CLOSED: Milano's Pizzeria & Italian Grill- It's OK to Ask Whether the Food is Zabiha or Not

Restaurant: Milano's Pizzeria & Italian Grill
9135 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston, Texas 77064
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 5/1/14

Photo Credit: http://s3.amazonaws.com/mypizza-logos/shops/1950/original/1950.png

UPDATE 12/25/15: According to Yelp, they're closed. Guess I don't have to worry about the person being rude about me asking him whether the food is halal or not lol


UPDATE 2/5/15

I called to update their halal status. They were really rude about it, so I just hung up the phone. Something is seriously fishy out there

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Sorry I am writing it now as I finally got my WiFi back. Today I will be reviewing Milano's Pizzeria & Italian Grill. It is a halal Italian restaurant that is in the strip mall that is located on Beltway 8 and West Road. I got to try this restaurant as I had a long time to wait to pick my sister up from her school. I would always take West Road while going to her school. Traffic was thankfully painless so after 15 minutes, I arrived at the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
The restaurant reminded me of one of my favorite ones that closed down before I started this blog: Palio's Pizza that was located on Westheimer and Fountainview. I came in and the counter was right in front of me. After looking at the menu, I was ready to order.



Let's Eat!
Sadly they do not serve by the slice, so I couldn't order any pizza. I instead went for the Italian club, which consisted of smoked turkey, Canadian turkey bacon, beef pepperoni with creamy Italian dressing topped with mozzarella cheese, lettuce, and tomato on an Italian bread. I paid a total of $6.05 (tax included). The waiting time was 8 minutes and 42 seconds.



Menu: (click to see)

Appetizers, Soup & Salads, and Sandwiches

Specialty Pizzas and Pastas

Create Your Own Pizza, Drinks, Kids Zone, and Desserts

Italian Club Sandwich

The Verdict:

The food was very good, even though the meat was stuffed at the bottom of the vegetables. Thankfully the vegetables were fresh. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service, however, can improve. There was a huge halal sign that was at the counter, so I assumed that everything was halal (zabiha). However, I found out later on zabihah.com that 98% of the meat was halal. I asked him that everything was halal, and he got angry, repeatedly saying that there was no pork in the meat. If anyone knows the real truth, please comment below so that I can go back again knowing what to eat and what not to eat. I seriously think that restaurant owners should clearly state what is halal and what isn't. For example, Stanton City Bites always says to mention halal so that they can cook it separately on a separate grill. I remember seeing in a restaurant in Chicago (long before I started this blog) that the non-Zabiha items were clearly labeled. If the Muslim owners do not do that, then they will be answerable to Allah, NOT the consumer.



Conclusion:
Milano's impresses me, but they should clearly indicate what is halal or not. If they do, then I'll be back again.



Grading:
Service: 7/10
Food: 8.5/10
Waiting time: 10/10
Overall: 25.5/30 = 85% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Milano's Pizzeria & Italian Grill
9135 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston, Texas 77064
Phone: (281) 469-8600
Website: http://houston.eat24hours.com/milano-s-pizzeria/17365?W (ordering online)
Facebook: inactive
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

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Cheers!
Zain Mohammed