Photo Credit: Adriatic CafeFood & Drink
Eat Local: Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill in Shenandoah
Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill opens their fifth location in The Woodlands area and is located at 17825 I-45 in Shenandoah, Texas.
THE STORY
Over two decades ago, owners and partners Ekrem Hyseni and Alban Bulliqi came to America from Albania with their families. Having previously worked in the kitchens of restaurants in Venice, Italy, Ekrem Hyseni learned about the art of Italian cooking, leading him to create his own authentic and amazing versions of popular Italian dishes.
While attending school in Houston, Alban Bulliqi worked in the pizza industry. Through those experiences he mastered his own dough recipe and authentic pizza sauce that is now on the menus of all four locations of Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill.
Ekrem and Alban’s family loved their dishes and pizza so much they guided them to open their first family owned and operated Italian restaurant. This was the birth of Adriatic Café & Italian Grill. In 2012, the first location opened in Jersey Village. Their second location in Tomball opened in 2017. Two more partners, Jimmy (Avdyl) Bulliqi and Musa Osmania, came in to help open their next two locations: Spring in 2018 and Katy in 2021. After so many requests, they opened their fifth location in The Woodlands (Shenandoah) in April 2024.
THE NAME
Named after the Adriatic Sea, the restaurant pays homage to the major Italian cities on the coastline, such as Trieste, Venice, Rimini, Ancona, Pescara and Bari. Offering pasta, pizza, risotto, seafood, gelato which are traditionally from this area of Italy, one finds all of these dishes expertly executed at Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill. Ekrem has also put his own spin and personal touches with the rest of their expansive menu, salads, calzones, baked pastas, tortellini, chicken, steak and veal entrées.
THE VIBE
The restaurants are casual, family friendly, but also with a bar area for the adults, with big, open space dining rooms,
THE GOODS
Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill boasts that nearly everything they serve is hand-made in house. Cooking with a special olive oil, Italian herbs and spices and they even bake their bread fresh every day. Ekrem says it’s Italian comfort-food and “if you have not eaten here, you have not experienced anything else like it.”
The restaurant’s mission is simple and very straightforward: “Quality in our food is the most important thing. Our family members will prepare all your food from scratch while making sure your stay is as pleasant as possible.”
The complimentary basket of bread is a fan favorite here, and comes with butter packets. Pro-tip: order the OGB dipping oil (olive oil, garlic and basil) for an additional $3 dollars. The bread is made fresh every 10 minutes, brushed with garlic butter, and served hot out of the oven.
Along with their vast regular menu, each location also offers daily lunch specials and on Monday kids eat free.
THE SUCCESS
We also asked Ekrem: What do you attribute to Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill’s success to so far?
“Our success can be attributed to a combination of factors: the unwavering commitment of our team, the loyalty of our customers, and our focus on quality ingredients and authentic recipes. We strive to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that keeps our guests coming back.”
THE TEAM
We asked Ekrem if he would like to shout out any of his team or chefs, he mentioned all their General Managers at each location: Burim – Shenandoah, George – Tomball, Jimmy – Spring, Carlos – Katy, and Aida – Jersey Village.
“Our chef and kitchen team are the backbone of Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill. Their dedication, passion, and creativity in crafting each dish truly make us stand out. A big thank you to them for all their hard work and excellence!“
COMMUNITY
Adriatic Cafe donates food to First responders, Sheriff departments, Police Station, Local hospitals and Teachers, plus they give discounts to veterans.
Adriatic Cafe just announced today that all deputies in uniform in the month of August and September 2024 on Tuesdays can receive a free meal at all locations as a “thank you to all our officers who put their lives on the line everyday to ensure our safety.”
THE OWNERS / CHEF’S FAVORITE MEAL
We asked some of the owners to pick their perfect meal from start to finish at Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill.
Ekrem:
- Appetizer: Mozzarella Caprese
- Drink: Unshackled Red Wine
- Entrée: Grilled Salmon
- Dessert: Tiramisu
Alex:
- Appetizer: Bruschetta
- Drink: Italian margarita
- Entrée: Alex Special
- Dessert: Cannoli
Musa:
- Appetizer: Calamari
- Drink: Old-fashion
- Entrée: Spaghetti The Works
- Dessert: Limoncello Mascarpone Cake
Jimmy:
- Appetizer: Mozzarella Sticks
- Drink: The Prisoner Red Blend
- Entrée: Margarita Pizza
- Desert: Limoncello Mascarpone Cake
WHAT THE LOCALS ARE ORDERING
We like to ask what the locals are eating, so what are Adriatic Cafe’s top selling menu items for each category?
Appetizers: Fried Calamari – Calamari lightly flavored and fried. Served with homemade marinara sauce.
Salads: Adriatic Salad – Mixed greens, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, red onions, sunflower seeds, topped with grilled chicken
Baked Pasta: Homemade Beef Lasagna – Layers of pasta filled with ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and meat sauce topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Pasta: Spaghetti the Works – Sautéed meat sauce, one meatball, sliced sausage and mushrooms with marinara sauce served over spaghetti.
Tortellini: Sicilian – Cheese tortellini pasta in cream sauce, a touch of marinara, black olives and ham.
Chicken Entrées: Chicken Alfredo – Sautéed chicken with fettuccine pasta in a homemade white wine alfredo sauce.
Seafood Entrée: Zuppa De Pesce – Shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams sautéed in a white wine pink sauce.
Veal Entrées: Veal Saltimbocca – Sautéed in white wine with spinach, prosciutto, melted fresh mozzarella served with a side of fresh vegetables.
Steak Entrées: Steak Arrabiata – Grilled steak sautéed with tomatoes, mushrooms and jalapeño peppers in a marsala wine and gravy sauce served with penne pasta.
Calzones: Meat Calzone – Pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, beef, ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
Specialty Pizza: Margarita – Tomatoes, oregano, basil & mozzarella cheese
Gourmet Pizza: Spinach Garlic Chicken – Butter-garlic sauce, grilled chicken, mushrooms, spinach, Roma tomatoes, garlic & Mozzarella Cheese.
Sandwich Italian Works Sub – Ham, salami, cheese, onions, green peppers, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes & mayo or Italian dressing.
Sides: Vegetable Medley – Zucchini, squash, broccoli & carrots in an olive, garlic and basil sauce.
Children’s Menu: Kids Pizza – Cheese
Dessert: Tiramisu
Lunch Specials:
Alex Special – Chicken sautéed in a spicy dish of red peppers, mushrooms, onions and garlic in a white wine alfredo sauce with a touch of marinara over spaghetti pasta.
THE BAR
Monday-Friday Happy Hour is 3 to 6 p.m. with $4 glasses of wine and 50% off Appetizers (not all) plus daily specials: Tuesday – $4 house margarita, Wednesday – $5 off any bottle of wine, and Thursday $2.5 off any menu cocktail.
WRAPPING IT ALL UP:
“We are deeply committed to providing an exceptional dining experience for our guests.”
5 Words to describe Adriatic Cafe Italian Grill?
“Authentic, Welcoming, Delicious, Family-Friendly, Passionate.”
Locations, addresses + hours
Jersey Village: 17402 North Fwy
Jersey Village TX 77040
Phone: 713-983-6565
Tomball: 19004 Windsor Pointe Dr
Tomball TX 77375
Phone: 832-761-7173
Spring: 19380 I-45 N
Spring TX 77373
Phone: 832-813-8788
Katy: 27240 Katy Fwy
Katy TX 77494
Phone: 713-405-7100
The Woodlands / Shenandoah:
17825 I-45 S
Shenandoah TX 77385
Phone: 936-224-5828
Hours of operation:
- Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Visit their website at www.adriaticcafe.com
Follow on Facebook (The Woodlands) here.
Nick Rama is a food writer, contributor to Hello Woodlands, and shares his restaurant experiences on Nick’s Local Eats at NicksLocalEats.com and on the TX BBQ, Burgers, and Brew Facebook page. Nick enjoys helping small business owners, supporting his community by fundraising for food banks, and plans tasting events with locally owned mom and pop restaurants.
0 comments