There is nothing quite like a plate stacked with a hearty main and a few homemade sides that taste like somebody’s grandmother made them. Texas is full of cafes that do exactly that, loading trays and plates with chicken fried steak, meatloaf, fresh vegetables, and pie that people plan whole trips around.
Some sit right in the middle of big cities, while others hide in tiny towns worth the drive. Here are seven Texas spots where real home cooking is still the whole point, and where you will likely walk out fuller than you planned.
1. Cleburne Cafeteria, Houston, TX
Cafeteria-style dining might sound old-fashioned, but Cleburne Cafeteria on Bissonnet Street has turned it into a Houston tradition. You slide your tray along the line and build a plate from a wide spread of fresh, classic American dishes.
The comfort food runs deep here. Think fried chicken, chicken fried steak, turkey and dressing, blackened catfish, and chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes…