Best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas
After seeing the recent threads about the Best BBQ, Best Enchiladas, etc, I figured I would open up the discussion about best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas. (Or schnitzel for you German/Texans out there). It seems there is a general consensus amongst online bloggers that Marys in Strawn holds the title for Best in Texas right now. Its a plate sized, skillet butter fried, hunk of goodness that comes with a big bowl of gravy (made from scratch with drippings - not the prepackaged mix). I plan on stopping by there next time Im headed out to the deer lease to see what all the fuss is about! But anyways, I would say the following criteria are important when considering a great CFS:
1). The Meat - should be pounded out to proper tenderness, cant be gristly
2). The Breading - should be perfectly browned and have a nice crunch but should not dominate and overwhelm the meat (I personally dont like cutting a piece of CFS only to have it contain no meat!)
3). The Gravy - No powdered mixes please...
4). The Sides - Fresh cut fries, homemade onion rings, you get the idea...
5). Ambiance - Old filling station, downtown cafe, upscale city joint? I personally like the older, hole in the wall joints, but that just my personal preference
My personal favorite is the Beehive in Albany. But that might be because I enjoy the atmosphere and always love shooting the bull with Ali every time we go. Also, the Prime Rib on Friday nights is out of sight. Big hunks of garlic are stuffed in and roasted with the meat....but now Im off topic! I imagine as soon as I make a stop by Mary's I will have a new number one.
What say you???
1). The Meat - should be pounded out to proper tenderness, cant be gristly
2). The Breading - should be perfectly browned and have a nice crunch but should not dominate and overwhelm the meat (I personally dont like cutting a piece of CFS only to have it contain no meat!)
3). The Gravy - No powdered mixes please...
4). The Sides - Fresh cut fries, homemade onion rings, you get the idea...
5). Ambiance - Old filling station, downtown cafe, upscale city joint? I personally like the older, hole in the wall joints, but that just my personal preference
My personal favorite is the Beehive in Albany. But that might be because I enjoy the atmosphere and always love shooting the bull with Ali every time we go. Also, the Prime Rib on Friday nights is out of sight. Big hunks of garlic are stuffed in and roasted with the meat....but now Im off topic! I imagine as soon as I make a stop by Mary's I will have a new number one.
What say you???
I got the small and it was still over half a plate in size, the other half covered in homemade french fries. The gravy was homemade and it came in a bowl on the side so you could pour as much or as little as you wanted and the steak was cooked perfectly and it was not all breading. I highly recommend Mary's for sure. The only downside is a belly full of that steak is more effective than a sleeping pill so be prepared for naptime when you get back to camp 
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