Fornos of Italy - Houston

My family and I had dinner with friends on a Tuesday evening. This was our first time at Fornos of Italy. It was extremely quiet inside, with one patron at the bar, so any conversation could be heard throughout the restaurant. After nibbling on the appetizer bread, we heard Christmas music begin to play on the loudspeakers, which warmed up the atmosphere. As it got later, more people entered and Fornos livened up. I decided to order the spaghetti and meatballs as a test of the Italian cuisine they served. After all, it is a classic dish. I am sad to report I was not impressed since my pasta and meatballs, while tasting alright, reminded me of food that was from the frozen foods section of a grocery store. Overall, my group agreed the food was not bad, yet don't think we will be returning.

I ordered the Cannelloni here tonight. It's my favorite dish here with the Angel Hair with Meat Sauce coming right after it. It was very delicious, flavorful in numerous ways and comforting. The pasta was very fresh and soft. The cream sauce was savory, rich and tasty. The red sauce was very tasty, runny and had a great bell pepper taste to it. The ground chicken n spinach filling was also very tasty and paired well with everything. Great, friendly service as well.

Food-great, delicious Service- average Prices- inflation prices showed in the expresso. We paid $8 for a expresso! Ridiculous

Fornos is located on Westheimer but not directly as it's about 100 yards set back in a large shopping center. Once you get there parking is plentiful. The restaurant has covered outside seating along with indoor seating too. Inside there is a large dining room on the left and then a bar area with tables for dining and the two areas are separated by numerous wine racks. It's an unusual arrangement that I think looks awkward. By its appearance, Fornos seems to be a restaurant that specializes in wine and has a lot of it. My first visit was for lunch and I ordered pescatore dI mare for $20. First to arrive was a complimentary bread basket consisting of two large and warm rolls with butter. The entree arrived about 15 minutes later and had shrimp, calamari and clams with pasta all bathed in a marinara sauce. The plate had plenty of seafood in it and altogether was a filling meal. However I thought the marinara could have been better taste wise needing more robust flavor. Also my iced tea had a slight burnt aftertaste to it. The table service was good and I rated this meal as a 3. A couple of weeks later I returned for dinner and ordered a pizza. Their pizzas are 12 and thin crust New York style. I went with a custom design of beef, mushroom and onions. $12 for the pizza and $1.50 for each topping. This pizza was pretty good with plenty of toppings. Those toppings along with the cheese and red sauce were tasty and I rated this meal as a 4. I give an overall score of 4 rounding up for Yelp purposes.

I recently ordered the Margarita pizza to go from Fornos Pizza, and it was fantastic! The crust was light and crispy, and the tomato sauce was perfectly balanced with the basil and cheese--not dry at all. I could have easily eaten the whole thing! The restaurant has a quaint Italian vibe with a nice selection of wines. It would be a great spot for a party of about 40 people. Highly recommend!