Agnes and Sherman — Restaurant in Houston

My wife, our 15-month-old son, and I visited Agnes and Sherman on a Saturday evening, and everything about our experience was memorable. Located right on the historic stretch of West 19th Street, I was pleasantly surprised to find an Asian American-owned restaurant bringing something so fresh and culturally meaningful to the neighborhood. There's ample street parking along West 19th and a few spots right in front of the restaurant.

From the outside, Agnes and Sherman immediately stands out with its bold and unique look. Inside, it feels like a modern diner with character--there's a beautiful bar near the entrance and a warm, vibrant atmosphere throughout. We were led to the back of the restaurant and noticed how family-friendly it is--several families with children were dining comfortably, and we were promptly given a high chair for our son.

One of the co-owners, Lisa Lee, came by to greet us personally and thoughtfully brought over child-friendly plates and utensils. That kind of hospitality meant a lot--it's rare and really appreciated. I could see Chef Nick Wong working hard in the back, putting out orders while the restaurant buzzed with energy. You could tell it was busy, but it never felt overwhelming. Just alive.

[COCKTAILS]

+Lean Kwai Fong ($15) - Bourbon and Pei Pa Koa - This is their house old fashioned. I loved the flavor profile and the giant ice cube, which gave it a classic feel. I wished it had a fancy cherry to complete the experience! - 4/5

[MOCKTAILS]

+Mojo-Nono ($10) - Passion fruit, mint, and sparkling soda - Their zero-proof mojito. Bright, refreshing, and really well balanced. - 4.5/5

[STARTERS]

+Savory Scallion Waffle ($14) - Sambal honey butter - This was outstanding. As soon as I took a bite, I knew it was special. The scallion flavor was deep and fragrant, and the sambal honey butter brought the perfect sweetness and spice. A must-order. - 5/5

[SIDES]

+"Salt and Pepper" Fries ($9) - Thick, crispy, and perfectly fried. They reminded me of upgraded steak fries--simple but done exceptionally well. - 4.5/5

+Collard Greens ($12) - Smoked turkey, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar - As someone who didn't grow up with collard greens (I'm from Canada), this was a bit intense for my palate--the vinegar came through strongly. Not bad, just not for me. I'd try the wedge salad next time. - 3/5

[ENTRÉES]

+Crispy Shell-On Shrimp ($26) - Sinigang seasoning, shallot, and serranos - Lightly fried with a great flavor and texture. I appreciated that it wasn't heavily battered so it didn't feel too heavy. - 4/5

+Rice Cakes ($20) - Tteokbokki, beef ragu, uda peppers, and parmesan - A unique fusion dish. A quarter of the rice cakes were not fully cooked, so biting into them were hard and gross. For the rice cakes which were cooked properly, the flavors were well thought out. It’s like an Asian bolognese. There is a lot of potential to this if they can cook the rice cakes consistently. - 4/5

Overall, I'm genuinely excited to have Agnes and Sherman in the Heights. It's a bold, creative concept with heart--and you can feel that heart in every dish and interaction. I'm already looking forward to trying the Al Pastor Fried Rice, Egg Foo Young, Crab Rangoon, and the Chrysanthemum Ice Cream Sundae on my next visits. This is a place I'll definitely be returning to,...

We started with the deconstructed crab Rangoon with wonton chips and a sweet–sour style chili dip that was balanced and not overly sweet. The scallion waffle was perfectly crisp and easy to share, though I wished for more scallion flavor; the chili-honey butter was tasty but not spicy at all. Salt & pepper fries were like Cantonese-style loaded fries—salty, crunchy, and addictive.

We didn’t order the salad but I was so glad the chef kindly sent out the wedge salad on the house. The surprise star of the starters thanks to a ginger-scallion ranch-style dressing (probably the best dressing I’ve had). Chinese sausage added sweetness, while Chinese fried dough sticks stood in as crunchy croutons.

The Chinese BBQ club was solid, though the char siu was very sweet in a sandwich.

The crispy shell-on shrimp, fried with shallots and serrano peppers, were prepared well…chef made sure we knew that the shells were meant to be consumed. Spin on classic Cantonese dish typically serve salt and pepper stirfry style. When eating this dish at a Chinese restaurant I typically don’t like to eat the shells as I don’t prefer the texture. However, I did try to eat the shells here and they obviously fry it different, perhaps using Rice flour or baking soda to season the shells. Popping the shrimp in your mouth whole was wonderful so if you don’t typically eat the shells in this dish at other restaurants, I would recommend you do it here cause it’s completely different.

Engsu’s chicken came out with lettuce wraps and toppings like cilantro, cucumber, peanuts, anchovies, and hoisin—great skin and crispy texture, though like many Chinese chicken dishes the meat itself was mild, so most of the flavor came from the toppings and sauce.

For mains, the al pastor fried rice had a nice achiote flavor, almost like a Thai fried rice with Mexican notes. The Korean rice cakes were like a gnocchi ragu with funky fermented flavors and peppercorn heat; interesting, I’m no stranger to funky flavors, but not my favorite of the night.

🌟🌟The absolute standout was the egg foo yong, served over rice with a Cajun étouffée-style crawfish gravy. The omelette was tender and perfectly browned, giving it that toasty Cantonese egg flavor that makes it incredible...the kind you can only get with a home cooked meal. Huge portion, easily feeds 3–4, and they bring Louisiana crystal hot sauce to complete the dish. With a changing menu, I hope they never drop this from the lineup.

finished with a Carajillo that was very chocolatey and sweet. Overall, the Cantonese–Southern fusion is creative and really works on several dishes. As someone who grew up around Cantonese cooking, it was fun to see those flavors reimagined. I was originally hoping for more of a Hong Kong café vibe, so fingers crossed they add some of those dishes in the future. Either way, I’ll definitely be back especially since I live nearby.

Very popular spot, so it gets busy and noisy around dinner. Reservations are a must or you’ll be waiting. Tables and booths are on the smaller side, so it’s most comfortable for groups of 3–4, though they’ll try to fit in larger parties. Menu is family-style, which makes it great for sharing and trying multiple dishes. Parking is street only, so depending on the time of day you may need to...

The overall dining experience was great. I love the Asian inspired concept and the foods presented are not some random Asian fusion. The foods are developed with great thoughts that include Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean elements in there. Apart from the food, the service has some opportunities for improvement, especially for the long wait time to get all dishes. We spent more than two hours dining in with more than half of the time just waiting. (More details below)

We made a reservation for the opening night and as expected it was a super busy night for Agnes and Sherman. We immediately ordered our dishes because we were seated at around 7:45pm and were pretty hungry already. We ordered fried kimchi, Rangoon, egg foo young, and mushroom stroganoff.

✅Food portions are big!!! I’m surprised with the food portions given Agnes and Sherman gives a more Brasserie vibe. They did not lose the Asian food hospitality! ✅Fried kimchi is my favorite and I will definitely order again when I visit next time. The kimchi mayo is not heavy and pairs with the fried kimchi very well. Very unique dish! ✅Rangoon is my second favorite. I love how they decompose the traditional Rangoon into separate components and the crab dip is absolutely delicious.

As for the entrees, they are overall good but we waited for a long time to get the two entrees and at that point we already kind of lose appetite. After receiving both starters, we waited for 45 minutes to get the mushroom stroganoff and another 30 minutes for the egg foo young. We were guessing the kitchen may have messed up the orders and sent our order to other tables. There was a table behind us that they ordered 40 minutes after us but received the mushroom stroganoff during that 45 min wait. And we also noticed a table next to us who received the same dish but later found out they didn’t have that on their order. I totally understand that this was the opening night and longer than expected wait time and errors may occur but just wanted to point that out for further improvement.

Our waiter was super friendly and apologized for the wait which honestly was not his fault. I liked the atmosphere and the foods here at Agnes and Sherman. I’ll definitely come back to try...