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05/22/2026
The summer samba is here for the arrival of summer!
It’s not summer, meteorologically speaking, for another week. But in reality it’s been summer for a month already in houston, and we’ve been drinking like it.
Behold ’s summer samba. A tequila highball with tropical fruit and coconut notes. Is it proto-tiki?Tropical-esque? We’re not here for semantic debates only cold tasty drinks in frozen glasses.
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05/19/2026
Don’t call it chips and queso: it’s smoked stracciatella with pickled ramps and seed crackers!
Obviously we love local produce above all else, but we will break this preference if it’s something we really want- like ramps! That elusive allium that tastes like garlic and green onion doesn’t grow in Texas, but we got tired of sitting this ingredient out, so indulged and pulled the trigger.
We pickle ramp bulbs with sherry vin and aromatics, and lay those tart garlicky bubs on a dish of smoked stracciatella cheese in all its creamy, velvety goodness. Finishing touches are ramp oil made from the ramp tops, some saba (cooked down grape must), and a squeeze of lemon.
The vehicle to get this cheese and ramp situation to your mouth is seed crackers, made from a litany thereof: sesame, flax, chia, sunflower, and pumpkin, with some koji to give it a little extra umami. They get some ramp powder too, for pizazz. Frankly we’re obsessed with them, and as you may have guessed, they’re gluten free.
Come and grab a taste before they’re gone, we pickled as much as we could but ramp season is notoriously short.
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05/14/2026
Mahi mahi in a pil pil sauce: a dish so good they had to name the components twice.
You know mahi mahi- prized saltwater boi known for a firm meaty flesh we’d liken to swordfish. Pil Pil is not quite as common round these parts- a velvety thick sauce we make by simmering fish bones in fino sherry, then whisking it in with a garlicky olive oil. Chef with the basque deep cut.
We give our mahi a little extra texture by crusting it in poha and pan searing it to get that flattened rice all crispy. Below the fish goes a puree of sweet peppers, and atop goes some sauteed slices of the same.
Let the vibrant red hue of this dish guide you booze wise- we love it with dry rose.
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05/10/2026
We’re looking for two full-time support staff member to join us!
In case the analogy this post is making scares you, rest assured you will never have to physically carry another staff member or even get close to Mordor. But having dedicated servers and support IS critical to our success. This is a job for someone who likes to go real fast and stay engaged- Nancy’s is a busy restaurant.
If you’re interested, hit us up at [email protected]. We offer competitive pay, health insurance that kicks in immediately (with vision and dental available after 3 months), reasonable hours (4 shifts a week), and a healthy daily staff meal in a workplace free of discriminatory nonsense.
05/04/2026
We’re closed for the remainder of the evening due to technical difficulties.
04/28/2026
We’re looking to grow our team with another front of house manager!
Obviously we’re looking for someone with serious restaurant experience. More specifically we’re looking for someone who can:
-uphold high standards of service at high volume in a relatively small space
-set the pace of service by example and lead with confidence
-lend support to any team member when needed during service
-endeavor to control the flow of a high volume of reservations and walk-ins guests
-deliver feedback with emotional intelligence and clarity
-move really fast
-(move really fast all the time).
Compensation will be based on experience, but also comes with good health insurance that kicks in immediately, with vision and dental available after 3 months. Beyond the boilerplate of this job ad: this is a very rare job opening to manage the floor of a thrillingly busy restaurant serving food we’re all excited about, with an experienced team. Do you want to go fast with us? If so, send a resume to [email protected] and a few lines about why you want to work with us.
04/22/2026
Marvel upon our new roasted strawberry shaved ice with coconut custard!
Ok it’s not quite new but we’re making it IG grid official, hard launching it so to speak. We acquired a Swan shaved ice machine for this, so rest assured we’re staying committed to the shaved ice bit.
We start by infusing a coconut custard with shiso leaf as the first layer. On top of this, roasted strawberries. On top of that? Shaved ice flavored with the syrup of the aforementioned roasted strawberries (there’s a hit of dried shiso in there too).
On top of the mound of strawberry shaved ice goes a cacophony of textures and flavors: toasted coconut flakes, lime zest, diced fresh strawberries, and a drizzle of the coconut custard. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, how you like them apples, etc.
It’s a riot of changing flavors, textures, and temperature- while staying focused on strawberries and (coconut) cream, with the sweet undercurrent of shiso peeking through each bite.
No gluten, no dairy, no problem. Eat it now, before strawberry season is gone.
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04/15/2026
🚨 TARTARE ALERT TARTARE ALERT 🚨
Lamb tartare is back! Diced raw lamb with crunchy marcona almonds and buttery castelvetrano olives on a layer of chili aioli!
We serve it with grilled flatbread crusted in a preposterous amount of sesame seeds!
A celebration of textural and temperature contrasts- the lamb tartare is one of our all time classics. For those of you in the know: the beacon is lit. For newcomers, welcome. Stop by to see what the hype is all about.
04/08/2026
The grilled asparagus is back!
Because asparagus are back in season, but you knew that. We largely get out of the way of the asparagus here: we grill them just enough to impart the smokey grill goodness and tenderize them, but keep them snappy enough to pick up with your paws.
All asparagus cry out for a classic rich sauce, and we answer the call with a generous dollop of bearnaise and a sprinkle of bread crumbs and shrimp crunch for a little texture.
We admit, it’s a little steakhouse-coded, but we do sell a conspicuous amount of ribeyes, so is it really that weird? The bearnaise is ample, so don’t be shy about dipping other stuff into it (steak, fries, car keys, etc). Eat them now, today!
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03/20/2026
Here’s the deets on our new panisse dish with morel mushrooms and braised tripe: you’re going to enjoy it, like- mandatorily.
We hear you that some of you don’t like tripe, and chef Sam has done an incredible job of making it delicious, and folding it into a dish that lets it shine as a supporting cast member of the ensemble. Meet the gang:
Crispy Panisse: this essentially a chickpea fritter. Ours are infused with mushroom and beef stock, cut into rounds and fried to order. It goes down as the base of the dish.
Bechamel: a classic creamy sauce that forms a pillar of the french mother sauces, this one is juiced up with braised fennel and bone marrow. It goes down on the crispy panisse rounds.
Morel mushrooms: nutty and meaty in flavor, and difficult to forage and predict seasons. Worth the trouble.
Tripe: we cut honeycomb tripe into thin strips and braise it for tenderness. It gets seared in a pan with the morels and bone marrow chunks. We deglaze the pan with tart verjus to add some brightness to this rich, heady dish.
We seal the deal with a final garnish of fennel aioli, fennel oil, and fresh herbs.
We love a team assembly montage, and this one hell of a setup. Greater than the sum of its parts, and tasty as hell. Eat it now, at our restaurant.
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03/04/2026
This old thing? Why that’s the new marjolane cake on our dessert menu.
Assembled into a giant block and sliced into the rectangle cross-section you see before you: it features layers of dark chocolate ganache, a house made nutella, and buttercream between layers of hazelnut dacquoise cake.
It gets finished with a sploot of whipped cream, some crumbled hazelnuts, and maldon flakes. It’s a banger by itself, but we do implore you to have some sweet fortified wine with it- shown here with Malmsey madeira, it also goes great with tawny port. Or black coffee. We report, you decide: marjolane is here, and it’s good to eat.
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03/02/2026
We’re closed this Monday for a staff party! We’ll be back in action Tuesday 3/3x
02/18/2026
Behold this cool, crispy plate of poached carrots and leeks from Sam and !
First we poach carrots in olive oil, earl grey tea, and mirin. Then we steam some discs of leeks until they’re tender. We arrange them on the plate all cute like, and then we dress it up with a vinaigrette made from with the poaching liquid of the carrots, cara cara orange juice, and chardonnay vinegar. The finishing touch is a sprinkle of fried leek juliennes for an extra pop of umami, and cara cara segments, for extra juicy bits. We serve it cold, and it is powerfully refreshing.
Don’t call it a crudo, but it does kinda give crudo. This jewel-like little dish brings mouth-watering acidity and vegetal sweetness to wipe the slate clean of whatever richer dish you’re eating it with. Kinda like, what if champagne was a food? Eat it now!
02/04/2026
Wake up babes new Nancy’s pavlova just dropped!
fashioned a pistachio meringue as the base of the dessert. Underneath? Lemon curd and bay leaf mousse. Atop? Jewel-like supremes of whatever ripe texas citrus we can get our hands on like grapefruit, blood orange, mandarins, and meyer lemon. A good pavlova is a celebration of textures, and this is just that: velvety mousse and curd, with crispy meringue, and tender juicy citrus bits.
If you want to really push it to the limit, have it with a glass of Elio Perrone moscato d’asti! Yes, we think it’s weird how there’s a moscato section in the grocery store now. But the real deal has never gone out of style, and bubbly sweet wine adds even more juicy fruit and textural contrast to this dessert banger.
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02/01/2026
The lamb dumplings are back!
This new set is a callback to our lamb dumplings back from day one but not an exact replica. We’re allowed to change ok! The dumplings are larger but still contain tender braised lamb filling with fennel, coriander, garlic, and preserved lemon.
We start by lining the plate with some labneh spiced with sumac to add more tangy red fruit flavors. Dumplings are cooked and then tossed in lamb jus, and plated onto the labneh. Then, a flurry of finishing touches- deeply savory tomato condiment made by heavily reducing tomatoes and butter - elephant garlic chips - fried cumin seeds and fresno chili - and finally dried mint.
We take a lot of pride in our dumpling game, and we consider them an essential part of the first wave of a great dinner here. Use fries or bread to mop up the remaining saucy bits, as always.
01/27/2026
Party people, we are looking to add folks to our host team! We’re looking for someone who enjoys the evolving challenges of the front desk and thinking on their feet. Host experience is required, and experience with high volume of walk-ins preferred. As the host is the first person guests interact with, a good attitude and warmth are key!
In exchange for your services we offer competitive hourly pay that also includes tip out, health insurance options that begin immediately (with an option for vision and dental after 3 months), a healthy daily staff meal, and an environment free of toxic nonsense.
Do you want to play chess with human beings as the pieces and the floor of a restaurant as your board? Are you a tetris expert? Shoot us an email at [email protected].
01/11/2026
Nancy’s hustle is hiring a pastry chef!
This is a rare opportunity to take over our pastry program. We take a great deal of pride in desserts driven by classic technique and local produce, as well as making a myriad of different savory breads in-house (and butter). Ideal candidates have both strong pastry and bread experience. We’re looking for someone to execute a concise and seasonally changing dessert menu.
In exchange for your efforts we offer:
-Competitive pay based on experience and ability
-Good health insurance with 50% of cost covered
-2 weeks paid vacation after 12 months, and 4 weeks after 24 months
Please email resumes to [email protected]
01/02/2026
Cheese ice cream with candied pumpkin? Cheese ice cream with candied pumpkin.
Cheese ice cream with candied pumpkin and puff pastry to be exact. Everyone knows ’s cheese ice cream game is strong- this current iteration is made with fromager d’affinois, a double-cream brie style cheese.
Before the ice cream base gets made, we candy slices of pumpkin by poaching them in sugar, clove, cinnamon, star anise, allspice, black pepper, and some citrus juices. Some of that pumpkin gets blended up into the ice cream base with the cheese.
To actually serve it, we surround a scoop of the pumpkin brie ice cream with slices of candied pumpkin glazed in a whey caramel. The finishing touch is an oval of puff pastry. The puff pastry is there to be shattered into many puff pastry shards that might impart a satisfying crunch to this otherwise velvety dessert.
You like that? Obviously you do. There’s a smashing pumpkins joke here that we’re too lazy to make, we’re leaving it in the hands of someone who knows the lyrics better. Godspeed.
12/24/2025
We’re closed for the holiday, and we’ll be back on Friday!
12/17/2025
You know what your oyster service has been missing? Chorizo.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to more cazuelas, so much so that we made this little tower out of them. Our new oyster service features 3 each of two different types of raw oysters dressed with a bright tempranillo mignonette. On top of those, we include some grilled spanish chorizo that we make fresh in house, with a liberal swath of saffron aioli.
It’s a different kind of surf and turf, you dig? Though not quite a seafood tower, it delivers a similar hit of shock and awe on the tabletop. It’s a great place to start your meal, or a weirdly hedonistic way to end it. Either way, we look forward to putting one down on your table soon.
12/09/2025
You guessed it: whole grilled snapper in piri piri sauce with pickled turnips! Good guess.
We did miss the pomp and circumstance of a whole grilled fish, and this saucy little guy has us back on track. We de-bone the snapper save for the backbone, head, and tail. It gets grilled over our blend of post oak and charcoal to crisp it up nicely.
Other than the snapper, the star of this show is piri-piri sauce, a portuguese/african sauce that’s at least a little spicy, assertively tangy, and deeply savory & herbaceous. We cook the sauce down to dress the actual fish with it- but we also add some uncooked piri piri base to aromatics, butter, and sherry to wilt some greens on the bottom of the plate.
The just-grilled snapper gets laid on the plate lined with those greens in a piri piri butter sauce, then pure piri goes down. The finishing touches are slices of pickled turnip, and a glug of bright green chive oil.
Make sure to honor the fish by using your hands to extract the last few sweet bits of meat. The gooey tender bit close to the tail, and of course the coveted fish cheeks. Maybe an eye if you really party. As always, the sauce is abundant, it’s best to make plans to sop it up with your carbohydrate of choice.
11/26/2025
We’ll be closed Thursday! We’re open Wednesday and Friday though! Happy Thanksgiving!
Address
2704 Polk Street
Houston, TX
77003
Option 1: Public Transport - From downtown Houston, take Bus Route 40 towards Lawndale Ave. Get off at the Polk St & Emancipation Ave stop. Walk east on Polk St for about 3 blocks and the restaurant will be on your right.
Option 2: Driving/Parking - From downtown Houston, take Polk St heading east for about 2 miles. The restaurant will be on your right. There is street parking available on Polk St or nearby side streets, as well as a paid parking lot across the street from the restaurant.
Opening Hours
| Tuesday |
5pm - 11pm |
| Wednesday |
5pm - 12am |
| Thursday |
5pm - 12am |
| Friday |
5pm - 12am |
| Saturday |
5pm - 12am |
| Sunday |
5pm - 12am |
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What people say
Nancy's Hustle on Polk Street in Houston is a must-visit American restaurant for anyone who loves good food and wine. The bistro and wine bar offer a modern twist on classic dishes, making it an exciting dining experience. One of the standout dishes is their green salad, which has recently been updated with a new look and flavor profile. The labne vinaigrette blended with preserved lemon adds a tangy intensity that perfectly complements the spring mix base. The addition of lightly dehydrated strawberries and seed crackers provides textural crunchiness that elevates the dish to another level. It's no wonder why Nancy's Hustle is known for their delicious green salads.
Another dish worth trying at Nancy's Hustle is their roasted carrots tossed in chimichurri sauce. The purity of the good-as-hell carrots sourced from local farms shines through in this dish, making it a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create something truly special. Whether you're looking for a light starter or a satisfying main course, Nancy's Hustle has got you covered with their innovative take on American cuisine. So why not slide through and let them show you how easy it is to be green?
