Riva's Italian - Houston

Riva's serves Italian food that may appeal to those unfamiliar with true Italian cuisine. If their dinner menu items were priced about 20% lower, I might find it acceptable, as it would then be mediocre food at a reasonable cost. However, Riva's takes advantage of the tendency for some Americans to pay extra for "Italian" food without truly offering authentic, delicious Italian dishes. I recommend saving your money and dining elsewhere. Houston has an abundance of fantastic restaurants, and unfortunately, Riva's does not make the cut.

My mother really liked the place when we came the first time for her birthday 2 years ago and she wanted to come again. We waited for about an hour a half to be seated despite many others getting there after us, it seemed like they wanted to get the smaller tables in and out quick. The manager was super courteous to my grandmother helping her around the restaurant but our server (older white guy) was lack luster, he started off good but clearly since we were sat super late he wanted to go home. Towards the end one of my sisters became offended when the server loudly said her card declined (it was debt fraud prevention) but when she tried telling him to wait and see why the card was not working he became impatient then after we gave him a new card I heard him turn the corner and say “****” then came back and aggressively gave us the check card back. When leaving he (server) at least gently pushed by us to rush off. Also no bartender? I definitely will try to have my mother reconsider where she has her birthday next year.

This restaurant has a distinctive charm and is definitely worth a visit once. We went during the holidays, so the decorations were really cute. The prices are reasonable, but I was taken aback by the unconventional way our meals were served. As an Italian who cooks regularly, I was really craving chicken franchise but was surprised by what was presented to me. I expected a classic version, but what I received looked quite different, as shown in the picture. The taste was decent—not bad, but definitely not what I anticipated. The sauce was served on the side too. I’d give it 3 stars. Overall, it didn't quite leave a strong impression.

This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. The food is packed with flavor and gives the impression of being homemade. I tried the lamb, and I must say, I wish they had offered more than just three pieces because it was that delicious. Overall, it was a worthwhile experience. I highly recommend giving them a try!

Beautiful place, loved the holiday display they had. Food was amazing!