A Tasty Tale: TRTA Member, Gary Schepf, Travels Across Texas to Find the ‘Perfect’ Chicken Fried Steak

junio 10, 2025

Gary Schepf, TRTA’s State Secretary and Treasurer, has traveled this vast Lone Star State in pursuit of the ‘perfect’ chicken fried steak. With us, he provides his findings, an exhaustive, well-documented guide which we’re eager to share, knowing that you too will find his journal fascinating, possibly inspiring.

Yet, before we cut to the meat portion of the story, let us take a moment to highlight what makes chicken fried steak Schepf’s favorite comfort food. When asked, he said, his love for chicken fried steak stems from “memories of growing up with my mom preparing a flavorful CFS with pan-made gravy made from scratch. It’s the flavor and texture!” Also mentioning, “When traveling back home by plane, my first stop from the airport is usually to head to a restaurant for CFS before ever returning to my home … memories!”

We also asked him to describe his vision of the ‘perfect’ chicken fried steak. He explained in detail, “It must be tender enough to cut without a knife, no gristle, and crust that does NOT separate from the meat when cutting. Also, when cutting, I don’t want to get ONLY crust. The flavor should come from the steak and crust, not from the gravy.”

Now, you can read (and view) more about Schepf’s mouth-watering, delicious discoveries yourself, below.

Do you or someone you know have an adventurous travel endeavor? Please share your stories here.

A RETIRED EDUCATOR’S QUEST:

THE BEST CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK IN TEXAS

Gary L. Schepf

Traveling throughout Texas affords the opportunity to eat GREAT food representing many cultures. But my comfort food is chicken-fried steak. After searching the internet, gathering personal recommendations, and deciding on a plan, my newest quest as a Texas public school retiree is to find the BEST chicken-fried steak in Texas.

Pan-Fried OR Deep-Fried?

Did you know that there are really two types of chicken-fried steak? I did not realize that until I started my quest. Being Texas-born, I grew up with home-cooked meals and Mom prepared chicken-fried steak. She pan-fried. But what is pan-fried?

Pan frying usually uses a cast iron pan with oil. The meat is coated with flour and sometimes buttermilk and/or egg and results in a level crispy crust. Fewer restaurants use pan frying.

Most restaurants use deep frying where they take the coated meat and submerge it in a deep fryer with oil and results in a crumbly crunchy crust.

Which is the best? That depends on the final product and personal tastes.

Chicken-Fried VS Country-Fried?

Is this another difference? There is, but only slightly. The major difference is the gravy: brown vs. white. Brown gravy is associated with country-fried while white gravy is associated with chicken-fried. The other difference is chicken-fried may have a crispier coating. No matter what it is called, my preference is white gravy.

The Quest

Here is my opinion on the chicken-fried steaks. My personal choices, both deep-fried and pan-fried, follow.

Aspen Creek (Irving). Good option but served covered in a lot of gravy. Served with mashed potatoes and one side.
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (Roanoke). Steak was great, but not the best. Served with salad, corn, mashed potatoes, and gravy on the side.
Blackbeard’s on the Beach (Corpus Christi). Good. Served with two sides.
Blue Bonnet Café (Marble Falls). Good option but served covered in a lot of gravy. Served with three sides. Service is fabulous!
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (Corpus Christi). Good, but the crust completely separated from the steak when being cut. Served with two sides.
Cracker Barrel (Baytown). Good but it was a disappointment considering the quality of all their other options. Served with two or three sides.
El Chico (Irving). Yes, a Mexican restaurant can produce a good chicken-fried steak. You must ask for it special since it is not a regular item. Served with French fries!
Farmhouse Café & Bakery (Huntsville). Great choice, and the gravy comes on the side. If you like cornbread, theirs FABULOUS! Served with two sides.
K-2 Steak House (Bay City). Very good choice and comes covered in gravy. Served with two sides, plus soup and salad.
Mac’s On Main (Grapevine). Good and comes with either baked or mashed potatoes with a bowl of gravy. Crust was a lot lighter than many others.
Mama’s Daughters’ Diner (Irving). Surprisingly good and comes with two sides.
Mary’s Café (Strawn). Really good choice and the decision is which size … small, medium, large. Then, decide between baked potato, mashed potatoes and French fries. Served with a salad.
Mel’s Country Café (Tomball). Really good choice and the decision is which size … small or large. Served with two sides.
Norma’s Café (Frisco). Overcooked and crunchy, hard to cut. Served with three sides. Great service!
Old Jody’s Restaurant (Temple). Gravy comes under the steak and has a different taste. Served with a salad and another side.
Po’ Melvin’s (Irving). Okay but the crust separates from the steak when cut, gristly steak, and some crust is absent from steak. Served with three sides.
Ranch at Las Colinas, The (Irving). Good and comes with jalapeno-sausage gravy. Served on top of green beans and mashed potatoes on the side.
Sodolak’s Original Inn (Snook). Very good and served with salad and choice of fries or mashed potatoes and comes in two sizes: small and large. Decide if gravy is on the steak or on the side. Also is the “Home of Chicken-Fried Bacon Strips”.
Sodolaks Beefmasters Restaurant (Bryan). Very good and served with two sides.
Springhill Restaurant (Pflugerville). Good and served with a salad and either fries or mashed potatoes.
Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor (Grapevine). Good but the crust slightly separated from the steak when cut. Served with two sides.
Saltgrass Steak House (Irving). Great seasoning, light crust, slightly falls apart, lunch size, and served with one side.
Southern Recipes Grill (Arlington). Good, but crust separated from meat, especially around edges, served with soup or salad and mashed potatoes and green beans.
Texas Roadhouse (Irving). Great steak, thick gravy, but a tad too much, served with two sides. Best green beans.
Wonderful World of Cooking (Irving). The steak was not hot, sometimes cool, served with three sides. Great green beans and mashed potatoes.
Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse (Dallas). The steak was very tender (no knife needed), served with two sides. Small size, but very adequate.
McBrides Land & Cattle Co. (Wichita Falls). The steak was tender (no knife needed), served with toast, salad, and fries. Additional side German Potato Salad was very good. Water in Wichita Falls has a taste which impacted the gravy as well.
Rancho Seco Steakhouse (Mount Pleasant). The steak was tender (a knife helped), served with cornbread muffin, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The gravy was called “guajillo cream gravy”.
Boondocks Seafood (Brady). Good with gravy under the steak, served with two sides, and if dining in, beans are also available.
Jake & Dorothy’s Café (Stephenville). Great steak and tender (no knife needed), gravy under the steak, served with mashed potatoes and salad.
Ida Claire (Addison). Crunchy crust and tender (no knife needed), gravy is unusual, served with skillet potatoes and an egg (brunch menu).

My Personal Winners (at this time)


Sodolaks Beefmasters Restaurant (Bryan)	Mary’s Café (Strawn)

K-2 Steak House (Bay City)	Mel’s Country Café (Tomball)

The Quest Continues

There are more recommended restaurants still to visit as this quest continues …

Alamo Café (San Antonio)
Barbecue Inn (Houston)
Blake’s Cafe (McQueeney)
Cartwright’s Ranch House (Denton)
Cattle Drive Café & Bull Bar (Coleman)
County Line, The (Austin, San Antonio, El Paso)
Ellen’s (Dallas)
George’s Restaurant Bar & Catering (Waco)
Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar (New Braunfels)
Jack Allen’s Kitchen (Round Rock)
Johnny Rebs Dixie Café (Hearne)
Killen’s BBQ (Cypress)
Lone Star Café (Hillsboro)
Lowake Steak House (Rowena)
Matt’s Rancho Martinez (Royse City)
Miller’s Seawall Grill (Galveston)
Moo-Moo (Victoria)
Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill (Austin)
Pappy’s Café (Houston)
Perini Ranch Steakhouse (Buffalo Gap)
R&K Cafe II (Hillsboro)
Rainbow Lodge (Houston)
Rancher’s Steakhouse & Grill (Gatesville)
Red’s Bar B Que-Boat Club (Fort Worth)
Richter’s Antler Café (Spring Branch)
Section Hand (Brownwood)
Skeet’s Texas Grill (Sweetwater)
Smolik’s Smokehouse (Mathis)
Willow Creek Café & Club (Mason)

PAN-FRIED

Mary’s Café (Strawn)
Mel’s Country Café (Tomball)
O. Ranch Steakhouse (Dallas)
McBrides Land & Cattle Co. (Wichita Falls)
Rancho Seco Steakhouse (Mount Pleasant)
Ranch at Las Colinas, The (Irving)

DEEP-FRIED

Jake & Dorothy’s Café (Stephenville)
K-2 Steak House (Bay City)
Sodolak’s Original Inn (Snook)
Texas Roadhouse (Irving)
Saltgrass Steak House (Irving)
Sodolaks Beefmasters Restaurant (Bryan)
Ida Claire (Addison)
Farmhouse Café & Bakery (Huntsville)
Boondocks Seafood (Brady)
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (Roanoke)
Mama’s Daughters’ Diner (Irving)
Blue Bonnet Café (Marble Falls)
El Chico (Irving)
Blackbeard’s on the Beach (Corpus Christi)
Mac’s On Main (Grapevine)
Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor (Grapevine)
Aspen Creek (Irving)
Old Jody’s Restaurant (Temple)
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (Corpus Christi)
Springhill Restaurant (Pflugerville)
Southern Recipes Grill (Arlington)
Po Melvin’s (Irving)
Cracker Barrel (Baytown)
Norma’s Café (Frisco)
Wonderful World of Cooking (Irving)

FUTURE RESTAURANTS:

Alamo Café (San Antonio) 14250 San Pedro Ave OR 10060 I-10

Barbecue Inn (Houston) 116 W Crosstimbers St

Blake’s Café (McQueeney) 9216 FM 725

Cartwright’s Ranch House (Denton) 111 N Elm St

Cattle Drive Café & Bull Bar (Coleman) 213 S Commercial Ave

County Line, The (Austin, San Antonio, El Paso) 6500 Bee Caves Rd OR 5204 FM 2222

Ellen’s (Dallas) 1790 N Record St OR 1211 N Buckner Blvd

George’s Restaurant Bar & Catering (Waco) 1925 Speight Ave

Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar (New Braunfels) 1287 Gruene Rd

Jack Allen’s Kitchen (Round Rock) 2500 Hoppe Trail

Johnny Rebs Dixie Café (Hearne) 708 S Market St

Killen’s BBQ (Cypress) 25618 NW Freeway, TX 77433

Lone Star Café (Hillsboro) 100 Dynasty Dr

Lowake Steak House (Rowena) 12143 US-67

Matt’s Rancho Martinez (Royse City) 4765 TX-276

Miller’s Seawall Grill (Galveston) 1824 Seawall Blvd

Moo-Moo (Victoria) 3701 N Ben Wilson St

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill (Austin) 303 Red River St OR 10525 W Parmer Ln

Pappy’s Café (Houston) 12313 Katy Fwy

Perini Ranch Steakhouse (Buffalo Gap) 3002 FM 89

R&K Cafe II (Hillsboro) 103 N Waco St

Rainbow Lodge (Houston) (venison at lunch only) 2011 Ella Blvd

Rancher’s Steakhouse & Grill (Gatesville) 107 TX-36

Red’s Bar B Que-Boat Club (Fort Worth) 7335 Boat Club Rd

Richter’s Antler Café (Spring Branch) 1 Sun Valley Dr

Section Hand (Brownwood) 4412 US-377

Skeet’s Texas Grill (Sweetwater) 214 SE Georgia Ave

Smolik’s Smokehouse (Mathis) 10541 TX-359

Willow Creek Café & Club (Mason) 106 Fort McKavitt St

El Chico (Irving) … surprisingly good
Po’ Melvin’s (Irving) … crust separates from the steak when cut, gristly steak
Springhill Restaurant (Pflugerville) … overcooked, crust separates from the steak
Cracker Barrel (Baytown) … disappointing quality
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (Corpus Christi) … crust completely separated from the steak
Blackbeard’s on the Beach (Corpus Christi) … good, but crust separates from the steak
Sodolaks Beefmasters Restaurant (Bryan) … very good overall
Mary’s Café (Strawn) … best ever … pan-fried; steak and crust as one
K-2 Steak House (Bay City) … very good overall
Mel’s Country Café (Tomball) … just like Mary’s Café – a tie! … pan-fried
Blue Bonnet Café (Marble Falls) … so much gravy
Mama’s Daughters’ Diner (Irving) … surprise good
Old Jody’s Restaurant (Temple) … gravy under steak … odd taste
Ranch at Las Colinas, The (Irving) … jalapeno-sausage gravy
Aspen Creek (Irving) … so much gravy
Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor (Grapevine) … good, a little crust/steak separation
Farmhouse Café & Bakery (Huntsville) … really good, but the cornbread was FABULOUS
Sodolak’s Original Inn (Snook) … really good, and also offered chicken fried bacon
Saltgrass Steak House (Irving) … great seasoning, light crust, slightly separates, lunch size
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (Roanoke) … limited offerings, but good flavors
Texas Roadhouse (Irving) … great steak … too much thick gravy
Wonderful World of Cooking (Irving) … not served hot
Norma’s Café (Frisco) … overcooked and crunchy, no flavor, crust crumbles
Mac’s On Main (Grapevine) … lighter crunch than most, no flavor
O. Ranch Steakhouse (Dallas) … very tender
Southern Recipes Grill (Arlington) … good, but crust separated from meat, especially around edges
McBrides Land & Cattle Co. (Wichita Falls) … good, but gravy had a strange taste due to the water
Rancho Seco Steakhouse (Mount Pleasant) … good, but gravy was quite different
Boondocks Seafood (Brady) … good, 2-sizes
Jake & Dorothy’s Café (Stephenville) … very good and tender, 2-sizes
Ida Claire (Addison) … crispy and tender, but gravy is different and only on brunch menu


Blue Bonnet Café (Marble Falls)	Old Jody’s Restaurant (Temple)

The Ranch at Las Colinas (Irving)	Aspen Creek (Irving)

Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor (Grapevine)	Farmhouse Café & Bakery (Huntsville)


Sodolak’s Original Inn (Snook)	Po’ Melvin’s (Irving)

Saltgrass Steak House (Irving)	Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (Roanoke)

Texas Roadhouse (Irving)	Wonderful World of Cooking (Irving)


Norma’s Café (Frisco)	Mac’s On Main (Grapevine)

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse (Dallas)	Southern Recipes Grill (Arlington)

McBrides Land & Cattle Co. (Wichita Falls)	Rancho Seco Steakhouse (Mount Pleasant)