We were greeted as soon as we arrived with the kindest smile. This is a seat yourself establishment and as soon as you pick the perfect spot, there is someone there to take your drink order and tell you the special of the day. Th menu has so many great options, so I went with the special, chicken fried chicken with white gravy, mashed potatoes, okra and toast. I am not a huge gravy person so got it on the side. The proportions were the perfect size, not too little and definitely not overwhelming. Everything was excellent and cooked to perfection. I had the sweet tea and it was wonderful as well. My co worker had the fish plate, she is a connoisseur of fish and said it was wonderful. The booths were a good size and customers are able to write with chalk paint pens to leave their mark. The environment was relaxing and fun at the same time. Although the space is smaller, the speed of service and the wonderful staff made it feel big. Will definitely return when I travel through Teague! read more

Something Different - Chicken Fried Chicken special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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Ok food great grilled chicken wraps. Friendly staff as well. Would be better if you could order cake on DoorDash

Oh my! I had the Buffalo Joe - buffalo sauce fried chicken breast. My co workers had the mushroom burger armadillo burger. This place is amazing! Definitely worth the stop. Oh, and did I mention pie? read more

Something Different - Cherry pie - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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They do honor the restaurants name it's definitely is something different!! Not so good. I always review comments and pictures post by reviewers to make sure I pick the right place to eat for my family . The good reviews are deceiving! The place it's ok from the outside , but it's not so nice inside, the bathroom is so bad ( smells horrible ) The food not so good at all. We Had crisp chicken salad, chicken fried chicken it was dry and over cooked . Service was good and locals love the place. Shocking!!! read more

Something Different - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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As soon as she said today's special is chicken fried chicken I closed the menu and waited less than ten minutes for some of the best chicken fried chicken I can remember having. I sat at the 'bar' and watched it being prepared. 10/10 read more

I'd give this place 10 stars if I could! Stop here! Your stomach will thank you! Like an old school diner, you step inside to happy music and happy staff! Seat yourself and get ready for one of the best meals you'll ever have! We ordered the cheese curds, expecting prepackaged frozen, Boy were we wrong! Hand-dipped homemade batter fried cheese! Ahmazing! Hubby got the chicken fried steak, think homemade batter seasoned to perfection hand dipped steak! It was excellent and half the size of the plate. I got the Reuben sandwich and let's just say it was probably the best I've had, kicked up a notch with homemade light and crispy potato chips. The meal was wonderful, but then we got dessert. Buttermilk pie and the Best Damn Strawberry Cake.... That cake is the stuff dreams are made of! We will definitely be back even if we have to drive over an hour..it is worth it! read more

I enjoyed this eatery better than any chain in town for lunch, on my trip down to Houston. They were very popular with takeout business.

Great service. Lots of locals coming in to this small diner. Enjoyed listening to their exchanges with the cook and waiters. Breakfast is basic eggs and or waffles with the usual meat sides. Grits were thick, warm and yummy. Scrambled eggs were cooked on the griddle; a little greasy to my liking. Wished I'd tried the waffles- they looked and smelled wonderful. read more

Found this hidden gem on yelp and so glad i did! we will be back and next time ill bring the whole family- im surprised i hadn't seen it because ive certainly driven by it many times. Its a small local hole in the wall with great homemade food. We simply got our food to go so we could eat it in the car. I tried the reuben sandwich and it's very good- you can tell they butter the bread- it's nice and toasted really perfectly. I thought the chips would just be bagged but they are clearly homemade and delicious. the kids meals are great priced and comes with a drink. We got the kids catfish. We got two desserts to try at home and i took a few bites of the coconut cream and wow it was great- i plan on now getting my holidays pies from here!! you can also buy the entire pie or do by the slice- i'll call ahead and get some for thanksgiving and christmas. The staff were super friendly. definitely give this place some business!! Excited to try different things next time! read more

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When you first step into Something Different, you definitely understand why they have that namesake. The decor is hilarious, certainly not your run-of-the-mill atmosphere. For example, they have a sign that says "complaints button," and it's a mouse trap. We thought that was very cute. The sassy atmosphere put a smile on our face from the second I walked in. We were immediately greeted by a server and told to sit wherever we wanted. The furniture is clearly worn in, but I think it added to the charm of the little cafe. The menu is fairly small, only a few pages. This is extremely smart of them both business-wise and quality-wise, because it means that they can get food out quickly and the cooks can perfect these dishes rather than trying to perfect a hundred of them. And I would personally always rather go to a place that has a few dishes that are perfect rather than a hundred that are so-so (looking at you, Cheesecake Factory.) The menu is mostly beef-based items, though there are a few chicken/fish items. If I recall correctly, there is a page dedicated to burgers, a page dedicated to sandwiches, then a few other pages that had miscellaneous items on it. My partner doesn't eat red meat, but there were enough options that he felt like there was enough to choose from for him as well. We aren't vegetarian, so we didn't look for those options, but they may be more limited. I ordered a patty melt, but I subbed the bun for a sweet roll for a small upcharge. I was told the chips were made in-house, but I opted for seasoned fries for a small upcharge. I will likely get the chips next time. My partner got the chicken wrap with regular (unseasoned) fries. The staff was very, very attentive. I was pleasantly surprised, because we came in only about an hour from closing. I would think that the staff would be tired and not as motivated to give excellent service at that point. But we were consistently waited on and our drinks were never empty. The food came out after a reasonable amount of time. We both LOVED the food. Like, really, really loved -- and we can be picky about food. When I asked my partner again just now what he thought of the food (the next day), he said it was awesome. I had never had a sweet bun with a patty melt before, but it was truly amazing. The seasoned fries were so good that I ate them all, which never happens. I usually leave food on the plate if I think it's so-so. We opted for dessert as well. The waitress began to try to recite the dessert menu from memory, but she pulled out a long piece of paper that had all of the desserts on them. She was nice enough to read them all out, but my partner and I were like, "okay, that was so many items," and we couldn't remember already, haha. So, she kindly left the piece of paper with the desserts on them with us. The desserts list was surprisingly extensive. They are all made fresh in house. There were about 10 different cakes to choose from and 10 cheesecakes, I believe. There were also another couple of random items that I don't remember (maybe cobbler or something?) I got the dark chocolate chip cake, and my partner got the key lime cheesecake. When I asked him again just now how he liked the cheesecake, he said it was "really, REALLY good." He is almost never that enthusiastic about dessert. My own portion was HUGE, especially for the price I paid. I ate about a third of it and took the rest home to eat. It was by and far the best cake I've ever had. That was probably the biggest shocker, that the best cake I have ever had came from a little diner down the road that we hadn't had a chance to stop into until now. I'll definitely come back for my birthday and get a whole cake. The waitress kindly gave us to-go cups on our drinks and brought me a to-go box for my cake. Despite it being so late and near closing, we never felt rushed out -- which is another unique thing, because the rare times that we do eat close to closing, the staff usually tries to not-so-subtly hint that we need to leave. All in all, this will be our new go-to place. We live very close, and I can't wait to come back again. And the cherry on top is that the food is EXTREMELY affordable, especially post-COVID when it feels like everything went up in price. I would highly recommend any locals or anyone passing through to give Something Different a try. read more

Something Different - Patty melt with sweet bun and seasoned fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Loved this country diner! Sassy waitress and great food! The place was full of personality! Recommend! read more

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Good choices on menu, good service and great homemade baked pies and cakes!! Owner has the best personality!!

Have been eating for years, always our go to between Dallas and Houston. But today it was a horrible experience. After waiting for the waitress to get off the phone. And waiting to be acknowledged, another table sat down. Waitress immediately called them by name and gave them drinks and menus. Still no acknowledgment of us. The tables were side by side. Go figure. This was a 15 minute wait. It was not busy today. So I'm sure the waitress had some problems. Like not needing a customer from out of town that always has patronized this business . I just don't get it. I have always felt welcome and enjoyed the wait staff. But this waitress UGH. I will miss my fish plate. So if you stop here look for that cranky old lady, who doesn't enjoy her work. Or need a tip. read more

Just like the name says, but amazing food and service in an improbable setting. Don't let the "parking lot" dissuade you. And if you like dessert, save room. The baked goods are insane! I had what was quite literally the best tuna melt of my life. Thinking about it now makes me wistful. Perfect halfway spot between Houston and Dallas. Will be back. read more

Great food in a small town diner. You will be glad you stopped in! Try the chicken salad sandwich or for a larger appetite, the chicken fried steak. read more

Me and my buddy were working on his property in Buffalo. Working all day we were looking for a hardy meal. We located this restaurant and it was amazing! It felt like I was eating at a friends house, everyone was friendly and greeted us. The female waitress was also friendly and seemed happy to be working at this establishment. The restaurant had a good vibe to it, it seemed like I was home. The sweet tea was amazing and I ordered hamburgers steak with fresh jalapeños! It was outstanding but then pepper were spicy . Finished the meal, attempted to have some of their homemade cake and brownies but I was done. I'm definitely coming back and trying their chicken salad sandwich ! Lots of people were ordering it and it looks delicious. This was a good old place, love TXS! read more

Something Different - Hamburger steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

In Fairfield overnight for work and found this place on Yelp, so glad I decided to forego the "famous buffet" for this hole in the wall! I had the chopped steak that came with a salad (larger than most side salads), baked potato and Texas Toast. The steak was crispy on the outside but not at all dry and came with freshly grilled onions and a generous bowl of brown gravy on the side. Had a lively conversation with a few locals and, when I got a piece of cake to go, was asked by the waitress two different times if I was sure I didn't want another iced tea to take back to the hotel with me. Excellent service that was only surpassed by the quality of the food! read more

Good little spot. Fried catfish is as good as you can get anywhere. Good fries and hushpuppies, too. Friendly, non-fussy service. Lots of locals, but friendly to non-locals. read more

Homemade, not Home style. We had the catfish and a mushroom burger. Delicious. Great server and cook. Will come again.

Wasn't really sure what I was in the mood for so I opted for a turkey melt. OMG it was SO yum!!! The cheese was so gooey and the amount of turkey was perfect! The sweet potato fries were good, though I prefer them a little thicker. It's a quaint little diner with friendly staff and I can see why the locals like coming here. Next time I plan on saving room for dessert. read more

Something Different - Turkey melt with sweet potato fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Easy to get to from the Highway. It was full of locals that the waitresses knew by name. It's a very welcoming environment with really good food. I would DIS-agree with the sign hung near the restroom (see pic). The restroom wasn't fancy but it DID NOT "suck" lol ... because it was quite clean which is a good reflection on the kitchen typically. We enjoyed supporting this mom and pop diner. read more

Something Different - Dining room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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So so good! Only bad thing about this place was the music (just not my style). BUT DELICIOUS hole in the wall, ma pa shop with kick ass catfish, Ruben, cheese steak, sweet potato fries and Italian cream cake ARE MY STYLE! Don't let it's looks deceive you. City folk, grow a pair, you won't regret it. read more

On our way from Houston to Dallas and needed to make a stop for dinner - we drive by Something Different all the time and the bf says it's always super busy, with lots of cars always parked out front. With such amazing reviews, we decided to finally give it a try! They're located across the street from the Dairy Queen's/McDonald's after the exit the Fairfield/Teaque exit. A very small restaurant that doesn't really draw attention, so I guess it's easy to miss. The interior is also not very big, with maybe 5 booths on either side of the entrance, and a few seats at the counter. Seat yourself if there's a spot, I guess there may be waits occasionally, but we didn't experience this on a Friday evening. We ordered the Pepper Puppies cause they sounded delicious on the menu. Was disappointed to see that they were probably pre-frozen store bought hush puppies. They were tube shaped, like a mozzarella stick - the outside soft and fluffy, light corn bread type breading. The inside filled with a Velveeta type cheese with small jalapeño bits. Can't taste the "pepper" or jalapeño at all - so calling them Pepper Puppies may be a bit of a stretch. They were ok - though we were expecting something homemade or more for the price. At almost $9 an order, it cost more than the main courses we ordered. Super weird cause the other appetizer, Fried Pickles, was also more expensive than the sandwich. The fried pickles were as expected, nothing to rave about - exactly what I thought they'd be. The sandwiches were worth coming back for - my Turkey Swirl was actually stacked with turkey in the middle. A good sandwich, though came out semi-warm and a bit soft. I wish it was a bit more toasted. The sweet potato fries were crispy, also not hot. The Hot Johnnie contained a little less meat on a jalapeño cheddar bun. It was ok, though too much bread and not enough ham. We enjoyed the Turkey Swirl more! Pretty decent sandwich for the price! And lastly, the owner and her daughter bakes all the pies and cakes on the daily - we ordered the Coconut Cream Pie and it was delicious!! I can see why people came to pick up to-go orders of dessert! The pie was definitely a win for us and we would come back for the pie, no question about it. Overall, a decent place to stop - probably as good as any other options for a good sandwich and sit down meal. Service was decent, sometimes a little wait but worth it if you have time to spare. read more

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I was looking for something/ some place I had not eaten at before, so why not Something Different? I arrived around 12:30 and had to wait for a place to sit!! Yes, that's a little inconvenient, but also maybe a good problem to have ! They offered me along , with others that were waiting, a drink until they could seat us. The staff was very friendly and did all they could to make the wait better. I asked my waitress for her help and she suggested the grilled turkey and cheese sandwich, it hit the spot ! Very good. When in Fairfield, try Something Different Go get Full read more

Service was great...meal was great...desert was phenomenal! Ordered the Turkey Swirl Sandwich and Buffalo Jo Chicken Sandwich. Came with home made chips...yum! Then for dessert, buttermilk pie! The crust was perfect and the filling Devine! Price was good, also! read more

This was are first time here and we will be back. I had the Hot Johnnie. It was good but needed something, maybe a few more jalapenos in the bread but the bread was so soft and homemade for sure. My husband had the Amarillo burger and it was quite good. The meat was perfectly cooked and not to greasy or dry. Perfect! Never had cream cheese on a burger before but it works well! read more

Something Different - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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Something Different is a great small town diner where the staff were really friendly and the food was excellent. I can't go back there soon enough!! The breakfast options sound fantastic. I got the fish sandwich with fries and a German chocolate cake. The baker makes fresh desserts twice a week. If I lived closer, I'd eat here all the time and would get super fat. Thanks Something Different for a great dinner!! read more

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Older joint but amazing deli style sandwiches and some of the most personable employees. read more

Something Different - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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Excellent service! Food was made fresh - the chicken fried steak is hand breaded. We will be back!

Great food and service in a small town along 45. Definitely recommend and will go back on future road trips

Wasssss hungry and at that point of no return but found this gem of a restaurant off 45 and it was GREAT !!!!! Something different made a difference today for me. PS. THE STAFF THERE IS THE BOMB. Thanks ladies for be some nice read more

Something Different - Turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich with sweet potato fries. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Food was AWESOME! Definitely recommend the Hot Johnnie and Buttermilk Cheesecake. Will be back

I have eaten here a few times and it had usually been good, but I ordered grilled chicken salad to go on Tuesday and it was terrible. They used canned chicken and heated it on the flattop grill. read more

Stopped here by chance during a recent trip and this place was so good that we will make it a point to stop anytime we are driving from Ft Worth to San Antonio. The staff was friendly and the food was made to order. This place is small so seats are limited but the food is delicious. Definitely try it out. You will not be disappointed.! read more

Just a warning, do not go here if you have an important business meeting soon after. I left smelling exactly like the interior of the place, like I had been working at the grill for a couple hours and frying things in the deep fryer. Now on to the food. I got a chicken salad sandwich that was pretty good. Nothing to write home about but decent. It came with sweet potato fries that looked and tasted just like the ones I buy in the freezer section at Kroger. Over all, it's a decent place but not worth the high star rating in has compared to places I have been that are 4-5 stars. read more

Something Different - Small and cozy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

Want made to order? Conveniently off 45. Traveling through Fairfield and found this amazing little restaurant. Great food and southern hospitality! read more

Truly something different. Great breakfasts and trio medley of salads. Made to order hamburgers & home-cooked meals. Great prices, excellent service. read more

We travel the I 45 highway between Dallas & Houston pretty regularly. We're always looking for some good food.....not in the fast food category. There can be lots of empty highway along the way. Today we stopped at a little, fairly nondescript building on the corner of I 45 at Fairfield. It's a small, grey, rectangular building on the north east corner. It's almost hidden behind the closed down gas station. This gem is the SOMETHING DIFFERENT RESTAURANT. We stopped for lunch.....they also serve breakfast in the morning and continue on through dinner. We'll definitely have to try breakfast because I'll bet it's homemade, filling and delicious. You know from the start it's going to be something special with all the locals parked out front and a steady stream coming in and picking up to go boxes to take home. As a table, we had the Reuben sandwich which was out of this world, stuffed full of good corn beef a great pickle and potato chips. We also had a Philly cheesesteak which was very well done and also came with a fresh pickle and chips and an order of the grilled tilapia with a baked potato, coleslaw and hush puppies. The tilapia was seasoned and baked perfectly, just falling apart with a fork. The hush puppies were my least favorite. We're pretty tough critic's since were all good cooks. But we were all very, very impressed. To top it off we had to try at least one of their homemade pies. We had the chocolate pecan and again... Yum. It was served warm with a flaky, delicious crust and lots of pecans but not over sweet and cloying. The staff makes you feel right at home and are super friendly and knowledgeable. While some Areas are naturally worn, the place is very clean Needless to say, this will be one of our favorite places to stop on I 45. read more

Something Different - Road sign. Directly across from Subway & DQ - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas

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This is a small place with a small menu - there aren't many options. Eggs are cooked perfectly and the sausage is good, but the coffee sucks. What is it with coffee in this town? I guess it's better than once upon a time when all the restaurants in East Texas were only stocked with powder creamer. Improvement must come in increments. read more

A hidden gem that you don't want to miss!! They make it fresh and from scratch and it doesn't take that long. Don't miss out on the delicious desserts made daily. We had the Oreo chocolate cake and gobbled it up before I thought to take a picture. Staff is also super friendly. read more

Something Different - Buffalo Joe sandwich (I added pickles). The sandwiches came with Ruffle chips for free (menu didn't let us know this). - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Fairfield, Texas