#6 Mary's Cafe - Strawn, Texas

When you live your whole life in Texas, over the years, you hear about places you should visit.  Often, they're off the beaten path and you read about them in Texas Highways or Texas Monthly.  Friends and colleagues are sometimes the source of these hidden

treasures and will ask, "Have you been to . . .?  You have to go and try the . . . "  Mary's Cafe in Strawn, Texas, is one of these jewels.  I'd heard about it for years and knew it had to go on my 50 by 50 list.  When I first compiled my list earlier this Spring, I had tentatively planned on heading to Mary's the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend.  But then it rained all month long and the forecast showed the rain continuing into that weekend.  But miraculously, the rain decide to head elsewhere, and Saturday morning I decided I would head to Strawn for what is deemed as the world's best chicken fried chicken.

The quickest route is 90 minutes via I-20.  It promised to be a beautiful day and the thought of all highway wasn't very appealing so I considered my other options.  Thanks to Google Maps, I discovered a much more scenic, albeit longer drive.  

In the end it was totally worth it.  For one thing, it took me through a part of my school district I had never been to before.  It gave me an even greater appreciation for how widespread we are and how different the various corners of our district are.  My route was mostly Farm-to-Market roads and after almost month of rain, the drive was green and lush, full of wildflowers. Although there were clouds, the sun proved to be more stubborn and it was a gorgeous, sunny day to drive this section of Texas with the sunroof open singing along to the classic country playing on the radio.  And by classic, I mean country music of the 80s and 90s . . . you know the good stuff.

Mary's Cafe did not disappoint.  It is the quintessential small town cafe.  The front is busy, but not too busy to be greeted as soon as you walk in and you're directed to seat yourself.  Decor is simple and what you would expect; neon signs and local photography sporadically adorn the walls.  Even at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Mary's had a steady stream of diners, keeping the waitstaff constantly on the go.  My server was a long timer.  I overheard her say she had been working at Mary's since 2003.  And that was the second time she worked there.  The first time was 1993!  Now that is loyalty!

Even though Mary's Cafe is known to have the world's best chicken fried steak, I've always been more of a chicken fried chicken girl.  But if the chicken is any indication, then Mary's just might have a legit claim to this title.  The chicken was tender and juicy, and the breading was just thick enough to have the perfect crunch.  The gravy was thick and creamy and not too peppery; a great compliment to the chicken fried chicken.  But don't worry, if you're not a gravy person, the chicken fried chicken definitely stands on its own.   The meal also came with toast, a salad and your choice of mashed potatoes, fries, or baked potato.  Let's get the salad out of the way.  Yes, I got one and even requested balsamic vinaigrette in an attempt to make good choices.  I even took a couple of bites.  But let's be real.  I just drove two hours for a  Southern classic . . . do I really want to take up space with a salad?  And it's a salad made with shredded lettuce.  If you've read my Burger Babe posts, you know how I feel about shredded lettuce.  It is good for tacos only.  The toast was perfectly buttered and lightly toasted, which is my preference.  I wasn't super excited about the masked potatoes.  I don't mind potato chunks, but I would rather my mashed potatoes be a little smoother and creamier.

Because I knew I would regret it if I didn't, I ordered fried green tomatoes and a slice of coconut meringue pie to go.

Even though I was still full when I got home, I tried a tomato right away.  Delicious!  I plan on having the rest for brunch after I'm done with this post.  But I couldn't put off the pie!  Just look at that filling to meringue ratio.  It can't get any better.  And that crust!  Flaky in all the right ways.  This pie was perfection.  I think I might even place it above the Koffee Kup's out in Hico!

So a fun bonus to share with you.  When I pulled into downtown Strawn, population 680, I found myself driving on red brick roads.  To most people, this wouldn't mean a thing.  But it immediately took me back to Randolph, Nebraska, where my maternal grandparents lived when I was a child.  Interestingly enough, Strawn and Randolph are about the same size and about the same population.  I'm assuming that like Randolph, Strawn is a farming community, but I don't know that for sure.   I haven't been to Randolph in years, but I hope those red brick roads are still running through town.  

I'm so glad I practiced spontaneity yesterday.  The drive out to Strawn was gorgeous and the destination worth it.