I'd like your help. You see I'm on a quest.
I want to find the best one
of each of these close to home. Allen Tx

BBQ Check Big Daddys Roadhouse Wiley Tx
Italian Check Napolis or Sollys
Tex-Mex Check La Hacienda
Hamburgers Check Any Ol Whataburger

CFS Still Looking

If you find yourself in Menrard Texas souht central pull into Side Oats for A top ten chicken fried steak that covers the plate. This is the real deal. Believe and trust in God he Will provide.

After some of your picks you are way to easy to please.

Im not going to say its the best but youre about to get a bunch of votes for Mary's

If you are sticking to the allen area, head up to Bill Smith's Cafe in Mckinney. Been there for YEARS. Otherwise, Head west to Mary's.

MARYS in Strawn hands down!

Can you get CFS as good in a restaurant as you cook at home? I cook a good one but not as good as my Mother does. Man, that gravy is good on anything and everything.

Nothing, nothing, beats "chicken fried steak" made with deer backstrap!

I haven't found real home cooking restaurants in North Dallas much less great CFS. Have to go to Ft. Worth or some far out satellite city I'm guessing....

Babes Chicken house makes an excellent CFS, there is one in Garland on North Garland rd and BeltLine. Everything else they serve is excellent as well.

X2 For Sure! But it's not close to Allen so let me think about that one.

X2 Totally forgot about Bill Smiths in McKinney. Yeah try it out.

Here we go with Mary's in Strawn again. The most over rated, overpriced, sorryest excuse for chicken fried steak in the state.
Don't waste your money or gas going to this place.

There's a Babes Chicken in Frisco too
and yes their fried steak is good.

Prairie House on 380 at Crossroads is one of my favorites - get the sweet tater fries with it. The PH in Roanoke has closed - just way to much competition over there.

Jacolby's in Melvin---outside of Brady

Might be me, but there sure are alot who like Marys......
What is it you didn't like about it?

What I didn't like about it was the meat was pounded flat as a pancake, the breading was mushy and greasy and it reaked of garlic. O yeah, it was way over priced. Every time me and my friend drive by there on the way to our lease and see the parking lot full we just shake our heads in amazement.
Maybe it just us but what Mary's serves isn't what we call good chicken fried steak.

P.S. A lot of people like Pancho's Mexican Buffet but that doesn't make it good Mexican food.

Has anyone tried Fred's Cafe in Fort Worth? I've heard that their CFS is pretty tasty.

I like Marys and Panchos.

Tater Junction on Hwy 114 just east of Boyd. Big ol CFS.

There you go.

Feed Store/Cole Mountain in Rockwall has the best CFS I have had in quite a long time!!!

KFC on Wednesday. $1.99 includes mashed potatos, cole slaw & a biscuit.

Just kidding. The best I ever had was at Good Eats in Dallas on Greenville Ave, but they're out of business... bummer.

I must say, everytime I have been there, it has never been like that. But then again, it's usually so full, you have to park in back and they're making it as fast as they can. I like it. But thats me.... and everyone is different
FWIW, I used to lurv Panchos... but they changed up about 4 years ago and I haven't been back...... not that I would call it mexican food

Marys Cafe hands down.

Mary's is good, real good, but the best CFS I ever had came from Hot Skillet in Alvord, and we went there many times before the lease went south and they had to move out. They have another store in Springtown, not called the same thing, but I have not been there yet. It's supposed to be easy to find, on the main drag, near the Hwy 51 intersection.

Tater Junction CFS is as good as Mary's, but Mary's fries are way better.

Fred's Cafe in Fort Worth is good. It's a sourdough breaded CFS. But what do I know, I like Mary's in Strawn too.

The Cafe,yes that's the name in Graford,Texas is great. I've had Mary's for years and it depends on the cook that day. Try the Cafe and you will like their CFS or any of their food.

The Cafe is our spot during deer season. Great breakfast and service.

Not a fan on the CFS at Babe's, but the fried chicken and sides are great.

I am a fan of Mary's myself. Anytime I am in the Strawn area, I go there and get a CFS.

Another place in Texas that has a great CFS is the Hilltop Cafe in Fredricksburg.

Where is Bill Smith's Cafe in McKinney? I have lived here for 6 years and have never heard of it. I would like to try it out.

A co worker said Snuffers had a great Chicken Fried Steak, and he wasn't drinking!

Rockett Cafe in Rockett, Texas.

One word, MASSIVE!

+1 for Mary's! Been TOO long since I've stopped in there, though.

Fred's CFS (Ft. Worth)is outstanding as are those at the Stockyards Cafe in Amarillo and Green Chili Willy's in Canyon.

After reading all these I recently drove almost 50 miles out of my way to eat at Mary's in Strawn and was extremely disappointed. There is no place in Amarillo that doesn't have a better chicken fry than that.

Alright, someone else that knows what a good chicken fried stake is/isn't. Although when talking about chicken fried steak it is hard to take the word of someone with a name like GristleHead. JK

Another vote for Marys in Strawn.

Yeah, well, Barack Obama got a lot of votes too!!!

Used to be Taylor's Cafe in Lawn or the Mine Shack in Sweetwater. Sadly, both are long gone. Now, I'd have to say M.K. Davis in San Antonio.

Not anywhere near the metromess, but I like Loco Coyote's chicken fried steak...and catfish po'boy...and well, everything. You're going to have to drive a bit, however, it's in Glen Rose...and they have some odd hours (and usually close down in the winter).

Canyon has a restaurant now? Last time I was there, there was a Walmart, a Conoco, and a grocery store...

Lonesome Spur in Justin makes a mean CFS

Bill Smiths is at 1510 W University Dr, East side of 75

still love Mary's

El Paraisio in Zapata makes a very good chicken fried steak.

Mary's is more nostalgic but I've eaten at the Beehive in Albany several times recently and it's better (not as big). So if I'm going to drive 30 minutes for a chicken fry, it'll be to Albany.

Western Skies in San Angelo has a pretty good CFS...

Loco Coyote is a great place!

I drove past Mary's today.

2007 is a long time in reference to good food.

going to Mary's today for lunch to give it a shot after checking in on the lease.

Try the one at Nutty Brown Cafe on 290 between Austin and Dripping Springs! Now, it could have been the live music and beer talking but it was GOOD!

Chicken Fried Steak should be measured by three things imo.

1. Tenderness. Can you just use a fork? Hows the gristle content?
2. Breading. How's the seasoning of the breading? Does it stick to the meat?
3. Gravy. Subjective but should have just the right amount of grease, pepper and thickness.

Mary's meets all of these imo.

Babe's is OK but misses on some of these items.

Monument cafe in Georgetown isn't bad.

I like Mary's, however I tend to like Flossy's across the street maybe a bit more. Might just be that it was the original CFS destination in Strawn. I can still remember Mary's as "that new place".

Before my uncle had his quadruple bypass, he could tell which of the two had the best grease on a given week. Yes, ironic.

Last time I went through Strawn Flossie's was closed. It's a parking lot for Mary's now.

I saw them remodling Flossies a few weeks ago and was hoping they were going to turn it into a burger joint or a cafe that makes good chicken fried steak , but when I asked in the Shell station what they were going to put in there I was told a Nail Salon. So now you stop and get you a Mary's CFS and walk across the street and get your nails done.

I thought the CFS at Zavala's in Mason, Texas was pretty good.

Flossie is dead and gone. Know her son. Mary's is just OK. It was a lot better back in the day when it used to be the Polka Dot. This was a few decades ago for any who might remember.

Still like Mary's, but it does depend on the cook of the day.

The Old Spanish Trail in Bandera has a good one. Mary's is on up there in my book can't go wrong with either.

Boo Rays was pretty good!

The shed in Ben wheeler use to have the best.....haven't been there in some time

Matts there in Allen..Mescan food joint..but a killer CF Steak..

I agree! I was raised in Gordon 8 miles.from strawn and I have always thought Marys was overrated. New York Hill is waaaay waaay better.

Flossie was my great aunt. They had awesome food when it was open. Way better than Marys

I may get some hate on this one, but the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth has a really good chicken fried steak believe it or not. I did not want to like it, but it came with jalopeno cream gravy. I had to get it. The steak had just enough breading.

Babes in Sanger. Mary's in Strawn. Mel's in Tomball.

MARY'S in Strawn. Closest I've ever had that compares to my mom's.

Freds was good, but the last time there it was 30% breading,70% meat.... not like the good ole days!

Gandy's in Olney,

The Rocket Cafe in Rocket, Texas. Amazingly gooooood!

Smokestack

Don't judge me, but i'm kinda partial to the chicken fried sirloin at Texas Roadhouse. I know it's a chain restaraunt, but the consistancy is always the same, and the flavor is always the same.

Rocket cafe
Marys is ok ar best. Love the calf fries
Freds is ok. Frog legs are better
Jake and Dorothy's in stephenville

As a side note for the graford cafe boys. They just opened a second location at the lake.

Once upon a time, Ma Goodson's in Tomball had just about the best CFS I ever had. These days I've had really good ones at the Sale Barn Cafe in Groesbeck. It's actually in the sale barn. Also good ones at the McCarver's Kosse Cafe in Kosse. It's in one end of the truck stop on Highway 7.

It's just hard to say which one of all those mentioned by ya'll is absolutely the BEST. A lot of what you remember as great might be influenced by how much beer you had or what pretty girl you were with at the time.

If you ever make it down towards Dhanis, there is a place called Bill and Rosa's that makes a pretty dang good CFS. As far as i can remember, it is the only steak that has been too big for me to finish in one sitting, and i have tried 3 different times, and comes either smothered in gravy or oddly with chedder cheese and bacon bits. it was one of my favorite CFS, along with Shorty's in Falls City, but all of those are around the SA area.

I'm in this car. Only been to Maria once after hearing raves about it and the only list I would put it on was one of the worst experiences at a restraunt and probably the worst CFS I have ever had anywhere. We got up and left. When we got home and the dog wouldn't even eat it. And that from an animal that licks his own a$$.

Mary's in Strawn is good for CFS. But for you guys that stop by Mary's to eat. Try their Hamburger steak. I promise you will never eat their CFS again!!!
Now for the best CFS out west... Hands down Linda's corner Cafe in Cisco!!!

Itsallgood cafe in Deep Ellum
Starbeaus in Comanche
Babes (only the one in Sanger, the others are bigger, more the menu's just kinxa blah)

HAnds down!! ALL you an eat Chicken fried steaks at that!!! DELISH!