Kloesel’s Steakhouse - Malton, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part II

Properly soused with fine ale from the Shiner Bock brewery, we sought out in search of sustenance. The Kloesel’s Steakhouse is more like house than a restaurant (perhaps on purpose) with several rooms that could easily be someone’s living room, den and foyer. Big band polka music emphasized the part of Texas we were in (along with old photos on the wall of similar big bands).

The “lunch plate” was $5.99. Breading was nice and soft, southern style. Perhaps too soft. I like a little crunch to a breading. The meat could have been tenderer as though it could have been beaten a bit more to mash out some of the connective tissue. It was “meat forward” -- there was more meat than breading. The gravy was a traditional white cream gravy and was heavy and satisfying. Sides were set with the plate – mashed (really smashed) red potato “salad” with rosemary (they called them “new potatoes”) and corn which was canned but was mixed with sausage, onion and red peppers (a “meal in itself” according to Chicken Fried Father). The whole plate blended together and billowed with the bounty of yummy lunch fare.

Speed, efficiency and price. CFS in Central Texas. Count me in. Certainly the best food in Malton, Texas.

Werner's - Hattiesville, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part I

Weary from travel and with fatigue from the frequency of “fork to mouth” action from stuffing our faces with barbeque, Chicken Fried Father and I stumbled onto Werner’s on Day 1 of our road trip in search of some chicken fried joy to moderate our barbeque-filled afternoon. It turns out, Werner’s is a local chain serving home-style food. The Werner’s we visited was a ramshackle place – the outside was a bit run down and the inside matched. The restaurant looked like an old house with oblong rooms and sitting areas that mimicked (or were) an old farmhouse.

The CFS was disappointing. The steak was tough as a result of being overfried and the breading didn’t stick to it. Gravy was traditional and good but nothing to, ahem, write home about – an unfortunate turn of phrase since I’m now writing home about it. The potatoes were whipped and had good flavor. The green beans, while obviously from a can, had good flavor and a healthy does of bacon to balance the earthiness of the beans with the fatty saltiness of the bacon. Just the way you want them.

But, because it was only $4.99, we didn’t complain. Where are you going to get that value in Houston?

No matter how thirsty you are, don’t ask for a cold ale (or any ale). They don’t have it.