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    Ella's Cafe

    4.6 (23 reviews)
    InexpensiveCafes, Southern
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ella's Cafe Photos

    ELLA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ella's Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos - Ella's Cafe

    Susan B.

    Great clean little cafe with good food. I had the best waitress. I recommend this cafe for a hearty breakfast on Hey. 31 between Waco and Corsicana.

    Chicken fried steak with homemade mashed taters and corn.

    If you want some good ole southern cooking, this is the place to go! I had the chicken fried steak with homemade mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. The small was more than enough for me. My husband had grilled pork chops. They were thick and tender and cooked just right. We can't wait to go back for the fried catfish. Take some time and check it out. You'll be glad you did!!!

    Good eats near Mt. Calm, Texas. We enjoyed a cheeseburger, sweet potato fries and taco salad.
    Mike L.

    One of the nice places you might not consider but you'll be glad you did. Cheeseburger and sweet potato fries were great.

    $8 for a bowl of chili to go? I don't think I'm that stupid. I'll hold on to my money and they can keep their 8 oz of chili

    Chicken fried steak

    Don't let the location fool you, this place is fantastic! Heading from Dallas to Waco we decided to take the "country" route and came across this place. When we pulled in, my wife's response was, "really?" Glad we came in! Chicken fried steak and chicken finger sandwich were amazing! If in the area again, we'll definitely be back!!

    Mmmmmm, good!!!  Best catfish around!!  We eat here often and we have always had great food!!!  Nice and friendly folks, too!!

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Always great home cooked meals and the wait staff is always friendly. The white wings are awesome.

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great food - home style I had the chicken fried steak and dessert. Good service well worth the stop for this Austin resident

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    Ask the Community - Ella's Cafe

    Cajun Craft - Bread pudding. Yum!

    Cajun Craft

    4.6(793 reviews)
    22.8 mi
    $$

    Da-yuumm! On the way to Oklahoma, on I-35 we stopped at this unassuming southern eatery and were…read morenot expecting our minds to be blown away by the fabulous quality of Cajun food. We liked the food so much that we stopped here on the way back from OK We got the fried shrimp basket and shrimp poboy the first time and got the Boom boom Shrimp starter, Atchafalaya Etoufee and, Gumbo and rounded it off with Beignets the second time on Mother's day. Food is absolutely delish. Not visiting this place should be a felony

    RATING - 3.65 Cajun…read moreCraft is found just off of one of the main roads that's runs along Waco. Off its first appearance, the restaurant appears as your classic no-frills, get-what-you-asked for establishment. There is lots of outdoor seating, very fair pricing, and a surprisingly extensive menu; I doubt you'll fail to find something you enjoy here. Overall it seemed like a location that would be bumping in conjunction with Baylor college nights, post church service, or otherwise Waco-oriented affairs. My only complaint was really the smell. We came near close when some workers were cleaning, however there was an apparent chemical stench within the patio, between the inside seating and outdoor seating. My partner ordered the sausage po boy, while I ordered the fried chicken plate, wish mashed potatoes & gravy + green beans. The wait was rather long, which can be attributed towards the chicken's cook time - which might be front scratch. After we got our plates, I certainly couldn't complain. The chicken was decently sized and decadent with flavor. Consistent, strong Cajun spicing littered the tray and chicken, while its interior was extremely juicy and filled with flavor; additionally, it still maintained structure and provided a nice crunch on the surface. The mashed potatoes were equally as enjoyable. The gravy complemented the potatoes well, and established an equilibrium through texture. The green beans however, were not my favorite. They initially appeared fine on the surface, but became watered down and lacking in flavor the farther down the bowl you went. I would not be surprised if these beans were canned. I would certainly find myself eating here again. Its biggest appeals are the prices, genuine quality of food, and disposition. It is not perfect, but it is more than satisfactory. If you cannot get over the minor inconveniences that you may run into here, then you probably shouldn't be eating Cajun anyways.

    Photos
    Cajun Craft - Seating Area

    Seating Area

    Cajun Craft - Seafood platter with red beans and rice

    Seafood platter with red beans and rice

    Cajun Craft - Outdoor seating area

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    Outdoor seating area

    Lone Star Cafe - Pineapple upside down cake.

    Lone Star Cafe

    4.0(280 reviews)
    21.1 mi
    $$

    Food and service is great, I do suggest the cheese curds and popcorn chicken. The fries... no idk…read moreif it's just the one time I had it but they were almost like left over fries. Not fresh at all. But it's a cowboy diner and has a bar to the left which is cool. Adult side and family side.

    Stopped by with the hubby on the way to Dallas from Austin...I loved the Lone Star Cafe as a kid…read moreand fondly remember the jingle about Bubba. We came in about 5:45 on Tuesday before New Years, and the place was basically bare. I was concerned. Went immediately to use the restroom, which was nostalgically decorated and clean as a whistle. The waitress was at the table taking to my husband when I got done, and my tea was already there, waiting for me, when I arrived. Now...the food: I got the chicken fried steak and hubby got fried catfish. Both were so clean and fresh I thought they'd been air fried! By the time the food arrived, dinner time must've hit, because as I write this from my table, the place is absolutely packed full of patrons. I didn't take a photo of my dinner, because I was busy enjoying it. However, I was able to get a quick snapshot of the husband's fish before he downed the last few bites. Seriously, this was the best southern comfort meal we've had in quite some time. We'll DEFINITELY make this a stop when we are passing through Hillsboro in the future! Seriously. Try them. You can thank me later, and ya might even run into Bubba while you're here!

    Photos
    Lone Star Cafe - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Lone Star Cafe - The Cobb salad was fresh and loaded, but the turkey chunks had a more prominent smoke flavor than I was expecting.

    The Cobb salad was fresh and loaded, but the turkey chunks had a more prominent smoke flavor than I was expecting.

    Lone Star Cafe - Side salad

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    Side salad

    Roots Southern Table - Duck-Fat Fried Yams with Garlic Butter

    Roots Southern Table

    4.5(658 reviews)
    78.7 miFarmer's Branch
    $$$

    I had been wanting to try this place for a long time, so I finally decided to celebrate my birthday…read morehere and I'm so glad I did! At first, I was a little hesitant because the menu is fairly small, but after my meal, I can see why. Every dish we ordered was absolutely a 10/10. I had the chicken with greens and shrimp fried rice, along with the fried green tomatoes and cornbread. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. I honestly don't have a single negative thing to say about either the food or the service. This was an amazing dining experience, and I will definitely be back. Highly recommend!

    I had high hopes for this location because I absolutely love Radici, and everyone has been…read morerecommending Roots to me. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to the expectations I had. I do want to start with the positives. Our waiter was fantastic. He was very attentive, explained the menu thoroughly, and provided excellent service. The food also came out incredibly fast and piping hot, which is becoming rare these days. We started with the cornbread, and it was easily a 10/10. It was worth every bit of the $12. We ordered the fried chicken, greens, shrimp fried rice, biscuits, and hot water cornbread. The fried chicken was crispy and tender, but it lacked seasoning. I'd give it a 7/10. They served it with a house hot sauce, but surprisingly it had no heat and almost no flavor. I even asked the person I was dining with if they tasted anything because it was like pouring sauce on the chicken without changing the flavor at all. The greens were just okay on their own, but once we added the vinegar they became amazing. That made me wonder why the vinegar isn't incorporated into the greens from the start. The hot water cornbread had virtually no flavor. The shrimp fried rice was cooked really well, but it had an unexpected Caribbean-style seasoning that threw me off. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I was expecting, and it made it hard to fully enjoy. The biscuits were probably the biggest disappointment. They were dry and hard. One thing I also noticed is that, for a family style restaurant where you're encouraged to order several dishes to share, the tables feel too small. Once all the food arrived, there wasn't much room left, and even packing up our leftovers was awkward because of the lack of space. One standout that deserves recognition was the iced tea. It had what tasted like a subtle hint of mint and was incredibly refreshing. Easy 10/10. From the cuts of chicken we received, it appears they break down and fry whole chickens, which is perfectly fine. However, at $56 for a fried chicken that lacked seasoning, I found the price hard to justify. Maybe the cooking method or oil contributes to the cost, but I expected much more flavor for that price. Overall, I'd rate my experience a 7.5/10. Would I come back? Yes. I'd be willing to give Roots another chance and try something different from the menu. But when I hear Southern food, I expect bold seasoning and comforting flavors, and that's the one area where this meal really fell short.

    Photos
    Roots Southern Table - Inside view of Roots Southern Table

    Inside view of Roots Southern Table

    Roots Southern Table - My Mothers Gumbo

    My Mothers Gumbo

    Roots Southern Table - Beef short ribs

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    Beef short ribs

    Fixe Southern House - Restaurant open kitchen

    Fixe Southern House

    4.3(630 reviews)
    71.2 miTCU/West Cliff
    $$

    Want a southern Louisiana breakfast in Fort Worth? Check out Fixe Southern House in ClearFork…read more Sunday brunch was so nice. Went for the biscuits, but our very wise waitress, Adriana, warned us that the biscuits were made with lard. Well that knocked out a bunch or breakfast options. She was so sweet and actually went to the kitchen and marked the menu pointing out lard-free menu choices. On the menu. Using black ink dots. Above and beyond. So we regrouped our breakfast plans and went mainly vegetarian. The Herbivore was absolutely delicious! Antebellum cheese grits topped with garlicky kale, romanesco and a soft boiled egg. We added a second egg. Split with my hubby. So good!! My sister-in-law had the brioche French toast. French toast topped with honey better, fresh berries and pecan granola. Served with maple syrup. Amazing! Added the duck fat breakfast potatoes. Who knew that the flavor would be so enhanced with the onions, peppers and duck fat. Get this side! Not a coffee drinker, but my hubby really enjoyed the coffee that is sourced from Cusco, Peru. Adriana made sure that the cups were always full and hot. Thank you for the VIP service at Fixe Southern House. Resident discount applied. Born from Opelousas, Louisiana, breakfast served with a huge helping of southern hospitality. "I do not have time for things that have no soul."-James Robert, Executive Chef/Owner

    The restaurant was very clean and the mood was welcoming and warm. Lighting and mixture of warm…read morewood tones and accent leather created an upscale yet homey vibe. We started with the biscuits and cinnamon roll. I would recommend both. The biscuits came with a jam, honey and whipped butter. The cinnamon roll, which may look a bit underwhelming had a such a great crispy texture on the outside while still being fluffy on the inside. The icing wasn't too sweet and complimented the roll nicely. For the table, we had the pollo frito biscuit w/duck fat potatoes, Brisket Benedict w/okra and the Fixe Breakfast entree w/maple sausage and potatoes. The pollo Frito was delicious, the chicken was seasoned well and maintained crunch even within the biscuit. Duck fat potatoes were also good but were even better after adding some salt. The brisket benny was okay, the texture of the brisket was very odd and didn't really hold up to the egg. Although the okra had a great flavor the batter was a bit too thick which made it chewy. The Fixe breakfast was great and the maple sausage was perfect. Our waitress was Adriana, she was great and very helpful. Overall we would definitely come back and look forward to trying dinner one night.

    Photos
    Fixe Southern House - Some of the fried chicken, lobster & crawfish pot pie, and the kale salad.

    Some of the fried chicken, lobster & crawfish pot pie, and the kale salad.

    Fixe Southern House - Bar area.

    Bar area.

    Fixe Southern House - Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    Ella's Cafe - cafes - Updated July 2026

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