"Her Way!
"Mama" Italian Cafe is popular in Pearland.
Houston Chronicle, by RENIE KIENTZ
4/16/99
"Mama," from Croatia, has arrived in Houston. I prepare Italian cuisine with a Croatian and French i…
The Chicken Marsala was superb. It's my favorite menu item! The sauce is delicious, the mushroom, the chicken is huge! I love the dressing that comes with the house salad and the seasoned croutons are crunchy and fresh. Their garlic bread is hot and soft. Their portions are large and I always have enough for dinner. Give this place a try, every dessert is to die for!!
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Laura T
Emerging Expert • 13 contributions
Loved
• 8/5/25
• DoorDash order
The portions are large enough I generally have lunch for two days. And the taste of the pasta is always fresh and cooked just right. Absolutely the best place to order Italian from in Pearland when the pasta cravings hit.
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Keiarra H
16 contributions
Loved
• 7/7/26
• DoorDash order
I’ve ordered from Santa Barbara Italian Cafe more times than I can count, and I’m honestly surprised I hadn’t left a review sooner. Every single order has been consistently delicious, which is why this has become one of my favorite restaurants.
After coming home from my 20-day deployments, this is one of the meals I look forward to the most. The Chicken Parmigiana is my absolute favorite and my go-to every time. The salad is always fresh, the portions are generous, and the food is flavorful and consistently high quality.
The bread is usually perfectly toasted and crispy just the way I like it. Every once in a while it’s a little soft or doughy instead of toasted, but that’s honestly the only small inconsistency I’ve noticed after ordering here so many times.
Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant. The quality, consistency, and flavor keep me coming back again and again. I’ll definitely continue ordering from Santa Barbara Italian Cafe for years to come!
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Erika R
Local Expert • 28 contributions
Loved
• 2/28/25
• DoorDash order
I CANNOT BELIEVE or even begin to communicate THE AMAZING QUALITY OF THE FOOD Here.The ATTENTION TO DETAIL on a to-go order floored me.The Presentation came in second only to the PHENOMENAL FLAVOR PROFILE OF EACH DISH and the AMOUNT of DELICIOUS FOOD given is SECOND TO NONE! They give you enough for 2 to 3 SERVINGS so 1 meal most Definitely feeds a minimal of 2 ADULTS OR 3 CHILDREN. they deserve every STAR given and more. they are my new FAVORITE ITALIAN place even over Maggiano's which I thought could never happen. thanks for the experience, SANTA BARBARA ITALIAN CAFE. I most definitely will be ordering from here frequently.
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Adrienne B
3 contributions
Loved
• 10/23/23
• DoorDash order
This was so much more than I expected!!!! Seafood Risotto W Grilled Shrimp A plethora of really good mixed vegetables, the risotto was cooked just right. The dish was full of seafood and it came with garlic bread and salad. Enough for two meals. My first order from Santa Barbara & impressive!
