Easy as Pie 
Comfort Food 
The 40 Best Small-Town Cafes
We sent 39 people on a five-month odyssey to find the finest purveyors of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, burgers and fries, onion rings, pork chops, cornbread, fresh doughnuts, and hot apple pie. After 24,000 miles, a flotilla of to-go containers, and a forest of toothpicks, the results are in.
Alex says: Try Cappys in Bonham. Little tiny hole in the wall with great food. (March 23rd, 2012 at 12:01pm)
(Page 4 of 4)
Roaring Springs | pop. 239
HITCHIN’ POST
Three years ago, Gene Chapman drove to Roaring Springs to buy a part for his weed eater. By the time he left, he had bought the general store, laundromat, and cafe. Today, the cafe is the sole survivor of his accidental empire. Step past the red screen door and enter the hub of activity in this tiny town. Chapman enjoys shooting the breeze as he serves up satisfying fare, including a fine chicken-fry, an outstanding BLT with thick, crisp bacon, and a moist cherry-pecan cake. The place is so homey that during the lunch rush, locals pitch in to clear tables. Historical note: The town was once a part of the famed Matador Ranch. 210 Broadway, 806-348-7205. Open Tue—Sat 7 a.m.—2 p.m., Sun 11—2. Closed Mon. LW
Santa Fe | pop. 10,490
SHERRY’S BUSY BEE CAFE
With its own outstanding bakery, this restaurant, a mile from the Galveston County fairgrounds, draws tattooed bikers, church ladies, traveling Houstonians, and everyone in between. Baseball trophies and a mirrored pie case next to the register set the right mood. Special honors go to the plump cheeseburger on a tender but substantial house-made bun and to the moist and nongreasy fried chicken dredged in a mixture of flour and cornmeal. The fried squash is crisp on the outside, while the chocolate—peanut butter pie, topped with real whipped cream, will send you to the moon. When you get back, swing by nearby Haak Winery to taste the latest vintage and take in some live music. 12350 Texas Hwy. 6, 409-925-6330. Open 7 days 5:30 a.m.—9 p.m. SS
Seymour | pop. 2,688
ROCK INN CAFE
One word: “classic.” The Rock Inn has been around for 73 years, and everything about it testifies to old-fashioned quality: hand-pressed burgers, great fries, a fabulous dark-chocolate pie with homemade crust and melt-in-your-mouth meringue. The gravy on the chicken-fry was properly peppery, and the menu offered both chicken livers and gizzards, a rarity these days. If you don’t root for Texas Tech (Lubbock is 165 miles away), you might want to keep your mouth shut, because somebody here really likes the Red Raiders (the decor could be called Tech moderne—red booths, red stools at the lunch counter, and Tech memorabilia plastered on the walls). The only letdown is that after substantial renovations over the years, the Rock Inn is no longer made of rock. 207 W. California (Texas Hwy. 44/U.S. 182), 940-888-2322. Open 7 days 5:30 a.m.—9 p.m. PB
Snyder | pop. 10,447
MRS. KATHY’S SOUTHERN COMFORTS
“Ain’t no Bisquick up in here!” That’s Mrs. Kathy’s motto and she’s sticking to it. The kitchen is in full view of the dining room, so while you wait, you can watch the ladies prepping and cooking their indescribably delicious food from scratch, weaving among one another in a culinary ballet. You’ll marvel at world-class chicken-fried steak, pork chops, and King Ranch chicken casserole. You’ll swoon over real-deal mashed potatoes and fresh corn. Mrs. Kathy keeps a close eye on the plates whizzing by as she banters with regular customers and rings up checks. Don’t be put off by a few highfalutin items such as panini and crepes. This is down-home cooking at its transcendent best. 3413 Snyder Shopping Center, 325-573-2520. Open Tue—Fri 11 a.m.—2 p.m. Closed Sat—Mon. TP
Spur | pop. 966
TURNAROUND CAFE
One look at the Turnaround Cafe and you might be tempted to, well, turn around. Don’t. This beat-up former Gulf gas station has plate-licking-good food, mug-draining-good coffee, and ear-straining-good local news (just lean a little closer to the next table). A pleasant drive through rolling grassland, high mesas, and unexpected canyons takes you to Spur, which was once a part of the historic Spur Ranch and was born with the coming of the Burlington Railroad. If you notice the police chief hanging around, that’s because his wife owns the place. 202 Burlington, 806-271-3983. Open Mon 5:30 a.m.—2 p.m., Tue—Sun 5:30—8. LW
Stephenville | pop. 16,715
JAKE AND DOROTHY’S CAFE
Jake and Dorothy’s should be in a time capsule. Hell, it is a time capsule. To celebrate its sixtieth birthday this June, the cafe served chicken-fried steak for $3.60 and buttermilk pie for 60 cents. The line was out the door. Gail Bolling, who has worked off and on at the restaurant for 35 years, is always being asked to take a snapshot of couples who had their first date here decades ago. The kitchen makes everything from scratch, including crisp chicken livers and lattice-crusted cherry pies that would do June Cleaver proud. After dinner, stroll a block to Stephenville’s town square to see the handsome county courthouse. You might spot a cowboy (Stephenville is the cowboy capital of the world) or a UFO (a bunch of locals reported sightings last January). 406 E. Washington, 254-965-5211. Open Sun—Thur 5:30 a.m.—midnight, Fri & Sat 5:30 a.m.—2 a.m. PS
Sweetwater | pop. 10,472
ALLEN FAMILY STYLE MEALS
At Ma Allen’s, as the locals call it, you don’t order off a menu. They just seat you at a long table with other customers, and the platters and bowls start coming. You get fried chicken and one other meat (sausage, barbecued ribs, meat loaf, or roast beef), and there are a ton of sides (squash, pinto beans, slaw, creamed corn, chopped spinach, sweet potatoes, boiled okra, green pea salad, potato salad, and buttery whole peeled baked potatoes that fall apart at the touch of a fork). You pass the food around, boardinghouse-style, till you’re so stuffed you start to fear for your chair. At this rate, the peach cobbler could be your last dessert, but if so you’ll die happy and have something to leave your heirs, since the price of this remarkable meal is a mere $8.50 per person. 1301 E. Broadway, 325-235-2060. Family-style Tue—Sun 11 a.m.—2 p.m. Buffet Mon—Fri 5 p.m.—8 p.m. LJG and RR
Tuscola | pop. 725
BIG G’S STEAK & BBQ
A waitress pats a customer on the shoulder and says, “I’m so glad to see you!” Big G’s is that kind of place. It hasn’t been in business all that long, but locals obviously like the little roadside cafe, with a buffalo head on the wall and an antique toy scooter and tractor artistically suspended from the ceiling. The barbecue has customers queuing up, and the chicken-fry is far better than average, with a ruffly, toasty crust and peppery gravy. More good marks go to the well-seasoned hand-pressed meat patty on the cheeseburger (though the bun’s mundane). There’s not a lot to do in Tuscola (other than marvel at the Jim Ned High School gridiron, where Colt McCoy learned his chops from his dad), so drive seven miles northwest on FM 613 and poke around Buffalo Gap’s historic village and craft shops. 802 Garza (U.S. 83), 325-554-7603. Open Mon—Sat 11 a.m.—9 p.m. Closed Sun. PS
Wheeler | pop. 1,215
MEL’S DINER
Overheard at a neighboring table: “I’ve lived in Texas all my life and I’ve never had a better chicken-fried steak.” The tender meat is surrounded by a crunchy batter and served with real homemade (i.e., authentically lumpy) mashed potatoes and peppery cream gravy. And the diner’s golden, hand-cut french fries are so good you won’t even want ketchup. Pie lady Lourdes Buenrostra makes ten kinds from scratch, including chocolate, pecan, and coconut cream. The knotty pine walls showcase assorted mounted animals (birds, fish, and a bobcat) and amusing signs like “You know you’re in a small town when … you are run off main street with a combine.” Visit early enough on game-day Friday and you can eat breakfast with the Wheeler High School football team. Go Mustangs! 704 W. Oklahoma, 806-826-3756. Open Mon—Fri 5 a.m.—9 p.m., Sat 5—4, Sun 5—2. CC
Yoakum | pop. 5,503
H & H CAFE AND BAKERY
“Best BBQ and bakery in town!” brags the H & H. A lot of folks obviously agree. Those who aren’t slaves to the brisket are hooked on the crisp chicken-fried steak with white gravy, or they’re fiends for the locally smoked turkey breast, or they’re meat loaf freaks. The mashed potatoes contain tasty tater lumps, and the fried okra and the berry pie are worth fighting over. On your way out, make another pass through the short cafeteria line to pick up a homemade sweet roll or doughnut to keep you company. Then take a minute and stroll over to Yoakum’s architecturally unique public library (it’s housed in the former city electrical plant) or shop for clothes and furnishings worthy of a country music star at the Double D Ranch store. 719 Lott, 361-293-3232. Open Mon—Sat 6:15 a.m.—2 p.m. Closed Sun. RV
Zapata | pop. 5,413
EL PARAISO
Thanks to nearby petroleum operations and the prime hunting and fishing at Falcon Lake, truckloads of hungry men rumble out of the South Texas brush at noon and head to sprawling El Paraiso. The house specialty, chicken-fried steak, is spectacular, made from top round that’s tender, well-seasoned, and jacketed in a quintessential crust. Families love the place for its copious kids’ menu. One woman is responsible, the late, great Hortencia Medina, who came here from Mexico and worked her way up from dishwasher to restaurant owner. (If paradise is crowded, try one of the two restaurants owned by Medina’s offspring, the Steak House or El Rincon de los Angeles.) 1905 U.S. 83, 956-765-3558. Open 7 days 5 a.m.—10:45 p.m. M. Guerrat
My Library
