Paulie's

"A large portion of pasta at Paulie’s, a casual Italian restaurant in Montrose, runs around $23. While this exceeds that $15, the portion is enough for two meals. Unless you recently trekked through the desert without sustenance or need a pre-marathon carb load, you won’t be able to finish an entire large pasta by yourself. So that $23 will supply you, your children, and your children’s children with housemade rigatoni bolognese or savory canestri in a mushroom cream sauce. The portion-to-price ratio also applies to the entrees and the salads, including a crunchy caesar with a generous blanket of parmesan. " - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"The fairly standard casual Italian counter-service cafe Paulie’s serves a menu of fresh pasta, smashed paninis, massive salads, plates of piccata, and personal-sized pizzas. Everything tastes pretty good, especially seeing how generous the portions are compared to the price. We appreciate that you can grab lunch solo, split a few glasses of wine with your fellow fettuccine freaks for a casual dinner, or whatever combination of food and meal in-between. Make sure to grab a cookie to-go." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"For the best, wallet-friendly pasta in town, no place can beat Paulie’s, an Italian-American spot in Montrose. The small counter-service restaurant has a line most of the day, mostly during lunch. Everything here comes out quick. Think giant bowls of rigatoni bolognese, pasta salads overflowing with vegetables, and crispy paninis with artichokes and salami. If you’re looking to grab a quick meal solo, meet up with a friend, or feed a bunch of people for a steal, visit Paulie’s. And always get a cookie." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"Paulie’s, a casual Italian restaurant in Montrose, makes filling up with delicious pasta quick, easy, and affordable. Because sometimes, that’s all you really want. Order at the counter, throw back a mozzarella panini and an iced coffee for a quick lunch. Or grab a big bowl of canestri alla funghi because every order of pasta is so large you might need a crane to air-lift it to the table, so there will definitely be enough leftovers for your roommates." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas

"Houston is not short of great red sauce joints, and this casual Italian cafe in Montrose is another case in point. Pasta is handmade here, and the portions are generous — with $8 for a single portion, and $15 for a large that can easily be shared. Order the bucatini amatriciana — a heaping bowl of goodness with smoked bacon, garlic, pecorino, blistered tomatoes, and chili flakes, or the classic rigatoni bolognese, that’s packed with ground veal and beef in a tomato, cream, basil, red wine parmesan sauce. The cafe is also a great idea for lunch, with a boxed lunch option, serving sandwiches like Italian hoagies that come with pasta salad, fruit salad, and a cookie for $20 or less." - Sean Hekmat, Megha McSwain, Eater Staff