Home of the big buns...

I'm finally back in the Fort, which is a good thing. And it's finally stopped raining so much, which is also a good thing.

I went to visit family in Alabama, where they were desperate for rain. There's a lake not far from my parent's home that is currently 5 feet below normal, and the city council is discussing water rationing. That made my Alabama visit feel a little too much like a normal summer in Texas.

So to celebrate my return to the Fort, I decided to give the new location of Dixie House Cafe a try. Though I had my share of home cooking in Alabama, I was eager to visit the self-proclaimed "Home of the big buns."

I went around lunchtime on Wednesday, and the parking lot around the restaurant area didn't have many empty spaces remaining and the inside of the place was fairly busy. There's not much going on decor-wise -- it's basically standard-issue chairs and tables. There's still some dark wood remaining from the days when the space housed a Harrigan's, but most of the Harrigan's decor got stripped out by the overrated BBQ place that lasted a couple of months...

This is the kind of place where they ask if you want sweet or unsweet tea and the waitresses call you "sugar" and "honey" and "handsome" without any trace of irony. In other words, it reminds me a lot of the small-town restaurants I grew up with in Alabama.

Several people near my table were discussing how wonderful the chicken fried steak was, but I wasn't really in the mood for that, so I got some meatloaf, along with okra and mashed potatoes. And what do you know? It really is some decent, down-home cooking... Don't go expecting an epicurean revelation from the heavens, but if you're missing your grandma's cooking, this could be a reasonable substitute. The dinner roll was very tasty, my okra was crisp, and the gravy on the mashed potatoes was very well done and not overly peppery like many Texas gravies.

They serve breakfast too, so I'm looking forward to trying that one weekend. If they use the same gravy from the mashed potatoes, I'd wager that their biscuit and gravy would be fantastic.

The desserts looked good, but I overindulged on the sweets during my Alabama trip, so that tasting will have to wait until I ride some more Tour de France miles...

My lunch was $7.50 and my tea was $1.50, so a good hot lunch was under 10 bucks. I didn't see anyone order a hamburger, so I cannot attest to the size of the alleged "big buns." I'll have to check those out later too...

I was impressed by the service and organization. This place just opened on Monday, and the service was handling a pretty good lunch crowd without breaking a sweat. I hope the Dixie House does well in this location.

Dixie House Cafe
5401 S. Hulen
817-361-8500
Open 6:30 am until 9 pm, Monday through Saturday