Cleburne Cafeteria is hands down one of the BEST restaurants in Houston. If you live in Houston or…read moreare just visiting, you absolutely need to eat here at least once. This is true, old-school Houston comfort food done right, and it never disappoints. The blacken chicken and grilled chicken are incredible--perfectly seasoned, juicy, and some of the best chicken you'll find anywhere. The chicken fried steak is phenomenal and exactly what a great Texas chicken fried steak should be. And the sides are just as good. Their macaroni and cheese is unbelievable--rich, creamy, cheesy, and the kind of mac and cheese you keep thinking about after you leave. And DO NOT leave without getting a blueberry muffin. They are absolutely amazing. Honestly, you could come here just for the blueberry muffins and be happy. What makes Cleburne Cafeteria so special is that everything tastes like real, homemade Southern cooking. There are so many choices, the portions are generous, and you can put together a completely different meal every time you come. Houston has an incredible food scene, but Cleburne Cafeteria is one of those places that truly feels like HOUSTON. It's been a Houston institution for a reason. Whether you've lived here your whole life or you're visiting the city for the first time, put Cleburne Cafeteria on your list. Blackened chicken, grilled chicken, chicken fried steak, mac and cheese, blueberry muffins--you seriously can't go wrong. Five stars without question. One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Houston! The valet on Sundays is a great touch because the parking lot can get over full! The valet guys, especially, Brett are so amazing, hospitable, loving. They make you feel welcomed arriving and leaving.

Historically significant. Excellent food as you can see from the reviews…read more So I'll just post photos. My default ? Lemon cod, tabouli, coconut pie. The fried chicken is not good enough to recommend. As you will see, George M., the manager did respond to my comment. And I thank him for his response. (Though I was amused by how he phrased his response). Keep in mind. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Cleburne. I grew up in a Houston with Picadilly, Weldon's, Brittain's, Luby's, Wyatt's and more. Cafeterias in the 50's and 60's were an important way for families to dine out economically, and go to for the Sunday after church dinner. I visit Cleburne as often as possible, and my wife and I still reminisce about the matriarch at the register who could calculate everyone's bill in her head as they showed up to pay. Such wonderful memories. But as a person who has done fried chicken for decades, creating The Fried Chicken Blog (www.thefriedchickenblog.com) to document the fried chicken picnics in the German Czech communities of central Texas, and having fun with many different fried chicken recipes, I read his response about his chicken being one of the "best in the country," with amusement; so I will leave it up to you. Look at the photo of the dry, fried chicken on JUne 15, 2026, and then compare it to the photo I have just added for what I think fried chicken would look like at the best places (One example would be Barbecue Inn on Crosstimbers). There are some tricks to fried chicken. That is, once you decide on which traditional method you choose to go with. Example of one such: The batter of course, where you add a little moisture into the flour before the dipping and frying so that pieces of the wetted flour clump and will be picked up. Getting back to the Cleburne recipe. My guess is that this is one of the classic Southern, dredge in flour and pan fry, but not a buttermilk soak, dip, dredge, redip, dredge, fry method. This one is more akin to the classic skillet fry method and a simpler flour coating (I'm guessing). Which can be really good. But for me, I'd say, pass on the fried chicken and go for one of their other entrees.

If you're craving real Southern comfort food, Mikki's is definitely worth a visit. We stopped in on…read morea busy day, and the line was almost out the door, which is always a good sign. Even with the crowd, the line kept moving, and there was no shortage of delicious-looking options on the steam table. From fried chicken and turkey wings to baked fish, spaghetti, cabbage, green beans, mac and cheese, dressing, black-eyed peas, collard greens, candied yams, mashed potatoes, and more, it was hard to decide what to order because everything looked homemade. I ordered the turkey wing with collard greens, black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes with gravy, rice, a corn muffin, and sweet potatoes. I also grabbed a Suicide Punch, which is a mix of all their Kool-Aid flavors. First, let's talk about those sweet potatoes... BABY!! They absolutely stole the show. They were piping hot, buttery, perfectly sweet, and hands down the best thing on my plate. I could've easily eaten another serving. The collard greens were seasoned beautifully with a rich, smoky flavor and plenty of pot liquor. They were tender without being mushy and tasted like they had been cooking all day. The black-eyed peas were creamy, well-seasoned, and comforting, while the mashed potatoes were smooth and paired perfectly with the savory gravy. The rice soaked up every bit of that gravy, and the corn muffin was soft with just the right touch of sweetness. The turkey wing itself was tender, juicy, and covered in flavorful gravy. My only surprise was that I was expecting just the wing portion, but instead I received the whole wing with the drum attached. It wasn't a big deal because it was still delicious--I just personally prefer getting only the wing. The Suicide Punch was another winner. If you grew up drinking Kool-Aid, you'll appreciate it. It's sweet, refreshing, and a fun mix of all the flavors. My family ordered several other dishes, so we got to try quite a variety. We had baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and black-eyed peas, and everything was generously portioned. The baked chicken was moist and well-seasoned, and the mac and cheese had that creamy, homemade taste you hope for from a soul food restaurant. My only real complaint was that some of the food was served lukewarm instead of hot, which took away from the experience a little. Soul food just hits differently when it's fresh and piping hot. Ironically, the sweet potatoes were the one item that came out nice and hot, and they were absolutely perfect. Overall, Mikki's serves authentic soul food with generous portions and flavors that remind you of Sunday dinner at a family member's house. The food is comforting, the selection is impressive, and it's easy to see why the place stays busy. If everything had been served hot, this would've easily been a five-star experience. Pro tip: Don't leave without getting the sweet potatoes and a Suicide Punch. Trust me--you'll thank me later. sweet potatoes and a Suicide Punch free refills. Trust me--you'll thank me later.

Pretty good experience as always, but I'm taking off a star because my sweet potatoes were left out…read moreof my order. I think the employee handling the sides may have been having an off day. She seemed a little disengaged, was speaking very softly, and I believe that's where the mix up occurred. The correct sides were prepared, but they ended up on the wrong plate. I was definitely looking forward to my sweet potatoes, so it put me in a bit of a funk. Next time I'll check my order before leaving to make sure everything is there.

I remember when I was younger going to cafeteria with my adopted grandmother (we adopted her, our…read moregrandparentslived in the Caribbean).. She loved cafeterias. You could get really simple and tasty southern style food for a good price. Us kids loved going because not only could we pick out a delicious entree and two sides of our choice, out health nut parents allowed us to get a dessert of our liking as well as a drink of our liking because the value was so good. Also, if other people from church came, aside from plenty hugs, we sat by ourselves close by and roared with laughter until our church members got in on the jokes and the whole section was laughing. Good times. Grandma often paid for everyone since it was affordable to her and she loved us to pieces. I said all that to say that Luby's gives that nostalgic feeling of my youth. Now, the food isn't at the level that it needs to be but it is comforting. I can just hear grandma asking everyone if they are okay and enjoying their meal! My favorite items from her are the homemade dressing, mashed potatoes, savory green beans, delicious butter corn kernels, mac and cheese, whole wheat rolls, cabbage, and cornbread. Basically the sides. The mac and cheese is not yellow but it is very cheesey and nice! So delicious and creamy. They have a good dessert list but my sweet tooth hasn't picked back up. Would recommend!

Love Luby's but they nickel and dime for everything now. I bought a $3.29 strawberry lemonade and…read morethen then I wanted to get a sprite to go after my meal. They said I had to pay an additional $3.29 if I wanted a soft drink because the strawberry lemonade is a separate thing. Most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! And also the manager can be heard yelling and belittling his staff in the kitchen. Will never return. Managers name was Mike I believe.

This is a very good, authentic restaurant! The flavors are those of El Salvador, the tortillas are…read morehand made and made well. The service is good, just like their pupusas!! I got the desayuno con 2 huevos al gusto and it came with frijoles, tortillas, plantains, cream and tortillas.

Hands down amazing pupusas!!!! I have been coming here for years!…read more Can't say enough it's the best in town, I drive over a hour to visit this location !

Alright, the place for old ladies and men, is still the place for old ladies and men. However, when…read moreyou need a lunch meal that isn't a hamburger and fries or sandwich, this is the place to go too. It's all standard cafeteria, American style food, but you feel a little less guilty eating here. I like that you can stay healthy with the salad choices and vegetable sides, or be decadent and unhealthy with things like mac and cheese and their very delicious strawberry shortcake. I really like that all the options are there for you to choose. I've never dealt with cold food, but some of the food on the line is clearly overcooked/burned. I have on occasion asked for better pieces of fried fish and the one time I accepted a burnt corn bread I regretted it. It tasted like burnt corn bread. I think the burnt food is a response to cold food complaints if you look at previous reviews from years past. If you get a number for an order, you will wait an extra 10-15 minutes, even if they tell you it will come out right away. They were nice enough to redo my entire sides, so they wouldn't be cold. However, I wouldn't have accepted that number for my special order, if I knew the to go order would take an additional 15 minutes. I could have easily changed to a different main entree. They seem to be pretty quick during the lunch hour, and only ran into slow service once. I'm happy they're making improvements and adjustments as it shows me they're listening. I definitely don't want them to go back to cold food, but having non burnt warm food should be reasonable. However, if you're a ride or die fan of Luby's fan, you probably don't care. If you're gonna come anyways, get the strawberry shortcake. It is perfect every single time. I'm like the one person in America that isn't crazy about their mac and cheese, but the fried fish combo is pretty great, especially during lent.

We came in on a Saturday evening for dinner. Most locations have a "kids eat free with adult…read morepurchase", which is great for young families. The food was as expected from Luby's and of course we got the Luann Platter. Things were quiet inside and the workers helped us bring trays to our table and asked us if we needed anything a few times. I will say the interior feels just like it did when I was a kid myself, which means nothing fancy inside and also dimly lit. Now is it just me or has the fried fish portion gotten smaller?

The food was good and just as I expected. I ordered the…read moretilapia and shrimp with Cuban rice - it was great paired with the cabbage I got from my aunt's plate. I also had the Mac n cheese and cauliflower. My aunt had the chicken fried steak and half of a chicken sirloin steak. She enjoyed all her food. The carrot cake was delicious. Two women working behind the counter on the line were so sweet and friendly. Interacting with them made my day - they were so sweet and enthusiastic. The traditional cornbread was delicious. I ate it with the Mac n cheese. I wasn't too sure about the Mac n cheese because I normally like it baked with the edges crispy, but I liked it! It's creamy.

Luby's still has that old-school cafeteria charm that's getting harder and harder to find. Walking…read morein feels familiar in the best way. Lots of good comfort food choices without being overwhelming. I got the baked chicken with green beans, carrots, and greens. My wife got the chopped beef steak with mashed potatoes and gravy plus a roll. We both did the LuAnn combo and tweaked it a little to fit what we wanted. The unsweet tea was spot-on! Everything tasted fresh, hot, and satisfying after a long day in the Medical Center area. What really stood out was the dining room staff. Friendly, attentive, smiling, and genuinely welcoming without hovering over you every five minutes. They made us feel at home, and tipping felt easy because the service was that good. The dining room was clean, peaceful, and honestly kind of relaxing compared to the hectic pace outside. The servers knew the menu well and were happy to answer questions. We always enjoy stopping here when we're in this part of Houston.

Food - very good! Fresh and hot Service- nice and friendly…read more Ambiance- nice, clean and relaxed This is one of the better Luby's I have ever been to

Typical cafeteria style food that has home food cooked options! You choose what they are serving…read morefor the day! Once you pay you find any available seating and a waiter will make sure you're ok! No frills type of atmosphere with plenty of table's available! Remind me of Piccadilly! Food isn't overly seasoned because they do cater to the senior customers as well. Also food wasn't incredibly hot once you chose your food, get your fountain drink, pay and then find a table and sit down! Overall for two combos and two sodas I spent around 35 dollars before tip.

The rookie which is gumbo and shrimp etouffee was really really delicious! Thank god my friend from…read morearound the area brought me here. Super affordable food for the correct portions! Delicious! Service was fast and good! I love it! Something I would miss in Houston 100% (I am from California).

While on vacation, we beelined it straight from Hobby Airport to the Treebeards Cloister location…read morefor lunch. We were pleasantly surprised to find parking right in front of the restaurant. Delicious-just like I remembered from my childhood. Portions are huge. We could have easily split a meal. If I were going back again, I would get the small instead of a large portion for sure. Definitely recommend this place. Yum Yum.

Open Fridays now! John is the man! Also, one of the few spots in Houston that makes real Breakfast…read moreBurritos.

Almost every time, ingredients are being missed in my salad. Employees can't even follow up with…read morethe listed salad ingredients. Employees always try to rush customers for ordering.

You really can't go wrong with Luby's... well, maybe depending on the location--but the one off 249…read morealways hits for me. This location is clean, feels newer than others I've been to, and the staff is consistently friendly and welcoming. Customer service here is always on point. The food was just as good. I had the salmon with some vegetables, and it was honestly amazing. My mom went with the meatloaf, and she enjoyed hers too. As always, there are so many options to choose from, which makes it easy for everyone to find something they like. Simple, comforting, and reliable--this Luby's never disappoints.

Take Out. Our thing. I had Chicken Fried Chicken. It NEVER misses. Mashed potatoes and green beans…read more So good! Out of jalapeño cornbread so go got regular. Cornbread was dry & very corn mealy. Could not tolerate. Gross. Hubby got Rib eye roast (He lives & even though hot or miss, he gets anyway) so what I mean is it can be tough. Today was a tiny bit tough but he said was good. He also got mashed potatoes & green beans but white roll. He always adds butter to his roll. He loves natural gravy. I got white and brown gravy. Overall, it was delicious but that cornbread was disgustingly baaaad. So reason for 4 instead of 5 stars. Oh! Swallowed down with Unsweet tea.