It was good! Service was quick. Staff was nice. The food tasted like your grandma made it. Fresh and hot. Def been around for awhile. I would much rather go somewhere like this than support Cracker Barrel. read more

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What a wonderful little Cafe! Exhausted from a day of exploring and very hungry, we decided to eat here. We were not disappointed. Home cooking, YUM! Our waitress Donna was very polite and down to earth. Loved Her! Thank you for Wonderful Lunch! There are things in here you may critique... but why? This place made us feel like we could be ourselves, let our hair down, so to speak and fill our bellies full! Thank you read more

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I walk in and instantly get a country home style vibe. Pictures on the wall, decorations from long ago, and old style plaster ceilings. It was comfortable. They had those red cups that everyone knows makes any drink better. I went ahead and got the buffet. Pancakes, biscuits, hash browns, eggs, bacon, whatever. Everything was good, just like ma used to make. My server was quick and accommodating. Made it a nice morning with good food. read more

We've lived in Shelbyville for just a little over a year and decided to try this place for breakfast a few months ago. It was very good. I got 2 eggs over medium, smoked sausage, hash browns, and toast. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the rest of it was tasty as well. They also have a breakfast buffet on Saturday, which is also amazing and kept fresh. My boyfriend has been looking for some good fried chicken since we moved here, and he hasn't been able to find any. We learned that Chaperral's has a fried chicken buffet on Wednesday and Sunday until 2, and it is the best. The chicken is always moist, and the flavoring of the skin is delicious. Literally some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. There's also a nice variety of sides on the buffet, mashed potatoes, green beans, noodles, corn, carrots, broccoli and cheese (which is the best ever), vegetable medley, etc, and a salad bar. This restaurant is a neat little, local restaurant owned by a sweet lady, and all the staff is amazing. Everyone is always so nice. We have eaten there so much now, they know our drink order and that we want the fried chicken buffet. It's a busy little restaurant too. I am so glad we decided to try this local spot out. We enjoy their food, and it is always nice to support a local business. read more

This place deserves a much higher rating! Not sure why several people say it's great food and service yet give it three or four stars. Definitely deserves five stars all the way around. Burgers are fantastic and the service is super quick!!! read more

Chaperral Cafe - Burger was too good to not dive in right away and had to grab a picture halfway though - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

Best biscuit and gravy in town everything is home cooked and the breakfast buffet on Saturday is great waitresses are good

Takin' it way back to the 60's with a breaded tenderloin sandwich for lunch ala Stardust Drive Inn style! Delicious! Shirley Bailey has operated this cafe 7 days a week for 50 years. She is well known for her benevolence in the community and service to others. My husband and his cronies have coffee every morning here. It's a great gathering place for those old guys... They also offer a buffet in addition to the regular menu, which is extensive. read more

5 Stars for the Breaded Tenderloin. Thin and huge which is just the way I like them. Dressed the way I asked with the perfect amount of pickles and onions. Friendly staff. This is a typical cafe but they do offer a small Salad bar and a small Hot bar. The price of the Tenderloins was less than a meal at McDonalds. read more

Good food and fairly priced. Will go back again and would recommend this place to a friend. read more

Chaperral Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

Went for the first time this morning and this is now my favorite place in the world. The breakfast / salad buffet was a big feed for $10.99 and everything was good. The coffee in this place actually tastes like coffee which in my usual diner is not the case. The waitresses were very pleasant without overdoing it and the whole atmosphere was just like I like it. After three cups of coffee, the waitress came by and said, "More coffee?" I said, "No, I really should go." She poured me another cup and said, "Why don't you just sit there and take it easy for awhile?" Well, yes ma'am. Mandatory Hoosier hospitality. Had a nice chat with the owner Shirley who was working the cash register. Lovely woman, full of good cheer despite her many years. The personality of the place obviously comes from her. We agreed that modern phones are terrible and the ones that hang on the wall and you turn the dial with your finger, were much better. To anyone saying "They need to remodel", "The decor is outdated", or giving this place less than 5 stars, or anything like that: Know that you are wrong. You would do away with the sign that says, "Dinner options: 1) Take it 2) Leave it" ? At the top of the review it says I'm from San Francisco. I've never been there, don't want to go there, and have no plans to go there. I live in Franklin. read more

Small diner, very friendly staff, great food, good portions. I have no idea why anyone would give this place less than 5 stars. I guess you can't please some people. Yet these are the same people who will give 5 stars to a chain restaurant. Go figure; Anyway, the food is great, everything homemade and made with love. Give this place a try, you won't be disappointed! Try the pie! read more

Local greasy spoon. The owner Shirley is the sweetest woman you ever have the honor of meeting. I stop here in the morning for my biscuit and gravy fix before work. They are the best in town. read more

Nice lil hole in the wall restaurant. Shirley, the owner is usually always in back cooking, and comes out to say Hi. I like the fried chicken buffet, as its good food for a good price, $6.99 plus drink, all you can eat, mashed potatoes, veggies, few other homemade type items and salad bar. No gravy for the mashed potatoes which seems odd to me. They open very early in the morning and close early evenings. Nice home cooked style meals for decent price. Burgers and fries are good too, small patties, but low cost, so I get 2 orders, ha. Service is OK and as expected. They do have free wi-fi too. read more

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This is the second time we stopped here when we drive through Indiana, i couldn't remember what town it was in... so we were happy this morning when we finally saw the sign painted on the brick building. We like the place because of their fried chicken buffet (less than 20$ for 2 people) if it tastes like your grandmom's cooking, that's because shirley has been cooking here for 50 years. Is not a fancy restaurant, and the bathroom needs remodelling, but this is a great taste of small town American Home Style cooking. read more

Chaperral Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

Family owned restaurant with great food and service. Known for its Star Dust Tenderloin.

It's a greasy spoon yes, decor is dated yes, but the food and service were both very good. I ordered the breakfast bowl to check all the breakfast "boxes"....scrambled eggs, fried taters, bacon, and broken up toast with sausage gravy on top! It was very good and reasonably priced. Wife also enjoyed her breakfast. They were loading up the lunch fried chicken buffet w/ all the fixins' and salad bar which looked very good as well ($8.25!!!) all you can eat. Glad we tried this place and will return again! read more

This reminds of when I was a kid, the prices are great and the food is awesome ! Friendly people !!!

Had veggie omelet and a pancake both were delicious. Prices are great and so is the service definitely going back. read more

Chaperral Cafe - Veg omelet and pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

My mother in law RIP made the world's best homemade mashed potatoes I'd eat her mashed potatoes with nothing on them no salt pepper or butter gravy was the only thing I'd dare put on them and that's only because she made home made from scratch gravy old school cooking then one day on a whim I stop in and had something can't remember but what I do remember is her mashed potatoes if i didn't know better I'd of went and looked to see if Ellen (mother n law) was back there long story short there the best in all of Indiana read more

Went once and never again. HORRIBLE food quality cooked poorly. Small diner experience shouldn't outweigh quality. Blech.

The tea was good. That's about as positive as I can go. Had the buffet, so I didn't expect top shelf. However, meatloaf was easily the worst I've ever had. Greasy, unseasoned, and completely inedible. An over cooked square of low quality hamburger meat. Best thing I ate was the macaroni(out of a tub) and the potato salad(out of a tub). This is the 3rd or 4th time I've given this place a shot, longing for some comfort food. Probably the last, unless I need a glass of tea. read more

I look forward to sit down and eat in this restaurant when I travel to Shelbyville. The biscuits and gravy is my favorite. The staff shows great hospitality that will make you feel comfortable. read more

I got the hot bar which had various homemade dishes and sides. The food was just okay. Better than fast food but not any better than I make at home. Main dishes were nearly empty and didn't have much meat. They didn't get topped off while I was there. The hot bar was $5.95 not including a drink or the salad bar or any desserts. They do have a regular menu that you can order from as well. read more

The food was average but the service and people made you feel at home. I had breakfast and my wife had the tenderloin. The tenderloin was HUGE and she enjoyed it. The breakfast was just ok but when I finished my coffee I got a mouthful of coffee grounds. I didn't get a second cup. 2.5/5 read more

Other parents beware you must have your children dressed to their approval. They are very rude. I wanted to inform them and their staff of the car seat safety issues so maybe you won't judge other parents. My son was not wearing a coat. For his safety. Please watch this https://youtu.be/xOBUBIf1GL0 I dont want him ejected from the car. I am a certified car seat inspector! I took training on it and know the dangers of a coat. He has shoes he has socks. He takes them off. I am not going to stand out in the rain with my door open letting the wind and rain blow in when I can unbuckle him walk 10 steps to your door.The whole bringing us a towel to take him outside in is stupid.. So you want us take longer struggling to keep him wrapped in the towel you offered us. Have him exposed to the rain longer by have my car door open trying to unwrap him from the towel. Making him be in the cold even longer. We had just started coming there I think 4 times the past month. The car was right out front. Its not freezing cold out it was raining. We have blankets and socks and even 2 coats for him if we need them. We don't need your old towel or lectures. We have just started going to your diner but I promise you we will not EVER be back. They have a shop small sign on the door but treating customers this way makes me want to go out of town or shop big businesses! Our waitress didn't bring us refills. She never checked back on us. If she spent less time telling co workers my son had no shoes and socks on she could have actually done her job! My husbands soda was gone and never got a refill! I guess standing talking is better than serving customers! read more