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Sweet Bella Italian Kitchen

MY REVIEW: Good points: Looks like a nice little italian place in The Woodlands.

Weak points: Although I've heard some good things about the food and especially the pizza, we didn't have the endurance to stick around after 30 mins STANDING in line and with what looked like another 30 remaining. I get that it's a family place, lightly staffed, mom-n-pop...blah-de-effing-blah operation. But that is no excuse for allowing a line to form out the door and stagnate while the entire dinning room is pretty much empty. There are many small restaurants around town with similar constraints, but who manage the operation rather better than this.

NAME: jrmack
SUBMITTED: 7/14/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: By far this is one of my favorite restaurants. I have not had a bad food item yet and have been going here for lunch for several years. The butternut squash ravioli is so good, I generally get it with the red pepper sauce. Pizza, salads, soups are all great. Give this place a try it is great.

NAME: Tennis lady
SUBMITTED: 7/7/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2010
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: I grew up with Italians and this is the closet to real hommade you can get without going back to Italy. I have tried several different items on the menu and they all are outstanding! I go about once a week. It is run like a mom & pop, but all the times I have been I have never had problems many of the other reviewers have stated. It is a hole in the wall, very casual...which I like. It is not only my opinion, but the opinion of several others that Sweet Bellas is the best italian rr in the area.It is not a chain, but a small family owned business. you are treated with respect and appreciation for visiting. I HIGHLY reccommend Sweet Bella's if you like REAL Italian..not chain food.

NAME: ASM
SUBMITTED: 2/3/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/3/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: I feel compelled to write another review as I noticed some negative comments recently. As noted by other customers, this is a "Mom and Pop' place, not the run of the mill franchise.

It is small and you have Donna, who works her butt off taking orders and delivering many to the tables. In fact, she works so hard, you would think she owned the place. And yes Steve (the actual owner) has a dry sense of humor, but again that is what makes the visit so entertaining.

The pizza's are awesome, the pasta dishes are just as great.

Have some patience when going there and you see that they are busy, otherwise go to O*live Garden (oh blah).

We love Sweet Bella, a nice break from the overly crowded and over-priced restaurants nearby. For a casual, comfy dining experience with good food and at a great value, this is the place!

NAME: MJ
SUBMITTED: 7/20/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2009
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: My husband and I have been going to Sweet Bella's for quite a while now. I've read some of the reviews below and don't listen to the negative ones. The food is excellent! The owners are great, they are down to earth. If you're looking for that romantic ambience and plush dining - no this is not the place for you, but if you're looking for great food and a laugh or too listening to Steve's stories - this is the place for you. I give it 5 stars and will go back many, many more times.

NAME: Janie
SUBMITTED: 5/15/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: May/2009
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Not one to write reviews on restaurants .. don't have the time .. and typically don't care enough to make the time.

However, I was looking up Sweet Bella's number (I lost my cell) and found this page. While most of the comments ring true .. there's a few that bugged me.

#1. This place has the BEST pizza you've ever had .. period. Try it .. you'll see. While B*rother's Pizza & B*uca Di Beppo also have tasty pizza ... they pale in comparrisson to Sweet Bella.

#2. For those that would criticize the service at Sweet Bella ... IT'S A MOM & POPS joint!!! Get over it!! They literally have 5 employees!! What do you expect?? And for that matter ... please name one (1) pizza place you know that has "quick" service.

If you aren't an impatient fool who's willing to sacrifice taste for speed ... Sweet Bella is, bar none, the best pizza place in North Houston.

And if you're looking for another place for great italian food ... try P*allotta's (it's over by Office Depot, Chair King, etc .. accross from the Woodlands mall). They have an unbelievable menu. Family owned.

I had their Cajun Pasta ... "Oh my GOD it was awesome".

NAME: Just another Texas boy
SUBMITTED: 3/31/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/09
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: The pizza is very good. I've tried several different pizzas and they are all very very good. I can honestly highly recommend it. The service however, sucks. There's no pleasant way to spin it. They are just way understaffed and remain that way. If you hit Bella's at the wrong time expect to wait forever just to order. Bella's will then lose your order, claim they didn't in some weird linguistic exercise I still don't understand, and then bring your food. Total time between walking in the door and actually taking your first bite will be roughly 2 hours. If you arrive at Bella's and see a line to order, leave immediately. If however, you arrive when there isn't a line stay and enjoy what is simply the best pizza in the Houston area. Don't take anyone there who hates slow service. Your friend/parent/spouse/date will become irate.

NAME: Jay
SUBMITTED: 2/4/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/09
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We have passed this center many times and finally stopped one evening for a quick bite to eat. Well, we regret we didn't try it before. The pizzas are great, I never cared for thin crust, but I am hooked on Bella's pizza.

Had a large party recently and everyone tried various pasta entrees and pizzas. The entire party enjoyed their meals, each plate looked so appetizing we all shared. My fav is the carbonera?, tube pasta with grilled chicken, bacon pieces, and spinach.

Some of the reviews mentioned the service, we have never had a problem.

We love the dry humor from the owner, and appreciate his bluntness and honesty, actually makes it more entertaining!

We will return!!!

NAME: MJ and MR
SUBMITTED: 11/1/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: Oct. 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: My family really enjoys the food, but the service is pretty bad. I went in to order a pizza to go and was told there would be a surcharge. I asked was it because the pizza was to go; the answer was no. The female employee stated there is now a "surcharge" on all pizzas. I had a problem with the surcharge as their prices are not cheap to begin with and there was absolutely no signage stating the prices had changed. I chose to leave and will not return!

NAME: DC
SUBMITTED: 8/26/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Well where to begin...Let me hit the positive(s): the food. My wife and I have sampled quite a bit from their menu and we have not had any complaints. Great pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. Now for the negatives, as they far outweigh the positive. Service is terrible. Everytime I call in a to-go order I am kept on hold for close to 10 minutes. This is because at their busiest hour they have one person working (with the exception of cooks). This person takes orders (in person and call-ins), delivers food to the table, and buses tables. The one time I have actually seen two people taking orders, the woman apologized to me (she forgot to check on my to-go order and it had been sitting on the counter for 10 minutes) and the man taking orders said, "don't apologize, we are busy." On a separate occasion my wife went to pick up a couple sandwiches we order. After the usual waiting for the one employee she finally got our order. She checked the order to make sure we were given chips (they forgot them last time) and they forgot them again. When she asked for them she was told they get soggy so they didn't put them in even though the sandwich COMES WITH THEM! It is comments and service like this that no matter how good your food is, keep people from coming back. If management would just hire more help and friendly people, this would be a great place. It is a shame to see a restaurant with such good food have such terrible service.

NAME: Mark
SUBMITTED: 7/23/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: last week
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: First visit to Sweet Bella based on reviews here. Overall it was good, but not outstanding as I expected. I had the special, which was a baked cannelloni with crab and crawfish sauce. It was fine, plenty of crawfish, hot, and fresh. My wife had the Ooh La Chicken, but it had been left under the warmer for too long because my cannelloni was still in the oven. The chicken was ok; a bit lacking in flavor. I really expected a signature dish to make my head spin around. When I asked about desserts, I was told the tiramisu was made fresh, which implied the others were store bought. Tiramisu was fine. The best part of the meal was the salads and cheese bread. That was one top notch caesar and my wife's field greens looked perfect. Sweet Bella's is also kid friendly and the kid's chicken strips were clearly homemade...very nice.

NAME: Boyd
SUBMITTED: 1/15/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2008
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Hmm, where to start. Nice atmosphere, very casual. Food is off the hook. I haven't had a bad meal yet. Self serve drinks(A+). The quality of the food seems to be very high. Taste, texture and freshness are outstanding. Nice wine selection as well. Pricing is moderate but you get more for your money than any other place. The pizza is different than what I grew up eating, it is really good. Service seems to be getting better along with bigger crowds. Definitely a place to try, even if you don't like Italian food. I wasn't a big Italian food lover, then again I had never really had any until Sweet Bella! Try it, You'll like it.

NAME: gs
SUBMITTED: 11/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/07
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: We were told by a neighbor about Sweet Bellas and we decided to try it as something new as we eat out 4-5 times a week. The greek salad is great but the thin crust pizza is phenomenal! You will find yourself gorging yourself on the pizza even after you are full because it is that good. The owners are also always on site, and are very friendly, (husbands sense of humor is dry but still there). even though it is in an older strip center the decor is very nice but comfortablee, not what you expect from a mom and pop.

NAME: jayman
SUBMITTED: 11/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10-07
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: I ran across this place before they actually opened and spoke with the owners then about when they were to open. I'm glad I came back. Absolutely the best pizza in Houston. I install computers in mostly pizza restaurants and have eaten pizza in over 200 locations nationally. There's only one place that compare and it's in Maryland. By far, absolutely the best crust and ingredients in town. My wife and I often drive from the 290 and 1960 area just for this pizza. My suggestion to you would be to buy an extra one to take home. The owners are always there and they have a very friendly staff. Biggest plus; Pizza Pizza Pizza.

NAME: dcborn
SUBMITTED: 9/6/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: My husband and I LOVE this place! We have had the Ohh la Chicken (my personal fav.), Lasagna, Vegetable Lasagna, Pizza, Zucchini Chips, Muffalatta (sp?), and Chicken Parmesean. We have NEVER been disappointed! Everything is always fresh and comes out hot and full of flavor. The pizza is crispy and thin and the pasta is always al dente. The owners are very nice and have asked us several times what we thought of everything. If you're looking for good italian food without the chain restaurant price, wait time, and crowd---go for Bella's!

NAME: wdlnds_tchr
SUBMITTED: 1/20/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: Dec. 2006
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

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