Sparrow Bar and Cookshop

My wife and I have been to Sparrow a lot over the last few years and it has really been consistently excellent. We enjoy sitting at the communal table or at the bar and tasting all the delicious cocktails while waiting for our food. This last visit was a little more exceptional. We casually stopped by around 2pm on a Saturday for a snack. Not only did we have some great patio weather but we were impressed with the terrific happy hour menu. Needless to say it quickly went from a snack to a full meal. We got the burger, which I am embarrassed to say is the only main dish I've ever gotten at Sparrow (although we've ordered just about every appetizer they have and they're all great). I can't get enough of it! My wife and I hate onions and we even love the burger with the little crispy onions on top. Make sure to get goat cheese on there too. My only complaint is that our stay was brief since we weren't really planning on coming by in the first place, it was just on our way to the next stop. I definitely suggest planning out a Saturday afternoon on their patio sometime it's great!!!

I have been wanting to go to Sparrow for brunch, but attended an event here a couple of weeks ago in conjunction with Lincoln. We did a test drive and received a complimentary three course meal inclusive of two drinks! It was an awesome experience. Love the restaurant - it has a quaint and rustic feel. The customer service was excellent! For my first course, I had the chickpeas "chick" fries seasoned with Indian salt - they had a spicy kick to it but left a balanced taste on the palette. Second course, I indulged in the duck confit leg served with a dutch potato salad - the texture of the eggs and potatoes was just right! And the duck leg was extremely tender. For dessert, I had the cheesecake with lemon curd and a walnut crust. I absolutely loved the crust, but the lemon curd was a little too sweet for me. To top of this delicious meal, although I would normally opt for wine, I chose one of the signature cocktails, the TamarindRita - a nice sweet and sour balance that will definitely get you right! Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience at Sparrow and will definitely return!

There's a reason why Monica Pope has become one of the most famous chefs in Houston, and if you haven't been to Sparrow, then you are definitely missing out! I could go on and on about the dinner and the interior, but what is really exciting (to me) is the brunch. You get all the best-of-the-best dinner items plus some exciting new brunch items. You MUST try the mushroom dumplings, even if you don't like mushrooms, and the chickpea fries are incredible. Sit at the bar and let the knowledgable bartenders take care of you. It is a great way to spend a lazy Saturday.

I've come both for lunch and once for dinner and it's been okay. The burger was good but not as life changing as some people had made it out to be. When we came for dinner we actually didn't stay for a full meal. We ordered the dates as an appetizer and they were just so tiny, good, but tiny and the drinks were also pretty small. I understand that you pay more for quality but didn't feel like it met expectations. The outdoor patio design is quite nice though! Small, but very quaint and don't notice being so close to a road.

Fantastic ambiance and atmosphere for a date. Not too small, not too large of a venue. Just the right size to keep it from being overly loud. Acoustics are great making it easy to have engaging conversations at the table. Food is splendid as well! Wild Boar tenderloin is to die for and the Scallops are the best in Houston! Don't forget to get one (or two) of their crafty cocktails! The spicy watermelon margarita is extremely refreshing and will leave you wanting more than just 1!

Pretty much a rip off. The dumplings would have been great if they were warm. It was like they had been sitting in the kitchen for a while, and they didn't even microwave them to at least make them warm. The Brussel sprouts were good. The chicken with lemon butter and verde was alright, not mind blowing or worth $23. We also ordered the pear crisp and coffee for dessert. The pear crisp tasted freezer burnt and the coffee was cold, not warm, it was cold. Probably had been sitting there for hours. The waiter corrected this by bringing an Americano which was not what we wanted but we took it just so we could get out of there. I really do feel ripped off. Not only was the food pricey yet nothing special at all, but the food came out with one big problem after the next. That was my first and last time visiting this establishment. I wanted to like this place but the proof is in the pudding.

Monica Pope is a Houston legend and so are her restaurants. Known for her passion in connecting local farmers with consumers, Monica's food is fresh, unique, local, and quite tasty. Therefore, when I found she served a burger at Sparrow, I put it on my list to try! The "Sparrow Longhorn Beef Burger with the Works" came to the table with cheddar cheese and a side of Yukon Gold fries. Side condiments of several sauces, homemade pickle slices, and pickled onions graced the table on a seperate platter. This was truly a "build your own" burger assignment! I topped mine off with the Sparrow special sauce that combined a garlicky aioli with a red-curried ketchup made in house - which added a spicky kickback. The bun, while slightly sweet and butter-grilled, was dry and lacked flavor. The Longhorn beef patty was dry (due to its leanness) and quite tasteless, even at medium temperature. The meat was nice and thick, but was not nice and juicy. This burger had all the right ingredients, but they just did not come together to make this a great burger experience, which was disappointing. Especially with the hefty $15 price. Their sides were very good - crispy sweet potato wedges, mac & cheese with kobe hotdog & greens, and brussels sprouts! I commented that the next time, I could just order the sides and be very happy. Their "Ten Dollar Cocktails" are amazing as well! So, try the sides, have a cocktail, but the burger is optional. Monica Pope, however, is still a legand in my book!

I took my wife for her birthday. The decoration is nice but super dark. The drinks are fantastic. The food and service were disappointing. We ordered a steak and the mushroom pasta. The Mac and cheese with Duck, the Chard and the riced bacon potatoes. The plates were cool where not preheated and the food was cool already when it reached our table. Which took forever. I like slow service but this was over the top slow and deprived of any Texan friendliness. Smiling at the chubby little man and complimenting him on our drinks did little to change his mood. Cold steak and kale isn't bad. Cold creamy pasta and mac and cheese however is pretty terrible. The sauce turns into jello, the flavours coagulate. The few mushrooms were super tasty. I wish I could have enjoyed the rest. The Mac and Cheese had 2 pieces of duck in it. It was bland. If someone reads this from Sparrow, duck mac and cheese is a GOOD IDEA. You take duck confit which is nice and salty. (there was no salt in our dish) You crisp the skin on your confit, cut is up and put it at the bottom of a porcelain dish. You add your pasta, a bit of cream and grate some cheese on top. Broil for a few minutes: DONE. And pre-heat your plates. Please. Get your staff to walk the dining and look at clients too. The reason I am giving this 3 stars instead of 2 is that my drink was really good. I heard good things about Sparrow and I will be back. Then the star count will go up or down.