This place was so cute and amazing. We all had country fried steak and it was huge!!!! The best fried steak I've had! Our waitress was Kristen and she was the best! read more

Back In The Day Cafe - Best fried steak ever!!!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Midland, Texas

The cafe was clean and a nice atmosphere and the food was average. It was good. Just nothing exceptional. We had breakfast there and I tried asking the waitress if there ham was center-cut ham or just lunch meat and she had no clue what I was talking about. Her response "it's just ham you eat." Ok. I then asked if I could have my biscuits grilled (cut in half and grilled with butter on the grill). This is something I have done all the time. Her response "our biscuits are already cooked." When I explained that I just wanted them grilled and how to do it her response was "oh no, we don't do that here." Ok. So the food is good. But not real accommodating to changes to the menu. I am not from Midland but I wouldn't go back next time I am in town. read more

I have a challenge finding places in Midland that are both good and quiet enough to have a business meal at so I can talk to my visitor. Scouted this place for breakfast. Solid, American Cafe food, quiet enough to have a good meeting; my meeting ran long and we wound up in a corner table for nearly two hours; the staff was ready to help when we wanted help, smart enough to leave us alone when we didn't. Definitely would use for a business breakfast again. read more

We were greeted immediately upon arrival. Our waitress was wonderful! Our food was delicious but the only thing was the perfect rectangle of what was previously frozen, hash brown. The eggs were cooked perfectly and so was the bacon. Yum! We loved the pancake, too. We will be back. read more

The food was good but nothing to write home about. I had the breakfast burrito which was surprisingly flavorful due to cooking the sausage and eggs together, but they do not have any sauce to go along with it, so I found it lacked in that area. My husband said his pancakes tasted good, but nothing special. The interior is cutsy, but not any atmosphere to be had from it. Our waitress was nice. read more

Service was okay and breakfast was decent. Nothing special. I had an omelette with biscuit and gravy and grits. Decent place.

I went to ga e breaking here for the first time. We were seated right away. They have amazing crushed ice. The pancakes are some of the best I've ever had. This might start to be a regular place for me. The design of this place is super cool. read more

This was my third time at Back in the Day Cafe', and I have to say it was...okay? As one of the few locally owned restaurants in town serving these kinds of American classics, I wanted to like this place a lot. Walking in, I got a positive impression. The place was clean, the hostess friendly, and the decor was pure Americana. On my first visit, my waitress was quick and attentive, but when I asked for a recommendation, she stated she was a vegetarian and had not eaten any of the entree' items. I found that a little off-putting, as I would expect a waitress to at least recommend the most popular item on the menu. I settled on fried chicken, since I was aching for some yard-bird that did not come from a fast food chain. It arrived hot, crispy and juicy. It could, however have benefited from a pre-cook soak in a brine of some sort, as the meat itself was a little bland. In fact, one commonality to all three entree's I've tried is that they are all a bit under-seasoned. My sides were...adequate. Mashed potatoes from a package mix is just inexcusable in a restaurant today. Ditto for the "cream" gravy. Real mashed potatoes and gravy will win you a lot of good will in this town. Portion size was respectable, though. Half a chicken, two sides, a biscuit and a salad for about ten bucks is pretty reasonable. Next visit was chicken fried steak, Again, huge portion for the price, but the packaged gravy mix let me down on consistency and flavor. The hand breading on the CFS was skillfully done and prefectly cooked, just like the chicken the week before. Again, however, it seems as though a dash of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper would have added a deeper flavor dimension to the meat rather than forcing the breading and "gravy" to do all the heavy lifting. Tonight's visit saw me order the Mesquite smoked Ribs, which I was kind of excited about. This turned out to be the worst of the three entree's I've had. The flavor of mesquite smoke was completely absent from my half-rack of baby backs, and the same lack of seasoning that plagued my previous two dinners was present here as well. The greatest sin, however, was the poor execution on the ribs. Although they were cooked through, they were nowhere near "falling off the bone" that we all expect from baby back ribs. It came with barbecue sauce on the side, which I appreciated, but I suspect it was a commercially available jar sauce. Avoid the two barbecue dishes on the menu. In short, Great service, friendly people, nice looking joint and the cook clearly has some skills. There is potential here, but they really should address some of these issues. read more

Ate their with husband & son, hated the decor, uncomfortable chairs, waitress kept trying to be funny, food was terrible. Will never eat there again read more

Nice old school cafe style diner type. Very friendly servers, fair prices and portions. We enjoy bringing our toddler here since the decor helps keep him entertained. read more

My wife and I have been wanting to try this place since they opened up. We finally were able to go have some food and we ended up picking ribs. We figured since it was the first thing on the menu it was probably the best thing they make...It was the exact opposite! Very dry and almost no flavor. After reading other reviews it seems chicken may be the way to go at this place. read more

My favorite cafe in town! Everyone is so nice! Will definitely continue returning! Meatloaf is the best in town!

There were two in our party, so we shared the chicken fried steak. I can't remember the last time I ordered CFS at any restaurant. It was excellent. The sides are great as well. read more

A hidden gem in Midland! Doesn't look like much from the outside, but step inside for an adorable walk back in time! My husband and I both had the chicken fried steak and it was superb! My only complaint is that the food had the taste of being friends in oil slightly past its prime! Delicious iced tea and all the sides were great! Service was excellent as well! read more

IMHO the best chicken fry in town. Breakfast is terrific too. Good service from real attentive wait staff. Friendly hometown place to eat.

Our server let us sit for about five minutes while she catered to a table of four. She made it clear we were not going to be waited on. When we were waited on it was like we were bothering her. When we got our food she did not rwturn to us so refills were out of the question all the while her table of four was her top priority. Why tout ypurself as homey when its really not. read more

What a refreshing change from the day to day madness of living in Midland!!! So happy I found this place! The decor is very unique as it depicts Midland "back in the day". The staff is very friendly and attentive. Now to the food ... drum roll ... AMAZING comfort food cooked to perfection with generous portions! I had the fried catfish with beans and cole slaw! Soo yummy!! You must give them a try! You will not be disappointed!! read more

Food was good- has the chicken strips- mac&cheese with mashed potatoes - food was good and service was friendly. Great atmosphere and not packed to the max where you have to wait for long periods of time. read more

Food wasn't that great, honestly. Biscuits were the frozen kind, hash browns were like McDonald's but thinner, sausage was pre-cooked type stuff. The only thing that makes this place worth going is the staff. This was our first visit and they were beyond nice and treated us like they knew us. They refilled drinks quickly they were all so polite. read more

Did not like it at all. Me and my husband both got the chicken fried steak and it was so gross. When my husband talked to the owner, she was very rude and nasty. We will not go back. read more

Great little spot!!! Would never expect what is in the inside from the street view. Good food. Service was ok, but had to wait on coffee.....(and I hate that!) we will be back though. read more

Ate here twice. One dinner, one breakfast. All the food they brought us was so mediocre. My waffles looked like frozen toaster waffles. If you're at Back in the Day for the cute interior, okay, but there are many better food choices in Midland. read more

The best home cooked meal in Midland ~ mainly if you happen to be living out of a hotel!!! Friendly service, great atmosphere and...well the sing at the door says it all " unattended children will be given espresso and a kitten!"‼ read more

Always love bringing my family here! Its an amazing family friendly small place. The staff is sweet and their food is astounding!

Went again last night, second time we've been since moving to Midland. Had family visiting from out of town and knew it would be a hit. Forewarned visiting relatives that the chicken fried steak was huge, so they shared as did two others of us. Bill for 4 full meals, 6 drinks and two hours of visiting with a very patient and wonderful waitress was $78. So yes, it is a bit pricey but we still brought food home, even with meals being split. For all of the naysayers on here, if you have an issue with food not being seasoned to your likings, there are salt and pepper shakers on every table in there. Most restaurants DO NOT serve "REAL" mashed potatoes. If you want real, make them at home but really there is nothing to complain about with theirs. They were very well seasoned and the gravy is, well, restaurant gravy albeit, it is seasoned. If you are going to a restaurant that is named "Back In The Day," yep, you might see some old antiquated furnishings, what else would you expect? Don't let that ruin your experience because it wasn't up to your standards. It is a fun environment, wait staff is friendly and the atmosphere during the week is conducive to being able to visit and not feeling rushed out as soon as your napkin lands on your plate. Our entire family would highly recommend the trip back in time at this fun little place. It reminded most of us of Sunday dinner at grandma's house, from the sweet cream corn to the fried okra and home-style mac and cheese. Well worth the trip down memory lane. read more

Our first time here. Great food and awesome service. Unique atmosphere. We will definitely be back. Fried catfish was delicious as was the chicken fried steak. Hidden gem of Midland!!! Can't wait to come for breakfast. read more

I used to love going to this restaurant, but I choose not to anymore . I don't know why this place refuse to toast bread on the grill when customer request to . I think it's so stupid not to give the customer what they want . Today I went to have breakfast and asked for toast and requested it to to be toasted on the grill and waitress told me they would not do that . They do their toast from a toaster .I'm like okay make sure it's hot . But it would have tasted much better from the grill . The waitress was kinda rude the whole time . I know sometimes your short handed and busy, but why should certain customers be treated lesser then others just because your short handed . I feel like when we asked for extra napkins or an extra fork and they just leave on table and just kind leave it as there passing by to take something else to another table and we said thank you but the waitress didn't even acknowledge you at all, is just so rude . And then they expect a good tip from you .no more visits from me to this restaurant if I can't get simple toast from the grill , I'll just go somewhere else where I can . read more

My Wife,Myself and two teenage boys ate at back in the day tonight. The food was good. Southern style food. fried chicken,chicken fried steak, chicken strips lots of food! It came with green beans mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn mac and cheese the sides are served in a big bowl and you serve how much you want on your plate all of the food was good! I highly recommend this place! read more

Chicken was dry and cold. Vegetables tasted like they were from a can, potatoes tasted like they were instant, and gravy was watery. Too expensive for a meal I could have done better at home. read more

There was only about 3 people in the whole place and my food took absolutely forever to arrive. Mashed potatos tasted like they were the instant out of the box variety. Fried chicken was below average. Decor was kinda neat. read more

Pleasant environment, friendly staff, GREAT food! I would definitely go here again!

Great place for a group to hang out. Friendly service, continuous grub and an inviting atmosphere.

The unique decor and friendly servers are the only redeeming aspects of my visit. I had hoped for good food on top of this but was disappointed. I had the chicken fried steak and it was very chewy; the mashed potatoes were instant. read more

Been here twice for lunch. Had CFS both times. Good home style cooking.

Had a wonderful lunch of Chicken Fried Steak with a co-worker. We got an extra setting and shared the entree as it was VERY generous. With the salad, biscuits and sides, we were both completely full with no room left for dessert. Our waitress was wonderful and very attentive. Loved the decor. The food was "just like momma made" and was delicious (except momma's biscuits weren't this good). I will definitely work my way through this menu and recommend it to all. read more

Today at lunch we were looking for a "mom and pop" restaurant to eat some chicken fried chicken!! We found a menu online of this Cafe. When we walk in there is so much that catches your eye. A little tour of midland during your hour lunch. Nice friendly staff and service was fast and accurate. Everything is very warm and welcoming. Only reason I didn't give it four stars I felt like the drinks were very expensive and the online menu was different from the menu I was reading at the restaurant. read more

I read on this site that they had the best chicken fried steak and I must strongly agree. When the woman inside said it was all homemade, she was completely right. It wasn't as good as momma makes it.....it was better! Awesome service and awesome food. I will definitely be back. read more

My teenage son and I have been twice. I had heard the chicken fry was good , so when I looked at the menu it was close to $15.00! I told the waitress "Wow, that seems a lot for a chicken fry." She said that most people split it, so that is what we did and ordered an extra side........The portion after cutting in half was still large and plenty for anyone. I'm 58 years young and have lived in Texas most of my life. I have often reminisced about the good old days when you could find a true homemade chicken fry that wasn't frozen or made out of mystery meat. Well, I finally found it. This chicken fry was excellent. Best I've had in many many years. Huge. When you walk in the restaurant you can see into some of the kitchen....Mine has never been that clean. Unbelievable. The second time we went back to eat only about a month later, lo and behold, the prices had dropped! But not the portion size! Yay Yay Yay. This is our go to place for some good old back in the day chicken fry. read more

We ate here a few times when they first opened and the waitresses were extremely nice and accomodating, the owners even walked around checking on all the guest. When we went back recently, things had obviously changed. The chicken fried steak was so tough, the chicken was salty and the sides were all cold. We had to ask for the blue cheese for the salad that usually comes with it and the biscuits were hard. There were 4 of us but yet when she first brought the sides out, the bowls weren't even filled up with enough for all of us. We had to ask for them to be refilled and so she refilled them but by the time she brought it back we were getting full on the salad so not much of the sides were eaten. When we were leaving we asked for one small box to put the remaining sides in and the little uneducated waitress refused, saying she couldn't let us have it to go. Well, I'm pretty sure we paid $60 for that food and unless they reuse food, it would be thrown away. We told her that we had taken the remaining food to go before and she then said she would go get the manager to "explain" their rules to us like we were the stupid ones. And well, no manager ever came. The girl just went and began talking to the other hillbilly waitresses so we just left. This place is a sorry immitation of Babe's and unless the owner can hire a smarter wait staff, they will fail like the other 90% of small businesses that fail in the first 2 years! read more