We have enjoyed Da Marco's amazing food for more than 20 years. It has been the go-to for birthdays and special occassions as well as meeting up with friends for no reason at all. So we were in shock when we finished our last meal at Da Marco. The staff refused to honor a gift certificate we had been given as a gift from a grateful patient. We disagreed with the staff's decision and agreed to disagree. As we were paying the bill, the owner, Marco Wiles, came over to our table, screaming at us. He was screaming in English and Italian, cursing at us and was physically and verbally agressive and threatening. He ripped our gift certificate out of my wife's hand, invited me outside after threatening a physical fight. My wife asked for the off duty police officer to come in from out front and we left with Marco Wiles continuing to scream profanities across the restaurant at us. Unbeknownst to us, a major conflict between Marco Wiles and the prior manager at Da Marcos who signed our gift card exists and this appears to have been the catalyst for refusing to honor the certificate and for Marco going off on long-time, loyal customers. Needless to say we will not be going back. Our meal was superb, as always, but the unhinged, unprovoked, threatening and agressive behaviour by the owner, Marco Wiles was an episode that was simply unimaginable. Patrons be forewarned.
Samantha Harley
We went here for our 10 year wedding anniversary and the food was exceptional! Service and atmosphere were great too! I would highly recommend this restaurant especially for special occasions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gloria Salvo
I love this restaurant. The truffle pasta is a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffles
Luis Miguel Fernández
Bad experience, I called to ask if they needed workers and they said they didn't need waiters and I asked if they had another occupation available and they hung up in the same face. If that's how they are on the phone, I don't want to see them in person, I'll never go to that place.
Courtney J.
Incredible high-end, yet neighborhood vibe here- food makes me want to cry because I don't want it to end. Service is impeccable. Seriously feels like the Godfather could walk in at any moment. Luis (both of them) are great bartenders. Love love love this place
Alex Lopez Negrete
Loved it. Always do. It's a Houston classic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pamela Stewart
The food was exceptional and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Savannah K.
Truly a 5 star experience Upon arrival, our car was taken by the valet who was readily available. Our table was ready and the staff wasted no time getting cold waters for us. We were served a delicious crostini and warm bread with oil to start. They had specials but we all opted for the main menu. Everything was delicious. Some had dessert which looked and smelled amazing but their pasta serving filled me up. The restaurant is small but well organized. I never felt it was too loud and it made for a great business lunch. The staff ensured our glasses never went empty and that everyone was satisfied. I'll be back for their dinner menu!
Raul Ballester
My wife and I decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day at Da Marco, following the recommendation of our American Express Global Dining Experience. Unfortunately, our experience fell short of our expectations.Upon arrival, we were greeted by a bustling crowd—the restaurant was packed. Our reservation was for 7:30 PM, but we ended up waiting nearly 30 minutes because our table was still occupied. We took refuge at the bar, where we discovered an astonishing fact: they had only one bartender for the entire establishment. Poor guy was zipping around like a caffeinated hummingbird, juggling ticket orders and fending off constant interruptions from waitstaff demanding drinks for different tables.The atmosphere inside Da Marco felt like organized chaos. Waiters darted around, the spaces were tight, and the noise level was anything but intimate. It reminded me of a cross between the Cheesecake Factory (minus the cheesecake, sadly) and the high-turnover strategy of lower-class eateries. Not exactly the romantic ambiance we were hoping for.And here’s the kicker: Da Marco not only called me twice to confirm our reservation but also bombarded me with numerous texts to ensure we arrived on time. Yet, it was evident that they were overbooked, given the delays we encountered.In summary, Da Marco has some work to do in terms of managing reservations, staffing, and creating a more serene dining environment. While the food might be good, the overall experience left us feeling a bit frazzled.Parking: free valet is great, since its very small spaces.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chianti Braised Short Ribs, Octopus Salad
M Piña
My now husband and I decided to celebrate our engagement and our 1yr anniversary of owning our own business.We were excited to FINALLY dine at Da Marco. Unfortunately the whole experience was horrible.A family came in with children who had their iPads on FULL BLAST; one playing a game and another watching cartoons.I kindly asked if we could be moved or if they could kindly ask the parents if they could ask their kids to put headphone or to just turn the volume off.The host had ZERO response nor cared and we weren’t moved nor did they ask the parents to turn off the volume of the children’s iPads.Massive disappointment and experience for an almost $400 meal w/wine.There are so many other fine dining options in Houston who respect their establishment and their paying customers.
It was good food, service was good. Portions are very very small but it's more of a fine dining setting so it's understandable. Had the Urchin pasta and it was good. Partner had the braised beef pasta special and hers was good as well.
Roxann S.
5 stars!! Beautiful restaurant and fabulous service. My husband and I went for our anniversary and were treated like royalty! The food was so delicious and we are already planning to return with friends. Great place!!
Max L.
Great service, good ambiance. Standout dish of the night was the grilled octopus. Interested combination of flavors that really work.
Hunter
Wonderful lunch. Short Rib was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Rahn
Absolutely delicious food. Atmosphere was delightful, service was impeccable, prices were reasonable, and overall, a great time & experience with the family. Definitely will recommend
We have enjoyed Da Marco's amazing food for more than 20 years. It has been the go-to for birthdays and special occassions as well as meeting up with friends for no reason at all. So we were in shock when we finished our last meal at Da Marco. The staff refused to honor a gift certificate we had been given as a gift from a grateful patient. We disagreed with the staff's decision and agreed to disagree. As we were paying the bill, the owner, Marco Wiles, came over to our table, screaming at us. He was screaming in English and Italian, cursing at us and was physically and verbally agressive and threatening. He ripped our gift certificate out of my wife's hand, invited me outside after threatening a physical fight. My wife asked for the off duty police officer to come in from out front and we left with Marco Wiles continuing to scream profanities across the restaurant at us. Unbeknownst to us, a major conflict between Marco Wiles and the prior manager at Da Marcos who signed our gift card exists and this appears to have been the catalyst for refusing to honor the certificate and for Marco going off on long-time, loyal customers. Needless to say we will not be going back. Our meal was superb, as always, but the unhinged, unprovoked, threatening and agressive behaviour by the owner, Marco Wiles was an episode that was simply unimaginable. Patrons be forewarned.
We went here for our 10 year wedding anniversary and the food was exceptional! Service and atmosphere were great too! I would highly recommend this restaurant especially for special occasions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this restaurant. The truffle pasta is a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffles
Bad experience, I called to ask if they needed workers and they said they didn't need waiters and I asked if they had another occupation available and they hung up in the same face. If that's how they are on the phone, I don't want to see them in person, I'll never go to that place.
Incredible high-end, yet neighborhood vibe here- food makes me want to cry because I don't want it to end. Service is impeccable. Seriously feels like the Godfather could walk in at any moment. Luis (both of them) are great bartenders. Love love love this place
Loved it. Always do. It's a Houston classic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was exceptional and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Truly a 5 star experience Upon arrival, our car was taken by the valet who was readily available. Our table was ready and the staff wasted no time getting cold waters for us. We were served a delicious crostini and warm bread with oil to start. They had specials but we all opted for the main menu. Everything was delicious. Some had dessert which looked and smelled amazing but their pasta serving filled me up. The restaurant is small but well organized. I never felt it was too loud and it made for a great business lunch. The staff ensured our glasses never went empty and that everyone was satisfied. I'll be back for their dinner menu!
My wife and I decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day at Da Marco, following the recommendation of our American Express Global Dining Experience. Unfortunately, our experience fell short of our expectations.Upon arrival, we were greeted by a bustling crowd—the restaurant was packed. Our reservation was for 7:30 PM, but we ended up waiting nearly 30 minutes because our table was still occupied. We took refuge at the bar, where we discovered an astonishing fact: they had only one bartender for the entire establishment. Poor guy was zipping around like a caffeinated hummingbird, juggling ticket orders and fending off constant interruptions from waitstaff demanding drinks for different tables.The atmosphere inside Da Marco felt like organized chaos. Waiters darted around, the spaces were tight, and the noise level was anything but intimate. It reminded me of a cross between the Cheesecake Factory (minus the cheesecake, sadly) and the high-turnover strategy of lower-class eateries. Not exactly the romantic ambiance we were hoping for.And here’s the kicker: Da Marco not only called me twice to confirm our reservation but also bombarded me with numerous texts to ensure we arrived on time. Yet, it was evident that they were overbooked, given the delays we encountered.In summary, Da Marco has some work to do in terms of managing reservations, staffing, and creating a more serene dining environment. While the food might be good, the overall experience left us feeling a bit frazzled.Parking: free valet is great, since its very small spaces.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chianti Braised Short Ribs, Octopus Salad
My now husband and I decided to celebrate our engagement and our 1yr anniversary of owning our own business.We were excited to FINALLY dine at Da Marco. Unfortunately the whole experience was horrible.A family came in with children who had their iPads on FULL BLAST; one playing a game and another watching cartoons.I kindly asked if we could be moved or if they could kindly ask the parents if they could ask their kids to put headphone or to just turn the volume off.The host had ZERO response nor cared and we weren’t moved nor did they ask the parents to turn off the volume of the children’s iPads.Massive disappointment and experience for an almost $400 meal w/wine.There are so many other fine dining options in Houston who respect their establishment and their paying customers.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
It was good food, service was good. Portions are very very small but it's more of a fine dining setting so it's understandable. Had the Urchin pasta and it was good. Partner had the braised beef pasta special and hers was good as well.
5 stars!! Beautiful restaurant and fabulous service. My husband and I went for our anniversary and were treated like royalty! The food was so delicious and we are already planning to return with friends. Great place!!
Great service, good ambiance. Standout dish of the night was the grilled octopus. Interested combination of flavors that really work.
Wonderful lunch. Short Rib was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely delicious food. Atmosphere was delightful, service was impeccable, prices were reasonable, and overall, a great time & experience with the family. Definitely will recommend