Hickory Hollow - Houston, TX

As is often the case, the best keep getting better. Thwarted in our attempts to find CFS on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend by permanent closures (the Railroad Café) or temporary closures (the Steamboat House), Mrs. CFS and the tater tot returned to one of our favorite standards: Hickory Hollow (unfortunately there is no way for my computer to reverse the “k” in “Hickory” to mirror the sign out front).

Being too proud to order the “Cowgirl” (the “smallest” CFS), I went for the low middle option (the “Field Hand.”) Even at that, no field hand could expect to eat this and go back to work. The CFS was perfectly cooked and as fork tender a steak on a CFS as I’ve ever had. The breading and meat weren’t perfectly melded in balance in that they felt like two distinct parts of the same dish. But it didn’t matter ― the velvety texture of the steak and the crunch of the breading made for a perfect bite.

The mashed potatoes were topped with a perfect amount (not too much, not too little) of their golden, smoky gravy. Salad is usually…well, salad…but the mini salad bar at Hickory Hollow was perfectly fresh, stocked with edible veggies and compete with a delicious ranch dressing (to whit, even the tot wanted, unprompted, to eat some).

So, pour yourself a mason jar of sweet tea and head back again to Hickory Hollow (again and again).