House Wine & Bistro

We were there to celebrate our anniversary and received a complimentary glass of bubbles to toast the occasion. However, I was shocked by the unusual smell upon arrival, which immediately set a negative tone. The tables and seats were in very poor condition, and it seems the place could really use some renovation. As for the food, it was just okay—nothing as impressive as I had hoped. The risotto was overcooked and lacked the proper ‘al dente’ texture, and it appeared they did not use the appropriate type of rice. On the other hand, the fish was very well prepared and cooked to perfection. The best part of our experience was the service. The server was professional, attentive, and truly deserved praise. I’m sharing these impressions so that the management knows both the strengths and the areas needing improvement.

One of the best experiences we have had in a long time. The best margarita in town and delicious food. Highly recommend the Caesar salad!

Is not quite often when you get to be surprised, I had the incredible opportunity and be lucky enough to have the best steaks in many years. This place is just amazing, the food is mind blowing! But the service is top notch. Javi and Milton are rock stars. I need to say that not all the time I bump with a restaurant that will make me travel just to have one more meal; this is it!!! Thank you guys. I’ll be back.

Was traveling for work and decided to stop here based on Trip Advisor reviews. Was going to go to Salt but so glad I didn’t (that’ll be another review!) I made a reservation just in case but was able to be seated promptly. The service was fantastic and the food was divine! I took the servers and managers recommendations and they didn’t disappoint. The Yahweh salad is soooo good, the lime shrimp, the drink, dessert, all of it was fantastic! I’m sad I didn’t go back here the next night! I’ve learned my lesson! Management also comes around and talks to you. They don’t just ask you if your food is okay, they talk to you like you’re a long lost friend. I appreciated it. And the temperature in the restaurant was nice and cool. Will definitely be going back here!

Amazing service by Andrea, she did an amazing job convincing us with what food to choose. Food was cooked to perfection, pasta was just right not over cooked, steak was great. Apple pie with ice cream hit the spot to top off the night. Overall service was excellent from Andrea. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

House Wine & Bistro in McAllen is an absolute gem! I've been coming here for the past 10 years, and it's always been a hit. During my recent visit, our group enjoyed an exceptional dining experience. We ordered a variety of dishes, including the grilled panela, putanesca risotto with pan-seared salmon, lamb chops, ribeye, and pesce risotto. Everything was outstanding. The only minor hiccup was that the putanesca risotto was a bit on the salty side, but the staff was quick to address the issue, exemplifying their commitment to customer satisfaction. This level of service truly sets House Wine & Bistro apart. And, I can't forget to mention that the Italian donuts were absolutely amazing - the perfect sweet ending to a fantastic meal. To complement our meal, we ordered a bottle of Susana Balbo Malbec, which paired beautifully with the dishes. If you're looking for a reliable spot for excellent food and a delightful dining experience, House Wine & Bistro is the place to be. Ten years of consistently great visits speak volumes about the quality and excellence you can expect here. Five stars all the way!

My husband and I were in town visiting family & we stumbled across House.Wine.Bistro in looking for a place to have a quick drink …. And man, we are SO happy we did! Chantelle & Ethan at the bar were so welcoming and made the absolute best recommendations for both food & drinks. We had such a great time on our first visit, we quite literally returned less than 24 hours later for our Saturday night dinner! The Owner & Chef, Larry, came out and introduced himself - you can tell he & his team take great pride in everything they do… truly the embodying the definition of hospitality. We cannot recommend enough House. Wine. Bistro. On top of the amazing hospitality, the homemade pasta is quite simply something you dream of — If you are in the area, it is a definite “must” — we already cannot wait to visit again (:

Excellent food. The garlic lime shrimp was bordering on too much salt, but that almost too much is what I loved. The pork burger was very juicy and excellently cooked; nice blend of ground pork, with the cheese, bacon and wine-sauteed onions was excellent. Our waiter was very cordial and helpful, but I think they were slightly understaffed as I only saw two waiters, and even though we went after the lunch rush, they were pretty busy multitasking. Overall, 4.4 stars. Will be back!

We decided to try a new place while we were in town - glad we did! The place has a bit of an upscale vibe but folks were dressed from dressed up to somewhat casual. Our server was Sublany and she was awesome. Very personable and her recommendations were spot on. We decided to start with the Calamari with sun dried amogio. The calamari were large and prepared perfectly. The sun dried amogio was amazing - great flavor and some heat - the perfect pairing with the calamari. Great start! We tried the soup of the day which was something we'd never heard of much less eaten. It was a green bean soup - the beans were puréed with cream, some cheese and red pepper flakes. We weren't sure how it would taste by Sublany highly recommended it so we went for it. It was really good - the flavor was subtle but great; nice and creamy. We would definitely order it again. For our entrees my wife tried the salcicce which was pappardelle, fennel sausage, roasted red bell pepper, marinara, caprino and red pepper flakes. It was also very good - the pasta was prepared perfectly and the flavors all worked very well - another hit. I selected the lamb chops which were frenched lollipops, blue cheese cream and an arugula salad. The chops were perfectly prepared and the blue cheese cream on top was amazing - made very good chops excellent. The arugula salad also had a great flavor. I would also order this again. For dessert we decided to share a Hand Pie which was an apple pie with caramel drizzle and ice cream. The texture of the dough was great and the apples had a great cinnamon flavor which worked well with the caramel drizzle and the vanilla ice cream. This place was great! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a bit more upscale than the run of the mill restaurants!

After a productive morning shopping for Missy's upcoming business trip to Boston, we dropped into house.wine.&bistro in downtown McAllen for a late lunch--and we're so glad we did. At 2:30 on a Friday, we were lucky to grab two seats at their cozy, full-service bar. I ordered a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley--smooth, earthy, and exactly what I needed. Missy kept it light with water, and the bartender suggested the garlic lime shrimp to start. Great call--zesty and flavorful without being overpowering. For our entrees, we split the Caesar salad and chicken Parmesan. The salad was fresh and crisp, and the chicken Parmesan was outstanding--tender, well-seasoned, and served over perfectly cooked penne. All in all, house.wine.&bistro offered exactly what we were hoping for: great food, relaxed vibes, and excellent service. We'll definitely be back the next time we're downtown.

Wow! This place is a hidden foodie treat! Incredible lamb chops, the burrata app is stellar, and bomboloni dessert is a surprise that you MUST try! Zach is fantastic at the bar, and welcoming Chantelle provided the recommendations above. If you're in McAllen, visit House Wine and Bistro!

I have been here twice now. The first time I walked in right out of work and hungry. I didnt realize this place would be pretty upscale yet relaxed. The staff were very charming and treated me with respect. The 2nd time I stopped in here I was much more cleaned up. I sat at the bar and again wowed by the staff. I met Milton, a charming and magnanamous man. I believe he was the manager. The food was incredible and the wine was divine. Last time I had the pasta and this time I got the McAllen burger. Both were just so well done. I will definitely be back and I recommend you check it out too! Support local!!

Great service. $6 Margs for national tequila day, an interesting twist on Casio e Pepe with Shrimp and Lemon Cream. Escargots were also perfect.

I have been coming to house wine and bistro for a couple of years now and I can adamantly state that I have never been disappointed with the food! The food is always top notch, fresh and most importantly delicious! The service is always fast and welcoming from the servers to the host. The ambiance is laid back but has a nice home feeling. You have to try the Bomboloni!

First of all, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN OBSESSED WITH AN APPETIZER AS I HAVE WITH THEIR GARLIC LIME SHRIMP. It's a rich, buttery experience you cannot miss! I keep coming back to House Wine Bistro over and over again due to the cozy and classy (but unpretentious!) vibe, their attentive service, and consistently high quality food. Their pastas and risottos are some the best I've ever had, with perfect texture and creaminess. I usually have some food leftover for the day after so the portions are great. The menu is not huge but I actually love that since it reduces anxiety from choice overload I can get in other restaurants lol.

House Wine & Bistro is my favorite restaurant in the Valley! Every time I visit I come here. The putanesca risotto is my favorite dish on the menu and never disappoints. They also have a large wine selection. The restaurant itself is put together nicely and the ambiance is warm and inviting. The service is always exceptional and I have never had a bad experience here.

Its always a wonderful experience here from the service to the food and drinks. The times we have been there our servers are knowledgeable of the different plates offered and share their favorites with us. Looking forward to visit again during brunch!

Super cute little place. The service is amazing. The manager even came to a table to say hi. The food was delicious and the drinks are great.Will be coming back!!!

The fries/ ranch sauce were amazing. It came with fresh, thinly diced sweet potato and yellow potato. The ranch was surprisingly tasty for someone who usually doesn't like ranch. The burger, though, was waaaay too salty even for someone who usually like stronger flavors. Definitely saltier than in-n-out. The waiter said the salt was sometimes heavy sometimes light, so I guess you just have to come on the right day. The restaurant had pretty cute decor, but it is fairly loud and difficult to hold conversations for me. But then again I'm relatively soft spoken.

My husband and I were in town visiting family & we stumbled across House.Wine.Bistro in looking for a place to have a quick drink .... And man, we are SO happy we did! Chantelle & Ethan at the bar were so welcoming and made the absolute best recommendations for both food & drinks. We had such a great time on our first visit, we quite literally returned less than 24 hours later for our Saturday night dinner! The Owner & Chef, Larry, came out and introduced himself - you can tell he & his team take great pride in everything they do... truly the embodying the definition of hospitality. We cannot recommend enough House. Wine. Bistro. On top of the amazing hospitality, the homemade pasta is quite simply something you dream of -- If you are in the area, it is a definite "must" -- we already cannot wait to visit again!

My husband and I went to celebrate our anniversary, the place is average, nothing special, the service when we arrived was super good, the waitress was very attentive and offered to help us with the menu since it was the first time we visited the place, but then her shift ended and she left us with another waiter who only saw him when the other waitress introduced him to us and then we didn't see him again we had to get up to ask for the bill and all the waiters were at the entrance talking and the diners were inattentive, a shame because the food is good

Outstanding experience from the moment we walked in the door! We were greeted with a smile and given options as to our seating preferences; the wait staff was so accommodating as our group of four came in at different times. Excellent description of happy specials and dinner options. Most of all patience by the staff assigned to our table as we were slow to make decisions on food- definitely had drinks early on- preferring to catch up with each other before ordering food. Our drinks and food were delivered quickly and were exceptional. Great mix of low top and high top tables. A bit of sound and noise carried throughout the building- as it wasn't full not too much of a bother. Great ambiance on a Tuesday night. Definitely will return next time our travels bring us back to McAllen!

Love love love H.W.B! We live in Harlingen and will specifically go there...or Chef Delgado's other location, Salt. Food is fresh, the menu delightful, and the staff are attentive and knowledgeable. We truly love the experience at Chef's establishments...I suppose our only negative comment would be.... We NEED this kind of thing in Harlingen!!

The place is really pretty and homie. It's good for birthday parties with a small group. Food and service was good. I thought it was a bit pricey, but the quality of the food was great. I would recommend.

Dinner was excellent. Started with the Cesar salad and it was excellent. For main course I ordered the pork chop and it was cooked to perfection. Service was fantastic as well. Overall would definitely visit again.

This is a fantastic place to relax, unwind and enjoy a superb meal. All of the staff were spot on, attentive, and exceptionally professional. The manager or owner was constantly around talking to customers and working with his team. This place was exceptionally well run and well managed and it truly showed the results of the entire team. Didn't meet the cook, but they should get great marks as well. The food was just spanking good. I started off with the Garlic Lime Shrimp. WOW this was SOOoooo soooo soooo (repeat that about 8 more times) so good. I just wanted to sample it but once I got started, I went at it like a dog with a bowl of kibbles. I was determined to eat every darn morsel. Who cares that I'm alone at a stylish bar transformed into a ravenous dog finishing my wonderful meal like I haven't eaten in a week. This could have handled four people and I was kind of grateful that I was three short. Not being the wisest guy on the planet, I ordered the McAllen Burger before the appetizer came. Not that it wasn't good. Far from it. It was superb! The problem was that I just polished off a large app all by myself and started in on an exceptional burger. Oh well, nothing to do but order another glass of wine, unbuckle the belt a little and start wading into it. The McAllen Burger has been raved about on Texas Monthly and they were right. The cook was an absolute artist! I would have given him the Paul Hollywood handshake, only he didn't come out and I didn't want them to call the police thinking I had drank a wee bit too much.

My wife and I hadn't been here in a few years. We came down to visit family for the holidays and decided to go on a dinner date. The first place she mentioned was House Wine and Bistro for our favorite escargot (normally even better than what we've had in France) and her favorite bucatini pasta with Asiago Cream Sauce. Naturally, I made a reservation and we headed out. I wish I could say it was a good experience but it most certainly was not. First, we get there and there is no host/hostess. Most restaurants would rotate someone to this position. After standing for 15 min, my wife decided to ask the bartender if anyone could help us and finally someone came to seat the couple in front of us and let us know he'd be with us shortly. I believe he was the manager. When he came back, we let him know we had reservations for 8:30 and had some small talk about us being early while also attempting to subtly flirt with my wife. Yes, we showed up around 8:10 but by the time he spoke to us, it was 8:25. He said he'd clean up a table and would be with us in just a few minutes. Another party came behind us and also said they had 8:30 reservations. Then a 3rd party came after them. He finally came back and sat the two parties that were behind us. I tried to wave him down to ask if there was some sort of issue and he completely ignored me. Once we were the only ones left up front and 4 tables had been wiped down, he finally came to seat us. I proceeded to tell him I thought he had forgotten about us since he sat two tables that were behind us, first. He processed to say "well, they had reservations". I'm not sure if he was acting dumb, actually dumb, or just being a jerk because we are a lesbian couple coming to have a nice dinner date. We were out shopping all day and came in normal attire but didn't look homeless lol! We still wore Lacoste, vineyard vines and Louis Vuitton (not that it should even matter). We walked in at 8:10 for our 8:30 reservations and were finally sat at 8:50. Busy day or not, there is no excuse to stand for so long with reservations and to be sat AFTER two parties that came after us. The server was pleasant and tipped accordingly. However, the food was not what it use to be- very salty! We unfortunately will probably never be back again. Which is a shame considering this use to be our favorite date spot in McAllen. I guess we will stick with Ambra and Bodega when we want a great meal, with service to match when we visit the valley.

I've been here before a few years ago, before I was an avid Yelper. It came highly recommended from a Yelp friend. When I arrived I remembered I liked this place. Parking in the back is shared with another adjacent restaurant and the lot was full. Plenty parking across the street. Entering the dining area, the hostess immediately greeted me and suggested the full service bar area since they were full. I was alone tonight so I bellied up. The roving bartender offered tastings of a few red wines. The Bacchus Cab and a Merlot. I chose the Cab. I wasn't too hungry and chose to stay in the appetizer section. Ms bartender and I were from the same part of East Texas it turned out. Being from Galveston area she suggested the garlic lime shrimp. Sounded delicious. Going with the eyes too big form my belly rule, I also ordered the pork belly. Good thing I wasn't too hungry, right? I asked for delivery at separate times. The shrimp first. Then the pork. I've eaten bacon wrapped shrimp before, but...not tonight. The shrimp arrived. Six large shrimp Gulf Shrimp atop focaccia in a lime beurre Blanc sauce. I've prepared a lot of shrimp, being from the Gulf Coast. It's easy to overcook shrimp. They nailed it! Perfect. The lime beurre blanc not too tart. Wow I am happy. Three shrimp down and the pork belly arrived. Compart duroc pig on apple and carrot relish. At first bite, I realized my mistake. These two dishes are spectrums apart. Heavy pork, light shrimp. They each demanded your full attention. The pork belly was cooked well. Nice complement from the relish. Tender. I expected it to have a little more salty taste. Belly is not bacon, I understand, but it lacked savory. The relish was the flavor. I finished the belly then returned to my three remaining shrimp. I owed it to them. I was a little sad to see the lone shrimp on the last focaccia square. So I quartered it and wrote this review. The best one! Wow that was delicious!!!! I asked about deserts. None on the menu. Not hungry? What was I thinking? The waitress described four. All incredible sounding. I went with the apple pie with cheddar ice cream. Settle down! Then savory arrived with the cheddar ice cream. The sweet apple pie and savory ice cream...over the top. Outstanding! The perfect end to this night. Thank you House, Wine, Bistro. This is my new favorite in McAllen. Overall, epic meal(s). Very delightful and demanding multiple visits. Thank you my Yelp friend for reminding me about this place. I highly recommend. Bon appetit Yelpers!

the carbonara was absolutely delicious! would definitely recommend this place for a nice, quick dinner.

Lovely restaurant with delicious food and beautiful ambiance. The staff was kind and very attentive. Definitely received 5 star food and service. I would recommend!

Super friendly staff with an awesome menu! One of my favorite regular spots. Chef Larry & Jessica run my favorite restaurants!

Always fun they have a great wine menu. Great meeting place to have a party very open I went with a party of 10 and let them select our menu.

A to 7 restaurant in the valley. Always perfect service. A really nice ambiance. Date spot. The food is always really well done. Every dish is good. They have put a lot of care into crafting the menu and they take pride in their craft. You can tell. Only thing I would wish they did, update the menu. It's been the same for 10 years. I guess if it ain't broke done fix it? But that kitchen is talented so show it a bit more. But all the food is superb.

10/10 Our first time here and it was amazing! Thanks to our waitress Lisa, everything was so enjoyable. Amazing ambiance. The Garlic Lime Shrimp appetizer is to die for. I'd give my 3 kids away for a lifetime supply of it okay Jk I wouldn't but it's bomb, so order it. Loved that we didn't feel rushed. All in all, we are 100% returning customers. Thank you for making our 10 year anniversary that much better! duck - 10/10 ziti, smoked gouda, aged cheddar, wild mushrooms, duck confit, fried duck egg mcallen burger - 10/10 2f akaushi beef, wild mushrooms, caramelized, onion, pepper jack, ciabatta, frites Black and blue cheesecake - holy wow. 10/10. cheesecake, blueberry compote, blackberry lavender crumble, mariposa-elderflower granita, simple syrup Créme Brûlée - amazing and my favorite! 10/10

What a fabulous mistake. I was headed to McAllen on a business trip and searched for a week prior where I wanted to eat. This was my second choice, yet somehow I ended up reserving here. The establishment was wonderful, wait staff friendly and professional, and the food was high quality and amazing!

Always a positive experience. The food is amazing, the service is exemplary each and every time, and the drinks are wonderful too. I've been here for lunch and dinner, and I have yet to get a server who was anything less than friendly.

Very nice ambiance and great wine selection. Charcuterie board had a variety of cheeses fruit Beautiful artwork pieces too.

My girlfriend and I come every New Years to House Wine and we come again and again because this place is great! Literally the Garlic Lime Shrimp are the best appetizer in the valley. We could have eaten 2-3 of those and we would've called it a day. The lighting and ambiance is great and romantic. Just a couple of things, the high chairs are a bit uncomfortable, so I'd recommend the lower seats or bar if possible. Also, the carbonara was a bit cold and tasted just okay. It could've used a bit of spice but personal preference. Also Villa M is a great sweet wine that they offer, it wasn't available due to shipping issues but that's not their fault. Everything else about our experience was great, the other wine we had was great, the Paulino was easy to drink. I say it's a great way to spend a couple of hours, just get wine and any dish with shrimp and you'll have a grand old time.

Food was pretty good! I expected my pasta a little more sauce-y but overall great flavor!! My dad loved his sirloin Marsala !! The service was pretty good. The server did her best with all the tables she had but we weren't in a rush so we didn't mind. We enjoyed the ambiance. The ambiance was very intimate. We were celebrating two birthdays and it was the perfect place. (Although they do not sing or give you a dessert for your birthday) but overall love & can't wait to go back!

trash trash trash trash trash trash trash bad food, okay server, and bad ambiance not giving cute

Service was bad and the food was overpriced. Very poor wine selection. No California wines and the choice of grape was poor.

When in McAllen I try to come by here for their amazing baked brie. Pasta is yummy too and the wait staff is so kind. Great place to enjoy good food & a glass of wine.

A diversely creative menu choices year round. Your palate will be pleased with the different notes of flavors with each dish. The experience of aromas and flavors are delicate, pleasantly surprising and linger on your your mind and senses for days. The service is impeccable and unmatched. Ambiance is cute, cozy, and inviting. On my top 10 list for the Rio Grande Valley area. A must for ALL!!!! Enjoy

Date Night favorite spot for us. Delicious meals and excellent service. You won't be disappointed bringing your significant other.

Heard great things about this place. So many rave reviews and so much publicity we just had to try it out. Menu looked great and we were intrigued to try out some new dishes. Our waitress Zoey was fabulous. No problems there. To start we ordered the Brie cheese which was drenched in caramel. Not very pleasing to the eye. Then we ordered the bee sting flat bread. When our waitress delivered it I was floored. It looked like a glorified hot pocket. No crispy edges, hardly any meat, partially melted cheese, and the smallest serving I've ever seen. For 20 bucks? No thanks. Hesitant, we ordered the carbonara. Unfortunately we weren't too pleased with that either. The sauce was broken and was so watered down it hardly had any flavor. When I think of carbonara I think of a luscious and thick sauce. This was certainly not it. I expected better food quality from the prices they had and the all the great reviews. Needless to say we will not be coming back. Super disappointed.

The food is wonderful, the sangria is very tasty and there is an incredible wine selection. But one of the best features of House, Wine & Bistro is a waitress named Eileen. She clearly loves her job and is so helpful in making food suggestions and recommendations. Whenever we visit, we try to sit in her section.

To-Go order: Had the yahweh salad with salmon for dinner and I want to order again already. Delicious and fresh! They even bring your order out to your car since there's limited parking! So nice!

It's time to up the rating to 'five.' I try to be stingy with those but pretty much anything on the menu is delicious. Very friendly waitstaff. Ask for the specials usually there's a fish dish that's to die for. Excellent salads and a small is plenty. Lots of superb wines by the glass and great bottled beer selection. Even if you hate yourself in the morning be sure to save room for homemade ice cream. It's never too cold in McAllen for ice cream.

One of my McAllen's must haves!!!! I moved away from the valley 20+ years ago, but when I go down to visit family HW is a place I always want to go! The menu, ambiance and staff never disappoint. Start with a fabulous glass of wine or coctail (in the spring & summer the Tincho is my fav). We have never had an appetizer, main or dessert that wasn't less that wonderful.

Hands down, some of the best food in mcallen. Staff is lovely, everything that goes out of that kitchen is made with a spirit of excellence. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients. The goat cheese on that salad was sooooooo creamy! The pasta was so spot on, and the shrimp was soo buttery and delicious. Didn't take a picture of dessert but that apple pie was gone soo quickly. If you want to have a celebratory dinner, this is the place to go!

Consistently Good! Genesis was our waitress and she was awesome. Relaxing environment and the perfect menu to pair with a glass of vino.

I'm a huge fan of House Wine and Bistro. It's super quaint and cute and I love the fact that I can get a ton of wine! I've had a long day without breakfast or lunch and so I ate my early dinner here. After one glass of wine, I was just about to fall over. I ordered beef shoulder which came with a goat cheese flat bread and a salad. It was pretty good- but my favorite thing was their creme brulee. I'm not rolling over the floor excited about House Wine and Bistro but I'll definitely come back. I want to try their mussels!

Absolutely fabulous food and service. We will definitely be back and recommend to others!! We had Ahi for appetizer then a couple different salads. For meals we tried salmon pasta, squid ink risotto, lobster tacos, pork tacos, lamb lollipops. Finished off with yummy cheesecake. Great experience!! Nice wine and beer selection.

Went for a late lunch .. waitress checked on me 8 times while trying to eat .. I could tell she was rushing me even though the restaurant was empty. I ordered the steak special ... there was a slice of grilled chicken thrown in my dish as well . Not sure how they didn't see it while plating. Would come back if I could eat peacefully and not have to tell waitress every minute I'm ok and don't need anything .

Casual scene. Unique takes on classic dishes. Outstanding quality. Casual friendly service. highly recommended.

One of the only places in town to get lamb -- and probably the only place to get GOOD lamb (also recommend Bob's Steakhouse). Not the best lamb chops I've ever had, but well worth the price and tied for the best in the RGV that I know of. Been here 4 times. Gotten lamb every time. Will continue to go back.

I've been to this restaurant a number of times and every time I go it never seems to disappoint I recently went for a celebration of a birthday and the food was amazing definitely made fresh and I can't help but give such a high rating for the service that was provided each and every member of the staff that I deal with was more than willing to help and did such amazing job of explaining the menu and what went well with what my family that was visiting from out of town loved it and can't wait to come back again I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking to celebrate a special event or just a cute date night