Returned to The Whistlestop for the first time in a long time. This was my first visit since…read morefinding out I am allergic to gluten. The staff was incredibly helpful with finding things that I could have on the menu. Our server was very willing to ask the chef any questions I had about ingredients and sauces. You can get any of the pasta dishes they can make them with gluten free pasta upon request along with getting any handhelds on a gluten free bun. I landed on the Poke Bowl, I subtracted the aioli and ponzu because they were not gluten free. I removed the picked ginger out of my personal preference. To replace the sauces I removed I asked for a cup of their apple vinaigrette and it paired incredibly well with everything in the bowl.

Food could have been better. Cold just wasn't good…read more Waitress was accommodating and replaced my food since it was cold. It was disappointing because it was extremely slow had one other couple in the building so it wasn't busy. Not a great 1st visit impression. This visit was in Trinidad Tx

All I can say is WOW! This may be the best restaurant in Ennis. My husband ordered the steak…read moresandwich, and the moment he took the first bite, his eyes lit up. I had the carbonara, and honestly, it was almost too pretty to eat. The service was a little slow, but it actually gave us time to soak in the atmosphere and admire how beautiful the restaurant is inside. The vibe? Absolutely check. The cocktails were not our favorite, but that definitely won't stop us from coming back to try other drinks on the menu. What makes this place even more special is that it's a true mom-and-pop restaurant sourcing food locally. You really can't beat that. Supporting local while getting an amazing meal is always a win.

I ordered the Steak Sandwich, mid rare, because that's how you ask meat to tell the truth. And it…read moredid. Pink and honest in the middle, warm and willing, bread holding it all together like a good road holding a long drive. Nothing flashy, nothing trying too hard just flavor that knew where it came from and didn't apologize. The arugula salad came sharp and clean, green with intent, that bitter edge that wakes you up a little and reminds you you're still alive. It wasn't there to impress you. It was there to balance things out, like a deep breath between sentences. I drank Earl Grey tea, steam rising slow, bergamot drifting up like memory, like train smoke somewhere far off. It felt right. The kind of tea you drink when you're not rushing anywhere, when the world can spin without you for a moment and that's okay. Fern in the Wild isn't trying to reinvent eating. It's doing something better. It's paying attention. To ingredients. To pace. To the quiet pleasure of a meal done right. I left feeling fed in more ways than one--like I'd stopped long enough to hear myself think. That's rare. That's worth something. I'll be back.

Food and drinks are great, wonderful staff, always treat us well…read more I hate adding letters

Summary: My Favorite Restaurant!! My family and I started…read moreeating at this restaurant 15 years ago when we first moved to this area. At that time it was owned by the previous owner. It was always packed, sometimes with a 30-45 minute waiting line. Sometimes with 30 minute waiting to get our order served to us because the kitchen was so busy. So we tried to only eat there at weird hours or less busier days. After the ownership changed, there was a lot of "bad press" on social media that the food, service, and prices were terrible under the new ownership. I'm posting this review to state that I have found through personal experience that these negative "reports" were outrageously wrong and most likely put out there to damage the restaurant's reputation and clientele attendance. So, to set the record straight..... Don't believe everything you are told on social media..... especially in small owns. The food is GREAT, the service is top notch, and the menu has more options than the old menu. For example the fried avocado dish is SUPERB, and is a new addition to the menu. No waiting to be seated.... Typical wait time for freshly prepared entrees is 5-10 minutes and the chips and salsa are addicting! I grew up in Corpus Christi, and was raised on Mexican cuisine. So I am picky and finicky about quality and entrees. Ellios is my "GO TO" place to get extremely good food and service without having to drive to Athens, Tyler, or Dallas areas.

We went to the Tomball German fest and they had a trailer there. We bought a bunch of pirogies and…read moreother dishes to take home. My girlfriend took the trays to her house and when I wanted to try it the next day, her family had eaten it....all. Three days later, I happen to going through Ennis on a weekend trip and stopped in to actually try it this time. Having some Polish blood running through the veins, I was pretty excited to see and try many things on the menu that I grew up with. So I proceeded to order like 3-4 different plates (I was with my girlfriend again, but I knew what my mission was.... Pirogies- really good. We had the cabbage and mushroom; tater and cheese and Piccadillo (a little Tex mex version with ground beef, potato and jalepeno). Honestly, the picadillo was my favorite, all were good though. The sauerkraut and ribs were tasty, they take all of the fun out of it by taking the meat off the bones, but better for service. We had the sausage plate which was really good and finally the potato pancakes with apple sauce. Everything was great. Did not know it at the time, but Granny Dee was our sever!! Sweet woman, great service and we have followed similar paths in our movings over the years. The place over all is in an old building, very nice, clean and comfortable. I recommend the place for a little taste of home. May not be like my mom's, but better than me having to make it. I will be stopping again in my travels.

Dine in or carry out, the food is fantastic! Quaint local owned place on the square that is…read moreabsolutely worth a stop! We tried the pop's pork schnitzel sandwich and the Pierogi plate: bacon, cheese, chive & Kielbasa & Ruskie. The sweat and sour slaw paired with the spicy mustard on the sandwich took it to the next level with perfect balance! Of the pierogi, my least favorite was the Ruskie but it was still good! The best one by a landslide was the kielbasa, I could have ordered 3 of those and been perfectly content! The staff was very friendly and the plates were ready in less than 10 minutes and stayed hot and fresh for my 20 minute drive home... check this amazing little gem out, you won't be disappointed!

We ordered takeout today, the patty melt was 10/10, fries were eh, side of broccoli rice casserole…read more10/10, pulled pork sandwich and barbecue sauce 10/10, the butter cake dessert was disappointing. We did not get the caramel sauce that's supposed to come with the dessert but aside from that it was just a mouth full of sugar.

We were greeted & shown to our table by Aurianna & she was a delight. (: beautiful smile…read more The food was good ~ I had the meatloaf. It was somewhat dry so I asked for extra sauce. It was great! Hubby had salmon & it never disappoints. The portions have really gotten smaller ~ especially the rolls but they are still yummy.

Light early dinner w mi madre. Sharing appetizers…read more The hot and sour soup is phenomenal. Rich, full of complex but not overwhelmingly flavors, and just a little kick. Eggrolls are delicious, but huge. You know, for eggrolls. I've had burritos that weren't much bigger. The fried wantons were absolute perfection. Fried just long enough for a weee bit of crust crunch and texture, but still soft. The calamari was great. Mi madre is over the moon for it. I thought it was a little heavy and really needed something to dip it in, but that's not something to gig em for. I could asked for sweet and sour sauce. Or more soy, whatever. The shrimp toast though... Let me tell you something, about this shrimp toaste. It's super important. You need this in your life. Post haste. Like, right fucking now. Next time I go there, I may very well just order dumplings and shrimp toast. It has got a really subtle but steady sweetness that lingers nicely. The shrimp toast here is one of the best things you'll eat in this whole ass county. Promise. It's a beautiful day, East Texas. I hope you're enjoying it. #iloveyouetx #sabaileyproject #writerfoodiegunguy #foodiesofetx #ztfu #foodiesofig #hippiebarbarian

We drive over to Athens to go to the Farmers Market occasionally. That's what we did today and…read moredecided to have lunch afterwards. We chose Asian Garden because we had eaten there a couple times before. The lunch specials were tasty and at a good price. I had shrimp and broccoli and my wife had the Moo Goo Gai Pan. We both enjoyed our food. Service, however, as not as good as we expected. The man who served us was most likely the owner too. He was not friendly and did the minimum to meet our needs. He never came by to check to see if everything was okay. He sat my water glass down by just saying, "Here" and when it was time to pay our bill, he laid it on the table and disappeared. I was paying with cash so I had correct change. He became busy on his computer it seemed and did not tell us thank you. We were the only customers for lunch so perhaps he thought we didn't need more, but he will not get return visits if he is not more attentive to his customers.

Food and service were excellent. Had the fajitas and they were cooked perfectly. The hot sauce is…read morevery good.

Good local Mexican food friendly service with food consistently maintained. Clean interior.read more

Food was good. I would eat there again. The staff is very friendly. I had the California Club,…read moreI've had better club sandwiches. But not very many.

So I was looking for a quick place to grab lunch and I love a good soup and sandwich combo so I…read moredecided to try them out. The place is cute upon walking in it felt very welcoming. The young lady that attended me had been previously talking to someone else and she kindly excused herself and said she needed to tend to a customer. Just her attitude and politeness won me over! She was very patient when I said it was my first time and explained things thoroughly with the few questions I had while also offering a suggestion I decided to go with. Now to the food...OMG! These sandwiches AND soup are delicious! The portions were just right and the flavor was on point. The bread was toasted just the right amount, the meats tasted super fresh, and the soups felt like my mom had cooked it up in her kitchen. I know it's a basic and simple meal but some people can either overdue it or not get it right BUT Stone Soup Cafe definitely did it all right! I hope you give them a try! I'd love to try all their sandwiches now with the flavor burst I got from my very first bite to the last! I've already told my friends they need to go check them out...and they know how I love me a good sandwich. Stop by and see for yourself what I'm talking about. They're pretty quick too so if you're in a hurry you'll still be good to go! ...in my excitement for how good the food tasted I forgot to mention I ordered the tomato soup with pasta, a potato salad, 1/2 a California Sandwich, 1/2 egg salad sandwich on Hawaiian Sour Dough oh and I got a small little cookie with my order! It was all delicious!

On the way back to DFW from College Station we stopped at Sam's on Sunday, 3/8. I was so glad we…read moredid!! This place has an absolutely amazing lunch buffet! The salad stuff was fresh and the dressings were all good. On the hot side of the buffet they had chicken friend steak, ham, turkey and dressings, bbq brisket and friend chicken. Everything was excellent! The sides were all great. I imagine their homemade pies are amazing but I was too full to try any of them! I will 100% be back anytime I am nearby!!!

My dad has been coming here for years, I believe this was my first time…read more My dad went for the buffet, and I ordered a la carte. First, the service was excellent, I believe our server was named Presley. Very kind, always checking on us and keeping our water and tea full. On the buffet, my dad enjoyed the salad he had, but was surprised at the little variety offered that day. He said last time he was there with my brother there was more to choose from. He then got the fried chicken, which was greasy and barely any chicken on the thigh. I tried to find a drumstick but it was just breasts, thighs and a few wings. He did like the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. As for the fried okra, you have to eat it fresh. It is sitting under a heat lamp just makes it soggy and slimy. I ordered 4 vegetables a la carte which came out to be as much as the all you can eat buffet. First, their onion rings are OUTSTANDING! So is their homemade ranch. What was disappointing was the green beans, they definitely came out of a can and were heated. At $3.99 I expected fresh. There may have been a small piece of onion in it. Not sure if that was how it was cooked or if it fell in from another dish. The black-eyed peas were tasty. I also had a cup of the chicken corn chowder which was good. However, there was pieces of cubed chicken in it which also made me think that it was a prepackaged soup and not homemade. My dad got the coconut cream pie, which tasted good, but could have used more coconut then just on the top. He wanted bread pudding or peach cobbler, however at the time of day we were there, they had been picked over way too much, not leaving much for anyone else to enjoy. I did like the selections in the gift shop and purchased a tea towel before we left. I always like to try a place 3 times so I may stop in and try something else. Again, great customer service.

Walking in, the restaurant is very clean and welcoming. The rolls are amazing. My mom and sister…read moreenjoyed the Liver and onions and the chicken sandwich and tenders were good. The waitress is very nice and attentive. Most will travel here again for dinner

There has been a major change in the past couple years since I was last there. Either a new cook,…read morechange in ingredients, or change in recipe. Chicken fried steak was stringy and tough, tasteless and the gravy didn't help. Hamburger same, very bland. Pecan pie was very disappointing. Too bad, we used to look forward to dining here, but no more.