Nancy’s Hustle Has One of the Most Essential Dishes in Texas
The East Downtown neighborhood bistro takes its name from Mad Max’s Fat Nancy’s Café and Houston’s “Hustle Town” nickname. Those pop-culture bona fides are woven right into its DNA. Nancy’s Hustle is cool and unpretentious with a menu unafraid of a little experimentation. As a winner of Eater Houston’s Restaurant of the Year in 2018, this place has proven its staying power — home to one of the entire Lone Star state’s most essential dishes.
What to order
- The burger ($18) is a permanent fixture for good reason. Two juicy patties, melted American cheese, and sharp sour pickles are stacked inside a brioche English muffin. It’s a strange choice that somehow thrusts a dish you’ve had a million times into unchartered territory. The crisp exterior and spongy interior, mixed with a pronounced tangy flavor of the English muffin really work here, creating the burger in Texas.
- The Nancy Cakes ($10/$20) — cornmeal pancakes with smoked trout roe, cultured butter, and chives. They’re a mix of sweet, salty, and creamy. The dish encapsulates what Nancy’s Hustle is about: playful yet serious about its food, always in pursuit of the right balance between comfort, quality, and luxuriousness.
- The chilled amaro shot ($6) changes with the season. On the summer menu, it was bianco vermouth with a lemon twist and olives. In the fall, the team’s gone for a warmer sweet vermouth with orange, topped with hibiscus foam on top.
The vibe
Dim lighting, mid-century wood paneled walls, and the kind of playlist that jumps from Solange to David Bowie without breaking a sweat.
Insider tip
This summer, the restaurant expanded to daily dinner service, making its elusive reservations just a little easier to score. With an ever-changing menu and homey vibe, the sweet spot for a reservation is a party of four. That’s enough to crowd the table with plates and try as many things as possible, but also a party size that’s easy to accommodate in what’s kind of a small space.
