I feel like I have to give this place 5 stars. The food is 4 to 4.5 (so far) but the fact that it's…read moretiny, local, family run, everything made from scratch just pushes it up that extra notch. Chicken fried chicken was juicy and properly seasoned and the best we'd ever had. Ditto for the green beans and the okra. She wouldn't tell us what she puts in the green beans, but it's some combination of bacon grease and magic, I swear. The okra was fresh cut, fresh battered, fresh fried, unlike every other place I get it where you can tell it's out of a bag. Hot water cornbread was ah-mazing. I only wish I had honey to slather on it along with the butter. White gravy was fantastic, with just a hint of sweetness we couldn't quite put our finger on. Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes were delicious, but also the only things I can say were on par with some of our other favorites. Prices are extremely reasonable. And the service is as down home and personal as you would expect at a place like Sylvia Mae's. But don't expect quick delivery of your food. Everything is made to order and it takes time, so settle in and be patient. We will definitely return here as often as we can when we are in the area.

Occasionally you stumble upon something truly special. This unassuming small business is exactly…read morewhat you want it to be. It is a meeting place, a comfort zone, a haven of good nature and community. The food is simple and good. The person providing the food is honest and real. This establishment is a lifeline of stability in an otherwise downtrodden neighborhood. THIS is the reason we have yelp...to discover and highlight businesses that actually deserve recognition. Sylvia Mae's is all of these things and more. Go visit...manage expectations and enjoy the moment. There aren't many places like this left.

So the whole fried catfish is swai. Which technically is a catfish, just not what people expect…read morefrom usda farm raised. The oil on the fried foods tastes a bit old and burnt. The fried mushrooms are good, but no saltiness to the seasoning. The part that really put me off today on my meal was INSTANT mashed potatoes. Really? Youre gonna say youre a restaurant and serve fast food crap mashed potatoes??? Even if the previous owners served swai, the mashed potatoes were still homemade, not pasty dry lumps of potato flakes. Sorry, im not going back. The only restaurant boasting USDA farm raised catfish is Henderson Star Cafe. Learned my lesson.

Terrible service. Terrible food. Nasty facilities. The fish was over cooked and they brought me a…read moreused butter tray. The floor was greasy and nasty. We had to clean our own table.

Absolutely the best soul food southern comfort cuisine in East Texas. The dressing is some of the…read morebest around with their gravy and as for the delicious fried catfish, it's probably the best I have had too. Southern hospitality is found here from the friendly staff and owner and you will definitely leave here full and satisfied. Grab a wonderful dessert too before you head out. The pecan pie is terrific!

OH MY LORD!!! Good Soul Food and the staff is very pleasant. The place is very clean. It's a Hidden…read moreGem in Tyler. Its menu prices are right on point with the portions

Good grief this place has run downhill faster than a mudslide. Met a friend there for lunch and I'm…read moreglad I also decided to get a small salad because I couldn't eat the other food. The fried fish was thin, over cooked and hard. I mean I was pulling it trying to get a bite! I couldn't even eat the stuff, and wasn't even attempting to try a desert in fear of what that would be like. Run down on the inside but the service was okay. They really need to remodel, get a better menu and a new cook. Pic is what I got and didn't eat. I should have given my money back to my friend

This place is such a great find! They have buffet-style dining or you can order from the menu. As a…read morerule, I've never cared much for buffets because most of the food is sub-par. McKay's is the exception!!! The food is fresh and all tastes homemade - even down to the mashed potatoes and gravy. I am amazed by how really good everything tasted. The folks working there are so nice and make you feel right at home. It will be worth your time to go to McKay's!!!

Awesome food and great customer service 3/13/26 I'll eat…read morethere every chance I can. You can not ask for any place better. All there food is delicious. Carol Sipes

We were passing through and found this gem! You feel Like…read moreyou're walking in somebody's momma's house who is getting down in the kitchen! The smothered pork chops literally fell off the bone. The friend chicken was so crispy and flavorful and the sides were AMAZING! The mac and cheese was definitely made with a roux, the potato casserole was heavenly, the candied yams were not overly sweet, and the cabbage was my favorite! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all plates come with cornbread and dressing, which were divine! The restaurant was very clean. It's set up cafeteria style. There was a long line, but the staff runs an assembly line like a well oiled machine. You will not be waiting long and you'll absolutely understand why there is a line when you taste the food. The staff were very friendly. We'll be back every time we pass through!

EXACTLY what I expected and wanted from a TX BBQ joint!!! I am from the West Coast and have had BBQ…read moreis cities known for BBQ!!! I heard GREAT things about Country Tavern and when we drove up, I knew it was going to be great!!! Just a country bar/restaurant w no frills! Just a friendly local place w a bar and GREAT BBQ! Friendly staff seated us and we knew they had no menus. DONT ask for a menu. Check the menu online if you need. We ordered 3 meat plate with sides. The ribs were fall off the bone moist and tender. The brisket was pull apart tender and juicy w a simple rub!!! The jalepeno cheese sausage was filled w cheese and delicious. Not spicy at all. Hands down the best beans I had in TX!!!! Not sweet with a nice smoke flavor. A hint of pork flavor and brisket chunks!!! We were so full but ordered their newest dessert. Brown Butter Cake! OMG it was great!!!!! The cake was so moist and dense topped w a large scoop of ice-cream along with caramel drizzle! I would come back just to have the cake it was so good!!! Highly recommend the drive to Country Tavern! The drive is nice and easy from Tyler TX and scenery is beautiful!! The most memorable BBQ I have had in recent years traveling!!!

The best ribs in Texas. As a 6th generation Texan that is a big compliment because I have eaten a…read morelot of barbecue in 73 years.

Food was good. Fast service. Decor was pleasant. Our server was friendly and fun. Clean bathrooms.read more

One of the 2013 Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ restaurants, which failed to make the cut in 2017 and…read more2021. We stopped by this family owned and operated 'cue joint (our 90th BBQ adventure in Texas) to learn whether they were still trimming the bark off the brisket (they are), and using a microwave to warm the plate (still the case). $35.18 purchased a 2 meat platter (brisket and links) with a medium side of baked beans, and a sausage plate with a medium side of potato salad. The latter is our favorite commercial product, while the beans are terrific-- a rich molasses based bowl into which we dipped the otherwise bland brisket to add flavor. The sausage and links both proved to be good bites, both packing heat, especially the links. We finished up with a sinfully good serving of pecan cobbler that, like the beans, we heartily recommend..

It's not a huge place, but they have a back room that can accommodate med /large family gatherings…read more It's rustic inside but welcoming and comfortable. The home cooking is great! From the fried catfish, to the massive chicken fried steak, we all enjoyed our meals. They also have several different kinds of cobbler available.

Hit or miss. Depends on who is in the kitchen. Can be a great meal at a great price. Can be…read moremediocre. Selection is good. Fish is a great deal typically, CFS variable, sides are good but not always as warm as should be. Hey owners, if you could be consistent in the kitchen, I would eat there weekly again, but now it has been months. Best option in Troup though for home cooking. Good burgers and sandwiches.

I tried to enjoy this but the lemon pepper wings tasted like leftover wings dipped in batter and…read morefried with very little lemon pepper flavor. The coleslaw was decent. The fried fish was ok. The batter on the fried shrimp just tasted like flour and bland. Seemed a bit uninspired. Might be a while before we return. The employees seemed friendly enough.

I was hoping this place was gonna be much better than it was because the online pictures people had…read moreposted looked very appealing. However I ordered a to-go order of 2 piece fish/ 2 shrimp from here, and my fish was rubbery , my hush puppies were over cooked, and my shrimp seemed to be fried in flour and had a very off putting color and texture, I believe because they fried the shrimp in a flour batter and not cornmeal???( WHY)?? Also the coleslaw was watery.. In the same order was an order of lemon pepper chicken that looked dreadful and over fried in a very dark color....( weird) not looking at all like lemon pepper wings I've ever had before. And a burnt piece of bread/ biscuit or whatever it was.. Sadly I will not be back...

We have eaten a Dolli's several times and it is always busy. This visit was no different. However,…read moreservice was marginal. Several apologies later, we finally got our food. I had the BLT with the optional egg and it was okay, nothing to write home about. Coffee was good. Restaurant and toilets were clean and from the sign posted in the men's room, it is highly rated (lol). Nothing like some bathroom humor! We will certainly be back as we are always hopefully that today was an anomaly.

Right in the center of downtown is a corner cafe that is full of friendly smiles as well as loyal…read morepeople who obviously frequent the place and even have their regular tables. Makes you feel like you're in a Texas country town for sure! My daughter and I were in Nacogdoches for college visit to SFA and we looked this place up in the hopes that we would find something different than a normal chain stop. It certainly is different and was exactly what you might imagine. Everything on the menu is decently priced and it seems that Tuesday is the place to be with short stack specials for $2 along with the weekday breakfast special at $6.95 On of my daughter's favorite meals is chicken fried steak and what better place to try that than a local diner??? Unfortunately it fell below expectations. The portions were quite large, enough that we could have just split a plate. The idea of sausage gravy on top of the mashed potatos and steak sounds heavy but also potentially fantastic. However both the gravy and the fry were quite under seasoned. I was able to fix mine with some cholula sauce and some salt and pepper was a quick fix as well for my daughter. The side of green beans and carrots she got were actually pretty good so perhaps there was just a disconnect in flavor at the meat station this day. I did very much enjoy the side salad I chose instead of the veggie medley. Came with home-made ranch which brought me back to my East Texas family gatherings with the freshly shaken ranch.....it was great. The portion size was pretty fair value at $13. Like I said we could have just split it between us. Very hit or miss flavors leaves this at a 3-stars for me. But no doubt some of the nicest folks in town work here.