Several years ago I laid to rest my more than half century quest for the perfect CFS.
Mary's Cafe in Strawn Texas simply cannot be topped. Â It's perfection. Â I also like that Mary's is reminiscent of old Texas diners with nothing gentrified. Â I smiled when I saw people who drove over 100 miles to Mary's. Â I fly from Molokai with a visit to Mary's as a prime objective.
We (11) went on a Saturday at 2:00 p.m. It was very crowded and we did not have a reservation. We did have to wait but only about 45 minutes. Once seated the wait staff was a little overwhelmed so there was a long wait for drink orders. When the food came out we had to keep asking for things such as salad dressing, ketchup, gravy, potato fixings, etc. However, the chicken fried steak is at the top of my list of best chicken fried steak in Texas. The fries are good and so are the baked potatoes. This time next year we will call ahead. Oh, by the way, even the medium size chicken fried steak is almost to big to eat.
Review Source:I don't get it. It's a decent place - not a great place. For middle of no where Texas I think they've put themselves on the map as a 2 star experience with 5 star prices. The CFS is probably the most popular and should be - it's not the Best in Texas but it is probably the best north of Interstate 20. It's definitely a lot of food and if I were in the area I would stop in again.
Review Source:WHOA, this review is way long over due!!!! I did a hike out in possum kingdom a few months ago and we made a stop here to eat CFS. I love CFS so it was a motivation for me to get off that mountain. First hour I was still excited. Second hour I was still okay. Third hour I was already ready to get off the mountain. Fourth hour WE GOT LOST!!!! I was hungry, aggravated, and a little uneasy. I kept telling myself....one small step for mankind, one giant leap for CHICKEN FRIED STEAK! HECK YES, WALK FASTER GIRL!!!!!
MUST GET THE CREAMY GRAVY WHEN YOU COME HERE!!! I'M SERIOUS!!!!! if you don't, you're not my friend! and order a medium or large! it'll be a while before you get to taste another good piece of CFS so eat up!!!!! take some home if you can't finish it all. I ordered the medium size cfs and it was the size of my head!!! I wish this place was closer! I'd eat this every weekend, gain a ton of weight, and just be happy fat!
My wife and I were working in Eastland, Tx and so relied on Yelp for a dinner recommendation - Settled in on Mary's, esp with all the comments about the Chicken Fried Steak being the best in Texas....We located the restaurant without a problem due much to the huge amount of cars that surrounded the restaurant - so our expectations were high as we stepped into the main dinning room.
We were seated immediately and greeted warmly by the waitress, who was also kind enough to answer our questions about how long Mary's has been in existence and the like....
The decor is plain at best in the main dinning areas - really no frills at all...and it was clear that there were those all around us who have made Mary's a frequent place to be...
We ordered the small CFS and of course the mashed potatoes and cream gravy. As for the CFS being the best in Texas, well, it fell far below our expectation, but was probably the most tender CFS we have ever had....it literately would melt in your mouth and cutting it with a fork was as easy as it gets....but was only made somewhat tasteful by the mashed potatoes and gravy, but by itself really lacked taste....
Over all, it was worth the drive just for the experience but I think there is far better CFS elsewhere to be found in Texas.
We drove in to Strawn just for Mary's. Apparently, from the looks of the town, Mary IS the town of Strawn.
The staff was great and that usually sets the tone of the the experience for me. We opted for Shiner and the "small" CFS order. The order comes with CFS served on two pieces of bread, a BOWL of white gravy, Â a small side salad of iceberg lettuce, with the options of smashed potatoes or french fries. They have a smoking room option, but lucky for us, no one smoked during our visit.
It's definitely worth the visit to see what the talk is all about.
Be aware of the police while driving into the town.
Mary's was a great way to kick off our vacation to West Texas / Big Bend ! Â We could hardly wait to wrap our lips around Mary's Famous Chicken Fried Steak again! Â We rolled in around 11:30 am & were quickly seated.....our friendly & bubbly waitress said, "what y'all drinkin' this afternoon?" .....hubby & I both opted for the Iced Tea instead of that HUGE "Bubba Mug" of Ice Cold Beer, since we had some miles & tracks to make. Â
Ahhh....that CFS with cream gravy is so worth the wait!   The Ginormous plate of hand cut  fires is still intimidating....but, they're oh so good!   Mary's fed us & we were good-to-go as we headed out for Far West Texas!  Â
'Till we meet again.....Thanks Mary ! ! ! Â : - )
The small chicken fried steak is huge. Â The meduim is huger. Â The large is hugiest. Â Fantastic light batter w a great gravy on the side. Â The burgers have what appears to be a 1 1/2" thick meat patty. Â Cold beer. Â Average pies and well meaning but spotty service, along with an odd interior layout, but a fun place to eat.
Review Source:Of course being from Texas when I hear about top ranked chicken fried streak I'm there. I seen the recent airing on Texas Country Reporter about this place and since I was going that direction I stopped in. Seat yourself I suppose the casher looked at us and said nothing .It appears the cafe had went through growing spurts because the rooms seem to be either added and or Mary took over the business next to her and just put in a door. The cafe had no flow and it was set up not to function well in high volume. The wait staff greeted us upon seating and took our drink order. Mary's offer a full menu with wide range. The price point was a bit too much perhaps due to the on air program. The décor is beer advertising and framed past newspaper reviews. The famous chicken fried steak was tender and was able to cut with a fork. The fries was cooked at too low of a temperature to produce floppy greasy fries. I pushed them aside and pilled on the gravy. My tea was refilled when needed and the waitress was very attentive. When it came time to pay out you get a ticket from the waitress and you go towards the door and pay the cashier. The cashier was disconnected and did not have a grasp on her position. The chicken fried steak is very comparable to Risky's of Ft.Worth and but the next time by I'm that way I will stick with the Smoke stack nearby on I-20..
Review Source:Totally worth the trip out to Strawn for the giant chicken fried steak. They also have frog legs, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, and calf fries. Each evening they have a different all-you-can-eat special - fajitas, boiled shrimp, catfish, etc. They also have something called a "salad".
Review Source:Hands down, this is the BEST CFS around, not to mention the portions are huge. I always order a large so I'll have leftovers. I can easily get 3-4 meals out of a large. Service is really great and most of the servers have been here for a while and know how to make you happy.
The only time I don't order a large CFS is when I go on a Monday, which is all you can eat CFS night. And I'll often make a pig of myself, good stuff!
On a dare, I drove the 110+ miles from home to taste Mary's Chicken Fried Steak. Â Am I glad I did. Â I have never been a real fan of CFS, but this was really, realyl GREAT.
Besides the great food, the service was very good with the entire staff helping each other out at every table. Â
We started out with a large plate of cheese fries. Â I would say it was the best I have had in Texas. Â Someone ordered a burger, and no you will not have seen a bigger burger anywhere else.
All in all, you will find te drive to Strawn worth your time. Â If you head out on I-20, take a slower route back hme via north on 16 then east on 108. Â You will enjoy the ride after a great meal.
Had to try the CFS. Besides it said on the menu "Christopher's Favorite" guess thats me. I have never been a CFS fan, however this one brings people in from miles and miles away. Great staff and service. Fast, prompt and accurate. The CFS is the very best I have ever had. Guess now the bench mark has been set by Mary's cafe. So get on your hog, car or horse and head over and order up the CFS with mashed potatoes and salad. Then get ready for a nap. I ordered the small, and could not finish it. The large hangs over the plate, and if you finish it on your own, well then just bring a pillow and get ready for the nap sooner then us folks who stay with the small plate.
Review Source:Motorcycle ride to Strawn for Father's Day, and stopped at Mary's for lunch. The BF had been there before and said that the CFS was amazing. But they had several signs up advising patrons of a $2 charge for plate sharing, so that scared me off. I figured it was gonna be huge, even the small. So we both ordered burgers instead. With a side of onion rings to share. Onion rings came out first. A ton of them. 15 maybe? Pretty good. $7. Then the burgers. I saw her approaching with them and said "tell me those aren't our burgers". Â They were massive. I could only finish 1/4 of mine. The BF ate 1/2 of his. But they were so disappointing. 2inches of dry, unseasoned beef. And "loaded" meant a couple of tablespoons of lettuce and onions.
Mary's should eliminate the plate sharing charge, and serve portions that people can actually finish. And burgers that aren't so thick you have to cook them forever to get the middle pink. And without taking out styrofoam. And Mary's has alot of styrofoam. Everyone we saw left with styrofoam, and the sides were actually served in styrofoam bowls.
Service was really good. They were crowded and our waitress really kept up. I'll try it again. Next time we'll order the CFS and pay the $2 splitting charge.
For years my husband has been on a quest to find the best chicken fried steak. Â He finally says he found it. Â He likes one with alot of flavor, tender meat, good gravy but not smothered and a good crust but not the kind that is all crust and separates from the meat. Â I loved the cheese enchiladas but we absolutely hated the hamburger. One and a half pds. of beef fit high on a bun and tough and very dry. Â Mexican food was so good we almost said better than any in Fort Worth, but as close to best as we can remember.
We won't go often, but will take our college boys one day. Get your country strong on!
Beer in cold mugs but nothing else ...no wine.
Come as you are.....even on Saturday night!
Put it this way; if I had to chose between Mary's chicken fried steak and the best steak au poivre (filet of course)? There is a very good chance I would pick the chicken fried steak they serve here. Yup, a very very good chance actually. The mountain of delicious golden fries and tub of slap your mother in the face good gravy seal the deal.
Go. Please. Go find out for yourself.
Btw the service was excellent.
Once upon a time, I was sitting at Pappasito's Cantina bar in Fort Worth, TX when I talked to a friend of mine about traveling west to Ranger, TX for work. Â Her cowboy said, you must go eat a chicken fried steak in Strawn, TX. Â So we looked it up on the map and it was about 8 miles from where I was heading. Â I thought, perfect, I have lunch plans.
FOOD:
Now I was warned that the chicken fried steak was ginormous, and that it might take up 2 plates.  So when the menu offered small, medium, and large, I decided on the small.  The small was HUGE!  Plus it came with a steroid injected baked potato.  The baked potato was freakishly huge just like the chicken fried steak.  It also came with a piece of  Texas toast, a mini salad and a cup of gravy.  The gravy was the for real gravy, not the white fluffy stuff that comes to you at knock off chain restaurants.  SIDEBAR - when I was a junior in college at Texas Tech, my roommate made me homemade chicken fried steak.  She made the gravy out of the grease in the pan.  I had never seen such a thing.  Now, if you know my mother, you know that she is a food Nazi.  I have never had Chef Boyardee and I think I had to move into a dorm before I had Twinkies.  Needless to say, nothing was every friend or made in grease in my mom's house.  So naturally, I freaking love it.  The chicken fried steak was just like back in college, DELICIOUS.  I took that small giant sized piece of meat down like it was my last supper.  Naturally, the rest of the afternoon I was in a chicken fried steak coma, but it was worth it! Â
My coworker had a burger. Â It was about as big as her head. Â I mean it was like an inch thick. Â It looked awesome. Â She got it dry. Â (which I find to be a little insane). Â I would have loaded that burger up with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, mayo, ketchup and light on the mustard. Â She also got some friend fries with it. Â It was a mound of fries. Â The only thing that would make this plate even more awesome was if it were CHEESE FRIES. Â Cheese fries is actually an official food group in my world. Â Needless to say, she took home most of the food. Â I however, took mine down like a champ. Â I didn't have breakfast and I had a light dinner. Â Again, worth it!
SERVICE:
Service was good. Â They were very polite and nice considering I know when I enter a place like this, I am viewed as the city slicker. Â Everyone in there looked like they lived their all their life and ate much larger portions then me. Â Plus everyone was wearing a cowboy hat, which I have learned is acceptable. Â (although not if my mom is present) Â It's the only hat you can wear at the dinner table apparently. Â When I went to find out for sure, this is what I found:
When you go inside, remove your hat. However, there are exceptions. If you are in a place that is comparable to a public street, which includes corridors, elevators and lobbies, you can keep your hat on. If the elevator is in a residential, rather than commercial, building it is considered a room in a house and you should remove your house, particularly if there is a lady present. Â So I am guessing a restaurant is comparable to a pub lick street. Â Heck, I don't know. Â
Bottom line, go to this place. Â It is in the middle of no where off of I-20. Â I don't know who Mary is, but whoever she is, she can cook a mean chicken fried steak. Â She should patent this baby, because I rate it A+++!!!
I have been to Mary's before, and  I must say that she knows how to make a fine Texas Chicken Fried Steak. I have never done a review on this place, I guess because I don't really want word to get out about how good it is, or it will be harder to get in next time. Anyway, if you live in Dallas, feel like driving around 125 miles for a great Chicken Fried Steak,( I am a food whore, so mileage is meaningless to me)  Mary's Cafe won't let you down.
BTW...... Unless you are REALLY HUNGRY, Â order the small serving.
What a find! Â BFF had been raving about this place, so on our weekend visit to a friend's ranch in Ranger, we made it a point to drive a few short miles down the road to Mary's, in Strawn TX, just off I20, about an hour West of Ft. Worth.
OMG, what a hoot this little cafe/dive spot is. Â First of all, the place was packed @ 1300 on a Saturday afternoon. Â Most likely because it's the only dining option within miles. Â The menu is amazingly large with a huge selection of comfort foods, steaks, burgers, seafood, and one full page dedicated to Tex-Mex. Â I shall not fail to note, however, that Chicken Fried Steak is their known specialty, offered in 3 sizes..
Frosty draft beer in large goblets, so heavy it requires two hands to pick up this icy cold libation. Â And we're off to a great start.
On to the food - I opted for one of my faves, Chicken Livers, served with fries or mashed tators, Texas Toast, a side of peppery cream gravy  and a small chopped salad.  BFF went for the Chicken Enchiladas with rice and beans.
When our food arrived (in a very timely manner), I was shocked. Â The biggest, hugest, largest plate of Chicken Livers I've ever seen. It was, no joke, enough to serve 4 hearty appetites. Â I must admit that I was so curious at the serving size, I started counting the CL's. Â Yep, I counted them, one by one, I think to BFF's embarrassment. Â 42 pieces and large ones at that. Â Now, I ask, who could possibly eat 42 pieces @ one sitting? Â Don't think a lumberjack or longshoreman could even finish. Â I ate only 4, plus a few bites of fries, 1/2 of the Texas Toast, and a tad of the gravy. Â Never got to the salad.
It was all absolutely just like Grandma used to make back on the farm in East Texas. The CL's were lightly breaded, perfectly fried, the protein was tender and moist, and that creamy seasoned gravy was perfect for dipping.
At BFF's insistence, I tasted his chicken enchiladas and know why he raves about them. Â Unlike any I've had anywhere, they were chunk full of freshly roasted, shredded tender chicken, with a blend of several cheeses. Â The rice was not your typical Mexican Rice, but more along the lines of Spanish Rice. Â Quite delicious.
Things not tried but observed being served will draw us back. Â That infamous Chicken Fried Steak looked scrumptious; and those burgers? Â Ever seen a 1 1/2 pound burger? Â That monster stands about 3-4 inches high, too large for any mouth to fit around it. Â BFF has had that before and said he could only finish 1/4 of it, and he has a healthy appetite. Â Watching the table next to us with this gargantuan piece of protein, none of the diners even made a dent in the burger.
This was a true experience; the people watching was well worth the visit; one couple in particular. Â He had on overalls with a plaid flannel shirt and cowboy hat; she was wearing a Mink coat. Â Yep, all varieties and sizes of patrons. Â Sooo much fun!
Although busy, service was a 10. Â Couldn't have had a more attentive, friendly and accommodating server.
Next time we receive an invite back to our friend's lovely ranch down the road, we'll be back @ Mary's for sure. Â Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)
Ive waited 4 years to eat here. Finally got the chance and the day before I was to leave Dallas the town almost burned down. Or so they said on the local news. When we arrived the lunch crowd had already started rolling in. Not knowing when we would be back my better half got the chicken fried steak with mashed and i ordered the cheese burger. After watching several others that arrived after us get theirs Mary indicated ours was held up by the thick burger that takes longer. Well when she finally brought our order out the entire dinning room collectively syed. It was the biggest burger id ever seen and definitly a surprise. However eating it was a disappointment. To cook hamberger 3 inches thick dries it out and even for a beef freak like me it was to much. My companions highly touted chicken fried steak was decent but nothing that would make me go out of my way to come here again. If you are in the area, try it but there is alot better home cookin outt there. Mary just happens to be one of the only places in miles to eat.
Keep on drivin. Sorry Mary.
Absolutely the BEST chicken fried steak you will ever eat!!! Â We make the trip 2-3 times a year just for it. Â The gravy is the best, I dip my fries, steak and bread in it. But be warned, unless you have a huge appitite don't order the large. Â My husband and I usually get the small and it is plenty enough. Â On occasion he has gotten the medium and almost went into a food coma on the way home. Â So if you are hungry for CFS, Mary's place is where you need to go. Â Hmmmmmm just writting this makes me think it is time we made that trek again...........
Review Source:My family lives not too far west of Strawn so when I go visit, we make the detour off I-20 to Mary's.
It is, as another commenter said, the CFS Mecca. Â And, it's correct that unless you have not eaten for a week, and you're 300 pounds, and are willing to pay for it afterwards (not $$$, but by sleeping it off), don't get the large. Â I've never seen something that big, and when someone gets the large, you can immediately tell if they've never been to Mary's before. Â Their eyes will get as large as the plates and a look of abject horror might shoot across their face.
I can handle the medium since I'm a big guy, but that's it for food for the day. Â It is CFS like mom or grandma used to make. Â The batter isn't specially seasoned, just good and floury, but it's the tenderness that makes the dish. Â If you didn't have a knife available, you'd be just fine.
The menu is expansive for such a small place, almost to a fault. Â You look at the offerings of seafood, mexican, burgers, chicken, BBQ, etc. and you think that "other stuff" can't be as good. Â I don't know. Â I did taste the nachos my mom got one time and they're not bad. Â Not the best in the world but I wouldn't expect it.
I did make the mistake of getting the large burger one time. Â The menu warns it will take longer to cook, so you can expect a 15 minute extra wait. Â It is big as your head. Â It was impossible to finish, and with a slab of hamburger that thick, it's problematic since to cook it fully on the inside, it will tend to be as a whole a bit overcooked on the outside. Â I found it too dry for my liking.
Still, since that other stuff isn't what Mary's is known for, I have to give it five stars. Â The CFS is the best I've ever eaten and worth the drive. Â Also, it's in a near-ghost town which is neat as well. Â Texas through and through.
I visited Mary's about 2 years ago. Heard lots about them being famous for huge portions of Chicken Fried Steaks, and it being some good chit. With my best friend visiting from Southern California, and a self described "Chicken Fried Steak Connoisseur", we took the 40 minute drive from Graham to Strawn.
Arriving, this place isn't all that impressive from the outside. Looks like you're at the wrong place, but once inside, you see action going on. Several rooms packed with tables, people, and more importantly FOOD...and not just little child's plate portions, but heaping Texas-sized portions!
Again, although we went for the CFS, I'm more of a grilled steak man myself, and since it was all-you-can-eat steak night, I went with the T-bones. My wife ordered a medium CFS and my buddy also ordered the medium. Keep in mind he's no wimpy little Richard Simmons body match by no means - this guy at the time went about 6', 300lbs and an appetite of an NFL linebacker. Well he didn't disappoint as he ate his entire CFS (I'm guessing it had a 16" diameter - no lie!), and half of my wife's! My poor wife was hurting 1/4 the way through her CFS, and struggled to get to the halfway point.
Meanwhile my T-bones were as tender as any I've ever had, and the server was very good in getting me my 2nd and 3rd steaks, despite the packed house.
This is definitely a place to bring friends and family, but I'd recommend not eating the entire morning. Very affordable, and parking wasn't bad. Toothpicks provided (much needed) upon exiting.
If you like your Chicken Fried steak thin, lightly battered and pan fried, this is the place. Been here twice now, about a year apart, and it's still good. Cream gravy is well peppered. Fries are good, chunky mashed potatoes are better.
The also make huge burgers: lots of meat, not a lot of bun kind of huge.
They have a large menu, so there is plenty to choose from for everyone in your party. This is a small town diner, so the service is genuinely friendly but quirky.
And yes, they have pie, but I've been too stuffed to try so far. Well worth the drive.
When Mary asks you if you want the small, medium, or large chicken fried steak, order the small.
One of the guys in our group was huge, like over 300 pounds, and he ordered the large, stuffed his face, and then sat around taking pictures of it. Â There was still half left, and even that hardly fit on the plate.
I'm just a small little thing, but I can put it away when i want to, and i sort of felt like the cow died for nothing when i had done all i could with the medium chicken fried.
It is a long drive, from wherever you are. We came to Strawn while working on a documentary on 6 man football, and I'll probably never be in this town again.
But if you ever find yourself out this way, or just really love chicken fried steak and are willing to drive to get it, eat here.
The people are very nice small town folks as well.
ATTENTION: This is Chicken Fried Steak MECCA!!
I have never been more serious about anything in my life when I say that if you are a CFS devotee, get in your car right now and head west. Stop for nothing.
Mary's Cafe is definitely a haul, but worth every drop of gasoline no matter what the cost. It is located in your quintessential Texas ghosttown (Strawn TX) about an hour west of Fort Worth. The place looks like a little dump with a gravel parking lot, but inside is like Wonka's Chocolate Factory. There are multiple large rooms with lots of tables--all of which are full full full of people!
Alright, the reason you're here: CHICKEN FRIED STEAK that God Himself/Herself would make the trip for. This is the "pan-fried" version, not the deep-fried. Now I am of course a fan of both and have almost always had the deep-fried. Pan-fried is more like grandma used to make (if you're from east Texas especially). You have a choice of regular, medium, or large in regards to size of the CFS. Listen, I saw a dude get the large and it was the size of a medium pizza! I ended up w/the medium for $10.00 and it was plenty big itself. Comes with a side chopped salad and your choice of baked potato or fries, plus they also bring a separate bowl of cream gravy to slather over it. This was a nice touch because I prefer to put the gravy on myself instead of the cook doing it.
The steak was tender and crispy at the same time. Â Batter was seasoned and you could taste a hint of the flour in it (which I love). In a way, each bite was a tragedy because it meant there was less CFS for me to eat afterward. Soon, the inevitable happened: it was all gone. But oh so perfect, delectible, ETHEREAL!
I am here to tell you this right now: go. I don't care if you have to move Heaven and Hell to do it, just get yourself there. Cut ties, move households, uproot your family, get a fourth mortgage, join the Coast Guard, whatever!!
BTW, they take credit cards. The menu is enormous with tons of Mexican offerings plus seafood (mostly fried). We saw a heaping platter of chicken livers brought out to another table. They've got gizzards too. I believe Monday night is All-U-Can-Eat CFS night. Ooo, also spotted a big thick slice of Chocolate Pie being delivered to someone.
Also, I recommend a designated driver (one designated not to eat) so someone can drive you back home without Food Coma.
(and if you never make it to Mary's, I'm pretty sure St. Peter won't let you into Heaven).
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