incredible!! I had the Capra Pasta and it was delicious. I am not a huge fan of goat cheese but it paired well with this dish. The other downfall was the lighting, it was extra dark in the dining room with a tiny battery candle on the table that puts off no light. It took us about 10 mins just to figure out we pay for our bill via QR code on the receipt instead of handing over our cc. Overall the stars are only for the delicious food.

Don't bother because the waitstaff will not bother greeting or stopping by your table to take order. Place wasn't even busy with waiters walking by giving head nods and that was it. Thanks but no thanks. Took business to Osso & Kristalla instead

I always tend to drink the Kool-Aid when it comes to Landry's-owned restaurants. While the food is typically OK, there is usually a lot more sizzle than 'steak.' Grotto Downtown is no different when it comes to the food. Sure, the menu is interesting. And the food is fine. But it's very much like being on a cheap (Carnival) cruise ship, where the fancy dining room menu is written in a nice script with plenty of adjectives ... then the dessert plate arrives, and you realize that the 'Cacao Soufflé' is actually Jell-O Chocolate Pudding with a mint leaf tossed on it. Jell-O pudding is fine, and so are the entrees here. But that's all. -- We made reservations, showed up and sat outdoors. After about 10 minutes, I waved down a server who graciously agreed to take our table. He was excellent. I'm not sure what was up, but screw-ups like this are the responsibility of the management, and management on this night strove for mediocrity. Still, there is much to love about this joint! If you're a people watcher, the outdoor seating is clutch. If you are lodged at the Marriott Marquis (across the street), this place is an easy 15-second jaunt. While the menu is fun, I'd stick with appetizers and drinks ... or just drinks. I cannot say this about any other Landry's property that I've experienced.

A great spot for lunch/dinner in Downtown. Reservation is recommended to avoid the lunch/dinner rush. Working in the area, we've been here a few times. Great ambience and they also have private rooms for bigger groups. Some of my favorite appetizers are the calamari, short rib gnocchi, the meatballs, and the fried mozzarella. Good shareable size for the appetizers. For the main entree, I always love a good red sauce pasta so my favorites are the bolognese with the traditional meatballs or the pescatore if you wanted an assorted seafood option. Services are attentive and quick.