Valentino's Seafood

I just knew upon walking in from the smell of old seafood to turn around and run out, but I said to myself just try it out. My husband, younger sister and I wanted to try a new place, nearby for dinner. The waiter was very nice; he tried his best to make conversation with us, we tried ordering raspberry tea but they were out of it, they were also out of the calamari. My sister ordered the crab cakes, my husband the coconut shrimp, and I the crawfish pie. The crab cakes were terrible, they stunk of old crab, they were terribly undercooked, and just terrible. The gratin potatoes are not to be ordered unless you want to be sick! The coconut shrimp were average tasting; the crawfish pie was just too spicy to eat, (without any warning). We paid 68 dollars for NOTHING! Our stomachs all hurt, and we regret ever walking into this place. Pros: I can't think of any.... Cons: Food, Service, Price and Smell! more

My husband and i wanted to try a new restaurant for our anniversary, so we decided on valentinos. We get there and the hostess just stared at us, no hi, hello, nothing. Strike one. We get sat and everything seemed to be normal so we ordered our wine and our apps. then we waited, and waited, they were not that busy so we were wondering. Finally decided to leave from the conversation he could not part himself from to do his job, and gave us our drinks.Strike two. My husband ordered the tuna and i ordered the crabcakes, and requested a salad it was deemed a side and still had to pay an extra couple of dollars for it, i didnt mind until it came out, pure iceburg lettuce and 1 cherry tomato. An extra charge for what ,use of a plate. I trying to stay in good spirits over the mediocre salad joking around with my husband that its a sign of things to come. Food arrives, everything looks great, visible chunks of crab, that was nice. the flavor was HORRIBLE!!! my husbands tuna was medium well when he asked for a sear. We ate and ran not wanting to be there any longer. We were going to spend a lovely,kid-free, night on the town until my husband gets very, ver ill. we just knew it was from the restaurant because he had not eaten that day. Well i for one will not ever return and would not wish that on my worst enemy! Pros: Good raw oysters Cons: Everything else more

I came in to Valentino?s for lunch wanting to see the new location. I have dined at Valentino?s before at the old location for dinner and have had excellent experiences, but I have never dined for lunch. I have an uncommon food allergy and I alerted the waitress (young with very long blond hair) about it. She addressed it appropriately by notifying the kitchen. Points of service and standards were weak but acceptable, (i.e. serving from the left taking from the right). I asked about some of the oyster appetizers on the dinner menu but she said they were not available for LUNCH TIME, ?just because they?re on the half shell?, which did not make much sense to me. So, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. I assumed the waitress would have known that I wanted to order from the list of lunch entrees since it was around 11:55am- 12:00pm when I arrived. The dish was pretty good. It was very rich and cheesy but the richness became overwhelming about half way through. When the check came, I noticed that the waitress had charged me for the dinner entree ($20.95), not the lunch entree ($12.95). I asked her about it and SHE SAID IT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT SPECIFYING THAT I WANTED THE LUNCH ENTREE and had received more food, although she seemed unsure of the difference between the two entree sizes when I asked her. I expressed to her that I assumed because it was around noon that I wanted the lunch entree. No manager was notified of my dissatisfaction. I will NOT be back for lunch but may try dinner since it was insisted I pay the dinner price. Pros: interesting menu worth trying Cons: bad service can make any food, no matter how good, taste bad! more

Based upon comments on Digital City, we gave Valentino's a try for dinner, along with our kids. We tried two appetizers; the fried asparagus with lump crabmeat, and the grilled shrimp teasers wrapped in bacon. We found both of them to be delectable and very tasty. For main courses, I had the flounder with stuffed crabmeat dressing, while my son had coconut shrimp, and my girls (my fiancee and my baby girl) shared a ribeye steak. All of our main courses were excellent, although my son found the shrimp to be a little overdone. I also think they need a few more chardonnay wines on their wine list, and a little more waitress help. Our waitress was a doll named Heather. But she was basically waiting on most of the tables by herself. Considering she was covering almost all the tables, she did a really fine job. But she could have used a couple of extra waiterswaitresses for help. Pros: Fresh seafood at very fair prices Cons: Could use more wait staff help more

Valentino's is one of the best new seafood resterants in the city of houston. I eat out quite often and am very pitucalar about the food and the service of resterants. When i came in to Valentino's we were greated politely with a smile and were seated it wasnt long till a nice waiter came by to get our drinks. We started the night with a nice coctail and an appitizer the Oysters Bennivile its a dozen oysters on the half shell topped off with real crab meat and a light breading on top so when they bring it to you its golden brown. Next we had the Stuffed Flounder and then we had the Crab Cakes wich were exellent the fish was very clean and the sause was light and complemented the fish. The Crab Cakes were lightly tosted on the edges so they were ever so crunchy and they had topped it off very lightly with this chipolte sause that i very much liked i love crabs and i would have to say the meat was very clean for these Crab Cakes very suculent. Thanks Valentino's for the great food and service. Pros: Great food, Great service, Great location Cons: could they open for 24hrs??? more

Overall we liked our food, but felt that the restaurant had a lacking in attention to detail. We started with cocktails and calamari. The calamari and the dipping sauce was excellent. One of the best calamari dishes I have tried. The cocktails were very good and generous. My husband had the Crabcakes, and they were very good. I had the Shrimp and Grits, and they were not very good. I love sauces, but this one was overdone. Over-spiced, over onioned, over-bell peppered and just plain overdone. We finished with the bread pudding that was marginal at best. more

We noticed Valentino's while driving from Galveston on our way home to Houston and decided the following weekend to go back and give it a try. (Our eyes caught the sign offering oyster specials.) Initially, we were not sure what to expect. We ordered a dozen oysters which were so delicious we ordered a second. Fish sandwiches and po-boys were huge and as fresh as one can get. Sides were well prepared and tasty. My husband and I consider ourselves gourmets and are usually very selective and sometimes critical. In sum, we loved the place! The chef/owner was very friendly and engaged in every aspect of the restaurant. We can not wait to go back to try the other items on the menu. Only about a 30 minute drive from downtown Houston. You will not be disappointed. Pros: Very fresh seafood, superb food and service. Cons: Located near Clear Lake/Webster (not in Houston, where we are). more

Their crab cakes are the freshest and the best I've ever had. I've lived near the water my whole life, and my family regularly gets fresh live crabs to broil/boil and eat at home - so I definitely know what fresh crab meat should taste like. This is hands-down the freshest and purest crab cakes I've had in any restaurant. And they don't muck it up by putting tons of breading so that you can't taste the crab meat. They even top it with pure hearty chunks of crab meat on top. A previous reviewer who claims it's like canned crab meat has obviously never had it so fresh and is no doubt accustomed to the frozen and/or processed kind. Don't go expecting typical crab cakes that you find in every seafood restaurant. . . these are what they SHOULD taste like. Pros: Good seafood (esp. Crab cakes), plenty of parking, good portions, good service Cons: Distance from Houston is a little far, drinks aren't so great more

I knew from reading the reviews that I would either love it hate it. I love it. The crab cakes were great and so filling that I had one to take home. When I explained that I wanted to take it home, but had an errand to run, the server packed it in ice so it would keep. I wanted to try the bread pudding, but my husband is allergic to nuts and it has pecans. The server recommended the tres leches as an alternative. It was rich and just sweet enough. I will return. more

My husband and I have visited Valentino's several times and the food has been great every time. Our waitresses and waiters have always been very attentive and knowledgable about the food. I have tried several different item on the menu and all have been excellent but I keep going back to the crab cakes or fried shrimp. You must try the crab cakes and the fried shrimp, those are by far my two favorites. The crab cakes are so full of blue crab meat that you actually taste crab not just stuffing or fillers like most restraunts. Their shrimp are very meaty with just the right amount of breading so as not to take away from the freshness of the shrimp. Their portions are very generous, I have never been able to finish all of my plate. The atmostphere is very comfortable and inviting, a place you can take family and friends for a great night out. We will definately be going back Pros: very fresh and flavorful seafood more

Well im here to tell you that what most people have been saying about Valentinos seafood is all true. The Crab Cakes are the best and I think I know what great Crab taste like and that is fresh Crab at its best. I saw the reveiw in the newpaper and there food is even better than what Allison wrote about. I love there fried Shrimp and they are a small restaurant that is going to make it big. If they keep there food just like it is im sure that this place will do great. My wife and I have been looking for a place like this for a while and we will be back for more. Pros: The Best Crab Cakes and Shrimp in the area hands down Cons: noise more

My son & I decided to try Valentino's after the host had really raved on their shrimp and crab cakes when we stuck out heads in to take a look. We were there yesterday around 5pm. Were only 3 tables in use. We both ordered the crab cakes and sides--I got wild rice and asparagus, he got coleslaw and hushpuppies. The crab cakes appear to have a lot of crabmeat in them, however, it was very blah and tasted less than fresh. It very much had the 'canny' taste of that cheap canned crab you can get at the 99cent store or Dollar Tree. Granted they gave you an entire can worth, but it was inedible. My son ate less than 1/2 and I only had 2 bites--it was VERY BAD. The rice was good however, but the asparagus was not properly cooked. I noted on leaving another lady had the asparagus but also did not eat it. The slaw has a whole mess of different things in it and should be called by some other name as my son was expecting a more traditional slaw--at the very least in consideraion of those with allergies they should note the ingredients on the menu. The hushpuppies were also blah and my son only took 2 small bites. For $18.95 a plate this is NOT a good deal. Neither of us even ate 1/2 of the meal. Our waiter got the drink orders wrogn and was very indifferent in general. We love to try new places, but when they are like this one, the first visit is also the LAST. Pros: Nice decor Cons: bad food-tasted old/spoiled; too expensive for quality of food provided more

My husband and I went here at the recommendation of a friend. We went on a Saturday evening, around 8:00. The restaurant was not too busy, but decently full. We did not have to wait for a table. The first thing I noticed was the noise, the dining room is rather ""echo-y"", with nothing to buffer conversations. It might have been that we were in a corner kind of walled in, next to a loud table. Our waiter was prompt, but knew nothing about the wine list, as he didn't drink wine. Okay, no problem, I selected a nice pinot grigio ""Pepi 2005 California"". We ordered the calimari appetizer. It was good; crispy but tender strips of calimari with a pineapple ginger dipping sauce. For my entree I ordered the crabcakes with asparagus and garlic toast sides. My husband ordered the seafood enchiladas, but they were out, so instead he got the crawfish pie. The crabcakes were amazing, all crab, just a little breading on the top and bottom seared to crispness. Very, very delicious. The fresh asparagus was delicious as well, with a hint of smoky flavor, lightly seasoned with sea salt. Excellent. The crawfish pie was good, covered with puff pastry, but I think my husband had his heart set on the enchiladas, which must have been good since they ran out. For dessert we had the bread pudding, very rich, but nice. more

I grew up eating seafood my whole life that was fresh and I have never been out to eat seafood that I could really taste that was fresh. I started out with the stuffed peppers and they made there peppers with the whole pepper that was very fresh and you could really taste the pepper and not just stuffing. I later had the fried seafood everything was so fresh as if it just came off the boat. I also loved that everything was a good size. The food also had spice to it where most places seem to never use any spice. I think if you are a seafood lover and love fresh seafood as I do I would go to Valentino's Seafood. Pros: great real seafood Cons: service could be a little better more

I wanted to take my mother to a nice seafood restaurant. Valentino's was high recommended to me. I enjoyed the stuffed flounder. It was the best sea food I had ever had. It is a very nice and clean restaurant with great customer service. I did not try the bar next timeI will have to have a nice drink after work. Pros: stuffed flounder (food) Cons: None great restaurant more

All of their food is way underseasoned causing the food to have little to no flavor. Their ""famous"" crabcakes are bland and they attempt to make up for this by dousing them in a salty lemon butter sauce. Their gumbo tastes like it is made with water and not good stock. The service was mediocre. The only positive to our dining experience was the amazing bartender and cocktails. Best mojito I have had in a long time and the St. Basil Martini was excellent and refreshing. Pros: Cocktails Cons: Food more

I was out on a date one saturday night and stumbled in to Valentino's looking for a good meal before we headed to the movies. Well i can tell you it was one of the best seafood dinners ive had in a long time my date had the crab cakes and i had the stuffed flounder. Both of our meals were excelent and i say this becouse i ate my dates other crab cake. I have to say this is one of clear lakes best kept secerets and i will be comeing back for some of those excellent crab cakes. Pros: Crab Cakes Cons: none great resterant more

i tried to post before and it didn't go through so if this is a repeat i'm sorry. anyway, we drove by valentino's one day and decided to try it. Our server was great. He was very attentive and congenial. The food was the worst food I have ever had in and out of a restaurant. it was bland and overcooked. The fish was as hard as a rock, the rice was not cooked, the crab was full of shell and the sauteed vegetables had a weird rub or something on them that gave them a grainy texture but still no flavor. the green beans were good though. Out of the five people at our table, 0 liked their meal. The hardest part was swallowing the food and not spitting it out. I would never recommend this place to anyone, EVER. Do yourself, your friends, and your family a favor and eat somewhere else. Pros: really good waiters Cons: the food more

I patronize Valentino's at least once a week, and always run into friends and other patrons I've met before! The food is awesome; the shrimp dip to start is wonderful! The staff is always sooooo friendly and we've met the owner several times over as he is always friendly to come over over to say ""Hi, how are ya!"". The crab dish is to die for...and the asparagus are HUGE and tasty! Everything is fresh and well presented! I love to come for lunch or dinner because its' just a neat local place that has a lot of class! I tell everyone what a great place this is and I bring friends' and family every chance I get! Hope to see you there soon! Pros: Great seafood Cons: Ambience more

When Valentino's first opened a few months ago, we thought we would give it a try ? after seeing the outside sign - oysters $1.99. We were pleasantly surprised with great food. The oysters were very fresh and the fish sandwich was deliciously tasty (i.e. no fishy taste). We enjoyed the meal so much we returned a second time that same week to try other dishes. My favorite from their oyster selection are the oysters Bienville! Oysters on the half shell with a creamy sauce on top. If you can handle ""spicy"", try the oysters Texicana ? oysters on the half shell with cheddar cheese and roasted salsa ? ?que sabroso?! On our third visit, we tried the fried seafood platter and the crab cakes. All I can say is ""delish""! The crabcakes are one of the best I've ever tasted. Pros: Fresh food, Happy Hour, Plenty of close parking, very close to movie theaters Cons: none discovered yet more