You Had Us at “Cheeseburger Fried Rice”

You know a diner when you see one. Inviting booths and counter stools. A menu starring comfort food’s greatest hits. Friendly(ish), fast service. A clientele made up of brooding teenagers, older couples on their weekly date, and me anytime I need a reliable meal in a city I’m not intimately familiar with. A good diner is an old friend, even on the first visit.

Houston’s Agnes and Sherman , which bills itself as a modern Asian American diner, puts its own spin on the classic format but crucially keeps things comfortable—and comforting. Throw yourself into one of the red-leather booths that flank the space and admire the work of Asian American artists such as documentary photographer Michael Jang and Houston-based painter Loc Huynh. Or perch on one of the twirling stools lining the counte