Mary's Café (Texas Country Reporter) 

Only about 145 miles from me. I think I just came across a new day trip destination! Thank you, RU-vid and Country Reporter!

Went hog hunting out in Strawn and the guy who's ranch we were on took us to Mary's. The BEST chicken fried steak I've ever had. And the portions are huge. It's a bit of a drive from Tennessee, but next time I'm anywhere near Strawn, I'm going back to Mary's.

God, I love this country.

There is just something about small town Texas and their cafes. I lived in Blue Ridge population 945 for a long time and we had the cattlemans cafe, great food large portions and I went to church with most of the employees, great people. When my wife passed away some years back I decided to move on and live in Eastern Arizona now in the beautiful high country but it's not the same........ still go back to Texas to visit friends and eat the Texas way when I can. Thanks for the special memories this brought back. My wife and I always watched TCR every Saturday morning.

Watching this makes my mouth water and causes me to terribly miss Southern cooking on Southern soil. It makes me want to travel to Texas (any part) strictly for the good eating.

Nobody asked for this. But the algorithm got us, and were glad it did. :)

Chicken fried steak is delicious and I love Texas. I even have a flag in my screen porch I bought on my last trip there. Love from Canada!

My family has been going to Mary`s for over 30 years. We walk in the door and she always greets us like we were family. There isn`t a harder working person than Mary and the food is great.

Honest, hard working, down to earth. There's a combination for a good restaurant.

I’m old enough to remember that this place was once called the Polka Dot and my grandfather sold lots of BBQ when he owned it. I can still smell the smoke pit. 😊

Customer service, consistency, hard work, great tasting food. Thank you Mary.

Im in Ireland and this got into my recommended....thank the good Lord!

Seems like a nice lady. Consistency, I respect that she takes pride in her food! Now on the bucket list

Took a motorcycle ride out there a couple years ago and tried that Chicken Fried wonder. It was awesome. It's HUGE and delicious!

Way to go Mary, been stationed in Texas in military. This is what makes America great, simple hard working folks that do their job exceptional. Them steaks look tasty, I would go there. Supply and demand, outstanding job, keep it up.

Been there ate that going back. From Dallas, this was my sole destination. What a Texas treat.

I've got an uncle that lives about and hour from this place (Paradise)...been wanting to go visit him for a couple years now so maybe later this year I'll make it down there and stop by this place for a chicken fry.

I’ve added the two hours going out of my way on my trip home every time I’ve visited, and have always walked away with a smile and a take-home box full of perfection... please, do me a favor, don’t go to Mary’s... it’ll just make me have to wait in a longer line the next time I get within a hundred miles of ‘chicken fried’ heaven...

I’ve grown up eating chicken fried steaks..and to be honest I thought that Mary’s might just be hype..oh was I wrong so deliciously deliciously wrong…hands down the best chicken fried steak I’ve ever had

I've eaten here dozens of times over the course of 30 years. A chicken fried steak from Mary's was often the treat to look forward to on the way to or on the way home from a weekend at the deer lease. There are no better leftovers than some leftover CFS on their Texas toast with some gravy.

Been to Mary's all the way from Michigan! It is awesome! Have to go every time I am in Texas.

I lived in Stephenville, TX for years, and I have to say that Jake and Dorothy's Cafe in town had a really good chicken fried steak. With that being said, a Saturday night trip to Strawn to eat at Mary's with my grandparents was a special occasion. I've never ordered anything from there but the chicken fry plate. That is definitely one of the places I miss visiting.

i left Texas about 50 years ago and seeing that chicken fried steak really made me hungry for one with plenty of fries. Been all over Texas but never been to Strawn. But that's on my bucket list as of now.

Enjoying a good chicken fried steak is the same as getting a preview of heaven. And it seems certain that Mary prepares her chicken fried steaks just right!

First time I ate there was after a Texas 2A Champ Game in Arlington. On the way back to Hawley, we ate at Mary's. It was delicious. The chicken fried steak was the best I have ever had. Crispy, juicy and great beef flavor. I liked the gravy almost as much as my own. The sides were good. It was so good I had to get my DFW buddy coming home to Abilene for Christmas to pick me up 2 orders of the large chicken fried steak. I can't wait to go to Mary's in Strawn again soon. Matt from Hawley.

Living is California it is such treat when visit my brother in Huston. Chicken fried steak is a love affair for me ... and we just can't make it here .. you have to eat it in TX where everything is bigger! Great people too!

Went there a a year ago last Jan. Thank god I ordered the "small" chicken fried steak! Still covered most of the plate. And was it good!

Road trip to Texas! Two day drive from California, just to try the steak😂😂😂

There you go Mary, the key word is consistent. If you want to turn a customer into a "fixture," serve good quality food consistently.

Ok now. This has been on my bucket_list for decades, but I still haven't visited Mary's Cafe. This coming Thursday is a good empty belly day for a chicken fried road trip. 🍽 😋

Hello from Canada ! This place just made my bucket list .

her cafe deserves all the attention

I just added 10lbs watching this video... totally worth it!

Hey there Bob, I'm getting here a bit late today. For some reason, I'm not getting all of my notifications to some of my favorite channels, yours being one of them. I do love me some Chicken Fried Steak, Uh Huh. Now, I make it a point to try out the Chicken Fried Steak at each new restaurant/Cafe when ever, wherever we travel. Here in the town I live in, there's a Cafe that I keep going back to for that specialty. You get your choice of two sizes. My wife and I usually order the large one, split it and still take enough home for two more meals. So tender you can cut it with a fork. The owner by the way, is from Oklahoma. There's just something about folks in that part of the country that know how to do things the right way. Thanks for sharing this video with us. I'm nine hours out from when you uploaded the video and I'm craving Chicken Fried Steak. You and your wife, stay safe out there on the Highways and Byways. Stan

Wonderful place, wonderful food and wonderful employees. This is a Texas go-to place right after the Alamo.

Very good, though I would have liked to have seen more...AND I would LOVE to go there! I wonder, in Florida where I waitressed at a now gone (sadly) Truck Stop, we put white pepper gravy on our chicken fried steaks with mashed potatoes rather than fries. I wonder if Mary's ever does that, AND they all also HAD to have their (SUPER sweet) sweet tea with it! Thanks for sharing! EDIT --corrected spelling error.

Been there many times and while it's quite a drive from the mid cities it's definitely worth it. Their pride shows in the quality of their food.👍

Small town Texas , love it.............as the big world gets crazier it's easy to see why people are gravitating toward these small town gems of sanity.

I remember going there while attending Tarelton in the late 80"s. Great chicken fried steaks, sirloin steaks and cold beer.

looks great ! greetings from germany 🇩🇪👍🏻🇺🇸

When I was 28, I met my father in Strawn....Jimmy Williams. My grandmother that I only met once when I was little is buried there.....Iva Belle Driscoll

Glad to know this was filmed in 2007… because, I had so many questions LOL

Another small successful business that's the backbone of America. Well done Mary's.

In Toronto lockdown, 1:30 am and craving to try this and really any Texas southern food. Damn

In addition to Chicken Fried Steak, another dish I enjoyed when I was in Texas was Honey Dipped Fried Chicken. I ate at a luncheonette in Waco many years ago. But the meal was so good, I still remember it.

It's places and people like this that make life worth living. Hate I'm not in TX or near enough. Salute to Mary and her employees.

Love Mary's work ethic of, "Be nice to the customers". Jeez, wish it was like that here! And those chicken steaks. WOW! You could land an entire air wing on one of those things. Pity Mary's place is nearly 5,000 miles from here.

Been to Mary's many times. My family lives in Strawn, and my brother's house is literally just across the railroad tracks, maybe 200 yards away. The CFS is very good, maybe even excellent. Actually, I think the mashed potatoes and gravy are top-notch, and the Mexican food options at Mary's are no slouch. Really nice place, and Mary is a local who slowly nudged out Flossie's from across the street. This video has to be 10-15 years old in that I'm age 60 and I know Mary is just a few years younger than me. But, yep. I think she purchased the place in 1985/1986. Worked her rear off and slowly nudged out Flossie's (which was fairly decent, but not as good as Mary's). CFS being the best in Texas ? Well, I'd buy off on that. If Mary's is on target that day, yep. Best in Texas. Sometimes it's not quite on the mark, but it's still good. Gotta try the mashed potatoes and gravy. Classic, basic small salad is solid.

I'm black and I have to say, God Bless Texas.

I've ate there several times and you won't regret it. It's worth every penny.

As a Native Texan living in Florida, Waaaaa. I miss Texas 😫

Been there few times, some of the absolute best Country cooking I've ever had.

You know you’re in a good old-school Texas Café when you see that salad

We all Remember when you started out years ago in that old beater chevey van on channel four dallas tx. An old cougar alumni told me you were in our our home room class . We will check out marys . We have followed your show and checked out many a place . Thanks keep on traveling ., oh, go cougars

Watching from Chicago. Adding this to the list to visit.

OMG!!! I just ate and i'm drooling over here in Wisconsin!! i could hug that lady she seems so down to earth! You can tell she is cooking with TLC. :D

You been doing this a good while, sir. Keep showing the best of Texas. We can't see it all in one lifetime.

My family is from Strawn, and I recall it from being a kid in the early-70's. Mid-80's Mary's opened up and competed with "Flossie's" across the street. Slowly nudged them out. I only go back to visit relatives every few years, but we always go to Mary's at least once. The Chx Fried Steak is definitely very good; not sure if it's the best in TX but it's dang good. Personally, I really like their mashed potatoes and gravy. The Mexican food options are nothing to sneeze at either; and the hamburger is great. But, as to the Chx (or "Country") fried steak. Yes, it's at least a "9" on the 1-10 scale, and a lot of people say it's a "10".

Ate there yesterday. I’ll always love it. Mary herself waited on me.

This looks like a town I would love to move to when I retire

God Bless Texas. Y'all know how to cook. Way to go Mary.

Any cafe with a huge Pat Green poster in the background has to be good. I notice she doesn't bury those chicken fried steaks in white gravy either. If it's done right, you don't have to cover any mistakes. I think hubby and I need to hit Strawn the next time we head to Kansas. It's way out of the way, but when you sell that many, you're onto something great.

Nothing better than chicken fried steak and white pepper gravy.

I always laugh when I see "world famous" or "world series" on things only in the US. But, since I am in Australia and I was salivating from here, you are now officially world famous LOL. Great stuff :)

Looks like I have a destination/diner. Have been needing a roadtrip after this ridiculous lockdown...

Mom and pop shops are hands down the best...

Hasn't changed the menu in 21 years.. You know the foods good when.

I would eat there! I love chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and a good country gravy. I guess I could always make my own. Good for Mary and her cafe. Nice reporting. Thank you for sharing!

Mary's Cafe in Strawn Texas I'm sure it's very very good and she seems like a very caring and loving person and loves her customers and takes good care of them and make's some good food for them that's awesome. God Bless Her. Would love to try some someday.

I live in a tourist town and worked at a waffle house/diner, during holday season we would get a 20 person line out the door daily. I just wish our food was half as good as how the food in this video looks. Aside from the waffles which were amazing, all our other food was like a worse Dennys/Ihop. The cooks just half assed everything and it was all frozen. The waffle batter was the only thing made in house and im pretty sure the owner did it.

Thanks for randomly recommending this in Canada. Now I wanna move to Texas

This a great small story but makes me proud to be a Texan

This video makes me hankering for some chicken fried steak, which is not available anywhere near I live. Strawn, Texas, is on my list of towns to visit soon! 😀

Many years ago while stationed at Perrin AFB, Texas we used to go to a small truck stop near the base. The food was delicious and the husband and wife who owned it and did all the cooking were real nice people :)

Texas is the most present state in the media of all US, and probably the coolest also. I'm a born Texan, living in Europe and man I'm hungry and ready to visit my homeland after 30 years.

Please open up a branch in Houston!! I love a good chicken fried steak,had some in LA {lower Alabama], Florida etc but they are either too salty,dipped in concrete,to thin etc.Locally ate one that was soo dry, thought it was a battered jerky!!

We built the bridge over Palo Pinto Creek at Davis Cemetery Rd and Mary's was on lunch agenda every day. The burgers are great and I always had the child's plate for the chicken fried steak because the regular plate was always too much to eat for me.

Chicken fried steak is my comfort food. Mary’s Cafe is one of the best.

God Bless you Texan's you get it right!

Dang it, I travelled from Ft. Worth to Big Spring a couple of weeks ago. Wish I had seen this video before I left!

Good stuff! 🍽 👊🏼🇺🇸💯 Thanks for sharing!

Im from Germany, i´d love to visit the US, especially Texas

In this video I remember when I was in the ARMY and I menu item we made was chicken fried steak years later I worked in a restaurant in lower MANHATTAN and I was hired as CHEF DE CUISINE when you work in this capacity you do the menu plus your daily specials and I day I ran this chicken fried steak with country gravy and it was a huge hit and the people loved it because no one had ever made it before but in the ARMY this item was made with frozen hamburger patties with country gravy same item and when I worked there and I was on the floor the FOH staff made some serious money like they had never made before me but I knew how to force the customer to buy 1 or more special off the special sheet and I have done that my whole career to make great money via there tips and I am happy for them as they don't have to worry about paying rent etc

Been there many times, always great.

Beautiful personality omg

That was the biggest chicken fried steak I've ever seen! looks amazingly delicious.

Another bucket list place for my Texas Bucket List. Thanks!🥰

The businessman special is a hollowed-out tomato with avocado and raisins. Then have a lemon phosphate goooooood! Oh and have one of those little yellow cookies

We were there on a cloudy rainy afternoon. Not real busy. We ordered chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy. The steak was very good, tender and delicious etc. but the mashed potatoes left a lot to be desired. For what ever reason they were not the standard spuds all mashed but were chunky? In my 80 years I have eaten many a chicken fried steak dinner as this one. Was it the best I ever had...well if I am to be honest, it was good but I can't say it was the best I ever had.

For all the "Marys" out there! Many Angels Round You

Lord a mercy! Just seeing that grub makes my belly think my throats been cut! 🤤

Chicken fried steak is heaven, with white peppered white gravy. Lordy!

Damn I love Texas. I miss it there

Damn and I'm here in Indiana right now. Making me hungry

Awesome ! from Sydney Australia.

TCR... you had me at Skidboot,,, then I saw Mary’s chicken fried steak... 💀

Never been ,....but it’s on my Texas bucket list !! Mmmm good !!

I'm Mexican American here in texas but I would trade eating tacos any day to munch those delicious fried steaks.

God Bless Texas

And a little bit of chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night...