Beloved University of Houston lunch spot dishes out delicious Italian-American comfort food six days a week, and offers a 10% discount to U of H students.

4105 Leeland St, Houston, TX 77023
(713) 223-5186
Website

10am–6pm (Mon–Fri); 11am–6pm (Sat); Closed Sundays

With one of us a freelancer, and the other a graduate student at the University of Houston, it’s safe to say we are cheapskates, which should be obvious from all our reviews of lunch specials rather than the fine-dining fodder and $12 craft cocktails sought out by the influencers of Instagram. So, when we discovered that Mandola’s Deli, an East End institution since 1974, offered a 10% discount to U of H students, we stayed true to form and hustled over during a Friday lunch rush to give it the old college try.

Decked out in knotty pine paneling and Coog memorabilia, and with seemingly half the diners in U of H crimson, Mandola’s is the kind of beloved and venerable lunch spot often encountered in the vicinity of university campuses. We’d received a few pointers from a friend who is a Mandola’s regular, and took his advice by ordering the Italian sausage appetizer and an eggplant parmesan po’ boy, as well as an intriguing-looking salad. After paying Frank (the owner) at the counter, we fixed ourselves a couple of Arnold Palmers at the drink fountain and waited less than ten minutes for our food to arrive.

Italian Sausage & Faccia Di Vecchia ($12.79): This appetizer is a pile of house-made, firm, and fairly lean Italian sausage mixed with grilled onion and red bell pepper, accompanied by four cubes of toasted faccia di vecchia (also made in-house). The sausage, powerfully redolent of fennel, blends beautifully with the sweet, caramelized onion and pepper. Originating in Sicily, faccia di vecchia is a focaccia-like bread, which, before baking, Mandola’s tops with tomatoes, herbs, and parmesan cheese—we also detected the salt-and-sea notes of anchovies. The savory bread makes a nice combo with the sausages and grilled onions. While billed as an appetizer, this dish would also be perfect for two people to split for lunch with a large salad.

Eggplant Parmesan Po’ Boy ($8.69): An exceptionally fresh po’ boy roll, filled with breaded, fried pieces of thinly-sliced eggplant, melted cheese, and marinara sauce. The eggplant is crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and straight-up delicious. Our estimation: this fulfills your hopes and dreams when you go to order an eggplant parmesan po’ boy.

Small Wop Salad ($4.99): It was once common for restaurant menus in the Gulf Coast region to feature “Wop Salad,” and Mandola’s proudly continues to do so decades after the name started making people uncomfortable with ordering it out-loud in public. This Italian salad of romaine lettuce is along the lines of a Caesar, but with the inspired addition of gorgonzola cheese. We thought we detected a slight fishy note in the pinkish, tangy dressing (possibly from anchovies, although they are not mentioned on the menu). It’s very tasty, despite the unfortunate name.

We loved Mandola’s Deli and plan to return again and again, especially given the 10% student discount. It’s a special place that deliciously and successfully preserves its own heritage as part of the University of Houston and East End communities. Top recommendation!