Mandola's Deli

Old school red sauce joints are few and far between in Houston these days, which is why Mandola’s Deli, an Italian deli and restaurant in the East End, feels like a rare gem. Walk up to nearly anyone waiting to order during Mandola’s lunch rush, and they’ll likely reminisce about eating here regularly for the last several  decades. The vibe is less restaurant, and more kitchen attached to a local community center. Everyone working here or eating here feels like old family friends, even if it’s your first time in. 

The interior wood-paneled walls are covered in family photos and pictures of the old country, as well as more University of Houston merch than you thought existed. Most people dining here are office workers from downtown, blue collar folks from around the Ship Channel, or neighbors filtering in for their usual hoagie or chicken parm plate. Mandola’s remains delightfully analog—if no one pulled out their smartphone, almost nothing denotes the existence of the 21st century.

Everything on the menu feels much the same, like a Rosetta Stone for mid-1990s Italian red sauce culture. Most of the food  comes in  some shade of red, brown, or white. Find addictive cubes of breaded and fried lasagna, or slabs of cheese-crusted chicken parmesan, fire-engine red marinara and spaghetti, and a long list of sandwiches that are part po-boy, part hoagie. You can also get quarts of sauce, cannolis, and gigantic stuffed artichokes to-go. 

Though it’s not quite a relic, Mandola’s Deli does feel a bit suspended in time—nostalgic for long-time diners, and novel for anyone new. Primarily open for lunch and closed on Sundays, so come here  with your office pals (the ones you really like), or grab a couple sandwiches to go. And don’t keep the lasagna bites to yourself.

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

Food Rundown

photo credit: Liz Silva

Fried Lasagna Bites

Thickly breaded and jammed with loads of Italian dry herb seasoning, these cheesy lasagna bites are impossible to stop eating. These are fried mozzarella on level 9000. We want everyone to eat these.

photo credit: Liz Silva

Chicken Parmesan Po’Boy Sandwich

Classic and casual, nothing fancy at all is happening here. It’s breaded and fried chicken, blanketed in a thick layer of mozzarella, a dredge of bright-red marinara, and squishy white bread.

photo credit: Liz Silva

Spaghetti And Marinara With Meatballs

Red sauce at Mandola’s tastes slightly sweet, bright, and uncomplicated. The pasta, though not fresh, is well cooked, and the meatballs have a solid amount of seasoning. It’s a plate of spaghetti, y’all.

photo credit: Liz Silva

Cannoli

While the cannoli filling tastes a bit too sugary, the thin, soft-yet-crisp outer pastry is delightful. As are the candied pistachios and crispy milk chocolate inside.