Hill’s Burgers – Canyon, Texas

EDITOR’S NOTE: Embracing our wanderlust in the summer of 2010, Chicken Fried Father and I set out on an adventure to traverse the “Amarillo Highway,” a stretch of road that runs from Port Lavaca to Texline (on the border of New Mexico) and immortalized in a song by Terry Allen. The following entries chronicle our trip, food-wise at least.

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Just outside Palo Duro State Park is the little town of Canyon, Texas. South of town is Hill’s Burgers, a little burger café with a wide menu. Since it was 10:30 in the morning and we had several hundred miles to cover that afternoon, we chose to eat…uh, light… and go for some sandwich fare.

I chose the chicken fried steak sandwich. Inspired by the traveling the highway and the Canyon, I noticed that all the sandwiches had the option for chili to be added. Done. Our friendly waitress said she had never heard of it before, but seeing the smile on our faces made her a believer. The flavor combination was excellent – the smokiness of the chili and the salty bite of the chicken fried steak made for a wonderful amalgamation. Unfortunately, the steak was as tough as an old shoe. On my first bite, as I moved the sandwich away from my face, the remnants exploded away from my mouth as the steak remained behind. The onion rings (“best in the state” as proclaimed on the window) were tasty with a flaky crust, although the rings were cut a bit thin for my taste.

The motto of Hill’s is “you cook ‘em, you build ‘em” (a sizeable middle table allows you to put all the fixings on your burger or sandwich). So, you can only half blame them if your food isn’t good. Still, this is a fun little burger joint and I’d go back, although I’d probably opt for the burger.

Taquerias Alma Latina #5 ― Houston, TX

Jackpot. It may have taken me all summer, through several venues and my own failed attempts, but I have found an immensely pleasing chicken fried steak sandwich….in a taqueria. Taquerias Alma Latina #5 is a wonderfully friendly place on Telephone Road, complete with colorful adornments inside and out. It’s just like ones you always pass by but never stop in to patronize (shame on you!).

Starved for a late lunch, I was delighted to see a milanese torta on the menu ($3.00). I ordered it with french fried, which were hot and tasty (large order $1.25) but lacking salt. Nothing special but they hit the spot. The torta was excellent. The bread was fluffy in the middle and crispy on the inside and out (notice the pressing marks on top). The meat was pork, so it’s not technically a CFSS, but that’s splitting hairs when you’re hungry. The breading was salty, garlicky just a little spicy. The thin pork cutlet was overcooked, but this gave a nice bite to the softness of the rest of the sandwich architecture. A healthy dollop of Mexican crema, a smear of avocado and a hint of mustard finished this fine sandwich.

A fortuitous find in an unlikely location. Well worth a trip to #5 (or any of the other numbers) for a delightful lunch.

Homemade CFSS - CFS Homestead, TX

Unable to find an appeasing CFSS for the past few months, I attempted to make my own at home. How hard could it be, right? A little tomato, mayo, mustard, avacado and a fried egg atop a crunchy CFS (frozen) should be an easy make.


Sadly, I failed (by my measure and as gingerly expressed to me by Mrs. CFS). The sandwich was overall too juicy, usually a plus, but the combination of ingredients just made muddle of the flavors. The bun (storebought) was soft and pliable but too big and soft. It needed more texture, perhaps a toasting.


The quest continues. Help me out, fair readers.

T-Bone Tom's - Seabrook, TX

My hunger for a chicken fried steak sandwich (CFSS) unabated, we traveled to Kemah to T-Bone Tom’s for a weekend lunch.

With several “chicken fried” sandwich options, it was hard to make a choice. Setting on the CFSS, the sandwich came with gravy (on the side), lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. After carefully building my sandwich, I took a bit. Excellent. The CFS was homemade and well cooked. The moistness of the CFS combined with the slight give of the sirloin made for an excellent bite. The veg additions provided an wonderful additional crunch especially the pickles and onions which gave the sandwich a nice sourness to complement the richness of the CFSS.

The enormous steak fries were the size of a remote control. They were fresh and came to the table piping hot.

Hot and tasty is hard to beat. Certainly worth a trip to the shore to try.

The Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q ― Houston, Texas

Continuing my search for a summer-favorite Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich (CFSS), we sauntered into The Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q on Crosstimbers (just east of I-45) with high hopes and empty stomachs. The Hungry Farmer is primarily a burger and BBQ place, with a menu of several options of this ilk and a neat interior that reminded me of a cross between a steak house and a diner.

The CFSS basket (with fries, $6.15) was a great meal and a great deal. The fries were excellent ― fresh cut, hot and crispy. My only complaint is that most of them were small. This made for nice crunching but difficulty for my ketchup sopping ambitions.

The CFSS was very good as well. A big beast of a sandwich (likewise with their burgers) made for many excellent mouthfuls. The CFS itself was premade but the balance of veg, bread and meat and the sheer size made for a flavorful bite each time. The heat of the salty and crunchy CFS warmed the mayo and tomato, while the onion (which I added from the bar), pickles (which I added from the bar) and lettuce made for a cool crunch.

A few things are becoming clear regarding the CFSS (or at least my preferred sandwiching options):

Onions (and a health amount of them) are critical.

Mayo is essential.

The tomato and lettuce must be present but side players.

Pickles. The more the better.

Bigger is better (or at least wider is better).

Miller's Cafe - Houston, TX

I’d been hankering for a CFS sandwich of late (hat tip to my late friend Bill Moran (Texas Chef) for some excellent suggestions last summer when my yearning began). There is something about the combination of a perfectly crisp chicken fried steak, the tang of some mayo, the crunch of fresh veg and a soft bun. My first stop was Miller’s Café in Garden Oaks, a little dive of a burger place with a great atmosphere and self serve soft drinks for a hot summer day. Sadly, the CFS sandwich (CFSS) was disappointing. The CFS itself was clearly prepackaged and frozen, making for a flat (shape and taste) patty. Because of this, the CFS was grainy and mealy. Surrounding the CFS was a slice of tomato, a sad little lettuce flap and a healthy dollop of mayo. Nothing fancy, which is fine, but nothing too interesting either.

The balance of flavor was good and there was nothing egregiously bad about the CFSS. Still, I wished I had ordered a burger. My hankering continues unabated.