We came for a late lunch on a Friday afternoon. We arrived at 1, and had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated, no big deal. Once seated we were offered drinks, but then the real wait began. We watched as other tables that came after us ordered and received food. It was evident that there was only ONE person taking orders and delivering food. We finally were able to order and then waited another 30 minutes for our food. We finished lunch at about 3 and got back into Ft. Worth about 4. The food itself was good. The baked potato and salad were nothing special, but the chicken fried steak was some of the best I've ever had. Even so, I don't know that it was worth the drive and the brutal wait. If your crave great chicken fried steak and have a ton of time to kill, go to Mary's. If not, tons of great chicken fried steaks in Fort Worth. read more

Great food and a friendly staff. This is a must try location if you are near Strawn Texas.

We loved Mary's cafe. The food was awesome. I had the chicken fried chicken and my fiancé had the chicken fried chicken. He ordered a medium thinking it wouldn't be that big and it was huge. He even needed a to go box. We arrived as soon as they opened and by the time we were leaving they had a full house. It was well worth the drive read more

Mary's Cafe - Front of the menu - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

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I feel like we went to the wrong place after hearing how good this is supposed to be. We showed up on Sunday a little after 2. It was so crowded that we had to wait about ten minutes to be seated, and we figured this was a good sign that the food was good. As others have said, it is very noisy, and the rooms are very full. The chairs, in particular, make an awful sound when they scrape across the floor. This would not have been a problem if the rest of the experience had not been so unfortunate. As such, it just added to the unpleasantness. We were seated, got our menus, and were asked our drinks almost immediately. Obviously, the chicken fried steak is what they are known for, but the menu is full of a bit of everything. We were asked if we were ready to order before we had a chance to really look over it at all; I guess they expect everyone to order the CFS, and while most everyone in the restaurant did order the CFS, we wanted to try a few of the other items. Then... we spent 10-15 minutes just waiting for our waitress to come back to take our food order. And you really cannot concentrate on anything other than the noise level when you have nothing to do but wait. One of us ordered the CFS, one of us ordered the porkchops, and one of us ordered the quail kabobs. And then we waited... and waited for well over an hour. And again, a wait would not be an issue if 1) the food is worth it and 2) we didn't see other people getting their orders 10-20 minutes after being seated. Those that get their food quickly are those that order only CFS, so make sure your entire party wants one, or be prepared for an hour-long wait. It seems they prioritize the CFS over anything else on the menu, so I don't know why there even is anything else on the menu. When we did finally get our food, it was evident what had been sitting out, and what had been the holdup on our order. In order of hottest to coldest: quail (hot), porkchops (warm), CFS (tepid). Also, our sides came first, then two of our meals, and then (about ten minutes later) the last plate. The sides were all room-temp. And the bowls the sides come in are so small you cannot even properly eat them. The food itself lacks seasoning, or any kind of real flavor at all. I don't think any of our meals were salted. The beans taste like they came straight from a can. The gravy has no taste. The pork chops were so tough they had the consistency of leather. The quail is decent, but a little on the dry side. The CFS is just amazingly bland. Unless you enjoy your food tasting of nothing but grease, you might find your meal lacking. The quail also comes wrapped in bacon, and while none of us have any dietary restrictions, there was no description at all on the menu. We were ignored by the staff for the majority of our stay. I felt like we were written off as a lost cause after the long wait and having to ask multiple staff for refills, as it seems like our waitress paid more attention to larger parties that quickly got their food as opposed to us (we still left a 20% tip anyway). It was a bit satisfying to imagine Gordon Ramsey's rage at trying this food, but seeing as this place attracts plenty of customers, it is unlikely he will be called in to save the business anytime soon. So, while we have definitely been here twice (the first and last time), plenty of other people seem to enjoy it. This place was just a real miss for us, and I do really wonder how this was voted the best CFS in Texas. read more

Had to wait 30 minutes when we ordered the quesadilla beef.Did not apologize for the wait or give a discount

I have been wanting to drive West to try their famous CFS. I will say that we got enough food to split for us (2). $2 for extra plate- worth it. We had the medium CFSteak, mashed , salad+tea ($23 total). The salad ( mediocre) consisted of shredded lettuce with a few small pieces of tomatoes. The bowl of white gravy was okay but needed pepper. The main plate was a decent size chicken fried steak that was not fried, but grilled on the kitchen grill just before serving. Our seemed like (2) different steaks, as one was great and this, the other more breading, thicker and a bit chewy. We had to use a knife to cut the thick one. Mary and staff friendly, helpful, but I suspect a bit over-worked due to staffing and Covid. I will be back and update if they get 4-5* which I fully expect next time. read more

WHOA, this review is way long over due!!!! I did a hike out in possum kingdom a few months ago and we made a stop here to eat CFS. I love CFS so it was a motivation for me to get off that mountain. First hour I was still excited. Second hour I was still okay. Third hour I was already ready to get off the mountain. Fourth hour WE GOT LOST!!!! I was hungry, aggravated, and a little uneasy. I kept telling myself....one small step for mankind, one giant leap for CHICKEN FRIED STEAK! HECK YES, WALK FASTER GIRL!!!!! MUST GET THE CREAMY GRAVY WHEN YOU COME HERE!!! I'M SERIOUS!!!!! if you don't, you're not my friend! and order a medium or large! it'll be a while before you get to taste another good piece of CFS so eat up!!!!! take some home if you can't finish it all. I ordered the medium size cfs and it was the size of my head!!! I wish this place was closer! I'd eat this every weekend, gain a ton of weight, and just be happy fat! read more

Mary's Cafe - Omg!!!! Medium size cfs! Best ever!!! - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

Let me preface this review by saying I drove 100 miles out of my way to eat here again. The first time I ordered a large CFS. It is made the way it was intended; pan fried sealing in the juices in a crispy golden batter. The batter captures the flavor of the oil heated in an iron skillet. Extremely good but very large portion that could easily feed three people. The gravy is smooth and flavorful and a perfect compliment to the CFS. The Texas burger is ginormous! Weighing in at 1.7 lbs. and cooked well done, one would expect it to be dry but it was quite juicy. The patty is 5 inches in diameter and two inches thick: open wide or cut it in quarters cuz either way it takes patience to eat this behemoth of a burger. Either entry will satisfy the palate craving down home comfort food. The location is out of the way for even the conventional foodie, but really worth the drive. read more

Waited 30 minutes for a table and then waited over an hour for our food. Fried green tomatoes were not good would not order again.tomato slices were too thin and the tomato tasted slimy. 1 star The calf fries were amazing! The breading they use is from broken up crackers and was just delicious . The outside of the calf fries were nice and crunchy and salty leaving the inside moist and tender. Best calf fries ever 5 stars. Chicken fried steak: lack flavor and seasoning. Breading was soggy and a little burnt 3 stars. French fries were made fresh. Absolutely awesome and cooked just right and seasoned perfectly. 5 stars The burger was huuuggggeeee . Best burger I have had in a while . The bread was toasted and held up to all the juices of the massive 2lb burger. This was one of the best seasoned and juiciest burger I have had 5 stars. Just be willing to have a long wait but if your getting the burger it is well worth the wait. read more

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My family and I have heard over and over about Mary's in Strawn Texas, how good, you've got to try it, Well We went and will not go back, the chicken fried steak is flat and the crust is really moushy. Needless to say a 63 mile trip wasted. Needless to say if it's on your bucket list mark it out!!! Atmosphere is run down , seating needs updated old , appearance not immaculate that's for sure. Take my advice you for sure won't go twice!!!! read more

I've heard so much about the Chicken Fried Steak at Mary's Cafe in Strawn that once been wanting to try it for at least 3 years! About three years ago on one of our road trips around Texas we passed within a mile or two of it traveling East on I-20 toward Dallas-Ft.Worth. It was only right after this adventure that I heard that it was rated one off the best places, if not THE best place to get a Chicken Fried Steak in the State of Texas! That's a pretty powerful statement considering there are some really great places for CFS in Texas! We've been due for one of our days trips to explore Texas so we made the trek north to work our way toward Strawn, Texas home of Mary's Cafe from our home base in Galveston County. We took our time going to other stops and overnighting in Decatur, Texas. We left early Sunday morning with a couple of more stops on our way to Strawn. We arrived at Mary's right around 11:35am in time to beat the early crowd, I thought!!! The place already had a fairly decent bunch of cars parked around it for that time of day!!! So we made our way in and had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated. The waitress said they were just cleaning off a table for our little family of 3. Two younger guys came in right after us and were apparently locals as they walked in and went in and seated themselves at a table that was supposed to be ours!!! The waitress then comes in and says she's going to seat us at a bigger table for about 8 people!!! We told her we'd wait, but she said that it would be fine. So we placed our drink order for two Iced Teas and one Dr. Pepper which they brought out promptly!! They waitress took our order and my wife and I both ordered the Medium Chicken Fried Steaks. My wife ordered Mashed Potatoes with hers and I ordered Fries with mine. Both came with a side salad which we both ordered with Ranch Dressing. Easton just wanted Mac and Cheese, so that's what we ordered for him. Another girl apparently helping out the waitress brought three squeeze bottles to the table. One with Catsup, one with Ranch, and one with 1000 Island!?!?!? O.K. I guess you never know. Then the fun begins. We ordered at right at 11:45am-11:50am and we waited! And we waited, and waited, and waited. The Two young guys that got our original table ordered and got their order and ate, and were gone!!! We're still waiting!!! About 45 minutes later our waitress comes by and says our order is almost ready! Really!!! And we wait about 10 more minutes before our food finally comes out!!! Almost an hour after ordering!!! My iced tea glass was 2/3 empty from the wait, no one ever offered to refill my glass even after the food was placed on the table! I will say that after the wait the food was very food and we really did enjoy the CFS's! If you go for the CFS just be aware that the Medium is enough for two people!!! They come small, medium, and large!!! I think the large one would easily cover the entire plate!!! My FF's were good! My wife's Mashed Potatoes were very good and the portions were big! The salads were just so so with shredded lettuce and a few diced tomatoes! Easton's Mac and Cheese was only warm around the edges like it had been microwaved to warm it up!!! The Cream Gravy that came for both of our meals was in a big bowl that we shared, was plenty and was very good. My only after thought that I told my wife was, I wonder if they know all their local people and work to get them served first and just put the strangers on the back burner! I know of a few places that serve that many people at one time and never have we waited over 15-20 minutes for our food and they make theirs from scratch as well!!! Looking at the reviews before we went were really either hit or miss!!! Either they got 2 stars for lousy service, or they for 5 stars for great everything!!! I usually rate places 4-5 stars, mostly 5's. But Mary's I'm only giving 3 just because their food is good and their portions are big, but No One should have to wait an hour for their order!!! There are ways to improve your business so you can get people served at a decent time after ordering. With that said, We've experienced Mary's CFS and although it reminded me a lot of my mother's we probably won't go back. There are just other places that serve CFS around Texas that are just as good. read more

Mary's Cafe - Mary's in Strawn - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

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Small town diner that has great food and service! Went her after a day on the lake. Family had the famous chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes that was amazing. My wife tried the fried chicken and it was equally as good. Everything made fresh from scratch daily. Highly recommend! read more

Great Food, and you better be hungry. It's a nice drive from weatherford, but the food is well worth it. Their specialty is chicken fried steak, but there are other items that are equally as good. Pork Chops, hamburgers, Chicken Livers ,Quail deep fried or grilled. It's all good. read more

Decent food with good service.. gotta stop by if you are driving down I-20 and looking for a decent spot in the middle of nowhere. However, the queso is terrible and the chicken fried steak gave the explosive diarrhea. Still get 3 stars just cause I'm nice read more

Mary's Cafe - Chicken fried steak ! - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

Service was ok .. I didn't care for the chicken fried steak was reasonable prices Chicken Fried Steak

After the 4th of July weekend, my wife and I took the long way back to Fort Worth from our place at beautiful Lake Possum Kingdom to give this place another try. Again, we were not disappointed. Once again, we both got the small CFS with fresh cut, skin on fries and salad, mine without the tomatoes. We really like that they cook their steaks on the flat top grill and that the creamy gravy comes in a large bowl on the side. The decor is pure Texas and our server was very good. We were pleased to see they are adhering to all Covid-19 protocols. All staff wearing masks and gloves, requiring diners to wear masks to enter and exit, social distancing seating and extra cleaning between diners. On our next visit, we're going to try other menu items, maybe. LOL! read more

Overwhelmed by Labor Day traffic, this establishment didn't welcome visitors. My family waited for an hour to be seated which was fine, but an hour an a half after our order, we finally surrendered and left hungry. We were increasingly frustrated as locals were served well ahead of us. The final straw was the nice couple that sat down next to us and were stuffing their faces 10 minutes after being seated. We were not charged for our drinks and the owner offered us the meal for free. Too little too late. While I've had this place in my radar for several years for their "Word Famous Chicken Fried Steak", I'm afraid I'll never get to try it. read more

Strawn, Texas known for 6 man football (Greyhounds) and now for me, Mary's Cafe. While traveling I - 20, about dinner time , I saw a sign for Mary's Cafe. After a quick call to make sure they were open, I was on my way. Just a couple miles North of I-20 , you'll arrive. Known for their Chicken Fried steak, I had to give it a try. Small, medium or large ? I can tell you the medium, is HUGE (see pic). The CFS comes with s green salad, Texas toast and your choice of fries, baked potato or mashed potatoes. I ate probably a fourth of the steak. I can't believe the portions they serve!! Yes, a to go box was needed ! You will not leave hungry!! For the road, I had a slice of coconut cream pie. The food was all good and the service was better. If you have read many of my Yelp reviews, you know it's the service that I appreciate over the food. My waitress was excellent! If it's time to eat and your around Strawn, Texas stop and give them a try. Go get Full read more

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A great jewel off the highway , I had chicken livers and was some best I've ever had, the gravy had the best flavor, my wife had chicken fried steak a medium was huge great flavor and tender. read more

We ordered bottle cap hot peppers, chips and dip, chicken fried steaks. Very busy place for a Monday afternoon. Cold beer and tea. Jasmine waited on us. The food was awesome and the service was excellent. Thanks. No need for me to post pictures, as you already have them. One suggestion: get some local person to make your pies. The coconut was not that good. read more

Mary's Cafe - Jasmine. Great server. - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

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We drove out of our way to eat here because someone recommended it as a great place with great food. Hardly! The food was overpriced and neither me nor my husband liked our food. He had a hamburger and tea. I had a chicken sandwich and water. Our check was $31.00. Not impressed at all. read more

Amazing food and service! Loved the cool experience at this Texas bucket list restaurant! read more

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The reviews are true about their amazing chicken fried steak. It really is extremely good! I haven't found a better chicken fried steak anywhere else. It was so tender and flavorful that I loved every bite. I can see why this place makes their employees sign an official non-disclosure agreement, I wouldn't want anyone else recreating this awesome recipe either! I can't wait to return to this place! It has definitely become a necessary stop on my way to the other side of Texas. I have a craving for their food just thinking about it Don't even question yourself about visiting this place, just go! read more

Mary's Cafe - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

I went with the small Chicken fried steak which is the size of a normal chicken fried steak. It was excellent, quick friendly service. Good food it gets packed by noon get there early. read more

Huge chicken fried steak and tastes good! Old fashioned restaurant with a homey feel. It draws a crowd so you will probably have to wait for a table, but it's worth the 3 hour round trip so it's worth the wait! read more

Totally disappointed, today was our first and last trip to Mary's. We have heard nothing but raves about their chicken fried steak from friends, and drove out of our way to eat lunch there today. We waited over an hour for our food, while folks who sat after us came and went. My oldest ordered the burger which we were told would take "awhile" and it came out first. The dinky little kids meals took longer than anything, and after spending over $80 for a chicken fried steak plate, a burger, and two kids meals we had to get it to go so my daughter wouldn't miss a birthday party. Definitely not worth the price no matter how much better it is warm (we wouldn't know) What a bummer read more

The food was basic and very over priced. We had 1 coffee, 1 can of soda, 1 BLT with 1/2 order of fries and 1 grilled chicken sandwich with 1/2 order of onion rings and the bill was $42. The service left a lot to be desired. Our waitress was nice but never around when needed. read more

We had a great experience dining here yesterday(Monday). Arrived around 2pm. No wait. We were actually served by Mary. Mary was so welcoming. The food was delicious. So much food. Cooked to order. If people are complaining about the cost in other reviews, they need to consider the amount of food they are serving you. Even the small orders are huge. We had the medium CFS and small order of Chicken Livers. We both took home over half the dish. When we are out that way again, we will stop by again. Thank you Mary for the conversation, hospitality and the wonderful food. read more

First went here during a national disaster 2011 or 2012? Had to visit this lovely place, again! The food is still excellent and the chicken fried steak is still large, tasty and awesome gravy! The fries were hot, the mashed potatoes did not thrill my soul, but everything else was better than perfect! read more

Mary's Cafe - Chicken fried steak - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

Good was great, not sure they are the best in Texas any longer but it was well above average. The service was ok, they seemed to spend more time with regulars and weren't very helpful in understanding the menu and what they had to offer. I have been a couple of time and the Atmosphere seems hectic and rushed. Not sure it was a place to just sit and enjoy a conversation and visit while eating. But, you would be a fool to not at least try it if you are Driving on I-20, it's only maybe 5 minutes off the highway. read more

Service very good Chicken fried steak very good Side items ok Appetizers ok Overall good place to go read more

Mary's Cafe in Strawn, Texas is delicious no matter what you order. The chicken fried steak is tender and the gravy delicious! Great service too! read more

Driving back from DFW airport on Christmas Eve to Abilene and got chicken fry sandwiches to go - the hype is real! Was tender and perfectly seasoned. I'll come back and have the whole experience soon! My boyfriend said I am not truly a Texan till I do! (Born and raised here, but somehow have missed this gem) read more

We had lunch at Mary's today. The chicken fried steak was amazing. Best homemade fries and gravy. Very good and it's worth the drive to Strawn, TX. We had the small chicken fried steak and it was huge and so flavorful. The restaurant was very clean and all the staff were so hard working and checking on us to see if we needed anything. read more

Mary's Cafe - Small chicken fried steak - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas

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Great food and wonderful service. They are known for their chicken fried steaks!! We make point of stopping anytime we are in the area!!

Mary's is a small Texas town cafe, so go with those expectations. If your expecting a Dallas dining experience stay away ( Dallas ain't Texas anyways). My wife and I had the chicken fried steak. Small for her, medium for me. We could have split the medium easily. I usually use the gone but not forgotten Massey's restaurant in Fort Worth as my go to for rating chicken fried steak. I think Mary's ranks up their with the best, at least at our visit. Skip the mashed potatoes get the baked potato. read more

The pictures don't do these meals justice. The food is delicious and the wait staff is amazing. We drove 60 miles out of our way to try this place. Totally worth it! If you like home cooking' this is your place! read more

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After almost 25 years of hearing about Mary's in Strawn we drove out there. I Was NOT impressed. It was a larger CFS but only about 1/4" thick, The staff was overloaded and the food looked poor in presentation, without character and the portions were puny compared to all the stories we had heard. I was VERY VERY disappointed. Not only for my own dream bubble of something great busted, but also for Mary's image I now had in my head! Hopefully things have improved but I left thing WHAT THA? read more

Over priced. 28 dollars for a kids hamburger and fried pickles. Will not be back nor suggest this place to anyone.

Been wanting to come visit this spot for a long time.... and it did not disappoint. Service was great, food came out timely and there was LOTS of it! Growing up in South West Texas, we are pretty particular about out Chicken Fried Steak. I can see why this one is voted the best in Texas in so many polls! It was outstanding ... def in my top 5 of all time, and I've been eating CFS for a LONG time. read more

Mary's Cafe - Chicken fried (Medium) - American Near Me - Strawn, Texas