Cruising through Midland might conjure images of oil rigs and wide-open skies, but this West Texas city holds a delicious secret. Beyond the pumpjacks and prairie, you’ll find a surprisingly vibrant Italian dining scene—from red-sauce classics that feel like a warm hug to modern trattorias worth braving the loop traffic for. Here are the nine best spots to savor la dolce vita in the Permian Basin.
Fazoli’s
$ | (432) 520-4260 | WEBSITE
Technically Fazoli’s is located right in Midland on the main strip, but you’re already thinking about dinner and it’s literally only an extra minute if you catch the light right. This place does lunch, dinner, and a really great family meal that’s always popular. There are some delicious options like pasta dishes, unlimited breadsticks, and rotating specials that keep things fresh. Take a look at the daily special on the menu board above the counter too.
The spaghetti and meatballs is a great choice. It’s got a hearty portion and requires some serious appetite.
Venezia Restaurant
$$$ | (432) 687-0900 | WEBSITE
Venezia isn’t a particularly remarkable restaurant—but it does have one big superpower: its atmosphere. The Italian eatery is located in an unassuming building in Midland—but it’s the warm, inviting interior that warrants a moment of quiet appreciation usually only reserved for a perfectly cooked lasagna or a generous portion of fried calamari. Tables are scattered between cozy booths and simple wooden chairs under soft lighting. It’s undeniably welcoming.
The standard Italian dishes are good—not as good as they need to be for the price point—but good nonetheless. There’s also a dessert case featuring tiramisu and strawberry cheesecake if you just want to come for something sweet. Needless to say, come for a special occasion.
Italian Village Restaurant
$$ | (432) 684-6595 | WEBSITE
This authentic Italian restaurant serves incredible homemade dishes. We often struggle to decide between the calamari, a crispy and tender appetizer with just the right amount of seasoning—or the Chicken Murphy with its spicy kick and perfect balance of flavors. But whatever you get is going to be the best Italian meal in Midland, hands down. They have a nice and relaxing atmosphere where you can dine, but this is also a great spot for takeout.
The service is excellent and attentive, with servers who treat you like family, so arriving during peak hours might mean a short wait, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
$$ | (432) 687-4400 | WEBSITE
Take Olive Garden’s pasta-heavy menu and the warm, rustic decor that fills the space as a sign of what to order. This Italian restaurant in Midland knows exactly what to do with classic comfort dishes. They serve it with fresh salad, top it with rich sauces, and even bake lasagna to bubbling perfection. Much like at other Olive Garden locations, you can have a satisfying meal if you stick to their signature pastas.
If you’re one of the many Midlanders constantly hunting for a reliable Italian spot—or just someone who likes to spend an evening enjoying hearty food in a friendly setting—then prioritize Olive Garden.
Ray’s Italian Bistro
$ | (432) 682-7297 | WEBSITE
If there was such a thing as a culinary academy for Italian classics (we smell a cooking show spinoff), Ray’s versions would easily graduate with honors for most beloved. Everyone adores these garlic rolls, which are as warm and pillowy as humanly possible. They have a solid lineup of dishes you can savor alongside your balsamic dipping sauce, including spinach stuffed ravioli, chicken Marsala, and fried calamari.
The Special pizza (thin crust, generous toppings) is a standout and would probably be the valedictorian in this delicious curriculum we’re about to enroll in. Come here for the beautiful Fettuccine Alfredo too, featuring perfect consistency and flavor so you can appreciate your own pasta-twirling technique, which will prove very satisfying one evening.
DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks
$ | (432) 618-3283 | WEBSITE
The interior of DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks features a glowing salad bar in the corner and vintage video games scattered around the dining area. There’s a casual counter for ordering and a relaxed seating section with booths and tables. But you won’t notice any of it when the pizza hits the table because it’s that good. This excellent thin Supreme Pizza definitely requires a few napkins to eat, but it’s not a greasy mess on the plate.
The crust is crispy and golden on the outside and thin and tender towards the center. The renowned pizza rolls have an amazing stuffed filling and are good enough to distract you from the arcade sounds echoing from the corner. The friendly staff often adds extra goodies when there are order issues, though service can be slow at times. At around $15-20 for a pizza, it’s a solid deal for the quality you get.
Luigi’s Italian Restaurant
$ | (432) 683-6363 | WEBSITE
Luigi’s has always had enough regulars to justify a dining room bigger than a trattoria. You come here for generous portions, some of Midland’s best pizza and pasta, and a menu of Italian classics the entire family, no matter how particular their tastes may be, can agree on. This is all still true now that Luigi’s has been serving for years in its well-established location. But a few things stand out (for the better).
There’s the cozy atmosphere with dark lighting and candlelight, the phenomenal sides like chili and cheese bread, and the attentive staff who make special occasions memorable with thoughtful gestures like singing happy birthday.
Ledgens Pizza
$ | (432) 444-0789 | WEBSITE
Ledgens Pizza is Midland’s reliable Italian spot, and it does all the things reliable Italian spots are supposed to do. There are cozy booths that wrap you in like a warm hug, Christmas music playing in the dining room, and bar seating where you can comfortably dine solo and sip shot after shot on Tequila Tuesday. You can get a slice of Hawaii 5 O pizza for under $5, then come back for dinner and grab a plate of pasta or a juicy steak.
Late nights aren’t an option at Ledgens—unfortunately it closes by 10pm—even though they host those lively events here.
Fuoco Italian cuisine
$ | (432) 218-8185 | WEBSITE
One of Midland’s best Italian spots has a proper dining experience, with generous portions, friendly service, and the same great pizza. (Thank God.) The popular items on Fuoco’s menu include starters like the excellent calamari and mozzarella caprese, a crispy meat lovers pizza, the Rigatoni Special, and calzones. It works well for any and all casual outings or special occasions.
You can also come here for the complimentary bread and relaxing atmosphere, and by ‘relaxing atmosphere’ we mean ‘eat several slices of that soft-dough pizza.’