Ragú & Pesto

LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
My boyfriend and I ordered the Fettuccine Alla Routa which is meant for two with a side of grilled chicken to share and wine. I’ve been on the hunt for a table side pasta served from a wheel of cheese for the longest and so happy I found this place. Love that this place is cute and romantic with live music but comfortable and casual at the same time. Our order came with complimentary Italian bread and Caesar salads. We really enjoyed the hot Italian bread with an olive oil dipping sauce while the salad was fresh with a sprinkle of the best tasting Parmesan cheese.
The best part of dinner was when they wheeled the cheese out with our pasta inside. They’re def not camera shy so go ahead and take pictures/​videos while they toss your pasta in the ooey gooey cheese! Funny tradition is that the guy is served the first plate and the girl is served second because the pasta at the end is cheesier! After trying both of our plates we can really taste the difference. Since my plate was so cheesy I’m glad we ordered the grilled chicken to have a little protein and balance it out.
This was one of the best date night/​experience I’ve had. We will be back to try out the pizzas!

I came from Miami and was happy to find this location. Food was amazing. Had the best lobster ravioli in my life. We were a table of 10 and everyone commented about how amazing the food was. Great service, very friendly. Wine was at a great price.
Highly recommended!!!

Awesome. From the service to the food to the wonderful juices. If I could give 10 stars I would. A must go to in Houston.

Food is super yummy! I order the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken. The chicken was not dry like most grilled chicken. Very yummy! I highly recommend.

Been there twice already, and love the pizza. I really want to try their other dishes. The menu has a wide variety but not so many it’s hard to chose. Beautiful setting on the inside. Went there Sunday to pick up my pizza and a man was singing. Surely worth the visit, and great friendly staff. Each time I went there all the customers seem to be happy and satisfied.

Ate here during my visit based off Unilocal reviews. They were one of the few in Houston with Chicken Alfredo. I tried to order their special as it got great reviews but was told it can only be enjoyed in the restaurant, that if it got cold it would get hard and gross. I went with the chicken Alfredo and it barely had Alfredo sauce on it. The chicken was fresh and tender and spiced nicely but the noodles were dry and hardly had sauce. The most disappointing thing about the whole experience was being charged $ 2 for a bottle of water when I asked for water with ice in a to-​go cup. Water should be free y’all! Ohhhh I forgot the delicious rosemary bread they had! Delicious, but store bought unfortunately.

Decided to come here for humpday cheap meal. We haven’t had pasta in a while and since this place is so close to our apt we decided to give it a try. Arrived and there was only another couple enjoying their dinner. The exterior is pretty shabby being it belongs in a even shappier plaza but the interior is quite clean and romantic. Perfect date night atmosphere. Btw, Happy hour was still going on (tues-​fri from 3 – 7 all tap beers for $ 3)
We ordered fried calamari for starters (8.99) and the fettuccine a la routa (serves 2 for $ 34.99). And ofc a st Arnold with a Corona. We also order a side of grilled chicken breast each for the pasta (3.99 each). Food was served very fast. The calamari was alright. Then we were served the bread and olive oil with our side salad. Their croutons seems to be made there; not from a pre-​ordered bag like some Italian places. When our server came out with the wheel of cheese we had to watch. He explained that they will serve the man of the party first and then the woman because she will get the cheesiest plate between the two. He also explained that 9 out of 10 first timers will order the fettuccine a la route. Which don’t surprise me. It’s like a restaurant specialty. You can’t find this anywhere else. At least not mix with the same wheel of cheese.
I tried the cheese first before eating it with pasta and chicken. The taste was so rich and it melts even more in your mouth. Be caution because for me after a few bites I was very full. The sauce is very heavy! Even though it serves for 2 I believe 3 would have been perfect. We didn’t finish our meal at all and had to get it to-​go!
All in all, a very good place to check out! The experience was amazing, the servers were very very nice and attentive, the meal we ordered was spectacle. And I love that they have so many beers on tap. They don’t have a menu for it (only a big wine menu) but you can always ask the server what they have. Our bill came out to be ~62; which is a bit hefty but only because we’ve been elsewhere with very decent prices on Italian pasta.

This was my 2^nd time ordering and from my first experience I shouldn’t have even bothered. I ordered basil tomato soup (which is alright I guess .)Caesar salad which was room temperature and soggy from being over dressed and weighed down the lettuce completely. It did not taste good to me. I like my salads to be fresh light and cold like the way salads were invented to be… Third I ordered the garlic potatoes which didn’t taste good either and were fucking cold! I was so pissed off mainly because I’m hungry and this food is just losing my appetite cause there so much of it that I can’t eat. I waited an hour for delivery and spent $ 30 for dinner to be a waste! Ugh I’m so mad! I called to explain to them my food wasn’t good and when the «manager» wasn’t listening to what I was saying the first time I lost my shit… If a customer is calling with a problem regarding the restaurant YOU run then ACT like you CARE. The restaurant was already closed after I got my food so I knew my phone call would be useless but dude what the hell I spent $ 30 for what? So my dog can eat it instead?
Itallian food is my favorite and this place hasn’t met my expectations at all from the 2 times i ordered and each time I ordered The food was bland and the service is slow. Hopefully the new area I’m moving to has better itallian that delivers. Like how did this pace get 4 stars like what food are y’all eating ??? I don’t want your apology or my money back. Just step your game up make better food so you don’t have to waste people’s time anymore. Because I love good food and pay for good food and this wasn’t worth it a dam bit lol ugh still hungry!!!

Looks cheap on the outside but nice on the inside. Me & my husband had the fettuccine Routa. It was fun to see it being made at the table out of a big cheese wheel! Tasted great came with Cesar salad. The free bread before the meal was really tasty too.

Awesome dine-​in Italian joint. Very intimate and elegant inside, and unassuming from the outside.
Pasta dishes were delicious, pizza ordered for the kids was also great.
Great service and attention to detail! We will be back.

The One Where I was Forced to Pick a Place for Dinner Club.
Did you guys know I’m part of a «secret» dinner club? It’s not really a big secret since it’s pretty expected from me. Anyway, I guess my friends figured out now that I would bail unless they commit me (i.e. picking a place to eat). That’s how we ended up here for dinner last week and I have to say, I did a pretty good job.
We started out with their calamari, which was very good. We shared their Fettuccine Alla Routa, which is their house special. This pasta was amazing! First, most of their pastas are house made (a huge plus in my book). Second, all their sauces are also house made (another huge plus). Just don’t ever ask them if they mix or will combine anything. The answer is «no.»
My friends tried their seafood soup served in a bread bowl. I didn’t try it since I’m allergic to shrimp, but I heard it’s good and spicy.
Overall, a pretty solid place. The server was a bit stuck-​up, but I won’t comment about that.

Came here for dinner on a Saturday night with friends a few weeks ago and it was just good. Not great. Lots of room for improvement in my opinion.
Appetizers: We ordered the mozzarella sticks and the calamari to start. Mozzarella sticks were hard as a rock. Bleh. No thanks. The Calamari wasn’t much better. They served it with a wedge of lime instead of lemon? Weird. The dipping sauces were just alright as well. Really would pass on both appetizers if I were to come back.
For entrée my friends ordered a lasagna and a chicken parm. The lasagna didn’t look that great, but the portion was sizable. The chicken parm smelled really good, but that just might be because it was right next to me. Bestie and I shared the fettuccine a la routa. DECADENT! Aside from the showiness of the meal, I actually really liked this. I love cheese more than life itself so this was a cheesy delicious meal for me. Friend on the other hand did not feel so great after eating this.
Tiramisu was ordered and it was also a miss for me. I hate hersheys chocolate syrup and it was DOUSED in that sugary crap. Bleh! I forced down as much as I could without getting diabetes from the chocolate sauce.
Service however was great. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive.

I’ve missed this place so much since I have been away from Houston. Hands down, one of my favorite little Italian Restaurants in the city. Located on the busy Westheimer strip right down the way from Miyako Sushi, it’s easy to miss if you aren’t careful.
I’ve been there a few times, and each time the service has been phenomenal! Prompt and attentive service, waiters always come back to check and make sure all is well… asking about how the food tasted and if we had any questions about pairings.
You cannot go wrong with any of their dishes. Every one of them has been a delight to my senses and every time I leave I already miss it. I highly recommend trying their espresso or coffee offerings. They make some great ones! Perfect place to meet friends for lunch, and a wonderful spot to take someone for a romantic date. Their layout is nice and dim with a very warm and welcoming feel to it.
They also have a bar, but with so much great food to indulge in alcohol is the last thing on my mind. Perhaps some wine to go with my meal next time?
If you like Italian food I think you’ll love this place!

LOVE ragu and pesto!
The food is always on point and the service is outstanding!
Looks can be deceiving. It’s in a strip mall type of place, but once you open the doors it’s like you have been transported to a fancy little restaurant in the middle of the city!
I have never had a bad experience here and I have loved every dish! You can not go wrong with any of their dishes.
Seriously don’t pass this place up. Must try!

I have no idea how this place has a four star rating because our entire experience was very disappointing. The service was incredibly slow and the food was even worse. First of all, the bread was cold and tough. Then, our salad dressing had a very strange aftertaste. We were hopeful that things would get better when our spinach and artichoke dip arrived and it was actually decent. However, we quickly left after our entrees arrived. I had the chicken piccata and my boyfriend ordered the grilled chicken on the lava rock. The sauce on my piccata had a bad flavor and his chicken was tasteless. It was obvious that we were displeased with our meal, but our waiter didn’t bother to ask what the problem was or offer up other menu suggestions. We will not be back.

My husband loves lasagna and their beef lasagna did not disappoint. I had chicken gnocchi carbonara, creamy. It was good, but had too much pancetta for my liking. The salad was simple and delicious. The bread and oil dipping sauce were tasty. We also had the fried ravioli as an app. That was really good as well. Our server, Nicole, was fantastic too. We will definitely be back!

Great atmosphere and wonderful food! Will be a regular place, you can tell everything is authentic and prepared with great care!

The food here is amazing! I tried this place for dinner yesterday with family and we had calamari, pizza, and each of us ordered our pastas (you get bread and salad which were complimentary) Afterwords we ordered coffe and a desert which were great. Not one of had a complaint… Great food, wonderful service, nice casual place. We are Coming again next week to try their signature pasta which is tossed inside a very large cheese, hoping to get the same waiter also his name was Leonardo.

Chef Omar and his restaurant have got it going on. I am SO surprised to find this place nestled into a Westheimer shopping center. The ambiance is precious and it is obvious they have put a lot of work into making sure you absolutely don’t feel like you’re in a shopping center on Westheimer… The way the floor and tables are set up makes it a GREAT option for groups — lots of rows of long tables that can be easily split up to accommodate any size party. This is good to remember for future parties and gatherings ;)
Aside from the décor — the food is fantastic! Actually, I can’t comment on much of the food, but from what I tasted I really liked it and will be back to try more. I believe that you can judge an Italian restaurant by their bread and WOW the bread was good — it tasted dough-​ey which I personally like… The boyfriend and I split the famous Fettucine alla Route (the pasta served out of the giant block of cheese) and it was verrrrry good. I wasn’t impressed that it cost $ 6 extra to add shrimp, but it was necessary to add them to the not so colorful dish. For dessert we split a canoli and just might have been filled with the best canoli cream I’ve ever tasted…
My only real qualm with the restaurant was the service, which was unfortunately really bad. It took forever to get service… and when we finally did get service we didn’t know who our server was because two men took care of us (if I can even say they «took care of us» — there was a lot of having to flag down people working to get drinks, to order, to get refills, etc.). Overall, I’d like to go back next time I have a craving for pasta and give them another try.

Let me start by saying that giving zero stars is not an option. The service was awful and the food was mediocre. I could’ve’ve eaten at a better restaurant for the price. The food took a really long time to come and the server was the worst I’ve encountered.

Excellent pizza and service. Prompt delivery. No bar though, so it is BYOB. I’ve had their pizzas and they great. Margarita is excellent (the pizza, not the waitress…). Want to go back and try other items in the menu

Setup: catching up with Unilocal lurker Emily M lol
The good: clean open space, large portions, good value, lots of options including build-​your-​own pasta dishes, tasty garlic rolls to start, pastas cooked to al dente, chicken wasn’t dry
The bad: Gnocchi is not made in house (so I didn’t order it). It took a very long time for us to get the check after we were done — our waiter was everywhere except our table and never made eye contact again so I had to flag someone else down.
Observations: the pizza has excellent flavor and the beginnings of a great crust — but after all the work to get a nice char, it’s served on a plate that creates steam underneath and the crust becomes soggy.

I tried to place an order for delivery and it was a nightmare. I was tossed around to three different people while trying to place my order. They kept putting me on hold without even letting me know I was being placed on hold. Then the guy taking my order hung up on me so I had to call and start all over again. I finally placed my order and was told it would take 30 – 40 mins to arrive. They took an hour and a half to deliver my food. I ordered a Greek salad and spaghetti and it tasted terrible! I had to throw it out because I just could not being myself to eat it. I will definitely not recommend and will not be returning to this place

My experience at Ragu’s was more of a quick exchange, rather than dining in I ordered take out. Although the time actually spent inside the restaurant lasted a short while, the ambiance left quite an impression. Anyways, I digress, let’s cut the fluff and talk about the meat… Literally…
I was craving pizza while on my lunch break and Ragu’s & Pesto’s is right next door so I decided to give it a try. A size small 10″ pizza with toppings is priced at around 11+. Due to the location, this didn’t come to a surprise.
I decided to get the «Meat» pizza and upon opening up the box I knew why it costed $ 11 for such a small pie. This thing was stacked thick with an assortment of meats, thicker than most of the women I been with.
As I bit into the pizza I realize a little something was missing, oh yeah, that was the sauce… I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but there was literally no tomato sauce on my pizza whatsoever. Regardless of sauce or no sauce, the pizza was damn good.
The grease was at the level expected (due to the amount of pork toppings).
All in all, I would try this place again but would definitely ask for red tomato sauce on my pizza to ensure a better tasting experience!

This is a local restaurant that is cute. We had the Ragu Bolognese and Beef Lasagna which were both very good. The prices were decent. Service was a little more hands off. I would definitely go back.

The Fettuccine Routa was wonderful and the Nutella Calzone unbelievable… The place is really nice and the service was great!!!

I came here with my friends on a Sunday evening so the restaurant was mostly empty, which is expected but I always feel a little down when there aren’t other people for some warm background chatter.
Anyway, got the bruschetta for appetizers and the veggie pizza for the main course. The bruschetta was topped with some delicious bagel and layers of cheese, so it was pretty solid. The pizza was topped with peppers, olives and onions. We got a large which was more than enough for all three of us. The pizza tasted fair. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t mind-​blowing either. All in all, I thought the food contained too much cheese which made it taste good but not necessarily authentic. You know how I feel about taking shortcuts – I understand it lowers cooking time but the outcome is average food. The place was pretty pricey for average food so I don’t think I’ll return unless it’s the only thing open in the area.
The ambience was fair. Dim lighting and wooden tables but not in a way that it created a really intimate setting.

Where do I even start? One of Westheimer’s best kept secrets! Fantastic customer service by employees who are proud of what they are serving. I’ve been here four times with different people each time. Each time has been better. For your first time you must get the pasta for two — fettuccine routa. It’s so creamy and good that you will crave it for days! The salad that comes with the meal is fantastic with a creamy Caesar dressing! Last night my friend ordered the ribeye on the lava rock and it was succulent… enough for the table to share along with what we had… the fettuccine routa. Compared to other places, it’s cheap. They don’t serve alcohol yet so bring a bottle of wine with you. The setting is very causal with a warm and beautifully decorated interior! Trust me on this one! Give them some business!!!

Man I remember when this restaurant didn’t even look like the way it is now. You can tell a lot of money is being invested to make it look the way it does now. Feels like a restaurant in Little Italy in Philly or New York.
You can tell the chef and owner know what they’re doing when it comes to the quality of their food. Their chicken Parmesan and lasagna was delicious!

Ragu and Pesto is a homey Italian place that truly has wonderful service and pretty solid food. The inside is decorated with various Italian paintings that go well with the mellow music.
My first time there, I was only picking something to go, and the host was really nice and helped me pick out an order. While I was waiting for my order to be completed, they offered me complimentary bread, and when my order was ready and I left, they actually ran after me in the rain because they forgot to put bread in my bag. Really great experience.
I ordered the carbonara with fettuccine. The pasta was very well cooked, and the herbs went very well with the sauce and pancetta. The pancetta was in fairly large slices, which made it more chewy than I’m used to, but I think works well in the dish. Unfortunately, the salad was not the best. Even though the produce was fresh, the croutons and the salad as a whole weren’t very flavorful.
All in all, with a friendly staff and pretty good food, I feel like I will be making a return in the near future.
Service ⁵⁄₅
Food 3.5÷5
Ambience ⁴⁄₅

I came in for a to-​go order, as this place used to be Napoli and I wanted to see if the food and service were still good.
Ordered the beef cannoli and it comes with a side ceasar salad. The salad was basic and I didn’t really eat this. The cannoli was pretty good, warm and cheesy, even by the time I got it back home. At 10.99, I think this was one of the less expensive dinner options. Meal also came with knotted rolls which were pretty good as well.
I’d return again sometime to try their pizzas. Their bar area had all the liquor removed and taps taken off, not sure if they lost their liquor license or what.

The owner was right — this place is back on its game! Also BYOB — so seriously run here…
The service was great this past Friday when we went. They had a new bread basket, and we’ve enjoyed both the old and now the new! Really enjoyed the calamari and presentation. They do now serve a ceasar salad with all entrees, but the menu should be changed to reflect that.
The owner definitely cared about feedback, as the chicken in my chicken marsala was huge and super delicious. I was very happy with it. A bit confused as to why it’s $ 17.99 (the same price as the veal) and the chicken parm is a few dollars cheaper, but either way it’s a great dish.
The owner gave us these espresso drinks (in little shots) at the end which was delicious. It was a great welcome back to the restaurant. All in all, we cannot wait to come back. You can’t beat a place with good food, good atmosphere, and BYOB.

You know that saying «don’t judge a book by its cover»? Well, I don’t do that. You know what I do do (get it, doo-​doo)? Judge restaurants by their restroom.
R&P’s restroom is top-​notch for this section of Westheimer. Nestled among nasty-​looking holes in the wall like Hyderabad House, this restroom screams high-​class. Wood interior. Marble countertop. The toilet has a groove for your butt. And it’s not one of those automatic toilets that flush when you’re not ready and end up splashing water up your derrière. It retains the traditional handle that allows you to flush how you please, when you please.
And this restroom is a pretty good indication of the restaurant. It’s somewhat casual, but it would easily do for a date night. The atmosphere is clean and upscale, but not pretentious. The waiter was a pretty chill dude and had good knowledge of the menu.
The food was high quality — their complimentary bread and salad is composed of fresh-​baked bread rolls with oil on the side and you can tell their croutons are made in-​house. I wasn’t as blown away as I was with the toilet, but I was still pretty impressed. I got the lobster ravioli for the entrée, which comes with a crab cake in the middle. Honestly, it wasn’t great. The pasta was more al dente than I’d like and good god, there was so much sauce and cheese, I could hear the fat coming out of it. But that’s on me for choosing such a rich dish. I should have expected that decadence after seeing that bathroom.
I’d probably return to try their other dishes.

I owe this great food find to Kim and her boyfriend Jonathan. Kim’s food blog lead me here to this wonderful Italian restaurant.
I’ve driven by this strip on westheimer a handful of times and never thought to come in a try. So I’m spreading the word now! Come and get yourself some delicious Italian goodness.
There were 4 of us at dinner tonight and right away I knew what I wanted. The Fettuccine alla Routa. Made in house cream sauce with prosciutto and finished table side in a wheel of cheese. That’s right a WHEEL OF CHEESE! This meal says its for 2 but 3 people can share this. Never have I had such warm rich and creamy fettuccine before. If you like the fettuccine at Olive Garden, this will blow you out of the water and leave you asking why did I ever waste my taste buds on Olive Garden (Sorry OG).
We also ordered the beef cannelloni and the Italian American staple chicken parmigiana. The tomato sauce for the chicken parm tasted fresh and not pre made from a can. It had a fresh vibrant taste. The meat sauce for the beef cannelloni was savory and well seasoned. It tasted even better if you dipped the bread they give you at the beginning of the meal. (The bread itself deserves an applause).
I normally don’t go out for Italian. Always thinking I can make it at home, however I will totally make an exception for Ragu and Pesto! Not only was the food great, the service was phenomenal. Chef Omar even came out and introduced himself and checked to make sure we had a great experience. Usually I’d be asleep already but Chef Omar gave us these dulce macchiato dessert shots that was a great way to end the meal and coursing through my veins right now! You can tell Chef Omar truly cares about his craft as well as his patrons, can’t wait to come back!
Bön appetit!