Sonoma Retail Wine Bar & Restaurant – Heights

This is my favorite local restaurant! Service is always great. Great wine by the glass list if you are dining alone. Dinner menu is always great — you can’t beat the Bordeaux pizza, double sliders, or pork chop. Corn dogs — AMAZING! Very extensive bottle list. All servers are very knowledgeable about the wine menu. They now serve lunch, and it is one of the best priced menus in town. Cobb salad and salmon salad. YUM!!!

Very good wine, pizza, and service. Enjoyed it. Casual place, and friendly staff.

I have been to Sonoma three times already. They have an outside seating upstairs that is really nice and breezy, good wine, good food BUT very bad service. Starting with the host and ending with our server. It is truly a shame because inside and out it is a really nice place.

My husband and daughter reserved a table for Mother’s Day Brunch. We arrived on time. The restaurant was not full. The entire lunch menu was not available — only the Mother’s Day Brunch menu. Fine. We ordered. We had an extremely long wait to be served our orders. When the lunches came, my husband’s and my spinach quiche was cold, the tomato soup was nice and hot. I called my server over and she checked with the chef. The chef told her that they always serve the quiche at room temp. (What?!) I told her that it was cool enough to have been refrigerated and she said they NEVER refrigerate the quiche and it is served at room temp. We requested that it be warmed up as it was gross cold and I had never heard of serving a quiche cold like that! For a $ 79 bill, I think the quiche should be warm!
We were at the restaurant an entire hour — most of it waiting at the table.

Great place for wine and a cheese board. Their sangria is also pretty good. The patio upstairs is great, but so is the little lounge-​style area by the bar inside. Particularly in the winter when they have the fireplace on. Great after-​work atmosphere. The service has been – generally – pretty good. My sole bad experience was on my birthday about a year and a half ago. The waitress knew it was my birthday and brought out a «courtesy» happy birthday dessert, FOR WHICH SHE PROCEEDED TO CHARGE US?! We were appalled – it wasn’t even a dessert I would have picked! That said, we’ve been to Sonoma very many times and i’ll blame it on a bad-​apple waitress, not the bar/​restaurant.

The most amazing environment to have an intimate dinner or a get together with friends and family. The menu selection is exquisite, made with seasonal ingredients. From the spring menu we had: the Texas cheese curds and the duck confit egg rolls: perfect; for the entrée, grilled pork chop and filet mignon: to die for. To close our meal: upside down pineapple cake: killer! Taylor and Miguel at the bar were impeccable servers, and the Manager, Angie, came to meet us as well. We will definitely come back soon!!!

THEY’RE OPEN FOR LUNCH! Perfect place to grab some glasses of wine on a super open patio with the breeze (enjoy it while it lasts) blows through the air.
Service was great, wine and beer selection were awesome. The lunch menu was perfect, if you don’t want to order off that you can stray away and go with the more traditional menu.
I will say that although this place was awesome, it didn’t have any dishes that break away from the mold. Not that I was seeking something of that sort, just jeep that in mind in case you’re looking for a really unique experience apart from great service and great food.
I had the salmon salad and the boyfriend had the skirt steak sandwich which he said was ‘really nice’. A HUGE compliment in other words — lots of rocket and horseradish. YUM!

This review is for wine, cheese and ambience. We didn’t eat dinner there but did sit at the rooftop patio and enjoyed some good vino and a chef’s cheese flight. Check it out!

Loved this place. Great layout and has a patio section as well. Nice wine selection and the cheese bites were delicious.

Great staff serve less mainstream wines so if you want to drink something you haven’t seen before, this is a great place to be. There’s a bar, a comfy lounge area with couches and tables for eating dinner. The fireplace is a nice touch. There is also outside tables available. The artichoke dip with fresh warm bread is so delicious! A must have!

Truffle fries were just «ok». They were a little different because the fries were big and fat, but they weren’t hot and seemed to have been sitting out for a while. The charcuterie was tasty, but a little on the pricey end. The ambiance, however, was very inviting and chill. Maybe we will give them another shot and try out one of their happy hours one of these weekends..

We love the upstairs patio. Pepperoni pizza is our favorite. The crab cake is also fantastic. Zucchini fries are a good snack.
Eric is the best sommelier! He kind of resembles Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid, and has the charm to accompany the likeness.
Downstairs is cozy when the fireplace is lit. Upstairs patio has a fireplace too. Great place to enjoy a bottle of wine at happy hour!

We came here the other night on a Saturday for a surprise engagement party. Due to the cold weather, the party wasn’t available on rooftop so they accommodated everyone by a nice setup downstairs for at least 16 guests. It consisted of a large dining table, two small tables, and the huge couch area by the bar. The staff were friendly, attentive, and the finger food was tasteful. I give a 3 star because the wine I had was amazing but they can be a bit more affordable with pricing.
Tip on parking: No valet service, small parking for restaurant, free parking available at the dry cleaners next door when closed, and you can park on the side neighborly streets. Make sure no permit or towing signs.
I had personally asked one of the staff. However, if you are still wary with my parking tip the staff mentioned a sign stating the allowed parking in the front.

Sonoma is one of my favorite wine bars in Houston. They have a huge selection of delicious wines and the staff is always friendly and helpful. Their food is also really great as well. Love their meat & cheese plates and they have some great pizzas!
The ambience is casual romantic – definitely a great date spot or perfect for a girls night (or bro night, whatever you are into).
My biggest complaint is that this place is pretty expensive. I never get out of there with a bill under $ 60, but the quality is great. Just be prepared to drop some cash if you come here!

The first time my friends and I went to this wine bar, we sat in the upstairs patio area and ordered coffee and dessert. Our dessert was brought out first with the ice cream melted and when we asked about our espresso, the waitress assured us it would be right out. This was quite puzzling because it was a Nespresso machine… how long does it take to push a couple buttons? Twenty mins later, our coffee was brought to the table with a lukewarm temperature. When I asked to speak to the manager, she graciously apologized and gave us free glasses of bubbly to thank us for our patience. If it was not for the manager, I would have never tried this wine bar again.
Keeping in mind my first experience, I decided to give the bar another shot last night. THE SAME SCENARIO HAPPENED. My boyfriend and I ordered two espresso drinks, and waited over fifteen mins only to be given lukewarm coffee. We were also sitting outside in the cold, and when asked if we could move closer to the heater, we were told they would need to check… but never let us know. My friends were on their way to the bar, but I told them we would not be staying. As soon as they arrived we left to another wine bar.
The ambiance/​décor inside is nice, they have great wine selections, but the service is really lacking.

I absolutely love this place! Great staff and they always have an evolving wine selection and wine tastings where the wine makes actually shows up! I’ve made long-​lasting friendships there, and will always be a patron.

I love this place! We’ve been here a few times and have nothing but good things to say about this location. I love their sangria, pizza, cheese boards, and of course wine! My fiancé and I came in Saturday night (¹¹⁄₂₁) at around 10, and sat at the bar. I wish I knew the bartender’s name because he was so nice! A random drunk guy started talking to us and was interrupting our nice evening. He wasn’t that bad just annoying. After he left the bartender gave us complimentary champagne/wine.forgot to ask what it was but it was good! It’s definitely a small and cozy place. I recommend coming here with a few friends, or even on a date. You won’t be disappointed!

Decent sized space, cute for dates, happy for happy hour.
Came with a friend for happy hour. We each got wine flights and shared a baked brie. Our first baked brie was left to burn in their oven, so we had to wait for a second one. By then, we had downed all the wine. The wine selection was pretty good. Brie+honey is never a mistake!
Service was great for every other table but ours, which was miserably slow and cold. I’m not sure if it’s because we weren’t the demographic of the patrons they are comfortable with, but it was uncomfortable.
Parking can be kind of a struggle since their lot is small.

I feel like I can’t go wrong with this place. The wine flights are awesome, and on Fridays they have a special flight for only $ 10. What a great way to taste various wines and pick your favorite!
Food is great. The charcuterie and cheese plates are so plentiful and perfect! My husband and I can order a half size and have plenty. The bread served with it is always fresh and hot. Also love the meatballs and curry cheese curds. Yum!!! Never have had something I didn’t at least like. Usually love everything.
I’ve come here with just one girlfriend and sat at the bar; come with hubby for meal with apps, mains, and dessert; also had reservation for 6 girlfriends on a Friday night. Sonoma is great for it all!
(Point of interest; I have made reservations here on open table only to arrive and say they don’t take online reservations? Okay? Pretty sure I made one and had confirmation of it; they should probably unaffiliate with open table; though, they did seat us immediately, to their credit.)

Made a reservation at 6:10 for 6:40 on a Saturday night. No problem, got to sit on the rooftop. Pleasant evening, enjoyed the view. Got a bottle of wine to share and it was reasonably priced.
Brussel sprouts — could have been cooked more. Most places I get them at are more tender. These were chewy and tough
Grilled cheese — bland and tasteless.
Brian was a good waiter and took care of us. Will go back and try the wine flights

I have a favorite new wine bar! Okay, I didn’t have on before because most places are kind of douchey and no one seems to know their wines.
We stopped by late on a Saturday night — they don’t close til 1 so score — and dropped in around midnight. I hated that there no other wine bars in Houston open after midnight, except in Midtown and we didn’t want to drive down there. We just wanted a lowkey night.
We were happy to report that the wine staff knew their stuff and worked with our budget and picked out a good red wine for us. My friend was hungry too — we’d been working all day — so we got a pizza. Good size and pretty good for bar food. We enjoyed our nice bottle of wine and our pizza and had a fun, lowkey night.
Definitely will come back.

Great potential but poor execution. Came on a Saturday night and the place was half empty = bad sign.
Food was just okay. Meat/​cheese tray was pretty good but the meatballs and truffle fries were subpar. Margherita pizza was average.
Service was also pretty rough. Hostess looked miserable and while our server was really nice, he was managing too many tables and it took forever to get his attention. It was obvious the staff as a whole were struggling.
Beautiful place and great upstairs patio, just wish they had some music playing to liven up the place.

We were looking for an early dinner so we thought we would check out happy hour here. They place was pretty empty when we walked in, but not too many people eat dinner at 5pm. We were quickly seated, and our friendly waitress came and took out order. Throughout the meal the service was excellent.
My wife had a wine flight and I had a few of the Bombshell Blonde Ales. She enjoyed her wine flight, and I think that $ 3 is a good deal for Bombshell Blonde.
To eat we had the Charcuterie Board and the Gourmet Cheese Plate. They have a combination one but our server told us that ordering them separately would give us more food. Since it was happy hour they were both half price. The Charcuterie Board was $ 19, and the Cheese Plate was $ 17.50. They were pretty good, but I felt like they were still overpriced, even at half price.
The drinks were good and the food was okay. I think i might go back and try one of the pizzas.

I came here with one of my friends a few nights ago and was very impressed. We went around 7:30 on a Monday and the place was pretty empty. The inside is dimly lit and intimate. It would be a perfect date night spot! So we sat down, ordered a bottle of wine, and checked out the menu.
The menu had a lot of tempting options, but I went with the Sonoma pizza, which came with pesto, artichoke hearts, and bresaola. It ended up being delicious! And it was big enough for me to take half of it home with me and save some for leftovers. The crust was perfectly thin but not too crispy, and the garlic pesto gave it a huge boost of flavor.
I can’t believe I’ve lived in the Heights for 3 years and never came here! What a great place for a date, girls night, or just dinner with a group of friends. I would highly recommend and will definitely be back.

**quick tip**
RSVP recommended on thurs-​sat
–truffle fries, beet chips, Charcuterie Board
–Great for gno for party of 2−8max or private bridal/​baby shower
–Thirsty Thursday über awesome with ½ off pizza for Happy hour
–if you’re curious to touch the big art wall, just do it. You’ll be surprised what it’s made of.
–after 7pm you can park at the wolf’s cleaners (next door)
One of my favorite wine bar w/​food out in the heights.
I totally forgot it was Houston Restaurant Week, luckily my friend and I was able to grab a seat at the bar. I didn’t get a chance to try the new spring menu but had my usual: Truffle fries, beet chips, and Boudreaux pizza. Plenty for the 2 of us.
I was too busy catching up with my friend. If it wasn’t for our bartender apologizing for the delay I would’ve forgotten about the food we ordered. As busy it was, our bartender checked on us every minute she could.
Great place for a small gathering or private party.
I had a surprise dinner for one of my gfs earlier this year. If we had a party of 10 or more we would have to do a private party. I was kinda bummed that Open seating was limited. Luckily my party was only 7 of us. It was perfect. I love group outings but sometimes it gets hectic with such a big group. I can see why there’s a limit for small parties. Keeping the ambiance simple & intimate. It was really a nice birthday girls night out & successful surprise! majority of the party tried the wine flights, one of the guest ordered the beer flight. We shared: truffle fries, baked Brie (a must), beet chips, I forgot which pizzas & the pork tenderloin. Was perfect amount for us to eat & drink.
I attended a bridal shower in the spring upstairs in the patio. Thank goodness for beautiful weather during that time. I love their Charcuterie Board was delicious! Love how they set everything upstairs with our own décor. If only Houston can always be beautiful to host parties like this year round.
For dog lovers, must check out their SNAP event in the spring. I believe it was $ 50? Sure had fun wine tasting. Hoopla & She bang is something interesting I tasted.
I saw ppl bringing their k-​9 on the patio, looks like it’s per friendly.
The Richmond location have a nice private indoor room for parties as well.

I truly love this place. Great wine, great food, and impeccable service! What else do you need? The first time I came, I tried a bottle of pino grigio based on the recommendation of our server, who was indeed knowledgable (shout out!). It went well with the pizza we order. I must admit that on later visits to this place, I had to try their grilled cheese. And I understand why you may think it’s crazy to try at a wine bar, but I’m absolutely addicted to the taste of it because of the sourdough.
The place got even better when I realized they have flights of wine! They are very reasonably priced and quite tasty! I, of course, am a fine of their dessert flight which consists of two moscatos and a rose! Just enough to get me slightly tipsy and ensure I enjoy my evening. They’ve challenged me to branch out a bit and try the cab flight. Very much worth it. I’ve been enjoying dabbling in reds there and I can’t wait to find out what I’ll learn next time!

I’ve been here 2 times now. Once for wine and snacks with a friend and another with my boyfriend for dinner. I am really sold on this place now. The staff is super friendly and it really feels like a neighborhood spot. The décor isn’t super fancy, but the music and lighting create a really nice atmosphere.
As far as the food I’ve had the charcuterie plate, the spinach and pear salad, and a pizza with miscellaneous meats and jalapenos. Everything was wonderful. Be sure to come on Wednesdays when the meat and cheese trays are half off. It’s a great deal!