Great soul food and cajun. We tried the karoke night menu: gumbo, red beans & rice, macaroni & cheese balls, boudin egg rolls, chicken fingers. All good! (It was dimly lit for extended hours karaoke night so my photos may look washed out, sorry.) They had dessert too but we were too full. Casual with family friendly attentive service. Unique, genuine mom & pop shop. Full restaurant with a quirk of being connected to a convience store. read more

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We're spending the summer in McDade for a work assignment, and after working all day in the HOT Texas sun... who's cooking? Not us. Let's start with the basics... Easy to find. Plenty of parking. Cool little atmosphere. Now here's the plot twist... It's attached to a gas station. Before you clutch your pearls and drive on by... DON'T. Some of the best food comes from places your GPS forgot to brag about. The menu is HUGE, and they even had a daily special posted. Our table tackled: Tortilla Burger (whatever the official name is... I'd order it again!) Philly Cheesesteak & Fries Shrimp Po' Boy Orleans Pasta Fried Mac & Cheese Balls Everything came out hot, fresh, and in portions big enough to make tomorrow's lunch jealous. Now... let's talk onion rings. LORT. Hand-breaded. Golden. Crunchy. And about the size of a toddler's bracelet. Order them. Just trust me. The shrimp on the Po' Boy? Big, juicy, perfectly cooked, and definitely hand-breaded--not those little frozen shrimp trying to fool anybody. A few more reasons we'll be back: Breakfast served ALL DAY. BYOB. Karaoke nights (check the sign inside for dates). ‍‍‍ Plenty of room for large groups. And a special shout-out to our sweet server, Nicole. She was attentive, kind, and one of those people who genuinely enjoys taking care of her customers. She absolutely made our visit even better. TW'S REAL PANTS RATING: -- 5 out of 5 Real Pants As a full-time camper and proud naturist... I don't put on real pants for just anybody. This place earned 'em. We'll definitely be back. read more

If you're looking for bold, unforgettable flavor--this place absolutely delivers. We started with the macaroni balls, and they were HUGE. Crispy on the outside, golden and crunchy, with a cheesy, gooey center that tasted like true homemade mac & cheese. Already off to a strong start. Then came the chicken and waffles... and let me just say: the chicken is a 1000/5. Perfectly crispy, well-seasoned breading with juicy, tender meat inside. Every bite was packed with flavor. The waffle was soft, fluffy, buttery, and cooked just right--paired perfectly with the chicken. I also tried the gumbo (added shrimp). The flavor was definitely there, rich and well-developed with a great consistency on the roux. For me personally, it was just a tad on the salty side--but honestly, not enough to take away from the overall experience. Even the cabbage was seasoned perfectly and cooked just right--nothing on the table was bland. This is one of those spots where you can taste the care in every dish. Flavor everywhere, no shortcuts. Five stars all the way. I'll definitely be back. read more

Lovely Bride is always looking for new out of the way cafés, and found this one on an afternoon trip to Elgin. A cafe attached to an Exxon station in the literal middle of nowhere? Sign us up! This is a little gem that is apparently owned and run by some New Orleans raised folks, and the menu lovingly reflects those roots. Breakfast all day, and tons of other mouthwatering selections. At the recommendation of our server I ordered the Tenders and Waffles. There were so many hot, juicy and crispy tenders on a waffle sprinkled with powdered sugar and honey... and it was soooo good. The dining room was clean, the staff was on too of everything and super nice, and the food was great. We will be back! read more

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If you are looking for good home style cooking then this is the place. They have a full menu all day so we got wings, waffles, and chicken fried steak. All of the meals were delicious. On top of the food the service was second to none. Definitely will be back when passing back through town. read more

On our way from The Woodlands to Round Rock, my family was getting hungry and needed to stop for dinner, so I used Yelp to help me. Scales was highly recommended and now I know why. This quaint restaurant is attached to a conveniently located gas station right on the highway. There was a side entrance we used to directly enter the restaurant, and we were able to seat ourselves. The servers were warm, welcoming, and attentive to our order. We ordered bone in lemon pepper wings, a cheeseburger with seasoned fries, a patty melt with fries, and a shrimp po boy. Every item was cooked and seasoned perfectly. This is a phenomenal spot for comfort food. There were many items on the menu that we really wanted to try, but only had so much room to eat because the portions are great. And the price didn't break the bank. Scales has "mom & pop" casual restaurant with great food. read more

Chicken is extra crispy and delish! I had chicken and waffles, I enjoyed it very much. Will be back.

Super friendly staff. Everything is fresh made. No frozen meat patties etc.... So it takes a minute to get your food but it's tasty and there's plenty to eat. The restaurant is clean! Don't let the location, (attached to a gas station on a rural hwy )scare you away. The "little man" is a lot of food btw. read more

The best chicken fried steak I've had in a long time! Do yourself a favor and stop by!!! read more

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Breakfast all day long! Had the Big Man Breakfast. 3 eggs, 3 sausage patties, 3 pieces of bacon and 3 pancakes. Delicious and filling. read more

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the food is always great and the staff treats everyone well. love this place. Sunday Brunch is an extra treat. CB

While the food was ok (we were there for breakfast), the waitress was less than attentive. She never checked back after our food came out (no condiments at the tables). She also never asked if we'd like more coffee. When it came time to leave, we had to ask her for our bill; we were told to pay at register. When we walked up there to pay, she went into kitchen and we had to wait for her to return. There was only one other table in the restaurant at that time. Service can definitely make or break a business. read more

Hidden Gem. Great gumbo and chicken fried steak. Recommending to anyone that will listen!

Great little breakfast cafe. Haven't had lunch there yet but we love a good place that serves breakfast all day. Eggs to order, potatoes were decent, and biscuits are awesome. Fair prices and steady service. read more

Food was great! Atmosphere was clean and homey, service was wonderful with personal interaction from the wait staff. I had a chicken fried steak and could cut it with my fork. Will make that drive again soon. read more

Went for the chicken tenders and waffles. My only suggestion would be using hot honey... but they had Tabasco on hand so that made it perfect. Fast friendly service with plenty seating. read more

Scales Cafe - Chicken tenders and waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McDade, Texas

I love this place and I have yet to have a meal I don't enjoy. And I love Sherman and his family!

Friends recommend this place. It did not disappoint. Such great food and good customer service. We will be back for breakfast the next time.

Food is terrific. Great value. Service was super. Can't recommend enough. It's a short hop from Elgin but worth it. Tucked away behind the Exxon station. read more

Food is excellent! Service is also excellent even with a crowd!! Don't forget to order a cornbread pancake, you're welcome!!!!

fantastic food, atmosphere, and prices. I had delicious chicken fried steak. We will be regulars, for sure.

Oh my! I'm sorry we found out about this place lol. So yummy and the owners are super sweet. Fried pork chops are to die for. The chicken fried steak is so tender and flavorful. The mac and cheese is creamy and cheesy and super delicious. Don't be thrown off by the fact that it's attached to a gas station. This place was packed on a Saturday at 11am. read more

Scales Cafe - Fried Pork Chops - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McDade, Texas

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Amazing place! The service was fantastic, everyone was so nice and we were well taken care of. We got the chicken fried steak, red beans and rice, and fried catfish and waffles. Everything we had was super yummy! We will definitely be back next time we're passing through! read more

My Wife and I had been craving Soul Food for the past month, and we both grew up on it, so we are quite critical on what "good" is. This is definitely good and better! We were given such a warm welcome served a hot and flavorful meal and had a lovely time! We'll definitely be going back! read more

Great American food selections with a Smile. Plenty to see and go around. ADA Accessible

My meal was horrible but the service was just as bad. My husband ordered the red beans with sausage and it looked like a work of art and must have tasted better because the generous portion was gone quickly. I ordered the catfish platter on the waitresses recomendation and have never been more sorry. A flavorless concrete hard thick layer of fried corn meal you could break a tooth on, covering muddy tasting uncleaned cat fish with a confusing side of dry toasted white bread? The special that day was fried pork chops which the waitress never mentioned. We also ordered 3 starters for the table, onion rings, the boudan egg rolls and the Philly cheese steak fries(fried were amazing). 9 bucks got us 2 tiny egg rolls which we cut in half with my husbands coffee spoon because we never got silver ware and served up on the two apatizer plates the waitress brought to our table of 4.. The half I got was vinagary, as if it had been doused in vinagar. The other was deemed good by two other members of our party , my daughter then attempted to eat the half her son rejected, declared it tasted nothing like the first one she had tasted and dared not finish it for fear the fermented flavor was from spoilage and not vinagar. My daghter and I both got the cabbage as a side. It was lovely. I have no clue why my meal sucked so badly, new cook or what ever but ya do not leave a table of 4 with out offering dring refills when it takes 45 min to get food out. read more

The food was wonderful! Will be returning to try different items! The catfish and onion rings omg!

Just ate today's special, Catfish Alexander, a fried catfish filet, smothered in crawfish etouffee on dirty rice. It's like being in New Orleans. I meant to get a picture, but it didn't happen. We've been here 4 times now and it just keeps getting better and better. Their fried catfish basket is phenomenal, and their shrimp is the best in Texas. Seriously. Fantastic Chicken Fried Steak, the poboys look great, haven't had one yet. I'm too hooked on the basket and specials! Different special every day. The banana pudding is unreal, and don't get me started on the peach cobbler, it's already hard to get there before it's all gone. Love this place! Open Tuesday through Saturday from some ungodly hour in the morning until 7pm. I don't wake up before 10 most days, unless i want the cobbler... read more

We all enjoyed our different dishes and it will definitely be our stop to eat whenever in the area. I chowed down on a fried chicken sandwich with homemade onion rings while the wife had a patty melt. Next time we're going to try some of the cajun style dishes that others appeared to be enjoying. read more

Excellent chicken fried chicken, and fried chicken. Love the burgers too. Only problem is the business closes too early.

This Cafe is simply amazing the staff and owners make you feel at home . The food is amazing . The shrimp and waffles is soooo goood.

A quick search revealed Scales Cafe. This place is great. Yes, its attached to a convenience store, don't let that stop you from trying Scales Cafe. The food is wonderful. We had a big stack, the big man, tenders & waffles and a side of mac'n'cheese. It was all yummy. I love crispy bacon and this place does it right. The staff was delightful. Hats off to Chef Scales and his family. We are leaving with full bellies and big smiles. I'd attach pictures, but the yummy smells had us digging into our dishes before I even thought of taking a picture. read more

The food and service were both exceptional. It was some of the best chicken fried steak we have ever eaten. We also had the red beans and rice which was excellent as well. Definitely will return! read more

Oh my God. AWESOME. A friend told me about this place and I've been back 8 times. Can't get enough. Massive portions of loving delicious-ness. read more

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Tasty breakfast. Proportions are large. Had the 'Big Boy' breakfast. The service was exceptional. Delightful family run restaurant.

I was really surprised by the quality of the food from this diner. I didn't expect nearly what I got. Ordered a chicken tender and fried shrimp basket. Didn't get the frozen stuff... this was all fresh, huge shrimp, hand cut tenders and LOTS of both! Shrimp were a little salty but most excellent! Definitely going back! read more

Small town cafe with good food. Some Friday nights they have Karaoke; you'll have to check when. The only negative is that they're closed Sundays and Mondays. read more

I've lived in the area for 3 yrs now & we just found this place, to be fair it never looked like anything was back here. Very good food. At least it's better than what the town's nearby serve usually because it's a hit or miss at most places. The food isn't greasy, must be air fried. The buns are toasted!! Yes. The veggies fresh, the burger cooked to delicious not over seasoned. Meatloaf was yummy & not disappointed. Friendly, quick service. New place to chow down. read more

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MUST STOP!! Food was absolutely delicious! service was amazing, so helpful and thoughtful! Even the playlist made the atmosphere fun! we will be coming back soon! read more

OH BOY! To start, the staff were friendly and courteous from the moment we walked in. They answered every question that we had about the menu. Since I couldn't make up my mind, I ordered Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice and Crawfish Etoufee. When I tell you that everything met and exceeded me expectations. I will definitely be back to try other menu items. Good People and Great Food read more