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Grotto - Downtown Houston, Houston, TX

Grotto - Downtown Houston

4.5
4.5
1585 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

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2 people
19:00
Booked 23 times today
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Innovative
  • Good for groups
Conveniently located at Avenida Houston and connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Grotto Downtown offers a rustic, chic, and vibrant dining experience in the heart of Houston—within walking distance to Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center and Discovery Green. From small and shareable plates, fresh and local salads to refreshing and dynamic Italian cuisine, Grotto’s menu also offers a selection of curated craft beers, Grappa and wine—the ideal place for any occasion whether it’s lunch, happy hour, a business meeting or dinner in the city.

Valet is available at the entrance of Grotto Downtown. Self-parking is also available at the Avenida North parking garage, directly across the street on Rusk, where we will validate up to 3 hours for free.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Pizzeria, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Wed 11:30–21:00 Thu, Fri 11:30–22:00 Sat 12:00–22:00 Sun 12:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (713) 658-0752
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Josh Oakes
  • Catering
    Planning your next party has never been so easy or delicious! King Ranch Texas Kitchen offers online ordering for all your event catering needs. Build your order, checkout and let us take care of the rest!
  • Private party facilities
    Conveniently located Downtown Houston in the Convention District, Grotto is ideal for your next event. Within walking distance of Discovery Green, Minute Maid Park & Toyota Center, our Italian inspired fares offer plates for all to enjoy.
  • Private party contact
    Event Sales Manager: (713) 658-0752
  • Area
    Downtown
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Public transit
    Valet is available. Self-parking at Avenida North parking garage, validate up to 3 hours.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

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What 1,585 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Grotto - Downtown Houston offers a vibrant atmosphere perfect for pre-event dining, with "delicious food" and "excellent service." Guests rave about the attentive staff, with standout mentions of servers like Johnathan and Louis. While the menu features standout dishes like salmon and short rib gnocchi, some find the noise levels high during peak times.

1,585 Reviews
  1. Tim

    Houston

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Fun! Having Tillman show up. It sure was cold in the dining area. Server was excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  2. janet

    Houston

    29 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Came down to grab a quick dinner and drinks before a concert at Toyota center. Food was amazing.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Lorenzo

    Phoenix

    57 reviews

    3.0

    57 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I love Grotto. It's a Houston institution. I was a bit disappointed in this visit, however, as it appeared they were definitely understaffed for the amount of traffic in the restaurant. It was very busy and we made a reservation to have dinner prior to a show. While I saw our waiter hustling, you could tell they were assigned too many tables. A polite manager came to apologize for the wait for our drinks. The food was great and we made it in plenty of time for our show. Just wish the experience would've been better.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Tori

    Austin

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was delicious. Drinks could have been better but overall enjoyed our meals and time here.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Rick

    Houston

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    We went when this place first opened and had a horrible experience. Long waits just total chaos. Years later decided to give it another try and it is better. However food is mediocre, and serving sizes are small, for the value not the greatest. Also, staff needs to improve the long wait times for placing orders and to get the check.

    Is this helpful?

  6. EMMA ALEJANDRA

    Mexico City

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Buena experiencia el mesero muy amable pedimos los mejillones, el pollo masala y algunas otras entradas y todo estaba bueno el ambiente es acogedor

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  7. roen

    San Antonio

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food, great service, excellent restaurant. I highly suggest it.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Andrew

    Houston

    27 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We shared an salad and entree because we were headed to a Rockets game and did not want leftovers. Food and service were great.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Pamela

    Charlotte

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    Rudest hostesses we have ever experienced. We waited close to 30 minutes for our reservation and were sat at a table that had been empty since we arrived. Meanwhile the two young ladies sat walkins.

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  10. Claiborne

    Tahoe

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 31 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our reservation was late (9 pm) after preview night at the International quilt festival. So thanks for staying open late so we didn’t have to rush thru preview night. The small plate meals were all delicious and the salads were divine! Super convenient in walking distance from the hotel. I could not have asked for more! Definitely recommend and will be back!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Grotto - Downtown Houston offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (713) 658-0752.

Grotto - Downtown Houston is rated 4.5 stars by 1585 OpenTable diners.

Grotto - Downtown Houston does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 23 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Grotto - Downtown Houston

1001 Avenida de las Americas, Suite A, Houston, TX 77010

Additional information

  • Area
    Downtown
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Wed 11:30–21:00 Thu, Fri 11:30–22:00 Sat 12:00–22:00 Sun 12:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Pizzeria, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Public transit
    Valet is available. Self-parking at Avenida North parking garage, validate up to 3 hours.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Josh Oakes
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (713) 658-0752
  • Catering
    Planning your next party has never been so easy or delicious! King Ranch Texas Kitchen offers online ordering for all your event catering needs. Build your order, checkout and let us take care of the rest!
  • Private party facilities
    Conveniently located Downtown Houston in the Convention District, Grotto is ideal for your next event. Within walking distance of Discovery Green, Minute Maid Park & Toyota Center, our Italian inspired fares offer plates for all to enjoy.
  • Private party contact
    Event Sales Manager: (713) 658-0752
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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