Mandola's Deli Reviews

We eat at Mandola's often, especially before or after UH games. The food is terrific--spinach or meat lasagna, meatball sandwich, eggplant parmigiana, spaghetti, salads, and more. The owners and servers are friendly. They welcome customers in as though they were guests of the family. Check the hours as they are not open every evening and they are closed on Sunday (for God, family, and golf!)

Wow. I have been going here 30 years. Frank is getting old. I have always loved the Italian poor boys- hot!. The chicken Mandola sandwich is pretty damn good, but a little heavy for lunch. The deli sandwiches are prepared the way your expect. To be honest, it has been years since I tried the spaghetti or lasagna, but it was good. And I always see others enjoying.

My parents have lived in Houston for 6 years, and had never been to Mandolas Deli. We decided to go on a recommendation from another friend of theirs. It was fantastic! The owner Joseph was very nice and made sure we were happy with our food. The lasagna was amazing, we also have some of their in house made italian sausage, and a few other dishes. Everything we ordered was delicious. A very fun place where you feel welcome. W also ordered a bottle of wine, their own label, it was very good. I highly recommend Mandolas.

Okay, not familiar with this side of town. I was down at Citys Cape Center for 2 days of class. Googled Map nearby resturants. ..got this one. 1st day i had the thr the Italian Hot Roast Beef with Au Jus. It was very good with the exception of the mayo sauce or whatever it is. It was good...but just too much of it....and served hot...its just iccky. Would I go back yes.. it has a long history here in Houston as well as character. Cons: .way over priced.

Stopped here en route to University of Houston basketball game. It is a pre-game gathering spot; lots of UH sports memorabilia on display. Slow moving line to order our food (no apparent reason for the slowness), but a cheerful employee took our order. Then, we sit down to await spaghetti and meatballs, a meatball sandwich and an Italian Roast Beef sandwich. And we waited. And waited. Though only half the tables were occupied-!we were told it was a "real busy" night. The food finally arrives, as game time looms, and we dig in. Nothing to write home about- decent, but not remarkable fare. Unless I am with someone dying to see UH sports stuff- I will not be returning. It is VERY convenient for campus events- but not enough to make it a go-to eatery.

Mandola's holds a special place in my heart! Their pasta is cooked perfectly every time, beautifully al dente which just shows a level of expertise and care that is harder to come by these days in restaurants. Sandwiches are amazing, everything here is so good I look forward to trying something new knowing I'll never be disappointed. They remember names and orders and you get the warm and fuzzy family feelings in here, love this place. This was one of my dad's favorite restaurants, the night he passed we ate here and they stayed open late for us, good people.

In Eado (east of downtown Houston.) Family owned, family still in the kitchen. Very simple space - order at the counter, food brought to your table. Lunchtime is very busy. Check before you come for dinner - schedule varies. Can eat a simple salad, or a full course Italian meal. This is "the" Houston Mandola family -- always good food.

Took my wife and some friends to Mandela’s for their first time. We live in EaDo and I have been there but no one else had. They loved it. Everyone’s food was awesome but my wife was wishing she had order the meatballs and sausage, “the Giuseppe” I think. The appetizer of fried lasagne was absolutely unreal.. Go do not wait it is a treat...

Been going to Mandolas since 83 and it was always excellent. Ate there a couple days ago, large Tuna 2 stuffed jalapeno peppers and a drink and the bill was $22.00 bucks. Bread wasn't that fresh either. I can't afford to eat there anymore and it's a shame.

We ate lunch today at Mandola's Deli, having not found anything we wanted to eat at the Houston Food Trucks nearby. What a treat! Frank Mandola greeted us, took our orders, chatted about trips to Sicily, shared photos from his last visit...and oh yes, took our money. 10 minutes later, we inhaled two delicious sandwiches brought steaming to the table. My chicken parm was juicy, cooked to perfection without being greasy. Roll was ok for holding but didn't add much flavor. However, who needed more flavor on top of the chicken, sauce and cheese? And what's not to love about $2 draft beer? A St Arnold IPA at that! As we left, Frank said goodbye to us by name. We will be back - could become a weekend lunch tradition!

A friend suggested we meet at Mandola's for lunch, but was unsure if I wanted to go to that part of town...an industrial area was how she put it. Because of her rave reviews about the food, particularly the eggplant parmesan, I said why not go there. I am ever so glad we did. Not only was the eggplant parm delicious (took up almost the entire plate, plus spaghetti), the location presented no problem...lots of downtown people were there as well as local workers. It was clean and the service was terrific. I will definitely return and take some friends!

Everything that I have tried here is excellent. Fried lasagne bites? I was sceptical, but it turns out it is INCREDIBLE !!! (Think fried cheese and marinara sauce + meat.) Family owned and run since the 70's, it has retained it's small town feel - I get a warm welcome from all the family members who work there every time I go in. Dee is especially sweet and friendly.

In the East End of Houston. I have eaten here several times over the last 10 years working in this area. It has always been good no matter what I choose and the price id fair. I have used them to provide lunch for customer's. (First question after presentations is "Where was the food from." It is not a fancy place but it is warm and inviting. The menu is extensive and if you do not know what to get try any of their specials. Frank, the owner, has worked for years to get the flavors blending just right.

We dine at Mandola's from time to time and the food is always very good. All the main course items and sandwiches are made fresh to order.

I work at a nearby major company. The staff in the executive office really likes the food here. I've had it 3 or 4 times, and am just not impressed. The Pasta Mandola was bland, it has chicken, mushrooms, and alfredo - I thought the alfredo sauce and the chicken were both lacking flavor. The spaghetti/marinara with meatballs, I thought the marinara was missing something, so I call it bland as well. I also had a dish, can't recall the name, that was a mixture of pesto and alfredo, something I use to make at home all the time, so I tried it, also bland. The Wop Salad, was $8.95 (menu says $8.29, so I could be wrong, I'm going from memory, but I think it was $8.95) and it is lettuce, 4 slices of carrots, 1 small slice of onion, and about 6 olives, and some fresh gorgonzola cheese. The online menu says olive salad, but it didn't have that - my coworker had a side of it, the olive salad, it definitely was no on my salad. And I'm a huge fan of gorgonzola, so that's why I ordered this salad, but I don't think it was gorgonzola on my salad. It needed a lot more cheese and a lot more onion, in my opinion. If I'm going to have a salad as a meal, it needs substance - add a pepperoncini, salami, tomato, radish, celery, maybe capers or garbanzo's - and still sell it for $8.95. I did really like the dressing that comes with the Wop salad. They have fresh desserts. I've had the 7 Layer Bar and it is really good, but I don't think it's worth $4.49. I'd LOVE for them to add an option to have sauces served over broccoli for a low-carb version. Or have lettuce wraps for sandwiches, using lettuce instead of bread (like a sandwich chain offers). Even though I don't like the food, sometimes I have no choice but to eat here if it's where the office is ordering from, so I'd like low-carb options. The staff is friendly. You order at the counter, self serve your fountain drink or tea, and they deliver your food to your table. They have wine and beer. It's not in the greatest area, and it's close to U of H, so you would think the prices would be friendly for college kids, but IMO, they are high. They do offer a U of H discount of 10% if you show your U of H ID. It's never my selection, but when the office is buying, I eat here

Love the po'boys, my husband and I split the super large. Don't leave without trying one or two of their devilled eggs!!

I hadn't been in this establishment for many years, simply because it is in a part of town I down get to so much anymore. But I remembered the Italian sausage they make there. I remember similar sausage from my childhood, I was making a special meal that required Italian sausage, and I visited this deli to get some. I was certainly not disappointed. It was just as I remembered, the most incredibly delicious Italian sausage. It really made a difference in the meal. This is not your grocery store's Italian sausage. Wonderful!

This is our go to place for traditional Italian food. My boys love the Meatball sandwich, spaghetti, lasagne and more. We always take home Italian sausage to cook with because it’s the best in Houston. Frank and Joseph are a father and son “Dynamic Duo!” They have catered many events for us and they are not only good, but fun as well. Love this place! You can also take home traditional homemade Italian cookies and desserts.

This restaurant has been a staple in EaDo before the area was ever called that. Its been around for over 40 years in the same location. Mr Mandola and his son Joe run the place and are there everyday. I usually get the spaghetti and a small salad. the sandwich are also good as well. Don't forget the deviled egg...

Friendly faces (owners) to greet you. Fresh ingredients to enjoy. Casual atmosphere. Reasonable prices. Sounds good to me.

This place was mentioned on conversation while at work, so we all went there for lunch. What a pleasant surprise, as everything was delicious. Great Italian deli!

Have had this catered many times at my office and finally made it in the deli itself today. We have not been disappointed yet. Everything we have had was very good and the people here are as friendly as can be. We look forward to returning.

Tasty place with great service! I got the chicken parmesan with spaghetti and a slice of chocolate cake. All food was awesome! I would highly recommend this place.

Mandolas has been a mainstay for over 42 years. The food, the service and the way they make you feel like family from the time you walk in the door! It is always like coming home! The Italian offerings are simply amazing and the sandwiches are off the charts! Affordable and low key, we will always be back!

I've been working at the University of Houston for years. I used to pass up Mandola's because I thought it was just sandwiches. I went in one day and tried the fried lasagna. DELICIOUS!! I also tried the Giovanni with sauteed spinach. DELICIOUS!! The deviled eggs - also DELICIOUS!! Very casual place, and perfect for me since it's very close to campus. Very reasonable prices.

This is the flagship Mandola restaurant and one I'd not yet visited. I'm a native Houstonian and love going to their restaurants. This one deserves a special mention. From the moment we walked in we felt welcome. Joseph, the manager/owner was so friendly, he really takes it to the next level. As far as I'm concerned, waitstaff and management will make or break a place and he is the classic example of how to do it right! The food was excellent. Yes you can get deli food here but they also have classic Italian dishes. We had the bruschetta, wop salad (large was big enough for two), shrimp with pesto, Italian sausage and spaghetti and cannoli. Not on the menu but they made it for us. We loved the food, loved the service - I can't emphasize enough what a breath of fresh air this was. I've eaten at more expensive places with fancier décor and not had near as much fun and I thought the food was better here! Speaking of décor - a whole wall is dedicated to the University of Houston (GO COOGS!). This place is going in our regular rotation as a reliable favorite.