Viola & Agnes'

Creole restaurant · Lakeside

Viola & Agnes'

Creole restaurant · Lakeside

4

3659 NASA Road 1 suite A, Seabrook, TX 77586

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Viola & Agnes' by Brittany Britto Garley
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null
Viola & Agnes' by null

Highlights

Dive into this lively café serving up hearty Creole comfort food in a chill atmosphere, where delicious dishes and hefty portions are worth the wait.  

Featured in Eater
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3659 NASA Road 1 suite A, Seabrook, TX 77586 Get directions

neosoulfood.org
@viola_agnes_cafe

$$$$$$ · Menu

Information

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3659 NASA Road 1 suite A, Seabrook, TX 77586 Get directions

+1 281 326 2226
neosoulfood.org
@viola_agnes_cafe

$$$$$$ · Menu

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Last updated

Mar 4, 2025

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@eater

"This neo-soul food cafe prides itself on its soul-warming Southern-meets-African-diasporic flavors. Alongside dishes like curried oxtail, fried fish sandwiches, and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, diners can indulge in cups or bowls of gumbo, made with chicken, sausage, blue crab, and okra, and served with boiled egg and rice. The bright blue exterior and eclectic dining room only enhance the experience." - Brittany Britto Garley, Minh T. Truong

Where to Find the Best Gumbo in Houston
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@eater

"Inspired by chef Aaron Davis’s grandmothers, this laidback, BYOB Seabrook restaurant has garnered national attention for bringing Creole home cooking to the forefront. Diners will find staples like gumbo loaded with chicken, sausage, and blue crab; fried cheese curds topped with red gravy; and brunch staples like the New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp and grits served with toasted French bread. A crowd-pleasing combination of crispy, Cajun-spiced fried chicken served with diner’s choice of a buttermilk vanilla, pecan praline, or Southern red velvet waffle has become an attraction. The rotating daily specials, typically written on the chalkboard wall, are where Davis gets wildly creative — he cooks up things like chargrilled short ribs marinated in Korean barbecue and Caribbean jerk spices and a standout oxtail plate. The food here takes time, but a drink can make the wait go by faster. The restaurant’s refillable beverages, which come in mason jars, make for the perfect mixers." - Brittany Britto Garley

The 38 Best Restaurants in Houston
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@eater

"Visit this Seabrook Creole restaurant and experience fried chicken in various ways. Pair fried chicken breast with red beans, jerked black beans, or buttered white beans and rice, with a side of collard greens and sweet cornbread. If breakfast calls, try its chicken and waffles — a fried chicken breast brined in Cajun spices and cane syrup and served with your choice of a buttermilk vanilla, pecan praline, or Southern red velvet waffle. Craving fried chicken in handheld form? The NOLA Hot Chicken sandwich and the Honey Butter Bacon Chicken sandwich, made with crispy fried chicken dropped in honey garlic butter and topped with a sweet and smokey dry rub and blueberry coleslaw, are filling choices. ​" - Brittany Britto Garley

Where to Eat Houston’s Most Flavorful Fried Chicken
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@eater

"Seabrook is technically not Houston, but true Houstonians know that there’s always a chance you’ll end up near the Space Station, in need of some grub. Lake Charles native Chef Aaron offers terrific family favorites like BBQ shrimp and grits — local shrimp in a New Orleans-style barbecue butter sauce with peas, mushrooms, and micro basil — and a Liège waffle with chili honey wings — double cooked wings tossed in a sweet and smoky chili Texas honey sauce." - Alexandria Jack, Kayla Stewart

11 Restaurants With the Most Comforting Soul Food in Houston
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Lacy Payne

Google
Do not dine here if you are in a rush or hungry ! Food was absolutely delicious but the wait time was long. Showed up for opening at 11 am and at 11:05 am one of the workers came out to inform us to, “give them a minute before opening”. Well the minute turn into them opening their doors at 11:18 am. The customer service is good but very irritated with the wait time. I loved that the staff is knowledgeable of their menu and how the food tastes. I typically do not order gumbo at a restaurant but their gumbo was very good and loved that it had a dark roux. The red beans and rice was so good as well, just wish I was given a little more rice for the amount of beans on the plate. The fish was huge and beautifully fried and seasoned to perfection! The corn bread was buttered, crispy and so good. Two things I did not care for was the rice and gravy, which had a sweet taste to it. The greens seemed to be season with only black pepper and I was looking for more of a smoke flavor. There is also a variety of juices and teas with refills. I look forward to coming back just hope the wait times are better.

Persephone Rose

Google
Been waiting for a while for the perfect time to visit this establishment. It seemed too good to be true from the reviews. I'd say they knocked it out of the park. Everything was delicious, served fresh and piping hot. Servers were personable and tried to ensure everyone felt seen. Well done!

Tomas Garcia

Google
Do not come here if you are in a hurry. But if you're enjoying your company and want hands down the best food! This is it! Every single item on this menu is a masterpiece! Our table of 4- ordered 6 different items (mainly because we couldn't decide!) Gumbo - savory/ rich / bold and Best I've ever had!! Ox-tails - absolute perfection! Shrimp & Grits - Out of this world! Hats off to the Master Chef! You are the Rembrandt of Soul Food! Can't wait to go back! Staff and crew: Thank you for the welcoming family atmosphere! 5 stars!

Erin Garcia

Google
The chef has a note on the door telling everyone how it is. I guess most people didn’t read the door before coming in cuz quite a bit of people walked out because of the long wait to just order. And the chef is right it is a long wait. Make sure you go with good company. But the wait is well worth it. Great portions for the prices. The taste is out of this world. Everything we ordered was perfect. Probably the best chicken sandwich on this planet. The crispy, crunchy, well seasoned batter he uses is like nothing I’ve ever had. The sauce on the chicken is fantastic. Just everything about that sandwich will knock your socks off. The pickles, the slaw and the bread. The drinks they offer are really good fruit juices.

Kay Thomas

Google
The food here is delicious! You will not be disappointed with the taste or portions of food served. My family and I were very satisfied with our meals. We are definitely looking forward to our next visit. Included are pictures of the pretzel with blue crab dip and fried chicken and maple, sweet potato waffles. We also had the fried catfish sandwich, fried catfish and grits, and oxtail with collard greens and sweet potatoes. Again, everything was delicious!!!

Brian Lyster

Google
This place was a surprise. It seems so casual, and it is, but the food is exceptional. Huge portions also. We started with the pretzel. It was so big. Too much to finish and still have a meal even with two of us. For my meal, I had the Sticky Chicken. I got four pieces of dark meat chicken with two large sides. My wife has the Shrimp and Grits. The food came out hot and my wife is picky about that for this dish and soups. She was very pleased with her order.

Benjamin Sung

Google
We went for lunch a few days after they were listed in the NY Times 50 best restaurants article. We got there at 11:03, since their website said they opened at 11. When we arrived, there was a sign that said they would open at 11:30, and already a line of about 25 people. From when we sat down at 11:30, it took 80 minutes for us to just place an order; after that it took another 45 for us to see our food. (I gave one star for service because of that; the servers themselves were quick, helpful, cheerful, and making the best of a bad situation.) Moving on from that, the food was exceptional. The cup of gumbo was an 8-inch bowl with half a crab and a chicken leg sticking out of it; besides being a *very* generous portion (you'll see this again), it was delicious - the most flavorful, richest gumbo you could imagine, with a smoked pork hock hidden inside to boot. The cheese curds I can't really comment on - I've never had cheese curds, and I ordered them because we were so hungry by the time I ordered. I had the catfish, which came with remoulade, tartar, and cocktail sauce; for my two sides, collard greens and jalapeno blueberry coleslaw. As you can see, it was not a small piece of fish, but it was the perfect thinness and perfectly breaded. Collard greens were overwhelming - that's saying something right there. And I didn't pick up any jalapeno in the slaw, but it was fresh, sweet, and just the right side for my fish. My son got the NOLA hot chicken sandwich, which again you can see was huge. He claims it's better than any fried chicken he's ever had, which puts it at the top of a very tall mountain. All in all, this is an experience you need to have at least once in your life.

Ge Ge F

Google
The black tea is amazing. Good Food and serving size! Cooked to order so the wait time can be challenging but the staff does tell you all the disclaimers up-front. Pick your own seating. There’s items on the menu and on the chalk at the register. The catfish and cornbread is very flavorful! Easy parking.

Tamieka B.

Yelp
Hadn't been here in a while and it did not disappoint. Food is always A+, but if you lack patience, then go somewhere else. Everything is made to order and you need to have good company and plenty of battery life for the wait. It's always worth it. Looks like they give buzzers now and you have to wait for an available table. It also looks like they have decreased the seating, as one of the back rooms was closed off when we went on Saturday. You can't place your order until your buzzer goes off. Apps: Cheese Curds w/red gravy (best bite) Entrees: Sticky Chicken w/ Okra & Cucumber salad Catfish sandwich w/ fried okra Best bite was the cheese curds...omgggggg, we couldn't stop eating those and my husband doesn't like cheese. We will definitely be back for cheese curds to go. Enter freely and make sure you have time to spare.

Alan M.

Yelp
I had this restaurant on my list for a while now and finally came in with a few friends. Upon entering, we were greeted with a hostess that informed us we would not be able to order for at least 30-35 minutes, but we were fine with that and she had us find any open table to sit at. We ended up waiting close to 45 mins. Again, not what we were hoping for but fine. Once we went up to the counter to order, the person taking our order informed us that it would take approximately another 50 minutes for the food to come out. 50 minutes?! We already waited 45 minutes and now you wanted to tell us there's another 50 minutes wait for our food?? Our group decided to just order and wait since we had already been there for so long. It's particularly mind-bogling since the restaurant was by no means packed with patrons. We're they cooking each dish one by one? Was there only one person in the back? Who knows. Yes, there was a good amount of people, but there were also a handful of open tables. Our appetizer ended up coming out ~30 minutes after ordering and our main courses came out at 55 minutes. I had the sticky chicken and I did not expect pretty much a full chicken on my plate! The dish was tasty and wasn't overly sweet. Appetizer and sides were good, exactly what you'd expect. Although the food was great, I cannot get over the wait time. It would have been nice if the hostess had let us know from the moment we walked in that wewould be waiting about an hour and a half for our food. There were a couple of other parties ahead of us that ended up leaving, probably due to the long wait. I've never seen a restaurant with such a long wait. Though I'd like to come back for some good soul food, I cannot stomach the wait time, so probably will not be back unless the wait times change.

Gordon L.

Yelp
Brought a friend from Wyoming here for the first time. And the food never lets you down. They cleaned their plate and loved the food. The only negative comments is the cleanliness of the dinning and bath rooms needs some serious attention. I give the food 5 stars and the overall review of 3 due to the cleanliness.

Symone F.

Yelp
I knew the wait was going to be long so I was prepared. What I was not prepared for was having to wait almost and 1hr to order my food via a buzzer and then waiting an additional 1hr and 30mins to receive food. Once I received my food, I could not enjoy because I became a human fly swatter due to all of the gnats that was flying around my food. So I decided to take my food to go and eat in my car so I could semi enjoy it without the gnats and my sticky chicken had a hairy surprise for me. I have attached a photo with the hair in my food. This restaurant has a lot of potential but if they do not make some changes soon, they will become an afterthought. I am willing to give them another try!

Mattie L.

Yelp
What a wonderful way to have a Brunch Birthday Celebration. The food was wonderful!!! I had a cup of gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, Blue Crab, Okra, File, Boiled Egg and Rice. I've never had an egg in gumbo, but it gave it a great taste. I also had the Crispy Fried Louisiana Catfish. Cornmeal crusted catfish, remoulade, chili honey sauce, roasted poblano aioli, with collard greens and red beans with rice. I love to eat and this was perfect. Ten stars.

Pareesa M.

Yelp
Okay let me make this short and sweet. Anything you order here is going to be AMAZING - but you will need to be patient. If you're hangry and ready to eat, this is not the place for you. This restaurant, even when it doesn't look busy, will have a heck of a wait time to prepare your food. So - bring a deck of cards, bring some games, bring some good company, bring ANYTHING that will help you pass the time, but you will LOVE the food you have when it comes :)

Daisy C.

Yelp
Bring your tastebuds & patience. It was a long wait, but all the fresh made, delicious food was worth it. We arrived at 11:10a on Sunday & we were 8th in line for ordering. Everything was made fresh & piping hot & exquisite! Food was amazing. We had the fresh fried pork rinds, cup of gumbo, fried catfish platter, 2 specials of the day: gulf shrimp crawfish etouffee & cafe brunch burger (8 oz beef patty, rib eye steak slices, hashbrown, fried egg, cheese & gravy) All Funky, retro chic cafe. Casual & laid back. BYOB

Chris F.

Yelp
Sticky chicken and the honey butter chicken sandwich smash! Definitely check this spot out!

Maria W.

Yelp
This restaurant is good for vegetarians, but as a vegan, it was tasty for the only meal that I could order. At first glance at the menu, the "veggie special" comes with fried plantains, cornbread, and three sides. The three sides I chose were sweet potatoes (yams), rice with gravy (vegetarian), and cucumber and tomato salad (vegan). Don't be fooled by this New Orleans-style establishment, there isn't a waitstaff or servers. You have to go to the front to order your food and they still expect you to leave a tip when they didn't do anything, but take your order. The decor, tables, and ambiance of the restaurant are very rustic even the paint was peeling off of the center table. They have AC and a bit of a flying gnats/flies situation inside the dining area. I kept having to swat away a pesky gnat that was annoying me. There wasn't much space between the different tables. The wait time was very long since the food was made to order. I witnessed a lot of disappointed faces as the food took its precious time to come out of the kitchen. One thing that bothered me was the tiny portion sizes of the veggie special. It only came with two small pieces of plantains, all of the sides were equivalent to a cup. Not filling whereas anything else ordered on the menu was monstrous sizes. Also, with the portion sizes of a child's meal, the price shouldn't have been $14. It should have been at least $8. The flavor was delicious and everything was well seasoned. I didn't eat the cornbread because if it was made with eggs, it would have made me terribly sick. I just couldn't take any chances. The outside patio is ugly and pretty gross with all the cigarette butts planted inside of the dirt of graveyard plants. I even saw some trash in some of the pots. There isn't much of a curb appeal. The rest of my party immensely loved the food even one person mentioned that it tasted like their mom's food from childhood times. It is slim pickings that I'll come back to due to the tiny portion sizes. I couldn't get my money's worth!

misty r.

Yelp
Food was ok. Some was overly salty. We order the pork rinds which were good. The pretzel it was so soft and the dipping sauce was good. The cheese curds were too salty but ok. Okra was salty. The jambalaya was the best thing out of all of plates. There was 5 of us. Chicken and waffles was decent, fried catfish was good, the honey butter bacon fried chicken sandwich had very thick batter and too much salt as well. The few things that stuck out was how dirty the place was. The bathroom was extremely dusty and felt like it needed a deep cleaning. Where we sat off in a back part of the dining room there was cobwebs in the corners and again extremely dusty. And the NATS they were everywhere from the table back to the bathrooms. It was our first time trying this place since so many people recommended it. But honestly I think it's also our last. Do expect to wait. They give you a pager, you will be allowed to ORDER once that goes off. It took us 40 minutes to order and another hour to receive our food. It's located in a run down strip center and I believe they are the only place open. Like I said could use a pretty good deep cleaning throughout , shampoo the rugs that are there for sure. maybe some cleaning around the outside & spruce up the curb appeal. And calm down the heavy hand that is seasoning the food.

Lacy P.

Yelp
Do not dine here if you are in a rush or hungry ! Food was absolutely delicious but the wait time was long. Showed up for opening at 11 am and at 11:05 am one of the workers came out to inform us to, "give them a minute before opening". Well the minute turn into them opening their doors at 11:18 am. The customer service is good but very irritated with the wait time. I loved that the staff is knowledgeable of their menu and how the food tastes. I typically do not order gumbo at a restaurant but their gumbo was very good and loved that it had a dark roux. The red beans and rice was so good as well, just wish I was given a little more rice for the amount of beans on the plate. The fish was huge and beautifully fried and seasoned to perfection! The corn bread was buttered, crispy and so good. Two things I did not care for was the rice and gravy, which had a sweet taste to it. The greens seemed to be season with only black pepper and I was looking for more of a smoke flavor. There is also a variety of juices and teas with refills. I look forward to coming back just hope the wait times are better.

Yavonne E.

Yelp
10/11/24. First let me concede that 1 I have been here many times before and the food was great and 2. I showed up Sunday at 3pm and 3. The manager said , after I got my food that they were short staffed. Concessions aside , the food was horrible and inedible this time around and I wondered did any taste it before serving it? The red beans and rice were undercooked and for whatever reason tasted like it had sage and poultry seasoning in it, the green were inedible with way too much salt and red pepper. The yams I am sure came from a can and the chicken breast was unseasoned. I had fried okra that was greasy and burnt. I would have turned around to take the absolute worse meal I ever had back except for I drove an hour to get it and they were already closed but I basically just as well had took $50 and through it in the garbage. Sad because I used to think the hour drive was worth it but now I would be hesitant to do it again.

Rick W.

Yelp
Nobody wants to wait over 2 hours for their food! No phone orders, so you have to go into the restaurant to place an order...even a 'take-out' order. That alone takes 30 minutes. Then it takes 1 hour for the food to come. God forbid the "ticket doesn't print" in the back and the order is never received by the chef. We ordered at 1:50 and still didn't have food at 3:20. Add the 30 min wait just to order, and, well...I was no longer "excited" about the visit. Mind you, we brought games with us to keep us busy while we waited. The food is good...but not "almost 3 hours to get it" good. They need more chefs, or something. Otherwise, this restaurant will consistently lose customers. I shared my experience with a friend and they also stated that despite the food being good, they are not willing to go back and wait that long. There are way too many restaurants to have to wait 30 mins just to order and another hour to eat. I wish them well, but I can't support this business model. I live close but I would rather drive to Pearland's soul food restaurant.

Stacey S.

Yelp
Went here today, first time. Got there at 11am and was maybe the 6-7 custom. Was given a drink and buzzer before sitting down. You are greeted by a sign that states if time isn't what you have...this isn't your place. I found this to be a correct statement. Not only did we have to wait for groceries to be delivered before they could start taking orders BUT it was 12:20 before I got my order. Two people, 60$ with a tip, porkrinds with a jalapeño lime dipping sauce (???) for appetizer; came fairly quickly. One plate of shrimp and grits and the NOLA hot chicken sandwich with blueberry coleslaw with collard greens. The lemonade stand is a fantastic thirst quencher. Porkrinds were very fresh, had a sweet and spicy dust with a dipping sauce they paired nice with them. Shrimp and grits were just a healthy portion I took left overs home. It felt more like shrimp gumbo over grits vibe. Very savory gravy that gave me a "home feeling" comfort food at mommas house. Grits could have added garlic and butter to them. NOLA hot chicken sandwich with blueberry coleslaw was FIRE! All the flavors worked very well and complimented each other nicely. Over all I would go back but please don't go if you don't have 2 or more hours to hang around.

AshNJusty N.

Yelp
This was by far our favorite dinning experience! The food is absolutely delicious! Portions do come from the heart! The hostess was so friendly and helpful. We appreciated her very much. The restaurant itself is nice- it is also BYOB which is a nice feature however leaving us just a tad heartbroken we didn't have a chance to enjoy a crafty cocktail with our amazing meal! We will be back for sure! ~ Ash & Justy & A

Antauis B.

Yelp
This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Houston! This my first time posting about it EVER!! Now that the New York Times has included this restaurant in Top 50 in the US... secrets out and I can't keep it to myself any longer ! Every single dish I have ordered has been EXCELLENT . The food is cooked to order so be patient, order some appetizers or play some games at your table. The wait will be worth it ! I highly suggest you try the specials alongside the menu items as the specials are not always available .Shout out to Chef Aaron and the best staff Jessica , Angel and Shelby . Yall are the best ! The ambiance is very relaxed and feels like you are home. The staff are super nice !! Treat them well and show them some love back!

D T.

Yelp
I've been going here for many years--I've bragged & even plugged on my website that they have the best Gumbo in the entire Galaxy!!A couple of concerns. 1. Poor Service--No excuses--Have to do better-Doesn't matter if a customer comes at 7:35p on a Thursday vs. Saturday at 1pm. 2. Roach Infestation--German Roaches now several times (4-month span) in both the Counter & Dining Area (Can you imagine the kitchen?). Sadly, I won't support this restaurant ever again. "Great Athletes don't always become the best coaches". Get you some support boss!--Lot's of great restauranteurs in town can support the ends & outs for as operations so this establishment can match the food & service all together. It's all about alignment.

Sherry W.

Yelp
While we were in Kemah, we decided to have dinner at Viola's & Anges' Neo Soul Cajun Restaurant. When you walk in there's a sign to grab a menu, seat yourself, then go to place your order. We waited almost an hour to get our food. Although the food was good, the wait was much longer than we expected. We ordered shrimp & grits, chicken and waffles, and Seafood bake. The sides were collard greens, white beans, yams, and cornbread. The best out of the sides were the collard greens. All of the entrees were full of flavor and arrived at the table hot and ready to eat. The best entree was the chicken and waffles. Man! I've never tasted chicken, on the top a waffles, as tender and juicy as it was. The waffle had a sweet flavor and served nice and fluffy. If you're ever in the area, you need to stop by and try V&A, only if you have the time and patience to wait. It's well worth it.

Gwen T.

Yelp
Viola & Agnes neverrrrrr disappoints! Despite the negative comments they ROCK!! The food is amazing! Granted you must be prepared to wait, due to the fact that your food is prepared fresh once you place your order. It's first come, first serve based. So, if you are willing to wait, it's worth it!! The place has a retro chic, neo-soul kinda a vibe. Family oriented. For me, a 10 out of 10!!

Hector Z.

Yelp
This place was different. Since you have to get a number to even place an order. That was a 10 min wait at 1pm. Then maybe a 10min wait for appetizers. But it was worth the wait. Like the sign says BE PREPARED TO WAIT. The cup of gumbo was a full meal. The pork grinds were definitely fresh. They were still cracking from being just cooked. The pretzel with crab dip was amazing. Portion sizes are huge. Next time one appetizer and one dish Location was good, very well lit. Newbies need to make sure they pay attention to ordering process. We sat down and didn't realize we needed to get a number first.

Minda F.

Yelp
We were a party of 6 from out of town, decided to check it out based on good reco from friends. I give this restaurant 3 stars for a number of reasons: 1. We knew the wait was long but not prepared for just how long it took. We were told it'll be about 35 min just to wait to order. We wanted about an hour. 2. Once we ordered, we were told it'll be about another 45 min before our food came out, it was about an hour when food finally came out. In total we arrived at 5 and didn't leave until 8. 3. Tons of little gnats everywhere which was annoying, tables and chairs were all sticky. Virtually no service as everything was self service but when we paid they automatically added gratuity on us. 4. Food was very salty. It was hit or miss. The stew was delicious, so were the crispy cheese curds, but shrimp and grits were super salty and too much gravy on top. For all these reasons we wouldn't go back. Food not worth it.

Ericka S.

Yelp
As someone whose Louisiana roots go back generations and is also a native Texan, I can honestly say Viola & Agnes offers a great rendition of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine. From what I understand, the chef is from Louisiana, and the establishment itself is kind of an homage (in name and spirit) to his Louisiana relatives, Viola and Agnes. The day we visited, even the chef's mother was visiting the restaurant and explained the familial connections and decor to us. She was very kind, sweet, and it was a warm-hearted exchange. The decor of the restaurant is charming and unique. I loved seeing the old refrigerator and vintage clocks, as well as the colorful beads hanging off one piece of furniture. The chalkboard is also really cool. As I recall, there are no menus here, and everything is made to order. The daily offerings are written on the chalkboard. On the culinary side, I ordered the catfish with greens and red beans and rice. Everything was so delicious. There are numerous restaurants in Houston which try to pull off this same kind of cuisine, but most fail. Honestly, it is hard to pull off Louisiana cuisines here. Even the shrimp, gumbo and French bread just taste different. Perhaps something in the water. But I would contend who's doing the cooking matters. The flavor profiles, in my opinion, are more sophisticated but also more subtle at Viola & Agnes compared to Houston restaurants. You can taste the herbs and spices, and the food isn't salty. It kind of reminds me of my great grandma's cooking. She was the kind of person who always added bay leaves to gumbo and would slow cook a dish for hours. The greens at Viola & Agnes were seasoned just right and tasted fresh. The catfish was fried and seasoned perfectly, and not too hard. The red beans and rice were sublime. Even the iced tea was so good. The service was also really good. This place is located in Clear Lake, on the way to Kemah, but definitely worth a drive from Houston. Expect a wait since everything is made to order, but I definitely highly recommend Viola & Agnes Cafe.

Christina M.

Yelp
Fellow yelper Derek Y. highly recommended we come here on our Houston trip in September. We planned to check out Galveston for one day so this place was on our route. Great recommendation! Short but sweet review is that this spot is delicious. Important things to note- if you're very hungry and need food sooner than later, order an appetizer. There is literally a sign on the door that asks for patience for food to be prepared. Our order did take a while and I kept seeing other tables get food, they ordered a first course before the main entree. I was just getting hangry lol. Once the food came it was so delicious. The sticky chicken meal is unbelievably good. The chicken is full of flavor and sticky glaze. Really tender and soft meat. Also very enjoyable was the fried catfish sandwich. The only thing I didn't really like was the fried okra. I had wished I ordered a different side. It was a bit dried out. Otherwise everything else was really great. Order a tea if you want to drink it our if the largest ball jar with refills. I drank so much iced tea haha.

Sylvia M.

Yelp
The food here is SO good! I had read about the long wait, so it was nice to know that ahead of time. It was one hour from the time that we ordered to when we received our main dishes. It was so worth the wait! There were 4 of us and we ordered the cheese curds to share. This came out a lot sooner than our mains so we had something to snack on. They need to change the name of this dish to something else because "curds" does not sound appealing. The cheese curds were delicious! Our party ordered Chicken & Waffles , 2 Nola Hot Chicken Sandwich, and a chicken special. All of the food was excellent and the serving size is enough for 2 people to share one dish. We all had half of our dishes to take home. I ordered the cucumber and tomato salad, as a healthy option, and didn't expect anything special. I let everyone at our table sample this salad and everyone loved it! These are the most flavorful vegetables I've ever had. The place was nice, good music, that wasn't too loud. The employees were all very nice. This place has very unique food with very unique and delicious seasonings. I highly recommend this place! Everyone just needs to know that they shouldn't be in any hurry and expect to wait at least an hour for their food. So worth it!

Jasmeen E.

Yelp
This place was quite the drive. It took me about 50 minutes to an hour to get here from Southwest Houston. I actually loved the ambience of this place. This place has been highly revered and so I was really hyped about going to go check it out for the first time. Me and my friends ordered a lot of food and we tried everything. The gumbo was good, but it was too salty. I've also never had an egg inside of my gumbo which I felt like was different but it actually taste very good but again it was too salty. Red beans and rice we're very salty. I sent it back. They remade it instead of providing a refund and it came back and it was still salty I didn't want to send it back again and they just offered to give me something else and replace it so I just took a piece of cake home. On this day, they were doing strawberry biscuits, which was by far the best biscuits I've ever had in my life!! Highly recommend a permanent item if it's not already. The yams are good, the fried chicken is good! The sausage is good and the cornbread is good! The white beans were saltier than the red beans and rice. I did not like it. I did not send it back. The Cajun corn was salty. They give you a huge piece of catfish, which I love the flavor was good but it was a little too salty. I can see why this place is talked about, but they need to reevaluate how much salt is being put in the food because almost everything I had was salty, although the flavor was good. I don't know if I would get this place another try being that it's almost an hour away especially if I had to drive. All my friends had been here before and they said they believe the kitchen was just having an off day because they never expand the level of salt that we all experience on this day. So I would hope they get that issue fixed, because the prices to portion sizes are great!!!

Michel P.

Yelp
Before I speak about food, let me warn you about the experience. If you are extremely hungry and not inclined to wait a while before you eat, then you might not like this place. If you are picky about your surroundings; Just know this place is casual. Now about the food: Bring with you something to read, some papers to grade, or a companion that has a long list of lies to tell because BA-BY! Once that food hits your table, you will think you have died and have gone straight to heaven! The Gumbo is delightful and so flavorful! It's truly the Gumbo your Gramma use to make back in 1945! You might think you know how to cook shrimp, or for you Northerners-PRAWNS! But let me tell ya! You don't. This spot rocks seafood so good, the crabs, shrimp and every other living, sacrificed live animal turned food would be proud! Don't forget to bring your BYOB and get ready for a taste of Heaven. Yep, this place is as good as it gets. Do expect left overs if you buy an appetizer along with your meal. I'm hard to impress when it comes to eating at a restaurant but let me say, this food is worth every dime you spend!!!! $$$ UPDATE-10/21/2024 Ate the leftovers from the meal I purchased at the restaurant. GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! The taste was just as good as it was yesterday or maybe even better! Now trust me, I know what you're thinking; this must be a scam comment. So let me assure you, it isn't. I'm just tickled that the food is so good. I've written enough bad reviews on terrible restaurants. I take it seriously. So, I'm happy to be on the positive side of a review. Get cha some!

Mike M.

Yelp
I had dinner here last week while in the area. Viola & Agnes' is located in a low rent strip center with parking in front. Inside, it's kind of spacious with a separate and unused looking bar area and two dining rooms that offers a nice and casual atmosphere. It is a counter service restaurant and the lady working behind it recommended the fried catfish saying it was their most popular offering so I went with that. I picked the two side dishes of fried okra and jalapeño blueberry coleslaw and the cost was just $18.50. The restaurant was slow that night with maybe 7 or 8 other diners inside yet it took 40 minutes for my meal to arrive. I read some other reviews describing a similar experience. In all fairness, there is a sign on the front door that says they take their time in cooking your meal so they do warn you. The food was excellent. 1 large catfish fillet perfectly fried in a delicious seasoned batter that came with three dipping sauces too. The fried okra had a special seasoning in its batter adding a better flavor than most fried okra has. The coleslaw sounded so unusual and was oh so good. Yes, I could taste the blueberry in the slaw with a hint of jalapeño. Touché chef! This meal was closer to a 5 than a 4 and at that price point constituted good value. With the wait I had and figuring that if I had arrived to a busy restaurant my wait would have been longer, I am rating this a 4 but only for that reason. If time is not important to you, come eat here. I would be happy to return.

Dominique T.

Yelp
I heard about this place through social media. so let's review. We arrived on a Wednesday as soon as they opened. The atmosphere gives New Orleans vibes. There was a party of about 7 people ahead of us, so we were instructed that we had to wait to put our order in. Every order is freshly made, so it takes time and they don't want too many orders piled up. This was kind of a buzz kill for us, but again from the pictures I seen on social media, we decided to wait. Once our buzzer went off in about 30 mins of us being there we were able to order. For our appetizer, we order the baked pretzel with blue crab dip. This sounded so good to us and that party of 7 ordered about 3 of them so we knew they had to be good. From the first bite, we were in Heaven. Neither one of us eats pretzels like that, but this one was so soft perfectly salted and baked. The crab dip was delicious!!!! For our entrees I got the seafood gumbo. The bowl was huge, a great portion size. It was full of meat and the roux was perfect. You can tell it was southern made. I ate what I could and took the rest home. Marc had the fried catfish sandwhich. He has been searching for some good catfish in Houston, and in his words he has finally found the perfect catfish. It was seasoned and fried to perfection! The sweet to savory flavors blended very well together on the sandwhich. And the coleslaw was the perfect side. The service was great, everyone was so friendly and had great energy. The only complaint I have is the gnats. I hate gnats with a passion and I definitely do not want to dine with them. So, it would be great if they could get that under control. Other than that I rate the a 10/10. I would recommend them to everyone and would go back daily if I lived closer.

Lesli S.

Yelp
Absolutely excellent! They make everything fresh so be prepared to wait. Catfish, gumbo, sticky chicken, fried okra! Much more. Best we have had!!! BYOB!

Quinice P.

Yelp
Taking my order was much a struggle, waited over 20 minutes to order, just left because they said it would take longer. Need a better system.

Renee B.

Yelp
Outstanding. The pretzel was delicious on its own. Gumbo was hot, fresh and soothed the soul. It was a chilly day and it literally warmed me up. The Cajun fried chicken wings was reminiscent of my grandma's and brought back some memories. The collard greens were good, but the jalapeño, blueberry coleslaw was simply amazing. I would never have thought to put those flavors together. Simply a masterful fusion of layers of incredible flavors. I'll be back for sure!

Danny S.

Yelp
Food here is really good. So if you're a "foodie" I would highly recommend it on that alone. I had gumbo, sticky chicken, and a pretzel. Sticky chicken might have been the best dish I've had all year. It's kind of a dive, so just know that going into it and you'll be alright. One of the cooks said to give them a couple minutes because they were behind before ordering. I think most people would be a little upset, but I appreciated the transparency. I think a little update to the decor might go a long way. Really REALLY good food though

Regina C.

Yelp
Food was good, not great. Service was horrible, 73 minute wait for food and we arrived 30 minutes after they opened. New Orleans ambiance, dirty bathroom. Rude staff.

Ciara N.

Yelp
I love coming here to eat. It's a treat. The teas are delicious. The food is home cooked so y'all need to make sure u bring some patience. From my personal experience, from the time you order til the time u get your food, it will be about 30-45 minutes. So enjoy your tea and don't be rushing anyone to hurry up. That's not the vibes here. It's not fast food but it is DELICIOUS FOOD okay...? I haven't had a bad meal here and I've been here quite a few times. I will say that the parking lot is small and it's the type of restaurant that u order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. They will also give u mason jars with ice for your tea/ water and u fill it up yourself. Come here, eat and Enjoy!!!!!! I come here to reward myself.

Tiphany B.

Yelp
I absolutely LOVE this place. I can't believe that I have once again forgotten to take a photo of the deeeee-licious food. To enjoy your experience, I suggest the following: 1. Arrive hungry, but not starving. Everything is cooked to order so there will be a wait. The portions are huge. 2. Check them out on social media and Yelp to find daily specials, regular menu items, customer faves. Don't be afraid to ask about specials that aren't on the board. If Chef Aaron can, he will make it for you. He's amazing and accommodating... a perk of everything being cooked to order. 3. It's BYOB with a corkage fee, so bring a bottle and enjoy some quality time with your dining companion(s). They do have glasses, but we bring our own just because we like them. 4. Enjoy your dining experience for what it is... a meal to be enjoyed.

Curtis G.

Yelp
So I arrive at the restaurant during normal operating hours (2 PM on Friday) and I'm told they can't take orders until 3 PM because the kitchen is closed. Operating hours per their website are 11 AM - 8 PM. How is your kitchen closed during normal operating hours? Like 12 people have left because of that. It's very frustrating especially since I drove 30 minutes to eat here. I have eaten here in the past and the food is really good and so is the service. I don't know what happened today.

Jessica H.

Yelp
Had girls dinner at V&A and our food was amazing! They are BYOB, so we brought our own wine, cork fee is $5. When you walk in, there is a sign to grab menus and seat yourself. They do have an everyday menu but they also have a chalk board on the left side of the restaurant that shows all of their specials. We started with a special which was a pretzel with blue crab dip. The pretzel was soft, perfect amount of salt, and made to order. The blue crab dip, was incredible and we all wanted the dip portion to be bigger, I guess we also expected it to be more, especially for being $20! Nonetheless it was delicious! The gumbo was perfect! Had all of the fixings and even an hard boiled egg! So good!! The chicken and waffles were delicious! Waffles cooked to perfection, chicken was crunchy and crispy! Balance was great! The fried catfish was crispy, flaky, and tender! It comes with two sides, I chose collared greens and red beans and rice. They were both so tasty!! The wings were a special on the chalkboard, they were doused in sauce that was full of flavor! Their fried okra was an extra side that we ordered and holy moly! The best fried okra, ever! The restaurant it self is older and could use a facelift, cute things on the wall here and there, but it's an old building. Pack your patience when you come here, as the food does take longer than usual, but it is so worth it.

Natasha K.

Yelp
Coworkers and I ordered from here for lunch. 2 orders of catfish, shrimp and grits, cup of gumbo. Total was $97. The wait was a little longer than anticipated as we ordered it to go, but we concluded this is definitely a "sit down and enjoy the meal" sort of place and not really the best lunch option. Everyone was full and the food was rich with flavors and excellent. But not sure it's the best quick lunch option. Shrimp and grits were excellent very saucy and mushroomy which I didn't mind because I love mushrooms. Was hoping for a little more grits and less sauce. Catfish fillets were gigantic and fried well. The jumbo pretzel was also good but my boss said it was more like bread instead of a true pretzel. Everything was eaten!

Lynn L.

Yelp
When I say it is a WAIT to get your food, it is crazy So first off be prepared to wait patiently like everyone else is doing you can bring your wine and It is sooo worth every 45 minutes I spent waiting. The food is truly creole cooking at its finest The oxtails are not always on the menu. If you choose the day that it is served. ORDER them

Claudia L.

Yelp
It's a hidden gem. We went for Sunday lunch. It was packed but the main dining room was full except for 3 tables (which were taken up shortly after we arrived). Be prepare to wait a while for food but it's so worth it! Gumbo: we got the cup and it's enough to feed 2 and it's in a bowl. Can't beat the price and the quality of the food! The table next to us ordered a bowl and it was almost like a serving bowl size. Shrimp & grits: so much flavor and it's filling. It was 2 meals for me.

C B.

Yelp
Celebrated my daughter's birthday at her adamant request. This was her second visit. This is an older restaurant in Seabrook. Right off the back, "you will wait over 30 minutes" for your food orders. All orders are made to order. There's lots of pics on the wall no rhyme of reason to decorations. I read 2 articles posted by the entrance that shared the story of Louisiana owners. There's a sign to seat yourself, order from blackboards, and get comfortable. The restaurant wasn't filled but there were steady guests streaming in during our visit. The entrees are enormous and filling. We ordered fried catfish, collard greens, sweet potatoes, red velvet waffles, wings, fried okra, chicken sandwich, beef cheeks, red beans and rice, and Mac and cheese. The latter not pictured. I didn't enjoy my collards which had a weird fishy taste nor sweet potatoes which tasted bland. All the other items were well seasoned. Items are reasonably priced.

Liea T.

Yelp
Viola and Agnes is the epitome of culinary excellence. The gumbo that they serve is by far the best I have ever had. Each dish is cooked to absolute perfection, leaving your taste buds in a state of pure bliss. The portion sizes are so generous that you are almost guaranteed to have leftovers, which is always a bonus. The staff is always friendly and helpful. The relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere enhances the overall dining experience.

Paula M.

Yelp
Without a doubt, some of the best creole food I have eaten this side of the Sabine River. The menu is creative with many delectable choices and the portions are huge. They don't serve adult beverages, but you can bring your own in at no charge (don't expect a nice wine glass if you bring in wine lol). I only gave it four stars because the place is a bit of a dump. It's clean, but it looks like a backwater Café in New Orleans, but then maybe that's the idea.. (It used to be a really nice British Pub and some of the chandeliers are still there, but it's fallen into disrepair and the chandeliers are really out of place. Plus when you walk in the front door, you are in what used to be the bar at the pub, and the bar is now used for storing crates and an old refrigerator so it's not a welcoming sight at the entry point). There is no ambience and the background music is loud pop instead of something more Cajun, which is what one would expect at a Cajun kitchen. It's a scratch kitchen, ie each dish is prepared with fresh ingredients and cooked entirely from scratch, which of course is what makes it so delicious, so plan on waiting close to an hour for your food. Maybe longer on weekends. If you come prepared to wait, it's definitely worth it.

Tyisha G.

Yelp
Walking it this places looks like it's been around for a while. We walked to the area to place our order and were greeted promptly and given the menu tips since this was my first time. Honestly everything looked amazing and I wanted to try it ALL! I ordered the Nola Fish sandwich it was the one that was spicy and got the black beans and rice! This sandwich came out hanging off the freaking plate it was so big. I could only eat it by cutting it in half, it was soooo tasty! I tried everyone's food and it was all amazing! I only hv one complaint about the restaurant there were so many gnats around. If they could get this under control I'd give them a 10! My hunny and I will return so he can try out the place I've been raving about... hopefully the gnats will be better by then.

Marisa S.

Yelp
Had lunch here for my birthday. The place was colorful and relaxing. I loved the bathroom! It was BYOB at the time I visited. I had the catfish and my boyfriend had the donut burger. The interactions were friendly and welcoming.

Ernest S.

Yelp
Outside of the long wait, it was worth every bit and I shall return soon and arrive much earlier.

Alice L.

Yelp
Extremely good food, good wait staff. I would have taken a picture of the shrimp and grits but couldn't wait to dive in! A+

James K.

Yelp
It's been several years, and at the old address. My wife and I both had the catfish, mine was blackened, hers was grilled, I believe. I enjoyed my whole meal very much, but my wife did not, as everything was too spicy for her, even though we asked for them to back off of the spicy for her. Thus we never went back. I will try it again in the new location. Service was great, don't know about ambiance in new location, although I I had visited the location with previous restaurants and the ambiance was very nice, even with a small stage and musicians. Don't know about now.

Gabriela F.

Yelp
Wowowow, the food here is so so so good! Everything made to order, will be a wait but it's definitely worth it - tried a bit of everything with my boyfriend tonight and might i say we're very impressed. Smelled so good right when you walk in.