Luigi's Ristorante Italiano

My wife and I came down for a few days for the Ironman triathlon and added time to the trip to vacation a bit. We spent a few days exploring Galveston and found several restaurants of interest. Poynt showed us a few great places and lead us to Luigi's. The food was fantastic and the service was equal. Luigi was there and sang happy birthday to someone that was quite the experience. From the bread to the Alfredo and risotto all of it was fantastic. We will be coming back to Galveston and Luigi's again. more

First off, the service was spot on. I haven't had service that was so perfect in a very long time. We had a girl waitress who was kind, attentive enough, not overbearing, AND had great recommendations in both food and wine choices. She was always there when we needed her - almost like she had ESP! She recommended the salmon for my BF after he asked her about a few dishes. The salmon was prepared in a mustard sauce and was amazing ( I had a taste). I don't like salmon that much, he always has me taste it by putting a bite on my plate and this time I finished my bite and went back for more. It was cooked perfectly and had a wonderful flavor. I had the ravioli with the filling of the day which was a chicken and beef together. The beef overpowered the chicken a tad but the flavors all together were fabulous and I ate every bite whick I also never do. The atmosphere is more casual than I had anticipated but you could dress nicely or casual and feel just fine fitting in. The only con of the experience was the end of the meal. It was my birthday and they were kind enough to give us some Italian cake to share - which was also delicious - and I ordered an espresso. All of a sudden a woman (mananger or someone like that) kept coming to the table and basically ushered us out. I understand the need to move things along but I thought it was kind of mean with my birthday cake still there and all. We were in the restaurant from start to finish from about 5:45 until about 7:15 so not overdoing it or anything. BUT - please go - you won't be disappointed with the food, your servers or the atmosphere. Maybe the lady ushering us out didn't mean to be so pushy and besides even if she did everything else was so perfect it won't matter very much to you. Pros: Food, service, food again more

We were there the night in reopened in June. As expected the service was a work in progress. They also did not have some wines on the wine menu. However, this is among the foreseeable issues when you reopen after massive damage. We will be going back as it seemed very much the same as it was before Ike. Pros: good Italian food more

We live in Houston and have a second home in Galveston. We've tried many restaurants over the years and Luigi's is still our favorite. Best bread, fish, steak, and pasta served on the island. Food is always hot and good! We've found nothing to match it on the island and eat there every time we are in Galveston. It's a great night when Luigi sings -- what a treat! Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Luigi!! Upstairs is great for a large gathering. more

There was a bit of a wait to eat, but the bar was not too busy. We waited about 10 minutes before the bartender made her way over to us. You could tell from her body language that she was less than thrilled to be there. When she finally came over to us her attitude proved our suspicion. We ordered and smiled with the hopes that some small act would keep her from going in the back and buying the farm. Bartender, here is the tip we did not leave you: FAKE IT, I don?t really care if you are having a bad day or how much you hate your job. I am looking to have an enjoyable evening with my wife. We are there to spend our hard-earned money at your restaurant, put a smile on for us, k? Eventually our table was ready. Since it was on the later side, we ordered light. When the waiter arrived, he was underjoyed with our selections. Our food came out and the runner just left the dishes on the tray. After a few minutes of servers walking by with our food just sitting there, I got up and served us - only to find that after asking if there was pork in one dish (there was), we discovered bacon in the soup (bacon = pork, fyi). In a desperate attempt to increase our bill, he got us each in to another glass of wine. Well, he asked if we'd like another glass to which we said yes and he walked off. 10 minutes later, he came back by to ask my wife, again, what kind of wine she was drinking. I am guessing that he just wanted her to be completely sure about her selection? I dunno? By this time we had just given it all up to God. The only redeeming factor was the absolutely incredible voice of the chef (Luigi?) who came out to sing Happy Birthday. The room erupted in applause. Bravisimo! We were definitely disappointed in the service and the food only seemed fair. Obviously we did not order a main dish, so don't take my word on that. From my waiting experience I know any so/so meal can be made 10 times better by the service from the wait staff. Luigi's could definitely use some improvement! Pros: Singing Cons: Service, waitstaff and barstaff attitude. more

Our second home is in Galveston. Over the years we have tried most all the restaurants. There are many great places, but Luigi's stands out as our favorite of favorites. Luigi is one of Texas' finest Italian chefs and his restaurant has a fine romantic atmosphere. The menu has a wonderful selection of appetizers, entrees and deserts. dishes. Slow down, pace yourself, share (if you must) as you will want to sample all that Luigi has to offer and still have room for desert. For an appetizer, order the portobello mushrooms that are covered with large chunks of crabmeat in a lemony white wine sauce or the mussels in a white or red sauce( I prefer the white) The gorganzolla salad is a real treat. The veal ravioli is a must order and goes fast on Saturday. Another favorite is the tagliatelle di Martha, fetucini alfredo with homemade suasage. Now for the desert, one must order his chocolate gelato and the other Luigi's own version of tres leches! Additionally for larger events, there is an upstairs dining room for private functions, it is like no other! Pros: Truly a great dining experience! Cons: Best to make reservations as it can fill up fast more

We live in the Houston Galleria and own a home in Galveston. We have been going to Luigi's for about 6 years and find it is maybe the finest restaurant in the entire southeast part of Texas! We find not one restaurant in Houston (remember we live in the Galleria) with better food, and NONE equal the hospitality, ambiance, and caring owner/operators (Martha & Luigi Ferre)! Pros: EXCELLENT FOOD, SERVICE, WINES, AMBIANCE! Cons: NONE. more

Our party of 10 (4 adults and children ? ranging from 15 to 27 years old) visited Luigi's hoping for an enjoyable Italian dining experience. Right from the start, this was not a good experience and I certainly don't recommend this restaurant at all. The wait staff and management seem to be out to make money, not to serve with quality and earn business. Pros: building and room are interesting Cons: attitude more

Like the previous reviewers, I used to think the food here was fantastic. I would definitely have driven the 45 miles from Houston just to dine here. My last visit, however (before this one) was in 2003, like all the other reviewers. After my experience tonight I can say that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong at Luigi's. The menu was wrong- too many dishes overcomplicated by weird combinations like ravioli with smoked duck AND alfredo sauce. Not enough classic Italian. The veal osso bucco, which used to be fabulous, was a big heaping mass of basically pot-roast with a giant bone with NO marrow inside it. If it even was veal, it was not the best cut of meat. Even the spaghetti marinara (ordered off the menu, because they didn't have a single pasta dish that wasn't cream or smoked duck based except for eggplant parmigiana) tasted worse than the Olive Garden. I don't even like the Olive Garden. Pasta was not cooked to order or else the line chef back there was sleeping on the job, because it was about 20 minutes past ""al dente."" And the wine list....don't get me started. It was small, boring, not particularly Italian, marked up at least 400% instead of the usual 200-300%, and there were hardly any vintages even listed alongside the bottles. All and all, very very sad to learn that one of the finest culinary jewels of Galveston is no more. What happened? Pros: nice building Cons: everything else more

The Strand was quiet for a Friday night, but Luigi's was ready for us. The setting was casual yet classy. We were seated promptly and we had a very attentive waiter (Wes). The bread with garlic olive oil was delicious. The mushroom/celery salad was delicious, but the artichoke hearts had some stiff leaves still on them. My husband's filet mignon and fettucine alfredo were perfect. I ordered pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and shrimp. Wes had mentioned a flavorful marinade, but the shrimp just tasted shrimpy to me. Overall, the food was very high quality and the wine list was reasonable. We were not tempted by any of the deserts on the menu. Maybe next time! Pros: Service, Prompt Seating, Good Value Cons: Artichoke hearts hard more

I went to luigi's for the first time last night. It was the most pleasant experiance that I have ever had. Chef Luigi not only cooked up a delicious meal with great wine but came out and sang with a tremendous voice. This is by far the best restuarant that I have ever ate at. It is a must for everyone who loves italian food. It is a 10 in my book well done Luigi ciao. more

My honey and I had tickets to a Saturday night show at the 1894 Grand Opera house and made reservations at Luigi's for before the show. The food was out of this world. I had canneloni and my boyfriend had the salmon special. We also shared an appetizer, a bottle of the house wine, and dessert. All were fabulous. The waitstaff was extremely attentive without being intrusive. They were eager to answer all of our questions. When we arrived for our reservation, they started to seat us in the middle of the restaurant, but were all too willing to move us to a quiet corner when we asked. We will DEFINITELY go back to Luigi's on our next visit to Galveston. They helped to make a very romantic, memorable evening even more enjoyable. more

A true dining delight that has never failed to please. We have been numerous times and have always been impressed with the impeccable service and quality of the food. The Penne Rustico for a simple lunch fare is excellent. The shrimp diablo makes fr memorable dining experience. Pros: ambience, romantic, attention to service Cons: parking more

LUIGIS IS A FAVORITE! BEST FILET MIGNON IVE EVER HAD. GREAT ATMOSPHERE, GREAT WINE SELECTION, AND BEST NO SO WELL KNOWN RESTAURANT IN GALVESTON. GREAT PLACE TO IMPRESS A DATE! more

One of the very few places left on the island that Tillman Fertita has not acquired and ruined. Classy service, excellent food, reservations are highly recommended as seating is limited. more