Mary's Cafe

Teresa Miller

2024-05

Thanks to Texas Bucket List, we found a quaint , friendly cafe. One of the best Hamburger Steaks I’ve ever tried. There is a little longer to wait for this dish. Trust me, the hamburger steak is without a doubt worth the wait. Food portions were humongous! Waitstaff was very friendly, visible, and many positive interactions with tables. Drinks refilled consistently. We never had a glass left half full. Plenty of parking. We were pulling our camper and had no troubles. Very pleased and highly recommend!!!! Will revisit next time I’m in the area. Thanks for the Bucket List shirts and desserts!!!!

Tara Brown

2024-05

Definitely worth your drive from anywhere! My husband and I shared the Texas burger and large chicken fried steak. For reference, my husband is 6’5 and that burger made his hands look small. The burger was perfectly done and juicy. The steak could be cut with a fork. The most impressive part of the meal is the gravy. Only restaurant I have ate at that you could 100% tell the gravy is made from scratch just like your grandmother made it.Mary talked with us as we were leaving and she’s such a kind person. Absolutely deserved to be on the bucket list and now we have checked it off our bucket list, and we will be back.

Sharon Hartmann

2024-03

Always a great place to stop. Wonderful chicken fried steak, hamburgers, fried fish, fried chicken. Excellent service. Food served hot. The portions are very big. We typically split everything, every time we go. We love fried chicken livers and this is one restaurant that has it on the menu. It’s our go-to item now. The small size is MORE than enough to share with two people. They also serve beer and cold drinks. Don’t recall desserts because we are always too full for anything else. Convenient parking in front and large lot in back for trucks and trailers.

Sweettea Foodcritic

2024-05

Fun place to visit! As seen on Texas bucket list! We were in the area and decided to stop in! Chicken fried steaks are huge! I like how thin they are! Like how much gravy comes out with dinner. Salad not my favorite...like it more leafy not shredded*Nice they bring dressing to table just wish salad on side was leafy* Decor plain not much on walls. Bought a t-shirt!! Will be back soon!

Stephen Bilberry

2024-05

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Leo McConnell

2024-03

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Dylan Hinesly

2024-05

Never had calf fries served quite like this. Not enough gravy and I have always had them sliced then fried. My take is that there was not enough seasoning throughout the dish since there was far less seasoned breading through the dish being fried whole like this. The chicken livers were excellent and a very large portion even with the small order.

Chip Kelley

2024-01

Worth a 2 hour drive…Mary’s is always cited as one of the best chicken fried steaks in Texas and it is. I live about 2 hours away and it’s worth a road trip now and then to make a pilgrimage to get the best. Bonus points for any cafe that brings you a bowl of cream gravy as a side.

John Julian

2024-01

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SouTex Traveler

2024-02

Gotta get off IH-20 for a bit and grab some grub at Mary’s! If you’re willing to put it in park and enjoy good food with good people for a break, you won’t regret it!We were served by THE Mary and she’s hustling to make sure food served hot and your every need met!Got calf fries ‘cause she actually offers them-they were great, with excellent gravy, nice salad and got-to-get fries!Her nachos were ok, but not spicy enough for my tastes.Even swamped at noon everyone’s hustling to get you service and food promptly. Definitely appreciate your effort Mary!Go see her!

Beachboy

2023-05

Stopped in here late during my travels and decided to give this place a whirl. There is plenty of parking, and it's a wait to be seated kind of place, and you pay at the counter upon leaving. I was greeted by a super friendly staff upon walking in and was told to pick my spot of choice. My waitress came promptly and listened to my cry about not being able to find a hotel, as I was passing on Westward. She explained why that was a well, so I appreciated that. She recommended their world famous chicken fried steak, I got French fries and pinto beans as sides with a bowl of white gravy. This meal was OUTSTANDING, the chicken fried steak was huge, and it was the small version. The fries were hot, the pinto beans had a rich flavor, and the country fried steaks flavor was wonderful. The gravy tasted homemade, and those beans were like grandma's beans on Sunday. This place will not disappoint, 2 thumbs up!! If you're in the area, it's worth the drive up from the interstate. It's really not too far either. Stop in and give them a shot!

Matthew Briley

2024-04

Had to update got restaurant's confused Mary's was not good the oil they cooked the chicken fry in was burnt the gravywas made with a rue from said grease, so the gravy tasted burnt. Was not a pleasant experience for the price. I will not go back. Apparently I showed up on the only week yall don't change the grease 🤪 😞

John Place

2023-05

If you're hungry, this is the place to grab a bite. Huge portions, but they are not cheap either. One order of fries could have fed four people, but it was also $8.00 for one order. The steak sandwich was good and tasted like I cooked it at home. The grilled chicken was good, too. It's a small town diner with big portions. It isn't downtown Ft Worth or Dallas, but if you're hungry, it's worth a stop.

rich65k

2023-07

I have heard a lot about this place so we finally had a chance to try it on our way back home from the Texas Hill Country. It may have been an off day, but my wife and I are not impressed. First off, they are expensive. Granted, you get large portions but mostly everyone I saw was unable to finish their own meal. Lots was wasted and some took leftovers home. My chicken fry was just okay. It honestly was a little mushy/soggy. It was like they pre-made it then stored it in a cooler for a while so the breading would not get crispy at all. Next, I would not have served wilted and old looking lettuce. It is hard to see in the photo but the lettuce was old looking an getting dark. Service was average at best and the atmosphere was just an old restaurant that could use some upgrades or at least a good cleaning.

Erica Tucker (thetuckerlife)

2023-05

It was OK. We heard the hype but my husband and I agree it was ok. The CFS was soggy and greasy, the fries were WAYY over done and had fake bacon bits, the cheese tasted weird, my blackened chicken was salty, and imo so were the mashed potatoes. For as much as we paid it wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t a fan of hearing the waitresses complaining towards each other either. Will we be back? Nah.

Barry Roney

2024-03

First time visiting Mary's, and I was simply blown away!! Of course I had the chicken fry, ff, gravy and salad....Chicken fry.... Ok, not what I'm used to, but my God it was super amazing. Huge portion they called a medium.... Fresh cut fries.... Yes, fresh and hot.... The gravy, well..... Just git you sum and dig that spoon in and soak it up...Our server was super friendly, right on top of things, even went above and beyond.... They were out of my favorite hot sauce, so someone ran down the street to the store and bought a bottle and he brought it to the table!!! Next level customer service right there....I will be back for moreThank you

Tammy Micelotta

2023-08

The portions are Texas sized. The chicken fried steak is excellent! Loved the fried okra! The gravy out of this world! The waitress was very friendly it’s a busy place! Try this place!

Gary McBride

2024-04

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Charles Vernters Jr.

2021-05

I've had this place saved for years so that we could experience everything. Well, in mad at myself for not coming here earlier! There needs to be an extra star for places like this! My wife & I ordered a large chicken fried steak & we couldn't even eat half of it. It might also have to do that we ate so much in appetizers too. Whatever you order, you'll get more than what you paid for. The chicken fried steak was the most tender & delicious one we've ever had. Our waitresses, LaJuan, is the best!!!! She made everything nice, fun & her service was above & beyond. We'll be back in a few weeks to try the 2lb burger & more. Thank you guys for keeping the hometown feel & service, plus having such GREAT food!

Wayne Wallace

2022-05

The service was good and the food was good. The chicken fried steak is old school style, but that is what we wanted. I would have provided more stars but when we checked out we got charged more than menu stated. When ask the waiter said prices had gone up because of the supply chain issues and new menu were being ordered and then he pointed to a sign stating price increase for meat. The issue I had was we ordered fried green tomatoes for $9 something but was charged $12 something. Didn't know tomatoes were that pricy and why not let you know when ordering or write the new price on the menu. Won't be back, sorry.

William Leiss

2023-05

This has been a bucket list item of mine, and I came in while driving out to Las Vegas.I am training for a full Ironman, and came in fresh off a long bike and run workout with a big appetite. I am not someone you would look at who you think could put down a lot of food, so when I ordered the nachos, a medium chicken fried steak, AND enchiladas, my waitress did not bat an eye. A lot of places when I order a lot of food after a long workout will judge me and/or try to talk me out of it, but my waitress(who I later learned turned out to be Mary, the owner) did none of that. Took my order without any reservations.I was able to eat the entirety of all 3 items. The nachos were a great starter, the Chicken Fried Steak lived up to the hype it gets, the mashed potatoes that came with the CFS were really good, and the enchiladas were great. Also, the rice/beans that came with the enchiladas were outstanding. A lot of Tex-Mex places mail it in on the rice/beans, but not this place.The fact I was able to eat all 3 items entirely attracted the attention of others dining in the restaurant on a calm Monday Afternoon, who were all impressed. None of those eating that I talked to were from the area, with all making at least 90 minute journeys to come eat here.Mary herself manned the entire dining room as the solo waitress, which was impressive considering the place wasn't exactly dead when I came in. Mondays at 2:30pm can be dead times at other restaurants, but not this place. She handled it about as well as you could reasonably expect one person to. She was also impressed that I was able to eat everything, saying she has never seen someone of my size be able to eat so much in all the years she has worked there and gave me a free t-shirt on the way out as a "prize".Well worth the detour to come here. I will definitely come back one day to try some other items!

William Eric

2023-05

I've been here twice. Several years between both visits. I'm just not a big fan. The first visit the fries were cold. . I love chicken fried steak, theirs just doesn't do it for me. Todays sandwich the steak wasn't hot. Several groups were set and ordered after us, but got served first. Kinda of weird. They are a bit more pricy too. Short-staffed. They were pretty busy for a Thursday at 1pm. If you're near drop in, but I wouldnt make this my primary stop.

jana hughey

2022-05

We saw this place on the Texas Bucket List. It was a good place to eat. My husband got the chicken fry. It was huge. He said it was good. My son and I get the ham and cheese club. It was yummy. Male sure you go early. We were told them place gets very busy at lunch and supper time. The sandwiches were good priced the chicken fry was over $20. They also serve some off beat items. The people next to us got the frog legs and said they were awesome. This is a good place to stop if you are in this neck of the woods.

culingas

2022-05

Worth the trip. Got to say hi to Mary. Told her we made the journey from NM, she made time to say hi. That was awesome. The food is great. Will drop by again I'm sure. My entire family had a blast. 2 Pound burgers,, and large chicken fried steak. This was a surprise trip for my girls who love burgers. We got the shirts as well. Another fantastic memory. The pies were good too. Thank you Ma'am.

Jenn Sorbe

2023-05

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Temp Davis

2024-01

We were traveling from Georgia into Texas for a hunting trip and many people told us to stop at Mary's to get the countryside steak so we did and it's a bit expensive but it was a huge huge portion and we ate and ate and ate and we're stuffed with beef and gravy and french fries and salad and would go back again and do it over and over.Was very fast friendly and helpful try it you won't regret it next time I'll try the gizzards

Alex Smith

2024-03

I have never left a review before.Mary's is known across texas for its famous chicken fried steak. The only thing really good about the meal was the gravy. Mashed potatoes are clearly made from dried out, old baked potatoes that taste of the warmer they had been stored in. Luckily, they give you a cereal bowl of gravy. The small size chicken fried steak is way too large, but decent, however not really that special. Salad is shredded up iceburg lettuce. All this for $19 dollars, which is pretty well the going rate for any meal here, including a hamburger. Restaurant is run down, but to their credit, everyone seems to be delighted to have this experience they've all heard about. I came here years and years ago and had the same feeling. I thought I'd try it again, but my opinion hasn't changed. Since I'm ranting... they charged me $1 to use my card, which was not written or said, or i would have used cash, and tip options on the reader only include, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% which are outrageous amounts, in my opinion, for already outrageosly priced food. Maybe they charge so much because they bring you enough food for 3 meals? I don't want any more!

Mary Ann

2023-05

It was busy that Day but the lady next to use had to go ask for their French fries and ours as well. Our waitress was friendly but very FORGETFUL. I had to get my own silverware and this was my 2nd visit and I was taking my boyfriend for the first time since I raved so much about it on my first visit. But this will be my last visit I hyped it way to much from my first visit. What a disappointment

Matthew L

2023-09

Meh. Maybe it got too much hype. Diner feel, but fancy prices. Big portions, but mediocre flavor. Gravy is good, breading is subpar.Did enjoy the pie, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back.

Mark Kahny Jr

2022-05

Big fan of the Texas bucket list and always looking to verify how good these restaurants are. Shane was absolutely spot on. Was the Best CFS I’ve ever had. Also sampled the CHC and it was delicious as well. The gravy really added to the experience. The folks at Mary’s were so nice and it was very busy there, mostly locals, so you know it’s good. My only gripe was that they didn’t have real butter there, just the fake stuff which is very disappointing, but not the end of the world. I would hope they start serving it in the future. I still highly recommend this place. Come out and support your local businesses and avoid chains!