Arturo Boada Cuisine

I made reservation for a business lunch. My first guest arrived early and waited for a few minutes. The wait staff invited him to a complimentary glass of wine for my brief delay. That’s service. I walked in and the Host instinctively guided me to our table. We pleasantly chatted for a few minutes while waiting for 2 additional guest. I ordered a very pleasant and moderately priced bottle of Chianti, and some tapas. When everyone arrived, I ordered a skirt steak which was succulent, well cooked, but I wish it would be a bit warmer. Every one heartily enjoyed lunch, and the tab was affordable.
I chose this place because the noise level is low and conducive to a productive business meeting compared to other competitors in the area. I will come back for more lunch meetings at Arturo.

I so wanted to give this place more stars, but for the value, I absolutely couldn’t. With all of the great reviews, this place moved up through my bookmarks to become a must-​try. We were excited to go and had already scouted the menu.
Upon arriving, we decided to valet as there wasn’t any available parking in the lot. It was complimentary and the valet was nice, so that was a good beginning. When we walked in, I noticed how small the restaurant is. My boyfriend had called to make a reservation and confirmed it but they were seemingly having trouble finding it. What was a bit off was that they were really intently looking for it when the restaurant was half empty. If we didn’t have one, did it matter?
Anyway, after that we were seated and got recommendations from the waiter. The atmosphere is a 3, small but cozy. The dress code varied from super casual to dressy which was a bit awkward, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the yellowish lighting (you can tell from the photos) but overall a nice date place.
The service was definitely a 5. We had 2 waiters helping us and one of them seemed to know the menu backward and forward. He recommended the shrimp dish we had and the ravioli we got as well. Here’s the food breakdown:
Complimentary rolls (3.5) — small but you can get more and they’re soft and come with an good dip.
Camarones (5 for taste, 4 for value) — The broth on this dish was exquisite, and this was the highlight of the meal. We really enjoyed the flavors and how they came together and we each got 2 shrimp which was nice. The dish was light, though, so for value a 4 is definitely a fairer rating.
Tuna Tartare (3) — This was a fine dish, but it wasn’t special. We were a bit confused as to the fellow Unilocalers raving about this, as it didn’t taste like anything we couldn’t figure out how to make ourselves. The portion for sure was also only okay given that the dish felt like simply a dish full of good tuna.
Mama Sonia’s Ravioli (3 for taste, 2 for value) — How in the world is this dish $ 28.50?! I was super confused about that when I saw it but I thought okay maybe the crabmeat will make it worth it. There is crabmeat but not NEARLY enough to justify almost $ 30 for some ravioli in a strong cream sauce. The ravioli is good but it’s super heavy and I didn’t think it was worth a dollar more than $ 20, and I was pretty offended by the price tag on this.
Garlic bread (3) — It’s an off the menu item that the waiter let us know about and we decided to that instead of a 2^nd entrée because we could tell the meal was getting expensive quickly. The garlic bread wasn’t expensive (a few dollars?) but it was only really worth that.
Wine selection (2 for value) — There is literally no bottle of red wine under $ 50 and one bottle of white under $ 40. While the wines may be great wines, there is almost no selection for someone who doesn’t want to spend more than $ 60 a bottle.
Complimentary crème brûlée was fine. I won’t rate it because I’m not a huge crème brûlée person, but it was way too sweet for me and my boyfriend.
Also, we didn’t try the pizza but the couple next to us had one and it looked pretty meh. The guy who had it didn’t finish it and didn’t take it home either, so you can take that for whatever it’s worth.
The menu is extremely limited too, and when you have that, you have to execute perfectly on the few dishes you make. All of their steak, by the way, is a la carte, so you can just go to a butcher and figure out how to make those by yourself, or splurge on a steakhouse where the chef specializes in steak.
The issue we have here is that we wouldn’t want to go back for anything. The bill was over $ 100 and we had 3 dishes and the cheapest bottle of wine they served, and that’s without tip! We have eaten at many places in Houston for that price and had either more alcohol, more food or both. I think you can find way better options for a much better value elsewhere, so that’s why this is unfortunately a 2.

Do you want to try the perfect jumbo lump crab salad? Ask for it by name:) Alexandra’s salad! It has jumbo lump crab meat, potatoes, orange, greens, tomatoes, avocado, lemon and truffle oil… I highly recommend this dish! Such balance in every bite!

Overall: food was good; service was annoying.
As far as the food goes, the hangar steak (I’d give it a ⁴⁄₅) with the chimichurri sauce was very good, and the truffle fries that came with it were delicious. The margherita pizza (²⁄₅) was OK but not great, especially given that they kind of messed up the order. The best item was the crème brûlée (⁵⁄₅) sample that the waiter brought out for free with our check – just two cute spoonfuls/​sample-​size – the top sugar layer was super crunchy and delicious. And the bread rolls that come out before the meal are great.
But what knocks my rating down is the service – our waiter was very annoying. He got the mechanics right and filled our water glasses, placed our order and brought out the food promptly, but his manner was very annoying. Whenever he filled our water glasses, he’d interrupt our conversation and comment on what we were talking about (one time, his comments were kind of insulting). And then when we told him we didn’t want the dessert menu, he kept telling us we did. It just didn’t make lunch all that pleasant.

Nope, not good. Poor quality food arrogant staff and confusing wine list. Cant go back, not when carrabbas on voss is right there!

This establishment continues to impress me with the quality and simplicity of the food. Service is impeccable and the wine list is good as well. Very highly recommend

Loved it! Great little spot in a random strip mall. Servers are very friendly and food is fantastic.

Excellent!
Always the best service and atmosphere! The chef is amazing. Always comes out to check on you. Amazing place!
Went again last night, 8÷1÷15. Had the snapper. Told Arturo to do his «magic!» He did it again! everything was amazing.

A favorite – food is always excellent and creative. Service is attentive but not intrusive.

I came here around 7 on a Friday night. There’s an option to valet, but we were able to park on the street right in front of the restaurant.
We were welcomed right when we walked in. The restaurant is cozy and the wait staff extremely friendly. It wasn’t very crowded when we got there, but it filled up while we were there.
We started off with the ceviche. I’m a huge fan of ceviche, and this was one of the best I’ve ever had. They also offer complimentary bread with olive oil and herbs to dip it in. This was also delicious.
I ordered the fettuccine and shrimp for my main course. The creamy pesto sauce was perfect! I wasn’t expecting a lot of shrimp because most restaurants I’ve been to don’t give you much. Not this one!
We ended with the crème brûlée for dessert. Where do I begin with this one? This was absolutely delicious. It is served in spoonfuls which I thought was interesting. This was the perfect end to our meal.
I highly recommend this place for a nice dinner. You won’t regret it!

The service was great as the wait staff was very attentive. The food was excellent! The chef came out and greeted everyone and checked on our experience. He was warm and friendly and one could tell he enjoys what he does. We’ll definitely return and tell others about this local eatery.

This is the second restaurant of Chef Arturo’s I’ve tried with the first at Arturo Uptown Cuisine, which is now closed.
Upon entering the doors, I noticed how romantic and quaint Arturo Boada is. There were 12 tables, half filled with couples. You can reserve the small private table in the wine room. Perfect for date night, GNO, or what have you. Unfortunately, a GNO called in advance prior to our reservation.
Service was fantastic. Don’t remember his name but was very knowledgable and personable. Just very friendly throughout, from the valet guys to Chef Arturo.
Food:
Appetizers:
Soft Shelled Crab (²⁄₅): Daily special. Disappointingly, the dish was too garlicky. The pasta that was served beneath the crab was again garlicky.
Octopus (⁴⁄₅): Daily special. Octopus was delicious. I didn’t try the salad, but the bites of octopus were fresh and tender. One of my friends squeezed one of the lemons on one side, so it was nice mixing the lemon and non lemon octopus bites.
Tuna Tartare Sashimi Grade (⁵⁄₅): I just highly recommend this. There was a perfect amount of Asian vinaigrette created with the dish. I would have ordered another one.
Course:
Snapper Al Fresco (⁴⁄₅): Fresh tomato, basil, garlic, capers topped with jumbo crab meat. Tasty! I was actually looking forward to the crab meat than the snapper. There were probably 4 pieces of meat. Snapper was cooked perfectly. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a lighter option.
Desserts:
Cannoli (²⁄₅): These were rather small compared to the cannolis from the other Arturo’s restaurant. I tried a bite and gave the rest to the friends. I’m not a big fan of sweet cream.
Apple Strudor (⁵⁄₅): I dislike apples, but my friend kept pestering me to try this. Oh my… I probably ate half of this. So delicious. I highly recommend. Apple pieces were inside the pastry. Texture reminded me of baklava, crispy on the outer and soft inside. Ice cream served with the pastry just added the missing touch.
Crème Brûlée (³⁄₅): We ended up with two orders of this. I personally don’t like the burnt sugar on top, so I ate the inner with the strawberries. They serve this on spoons, about 6 spoons per order. I’m sure my friends ate about 2 – 4, and I ate one.
Overall, we had a great experience dining at Arturo Boada. All of us left happy with a big food coma.

Pros: Tuna was good. Bread and oil is magical. Apple pie dessert was delish. Service was great.
Cons: pizza was par. The inside is very small so on a busy night like tonight, I literally had to yell for my husband to hear me! Musical choice is rave-​esque (so random) and does not fit the theme/​ambiance. Small menu. Overpriced.

Wow! 5 stars from beginning to end. Valet was human. Wait staff friendly, intuitive, and professional. Food, superb. Arturo visited my table, I was dining alone. Key lime pie was the best I’ve ever had! This is the first of many meals I plan to enjoy here! Thank you!

This is ITALIAN food, not SPANISH food. I was looking for a tapas restaurant and this is NOT that kind of restaurant.
That aside, it was very good italian food. Service was good, menu was good, wine list was good.

My wife and I have been here several times, and each time it has been excellent. The food is great and the service is outstanding. We normally stick to our usual suspects, we start with the patatas bravas and the burrata and prosciutto, simply outstanding. Then we try one of the specials and gotta end with the crème brûlée. The restaurant is very cozy and has a great ambiance. We will keep coming to visit Arturo!

I had gone to this restaurant before Arturo bought and redid the restaurant. It has now a modern feel than the rustic French bistro/​café ambience. It is still a cozy restaurant with close quarters. We ate and Arturo the chef was actually present mingling with regulars. The food is good and presented well.

If you’re looking to find a quaint restaurant for a date, this is the place! Upon walking in, you instantly feel right at home. The ambiance is inviting and cozy. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about being placed on a waiting list. It’s truly the ideal place to have an amazing, intimate meal.
We decided to forgo the appetizers and dive right into the entrees. Our first dish: the grilled chicken breast provenzale. This particular dish was clean, light and sautéed very well with roasted tomatoes, garlic, olives and fresh herbs. Most importantly, the chicken was perfectly tender and moist. We savored every single bite! Our second dish was the house special: red snapper topped with shrimp, capers, mussels and herbs all sautéed in white wine. If you absolutely love fish/​seafood, I highly recommend this entrée! I’m not particularly a huge fan of seafood, but this dish was an exception. The chef brings out the natural flavors of every single ingredient without drowning them in unnecessary seasonings. Trust me, you will walk away thoroughly satisfied. We both cleaned our plates!
Here’s the bonus: they will give you a complimentary spoonful of their spectacular crème brulee paired with a strawberry slice. It’s the perfect portion and best way to end your entire meal. Talk about heaven in your mouth!
Overall, we had a great experience here. The service was fantastic and the food was very satisfying. We’ll definitely return! Cheers to Chef Boada!

A nice try for me. I had lived in this area for years but never heard about this restaurant.
Good service. Nice interior. And the food were pretty good.
I ordered crabmeat flan which was the special for the night. The shrimp with Hennessy n pizza. I was about to order the tiramisu but they were out of it. End up the key lime pie were not yummy.
I think I will come back to try the paella on Thursday. Overall it’s a nice place to me.

This was my first time at any of Chef Arturo’s restaurants and he certainly did not disappoint! Everything we tried had amazing flavor and the portions were healthy, but not overwhelming.
We started with the garlic bread… oh. my. gah. It’s disappointing that they charge for this, but after trying it I was forced to channel Ron Burgundy and say «Wow. That’s actually — I’m not even mad. That’s amazing!»
We then enjoyed some tapas: fish tacos and grilled calamari. The fish tacos were a couple of bites each of a lovely corn tortilla, an aioli of some kind and well seasoned white fish topped with a few leaves of cilantro. Delish. The calamari tasted incredible but was fairly chewy — especially the legs which are normally my favorite part :(Don’t get me wrong, we ate the whole plate, just saying it could’ve been a bit more tender. We also ordered the truffle fries as a random side dish. They were cut to a medium thickness, fried up nice and crispy, then tossed in truffle oil and sprinkled with parsley. They were fine, but I could probably live without them as I normally prefer super thin shoestring fries.
For entrees we ordered a margharita pizza and a ‘Nine Yards’ Salad. The pizza tasted amazing but it fell victim to the thin crust + fresh mozzarella syndrome and the crust became very soggy toward the middle. This happens with my pizza’s too, Arturo. I still have mad respect for that pizza oven you have (and I definitely want one now after staring at it during the whole meal). The salad was a good mix of items including smoked salmon, hearts of palm, hard boiled egg, two grilled shrimp (served cold), fresh avocado, cherry tomato and a champagne dressing. I really did like the salad but I was looking for contrasting texture and temperature. If he had included some toasted nuts and served the grilled shrimp piping hot it would’ve been perfect in my opinion. It was great as it was though :)
Dessert was an incredible end to all this. We polished off a slice of key lime pie and a bowl of coconut gelato. Can I stop and tell you about the gelato for a second? They serve it sort of 25% melted so it’s nice and soft and there’s some ice cream soup at the bottom (my favorite thing ever) and as a finale they toss a bunch of toasted coconut on the top. Where has this been all my life? I’m drooling on my keyboard right now.
Thanks for a great meal, chef! See you next time!