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  • Via Emilia - The Woodlands

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Reserve at Via Emilia - The Woodlands

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Via Emilia - The Woodlands
Via Emilia - The Woodlands

Via Emilia - The Woodlands Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://viaemiliarestaurant.com
  • Phone: (281) 465-9555
  • Hours of Operation:
    Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:00am - 3:00pm
    Dinner: Monday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Sunday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Smoking Area (patio only), Takeout, Wine
  • Entertainment: Via Emilia features live music Wednesday through Saturday 6-9pm.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: The Woodlands Parkway
  • Parking: Public Lot
A word from Via Emilia - The Woodlands
Named after an ancient Roman road that spans from Rimini to Piacenza, Via Emilia Italian Restaurant is known for their house-made pastas, braised meats, seafood specialties, and delicious desserts. The family-owned restaurant served Houston diners for over 13 years before moving to their current… location in the Woodlands. We welcome you to experience the most authentic northern Italian cuisine in the Woodlands - no passport required.Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diner Reviews
  • "Had dinner at the restaurant Saturday night, 7/5/14. Atmosphere was great loved the piano music. Had a veal dish which was great and bread pudding for dessert.. The manager took us to the wine room, we are wine lovers and enjoyed a great wine with dinner.."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "This was the first time that 3 of the 4 in our party had dined at Via Emilia and they all loved it! The food was exceptional and the service impeccable. It has become an immediate favorite for all, already planning our next visit. We were happy to find a restaurant in the Woodlands that offers fine dining at an affordable price in a little out of the way location. Great neighborhood restaurant."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "Our first visit was to celebrate a birthday lunch for coworker. Wonderful, quiet atmosphere. The food was amazing, all persons thoroughly enjoyed their meals."
    Dined on 7/3/2014
  • "Very nice neighborhood type Italian restaurant. Food was excellent and so was the service. We had heard it was a little noisy, but we found it to be just fine. Only suggestion I would make to the owners is have a little larger restroom to accommodate a busy Saturday night crowd. Overall, highly recommend this restaurant. Glad we found it as we were looking for alternatives, and we will definitely return on a regular basis."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "There's few good, affordable Italian restaurants around The Woodlands and Via Emilia is one of them. For the price, the food is appropriately good, the ambiance is nice and the noise level is moderate. The only issue I can find with Via Emilia, is that they are a product of their own success and sometimes on Friday & Saturday nights the place gets a little crowded and a bit more noisy. And sometimes there are service issues. But that goes without saying for any successful restaurant on a busy night. If you are expecting a more quiet dining experience, make sure to request a table on the dining side away from the bar. Other than that, I think it's a great neighborhood restaurant."
    Dined on 7/2/2014
  • "Skip going "up front" and book a table here. And yes, if it's a weekend, book a table. The food is always delicious. It's a great place for lunch. The staff are wonderful and attentive. I'm a fan of the lobster ravioli, the sea bass, and the eggplant parmesan. My husband likes the osso bucco and the chicken. My kids love the pasta and the meatballs. Full bar. Lovely wine list. Gets a little noisy on the weekends, but they've added some remodeling lately that seems to have that under better control. This place just gets better and better."
    Dined on 6/22/2014
  • "We just moved to the area and wanted to take some good friends out to a nice dinner. We read the reviews for Via Emilia. Overall, they were the best we saw, so decided to try it. We loved the food, service, and romantic ambience. We will go there again next time we want to go out for a special evening."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "This neighborhood restaurant is our all time favorite for its convenience, good service, and excellent selection. We would much rather go here as we know it is consistently good. Our favorite is sea bass, followed closely by the eggplant parmesan. Our only issue is it clears out too early!"
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "This was our second time to Via Emilia and I wish it had been as good as the first. Our waiter couldn't be found. His service was mediocre at best. The tables next to us had a waiter constantly checking on them I think he felt sorry for us because he started checking on us. He went so far as to clear our plates and still no sign of our waiter. Our waiter took forever to take our drink order and while we had him we gave him our meal order the next Time I saw him he was clearing our wine glasses. He showed up eventually with the dessert tray but I had to catch him to get a cup of coffee. The entree, salads and appetizer were delicious but the creme brûlée was like a pudding with burnt sugar that was a disappointment. I will try again."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "I love the changes that this restaurant has made and will hope they do the same changes to the older side of their restaurant. They tell me that more changes are coming but they were not able to let us know what they are going to be yet."
    Dined on 6/18/2014
  • "Excellent as always. Waitstaff recommendations were as good as promised."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "I was there for a Saturday lunch. So if they were training some cooking and waiting staff, this could explain their issue, but overall, the food was mediocre. It wasn't bad just not exactly somewhere I'd be itching to go back to. The wait staff doesn't quite get all the details right but they are very courteous. I just expected more. Usually, anywhere that takes the time to make their own pasta, the food preparation is impeccable."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "Our dinner was outstanding from beginning to end. The service was perfect, and the food was truly remarkable. This Italian food compares favorably to the very best places that we have been to all over the country. Our entrees were delicious(the kitchen custom made mine to order) and the bread pudding desert was the best we had ever eaten. This place is for real."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "We tried this gem out before we officially moved to the neighborhood. It was much smaller back then but the service, ambience, and food have always been outstanding. This place never disappoints!!"
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Celebrated our 46th anniversary and throughly enjoyed the food and hte waitstaff assistance."
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "been there several times for lunch & dinner and never been disappointed. Had a long time friend visiting here from California and took him there. He was very pleased with ambiance, food, wine service."
    Dined on 5/30/2014
  • "Its nice to find a restaurant that has such a romantic ambiance as well as good food. The noise level was a little more that I like but less than most restaurants now. The waiter and staff were attentive but at the same time, gave us time to relax and enjoy our outing. We will be returning."
    Dined on 5/24/2014
  • "The food is great and the service on our last two trips has been outstanding."
    Dined on 5/23/2014
  • "We were seated immediately upon arriving on a Wednesday evening. The main dining room was loud but our table was decorated for our anniversary. Omar did an excellent job serving us. Just the right amount of attention. He pointed out it was 50% off Italian wines on Wednesday so we upgraded our choice. My wife had the on menu pork shank and loved it. I had the goat with a side of pasta. The meats were tender and flavorful. My pasta side was excellent. Overall the food was wonderful the down side was it was noisy but tolerable. We'll go back. "
    Dined on 5/21/2014
  • "Me and two friends enjoyed dinner on the patio Wednesday evening. We were delighted to find that the bottles of Italian wine were 1/2 off, so we chose a Pinot Grigio, upon the server's recommendation. It was perfect: fruity and crisp. Presentation was beautiful, food was tasty, and tiramisu was delicious! I'm looking forward to our next visit! "
    Dined on 5/21/2014
  • "This was our second time dining at Via Emilia and once again they did not disappoint. The restaurant was busy and there were a few large groups which kept the kitchen busy, but other than that everything was fine. It is quickly becoming one of our favorite Italian restaurants in The Woodlands, and we'll definitely be back. "
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "What a surprise! We had a delightful meal Saturday night, a date appetizer was to die for and the sea bass was the best I have ever had. The food was unique and delicious, the service was impeccable, the preparation and presentation were things of beauty."
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "If you live in the back of The Woodlands and have not dined at Via Emilia, you are missing out. No longer is there a need to go to Market Street or Waterway to find good food like Via Amelia's has. The sea bass is our very favorite (light, flakey and generous portion) along with the Caesar salad, osso buco and Italian creme. I hesitated writing such a good review because the restaurant is already getting so popular!"
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "Great food. Reservations are necessary if choosing to dine on weekends. Since we did not have reservations we dined outside. Dinner was very relaxing and service was impecible"
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "The food was excellent and our server, Luis was exceptional as always. Highly recommend this restaurant. Pat"
    Dined on 5/12/2014
  • "PRO - Great food - great service - arrived early and was seated quickly. CON - piano too loud (ask to sit toward back of building), ran out of signature dessert ( tiramisu). Out second time to eat here - expensive but lovely."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "WE SPENT TIME IN AN AMAZING MOTHER'S DAY ..... GOOD ENVIRONMENT, GOOD SERVICE AND GOOD MUSIC ..... .... WHAT ELSE CAN I ORDER?"
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "My veal osso buco was not quite as good as the first time, when it literally melted in my mouth. The beef carpaccio, escargot, and prosciutto & mozzarella appetizers were excellent. They replaced our wine immediately when we felt it was off. Service was a little slow at first, but it was the night before Mother's Day so it was very crowded, and later it was just fine. My husband enjoyed the short rib special."
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "We had a great date night here! Amazing homemade food and desserts, great ambiance. They even had rose petals on the table for our anniversary. We will surely return! "
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "This was my wife and I's first visit. The service was excellent, very attentive without being intrusive. The food was also very good, my wife had one of the specials, Cabrito, which she really enjoyed, I had Pollo alla Parmigiana which was also very good. Glad we gave it a try, we'll be back."
    Dined on 5/9/2014
  • "Had a great dinner! The service was friendly and attentive. Like that they offer kid size portions of several items. My kids love their fett alfredo! "
    Dined on 5/6/2014
  • "Perfectly seared and served with a veggie side. Yummy and healthy."
    Dined on 5/2/2014
  • "Excellent food and beautiful place. Will be back many times"
    Dined on 5/6/2014
  • "My wife and I went for the first time, and had a wonderful meal and time. Carpaccio and mozzarella/proscuitto appetizers were excellent. The French Onion Soup was very good, with a cheese covering and plenty of onions. My wife and the Ravioli di Formaggio and I had the Vitello Osso Buco, both of which were great, the veal was incredibly tender. We split a cannoli for dessert. The ambiance was great, with a piano accompaniment for most of the meal. We will be back."
    Dined on 5/1/2014
  • "Food was excellent, service was great. Had a great time. Highly recommend this place."
    Dined on 4/26/2014
  • "We tried Via Emilia for the first time on Easter and enjoyed the experience very much. The menu was varied enough to present a number of options for even the pickiest eater in my family but was the service that truly stood out for me. Professional waitstaff are so rare today and the staff at Via Emilia are excellent. "
    Dined on 4/20/2014
  • "Once again, we were very satisfied. My 12-year-old son said he was so glad we ate our Easter lunch there. The food is always fabulous and the service is great. Everything was delicious."
    Dined on 4/20/2014
  • "Second time at restaurant was Mother's Day. First time food was better."
    Dined on 4/20/2014
  • "In my very personal point of view this is one of the best Italian Restaurants I have been, the taste of the food is georgeous, the Osobuco incredible, the ravioles excellent, the Lasagna de la Nonna also delicious."
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "This was our second visit. The food was again inventive and delicious. We had Prosciutto with Mozzarella and Funghi Ripieni for appetizers. Both were so good. For entrees we had Lasagne, Linguini with clams, and Chicken Parmesan. We all agreed they were the best we've ever had. Stromboli for dessert-pure decadence. This has now become our favorite restaurant in The Woodlands. As a bonus, both times we have spent less than we always did at our previous favorite."
    Dined on 4/13/2014
More reviews ›
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Houston Winners
  • Italian
  • The Woodlands Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Neighborhood Gem
  • Notable Wine List
  • Romantic
Learn more ›