Dixie Cafe (Johnny Reb's) - Hearne, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip: College Station (3 of 3)

Wrapping up my trip north, I consulted Google for quality CFS in the Bryan-College Station area. Dixie Café’s name kept coming up – this was for very good reason. To preview: this was the best CFS I’ve had on this journey so far. It is not to be missed.

The interior is a standard diner with an eclectic mix of customers – farmers, travelers, business people, high schoolers (and everybody was happy). Texas Monthly actually listed the Dixie Café in their “40 best Diners” issue (see earlier post) and noted that the décor was “confederate.” I believed this substantially to not bring in my New York Times to read (it being a Communist paper), but other than the Confederate flags on the shirts, I didn’t see evidence of confederate décor.

The CFS: Very, very good. The steak (cubed sirloin) was soft and had the right amount of chew.

Breading: Southern style. Thick, crumbly and tasty. The was a nice hint of buttermilk and pepper.
Gravy: Thick and white. A classic CFS gravy with good hint of pepper and cumin. It came served on the CFS.

The balance of all of the flavors and textures was excellent. Each element was in perfect harmony and brought another layer of enjoyment to the dish.

Knife: A bigger than average steak knife was used and it was appropriate.

Sides: I picked the okra and the mashed potatoes. The okra was disappointing as it was cold and a bit mushy. The mashed potatoes were fantastic – a great garlicy flavor, good pepper and skins in.

Cost: $12.99. Higher than CFS on average but well worth it.

Service: Very good. The waitresses buzzed around the café and kept the iced tea (sweetened) filled and the sides coming.

Music Selection: Probably none. Just the hum of a busy restaurant at lunch time.

The worst part about the meal was that I had to drive three hours home wanting to take a nap and unsure about when I’d be back. Who would have thought heaven was off Highway 6 in Texas? My only regret was not saving room for pie.

http://www.dixiecafe.com/