05/14/2026 While traveling west on I-70 toward Colorado, my wife and I left Salina around 9 a.m. without eating breakfast, figuring we would stop for lunch in Hays, Kansas. My wife searched for a local place to try and picked Cattleman's Cafe III. We pulled into Hays around 11 a.m., only to realize the restaurant didn't open until 11:30, so we drove around town for a little while before heading back. Once we went in, we were greeted by a very nice young lady who seated us right away and took our drink order. We both had iced tea. My wife ordered the pot roast with a side salad, and I ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and corn. When the food arrived, everything looked amazing. My wife said the pot roast was so tender it was falling apart while she cut it. My chicken fried steak was the same way -- honestly tender enough to cut with a fork. The first bite was excellent. The meat was very tender and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes and corn were also very good, and my wife really enjoyed her meal as well. This place was excellent, and we are very glad we decided to stop here. Even the local people sitting next to us were friendly and enjoyable to talk with, which made the experience even better. It's always nice to learn something new and meet good people while traveling. If we are ever back in the area, we will definitely stop in again for another meal. read more

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Had the Neighbor Vern's chop'd Steak. It was very delicious and hit the spot. Also had the green beans and a side salad with Dorthy Lynch. The waitress did an awesome job checking on us and was very friendly The place was not what I was expecting but I enjoyed the decor and took a little time while waiting to read the aprons hanging from the wall Will eat again when I'm in Hays read more

Wonderful! Traveled through and stopped. Glad we did! Best rolls ever! I had half order of pot roast, son had pork chop and hubby had ribs. We loved it all!! Prices are so reasonable. Service was excellent!! read more

Friendly service delicious food! Bustling local hangout with families of all ages and groups of community members. Breaded mushrooms were fresh and delicious and a rare find on most menus. Lemon chicken with rice was also a healthy alternative too many delicious fried dishes. Everything was excellent Hayes Kansas was an interesting and lovely stop on our way through the state. read more

Cattlemans Cafe - Kitchen area - Steakhouses Near Me - Hays, Kansas

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Good food, very reasonable prices, friendly service. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Cattleman's was a good choice when we were in town for only one overnight stay. It was a fun, casual experience. It was a bit crowded as we were there on graduation weekend but they seated my wife and I within minutes of checking in and waiting in the comfortable seating area at the front of the restaurant. Good food with a good selection of beverages. read more

I stopped in to try lunch, but unfortunately I didn't even make it to the ordering stage. The table where I was seated was sticky and greasy, and when I wiped it with a napkin, the residue came off brown. The salt and pepper shakers also had food stuck to them. The restaurant was not busy at the time, which made the lack of cleanliness even more concerning. I ultimately decided to leave without ordering. If the front-of-house areas that customers can see aren't being properly cleaned, it raises concerns about the cleanliness of the kitchen and food preparation areas. read more

In Hays on a drive and I knew they had some good local places so I looked at reviews and this was near the top so gave it a try. I don't eat chicken fried steak much anymore but this sounded too good to resist. I will say the dinner roll they gave me tasted a bit store bought. Try to eat a little healthier if there are options and carrots and broccoli suited me fine. read more

Cattlemans Cafe - Chicken fried steak with carrots and broccoli. - Steakhouses Near Me - Hays, Kansas

Yum!! Great home cookin' style food. One of the best chicken fried steaks I've ever had. Super tender with the right amount of breading. Fried okra was also delicious plus fresh baked rolls! You can't go wrong! We'll be back on our next trip through Hays! read more

Food was amazing! Fried mushrooms and okra were so good! Would definitely recommend this place!

Good home cooking at a great price. Catfish was very good. Mom had a good sized chicken fried steak! Service was very good. Will eat there again! read more

Cattlemans Cafe - Catfish - Steakhouses Near Me - Hays, Kansas

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We were traveling through town, and spent the night. Wanted a smaller local place for a quick, quiet , dinner. So we dropped in. Food was good, and the prices were not beat all. The onion rings were exceptional, if you like a thin breading and thick rings of onions as I do. Our server was named Ainsleigh. She was great. She was fun, and enjoyed a good laugh (when I asked her what type of payment she wanted she said what ever I wanted. I told her "dine and dash sounded pretty good", she got a good laugh). Her service was top of the mark. Give it a try. People are nice, food is good, and price is right. read more

Get off I-25 and stop for a great meal and good fast service! Homecooked and fresh! Busy place and older people come for half orders. Have never had a poor meal. Large drink glasses but we both had water. read more

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We were on a long road trip and needed to find a place to eat. We wanted a hearty sit down meal rather than fast food. We came across Cattleman's just a little ways off the highway, and it really hit the spot. The server was very sweet and got us seated immediately and answered our questions about the menu. I guess she really sold us on the chicken fried steak since 3 out of 4 of us ordered that, and it did not disappoint! It was hand breaded with just the right ratio of meat to breading. Each meal starts with some of their homemade rolls, which were warm and dense and yummy. We also started with the hand breaded onion rings, which were a hit with everyone at our table. Whether you live in the area, or are just passing through, this is an excellent choice for your next meal. read more

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We've been here a few times. Some old comfort foods are on the menu. Not too busy but we had a little slower service the last time. Very kind staff Country feel to the atmosphere. Kind of rustic. Nice place to gather and enjoy family and friends. read more

I didn't expect much from this place but there were not many options when traveling on a Monday afternoon. My husband had stopped here on his drive west and loved what he got so on the way back home we stopped here for lunch. And yes husband ordered exact same meal(meatloaf). The positives about this place 1. Friendly service 2. Fresh hot yeast rolls 3. Great meatloaf (I kinda liked it & usually I abhor meatloaf) and 4. Open on Monday! Downside was almost all fried food with exception of salads. However my salad was a bit disappointing. Menu stated 3 types of lettuce but I only identified iceberg which I picked out quite a few bad pieces. The chicken on my salad was delicious. I ordered the salad without onions but it came with them much to our waitresses dismay. She started to take it back but I stopped her. It was nice of her notice and offer to replace. Their beverages are served in ginormous glasses. They have iced tea both sweet and unsweetened- I got half and half. It is a super casual place catering mostly locals but welcoming for travelers too. read more

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Great service from Marisela! Good comfort food cooked just as we asked. Good homemade bread (needs butter instead of margarine). Hand breaded and real chicken fried steak. Good okra, carrots and meatloaf. And sweet tea made the right way. Basic country farm decor. Will definitely visit again if in the area. read more

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Great service, delicious food! If you are driving on I70W, worth the short drive off the interstate for real food, relatively fast!! I had a grilled cheese and fries, my husband had ribs, and he LOVED them. Said they were "pretty darn good!" Oh, and they serve fresh rolls with your order!! read more

Cattlemans Cafe - Fresh, fluffy and warm rolls while you wait for your order! - Steakhouses Near Me - Hays, Kansas

Great experience! Stopped on my way moving to the east coast since I needed a spot with a patio because I got my dog and really loved it. Food was great and service was friendly and the patio was pleasant! 10/10 recommend. read more

Out of the special. Overall food was good, nothing special. Waitress was attentive. Prices fair. Very loud inside the restaurant. Need some noise dampening. read more

We are on a road trip and found this place. It has amazing food. I had the chicken fried chicken salad my husband had the sirloin smothered with onions. We loved our food. Only problem they have no beer or desserts. Wish we took pictures before devouring our food read more

The onion rings!!!! Will definitely return when we are in the area. The server was amazing.

So this is comfort food to the max. SO yummy!! I got the pot roast, which was ridiculously tender, fried okra, and mashed potatoes. My hubby got the meatloaf with the same sides. Our waitress was so sweet and everything was delicious!! read more

Driving through on a road trip to visit family and had the pot roast which was on special for the day. It was excellent. Home-style American menu. read more

This was an alright place to eat. We came for lunch and there was a huge bus load of people from a travel tour group. We were able to get a seat quickly and food came quickly as well. The drinks are served in a huge tall cup but it consisted of 90% ice. Free refills, but still, not much drink on hand before a refill is needed. Our group had a mix of the fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken steak and burgers. I had the mushroom burger and I thought it was pretty good. The fries were actually very tasty. Had a bite of the fried chicken steak with white sauce and thought it was pretty bland/lacked flavor. Overall the food was fine given we chose this place based on the fact it was traditional American food. Note that they don't have any desserts on their menu! read more

4 of us went (parents and hubby), the food was good and hit the spot for a homestyle food place I was craving and my parents love. Meals come with dinner rolls - who doesn't love that- portion sizes were good for the price. We had fish and chips, chicken fried steak fingers, honestly can't recall what my husband had. Fingers with mashed potatoes were good, mom liked her fish. I wish the water came in glass and not plastic cups and the tables were cleaner. Service was fine, we would come back, frankly not many choices in Hays. read more

Food is amazing. Sirloin and chicken fried steak sandwich was the best meal we've had in hays Kansas. The staff is great very nice helpful and fast. Nice place good parking. You won't be disappointed read more

onion rings and rolls were great. Hubby loved the chicken fried steak. Service was great as well

Food was good, service was fast and polite would recommend it to anyone, establishment looked neat and clean

I only take the time do to reviews of the extremes. This place is absolutely wonderful. Great HOMEMADE food, Huge main dish portions. Service was OFF SCALE. Prices, for what you get, are really exceptional. I travel I-70 a lot. Always looking for place to have a good meal at a reasonable price. It is not just the GO TO place in Hays, maybe the best place between KC and Denver IMHO. read more

food was mid servers were rude i overall enjoyed the experience but I just want to bring down the yelp review score