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Best Diners in Texas

billfromlaketravis

By billfromlaketravis
in Food and Travel

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ImissWallyPryor

ImissWallyPryor 9046

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Pig Stands. Lots of memories tied to the last (?) location on N Broadway Ave in SA.

Pig Stands invented onion rings, carhops, and the common architectural motif, or so I’ve read.

Pig Stands was one - if not the largest - restaurant chain going into the Great Depression. I think they had locations coast-to-coast, all in the southern half of the USA. That downturn plus the WWII-era rationing really killed it, though. They could never recover in time to ward off upstarts like McDonald’s. 

Edited by ImissWallyPryor
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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11466

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2 hours ago, Underdog said:

290 Cafe was always a good stop, loaded you up with the chicken livers. 

Really good chicken fried steak there. It almost makes taking 290 from Houston to Austin instead of 71 worth it. 

I'd say my go to diner meals are chicken fried steak/eggs and coffee or pork chops/eggs and coffee. The pork chops at Jim's are pretty darned good. 

Has anybody eaten at Tony's in Sealy? Their breakfast special has always fascinated me. It's a just in an early part of the Houston to Austin run where you don't really want to stop. 

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MalibuSheriff

MalibuSheriff 1090

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It’s been a few years since I stopped but the Dinner Bell in Muleshoe was tip-top old school diner/cafe.  Great hamburger steak with lots of onions.  These places always remind me of spots my grandparents would know about and love on road trips.  Unfortunately, they are fewer and farther between now, and most the quality sucks.

I may have to stop by Dinner Bell on my return trip from New Mexico this spring.

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High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter 11047

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On 3/4/2019 at 3:32 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

Had a good breakfast at a little place in Johnson City taking the back roads to DFW after the Alamo Bowl.  Can't remember the name, but it was cheap, tasty, and had that classic small town cafe vibe nailed.

I hope you aren't talking about the Kountry Kitchen, because that place is awful.

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12463

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15 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

I hope you aren't talking about the Kountry Kitchen, because that place is awful.

Hill Country Cupboard - looked it up.

Place was kind of a dump, but in a good way.  We pulled in because the parking lot was full.  I had huevos rancheros and the wife had chicken fried steak.  I wouldn't call it the best breakfast I've had, but it was good, and I'd stop again if I found myself rolling through before noon. 

Maybe it's the place you're talking about as I'm sure because I'm from Iowa, I don't anything about real whatever it is, and my uncultured palate didn't know any better (tongue firmly in cheek here).

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High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter 11047

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8 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Hill Country Cupboard - looked it up.

Place was kind of a dump, but in a good way.  We pulled in because the parking lot was full.  I had huevos rancheros and the wife had chicken fried steak.  I wouldn't call it the best breakfast I've had, but it was good, and I'd stop again if I found myself rolling through before noon. 

Maybe it's the place you're talking about as I'm sure because I'm from Iowa, I don't anything about real whatever it is, and my uncultured palate didn't know any better (tongue firmly in cheek here).

Yeah, I don't think that is the same place.

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31457

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On 3/4/2019 at 2:51 PM, ztejas said:

Chicken tenders at Lucky's before I dumped a bunch of Cholula in the gravy.

20190304-135710.jpg

Figured I might as well document for this thread.

I'm not sure a diner should have "chicken tenders" or mashed potatos with skin in them.  Brussels sprouts are debatable.  It's very corporate masquerading as home style.  IIRC it was a one-off Black Eyed Pea, RIP (never much liked it either).

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pch

pch 1259

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On 3/4/2019 at 12:53 PM, Errestaurants said:

Westside Cafe and Paris Coffee Shop in Ft.Worth are pretty good.

Would have added Old Neighborhood Grill when Peter Schroeder owned it-now, not so much.  Usually eat breakfast at Paris every Saturday and catch up with Mike.

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riloh05

riloh05 107

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17 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Every time I drive to Hobby, I think about stopping there. 

Do it. Gut bombs. You will sleep like a baby on the plane. If you are driving the plane, dont stop.

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Steamboat1874

Steamboat1874 4058

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On 3/2/2019 at 9:26 AM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Pig Stands. Lots of memories tied to the last (?) location on N Broadway Ave in SA.

Pig Stands invented onion rings, carhops, and the common architectural motif, or so I’ve read.

Pig Stands was one - if not the largest - restaurant chain going into the Great Depression. I think they had locations coast-to-coast, all in the southern half of the USA. That downturn plus the WWII-era rationing really killed it, though. They could never recover in time to ward off upstarts like McDonald’s. 

The Pig Stand was a fixture on Guadalupe for many years and was across the street from Dirty's.

lastpigstand.jpg

The one in the above picture was the last one standing in SA for this Texas based chain.

Good article here.....

https://www.texasobserver.org/2751-last-pig-standing-in-san-antonio-texas-founding-contribution-to-fast-food-culture-hangs-on-by-the-hair-of-its-chinny-chin-chin/

 

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ImissWallyPryor

ImissWallyPryor 9046

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1 hour ago, Steamboat1874 said:

The Pig Stand was a fixture on Guadalupe for many years and was across the street from Dirty's.

lastpigstand.jpg

The one in the above picture was the last one standing in SA for this Texas based chain.

Good article here.....

https://www.texasobserver.org/2751-last-pig-standing-in-san-antonio-texas-founding-contribution-to-fast-food-culture-hangs-on-by-the-hair-of-its-chinny-chin-chin/

 

That's the Pig Stand of my past.  It north of the well-hung Indian that stood on the west side of the street.

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dcbc

dcbc 14480

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I see we've got a few diner/cafe hybrids on the list.

Fountainview Cafe in Houston

Also, Uptown Cafe in Thorndale TX isn't a bad place to stop if you happen to be making a run down 79.  I recall the Chicken Fried Steak's being pretty good.

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