Raia's Italian Market Full Menu Casual Italian Restaurant, Deli and Market. Thin Crust Pizzas, Gelato, Lunch Specials. Patio Dining. Catering Avg. Prices (excl. tax, tip, & drinks):  Dinner 8-24   Updt 9/8/2008 Hours: See Profile   4500 Washington Ave #200 Houston TX 77007 713.861.1042 Profile Description: Full service Italian restaurant, deli and market stocked with a wide selection of wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pasta and cookies. Try specialties such as Cakes and Claws, Stuffed Artichoke Sicilian Style. Enjoy thin crust pizzas and fresh sandwiches. Desserts include tiramisu, cannoli and gelato. Lunch special Monday - Friday 11 AM to 2 PM-any 3 items for $6.95-special dishes include lasagna, roasted chicken and apple bread pudding. Family dining area. Patio dining. Take out. Catering. Daily Specials Add Review PROFILE   Website/Menu MY REVIEW: I really like this place but have to agree with dr foodie that Sunday is not the day to go. Young, Inexperienced, Skelton crew Sundays. Wait staff has no knowledge of the menu items, hand out incorrect orders, give poor service and the food really sufferes. Perhaps they should close on Sunday's because the other 6 days are great! NAME: Amber Neva SUBMITTED: 11/11/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This is the Best place to get a great flavorfull Pizza and salad...!!! Love it! The place is very inviting, service is great also. The passion fruit gelato is good and refreshing!!!!mmmm We complemented the owner for his great food and service on the way out...! We will defenatelly be coming back many times...!!!! NAME: Rey :) SUBMITTED: 11/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I have been coming here regularly since they opened and have never been disappointed. The food is always hot and fresh - my favorites are the pizzas, tomato basil soup, chicken lasagna and the straw and hay pasta. They also have a great selection of deli meats and cheeses, as well as many dry goods in the market areas. The owner is always around to make sure everything is running smoothly and that everyone is taken care of. Overall, this place is warm and inviting and is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. I'll definitely be going back... NAME: Mike165 SUBMITTED: 10/29/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I love this place, but Sunday dinner is not the time to go! There were 10-12 tables full and 2 servers and one bus boy. It took forever to get anything we ordered. We ordered one small house Caesar, bowl of New England clam chowder, and Valiens pizza. Usually the small house Caesar is a plate full or romaine with lots of capers and tiny croutons and parmesan. Today's was a sad spectacle -- a 1/3 plate full of romaine swimming in sauce with 2 croutons and 2 capers and no parmesan. The bowl of soup came out completely cold and we had to send back to the kitchen. After it was warmed, it wasn't bad, filled with tiny oysters. The pizza is usually circular and drizzling with mozzarella and very succulent with pepperoni, mushrooms, and green bell peppers. Today's was oval, crunchy, but cool since they had brought it out to us too late. Also, there was very little toppings and marinara -- I could barely taste any cheese!!! When we asked for our leftovers to go, the waitress came back with only 4 spoonfuls of our bowl in a large container -- I wonder what happened to the rest of it! There was probably 6 ounces left! We weren't the only ones subject to poor service. Many couples and solo diners were either left with a menu or left staring into space, waiting for their bread and water. By the way, no one filled our water and my companion had to fill his own. As we were leaving, several parties were entering and we felt sorry for them. Raia's has so much promise, but they're going to need to improve their service. The timing was terribly poor today! I think it's family run and the manager (?son) runs around in a foul mood and tells the waitresses what to do but they were overwhelmed today and he should cheerfully help them out. They need to re-evaluate their service ASAP or they'll soon find their patrons voting with their feet. NAME: drfoodie SUBMITTED: 10/5/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/5/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My friends and when after church and what a nice eating experience. Our table had stuff mushrooms with sausage, several different pizzas, salads and for dessert one of everything. We all agreed that the pizza was some of the best ever! Waiter was prompt and professional. The owner wasn't in but the manager did come over,, we loved the market area and walked away with some great snacks! I would rate it A1+ and we will be going back! NAME: Amber Neva SUBMITTED: 9/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: YUM E YUM... I always figured the BEST Italian food in Houston came from my own kitchen! I was wrong.. Raia’s is like my Grandmother’s cooking direct from the old country! Wonderful Italian menu.. hard-boiled eggs and meatballs, fantastic Italian sausage, to die for stuffed artichokes, magnificent eggplant parmesan,scrumptious pizza and pasta dishes AND if that wasn’t enough.. there is a market of Italian products to take home PLUS lip-smacking Gelato and Cannoli for dessert! Italy on Washington Street! GO.. you will love it! NAME: Jeri SUBMITTED: 9/3/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/02/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Three of us ate lunch at Raia's today and really enjoyed it. The steam table is such a great bargain and you received so much food. I had the pasta bolognese (?), chicken lasagna, and caesar salad. It was really too much but I ate it all anyway. We will definitely go back. NAME: Mimi SUBMITTED: 8/27/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/26/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My fiancee and I were hungry and decided to try dinner on a Wednesday night. The parking lot was packed, but probably for the yoga place upstairs. I don't know what will happen when the Blue Label Lounge and Bronx Bar open up -- valet? Our server was attentive -- we had him the last time. Italian music in the background. We couldn't help ourselves -- another try at the fried mozzarella, which didn't disapoint. The outside -- so crispy and flaky was such a nice contradiction to the succulent and stringy mozzarella on the inside. We happily dipped it in the accompanying marinara sauce. Their version of caesar salad was as tasty as ever -- it accompanied one of our entrees -- and big enough for two to share. Large amount of salad with freshly shaved parmesan and sprinkled with flavorful capers and tiny flavored croutons. I tried the pepperoni & sausage pizza which was baked in the wood-fired oven to perfection -- the pepperoni was so fresh and the crust so crispy with drippy mozzarella cheese -- which I happily dipped in a side of thick ranch dressing. My fiancee munched on his eggplant parmesan, which today was better than our last visit -- the eggplant was so juicy and moist and just melted in our mouths. Our teas were constantly filled to the brim. We also ordered smoked turkey and provolone from the deli and most items seemed to be at good prices. We haven't had room for dessert yet. My fiancee calls it a "light, healthy, casual" experience. We really enjoy this place and hope you find time to try it out! Charming and a great addition to the West End. Only room for improvement would be the wait staff -- who when not with the patrons, are slouching and looking bored at the counter. It distracts from the ambiance! And a possible parking nightmare in the very near future! NAME: drfoodie SUBMITTED: 8/13/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/13/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Liked the aerie space and its simple decor. Service was friendly but terribly inept. Every misfire was framed with giggles. The house salad and the fresh mozzarella salad were terrific. My Pescatore pasta had nicely sized shrimp, but the pasta was a little dense. The tomato sauce was tasty but not memorable. My date's dish was a disappointment. The Peppers Rios sounded so promising - peppers stuffed with seafood and cheese - but the food was barely warm. Beer and wine prices were reasonable. I was disappointed that though the place had few customers, management never bothered to make the rounds. We'll give this place a few months to work out the bugs. NAME: SweetPolly SUBMITTED: 8/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: Aug. 6, 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This is a great place that has very good food. I went there for dinner and ordered their lasagna and small caesar salad. This is not a small ceasar sale by any means. The previous reviewer described the components of this salad and this was one of the best ceasar salads I have tasted and compares comparably with the originator of caesar salad in Tijuana, Mexico. The lasagna had a very ample portion of beef and just the right amount of spice. The only drawback about this place is the lack of signage. I am sure they will alleviate this, soon, since they are new an this is a new building. You can pass this by if you're not careful. It's in a two story new building on the north side of Washington and Patterson. Ample parking is in the rear of the building. I plan on trying their pizzas, next. NAME: nothing_but_the_facts SUBMITTED: 8/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Ambiance is very charming and quaint deli with little tables. Filled up with patrons quickly. Fine selection of important condiments and pasta sauces. Waitstaff are eager and quick to please. The fried mozzerella did not disappoint -- came out as 4 huge crispy patties with sauce on the side. The Caesar salad with house dressing was quite refreshing and I liked the baby croutons and capers. We ordered pizza choice #1 and it was rather tasty -- thin and perfectly crisp on the bottom -- with dollops of mozzarella and arugula and proscuitto -- although would have preferred a bit more tomato sauce. The eggplant parmesan is different from what I've had at other places -- it's eggplant with marina on top and with angelhair pasta on the side. Patrons were much older that what we expected -- average age probably 60-70s -- my fiancee thought of the movie Cocoon when we were looking around. Definitely will return and bring some friends. A great addition to the WEST END. Very affordable and the lunch with 3 items for $6.95 sounds like quite the bargain! Please try it out and bring a big appetite! We looked over and the stuffed artichoke and multilayered lasagna looks yummy. NAME: drfoodie SUBMITTED: 8/1/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/1/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Great new place!! Our waitress was attentive and really nice. We had a pizza that was excellent, and the fresh mozzarella salad was great. I had the bolognese pasta and my husband had the pasta carmine, and we were both very happy. I'm glad this place is in the neighborhood, and I will definitely be back soon! NAME: houstong SUBMITTED: 7/30/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: July 29, 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Yesterday was my third visit to this new restaurant. I have tried different dishes every time and all I can say is DELICIOUS! Their daily lunch specials, which are reasonably priced and served in generous portions, cannot be beat. Strong points: The food. 10-minute drive from downtown. Weak points: Small wine selection. Ambiance: Friendly and cozy. I am very excited about this new restaurant and plan to bring my family, friends and co-workers to try it out. NAME: Julianne SUBMITTED: 7/30/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Went back for dinner. Hubby had the Caesar with chicken. The shaved parm was a nice touch. I had the pasta primavera which on the menu was served with fusilli but I had requested it with Angel Hair. This was the best primavera I have had in a long time. The veggies were crisp with a nice slight carmelization. It had thinly sliced garlic which was great cause I love me some garlic. I would have added a few pine nuts, but it was nonetheless very tasty. The house Chianti was a nice accompaniment to the meal. We finished off with a cannoli which was studded with ground pistachos. I can't wait to try the gelato and hope to see some Spumoni on the menu. The staff was really nice and attentive and we had the pleasure of meeting a nice young lady who was the owners grand daughter and seemed sincere in her enthusiasm for this new venture. The owners themselves seemed like nice folks and we wish them luck on this wonderful restaurant. We will be back to try the pizza that was cooked in a fire oven. The couple next to us looked like they were thoroughly enjoying it. This is truly a nice addition to the neighborhood. NAME: AlvaJo SUBMITTED: 7/24/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: june/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: We stopped by just to check it out. Had latte and Italian cream cake that was really delicious, though I doubt it is made in house. Also had a small Cesar Salad which was perfect, not drowned in dressing. The menu had some really good items at reasonable prices. We will be going back for dinner. This place looks promising. NAME: AlvaJo SUBMITTED: 7/21/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Strong points: Nice casual atmosphere. Both outdoor and indoor seating areas available. Think D*'Amico's but less cluttered/crowded. Owner was nice and personally visited the table. Service was good although a little inexperienced. Food was good, had the pizza. Wife had the lasagna which was a little too meaty but not bad. Prices are reasonable. Tiramisu portion was very large but good. Weak points: Very small wine selection (maybe around 15 different types), you actually pick it up yourself from a shelf not a wine list menu. They had a sommelier who was pushing the more expensive wines. To be honest, I really don't think they need a sommelier. The waiters ought to be sufficient in such a casual place with such a small wine selection. Conclusion: Good restaurant that I would recommend for a casual meal for both a date or a family meal. An asset to the Washington Avenue area. NAME: Jack SUBMITTED: 7/21/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07-2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I have been looking for a homestyle italian restaurant and finally found one that makes food like my grandmother did. I took my family to dinner last night and everything was exceptional. The calamari was tender and not at all greasy. The Straw and Hay meal was full of prosciutto ham and there was so much food I took home enough for another full meal. The staff is pleasant and friendly and the deli has fresh meats and cheeses that are top grade. I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for a delicious home-cooked italian dinner and plan to make it a regular stop on my dining list. BEST OF LUCK TO THE OWNER ON THIS NEW ESTABLISHMENT. NAME: DM SUBMITTED: 7/18/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My family along with my sister and brother-in-law ate dinner at Raia's on the evening of their grand opening. The atmosphere at Raia’s was like sitting with my family during one of our family reunion, so pleasant and homey. The wait staff was just wonderful. They were diligent in service, as well as knowledgeable and meet all of our needs. The food was absolutely exquisite and our meals were proportioned perfectly, as well as the prices on their menu. The desserts were delightful; my daughter and I liked the Tiramisu the best. I truly felt like I was sitting and eating Sunday dinner with my entire family at my Nana and Papa's house, many years ago. Thank you, Raia’s for such fond memories. We will definitely be back. NAME: Theresa Serrano SUBMITTED: 7/17/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/14/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: my husband and I had dinner and it was delicious. the meatballs and eggs appetizer is a must! eggs were cooked just right. I like how they bring you a dish of garlic toast as soon as you are seated. our waitress, Emily was knew but did a fantastic job. The manager and owner walk around asking how your meal is/was. The service, food, atmosphere is just right. When we ordered coffee we asked if they could put the cream in first and they did and the coffee is really bold. This place is going to make it. We can't wait to go back. NAME: Brooklyn SUBMITTED: 7/17/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/16/2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I visited Raia's Italian Market with a few friends today for their opening day. The store/restaurant is tucked away in a strip shopping center just east of Shepherd on Washington Avenue. It is a combination deli and restuarant with good quality meats and cheeses as well as other sundries for purchase like olives and arborio rice. The price points on the deli items and groceries were very good - I picked up twice as much arborio rice for the same price as what I would have paid at the supermarket. Mondays through Fridays, they have a lunch special where you can get any three of the items (from a steam table) listed on a blackboard for $6.95. I had the tomato basil soup, snapper milanese and tira misu. The soup was divine and made with lots of heavy cream. The fish was good, but obviously from a steam table. The tira misu was a small square, but excellent. My friends had a meatball and eggs appetizer (two meatballs and two boiled eggs covered in marinara sauce - very good!) and a sandwich with turkey, ham, salami and provolone (good size, came with potato salad and quite delicious). Ambiance is great with cafe curtains and an open feel - would be nice for a quick dinner in the evening. They will be serving gelato soon (provided by Gelato B*l on Memorial) and expect to have canneloni in a few days. There were some hiccups with slow service, but given that it's the first day, I would expect it. All in all another great restaurant addition to Washington Avenue. NAME: Piggy SUBMITTED: 7/14/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY