Mona

Italian restaurant · Downtown

Mona

Italian restaurant · Downtown

1

800 Capitol St Suite T308, Houston, TX 77002

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Highlights

Build-your-own pasta, paninis, salads, beer & wine.  

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800 Capitol St Suite T308, Houston, TX 77002 Get directions

monaitalianfood.com
@monaitalianfood

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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800 Capitol St Suite T308, Houston, TX 77002 Get directions

+1 713 485 5158
monaitalianfood.com
@monaitalianfood

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 8, 2025

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Filipino Burger Fave Flip’n Patties Will Open At Downtown Food Hall Understory [Updated] - Eater Houston

"Mona Fresh Italian Food, an eatery offering fresh Italian cuisine, is also confirmed for Understory." - Amy McCarthy

https://houston.eater.com/2019/3/12/18261310/flip-n-patties-downtown-houston-understory-opening
View Postcard for Mona

Atul Shrivastava

Google
It's a nice food outlet, famous for its pasta dishes, located underground at Bank of America building. I ordered vegetarian pasta, somehow I didn't enjoy much. It's in food court with plenty of sitting space.

Albana Ochaeta

Google
You know when there’s a long line and a bit of a wait at an eatery, it’s going to be great! While I ate a salad, my companions feasted on pasta. What stood out consistently throughout every bite was the freshness and good ingredients. The customer service was great too! I had picked a salad that doesn’t originally come with protein and wanted to add some, but to be honest, didn’t want to bring that up and inconvenience the staff. However, while checking out they actually stopped to check if I wanted to add anything, which I thought was very sweet.

Fernando Farraro

Google
This was my first time dining at "Mona." I arrived around 4:15 pm. Upon arriving, there was a maintenance man who was waiting for an employee to let him into their backroom. After a while, I walked up to the counter and hollered, Hello. No answer, no person. Shortly after, an employee came walking up to us and opened the side door (along with the maintenance man) into the backroom. I'm assuming that the employee had probably gone to the restroom, being that it was slow at this time. After having read the Menu, I decided to order the Pasta. You also have a choice of a Sandwich or Salad. On the Pasta, I was given the choice of either a regular Tagliatelle Pasta or a Spinach Tagliatelle Pasta. I chose the Spinach. Now here's the confusing part; according to the employee, I was allowed to add 5 "Farm Fresh Ingredients," for free. The Menu here, is the, "Build Your Own," for $10.90. I have to admit, this is a fantastic concept! However, I noticed on the Menu board that, for 6, "Farm Fresh Ingredients," (which is only 1 more ingredient) it's $4.°° Extra. A bit steep for 1 extra ingredient that isn't a meat item. But, I went for it. So the 6, "Farm Fresh Ingredients," I chose to add to my Spinach noodles were, 1) Spinach Leaves, 2) Mushrooms, 3) Green Bell Peppers, 4) Black Olives, 5) Diced Tomatoes, and for my 6th) Onions. I didn't realize when I asked if they had Onions, that they were sautéed (a.k.a: Caramelized Onions). All of my ingredients were place in a skillet. I had a choice of sauce, to which I chose, the Mushroom Cream Sauce. The employee then sautéed all the ingredients on a portable burner. For an additional $4.°°, you can add a Meat of your choice. I went with the Chicken. This was in a warming tray. After all the ingredients were cooked through; it was poured into a deep plastic bowl and then topped with the slices of Grilled Chicken. Finally, a tight lid was placed on and it was ready to go. Now then, I have 4 drawbacks. 1) One of the Seasonings on the Grilled Chicken was a bit strong. It's the sweet Seasoning that's used to make Sweet Italian Sausage. Sadly, a Seasoning I'm not fond of. 2) There's no Fountain Drinks. Just a small selection of can sodas or bottles of types of Waters. Each 12 oz. can of Soda is $1.95 each. So if you're like me and 12oz's is not going to be enough for the entire meal; it adds up quickly. I bought 4, just to play it safe. They do however have, Self-serve Lemonade, Sweet and Unsweetened Tea. 3) They don't provide any type of a Dessert You know, like small assortment of Cannoli's, Cuccidati, Tiramisu, Zeppole, or perhaps a type of cookie like, Amaretti Cookies, Italian Rainbow Cookies, Anginetti Cookies or Italian Ricotta Cookies. However, my favorite would be a variety of Gelato. And 4) No employee should be working alone. Accidents can and do happen. What would happen if she slipped and fell in the backroom and was unconscious? Overall... despite the delay of service at the beginning; the employee was friendly, helpful, and atentative to my needs. The quality of the food was fresh, hot and delicious (minus that one Seasoning). Appearance... clean, organized and well stocked. To clear up the location (as I was using the Google Map), this location is actually located in the Understory Food Hall, part of the Tunnel System. You can enter this food hall via the Bank of America Tower building. In the Lobby, just go down 1 floor and enjoy.

Wendy Beckham

Google
Just got Chicken Pesto Alfredo with Truffle oil from the Lunchdrop at work. It was delicious! I ate it all so I don't have pics...sorry! Lol! I got 50% for the first time trying Lunchdrop, so it was a good deal.

em pru

Google
i got the mushroom pasta. it was good but it was something you get tired of eating. maybe too much of something in the sauce.

Jacqueline Ibarra

Google
Laura was incredibly patient with our order and provided excellent care. The food was promptly prepared, warm, and delicious.

Shruti Jalali

Google
I have been getting their veggie pasta or veggie panini for lunch pretty often these past two years. Fresh and healthy. Fantastic service.

Rhanda Crum

Google
The food is always soo good and they give you large portion sizes. I am never disappointed!
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Kelli D.

Yelp
If you're looking for a family-owned, handmade, brick oven pizza or any other Italian dish this is the place to go. The husband and wife are always so helpful, interactive, and we have branched out about many new things on the menu. My friend who is a vegetarian says they have the best eggplant parmesan she has ever tasted! As a carnivore, I absolutely love their meat filled Calzone :) On this rainy day we tried there spaghetti with meat sauce, it was delightful! Highly recommend.
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Albana O.

Yelp
You know when there's a long line and a bit of a wait at an eatery, it's going to be great! While I ate a salad, my companions feasted on pasta. What stood out consistently throughout every bite was the freshness and good ingredients. The customer service was great too! I had picked a salad that doesn't originally come with protein and wanted to add some, but to be honest, didn't want to bring that up and inconvenience the staff. However, while checking out they actually stopped to check if I wanted to add anything, which I thought was very sweet.
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Lee W.

Yelp
I ordered a make-your-own pasta dish for lunch on 07-02-2024 through Lunchdrop. I ordered fettuccine with marinara and grilled chicken breast with various other items. The flavors of the chicken and the various items in the dish were really good. The marinara was not very good. Whoever cooked the fettuccine needs to be tried for a war crime. Olive Garden cooks pasta better than how Mona's cooked my pasta. It was so over cooked that it was almost liquid and had zero texture. MIT ended up being a bowl of chicken, vegetables, and a wheat flour glob.
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Michelle Y.

Yelp
First time here and we work super close. Went and walk and picked up our bowls of noodles. This is so good and we brought it back to LifeTime GreenStreet/ LifeSpa and everyone said it smelled so good!

Firoz C.

Yelp
Overpriced, had the shrimp special. The shrimp bowl had 4 shrimp for $17.50. Barely any cheese, loaded with fresh tomatoes. The tomato flavor was very nice. I'll order a tomato bowl next time around. They need to double the cheese at the very least. Stop being so stingy with cheese. Great service

Jesus T.

Yelp
first time here loved everything about it. definitely will make the drive from michigan again just to come and eat at this place
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Shaili B.

Yelp
Me and my work friends go to the tunnels all the time for lunch. I heard Mona was a good one for Italian food! I first was glad they had multiple things I could eat as a vegetarian. The line during lunch time can get long but was always moving fast. I ordered the vegetarian pesto pasta which came with a few other veggies like spinach sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. They quickly made the food and it was decent! I think because they were going so fast the pasta had clumped together after cooking and in the hot water it didn't separate so I had one big clump of just pasta. I also thought they went overboard with the sun dried tomatoes. I had to pick them out. Overall it wasn't bad, because of how fast they go I think some of the food quality is compromised but I would go back and remove some of the veggies I didn't like.
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Jaime F.

Yelp
the club Panini was the best Italian quesadilla I have ever had ! The cooks are cool to watch prepare the food. My Mexican people preparing Italian dishes! only in Houston baybee! The pastas are very filling I will be back...

Todd G.

Yelp
I eat here fairly frequently so i want to say this place has a history of being quite good, or at least in my opinion it is quite good. I had a really bad experience today with a chicken Caesar salad. The lettuce and dressing were both fine. I would say it would be a good idea to package the chicken separately, so it does not steam/boil the lettuce when transporting back to the office. that was minor compared to the actual quality of the chicken. I will say they did give me a big portion of said chicken, but the fact is i think it was chicken left over from a slow friday that sat all weekend and was reheated. Poorly. It was dry, gray, flavorless and i threw it all out after two bites. I have eaten here long enough to give them more shots. they have a track record of quality food. But this....was not good. $20 down the drain.
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Vik P.

Yelp
First off I would love to see them offer zucchini noodles here for us low carb folks. I have no experience with the sandwiches or pastas...but the salads are good and they give you plenty. I can never finish mine. I would say I haven't found a salad that they feature that I don't want to change in some way. And the chicken I had on one was a bit on the dry side. I had some prosciutto with caesar dressing and it was so good. Though even with this they need to chop the prosciutto down a bit so its not just one long slice. As I write about it I am starting to crave it.
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Gabby C.

Yelp
I regularly make pasta at home... but this place has changed me forever! Mona's build your own pasta option is amazing. Other than the fact that I can't ever decide between the pre-fixed options on the menu, sometimes I just get a craving and need it now. Mona is perfect for putting together awesome flavor combinations for lunchtime! They make their pastas EVERY. DAY. and you can taste the freshness. I recommend any of their pasta dishes, and of course have to recommend the paninis (try the Rosso, you'll thank me later). Downtown Houston has a gem right here!
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Samantha P.

Yelp
I've been ordering from Mona ever since Understory first opened. My favorite aspect about Mona is the convenience. Mona accepts orders online via Ritual, plus it's right downstairs in my building, so it's so easy to order and pick up on the fly (especially when lunch rush comes around and the lines are inevitably long....but they do move quickly). The food comes out hot and delicious; the quality if the pasta itself is fantastic and always cooked to my liking. I also really love the alfredo sauce here, and the portion size is more than enough for me as well. However, I'm giving it three stars due to some recent mishaps with my orders from Mona. There are times where the app will tell me that my order is ready; I get downstairs and they have yet to cook my order. I understand; sometimes the line is so long and orders are lost in the chaos, it's no biggie to me. But there are also a multitude of times where I've found tiny amounts of ingredients in my pasta that I did not order (for example, I'll specifically order a meatless pasta, but I find small amounts of prosciutto in my pasta). These mishaps make me question the cleanliness of the cook line sometimes, as well as things like preventing ingredient cross contamination. If this happened like one or two times, I wouldn't pay much mind to it; however, this has happened to me a handful of times as of late which concerns (and sightly annoys) me. Overall, I still enjoy Mona and recommend it to people who are in Downtown Houston and want a quick Italian lunch. I hope the quality control of the food improves, though.
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Chris J.

Yelp
Solid lunch option. I've gone twice, once getting their Milan option and once building my own. I found the Milan pasta too salty with both bacon and ham. It was good but not great. The build your own option was perfect. I used bacon as my meat, which was included free as one of the five ingredients, and kept the cost down to $9, around what I'd like to pay for an "anytime" option. The variety of ingredients was good, and the pasta tasted fresh. It reminded me of a fresher Aramark build-your-own pasta station in college. Overall, I was happy with the food and price. Be warned that the line can get insanely long. This may be due to it being one of the first shops to open in Understory, but have other options in mind in case it's a crazy long line when you arrive.
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Peter N.

Yelp
While visiting Understory, decided to give this place a shot. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Love the concept of customizing your own pasta bowls! Food was great! Would recommend!

Kelli P.

Yelp
The food is really good but I believe that any tips that you add to a credit card payment do not go to the staff. The only tips they receive are those that are paid in cash.
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Rachael M.

Yelp
I've eaten here 5-6 times, and as a vegetarian who doesn't like salad, I love this place. The pasta is so good and fresh, and the options are myriad! The panini is also tasty--it's served on a sort of thin flatbread, rather than big fat ciabatta. It was different from what I expected, but it was so delicious! The portions are pretty big. One meal regularly feeds me for two days. Highly recommend. Even better, they have online ordering with pickup on the counter, so you don't have to come within 6' of anyone!
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Vanessa R.

Yelp
Great homemade pasta. Ordered online through their delivery service. Flavorful and filling. I had the Mushroom pasta. Definitely can get two servings out of it.
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JadyMarie D.

Yelp
We visited Mona Fresh Italian Food -Downtown at Understory. This place is always full, so come a little early and with a lot of patience. It is definitely worth the trip. The food here is absolutely delicious and decadent, with a cafeteria feel. There is a lot of seating and open spaces so it doesn't feel claustrophobic. I cannot wait to visit them again. Stop by and build your own pasta.
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Joshua S.

Yelp
Wow ! What a great place to eat at. The food was great and great service!! I had the pasta with the amazing meatballs. I will definitely go back.
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Seán M.

Yelp
I loved the participating with the actual Chef. He knows exactly the flavor profiles that work within this genre but with his distinctive French flair. He takes you through the line with your own copper pan and sautés you fresh made pasta right there in front of you. Really one of the best show in the theatre district if you as me is down here people watching... with this amazing food. Try the lemon bar for dessert and that green tea.....mmmmmm
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Katy P.

Yelp
UPDATE: I gave this place another shot. They're still just as much of a ripoff, wanting two extra dollars for meat sauce, then three more dollars for a piece of underwhelming sausage, and not even offering free tap water to the customers they're shamelessly price gouging, but this time, the food wasn't even good. AVOID. It's difficult to find decent Italian food in Texas (my family is from Jersey and Chicago, so I'm pretty picky). I tend to try any new place that pops up in hopes of finding a gem amongst the rubble. On the plus side, the food here is fresh, tasty, and highly customizable, which is awesome. Both times I went, they had several types of fresh pasta to choos from, multiple types of sauce, and a fantastic variety of ingredients to add in. Both times, I happily devoured my food. That being said, this place is a royal ripoff. The base prices for a lunchtime pasta bowl are, in and of themselves, more what I'd expect to see as dinner prices in a full service restaurant - which in and of itself, I'd be willing to put up with for good food. But unfortunately, it just gets worse from there. None of the pasta bowls come with meat. Want a meatball or a piece of sausage? Three bucks extra. Want a cup of water? Lol, sucks to be you, but if you want to pay $2.50 for a can of Coke or shell out three bucks for some overpriced hipster tea, you've come to the right place. The breadsticks cost extra too, and they're totally flavorless. It's easy to go there expecting to pay 12 bucks based on a quick menu glance and end up spending over $20 on lunch for one person after they've nicked and dimed you to death for every little thing. To be honest, I was surprised they didn't try and charge me extra for my napkin and fork. I doubt I'll be coming back here. It's just not worth the frustration of getting ripped off by a place that won't even serve their customers tap water.

Ana M.

Yelp
Really good food and a lot of options highly recommended place to visit in Houston tx

Missy T.

Yelp
Service was timely, as there wasn't a wait and there was a nice assortment of toppings. My pet peeve would be: 1. The food preparer kept scratching its arm, as tho a constant itch that just couldn't be resolved. 2. As my food was simmering in the open pan, the preparer grabs out the cell phone and commences to texting, as both the itchy arm and the phone were partially extended over the open pan of food. (Just not sure how many foreign particles could have OR DID, fall into my food.) 3. Once the food finished simmering, the food preparer goes to pour my food into a soiled to go serving bowl, that's when i stopped them to say, "NO, not sure what's going on in that bowl" Of course at that point at a least a mouth full of food had fallen into that bowl....I was told that was just mushroom cream, well there was greenery in there too and it doesn't matter, I didn't want any part of it. The food was tasty, but it makes me wonder about the stuff I don't see beforehand or in the back. If folks are going to work in the food industry, they should be much more considerate in their handling of food, etc.
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Ryan I.

Yelp
This review is for the salad only. I decided to try Mona based on recommendations from my co-workers. I was tired of the same salad places. I tried the "build your own" salad option which gives you 5 toppings. Meat is an extra $3. In the end, it was a $12.50 salad. That is a good chunk of change for lunch but is also similar to the prices of other salad places in downtown. The difference with Mona is the taste. The vegetables were very fresh. Also, I like the option of adding eggplant and artichoke as a base option. Those cost more at other places. The chicken was excellent and easily worth the $3. Also, the fresh grated parmesan and ground pepper can be added at no extra charge. Overall, this is a step above similar salad options downtown.
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Sabrina H.

Yelp
Food was okay. Not as fresh and tasty as I would've hoped and they don't offer tap water had to go grab from Boomtown. It looked a bit disorganized so hopefully once this is fully open it'll be better.
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web k.

Yelp
Since Luisa Pasta closed in downtown Shops, I've been looking for a replacement fresh pasta place that's quick and delicious. This place fits the bill although I wish it was closer. Also, they need to get the timing of some vegetables to be cooked along with other ingredients in the dish properly otherwise it's great.

Rasheed A.

Yelp
Best Italian restaurant in Houston Texas, Food was so tasty, staff very professional and so quick ! I ordered my pasta and literally 2 minutes and a half later I was served and it was so good ! Good job guys keep up
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Blake M.

Yelp
The Florence panini is unbelievable!!! Awesome staff, great location, it's Italian food what else can I say!!

German G.

Yelp
When they charger you an additional $2.95 for about 5 extra small pieces of chicken, for a $13.00 meal, that's just a bit harsh on portion control for a restaurant, an Italian restaurants at that! I can't remember a time that I've left an Italian style restaurant and felt like I needed to eat right after. Thanks, but never again!

Mary Joan L.

Yelp
Fresh ingredients (vegetable toppings), pasta, and sauce. And large serving too at a fair price. Will definitely be added to my lunch time rotation.

Rene M.

Yelp
Food is great, but the service is getting unacceptably bad. One of the people gave me the wrong protein, and while they fixed it (and an issue with someone's food getting given to the wrong person) I told the cashier to charge me for my protein (she almost didn't), paid, tipped, and asked for no receipt (I eat here several times a week, always get the same thing, so I really don't need or want one). By the time my food was ready after the protein mess up, the cashier had apparently forgotten I had already paid, and when I told her I had, she muttered something to the effect of "some of these people are lying to me." Exactly what I needed to top off an annoying trip to get what was one of my favorite lunches. I might come back because of the food, but you can guarantee I won't be tipping or, apparently, forgoing receipts to save time and trees anymore.

Bryan G.

Yelp
So i usually dont go to italian restaurants often but i decided to try this place and THAT IS THE LAST TIME IM EVER GOING AGAIN the manager is so cheap she makes the employees sell the leftovers breadsticks from the previous days to save money "supposedly freshly made everyday "she recycles her utensils instead of buying more i saw a hair on my fork and it looked like the color of her hair the pasta was so salty that i needed to drink some of my hibiscus infusion tea made from italy which just basically tastes like plain old pure leaf tea so exotic overall i payed $15 for my meal not to bad for the pricing but i should have just stook to going to chic fil a and saved my stomach the trouble of this disgusting food im very ashamed of what this business has become in terms of hygiene product and service i would say i would try it again but it would just be a lie.

Kate K.

Yelp
Delicious food and very friendly staff! The pasta tasted amazingly fresh and you could tell the ingredients were top-notch. Will definitely be back!