Cova Hand-Selected Wines

Manager greeted us and asked us about wines after ordering we waited a bit for the appetizer for 30 minutes.
The restaurant décor is bare concrete and urban.
We went using a groupon dinner for 2 for $ 35. Our appetizer was very tasty but it took forever to get it. Later our entrees where served but it took another 45 minutes-​1hr to get the meals and they were not very hot. The waitress mentioned that their kitchen was very busy that nite but I think their expedition of the meals was not going well. The actual entrée had a pork belly that had the best flavors but again the food was not at the correct temperature and the time between service was very lengthy.
Dessert was decent showing but the appetizer was the best. Our dinner experience took 2 hr 45 minutes which was a due more to waiting than eating. When I asked to speak to the manager the female server said she was one of them. I made the complaint of the lengthy wait and she stated that they were sorry but she didn’t really do much to convince us to return. Now it makes sense that they closed down. Likely because they did a poor job expediting. The experience wouldn’t have been worth it if we had to pay more money so lucky we were using groupon. I would have been much more angry.

i had great expectations especially after reading the Unilocal reviews but although the wine was fantastic, the food was awful. don’t know if the kitchen was having an off night but we ordered the pizza and it literally came out burnt to a crisp on one side and cheese-​less on the other.
for the price, i’ve had so much better.
and although the menu said 20% gratuity added for 6ppl or more — they added it for my party of 5 (we always tip atleast 20% but maybe they knew the food sucked?)
i don’t think i’ll be back :(

I like this one more than the one on Washington, because the service is much better but Im still not a big fan.
Not sure why… sorry.

Every time I’ve been to Cova for dinner, I’ve had something that blew my taste buds out of the water. They change their menu constantly (I’ve never had the same thing twice) but I’ve never had anything I didn’t like out of the four times that I’ve visited. It’s completely evident when you have a meal here that the chef knows what he’s doing; as a general rule, the plates are composed, balanced, creative, and well-​plated. Frankly, I was surprised that the dishes seemed so well thought out, because it’s really easy for a place listed as a wine bar to leave menu items as an afterthought. And don’t dare skip dessert — in addition to your standard ice cream, etc, there’s always one creative twist on a classic (for example, white chocolate cherry bread pudding). I’ve picked the creative one every time and it was worth every last calorie.
My one minor criticism was the shrimp risotto. The problem? It was just okay and there wasn’t much plating. When the other dishes make you close your eyes in happiness, «just okay» seems like a big contrast.
They also have very reasonably priced wine flights that change from time to time, which is great if you like variety. Highly recommend Cova for, let’s say, a third date.
I also had my bridal shower in their wine room, which was perfect for a small, sophisticated cocktail party of around 15 – 20 people.

Delicious, but expensive, wine bar and restaurant in the Rice area.
The bf and I dined at Cova using a Groupon deal ($ 35 for a Contemporary Dinner for two — one appetizer, two entrees, one dessert). Although you really don’t need a reservation, we still called in 30 minutes before since it was a Friday night. The service was really great (thanks Humberto), and the casual yet classy ambience was great for our date night.
Gambas Al Ajillo — 5.0 — Best appetizer ever. This dish comes with huge prawns and a delicious broth. And yes, they even serve it with bread to sop up that brothy goodness! Our server even brought out some more bread upon request. Highly recommended!
Shrimp Risotto — 3.5 — Not the best risotto, but it was still yummy and huge in portion. Perhaps I was a little «shrimp-​ed» out after the appetizer, but there were a lot of shrimp in this risotto (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!). I was able to bring this home for lunch the next day.
Filet of Beef — 4.0 — A great slab of steak served with a chunk of foie gras on top, with truffled mashed potatoes. It’s the dish that every manly man dreams of.
Holiday Edition Crème Brulee — 3.5 — Our server convinced us to try this out after telling us the chef wanted some honest feedback on it since it was the second night they served it. Although I like my crème brulees dense, this version was still delicious with a hint of cinnamon and other holiday spices. I just wished it was a little prettier on the plate or served with some fruit.
Although the food was great, it would’ve been an amazingly expensive meal without the Groupon deal. We still ended up paying $ 50 on top of the deal, since we bought two wine flights and tipped generously. I’d highly recommend this place, but only if you’re on someone else’s tab or with a great dining coupon.
TIP: Try their wine flights with dinner! They’re quite affordable and delicious.

Cute, good wine, decent food. I think the romantic ambiance is damaged by the fact that its in a strip mall. My risotto was tasty if not abundant, Boyfriend had a pretty good pizza. We asked for a South African Pinotage and our server delivered. We came here because we had a
coupon and may be back. Best head to Specs if you’re just purchasing vino though.

I’m not a huge fan of wine bars, mainly because I’m a beer and cocktails guy. And this place is wine-​only. I had the South American flight and, despite knowing next to nothing about wine, I thought the three wines in the flight were all very good. Also — and this is why I’m singing Cova’s praises today — the food here is fantastic.
We had the risotto, duck and scallops. The risotto was excellent (creamy and cheesy) and the shrimp they mixed in were gigantic (and delicious). The duck was very tasty (if not a little salty) and the scallops were cooked perfectly. The waiter wasn’t particularly friendly, but the manager (I think?) was awesome and he even brought us a bottle of wine on the house. So guys, if your girlfriend wants to drag you here, don’t resist. If nothing else, you’ll eat well.

Love this place. All the bar tenders were very knowledgeable of the wines. My only disappoint was they stopped serving food. :(. They had great food.

The food is hit or miss, with the risotto du jour (tomato, basil, mushrooms, garlic, and shallots when I visited) and speck being a hit, and the unbalanced pizza, mono-​tasting hummus, and past-​its-​freshness-​date manchego (it wasn’t advertised as aged and it didn’t taste aged, but it crumbled when cut) being misses.
Wine flights provide three thematically arranged tasting-​size portions. I enjoyed flight 7 a great deal and recommend it to those who like their reds neither fruity nor super dry. Despite the utility of the flight, the execution is terrible. Three samples are plunked down on the table without either a verbal description or labels indicating which wine is which. I really enjoyed one of the wines I tried, but there was no way for me to know what it was and follow up by ordering a glass. Very strange.
The servers are friendly and attentive, and the seating arrangements are designed for intimacy. I like the wood and soft glow of the candles. Value wise, it’s nothing to write home about. I’d recommend all non-​gamblers out there to stick to the cheaper fare due to the inconsistent food.
If they can make the experience more user-​friendly, I’d be willing to try it again. Until then, I’ll pass.

Very clean and modern style restaurant. I would say it’s more of an appetizers and wine type place than a sit down and have a meal type place. The food portions are small, but well done and delicious.
I had the carpaccio, which was flavorful and light. Each bite was fresh and delicious. For my second course I had the gulf shrimp with pollenta cake. The shrimp were particularly salty, but paired with the pollenta gave you a perfect bite.
Parking was a pain, and the prices were kind of high. Like I said, next time I will just come for happy hour and appetizers.

Great atmosphere, enjoyed the scallops on pumpkin purée and drizzled with apple/​bacon

Just wanted to put a disclaimer here that this review is solely based on their Tuesday Steak Night.
Stephen Y and I haven’t been to any restaurants that offer «Steak Night», so we decided to check out Cova after hearing some good reviews. Every Tuesday night, they offer a steak and shrimp (surf and turf) dinner for $ 14.99/person. They grill up a 10oz. New York Strip, a couple grilled shrimps, and herbed potatoes.
The ordered my steak medium rare, and I thought the steak was just okay — nothing special. I can make a better steak, but it’s cheap so I understand. The shrimp had a garlic, pesto sauce on them which was pretty good. Overall, I thought the herbed potatoes were the best part of the meal.
I know this place is a wine bar and that is their specialty, but I really wanted a coke that day to go with my steak, but they told me they didn’t serve coke! What restaurant doesn’t serve soft drinks?
I probably would not come back again for their steak night. However, I would come back to enjoy a bottle or glass of wine for a low-​key night.

Tasty food, questionable service, microscopic portions, painful parking and hefty prices. Won’t be going back…
However please note that I drink very little alcohol so take it in context… if you ain’t going there for the wine, go so somewhere else.

The wine is cheaper here than at Specs! The waiters and bartenders are very helpful to complete you experience at COVA. The Wine Menu Changes every week so you can always expect something different.
Surf Tuesday with the $ 14.99 Steak and Shrimp. Yes! This is for real.

After four visits, Cova on Kirby is turning into one of my favorite Houston haunts.
As a wine bar/​retail wine shop, Cova boasts a great selection of wine, and since you can be pretty assured that you won’t run into anything sub par, you feel comfortable experimenting with unknown vineyards, regions, and varieties. The wines by the glass change every week, so there’s always something new, and the wine flights are a great deal (the prices may look a little high, but you get three generous 2 – 3 oz pours). The best part is that, when I find a wine I really like, I can buy a bottle to take home and have it added to my dinner/​bar bill. You can order any bottle to drink on-​site for a $ 10 corking fee, which is a much lower mark-​up per bottle than you’d get most other places.
Equally important, the food is FANTASTIC. I’ve tried about half the menu so far, and the grilled shrimp with avocado panna cotta and the scallops with spinach and corn butter are both out of this world. I love that you can order the tapas size so you don’t need to commit to a full plate. My boyfriend has also said that the pork loin is delicious.
I guess I can see how people would find the food pretentious, but I completely disagree. I think if you are used to higher-​end restaurants, you’ll find the food sophisticated, but not affected or over-​the-​top.
The cheese plate was the only food item I wasn’t particularly impressed with – the selection is ok, but the portions are very small. We got four cheeses for $ 15, and with two of us, we barely got a taste of each cheese.
Some people seem to have found the service «snooty,» but I’ve had great experiences every time – friendly, attentive, pleasant, not-​overbearing service. We once had a glass of red wine broken on our table during dinner (did not get on our clothes), but that incident was handled very well (both the server and manager offered effusive and genuine apologies, we were moved to a different table, new replacement entrees came out of the kitchen quickly, and our food was free). I don’t know what more you can ask for when that type of honest fumble happens.

I don’t know why this place get such a bad rep. I went here once before three years ago and thought I had a decent experience. No particular reason why I haven’t gone back since but now with a
gift certificate, no reason not to go.
I was a little hesitant when we arrived and only about 5 tables were occupied. But, we actually had a nice dinner experience.
Wines
We sampled 4 tasters throughout the night, all were good!
Food
We ordered quite a variety: watercress salad (nice and refreshing), artisan cheese plate (waitress helped us select a couple and they were all good), lobster risotto (ok dish but huge portion), scallops (huge and succulent), beef tenderloin (nice and tender) and foie gras (a bit burnt tasting but I still savored it). Even though they are classified as tapas, they are not your average size tapas. Portions are a bit heartier than the tapas at Mi Luna, for instance.
Service
We had great service! The waitress was constantly checking up on us, even the manager paid a little visit to see how things were. They even gave us 2 complimentary wines at the end of our visit, which we totally did not expect, and it was not their low-​end wines either!

The night started strong for L and me at Cova. Two great wine flights were on the table (and I’m sorry, but one flight equals more like 1.5 glasses of wine, not one, despite what the server says) and the tapas were beginning to roll out of the kitchen. The place has a great vibe to it, our server was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, and the food was superb.
The lump crab meat salad was first out of the gate, and we loved it. They didn’t skimp on the crab, and it was flavorful. Next out was a superb lobster risotto, with huge chunks of lobster swimming in tasty saffron. The cheese plate came out last — we weren’t sure which ones to choose, so we told the server what we liked and she chose them for us.
We were having a great time, and this was on its way to being a five star kind of night. Our server asked if we’d like dessert, but we were still busy noshing on cheese, so I said we’d think about that. Then our server disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle.
In the meantime another server appeared to ask «Is everything okay over here?» Yes. She departed.
10 minutes passed. Our original server appeared with her purse in hand, chatting with the bartender. Then she left.
So, our server had been sent home for the night and our table was passed off to someone else. Hey, thanks for telling us what was going on, Cova. If I had known that was the case, I would have either told the new server that we’d like to look at the dessert menu or we’d like our check when you came by to ask how we were doing.
Instead, we sat there for 15 minutes trying to get someone’s attention so we could get out of there, growing more irritated with every passing minute. Then we waited some more after determining that the check was screwed up. During that wait, the hostess offered to run my credit card for me (um, not until you fix the bill!). No manager stopped by to apologize for them screwing up our night, either.
The food and wine are amazing. The staff is hit or miss.

I will start by saying that I have been to Cova many times and have had experiences that ran the gamut; from first class service that rivaled some much more pricey wine spots, to such poor service that I have had to talk with the manager (Washington location).
The food is very tasty and the presentation is well balanced. The portions are nice for a small tapas/​tasting menu. The Steak Tartare is very delicious as in the Lamb.
The range of service and knowledge that I have witnessed in my over 15 visits is what really sinks Cova’s ship. I don’t expect my server to be on the level of a trained wine expert, but I do expect them to be aware of the flavor profiles of the wines they suggest to me. I have ordered flights and received replacement wines for 3 out of 4 listed on the menu.
Lastly I will add that at the Washington location I received the worst service experience I have ever had at a place I was spending money (Let alone at least $ 300). I hosted my girlfriends birthday of ~13 people. We waited for EVERYTHING. We would order glasses and wouldn’t see our waiter for 15+ minutes. We would ask for water and not receive it. I walked in ready to buy many many glasses of wine for the party, 2 hours later we left after having only TWO (2) glasses of vino.
The manager said he was sorry. I was too.

I’ve been to Cova several times and every time I go, someone kind of has to pull my arm. Or it can’t be the only stop for the night. It’s just not my fave place on earth.
Now I will say that I am not a huge wine connoisseur, nor am I a huge fan of crushed grapes myself. But I don’t mind a bit of bubbly (which is usually what I go for when I’m here).
The flights are nice — they range in price, but stay somewhat in the ‘teens so that’s not bad for several glasses of wine. I’d say it’s a better deal to just get a bottle and share with friends — thats always leads to a fun night anyway!
I do have to admit that I’ve had some bad experiences with drinking the wine and eating their food — which is pretty good. Small portions, but you’re drinking, so that’s good, right? I’ve had a tuna dish at Cova (I believe it was the Sashimi Tuna cold tapas) and also the Vine Ripe Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, & Aged Balsamic. Both were good, but for me, coupled with the wine, induced illness.
I don’t know if I should blame the food or my poor little stomach, but that’s an experience I’ll never forget.
I also like sitting out on the patio and drinking, although it’s a little disconcerting when cars are pulling up every five seconds to park (and you witness a domestic spat, where the woman drives off and leaves the guy dumfounded in the empty parking spot). But it’s good that they even provide the option of sitting outside.
The service was pretty good, although we had to ask them several times to help pick out a bottle of wine, and the waitress kept spilling wine as she poured (I wanted to save every last drop!).
Overall, I’m sure it’s a good place to go for a quiet conversation over wine. I’ll probably be back anyway…

Well, the Fearless Critic led us to Cova and I was not disappointed. We walked in and were greeted by a sweet hostess who turned out to be our waitress as well. They were extremely understaffed for the size of the place, but since it wasn’t too busy, it wasn’t the end of the world. If we were in any kind of rush, I’d be pretty irritated since there were really, really long waits in between getting our order, bringing the wine, and then bringing the cheese. My hubby is convinced that they do that on purpose so that you finish your wine and need to get more by the time the cheese gets there. :)
We ended up doing a flight of wine each and enjoyed both immensely. I’m not much a of Pinot Noir kinda gal, so my hubby’s choices didn’t bowl me over. I enjoyed all three of my wines and it was pretty affordable for the generous portions.
Our cheese was phenomenal. We ended up doing the cheese and meat platters for both of us (waaaay too much food) and we tried all the hard cheeses and one soft. The cheese was from a variety of places and the descriptions were well thought out and right on cue. The meats were wonderfully prepared and perfect for any combination with the cheeses that we had. The french bread was warm and flaky – just the way I like it.
We ended up walking around the store and looking at all the bottles they had. Evidently Mr. Monsterville (seriously, I wanna see some ID – I just cannot believe that is his last name!) hand picks each of the wines that he has in his store and he has some prestigious certificate of sommeliers that I forgot the name of. They also have a wine club and boxes (soooo, east coast!), but the prices were pretty steep. They do all sorts of fun wine classes that piqued my interest and specialty events. I took a peek at their Valentine’s Day menu and it looks fabulous – an entire lobster theme. Yum!