11 Places In Texas That Serve Plate-Filling Chicken Fried Steak
Texas takes pride in its chicken fried steak tradition, where bigger truly means better.
These legendary dishes extend beyond their plates, challenging even the heartiest appetites across the Lone Star State. Grab your fork and knife as we tour through eleven restaurants serving chicken fried steaks so massive they’re practically falling off the edge!
1. Mary’s Café – Strawn
Holy cow! Mary’s legendary steak stretches a whopping 12 inches across, making grown men weep with joy. The crispy coating shatters perfectly with each bite.
Truckers drive hundreds of miles just for this beast. Located in tiny Strawn (population 600), this unassuming café has been flattening beef into submission since 1986.
2. Monument Café – Georgetown
Forget monuments – this steak deserves its own zip code! Monument Café creates farm-to-table beasts that could double as throw rugs.
Though housed in a retro-diner setting, there’s nothing old-fashioned about the portion size. Locals whisper that they once had to widen the kitchen door just to get these platters through.
3. Mel’s Country Cafe – Tomball
Want a challenge? Mel’s Mega Mel Burger gets all the fame, but their chicken fried steak deserves its own area code! Thin, crispy, and sprawling across the plate like Texas itself.
Rumor has it they use special reinforced plates just to support the weight. Even hungry football players struggle to clean this plate.
4. The Gristmill River Restaurant – New Braunfels
Perched above the Guadalupe River, this historic cotton gin serves up steaks that could float you downstream! Their chicken fried masterpiece arrives with a gravitational pull all its own.
How do they get it so crispy yet tender? Trade secret! While enjoying your mammoth meal, soak in views almost as impressive as what’s on your plate.
5. Lulu’s Bakery & Café – San Antonio
Famous for their 3-pound cinnamon rolls, Lulu’s chicken fried steak gives those pastries serious competition! This San Antonio landmark serves beef pounded wider than a cowboy hat.
Where else can you get a steak that requires its own table? Featured on multiple food shows, this 24-hour diner has been satisfying night owls and hangry tourists for decades.
6. Jake & Dorothy’s Café – Stephenville
Cowboys have been attempting, and failing, to consume these enormous steaks all at once since 1948! The secret? Hand-cut, tenderized beef that’s breaded right before frying.
Despite being referred to as the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Stephenville is where even professional bull riders quit midway. Just their gravy is worthy of its own fan club.
7. Sodolak’s Beefmasters – Snook
Bacon-wrapped chicken fried steak? Yes, please! Sodolak’s claims to have invented this heart-stopping variation that makes cardiologists faint.
However, their traditional version still dwarfs most dinner plates. Located in tiny Snook (blink and you’ll miss it), this restaurant draws pilgrims from Houston and beyond just for their crispy, beefy masterpieces.
8. Goodson’s Café – Tomball
Self-proclaimed “Home of the Best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas” – and who’s brave enough to argue? Their colossal creation has won more awards than a champion rodeo bull.
What makes it special? Double-dipped in buttermilk batter and fried to golden perfection. The pepper gravy alone could make a vegetarian reconsider their life choices.
9. Jim’s Diner – Austin
Locals know Jim’s provides the real thing, while Austin hipsters wait in line for upscale food trucks. When their chicken fried steak is delivered, it looks like enough to feed a small nation!
Despite being surrounded by modern restaurants, this simple diner maintains its traditional vibe. Since before many Austinites were even born, the skilled chefs have been preparing these enormous dinners.
10. Tiger Hut – Hardin County
Tiger Hut’s chicken fried steak needs its own zip code, so don’t be fooled by its modest façade! First-timers will be amazed by the dishes served at this hidden treasure in East Texas.
How large? Imagine hubcap-sized slabs of meat that have been magically seasoned and breaded. For a taste of this delicious, crunchy monster that mocks your diet goals, regulars travel from three counties away.
11. Monument Inn – Near Houston
Seafood might be their claim to fame, but smart diners order the chicken fried steak that’s bigger than the Gulf of Mexico! Overlooking the Houston Ship Channel, this restaurant serves plates requiring serious structural integrity.
Even hungry longshoremen struggle to finish these monsters. The secret recipe breading stays impossibly crisp despite being smothered in their famous cream gravy.